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"Playhouse 90"
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Season
4 (CBS) (1959-60)
Episode Guide
compiled by The Classic TV Archive
with contributions by: Rina Fox, Tom Alger
[Updated March 2020 #4.10 TA]
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 4 1959-60 #############
################ (final season)
##############
CBS Thursdays 9:30-11:00 pm, fortnightly
Shared this time slot with "The
Big Party for Revlon" then "The
Revlon Revue"
and occasionally
"Buick-Electra Playhouse"
4.01 [118] Playhouse 90: TARGET FOR THREE
prod. #59-1
01Oct1959 CBS Thur
Written by David Davidson
Directed by Unknown
cast
Ricardo Montalban .... Vincente
George C. Scott ...... Juan
Marisa Pavan ......... Consuelo
Liliane Montevecchi .. Estrella
Pedro Armendariz ..... Montez
Dale Evans
Synopsis:
Three young revolutionaries in a South American country are
assigned to assassinate its president. [FMN]
[01] The Big Party (Premiere)
08Oct1959 CBS Thurs
4.02 [119] Playhouse 90: THE SOUND OF EDEN (live)
prod. #59-2
15Oct1959 CBS Thur
Written by George Bellak
Directed by UNKNOWN
cast
James Whitmore ....... Mr. Anderson
Kim Hunter ......... Mrs. Anderson
Everett Sloane ........ Lawson
Henry Jones .......... Jess Brown
Martin Landau ........ MacCormick
Dick Foran ........ Brady
Synopsis:
The kidnapping of a rich man as seen from the viewpoint of the victim,
his family, the FBI and the kidnappers. [RF]
*Note based on an actual event.
[02] The Big Party
22Oct1959 CBS Thurs
4.03 [120] Playhouse 90: MISALLIANCE
prod. #59-3
29Oct1959 CBS Thur
Produced by John Houseman
Teleplay by Meade Roberts
Based on George Bernard Shaw's stage play MISALLIANCE (1910)
Directed Robert Stevens
cast
Claire Bloom......... Hypatia
Robert Morley ........ John Tarleton
Siobhan McKenna ...... Lina
Kenneth Haigh ........ Gunner
Rod Taylor ........... Joey
John Williams ........ Lord Summerly
Isobel Elsom ......... Mrs. Tarleton
Robert Casper ........ Bentley
Pactric Macnee ....... Johnny
Synopsis:
Into the lives of an English country squire and his family fall a handsome
airplane pilot, an extraordinary passenger and a militant socialist. [FMN]
[03] The Big Party
05Nov1959 CBS Thurs
4.04 [121] Playhouse 90: THE HIDDEN IMAGE
12Nov1959 CBS Thur
Script by David Karp
Directed by UNKNOWN
cast
Franchot Tone ........ Avery Yarbrough
Martin Gabel ......... George Barrow
Nancy Marchand ....... Mrs. Yarbrough
George Grizzard ...... Leo Portnoy
Frank Maxwell ........ Tommy Atwell
Synopsis:
A gubernatorial election campaign is disrupted when a newspaper reporter
hints at the dark side behind the friendship between a political boss
and an influential businessman. [FMN]
[01] Buick-Electra Playhouse: The Killers
19Nov1959 CBS Thurs
4.05 [122] Playhouse 90: THE GREY NURSE SAID NOTHING
prod. #59-5
26Nov1959 CBS Thur (rebroadcast 08Aug61)
Produced by Fred Coe
Written by Sumner Lock Elliott
Directed by Ron Winston
cast
Ann Todd ............. Laura Mills
Hugh Griffith ........ Rev. Light
Angela Lansbury ...... Hazel Wills
Michael David ........ Herbert Wills
Don Dubbins .......... Bluey
Patricia Cutts ....... Mavis Greenop
Paul Comi ............ Patrick Aherne
Tony Haig ............ Boy
Synopsis:
An Australian landowner is accused of murdering his boatman,
despite the absence of a dead body. [FMN]
[04] The Big Party
03Dec1959 CBS Thurs
4.06 [123] Playhouse 90: THE TUNNEL (pre-recorded)
prod. #59-6
10Dec1959 CBS Thur
Produced by Fred Coe
Associate Producers: Robert Goldman, Russell Stoneham,
Written by David Shaw
Directed by Delbert Mann
Hosted by Eddie Albert
cast
Richard Boone ........ Colonel Pleasants
Rip Torn ............. Lieutenant Douty
Onslow Stevens ....... General Burnside
Jack Weston .......... Wocziki
Ken Lynch ............ Sgt. Reese
Robert Carson ........ General Meade
Sandy Kenyon ......... Martinson
Bartlett Robinson .... Captain Handley
Sam Edwards .......... Confederate corporal
Frank Killmond ....... Gorcey
Jason Wingreen ....... Blair
Oliver McGowan ....... General Ledlie
Tom McKee ............ General Potter
Stephen Chase ........ General Wilcox
James Gavin .......... General Ferrero
Jean Paul King ....... Wade
Jay Overholts ........ Litter Bearers
Fletcher Allen ....... Orderly
Ed Faulkner .......... Soldier
Stan Young ........... Soldier
Hal Needham .......... Soldier
Synopsis 1:
During the Civil War, Lt. Col. Henry Pleasants hits upon a scheme which
could bring the war to a quick and victorious conclusion for the Union Army.
