The O. Henry Playhouse: Difference between revisions
m →top: Task 30: parameter removal following a discussion |
|||
(102 intermediate revisions by 34 users not shown) | |||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{Infobox television |
{{Infobox television |
||
| |
| image = |
||
| image = |
|||
| caption = |
| caption = |
||
| |
| alt_name = |
||
| genre = |
| genre = |
||
| creator = |
| creator = |
||
| developer = |
| developer = |
||
| writer = Irving H. Cooper<br />Donald Hyde<br />[[George Waggner]]<br />[[Albert Isaac Bezzerides]]<br />Mary McCarthy<br />Al C. Ward<br />[[Dale Wasserman]] |
| writer = Irving H. Cooper<br />Donald Hyde<br />[[George Waggner]]<br />[[Albert Isaac Bezzerides]]<br />[[Mary Eunice McCarthy|Mary McCarthy]]<br />Al C. Ward<br />[[Dale Wasserman]] |
||
| director = George Waggner<br />Bernard Girard<br />Frederick Stephani<br />Felix Feist<br />Peter Godfrey<br />Anton M. Leader<br />Les Goodwins<br /> Marshall Grant<br />Kenneth G. Crane |
|||
| director = George Waggner |
|||
| creative_director = |
| creative_director = |
||
| presenter = |
| presenter = |
||
Line 14: | Line 13: | ||
| judges = |
| judges = |
||
| voices = |
| voices = |
||
| narrated = Thomas Mitchell |
| narrated = Thomas Mitchell |
||
| theme_music_composer = |
| theme_music_composer = |
||
| opentheme = |
| opentheme = |
||
| endtheme = |
| endtheme = |
||
| composer = |
| composer = |
||
| country = |
| country = United States |
||
| language = English |
| language = English |
||
| num_seasons = 1 |
| num_seasons = 1 |
||
Line 26: | Line 25: | ||
| executive_producer = [[Jack J. Gross]]<br />[[Philip N. Krasne]] |
| executive_producer = [[Jack J. Gross]]<br />[[Philip N. Krasne]] |
||
| producer = Donald Hyde |
| producer = Donald Hyde |
||
| editor = Asa Boyd Clark |
| editor = Kenneth G. Crane<br />Asa Boyd Clark |
||
| location = |
| location = |
||
| cinematography = Hal McAlpin |
| cinematography = Hal McAlpin |
||
| camera = |
| camera = |
||
| runtime = 30 min. |
| runtime = 30 min. |
||
| company = Gross-Krasne Productions |
| company = Gross-Krasne Productions<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.classicthemes.com/50sTVThemes/themePages/OHenryPlayhouse.html|title=The O. Henry Playhouse (dramatic anthology)|publisher=The Media Management Group|accessdate=20 November 2009}}</ref> |
||
| distributor = |
|||
| channel = [[broadcast syndication|Syndication]] |
| channel = [[broadcast syndication|Syndication]] |
||
| |
| first_aired = {{start date|late 1956}} |
||
| |
| last_aired = {{end date|varied by market}} |
||
| |
| related = |
||
| first_aired = January 23 |
|||
| last_aired = November 19, 1957 |
|||
| status = |
|||
| preceded_by = |
|||
| followed_by = |
|||
| related = |
|||
| website = |
|||
| production_website = |
|||
}} |
}} |
||
'''''The O. Henry Playhouse''''' was an early American [[anthology television series]] which featured [[television adaptation]]s of [[short stories]] written by 19th-century author [[O. Henry]] and primarily set in New York City. The series was both hosted and narrated by [[Thomas Mitchell (actor)|Thomas Mitchell]],<ref>Shulman |
'''''The O. Henry Playhouse''''' was an early American [[anthology television series]] which featured [[television adaptation]]s of [[short stories]] written by 19th-century author [[O. Henry]] and primarily set in New York City. The series was both hosted and narrated by [[Thomas Mitchell (actor)|Thomas Mitchell]],<ref name="SYtv"> |
||
{{cite book |last1=Shulman |first1=Arthur |last2=Youman |first2=Roger |title=How Sweet It Was — Television: A Pictorial Commentary |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/BOOKSHELF-ARH/History-of-Telecasting/How-Sweet-it-Was-Shulman-1966.pdf |year=1966 |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group#Imprints|Bonanza Books]], a division of Crown Publishers, Inc., by arrangement with Shorecrest, Inc. |location=New York |oclc=36258864 |chapter= |isbn=978-0517081358 |page=233}} |
|||
</ref><ref>McNeil, Alex. ''Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present''. New York: Penguin Books, 1996. (pg. 611) {{ISBN|0-14-024916-8}}</ref><ref>Becker, Christine. ''It's The Pictures That Got Small: Hollywood Film Stars on 1950s Television''. Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press, 2008. (pg. 244) {{ISBN|0-8195-6894-5}}</ref> who portrayed the title character,<ref>Steinbrunner, Chris and Otto Penzler, ed. ''Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection''. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1976. (pg. 197) {{ISBN|0-07-061121-1}}</ref> and featured several television and film stars during its run such as [[Maureen Stapleton]], [[Charles Bronson]], [[DeForest Kelley]], [[Lisa Janti|Lisa Montell]], [[Otto Kruger]], [[Max Showalter]] and [[Ernest Borgnine]].<ref>{{cite web |first= |last= |author= |authorlink= |vauthors= |title=US TV - Occasional Wife to Ozzie's Girls |url=http://www.memorabletv.com/usao.htm |archiveurl= |work=Memorable TV US Shows |publisher=MemorableTV.com |location= |page= |pages= |language= |doi= |year=2002 |archivedate= |accessdate= |quote= }}</ref> |
