Forbidden Area is a 1956 Cold War thriller novel by Pat Frank. Its plot involves Soviet sleeper agents intended to sabotage the U.S. war effort, who have been trained by classical conditioning to have an American "cover identity" that they can remember as well as their own. [1]
Frank was asked to write a book about a Russian invasion. He said he was inspired by German troops landing in Florida in World War Two. [2]
It was published in a magazine in serialized form as Seven Days to Never.
The New York Times said it "isn't exciting at all". [3]
TV rights were bought by Martin Manulis. [4]
In October 1956, CBS broadcast an adaptation of the novel as the first episode of its Playhouse 90 series.
CBS had an option to purchase the film rights. [5]
In 1963, it was announced Irving Asher and Ely Landau would turn the novel into a film. [6] The film version was not produced.
Harry Hart "Pat" Frank was an American newspaperman, writer, and government consultant. Perhaps the “first of the post-Hiroshima doomsday authors,” his best known work is his post-apocalyptic novel Alas, Babylon (1959), which depicted the outbreak of a nuclear war and the struggles of its survivors in a small, central Florida town.
Playhouse 90 is an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of the mid-1950s usually were hour-long shows, the title highlighted the network's intention to present something unusual: a weekly series of hour-and-a-half-long dramas rather than 60-minute plays.
JamesPinckney Miller was an American writer whose pen name was "JP Miller". He was a leading playwright during the Golden Age of Television, receiving three Emmy nominations. A novelist and screenwriter, he was best known for Days of Wine and Roses, directed by John Frankenheimer for Playhouse 90 (1958) and later the 1962 film of the same name directed by Blake Edwards.
Martin Ellyot Manulis was an American television, film, and theatre producer. Manulis was best known for his work in the 1950s producing the CBS Television programs Suspense, Studio One Summer Theatre, Climax!, The Best of Broadway and Playhouse 90. He was the sole producer of the award-winning drama series, Playhouse 90, during its first two seasons from 1956 to 1958.
"Days of Wine and Roses" was a 1958 American teleplay by JP Miller which dramatized the problems of alcoholism. John Frankenheimer directed the cast headed by Cliff Robertson, Piper Laurie and Charles Bickford.
John Bard Manulis is an American film, television and theater producer, director, entrepreneur and activist. He has produced or executive produced more than 20 films, television programs, and theater productions, including Charlotte Sometimes, The Basketball Diaries, Swing Kids,Arctic Tale,Foxfire, HBO's Blindside, and The Umbilical Brothers: THWAK.
"Bomber's Moon" was an American television play broadcast live on May 22, 1958, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90. It was the 35th episode of the second season of Playhouse 9o.
"Sincerely, Willis Wayde" was an American television play broadcast on December 13, 1956, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90. It was the 11th episode of the first season of Playhouse 90.
"The Big Slide" was an American television play broadcast on November 8, 1956, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90. It was the sixth episode of the first season of Playhouse 90. Red Skelton and Shirley Jones starred in the play about a silent movie star. Skelton was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for best performance by an actor. Martin Manulis was the producer, and Ralph Nelson was the director.
"Forbidden Area" was an American television play broadcast live on October 4, 1956, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90. It was the premiere episode of the series. The play concerns efforts to thwart a massive, Christmastime nuclear attack from a fleet of Russian submarines located off the coast of the United States. Rod Serling wrote the screenplay, and John Frankenheimer directed. Charlton Heston, Tab Hunter, Diana Lynn, and Charles Bickford starred.
"Helen Morgan" is an American television play broadcast on May 16, 1957, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90. It was the 33rd episode of the first season of Playhouse 90.
"Sizeman and Son" was an American television play broadcast on October 18, 1956, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90.
"Rendezvous in Black" was an American television play broadcast live on October 18, 1956, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90.
"The Great Gatsby" is an American television play broadcast live on June 26, 1958, as part of the second season of the CBS television series Playhouse 90. David Shaw wrote the teleplay, adapted from the novel of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Franklin Schaffner directed. Jeanne Crain, Robert Ryan, and Rod Taylor starred, and Rod Serling was the host.
"Rumors of Evening" is an American television play broadcast on May 1, 1958, as part of the second season of the CBS television series Playhouse 90. John Frankenheimer directed. Barbara Bel Geddes, John Kerr, and Robert Loggia starred, and The Kingston Trio also appeared as Bob, Dave, and Nick.
"Point of No Return" was an American television play broadcast on February 20, 1958, as part of the second season of the CBS television series Playhouse 90. Franklin Schaffner directed. Charlton Heston and Hope Lange starred.
"The Violent Heart" is an American television play broadcast on February 6, 1958, as part of the second season of the CBS television series Playhouse 90. John Frankenheimer directed. Dana Wynter and Ben Gazzara starred.
"The Mystery of Thirteen" was an American television play broadcast in 1957 as part of the CBS television series Playhouse 90. Jack Lemmon starred as the notorious English physician, William Palmer, who was suspected of 13 murders and was hanged in 1856 for poisoning a close friend. Margaret O'Brien co-starred, David Shaw wrote the teleplay, and Robert Mulligan directed.
"The Clouded Image" was an American television play broadcast on November 7, 1957, as part of the second season of the CBS television series Playhouse 90. James P. Cavanaugh wrote the teleplay, as an adaptation of Josephine Tey's novel Brat Farrar. Franklin Schaffner directed, and Martin Manulis was the producer. Farley Granger, Judith Anderson, and Vincent Price starred.
"Portrait of a Murderer" was an American television play broadcast on February 27, 1958, as part of the second season of the CBS television series Playhouse 90. Leslie Stevens wrote the teleplay, as an adaptation of a story by Abby Mann. Arthur Penn directed, Martin Manulis produced, and Dominick Dunne was an assistant to the producer. Tab Hunter and Geraldine Page starred. Hunter received an Emmy nomination for his performance.