Pleasants' plan is to dig a tunnel under the Confederate forces and fill the
hole with dynamite. One blast would cripple the southern troops. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
A Union officer devises a plan to end the Civil War quickly by digging
a tunnel under the Confederate forces and filling it with dynamite. [FMN]
[05] The Big Party
17Dec1959 CBS Thurs
4.07 [124] Playhouse 90: THE SILVER WHISTLE
24Dec1959 CBS Thur
Adapted by Robert McEnroe
Based on his stage play THE SILVER WHISTLE
(1948)
Directed by Franklin Schaffner
cast
Eddie Albert ......... Oliver Erwenter
Henry Jones .......... Emmett
Bethel Leslie ........ Miss Tripp
Harry Townes ......... Rev. Watson
Arthur Hughes ........ Mr. Beebe
Doro Merande ......... Miss Hammer
Margaret Hamilton .... Miss Hoadley
Enid Markey .......... Mrs. Samples
Zamah Cunningham ..... Mrs. Gross
Joseph Sweeney ....... Mr. Cherry
Synopsis 1:
A man claiming to be 77 but still full of vitality comes to a Florida old folks
home at Christmastime, promising to make all the residents feel years
younger and beginning by blowing a silver whistle. [FMN]
Synopsis 2:
It's Christmas time, but life at the old folk's home in Florida couldn't be
drearier.
Then Oliver T. Erwenter comes to the home. He claims he's 77 but looks half that
age and is full of vitality. He promises to make all of the inmates feel years younger. [RF]
[--] 07Jan60 CBS Thur - no details
4.08 [125] Playhouse 90: JOHN BROWN'S RAID
14Jan1960 CBS Thur
directed by Sidney Lumet
cast
James Mason ........ John Brown
Robert Duvall
Ossie Davis
Terry Carter
Synopsis:
John Brown was an anti-slavery crusader. In 1859, a group led by Brown, raided a
federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, (now West Virginia). The purpose was to secure
weapons to arm others to carry on the fight to abolish slavery. The raid failed and perhaps
ironically, it was Robert E. Lee who later would command the confederate army in the
Civil War, who captured Brown. Brown was hanged in Virginia. [RF]
4.09 [126] Playhouse 90: A DREAM OF TREASON
21Jan1960 CBS Thur
Script by David Davidson
Based on Maurice Edelman's novel A DREAM OF TREASON
(Wingate 1954, Lippincott 1955)
Directed by UNKNOWN
Music by Jerry Goldsmith
cast
Richard Basehart ..... Martin Lambert
Leora Dana ........... Eleanor Lambert
John Williams ........ Walter Ferguson
Susan Oliver ......... Valerie Ferguson
Synopsis:
A State Department press secretary, whose position is precarious because
his wife is a heavy drinker, receives secret orders to release a confidential
memorandum which could cause an international crisis. [FMN]
Following the 21Jan1960 broadcast, "Playhouse
90" became a series of specials
that pre-empted various CBS shows.
Beginning 28Jan1960, two series took over Playhouse 90's former time slot.
9:30-10pm "Markham"
https://ctva.biz/US/Crime/Markham.htm
10pm-11pm "The Revlon Revue"
https://ctva.biz/US/MusicVariety/RevlonRevue.htm
[01] The Revlon Revue
28Jan1960 CBS Thur
[02] Buick-Electra Playhouse: THE FIFTH COLUMN
29Jan1960 CBS Friday
[02] The Revlon Revue: A BOUQUET FROM MAURICE CHEVALIER
04Feb1960 CBS Thru
4.10 [127] Playhouse 90: TO THE SOUND OF TRUMPETS
09-Feb-1960 CBS Tuesday 9:30-11pm [Airdate verified TA]
Written by John Gay
Directed by Buzz Kulik
Music by Jerry Goldsmith
cast
Stephen Boyd ......... Capt. Leslie Cronyn
Dolores Hart ......... Janet Marshall
Judith Anderson ...... Mme. Duvier
Boris Karloff ........ Guibert
Dan O'Herlihy ........ Roger Smythe
Sam Jaffe ............ Schiller
Robert Coote ......... Sgt. Beggs
Peter Foster ......... Henley
Synopsis:
A British officer who deserted during World War I because he couldn't stand
to see his comrades die meets an American nurse near Paris and, though
attracted to her, is disturbed by her romantic attitude toward the war. [FMN]
Note:
This was a special presentation pre-empting "The Red Skelton Show" and "The
Garry Moore Show."