|||
The series was syndicated and began running on a handful of stations late in 1956.<ref>{{cite web |title=O Henry Sold In 23 Markets |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SkUEAAAAMBAJ&dq=billboard+o.+henry+playhouse&pg=PA10|publisher=Billboard|date=October 6, 1956|access-date=February 24, 2022 }}</ref> With the sale to General Cigar Company of Baltimore in May 1957, the series was contracted to 188 markets.<ref>{{cite web |title=O Henry to Gen. Cigar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=px0EAAAAMBAJ&dq=billboard+general+cigar+o+henry&pg=PA13|publisher=Billboard|date=May 13, 1957|access-date=February 24, 2022 }}</ref> According to ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard's]]'' "Pulse Film Ratings" ''The O. Henry Playhous''e generally received television ratings around 10.0 for its only season and ranked in the middle of the "Syndicated Film Drama Shows" category.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pulse Film Ratings For October |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vx0EAAAAMBAJ&dq=billboard+o.+henry+playhouse+ratings&pg=PA10-IA4|publisher=Billboard|date=December 30, 1957|access-date=February 24, 2022 }}</ref> |
|||
==DVD release== |
|||
Unseen for decades and largely forgotten, ''The O. Henry Playhouse'' has recently received a DVD release. Classic Flix, a rental and retail site with a home video label,<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.classicflix.com/about|publisher=Classic Flix|access-date=February 13, 2022 }}</ref> has restored thirty-nine episodes of the series and is releasing them in three installments during 2021-22. |
|||
The web site for the DVD release features plot summaries of each episode, along with links to online texts of the original stories so viewers can compare O. Henry's writings and the television adaptations. The site also includes cast and crew information for each episode and a video sample from the episode. The overall description of the series recounts its unusual story telling method: |
|||
<blockquote>Veteran character actor Thomas Mitchell stars in each episode as writer O. Henry himself as he relates his stories to his publisher, his barber, a bartender, or the cop on the beat. In some episodes, O. Henry meets his characters as he discovers firsthand the story he will later write. This rather unique story telling method is made possible by the fame of the author himself and the O Henry audience's desire to learn where each story came from.<ref>{{cite web |title=Celebrating The O. Henry Playhouse |url=https://www.ohenryplayhouse.com/ |access-date=February 13, 2022 }}</ref></blockquote> |
|||
Several years before the DVD release Ron Hall, an entrepreneur specializing in [[public domain]] video material,<ref>{{cite web |title=Festival Films: Public Domain Specialists for Over 30 Years |url=https://www.fesfilms.com/about-us.html |accessdate=February 13, 2022}}</ref> related how he received a large collection of original 16mm prints of the series. He posted a video sample of the "Two Renegades" episode, along with general discussion of the series' history, [[Copyright law of the United States|copyright]] status, number of episodes, and sometimes unexpected [[Casting (performing arts)|casting]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Ron |last=Hall |title=Strange Case of O. HENRY PLAYHOUSE |url=http://caferoxy.blogspot.com/2015/03/strange-case-of-o-henry-playhouse.html |date=March 29, 2015 |accessdate=February 13, 2022}}</ref> |
|||
==Episodes== |
==Episodes== |
||
Line 56: | Line 59: | ||
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:98%;" |
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:98%;" |
||
|- |
|- |
||
! width="20" | # !! Title !! Writers !! width="80" | |
! width="20" | # !! Title !! Writers !! width="80" | |
||
Original airdate {{Episode list |
Original airdate {{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''The Reformation of Calliope'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|1|23|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|1|23|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=George Waggner |
|Aux1=George Waggner |
||
|ProdCode=#1.01 |
|ProdCode=#1.01 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=01 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=01 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: George Waggner |
||
}}{{Episode list |
}}{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''Man About Town'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|1|30|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|1|30|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=George Waggner |
|Aux1=George Waggner |
||
|ProdCode=#1.02 |
|ProdCode=#1.02 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=02 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=02 |
||
|ShortSummary=Director: George Waggner – Includes plot elements from "An Unfinished Story" |
|||
|ShortSummary= |
|||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''Sam Plunkett's Promise'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|2|06|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|2|06|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=Donald Hyde |
