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Season
3 (CBS) (1958-59)
Episode Guide
compiled by The Classic TV Archive
with contributions by: Rina Fox
references:
TV Guide /
Library of Congress (telnet://locis.loc.gov)
Internet Movie Database (https://us.imdb.com)
UCLA Film and Television Archive
############## Playhouse 90 ################
############# season 3 1958-59 ###############
##############################################
CBS Thursdays 9:30-11:00 pm weekly
3.01 [080] Playhouse 90: THE PLOT TO KILL STALIN (live)
25Sep1958 CBS Thur
Produced by Fred Coe
Written by David Karp
Directed by Delbert Mann
cast
Melvyn Douglas ...... Stalin
Eli Wallach ......... Poskrebyshev
Oskar Homolka ....... Khrushchev
E.G. Marshall ....... Beria
Luther Adler ........ Molotov
Thomas Gomez ........ Malenkov
Marian Seldes ....... Mme. Molotov
Lawrence Dobkin ..... Shtemenko
Bert Freed .......... Sokolovsky
David J. Stewart .... Ignatiev
Paul Bryar .......... Zhukhov
Paul Lambert ........ Rassine
Harry Davidson ...... Ryumim
Paul Maxwell ........ Recorder
Edwin Jerome ........ Senior physician
Synopsis 1:
It is reported that in his last years Stalin grew more and more feverishly
suspicious of the men around him. Tonight's play opens in the fall of 1952,
six months before the Soviet premier's death. On the eve of the 19th
Communist Party congress, Stalin confides to his personal secretary
Poskrebyshev his plan to centralize power even more completely
in his own hands. He will abolish the Politburo, and replace it with a
Presidium. This will be of such cumbersome dimensions that it will be
virtually ineffectual. Then Stalin takes a further step to insure his control,
he secretly records the conversations of his lieutenants. Beria, who
eventually was executed by Stalin's successors, receives the first hint of his
fall from favor when his portrait at the party congress is moved further down
from its original position. Before long, others begin to realize
that they too are being watched. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
In the fall of 1952, Soviet premier Joseph Stalin plots to centralize power even
more
completely in his own hands and secretly records the conversations of his top
lieutenants, who soon realize that he is also
having them watched. [FMN]
3.02 [081] Playhouse 90: THE DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES
(mainly live / portions pre-recorded)
02Oct1958 CBS Thur (rebroadcast 17Sep59)
Produced by Fred Coe
Written by J.P. Miller
Directed by John Frankenheimer
Hosted by Sterling Hayden
cast
Piper Laurie ........ Kirsten Arnesen Clay
Cliff Robertson ..... Joe Clay
Charles Bickford ..... Ellis Arensen
Malcolm Atterbury .... Jim Hungerford
Marc Lawrence ........ Scarface
Martha Wentworth ..... Mrs. Nolan
Synopsis 1:
The slow, horrifying deterioration of Kirsten and Joe's life due to alcohol is
a terrifying thing to witness. Their addiction has destroyed them,
and now it is the only thing keeping them together. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
Joe Clay, a once successful businessman, and his wife have become alcoholics.
In an effort to get help and to save his marriage, Joe goes to a meeting of
Alcoholics Anonymous.
Here he is asked to recount how he became an alcoholic. Ten years earlier,
Joe recalls he met pretty Kirsten Arnesen at a party. Attracted to each other
they left the party, taking a bottle of liquor with them. [RF]
Synopsis 3:
A once successful businessman ruined by liquor attends a meeting of Alcoholics
Anonymous and tells how his troubles with whiskey began ten years earlier when he
and a pretty woman he later married met at a
party and went off, taking a bottle with them. [FMN]
3.03 [082] Playhouse 90: THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE
09Oct1958 CBS Thur
Produced by Gordon Duff
Written by A.J. Russell
Based on William Saroyan's stage play THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE (1939)
Directed by Tom Donovan
Hosted by Jack Carson
cast
Jackie Gleason ....... Joe
Betsy Palmer ......... Kitty Duval
Dick York ............ Tom
Jack Klugman ......... Nick
Bobby Van ............ Harry
James Barton ......... Kit Carson
Bert Freed ........... Blick
Terry Carter ......... Wesley
Steve Franken ........ Willie
Carlos Montalban ..... The Arab
Ray McHugh ........... The Newsboy
Billy M. Greene ...... The Drunk
Dina Merrill ......... Mary
Jeri Archer .......... Killer
Ray McHugh ........... Newsboy
Lynne Forrester ...... Friend
Synopsis 1:
The scene is a San Francisco dive known as Nick's Pacific Street Saloon,
Restaurant, and Entertainment Palace. Strolling in and out, and revealing
details of their lives and loves, is a motley collection of people. Some
are nice, some are not; some are down on their luck, but not on their
cheerfulness.