[03] The Revlon Revue
11Feb1960 CBS Thur
[--] The Revlon Revue
18Feb1960 CBS
pre-empted for DuPont Show of the Month "Ethan Frome".
4.11 [128] Playhouse 90: THE CRUEL DAY (Live)
24Feb1960 CBS Wed 8-9:30pm [Airdate verified TA]
Written by Reginald Rose
Directed by Franklin Schaffner
cast
Van Heflin ........... Captain
Cliff Robertson ...... Lieutenant
Phyllis Thaxter ...... Nicole
Raymond Massey ....... Father Ricquoi
Charles Bronson ...... Sarge
Peter Lorre .......... Café Owner
Nehemiah Persoff ..... Prisoner's Father
Thano Rama ........... Algerian Boy
Miko Oscard .......... Michel
Adeline De Walt Reynolds ... Old Woman
Synopsis 1:
Violence and brutality greet a French Army captain when he arrives in Algeria
to assume command of a remote outpost. He is appalled by the savage massacre
of an Algerian family by the Rebels. When the French take a prisoner who knows
the
names of Rebel leaders, the captain is told that torture is the only way to make
him talk.
Then the captain meets the prisoner - a handsome, intelligent teenage boy. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
A French officer in the Algerian civil war faces a dilemma of conscience when
it seems he must order the torture of a handsome, intelligent teenage boy in
order to obtain information about the rebels who slaughtered an Algerian family. [FMN]
[04] The Revlon Revue
25Feb1960 CBS Thur
[05] The Revlon Revue
03Mar1960 CBS Thur
4.12 [129] Playhouse 90: TOMORROW
07Mar1960 CBS Monday (verified) (rerun 18Jul61)
Produced by Herbert Brodkin
Written by Horton Foote
Based on William Faulkner's short story "Tomorrow"
(Saturday Evening Post, 23 November 1940;
collected in KNIGHT'S GAMBIT, Random House 1949)
Directed by Robert Mulligan
Music by Jerry Goldsmith
cast
Richard Boone ....... Jackson Fentry
Kim Stanley ......... Sarah Eubanks
Charles Aidman ...... Thornton Douglas
Chill Wills ......... Mr. Pruitt
Beulah Bondi ........ Mrs. Hulie
Elizabeth Patterson ....... Mrs. Pruitt
Andrew Prine ........ Isham
Peter Oliphant ...... Jackson and Longstreet Fentry
Synopsis 1:
The quiet, somber story follows a solitary backcountry farmer who
encounters a pregnant young girl, cares for her, and then loses her soon
after her child is delivered and their marriage. After years of caring for
the boy, he again faces a wrenching loss when the woman's kin come for the
child. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
When one juror in a rural Mississippi county votes to convict a man who
committed
murder to protect his daughter and a mistrial is declared, the defendant's lawyer
decides to learn more about the stubborn holdout. [FMN]
Note * This was made into a feature film in 1972 also called "Tomorrow"
starring Robert Duvall.
[06] The Revlon Revue
10Mar1960 CBS Thur
[07] The Revlon Revue: 70th BIRTHDAY SALUTE TO PAUL WHITEMAN
17Mar1960 CBS Thur
4.13 [130] Playhouse 90: THE HIDING PLACE
22Mar1960 CBS Tuesday?
Teleplay by Adrian Spies
Based on Robert Shaw's novel THE HIDING PLACE
(??? 1959, World 1960)
Directed by Sidney Lumet
cast
Richard Basehart .... Martin Lambert
James Mason ......... Hans Frick
Kim Hunter .......... Maria
Helmut Dantine ...... Colonel
Trevor Howard ........ Robert Wilson
Robert Emhardt ....... Neusel
Basil Langton ........ Sanders
Dick Cavett
Synopsis:
Seven years after the end of World War II, two British fliers are kept prisoners
in a German sub-cellar by a Nazi who keeps them informed of the latest German
victories in what he claims is the still ongoing war. [FMN]
[08] The Revlon Revue
24Mar1960 CBS Thur
[03] Buick-Electra Playhouse: THE SNOWS OF KILLIMANJARO
25Mar1960 CBS Friday
[09] The Revlon Revue: THE MANY SIDES OF MICKEY ROONEY
31Mar1960 CBS Thur
4.14 [131] Playhouse 90: ALAS, BABYLON
03Apr1960 CBS Sunday ?