|Aux1=Donald Hyde |
||
|ProdCode=#1.03 |
|ProdCode=#1.03 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=03 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=03 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: Bernard Girard — Based on "The Theory and the Hound" |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''Two Renegades'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|2|13|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|2|13|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
||
|ProdCode=#1.04 |
|ProdCode=#1.04 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=04 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=04 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: Bernard Girard |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''The Marionettes'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|2|20|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|2|20|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=George Waggner |
|Aux1=George Waggner |
||
|ProdCode=#1.05 |
|ProdCode=#1.05 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=05 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=05 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: Peter Godfrey |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''Fog In Santone'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|2|27|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|2|27|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=George Waggner |
|Aux1=George Waggner |
||
|ProdCode=#1.06 |
|ProdCode=#1.06 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=06 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=06 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: Bernard Girard |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''Hearts and Hands'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|3|6|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|3|6|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
||
|ProdCode=#1.07 |
|ProdCode=#1.07 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=07 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=07 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: Bernard Girard |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''Blackjack Bargainer'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|3|13|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|3|13|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
||
|ProdCode=#1.08 |
|ProdCode=#1.08 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=08 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=08 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: Bernard Girard |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''The World And The Door'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|3|20|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|3|20|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=George Waggner |
|Aux1=George Waggner |
||
|ProdCode=#1.09 |
|ProdCode=#1.09 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=09 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=09 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: Peter Godfrey |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''The Guilty Party'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|3|27|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|3|27|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
||
|ProdCode=#1.10 |
|ProdCode=#1.10 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=10 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=10 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: Bernard Girard |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''A Ramble In Aphasia'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|4|3|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|4|3|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
||
|ProdCode=#1.11 |
|ProdCode=#1.11 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=11 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=11 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: Bernard Girard |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''Fourth in Salvador'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|4|10|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|4|10|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=George Waggner |
|Aux1=George Waggner |
||
|ProdCode=#1.12 |
|ProdCode=#1.12 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=12 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=12 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: George Waggner |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''After Twenty Years'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|4|17|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|4|17|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=Donald Hyde |
|Aux1=Donald Hyde |
||
|ProdCode=#1.13 |