At the center of the action that begins to evolve is a philosophical gent named
Joe. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
A San Francisco dive known a Nick's is frequented by a motley collection of
people at the center of whom is a philosophical gent
named Joe. [FMN]
3.04 [083] Playhouse 90: THE LONG MARCH
16Oct1958 CBS Thur
Produced by Fred Coe
Teleplay by Roger O. Hirson
Based on William Styron's novelet "The Long March" (Discovery, February
1953;
collected in THE LONG MARCH, Random House 1956)
Directed by Delbert Mann
cast
Sterling Hayden ...... Col. Rocky Templeton
Rod Taylor ........... Lt. Warren Culver
Jack Carson .......... Capt. Al Mannix
Mona Freeman ......... Betsy
James Congden ........ Pvt. Hobbs
Shirley Knight ....... ? (unconfirmed source)
Synopsis 1
In the Marines, Culver is the capable assistant to his good friend,
Capt. Al Mannix, a fellow reservist and the company commander. Mannix's
commander -- and nemesis -- is Col. Rocky Templeton, who has ordered the
Marine trainees on a rigorous battle exercise that's to be followed by
a 36-mile march back to the base. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
A Marine veteran of World War II, recalled to serve in the Korean conflict
under a stern colonel, becomes incensed when his reservists are ordered
on a long forced march just after coming back from
heavy combat. [FMN]
3.05 [084] Playhouse 90: SHADOWS TREMBLE (film)
23Oct1958 CBS Thur (rebroadcast 16Jul59)
Written by Ernest Kinoy
Directed by UNKNOWN
cast
Edward G. Robinson ... Oscar Bromek
Ray Walston .......... Partridge
Beatrice Straight .... Grace
Frank Conroy ......... Ty Tyburn
Parker Fennelly ...... George Putnam
Robert Webber ........ Malcolm Field
Lori March ........... Felicia Field
Byron Foulger ........ Frank Post
Synopsis 1:
An immigrant who has made a fortune as a toy manufacturer suffers a heart attack
and decides to retire. He buys the historic Vermont home he has rented regularly
as a summer place but finds that the tradition-bound natives virtually ignore him. [FMN]
Synopsis 2:
Oscar Bromek decides to buy the historic New England Tyburn home which he
has been renting regularly every summer. Bromek, who came to this country
as an immigrant, has built a successful toy-manufacturing firm and now, because of
a heart condition, he plans to retire to this small Vermont town. But the tradition bound natives
do not take kindly to Bromek and he finds
himself virtually ignored by them. [RF]
3.06 [085] Playhouse 90: WORD FROM A SEALED-OFF BOX
prod. #58-6
30Oct1958 CBS Thur
Producer Fred Coe
Teleplay by Mayo Smith
Based on the book "The Walls Came Tumbling Down", by Henriette Roosenburg
Directed by Franklin Schaffner
cast
Maria Schell ......... Gret
Jean-Pierre Aumont ... Harry
Vivian Nathan ........ Frieda
Betsy Von Furstenburg .... Lisa
Theodore Bikel ....... Rapp
Synopsis:
In 1944 a courier for the Dutch underground is captured by the Germans and
taken to Gestapo headquarters, where she desperately tries to concoct a story
that will protect the agent she was to contact. [FMN]
Synopsis 2:
Four prisoners in Nazi-occupied Holland come up with a plan for escape. [RF]
3.07 [086] Playhouse 90: HEART OF DARKNESS
06Nov1958 CBS Thur
Teleplay by Stewart Stern
Based on Joseph Conrad's short novel HEART OF DARKNESS
(Blackwood's Magazine, February-April 1899)
Directed by Ron Winston
cast
Roddy McDowall ....... Marlow
Boris Karloff ........ Kurtz
Oscar Homolka ........ Doctor
Eartha Kitt .......... Queen
Richard Haydn ........ Accountant
Inga Swenson ......... Maria
Cathleen Nesbitt ..... Old Woman
Synopsis 1:
A long sea voyage behind him, Marlow is on his way back to England.
An intense young man, Marlow wants desperately to live a meaningful life.
He looks forward to a reunion with Kurtz, the man who had raised him.
He believes that Kurtz can explain the mysteries of human existence.
In England, Marlow learns from Kurtz's daughter that he has gone to Africa.
Determined to find his benefactor, Marlow makes preparations for a trip to
Africa.
When he explains his mission to the strange group of people he finds at a
British Colonial Trading Office, he is startled by their reactions. The behavior
of these people is only the first of the mysteries Marlow is to encounter as
he continues his search into the heart of Africa. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
In the 1880s an intense young man follows the mysterious figure who raised
him from England to Africa. When he explains his quest to the people at
a British colonial trading office, their strange
reactions startle him. [FMN]
- 13Nov58 no details -
3.08 [087] Playhouse 90: OLD MAN (live)
20Nov1958 CBS Thur
Produced by Fred Coe
Adapted by by Horton Foote
Based on William Faulkner's short novel "Old Man"
(collected in THE WILD PALMS, Random House
1939)
Directed by John Frankenheimer
Hosted by Melvyn Douglas
cast
Sterling Hayden ...... Tall convict
Geraldine Page ....... Young woman
Milton Selzer ........ Second convict
James Westerfield .... The Warden
Malcolm Atterbury .... The Doctor
Sandy Kenyon ......... The Deputy
Marc Lawrence ........ The Cajun
Len Lesser ........... Man with gun
Richard Le Pore ...... Man on cotton house
Naomi Stevens ........ Woman on shanty boat
Stafford Repp ........ The Steamboat Captain
Jamie Forster ........ Motor boat Pilot
Alvin Childress ...... Farmer on levee
Clegg Hoyt ........... Army officer
Bob Duggan ........... Steam Launch Pilot
Ned Roberts .......... Machine gun Sergeant
*
Associate producers, Robert Goldman, Russell Stoneham.
