Telephone Time

Telephone Time is an American anthology drama series that aired on CBS in 1956, and on ABC from 1957 to 1958. The series features plays adapted from short stories by John Nesbitt who hosted the first season.[1] Frank C. Baxter became the host effective with the September 10, 1957, episode.[2] He hosted the 1957 and 1958 seasons. A total of 81 episodes aired from April 1956 to March 1957 on CBS, and from April 1957 to April 1958 on ABC.

Telephone Time
Florenz Ames (left) and Greer Garson in "Revenge", 1957.
GenreAnthology
Directed byLewis Allen (director)
László Benedek
Robert Florey
Peter Godfrey (director)
Christian Nyby
Arthur Hiller
Don Taylor (American actor and director)
Peter Tewksbury
Presented byJohn Nesbitt (1956)
Frank C. Baxter (1957–1958)
Theme music composerLeon Klatzkin
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes81
Production
Executive producersJerry Stagg
Hal Roach Jr.
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time25 mins.
Release
Original networkCBS (1956)
ABC (1957–1958)
Original releaseApril 8, 1956 (1956-04-08) –
April 1, 1958 (1958-04-01)

Overview

The program showcased the talents of actors and actresses such as Bette Davis, Florenz Ames, Greer Garson, Dennis Morgan, Joseph Cotten, Claudette Colbert, Michael Landon, Cloris Leachman, Johnny Crawford, Katherine Warren, Joel Grey, Fay Wray, Thomas Mitchell, Vivi Janiss, Wright King, Strother Martin, Lon Chaney Jr., Boris Karloff, John Carradine, Helen Wallace, and Michael Winkelman. Famed circus performer Emmett Kelly made his dramatic debut in the presentation Captain from Kopenick.[3] Michael Raffetto appeared in the "Vicksburg, 5:35 PM" episode as Joe Palermo (1956).

Award nomination

Nesbitt was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1957 for Best Teleplay Writing - Half Hour or Less.[4]

Episodes
  • 1.01 The Golden Junkman - April 8, 1956 - Chaney[5]
  • 1.02 Man With A Beard
  • 1.03 Captain From Kopenick
  • 1.04 Borders Away
  • 1.05 The Mystery Of Caspar Hauser
  • 1.06 The Stepmother
  • 1.07 Time Bomb
  • 1.08 Emperor Norton's Bridge
  • 1.09 The Man Who Believed In Fairy Tales
  • 1.10 Harry In Search Of Himself
  • 1.11 Felix The Fourth
  • 1.12 Smith Of Ecuador
  • 1.13 The Gingerbread Man
  • 1.14 Joyful Lunatic
  • 1.15 The Key
  • 1.16 Grandpa Changes The World
  • 1.17 Again The Stars
  • 2.01 Keeley's Wonderful Machine
  • 2.02 I Am Not Alone
  • 2.03 Mr. And Mrs. Browning
  • 2.04 Vicksburg, 5:35 Pm
  • 2.05 The Churchill Club
  • 2.06 She Sette Her Little Foote
  • 2.07 Hatfield, The Rainmaker
  • 2.08 She Also Ran
  • 2.09 Knockout
  • 2.10 Chico And The Archbishop
  • 2.11 Raccoon Hunt
  • 2.12 Fortunatus
  • 2.13 Scio, Ohio
  • 2.14 The Sergeant Boyd Story
  • 2.15 The Mountain That Moved
  • 2.16 Passport To Life
  • 2.17 The Jumping Parson
  • 2.18 Parents Of A Stranger
  • 2.19 The Consort - January 27, 1957 - Alan Napier[6]
  • 2.20 The Man Who Discovered O. Henry
  • 2.21 The Greatest Man In The World
  • 2.22 The Unsinkable Molly Brown - February 24, 1957 - Leachman[7]
  • 2.23 The Intruder
  • 2.24 Fight For The Title - George Brenlin, Landon[8]
  • 2.25 Escape
  • 2.26 Castle Dangerous
  • 2.27 Bullet Lou Kirn
  • 2.28 Elfego Baca - April 18, 1957 - Manuel Rojas[9]
  • 2.29 Rabbi On Wheels
  • 2.30 The Diamond Peer
  • 2.31 Stranded - Davis[8]
  • 2.32 Plot To Save A Boy
  • 2.33 Line Chief
  • 2.34 Pit-a-pit And The Dragon
  • 2.35 The Koshetz Story
  • 3.01 Revenge - September 10, 1957 - Garson, Ames, Grant Richards[10]
  • 3.02 Here Lies Francois Gold
  • 3.03 Campaign For Marriage
  • 3.04 The Gadfly - Mitchell[11]
  • 3.05 Hole In The Wall
  • 3.06 The Man The Navy Couldn't Sink
  • 3.07 Under Seventeen
  • 3.08 The Other Van Gogh
  • 3.09 Arithmetic Sailor
  • 3.10 I Get Along Without You Very Well
  • 3.11 Alice's Wedding Gown - November 19, 1957 - Wray[12]
  • 3.12 The Rescue
  • 3.13 Novel Appeal
  • 3.14 Sam Houston's Decision
  • 3.15 The Frying Pan
  • 3.16 A Picture Of The Magi
  • 3.17 Death Of A Nobody
  • 3.18 Abby, Julia And The Seven Pet Cows
  • 3.19 Cavalry Surgeon
  • 3.20 A Stubborn Fool
  • 3.21 Flight For Life
  • 3.22 The Immortal Eye
  • 3.23 Recipe For Success
  • 3.24 The Checkered Flag
  • 3.25 The Vestris - February 25, 1958[13] -Torin Thatcher, Karloff[8]
  • 3.26 War Against War
  • 3.27 The Quality Of Mercy - March 11, 1958 - Harry Towne[14]
  • 3.28 Man Of Principle
  • 3.29 Trail Blazer

