Telephone Time

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Telephone Time
Greer Garson Florenz Ames Telephone Time 1957.jpg
Florenz Ames (left) and Greer Garson in "Revenge", 1957
Genre Anthology
Directed by Lewis Allen
László Benedek
Robert Florey
Peter Godfrey
Christian Nyby
Arthur Hiller
Don Taylor
Peter Tewksbury
Presented by John Nesbitt (1956)
Frank C. Baxter (1957–1958)
Theme music composer Leon Klatzkin
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes81
Production
Executive producers Jerry Stagg
Hal Roach Jr.
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time25 mins.
Original release
Network CBS (1956)
ABC (1957–1958)
ReleaseApril 8, 1956 (1956-04-08) –
April 1, 1958 (1958-04-01)

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.[ citation needed ] The Bell Telephone System sponsored the series. [3]

Contents

Overview

The program showcased the talents of actors and actresses such as Alma Lawton, [4] [5] 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. [6] 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. [7]

Episodes

Production

Hal Roach Jr. and Jerry Stagg were the producers. [11] The program was directed by Arthur Hiller, [18] Robert Florey, and Lewis Allen.[ citation needed ] Writers included Donald S. Sanford. [19]

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. [20] It had asked CBS in December 1956 to move the program to a later time. [21] 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]

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." [22]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 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. ↑ "AT&T Holds the Phone On Nesbitt TV Series". Variety. January 16, 1957. p. 41. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  4. ↑ "TV Castings". The Hollywood Reporter. November 8, 1956. p. 8. ProQuest   2338225379. Peter Cookson, Jean Howell, Kathy Garver, Debra Wayne, Jack Kruschen, Dan Riss, Kathleen Mulqueen and Alma Lawton for 'Tracy Clinic' at Hal Roach Studios.
  5. ↑ Classic TV Channel (April 9, 2020). "Telephone Time - Season 2 - Episode 18 - Parents of a Stranger | John Nesbitt, Frank Baxter". YouTube.
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ "John Nesbitt: Awards & Nominations". Emmys.com. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  8. ↑ 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.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. 1 2 3 4 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.
  12. ↑ 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.
  13. ↑ 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.
  14. ↑ 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.
  15. ↑ 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.
  16. ↑ 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.
  17. ↑ "Today's Television Programs". Chattanooga Daily Times. March 11, 1958. p. 19. Retrieved August 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ Roberts, Jerry (June 5, 2009). Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors. Scarecrow Press. p. 252. ISBN   978-0-8108-6378-1 . Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  19. ↑ 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.
  20. ↑ Adams, Val (February 22, 1957). "Bergen's Sponsor Drops Its Option" . The New York Times. p. 43. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Bell Asks 2 Time Shifts". Billboard. December 15, 1956. p. 6. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  22. ↑ Sinclair, Charles (September 16, 1957). "Telephone Time (Net)". Billboard. p. 16. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
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