Art director, Walter Scott Herndon.
Casting, Ethel Winant.
Associate Director, James Clark.
Production supervisor, William Larsen.
Music supervisor, Milton Anderson.
Technical director, Brooks Graham.
Set decorator, Arthur Jeph Parker.
Lighting director, Tom D. Schamp.
Wardrobe, James Linn.
Special effects, Robert Waugh.
Synopsis 1:
It is 1927. To fight a Mississippi flood, a prison farm releases some
convicts. One sees the flood as his opportunity to escape; another feels
honor-bound to carry out the work and return. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
One convict released from a Mississippi prison farm to fight the great flood
of 1927 sees the situation as his chance to escape, while another feels
honor bound to carry out the work and return. [FMN]
*Note: Closing song sung by Pete Seeger (uncredited).
3.09 [088] Playhouse 90: THE RETURN OF ANSEL GIBBS
27Nov1958 CBS Thur
Produced by John Houseman
Written by David Davison
Based on Frederick Buechner's novel THE RETURN OF ANSEL GIBBS (Knopf,
1958)
Directed by Ralph Nelson
cast
Melvyn Douglas ....... Ansel Gibbs
Diana Lynn ........... Anne
Mary Astor ........... Sylvia
Earl Holliman ........ Robin Tripp
Loring Smith ......... Sen. Farwell
Ilka Chase ........... Louise
John Hoyt ............ Porter Hoye
Synopsis 1:
Ansel Gibbs is asked to return to a high government service
position after years of retirement. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
Soon after a retired politician decides to accept a cabinet post in Washington,
his daughter persuades him to grant a TV interview to the son of his former
law partner, who committed suicide after the
politician fired him. [FMN]
3.10 [089] Playhouse 90: FREE WEEKEND
04Dec1958 CBS Thur (rerun 23Jul59)
Written by Steven Gethers
Directed by UNKNOWN
cast
James Whitmore ....... Guy Cato
Nina Foch ............ Wanda Newton
Kim Hunter ........... Shirl Cato
Jim Backus ........... Jerry
Charles Bickford ..... Marvin
Buddy Ebsen .......... Phil
Martin Balsam ........ Sam Gordon
Nancy Marchand ....... Sylvia Sands
June Dayton .......... Dorothy Gordon
Jack Albertson ....... Herbert Sands
Paul Langton ......... Paul Newton
Lee Kinsolving ....... Richard
Synopsis:
After placing their children in a summer camp, several sets of parents
find themselves at odds as each pressures their child to win the
annual Best All-Around Camper cup. [FMN]
3.11 [090] Playhouse 90: SEVEN AGAINST THE WALL
11-Dec-1958 CBS Thur
Producer Fred Coe
Adapted by David Davidson
Based on the novel by Howard Browne
Directed by Franklin Schaffner
Narrator Eric Sevaried
cast
Paul Lambert ......... Al Capone
Dennis Patrick ....... George 'Bugs' Moran
Frank Silvera ......... Nick Serrello
Paul Stevens ......... Jack McGurn
Dennis Cross ........ Pete Gusenberg
Barry Cahill ............ Frank Gusenberg
Richard Carlyle ...... Dr. Reinhardt Schwimmer
Al Ruscio ............... Albert Weinshank
George Keymas ..... James Clark
Milton Frome .......... Adam Heyer
Wayne Heffley ....... John May
Nesdon Booth ......... Michael Heitler
Joe De Santis ......... Charles Fischetti
Tige Andrews .......... Frank Nitti
Lewis Charles ........ Jacob Guzik
Paul Burke ............. Paul Salvanti
Don Gordon ........... Bobo Borotta
Warren Oates ........ Ted Ryan
Karl Lukas ............. Willie Marks
Robert Cass .......... O'Meara
Celia Lovsky .......... Mrs. Schwimmer
Jean Inness ........... Mrs. Greeley
Robin Morse .......... Charles Fischetti
Connie Davis ......... Mrs. Walsh
Nicolas Georgiade ....... Rocco
Sid Cassel .............. Angelo
Tito Vuolo ............... Anselmi
Richard Sinatra ...... Scalisi
Paul Maxwell .......... Cooley
Arthur Hanson ........ Moeller
Joseph Abdullah ..... Joey
Mike Masters ......... Policeman
Clancy Cooper ....... Policeman
Phil Arnold .............. Truck Driver
Walter Barnes ........ Bartender
Isabelle Cooley ....... Moran's Maid
Stephen Coit ........... Bartender
Harry Jackson ......... Car Salesman
Joseph Haworth ....... Garage Owner
Bob Duggan ............. Bar Patron
Richard Venture ....... Passerby
Warren Frost ........... Reporter with Moran
Garry Walberg ......... Reporter with Moran
Molly Dodd ............... Reporter with Capone
Jason Wingreen ....... Reporter with Capone
Barry Brooks ............ Reporter with Capone
Drew Handley ........... Cigar Store Clerk
Gil Frye .................... Capone's Servant
Rick Ellis .................. Bellboy
Louise Fletcher ........ Pete's Girl
Synopsis 1:
The story of the St. Valentine's Day massacre. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
Al Capone and his lieutenants meet to decide how to handle the situation when a
hoodlum in 1928 Chicago
decides to muscle in on Capone's liquor business. The result is the famous St.
