| "The Edge of Innocence" | |
|---|---|
| Playhouse 90 episode | |
 Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten from "The Age of Innocence" | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 8 |
| Directed by | Arthur Hiller |
| Written by | Berne Giler |
| Original air date | October 31, 1957 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"The Edge of Innocence" was an American television film broadcast on November 7, 1957, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90 . It aired as the ninth episode of the second season.
A lawyer, Robert Rainey, defends a friend, Lowell Williams, who is charged with murder.
The cast included performances by:
Arthur Hiller was the director and Eva Wolas the producer. Berne Giler wrote the script. The film was produced by Screen Gems for Playhouse 90. [1]
In The New York Times, Jack Gould wrote that "absurdities were plentiful" and Berne Giler's familiarity with legal procedure was "remote" and his knowledge of play-writing "even more distant." He did credit Cotten with "a competent portrayal as a defense attorney." [2]
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.
Lux Video Theatre is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays.
"The Comedian" is a 1957 live television drama written by Rod Serling from a novella by Ernest Lehman, directed by John Frankenheimer, and starring Mickey Rooney, Edmond O'Brien, Kim Hunter, Mel Tormé and Constance Ford.
Meade Roberts was an American screenwriter who collaborated with Tennessee Williams on the screenplays for the films The Fugitive Kind (1960) and Summer and Smoke (1961), both based on plays by Williams. In other work for films, Roberts wrote the screenplay for The Stripper (1963), starring Joanne Woodward, by adapting William Inge's play A Loss of Roses and wrote the screenplay for the movie In the Cool of the Day (1963), starring Peter Finch and Jane Fonda, by adapting Susan Ertz's novel of the same name. Roberts also was an actor in two John Cassavetes films The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976) and Opening Night (1977). Roberts's play A Palm Tree in a Rose Garden (1957) had an off-Broadway run in NYC from November 26, 1957 to January 19, 1958, with Barbara Baxley as Barbara Parris. In 1960, Tomás Milián appeared at Spoleto's Festival dei Due Mondi in Roberts's one-act play Maidens and Mistresses at Home in the Zoo (1958), written specifically for him.
"Target for Three" was an American television play broadcast live on October 1, 1959, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90. It was the first episode of the fourth season of Playhouse 90 and the 118th episode overall.
"Misalliance" was an American television play broadcast live on October 29, 1959, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90. It was the third episode of the fourth season of Playhouse 90 and the 120th episode overall.
"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.
"A Town Has Turned to Dust" is an American television play broadcast live on June 19, 1958, as part of the second season of the CBS television series Playhouse 90. Rod Serling wrote the teleplay, and John Frankenheimer directed. Rod Steiger and William Shatner starred.
"No Time at All" was an American television film broadcast on February 13, 1958, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90. It was the 23rd episode of the second season of Playhouse 90.
"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.
"Rendezvous in Black" was an American television play broadcast live on October 18, 1956, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90.
"The Hostess with the Mostes'" was an American television play broadcast live on March 21, 1957, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90. It was the 25th episode of the first season. Shirley Booth played the part of socialite Perle Mesta.
"Before I Die" was an American television film broadcast on January 23, 1958, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90. It aired as the 20th episode of the second season.
"The Death of Manolete" was an American television play broadcast live on September 12, 1957, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90. It was the first episode of the second season and featured Jack Palance in the role of Manolete. Producer Martin Manulis later called it "the classic clinker of all time."
"A Sound of Different Drummers" was an American television play broadcast live on October 3, 1957, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90. It was the fourth episode of the second season. John Frankenheimer directed, and Sterling Hayden starred.
"For Whom the Bell Tolls" was an American television play broadcast in two parts on March 12 and March 19, 1959, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90. It is a television adaptation of the 1940 novel by Ernest Hemingway. John Frankenheimer was the director. The cast included Jason Robards, Maria Schell, and Maureen Stapleton.
"The Velvet Alley" was an American television play broadcast on January 22, 1959 as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90. Rod Serling was the writer and Franklin Schaffner the director. The cast included Art Carney and Leslie Nielsen.
"The Troublemakers" was an American television play broadcast on November 21, 1957, as part of the second season of the CBS television series Playhouse 90. John Frankenheimer directed. Ben Gazzara, Barbara Rush, and Keenan Wynn starred.
"The Jet Propelled Couch" is an American television play broadcast on November 14, 1957, as part of the second season of the CBS television series Playhouse 90. Burgess Meredith and James Clark directed. Donald O'Connor, David Wayne, and Peter Lorre 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.