Production

Hal Roach Jr. and Jerry Stagg were the producers.[8] The program was directed by Arthur Hiller,[15] Robert Florey, and Lewis Allen. Writers included Donald S. Sanford.[16]

The CBS version was broadcast on Sundays from 6 to 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time.[1] Bell's dissatisfaction with that time slot led to the change in networks.[17] It had asked CBS in December 1956 to move the program to a later time.[18] The ABC version initially was on Thursdays from 10 to 10:30 p.m. E. T. In June 1957 it was moved to Tuesdays from 9:30 to 10 p.m. E. T.[1] American Telephone and Telegraph Company sponsored the series.[19]

Critical response

A review of the episode "Revenge" in the trade publication Billboard described it as "slickly produced" but added that it "suffered from over simplification of the basic issues, which resulted in scene punchlines and plot twists telegraphed well in advance."[20]

References
  1. Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 1364. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  2. Adams, Val (August 6, 1957). "Paul Winchell May Get TV Spot". The New York Times. p. 42. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  3. Tops, T.V. (22 April 1956). "Famous Clown Takes a Straight Dramatic Role". The San Bernardino County Sun. p. 22. Retrieved 13 May 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "John Nesbitt: Awards & Nominations". Emmys.com. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  5. Smith, Don G. (March 22, 2004). Lon Chaney, Jr.: Horror Film Star, 1906-1973. McFarland. p. 217. ISBN 978-0-7864-1813-8. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  6. Napier, Alan; Bigwood, James (November 2, 2015). Not Just Batman's Butler: The Autobiography of Alan Napier. McFarland. p. 372. ISBN 978-1-4766-2289-7. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  7. Anderson, D. Brian (December 9, 2014). The Titanic in Print and on Screen: An Annotated Guide to Books, Films, Television Shows and Other Media. McFarland. p. 115. ISBN 978-1-4766-0647-7. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  8. Irvin, Richard (November 11, 2022). Pioneers of "B" Television: Independent Producers, Series and Pilots of the 1950s. McFarland. pp. 36–37. ISBN 978-1-4766-8996-8. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  9. Terrace, Vincent (January 17, 2020). Encyclopedia of Television Pilots: 2,470 Films Broadcast 1937-2019, 2d ed. McFarland. p. 70. ISBN 978-1-4766-3810-2. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  10. Troyan, Michael (September 16, 2005). A Rose for Mrs. Miniver: The Life of Greer Garson. University Press of Kentucky. p. 381. ISBN 978-0-8131-9150-8. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  11. Mank, Gregory William (May 23, 2014). The Very Witching Time of Night: Dark Alleys of Classic Horror Cinema. McFarland. p. 368. ISBN 978-1-4766-1543-1. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  12. Kinnard, Roy; Crnkovich, Tony (July 11, 2015). The Films of Fay Wray. McFarland. p. 175. ISBN 978-1-4766-0415-2. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  13. Nollen, Scott Allen (January 1, 1991). Boris Karloff: A Critical Account of His Screen, Stage, Radio, Television, and Recording Work. McFarland. p. 410. ISBN 978-0-89950-580-0. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  14. "Today's Television Programs". Chattanooga Daily Times. March 11, 1958. p. 19. Retrieved August 26, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. Roberts, Jerry (June 5, 2009). Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors. Scarecrow Press. p. 252. ISBN 978-0-8108-6378-1. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  16. Warren, Alan (April 14, 2004). This Is a Thriller: An Episode Guide, History and Analysis of the Classic 1960s Television Series. McFarland. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-7864-1969-2. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  17. Adams, Val (February 22, 1957). "Bergen's Sponsor Drops Its Option". The New York Times. p. 43. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  18. "Bell Asks 2 Time Shifts". Billboard. December 15, 1956. p. 6. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  19. "AT&T Holds the Phone On Nesbitt TV Series". Variety. January 16, 1957. p. 41. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  20. Sinclair, Charles (September 16, 1957). "Telephone Time (Net)". Billboard. p. 16. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
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