Valentine's Day Massacre. [FN]
Synopsis 3: from TIME magazine:
A play about Chicago's St. Valentine's Day Massacre of 1929, during which Al
Capone's men drew a murderous
bead on Bugs Moran and succeeded only in killing seven other guys.
*Note: Actress Louise Fletcher's feet are only seen in "Seven Against the Wall",
her diagloue is heard off-screen.
[--] Playhouse 90:
18Dec1958 - no details
3.12 [091] Playhouse 90: THE NUTCRACKER
25Dec1958 CBS Thur
Choreography by George Balanchine
New York City Ballet; conductor, Robert Irving.
Narrator: June Lockhart
cast
Diana Adams ......... Sugar Plum Fairy
Allegra Kent ........ Dewdrop
Arthur Mitchell ..... Coffee
Edward Villella ..... Candy Cane
Judith Green ........ Marzipan shepherdess
Bengt Anderson ...... Drosselmeyer
Ken Peterson ........ Mouse King
Robert Malorano ..... Nutcracker
Deni Lamont ......... Tea
Bonnie Bedelia ...... Clara
Synopsis:
In Tchaikovsky's ballet as choreographed by George Balanchine, a little girl who
has a nutcracker shaped like a little soldier fall asleep and dreams that she is a
princess taken on a series of magical adventures by
her little soldier prince. [RF]
3.13 [092] Playhouse 90: FACE OF A HERO
01Jan1959 CBS Thur
Written by Louis Halstein
Written by Robert Joseph (other source)
Based on Pierre Boulle's novel LA FACE
(1953; translated as FACE OF A HERO, Secker &
Warburg 1956, Vanguard 1956)
Directed by John Frankenheimer
cast
Jack Lemmon .......... David Poole
James Gregory ........ Chief Fuller
Rip Torn ............. Harold Rutland, Jr.
Henry Hull ........... Bishop
Anne Meacham ......... Catherine
Larry Gates .......... Sen. Knox
William Hansen ....... Milliard
Malcolm Atterbury .... Simon
Florida Friebus
Synopsis:
While the new prosecuting attorney in a Southern town is telling a jury that
concentration on the facts must lead to justice, flashbacks depict a scene
several months earlier when he stood helplessly by
while a girl drowned. [FMN]
3.14 [093] Playhouse 90: THE WINGS OF THE DOVE (tape)
08Jan1959
Adapted by Meade Roberts
Based on Henry James' novel THE WINGS OF THE DOVE (Scribner, 1902)
Directed by Robert Stevens
cast
Dana Wynter ......... Kate Croy
James Donald ........ Miles Denshaw
John Baragrey ....... Lord Mark
Isabel Jeans ........ Maude Lowder
Henry Daniell ....... Lionel Croy
Lurene Tuttle ....... Susan Stringham
Inga Swenson ........ Milly Theale
Synopsis 1:
The scene is London in the first decade of the century. Kate Croy moves
into the London home of her wealthy Aunt Maude, but Maude makes two demands
of Kate. She must renounce her ne'er-do-well father. Aunt Maude feels he never
provided adequately for Kate's mother. And Kate is not to think of marrying
Miles Denshaw, a young writer lacking both money and family connections.