|ProdCode=#1.13 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=13 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=13 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary= Director: Bernard Girard |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title=''A Trick of Nature'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|4|24|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|4|24|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=Donald Hyde |
|Aux1=Donald Hyde |
||
|ProdCode=#1.14 |
|ProdCode=#1.14 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=14 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=14 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary= Director: Bernard Girard |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''Sisters of the Golden Circle'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|5|1|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|5|1|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=William Kozlenko (adaptation); Donald Hyde (written for tv) |
|Aux1=William Kozlenko (adaptation); Donald Hyde (written for tv) |
||
|ProdCode=#1.15 |
|ProdCode=#1.15 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=15 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=15 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary= Director: Peter Godfrey |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''Hygeia at the Solito'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|5|8|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|5|8|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=Donald Hyde |
|Aux1=Donald Hyde |
||
|ProdCode=#1.16 |
|ProdCode=#1.16 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=16 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=16 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: Felix Feist |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''Only The Horse Would Know'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|5|15|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|5|15|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=Donald Hyde |
|Aux1=Al C. Ward (adaptation); Donald Hyde (written for tv) |
||
|ProdCode=#1.17 |
|||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=17 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=17 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: Anton M. Leader |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''The Atvatism Of Jon Tom Little Bear'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|5|22|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|5|22|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
||
|ProdCode=#1.18 |
|ProdCode=#1.18 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=18 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=18 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: Bernard Girard |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''Georgia's Ruling'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|5|29|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|5|29|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=Mary McCarthy |
|Aux1=Mary McCarthy |
||
|ProdCode=#1.19 |
|ProdCode=#1.19 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=19 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=19 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: Bernard Girard |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''The Fool Killer'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|6|5|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|6|5|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=George Waggner |
|Aux1=George Waggner |
||
|ProdCode=#1.20 |
|ProdCode=#1.20 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=20 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=20 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: Bernard Girard |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''One Dollar's Worth'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|6|12|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|6|12|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
||
|ProdCode=#1.21 |
|ProdCode=#1.21 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=21 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=21 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: George Waggner |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''Christmas by Injunction'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|6|19|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|6|19|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=Donald Hyde |
|Aux1=Donald Hyde |
||
|ProdCode=#1.22 |
|ProdCode=#1.22 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=22 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=22 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: Felix Feist |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''The Roads We Take'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|6|26|df=y}} |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|6|26|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
||
|ProdCode=#1.23 |