Teleplay by David Shaw
Based on Pat Frank's novel ALAS, BABYLON (Lippincott,
1959)
Directed by Robert Stevens
cast
Kim Hunter ........... Helen Bragg
Don Murray ........... Randy Bragg
Dana Andrews ......... Mark Bragg
Barbara Rush ......... Liz
Everett Sloane ....... Dr. Gunn
Rita Moreno .......... Rita
Judith Evelyn ........ Lavinia
Don Gordon ........... Pete
Robert Crawford Jr.... Richard
Gina Gillespie ....... Laura
Burt Reynolds ........ Ace
Synopsis 1:
A grim vision of nuclear Armageddon replete with mobs ravaging
supermarkets for what little food remained. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
A man living in the quiet Florida town of Fort Repose is warned by his
brother that nuclear war is hours away. [FMN]
[10] The Revlon Revue
07Apr1960 CBS Thur
4.15 [132] Playhouse 90: JOURNEY TO THE DAY
22Apr1960 CBS Friday ?
Produced by Fred Coe
Written by Roger O. Hirson
Directed by John Frankenheimer
cast
Mary Astor ........... Helen May Whitfield
Mike Nichols ......... Arthur Millman
Steven Hill .......... Dr. Edward Gutera
James Gregory ........ Endicott
Janice Rule .......... Karen Andrews
James Dunn............ Melvin Cooper
Peter Votrian ........ Billy King
Vivian Nathan ........ Martha Kowalski
David J. Stewart, Helen Klee
Synopsis 1:
In a state mental hospital, six patients are brought
together for group psychotherapy. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
Six patients in a state mental hospital are brought together with
a psychiatrist for group therapy. [FMN]
4.16 [133] Playhouse 90: THE SHAPE OF THE RIVER
02May1960 CBS Wednesday ?
Written by Horton Foote
Directed by Boris Sagal
Music by Jerry Goldsmith
cast
Franchot Tone ........ Samuel Clemens
Leif Erickson ........ William Dean Howells
Katharine Bard ....... Livy Clemens
Shirley Knight ....... Susy Clemens
Jane McArthur ........ Jane Clemens
Nancy Rennick ........ Clara Clemens
Katherine Squire ..... Katie
Larry Gates .......... Henry Rogers
Philip Coolidge ...... Albert Bigelow Paine
James Bell ........... John Briggs
Synopsis 1:
The story of Mark Twain and how he wrote about Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer.
[RF]
Synopsis 2:
In 1893 Mark Twain, bankrupt but America's most admired author,
wearily embarks with his wife and one of his three daughters on a
round-the-world lecture tour to pay off his debts. [FMN]
*Note: John Frankenheimer was originally scheduled to direct but was working on another project.
** This episode is sought by Museum of Television.
4.17 [134] Playhouse 90: IN THE PRESENCE OF MINE ENEMIES
(final episode)
18May1960 CBS Wednesday ?
Produced by Peter Kortner
Written by Rod Serling
Directed by Fielder Cook
cast
Charles Laughton ..... Rabi Adam Heller
Arthur Kennedy ....... Paul Heller
Susan Kohner ......... Rachel Heller
Oscar Homolka ........ Josef Chinik
George Macready ...... Captain Richter
Sam Jaffe ............ Emmanuel
Robert Redford ....... Sergeant Lott
Otto Waldis .......... Kohn
Bernard Kates ........ Israel
Norbert Schiller ..... Doctor
Summary:
The drama related the fate of Rabbi Heller, the spiritual leader of a tenement
in the ghetto, and his children, a son who escapes from a labor camp and
a daughter who is ravished by a Nazi captain. It is in the conflict between
the elderly man's reliance on his faith and his son's eagerness for active
resistance that the play attains its absorbing stature, a discussion of
values under the most difficult circumstances conceivable. [RF]
Synopsis 1:
Within a hundred city blocks surrounded by an eight-foot wall, half-a-million
human beings are confined. Each morning the trucks come and people are carted
away to be tortured and killed. Those who manage to avoid or survive this ordeal
wage a day-to-day struggle against the poverty
of spirit that comes with total subjugation.
This is the Warsaw Ghetto in Nazi-occupied Poland during the Second World Ward.
In the midst of this all-too-real nightmare, Rabbi Adam Heller, the gentle leader
of an Orthodox Jewish congregation, strives to hold his flock together and
communicate to them his own idealism, strength, courage and faith. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
In the midst of World War II's Warsaw ghetto, a gentle Orthodox rabbi
strives to hold his flock together and communicate to them his own idealism,
strength, courage and faith. [FMN]
[04] Buick-Electra Playhouse: THE GAMBLER, THE NUN & THE RADIO
19May60 CBS Thur
################# Playhouse 90
###############
################### the end ##################
##############################################
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