All the same, Kate schemes to marry Miles. The arrival of Milly Theale, a
well-to-do
young American, gives Kate the opportunity she seeks. (TA)
Synopsis 2:
A wealthy woman allows her young niece to move into her London home
but forbids her to see the poor writer she loves. The arrival of a well-to-do young
woman from America gives the niece an opportunity to
thwart her aunt's wishes. [FMN]
3.15 [094] Playhouse 90: THE BLUE MEN
15Jan1959 CBS Thur
Written by Alvin Boretz
Directed by John Frankenheimer
cast
Edmond O'Brien ....... Roy Brenner
Jack Warden .......... Joe Cushing
Eileen Heckart ....... Rose
Cameron Prud'homme ... Capt. Marshak
James Westerfield .... Mack Harris
David Lewis .......... Lanier
Rafael Campos ........ Jules Roman
Richard LePore ....... Ernie
Eli Wallach (unconfirmed source)
Synopsis:
A veteran police detective is broken to the rank of patrolman and put
on trial after refusing to arrest a youth accused of
theft. [FMN]
3.16 [095] Playhouse 90: THE VELVET ALLEY
(mainly live / portions pre-recorded)
22Jan1959 CBS Thur (rerun 20Aug59)
Video Playlist -
The
Velvet Valley (8pt)
Produced by Herbert Brodkin
Written by Rod Serling
Directed by Franklin Schaffner
Hosted by Barry Sullivan
cast
Art Carney ........... Ernie Pandish
Leslie Nielsen ....... Eddie Kirkley
Katherine Bard ....... Pat Pandish
Jack Klugman ......... Max Salter
Bonita Granville ..... Mrs. Kirkley
George Voskovec ...... Steve Pandish
Alexander Scourby .... Harvey Diedrich
David White .......... Freddie Henderson
Micky Dolenz ......... Melvin (Mickey Braddock)
Eddie Ryder .......... Julius
Martha Wentworth ..... Mrs. Cowznoski
John Conwell ......... Kirkley's associate
Dyan Cannon .......... Gloria
Burt Reynolds ........ The Actor
Synopsis 1:
Ernie Pandish's literary efforts have carried him to middle age without
ever giving him a decent living. He and his wife Pat live in a New York
tenement while he still tries to sell his work. When the big break finally
comes, it comes from "Playhouse 90." Ernie's agent brings him the good news.
Heeding the producer's wishes, Ernie prepares to fly to Hollywood with Pat,
and leave poverty behind them forever. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
An unsuccessful writer who lives with his wife in a New York tenement learns
that one of his scripts has sold to PLAYHOUSE 90 and prepares to fly to
Hollywood, leaving poverty behind forever. [FMN]
3.17 [096] Playhouse 90: A QUIET GAME OF CARDS
29Jan1959 CBS Thur
Written by Reginald Rose
Directed by Alex Segal
cast
Barry Sullivan ....... Sturbridge
Franchot Tone ........ Raymond
Gary Merrill ......... McBurnie
E.G. Marshall ........ Merrill
William Bendix ....... Wales
Irene Hervey ......... Mrs. McBurnie
Synopsis:
Five wealthy and powerful men who have played poker once a week for
years become bored with the game and devise a more exciting way to
gamble, aiming for the highest stakes possible. [FMN]
3.18 [097] Playhouse 90: CHILD OF OUR TIME
05Feb1959 CBS Thur (rerun 24Sep59)
Produced by Herbert Brodkin
Written by Irving Gaynor Neiman
Based on Michel del Castillo's novel TANGUY
(1957; translated as TANGUY, Muller 1958/A
CHILD OF OUR TIME, Knopf 1958)
Directed by George Roy Hill
cast
Robert Crawford ...... Tanguy
Liliane Montevecchi .. Carla
Lou Jacobi ........... Puigdellevol
Maximillian Schell ... Gunther
George Dolenz ........ Albert
John Wengraf ......... Mr. Cohen
Rene Korper .......... Guy
Beppy de Vries ....... Concierge
Voytex Dolinski ...... Antoine
Guy de Vestel ........ Dulac
Edgar Barrier ........ Mayo
Synopsis 1:
War deprives Tanguy of his childhood. When his mother returns to Spain to
oppose the Franco regime, he is left in Nazi-occupied Marseilles, France.
The barbed wire of concentration camps, the walls of an oppressive orphanage and
the war-scarred cities of Europe form the world in which the little boy
must search for a family and home. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
A woman returning to Spain to fight the Franco regime abandons her son in
Nazi-occupied Marseilles, where amid a war-torn world of concentration camps
and oppressive orphanages he searches for a
family and a home. [RF]
3.19 [098] Playhouse 90: THE SECOND MAN
12Feb1959 CBS Thur
Teleplay by Leslie Stevens
Based on Edward Grierson's novel THE SECOND MAN
(Chatto & Windus 1956, Knopf 1956)
Produced by Herbert Brodkin
cast
James Mason .......... Hesketh
Margaret Leighton .... Miss Kerrison
Hugh Griffith ........ Jaggers
Diana Wynyard ........ Jane Birman
Kenneth Haigh ........ Maudsley
Barry Morse (unconfirmed source)
Synopsis:
The first female barrister in a respected British law firm begs to be allowed
to prove her ability by handling a difficult