|ProdCode=#1.23 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=23 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=23 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: George Waggner |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''Vanity And Some Sables'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957| |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|7|3|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1= |
|Aux1=George Waggner |
||
|ProdCode=#1.24 |
|||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=24 |
|||
|ShortSummary=Director: Peter Godfrey |
|||
}} |
|||
{{Episode list |
|||
|Title= ''The Sphinx Apple'' |
|||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|7|10|df=y}} |
|||
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
|||
|ProdCode=#1.25 |
|||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=25 |
|||
|ShortSummary=Director: Les Goodwins |
|||
}} |
|||
{{Episode list |
|||
|Title= ''Wit's End'' |
|||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|7|17|df=y}} |
|||
|Aux1=Seymour Roth (adaptation); Donald Hyde (written for tv) |
|||
|ProdCode=#1.26 |
|ProdCode=#1.26 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=26 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=26 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: Anton M. Leader |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''Girl'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957| |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|7|24|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=Albert Isaac Bezzerides |
|||
|ProdCode=#1.27 |
|||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=27 |
|||
|ShortSummary=Director: Peter Godfrey |
|||
}} |
|||
{{Episode list |
|||
|Title= ''Hypotheses Of Failure'' |
|||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|7|31|df=y}} |
|||
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
|||
|ProdCode=#1.28 |
|||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=28 |
|||
|ShortSummary=Director: George Waggner |
|||
}} |
|||
{{Episode list |
|||
|Title= ''Hiding of Black Bill'' |
|||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|8|7|df=y}} |
|||
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
||
|ProdCode=#1.29 |
|ProdCode=#1.29 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=29 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=29 |
||
|ShortSummary=Director:George Waggner |
|||
|ShortSummary=A stranger seeking work at a lonely ranch house is taken on trust until a black mask found in his luggage arouses suspicion. |
|||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''Between Rounds'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957| |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|8|14|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1= |
|Aux1=George Waggner |
||
|ProdCode=#1.30 |
|||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=30 |
|||
|ShortSummary=Director: George Waggner |
|||
}} |
|||
{{Episode list |
|||
|Title= ''Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen'' |
|||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|8|21|df=y}} |
|||
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
|||
|ProdCode=#1.31 |
|||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=31 |
|||
|ShortSummary=Director: Frederick Stephani |
|||
}} |
|||
{{Episode list |
|||
|Title= ''The Emancipation of Billy'' |
|||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|8|28|df=y}} |
|||
|Aux1=Donald Hyde |
|||
|ProdCode=#1.32 |
|ProdCode=#1.32 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=32 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=32 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: Frederick Stephani |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''A Madison Square Arabian Knight'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|9| |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|9|4|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
||
|ProdCode=#1.33 |
|ProdCode=#1.33 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=33 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=33 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: Frederick Stephani |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
{{Episode list |
||
|Title= |
|Title= ''The Lonely Man'' |
||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957| |
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|9|11|df=y}} |
||
|Aux1=Donald Hyde |
|||
|ProdCode=#1.34 |
|||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=34 |
|||
|ShortSummary=Director: Kenneth G. Crane — Based on "The Last of the Troubadours" |
|||
}} |
|||
{{Episode list |
|||
|Title= ''The Buyer from Cactus City'' |
|||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|9|18|df=y}} |
|||
|Aux1=Donald Hyde |
|Aux1=Donald Hyde |
||
|ProdCode=#1.35 |
|ProdCode=#1.35 |
||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=35 |
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=35 |
||
|ShortSummary= |
|ShortSummary=Director: Les Goodwins |
||
}} |
}} |
||
{{Episode list |
|||
|Title= ''A Service Of Love'' |
|||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|9|25|df=y}} |
|||
|Aux1=Mary McCarthy |
|||
|ProdCode=#1.36 |
|||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=36 |
