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High Tension (1953-54)
Episode Guide
compiled by The Classic TV Archive
with contributions by: Rina Fox, Tom Alger
references:
TV Guide /
Library of Congress (telnet://locis.loc.gov)
Internet Movie Database (https://us.imdb.com)
UCLA Film and Television Archive / Writers Guild of America (wga)
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HIGH TENSION
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WOR-TV Channel 9 New York
Created by Lawrence Menken (program director of Guild Films)
US Drama Anthology 1953-54 25 episodes x 30 min
Premise:
Single actor with another voice off camera. [Billboard 10Oct53]
################# High Tension ###############
################ season 1953-54 ##############
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WOR-TV Channel 9 Thursday 10:30-11pm
[01] High Tension: MARKHEIM [Premiere]
15-Oct-1953 WOR-TV Chl 9 New York Thur 10:30-11pm
Written by Robert Louis Stevenson
starring
Jack Manning, Phil Tonken
Producer: Lawrence Menkin
Director: Richard Simon
Writer: Jay Bennett
"Weekly Variety" Review (Published Date: October 21st, 1953)
Combination of Larry Menkin, Jay Bennett and Jack Manning which clicked so
successfully with their solo-actor presentation of
"Hamlet" and other productions last winter on Menkln's "Mono-Drama Theatre" on
WABD, N. Y., was successfully reunited for the
initialler of new arid modified half hour version of "Mono-Drama" on WOR-TV.
Menkin, who's moved into the program managership at the station, has taken his
old concept of a single actor doing a story,
added an offscreen voice, wrapped them up into a half-hour yarn, and come up
with a sock suspense session in "High Tension."
Choice of Robert Louis Stevenson's "Markheim" to lead the series off was a
fortunate one, since it's the story of a man's tussle
with his conscience after years of degeneracy which are capped off with a
murder. Since it's pretty much of solo-setting and tailor-made
for the solo treatment, program came off in slick style. Bennett's adaptation
was excellent, Phil Tonken's offstage voice fitted the mood
perfectly, and Jack Manning's thesping (thespian / acting) was socko throughout.
With director Richard Simon's cameras doing a rapid shift in viewpoint
throughout the half-hour, none of the program was static, as
might be expected from a solo thesping effort. The "live" editing, so to speak,
was fluid and unerring, and combined with a fine series of
sets and props and Manning's and Tonken's top-nitch performances, created a mood
of tension and suspense that didn't let up for a minute.
Adding to this were some fine sound effects of ticking of clocks and excellent
music by an un-billed organist.
Chan. [TA]
[02] High Tension: The Old Ones
22Oct1953
starring
Ruth White
[03] High Tension: Brain Wash
29Oct1953
starring
Stewart Bradley
[04] High Tension: The Golden Cat
05Nov1953
starring
Martin Kosleck
[05] High Tension: A Melody For Murder
12Nov1953
starring
Yvonne Sherwood
[06] High Tension: The Captain Sees Red
19Nov1953
starring
Sydney Smith
[07] High Tension: The Faceless Man
26Nov1953
starring
B.J. Keating
[08] High Tension: Crime and Punishment
03Dec1953
Story by Fyodor Dostoevsky
starring
Martin Kosleck
[09] High Tension: Escape Into Fear
10Dec1953
starring
Diana Kemble
[10] High Tension: The House and the Brain
17Dec1953
starring
Jack Manning
[11] High Tension: The Mistletow Racket
24Dec1953
starring
Gordon Clark
[12] High Tension: The Last Man on Earth
31Dec1953
starring
Chris Drake
[13] High Tension: The Ghost of Macbeth
07Jan1954
starring
Jack Manning
[14] High Tension: Go Way From My Window
14Jan1954
starring
Mary Leader
21Jan1954 pre-empted for film.
28Jan1954 pre-empted for film.
[15] High Tension: Talkdown
04Feb1954
starring
Chris Drake
[16] High Tension: The Invisible Island
11Feb1954
starring
Douglas Rodgers
[17] High Tension: Woman in the Box
18Feb1954
starring
Helen Chapman
[18] High Tension: The Lovers Out of Time
25Feb1954
starring
Joy Hathaway
[19] High Tension: The Pulse of Murder
04Mar1954
starring
Martin Ritt
[20] High Tension: Mr. Krosneck Disappears
11Mar1954
starring
Martin Kosleck
[21] High Tension: The Tell-Tale Heart
18Mar1954
starring
Curtis Conway
[22] High Tension: The Last Man on Earth
25Mar1954
starring
Christopher Drake
*Note: The Academy Awards Ceremonies were held on
this day on NBC (same timeslot) with Donald O'Connor from Hollywood and Fredric
March from New York.
[23] High Tension: I Dream of Murder
01Apr1954
starring
Stewart Bradley
[24] High Tension: The Third Rose
08Apr1954
starring
Ruth Attaway
[25] High Tension: The Deadliest
15Apr1954
starring
Martin Kosleck
Replaced with Films.
################# High Tension ###############
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