murder case. [FMN]
3.20 [099] Playhouse 90: THE RAIDER
19Feb1959 CBS Thur
Written by Loring Mandel
Directed by Franklin Schaffner
cast
Paul Douglas ......... David Ringles
Frank Lovejoy ........ Arthur Hennicut
Rod Taylor ........... Bob Castillo
Leif Erickson ........ James Mayberry
Donald Crisp ......... Samuel Harman
Leon Ames ............ Marvin Tannis
Carl Benton Reid
Synopsis 1:
Bob Castillo is a member of the board of directors of the Harman Corp.,
a company that's the target of a corporate raider. He's one of the players
in a high-stakes game between the raider, David Ringler and the chairman of
the board, Arthur Hennicut. But Castillo is different from the other
businessmen on the board: He's also a brilliant engineer from the research
and development department. As the power struggle mounts, Castillo
is pressured to rush an experimental engine through to production --
a desperate move by Hennicut to shore up the board's stockholder support. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
As a proxy battle looms within a large corporation, the chairman of its board
considers resigning until the tactics of his rival
convince him that he must stay and fight. [FMN]
3.21 [100] Playhouse 90: THE DINGALING GIRL
26Feb1959 CBS Thur
Written by J.P. Miller
Directed by Fielder Cook
cast
Diane Varsi .......... Lurene Dawson
Eddie Albert ......... Leroy Dawson
Mort Sahl ............ Dettering Rohn
Sam Jaffe ............ Grandy
Harry Townes ......... Mickey Cassity
Edward S. Brophy ..... Gato Barch
Synopsis:
When a movie contract is offered to a woman with acting ability who prefers to
stay home and take care of her children, her domineering husband sees a
chance to further his ambitions by exploiting her talent and makes the family
relocate to Hollywood, where his wife finds
sudden stardom. [FMN]
3.22 [101] Playhouse 90: MADE IN JAPAN
05Mar1959 CBS Thur
Written by Leslie Stevens
Story by Joseph Stefano
Directed by Herbert Hirschman
cast
Dean Stockwell ........ Roy Riverlee
Harry Guardino ........ Lt. Michael Largo
Dick York ............. Matthew Sherwood
E.G. Marshall ......... Capt. Jules Kilby
Robert Vaughn ......... Earl Randolph
Nobu McCarthy ......... Song Mayonaka
George Takei
Synopsis:
A young GI in postwar Japan, although engaged to a girl back home, begins
to see a lot of a young Japanese woman. When he attempts to break off with her,
he learns that she has already broken her engagement to a Japanese man and
expects him to break his too. [FMN]
3.23 [102] Playhouse 90: FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS (part 1)
12Mar1959 CBS Thur
Script by A.E. Hotchner
Based on Ernest Hemingway's novel FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS (Scribner,
1939)
Directed by John Frankenheimer
cast
Jason Robards ........ Robert Jordan
Maureen Stapleton .... Pilar
Maria Schell ......... Maria
Nehemiah Persoff ..... Pablo
Eli Wallach .......... Rafael
Steven Hill .......... Agustin
Sydney Pollack ....... Andres
Vladimir Sokoloff .... Anselmo
Herbert Berghof ...... Gen. Golz
Joseph Bernard ....... Primitivo
Milton Selzer ........ Fernando
Nicholas Colasanto ... Eladio
Marc Lawrence ........ El Sordo
Synopsis:
An American fighting on the Loyalist side in the Spanish Civil War is sent
behind
Fascist lines to blow up a strategic bridge. He makes contact with a guerrilla band
led by an opportunistic braggart and his fiercely patriotic wife and falls in love with
a young woman who was gang-raped by enemy
soldiers. [FMN]
3.24 [103] Playhouse 90: FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS (part 2)
19Mar1959 CBS Thur
<same as above>
Synopsis:
A band of enemy soldiers approaches as Jordan and the
guerrillas plan the destruction of the bridge [FN]
3.25 [104] Playhouse 90: A TRIP TO PARADISE
Prod #58-27
26Mar1959 CBS Thur
Produced by Herbert Brodkin
Written by Adrian Spies
Directed by Buzz Kulik
cast
Susan Oliver ......... Ellie
Burt Brinckerhoff .... Ray
Martha Scott ......... Mrs. Austin
Buddy Ebsen .......... Froelich
Martin Balsam (unconfirmed source)
Synopsis 1:
Teenager Raymond Austin, lonely and troubled since the death
of his father, meets a pretty teenage girl named Ellie. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
A teenage boy, lonely and troubled since his father's death, meets a pretty
teenage girl who introduces him to the group of rough and ill-mannered
youths she hangs out with. [FMN]
3.26 [105] Playhouse 90: IN LONELY EXPECTATION
02Apr1959 CBS Thur
Written by Mayo Simon
Directed by Franklin Schaffner
cast
Diane Baker .......... Sheila Cass
Virginia Kaye ........ Mrs. Runnells
Philip Abbott ........ Mr. Cass
Susan Harrison ....... P.J.