|||
|ShortSummary=Director: Bernard Girard |
|||
}} |
|||
{{Episode list |
|||
|Title= ''The Tale Of The Tainted Tenner'' |
|||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|10|2|df=y}} |
|||
|Aux1=Irving Cooper |
|||
|ProdCode=#1.37 |
|||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=37 |
|||
|ShortSummary=Director: Marshall Grant |
|||
}} |
|||
{{Episode list |
|||
|Title= ''The Murderer'' |
|||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|10|9|df=y}} |
|||
|Aux1=Donald Hyde & Irving Cooper |
|||
|ProdCode=#1.38 |
|||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=38 |
|||
|ShortSummary=Director: Frederick Stephani |
|||
}} |
|||
{{Episode list |
|||
|Title= ''The Lotterman Affair'' |
|||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|10|16|df=y}} |
|||
|Aux1=Donald Hyde & Al C. Ward |
|||
|ProdCode=#1.39 |
|||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=39 |
|||
|ShortSummary= Director: Frederick Stephani |
|||
}} |
|||
{{Episode list |
|||
|Title=Series One Episode Unproduced ''(Tobin's Palm)'' |
|||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|N/A|df=y}} |
|||
|Aux1=George Waggner |
|||
|ProdCode=#N/A |
|||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=N/A |
|||
|ShortSummary= |
|||
}} |
|||
{{Episode list |
|||
|Title=Series One Episode Unproduced ''(The Count And The Wedding Guest)'' |
|||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|N/A|df=y}} |
|||
|Aux1=George Waggner |
|||
|ProdCode=#N/A |
|||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=N/A |
|||
|ShortSummary= |
|||
}} |
|||
{{Episode list |
|||
|Title=Series One Episode Unproduced ''(The Gentle Grafter)'' |
|||
|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1957|N/A|df=y}} |
|||
|Aux1=Dale Wasserman |
|||
|ProdCode=#N/A |
|||
|Viewers=|EpisodeNumber=N/A |
|||
|ShortSummary= |
|||
}} |
|||
|} |
|} |
||
Line 290: | Line 406: | ||
==External links== |
==External links== |
||
* {{tv.com show|the-o-henry-playhouse|The O. Henry Playhouse}} |
|||
*{{IMDb title|id=0050045|title=The O. Henry Playhouse}} |
*{{IMDb title|id=0050045|title=The O. Henry Playhouse}} |
||
* |
*''The O. Henry Playhouse'' at https://www.ohenryplayhouse.com/ |
||
*[http://ctva.biz/US/Anthology/OHenryPlayhouse.htm ''The O. Henry Playhouse'' at CVTA with episode list] |
*[http://ctva.biz/US/Anthology/OHenryPlayhouse.htm ''The O. Henry Playhouse'' at CVTA with episode list] |
||
{{DEFAULTSORT:O. Henry Playhouse, The}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:O. Henry Playhouse, The}} |
||
[[Category:First-run syndicated television programs in the United States]] |
[[Category:First-run syndicated television programs in the United States]] |
||
[[Category:American anthology television series]] |
|||
[[Category:Period television series]] |
[[Category:Period television series]] |
||
[[Category:1950s American television series]] |
[[Category:1950s American anthology television series]] |
||
[[Category:1957 American television series debuts]] |
[[Category:1957 American television series debuts]] |
||
[[Category:1957 American television series endings]] |
[[Category:1957 American television series endings]] |
Latest revision as of 13:10, 5 September 2023
The O. Henry Playhouse | |
---|---|
Written by | Irving H. Cooper Donald Hyde George Waggner Albert Isaac Bezzerides Mary McCarthy Al C. Ward Dale Wasserman |
Directed by | George Waggner Bernard Girard Frederick Stephani Felix Feist Peter Godfrey Anton M. Leader Les Goodwins Marshall Grant Kenneth G. Crane |
Narrated by | Thomas Mitchell |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 39 |
Production | |
Executive producers | Jack J. Gross Philip N. Krasne |
Producer | Donald Hyde |
Cinematography | Hal McAlpin |
Editors | Kenneth G. Crane Asa Boyd Clark |
Running time | 30 min. |
Production company | Gross-Krasne Productions[1] |
Original release | |
Network | Syndication |
Release | late 1956 varied by market | –
The O. Henry Playhouse was an early American anthology television series which featured television adaptations of short stories written by 19th-century author O. Henry and primarily set in New York City. The series was both hosted and narrated by Thomas Mitchell,[2][3][4] who portrayed the title character,[5] and featured several television and film stars during its run such as Maureen Stapleton, Charles Bronson, DeForest Kelley, Lisa Montell, Otto Kruger, Max Showalter and Ernest Borgnine.[6]
The series was syndicated and began running on a handful of stations late in 1956.[7] With the sale to General Cigar Company of Baltimore in May 1957, the series was contracted to 188 markets.[8] According to Billboard's "Pulse Film Ratings" The O. Henry Playhouse generally received television ratings around 10.0 for its only season and ranked in the middle of the "Syndicated Film Drama Shows" category.[9]
DVD release[edit]
Unseen for decades and largely forgotten, The O. Henry Playhouse has recently received a DVD release. Classic Flix, a rental and retail site with a home video label,[10] has restored thirty-nine episodes of the series and is releasing them in three installments during 2021-22.