Buzz Martin .......... Billy
Synopsis:
A woman who has turned a large city house into a home for unwed mothers
tries to help a schoolteacher's pregnant teenage daughter decide whether
to keep her child or consent to its adoption. [FMN]
3.27 [106] Playhouse 90: THE DAY BEFORE ATLANTA
09Apr1959 CBS Thur
Written by John Gay
Directed by Ralph Nelson
cast
Jack Warden .......... Jubal
Timmy Everett ........ Doug
Suzi Carnell ......... Carrie
Dabbs Greer .......... Clayton
Clu Gulager .......... Zach
Musa Williams ........ Esther
Gavin Gordon ......... Slade
Clinton Sundberg ..... Matt
Synopsis 1:
In Atlanta in 1864, a Union scouting party comes upon a plantation guarded only
by a
man and his teenage son. Both are shot and killed by the Union troops. Within
the mansion
the soldiers find a young girl hiding. One of the Northerners, sickened by the
war, feels
great compassion for this girl who is supposed to be his enemy. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
During the Civil War a Union scouting party kills a man and his teenage son
as they attempt to defend their Georgia plantation. When they find a young woman
hiding in the mansion, one war-weary soldier begins to feel great compassion
for this girl who is supposed to be his enemy. [FMN]
3.28 [107] Playhouse 90: THE JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG (live)
Prod # 58-30
16Apr1959 CBS Thur
Produced by Herbert Brodkin
Written by Abby Mann
Directed by George Roy Hill
cast
Claude Rains ........ Judge Ben Haywood
Maximilian Schell ... Hans Rolfe
Paul Lukas .......... Janning
Melvyn Douglas ...... General Parker
Alfred Szabo ........ Petersen
Martin Milner
Marketa Kimbrell
Synopsis 1:
During the war crimes trials in Nuremberg, Germany, after World War II,
Judge Ben Heywood is selected to preside at the trial of four men.
To Heywood the integrity of the judiciary is above reproach. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
An American judge, sent to Nuremberg after World War II to preside at the trial
of
four prominent Nazis accused of heinous crimes, becomes troubled when he
learns that the defendants were judges under the
Hitler regime. [FMN]
Background:
*This episode is known as one of the most censored moments on TV.
Being sponsored by The American Gas Co. they wanted all references to
gas chambers removed from this drama about accountability for the Holocaust.
Claude Rains conspired with fellow cast members to defy the idiotic censorship
and say 'gas chamber' as originally written in the script.
(which was deleted by a flip of a switch.) [RF]
3.29 [108] Playhouse 90: A CORNER OF THE GARDEN
prod. #58-31
23Apr1959 CBS Thur
Produced by Peter Kortner
Written by Tad Mosel
Directed by Robert Stevens
cast
Eileen Heckhart ..... Dorothy
Gary Merrill ........ Louis
Susan Gordon ........ Lorraine
Tommy Kirk .......... Jack
Heather Sears ....... Barbara
Synopsis:
A teenage girl moves to a small town after her mother's death and, while
living in the home of her mother's domineering best friend, becomes
attracted to her middle-aged husband. [FMN]
3.30 [109] Playhouse 90: DARK DECEMBER
prod. #58-32
30-Apr-1959 CBS Thur
Producer Peter Kortner
Associate Producers Anthony Barr & A.J. Carothers
Written by Merle Miller
Directed by Franklin Schaffner
Host Victor Jory
cast
Barry Sullivan ............ Capt. Hobart Schuyler
James Whitmore ....... Major Abe Kasner
Richard Beymer ......... LeRoy Cadman
Paul Burke ................. Farley Mathews
Lili Darvas ................. Belgian Woman
Warren Beatty
Michael Landon
Ron Howard
Barry Cahill
Sasha Harden
Brian Hutton
Robert Carson
Ray Foster
Richard Clair
Robert Easton
Lew Brown
Robert Sorrells
Dee Pollock
Arlette Clark
Gerry Gaylor
Lisa Pons
Mary Andre
Inger Stevens
Synopsis:
During the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 a military doctor with a handful
of untrained men takes
over an ancient Franciscan monastery and tries to turn it into a hospital. [FN]
3.31 [110] Playhouse 90: DIARY OF A NURSE
prod. #58-33
07May1959 CBS Thur
Produced by Herbert Brodkin
Written by Arthur Hailey
Directed by David Greene
cast
Inger Stevens ........ Gail Lucas
Victor Jory .......... George Bavister
Mary Astor ........... Eileen Bavister
Mildred Dunnock ...... Elsie Chiapetta
Adam Kennedy
Polly Rowles
Suzanne Pleshette
Elizabeth Patterson
Carolyn Kearney
Synopsis:
A student nurse at a large hospital tries to help a terrified lawyer scheduled
to undergo cancer surgery who refuses to
cooperate with his doctors. [FMN]
3.32 [111] Playhouse 90: A MARRIAGE OF STRANGERS
prod. #58-34
14May1959 CBS Thur
Produced by Herbert Brodkin
Written by Reginald Rose
Directed by Alex Segal (FM)
(Boris Sagal according to UCLA)
cast
Red Buttons ......... Jerry
Diana Lynn .......... Louise Benedict Shoemaker
Joan Blondell ....... Mrs. Patrick
Larrain Gillespie ... Sharon Patrick
Gina Gillespie ...... Cathy Patrick
Synopsis:
A shy and lonely man and woman who got married soon after meeting through
a friendship club visit the empty apartment they have rented and begin to
feel apprehensive about their future together. [FMN]
3.33 [112] Playhouse 90: OUT OF DUST
21May1959
Teleplay by John Gay
Based on Lynn Riggs' unproduced stage play OUT OF DUST.
cast
Charles Bickford ..... Old Man Grant
Gloria Talbott ....... Rose
Fritz Weaver ......... King
Uta Hagen
Dick York
Wayne Morris
Synopsis:
A tyrannical cattle baron and his three sons, who have grown
up jealous of each other and resentful toward their father,
wind up at each other's throats during a cattle drive.
[FMN]
3.34 [113] Playhouse 90: THE RANK AND THE FILE
prod. #58-36
28May1959 CBS Thur
Produced by Herbert Brodkin
Written by Rod Serling
Directed by Franklin Schaffner
Hosted by Paul Coates
cast
Van Heflin .......... Bill Kilcoyne
Luther Adler ........ Irving Werner
Harry Townes ........ Gabe Brewster
Charles Bronson ..... Andy Kovaric
Cameron Prud'homme .. Joseph Farrell
Carl Benton Reid .... Senator Henders
Bruce Gordon ........ Tony Russo
Whitney Blake ....... Martha Brewster
Addison Richards .... Harker
Wright King ......... Riley
Tom Palmer .......... Eaton
Danny Richards, Jr... Charlie Hacker
Joe Sullivan ........ Union man
Clegg Hoyt .......... Guard
Bruce Hall .......... Dickson
Henry Barnard ....... The Secretary
Alfred Hopson ....... Striker
Jay Overholts ....... Striker
Robert Cass ......... Striker
Synopsis:
Testifying before a Senate committee, William Kilcoyne tells the story of
his career. He began as a factory worker and his shrewdness and ambition
carried him up through the ranks to his present position as head of a large
union. [RF]
3.35 [114] Playhouse 90: THE KILLERS OF MUSSOLINI
04Jun1959 CBS Thur
Written by A.E. Hotchner
Directed by Buzz Kulik
cast
Nehemiah Persoff .... Benito Mussolini
Harry Guardino ...... Neri
Michael Ansara ...... Longo
Ilka Windish ........ Claretta
John Dehner ......... Col. Tedesco
Eduardo Ciannelli ... Graziani
Lawrence Dobkin ..... Pavolini
Frank Puglia ........ Cardinal
Erika Remberg ....... Gianna
Synopsis:
In April 1945, as American forces close in on Milan, Italian dictator
Benito Mussolini tries to decide whether to
surrender or flee. [FMN]
3.36 [115] Playhouse 90: PROJECT: IMMORTALITY
11Jun1959 CBS Thur
Script by Loring Mandel
Directed by UNKNOWN
cast
Lee J. Cobb .......... Dr. Lawrence Doner
Gusti Huber .......... Mrs. Doner
Patricia McCormack ... Ketti Doner
Kenneth Haigh ........ Martin Schramm
Michael Landon ....... Arthur Doner
Synopsis 1:
Dr. Lawrence Doner has been diagnosed as having a fatal form of leukemia.
The Space agency people are concerned, and they dispatch Martin Schramm
to Dr. Doner to convince him to submit to the process of answering questions
designed to probe his thought processes for the remainder of his life.
The object of this knowledge is to build a mechanical brain
that thinks like Dr. Lawrence Doner. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
Several military men and civilians with exceptional IQ's are selected by
scientists
hoping to create an electronic device that will duplicate human thought---a machine
patterned after the brain of a brilliant
scientist who hasn't long to live. [FMN]
3.37 [116] Playhouse 90: DARK AS THE NIGH
18Jun1959 CBS Thur
Teleplay by Marc Brandell
Based on James Hadley Chase's novel
cast
Laraine Day .......... Lauren Hughes
Michael Wilding ...... Chris Hughes
Dennis Price ......... Percy
Sheila Allen ......... Iris
Michael Hordern ...... Griffith
Bill Owen ............ Peters
Hermione Baddeley .... Rose
Sydney Tafler ........ Club Manager
Marianne Stone ....... Ellen
Ronald Allen ......... Tommy
Synopsis:
An English lawyer running for Parliament learns that his American wife is about
to leave him and that a London gossip columnist is
threatening him with blackmail. [FMN]
3.38 [117] Playhouse 90: THE SECOND HAPPIEST DAY
25Jun1959 CBS Thur
Teleplay by Steven Gethers
Based on John Phillips' novel THE SECOND HAPPIEST DAY (Harper, 1953)
Directed by Ralph Nelson
cast
Tony Randall ......... Gus Taylor
Margaret O'Brien ..... Lila Norris
Judith Anderson ...... Ava Norris
Fay Wray ............. Tula Marsh
Jack Mullaney ........ Cuppy Vale
John Lupton .......... George Marsh III
Synopsis:
On the eve of his marriage to a lovely young socialite, the editor of a fashion
magazine recalls his law-school days and the meeting
that changed his life. [FMN]
[--] 24Sep59 rerun of "Child of our Time" (from 05Feb59)
################# Playhouse 90
###############
############### end of season 3 ##############
##############################################
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