The web site for the DVD release features plot summaries of each episode, along with links to online texts of the original stories so viewers can compare O. Henry's writings and the television adaptations. The site also includes cast and crew information for each episode and a video sample from the episode. The overall description of the series recounts its unusual story telling method:
Veteran character actor Thomas Mitchell stars in each episode as writer O. Henry himself as he relates his stories to his publisher, his barber, a bartender, or the cop on the beat. In some episodes, O. Henry meets his characters as he discovers firsthand the story he will later write. This rather unique story telling method is made possible by the fame of the author himself and the O Henry audience's desire to learn where each story came from.[11]
Several years before the DVD release Ron Hall, an entrepreneur specializing in public domain video material,[12] related how he received a large collection of original 16mm prints of the series. He posted a video sample of the "Two Renegades" episode, along with general discussion of the series' history, copyright status, number of episodes, and sometimes unexpected casting.[13]
Episodes[edit]
Series 1[edit]
# | Title | Writers | Original airdate | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
01 | "The Reformation of Calliope" | George Waggner | 23 January 1957 | #1.01 | N/A |
Director: George Waggner | |||||
02 | "Man About Town" | George Waggner | 30 January 1957 | #1.02 | N/A |
Director: George Waggner – Includes plot elements from "An Unfinished Story" | |||||
03 | "Sam Plunkett's Promise" | Donald Hyde | 6 February 1957 | #1.03 | N/A |
Director: Bernard Girard — Based on "The Theory and the Hound" | |||||
04 | "Two Renegades" | Irving Cooper | 13 February 1957 | #1.04 | N/A |
Director: Bernard Girard | |||||
05 | "The Marionettes" | George Waggner | 20 February 1957 | #1.05 | N/A |
Director: Peter Godfrey | |||||
06 | "Fog In Santone" | George Waggner | 27 February 1957 | #1.06 | N/A |
Director: Bernard Girard | |||||
07 | "Hearts and Hands" | Irving Cooper | 6 March 1957 | #1.07 | N/A |
Director: Bernard Girard | |||||
08 | "Blackjack Bargainer" | Irving Cooper | 13 March 1957 | #1.08 | N/A |
Director: Bernard Girard | |||||
09 | "The World And The Door" | George Waggner | 20 March 1957 | #1.09 | N/A |
Director: Peter Godfrey | |||||
10 | "The Guilty Party" | Irving Cooper | 27 March 1957 | #1.10 | N/A |
Director: Bernard Girard | |||||
11 | "A Ramble In Aphasia" | Irving Cooper | 3 April 1957 | #1.11 | N/A |
Director: Bernard Girard | |||||
12 | "Fourth in Salvador" | George Waggner | 10 April 1957 | #1.12 | N/A |
Director: George Waggner | |||||
13 | "After Twenty Years" | Donald Hyde | 17 April 1957 | #1.13 | N/A |
Director: Bernard Girard | |||||
14 | "A Trick of Nature" | Donald Hyde | 24 April 1957 | #1.14 | N/A |
Director: Bernard Girard | |||||
15 | "Sisters of the Golden Circle" | William Kozlenko (adaptation); Donald Hyde (written for tv) | 1 May 1957 | #1.15 | N/A |
Director: Peter Godfrey | |||||
16 | "Hygeia at the Solito" | Donald Hyde | 8 May 1957 | #1.16 | N/A |
Director: Felix Feist | |||||
17 | "Only The Horse Would Know" | Al C. Ward (adaptation); Donald Hyde (written for tv) | 15 May 1957 | #1.17 | N/A |
Director: Anton M. Leader | |||||
18 | "The Atvatism Of Jon Tom Little Bear" | Irving Cooper | 22 May 1957 | #1.18 | N/A |
Director: Bernard Girard | |||||
19 | "Georgia's Ruling" | Mary McCarthy | 29 May 1957 | #1.19 | N/A |
Director: Bernard Girard | |||||
20 | "The Fool Killer" | George Waggner | 5 June 1957 | #1.20 | N/A |
Director: Bernard Girard | |||||
21 | "One Dollar's Worth" | Irving Cooper | 12 June 1957 | #1.21 | N/A |
Director: George Waggner | |||||
22 | "Christmas by Injunction" | Donald Hyde | 19 June 1957 | #1.22 | N/A |
Director: Felix Feist | |||||
23 | "The Roads We Take" | Irving Cooper | 26 June 1957 | #1.23 | N/A |
Director: George Waggner | |||||
24 | "Vanity And Some Sables" | George Waggner | 3 July 1957 | #1.24 | N/A |
Director: Peter Godfrey | |||||
25 | "The Sphinx Apple" | Irving Cooper | 10 July 1957 | #1.25 | N/A |
Director: Les Goodwins | |||||
26 | "Wit's End" | Seymour Roth (adaptation); Donald Hyde (written for tv) | 17 July 1957 | #1.26 | N/A |
Director: Anton M. Leader | |||||
27 | "Girl" | Albert Isaac Bezzerides | 24 July 1957 | #1.27 | N/A |
Director: Peter Godfrey | |||||
28 | "Hypotheses Of Failure" | Irving Cooper | 31 July 1957 | #1.28 | N/A |
Director: George Waggner | |||||
29 | "Hiding of Black Bill" | Irving Cooper | 7 August 1957 | #1.29 | N/A |
Director:George Waggner | |||||
30 | "Between Rounds" | George Waggner | 14 August 1957 | #1.30 | N/A |
Director: George Waggner | |||||
31 | "Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen" | Irving Cooper | 21 August 1957 | #1.31 | N/A |
Director: Frederick Stephani | |||||
32 | "The Emancipation of Billy" | Donald Hyde | 28 August 1957 | #1.32 | N/A |
Director: Frederick Stephani | |||||
33 | "A Madison Square Arabian Knight" | Irving Cooper | 4 September 1957 | #1.33 | N/A |
Director: Frederick Stephani | |||||
34 | "The Lonely Man" | Donald Hyde | 11 September 1957 | #1.34 | N/A |
Director: Kenneth G. Crane — Based on "The Last of the Troubadours" | |||||
35 | "The Buyer from Cactus City" | Donald Hyde | 18 September 1957 | #1.35 | N/A |
Director: Les Goodwins | |||||
36 | "A Service Of Love" | Mary McCarthy | 25 September 1957 | #1.36 | N/A |
Director: Bernard Girard | |||||
37 | "The Tale Of The Tainted Tenner" | Irving Cooper | 2 October 1957 | #1.37 | N/A |
Director: Marshall Grant | |||||
38 | "The Murderer" | Donald Hyde & Irving Cooper | 9 October 1957 | #1.38 | N/A |
Director: Frederick Stephani | |||||
39 | "The Lotterman Affair" | Donald Hyde & Al C. Ward | 16 October 1957 | #1.39 | N/A |
Director: Frederick Stephani | |||||
N–A | "Series One Episode Unproduced (Tobin's Palm)" | George Waggner | 1957 | #N/A | TBD |
N–A | "Series One Episode Unproduced (The Count And The Wedding Guest)" | George Waggner | 1957 | #N/A | TBD |
N–A | "Series One Episode Unproduced (The Gentle Grafter)" | Dale Wasserman | 1957 | #N/A | TBD |
References[edit]
- ^ "The O. Henry Playhouse (dramatic anthology)". The Media Management Group. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
- ^ Shulman, Arthur; Youman, Roger (1966). How Sweet It Was — Television: A Pictorial Commentary (PDF). New York: Bonanza Books, a division of Crown Publishers, Inc., by arrangement with Shorecrest, Inc. p. 233. ISBN 978-0517081358. OCLC 36258864.
- ^ McNeil, Alex. Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present. New York: Penguin Books, 1996. (pg. 611) ISBN 0-14-024916-8
- ^ Becker, Christine. It's The Pictures That Got Small: Hollywood Film Stars on 1950s Television. Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press, 2008. (pg. 244) ISBN 0-8195-6894-5
- ^ Steinbrunner, Chris and Otto Penzler, ed. Encyclopedia of Mystery and Detection. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1976. (pg. 197) ISBN 0-07-061121-1
- ^ "US TV - Occasional Wife to Ozzie's Girls". Memorable TV US Shows. MemorableTV.com. 2002.
- ^ "O Henry Sold In 23 Markets". Billboard. October 6, 1956. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
- ^ "O Henry to Gen. Cigar". Billboard. May 13, 1957. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
- ^ "Pulse Film Ratings For October". Billboard. December 30, 1957. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
- ^ "About Us". Classic Flix. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ^ "Celebrating The O. Henry Playhouse". Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ^ "Festival Films: Public Domain Specialists for Over 30 Years". Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- ^ Hall, Ron (March 29, 2015). "Strange Case of O. HENRY PLAYHOUSE". Retrieved February 13, 2022.
Further reading[edit]
- Castleman, Harry and Walter J. Podrazik. Harry and Wally's Favorite TV Shows. New York: Prentice Hall Press, 1989. ISBN 0-13-933250-2
- Borgnine, Ernest. Ernie: The Autobiography. New York: Citadel Press, 2008. ISBN 0-8065-2941-5
External links[edit]
- The O. Henry Playhouse at IMDb
- The O. Henry Playhouse at https://www.ohenryplayhouse.com/
- The O. Henry Playhouse at CVTA with episode list