Evening primrose 1966 - Fascinating early Sondheim musical

Charmian Carr and Anthony Perkins in Evening primrose (1966)

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IMDB Rating: 7,5

Director: Paul Bogart
Main Cast: Anthony Perkins, Charmian Carr, Dorothy Stickney, Larry Gates

"Evening Primrose is a musical with a book by James Goldman and lyrics and music by Stephen Sondheim. It is based on a John Collier short story published in the 1951 collection Fancies and Goodnights.
The musical focuses on a poet who takes refuge from the world by hiding out in a department store after closing. He meets a community of night people who live in the store and falls in love with a beautiful young girl named Ella. Bizarre complications arise when the leader of the group forbids their relationship.
Written specifically for the television anthology series ABC Stage 67, it aired on November 16, 1966; directed by Paul Bogart and telecast in color."

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The journey of the fifth horse 1966 - Dustin Hoffman's first starring role on television

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IMDB Rating: 7,7

Directors: Larry Arrick, Earl Dawson
Main Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Susan Anspach, William Bassett, Michael Tolan, Charlotte Rae

"In 1966, a year before he rose to overnight fame in The Graduate, Dustin Hoffman won an Obie Award for his performance in Journey of the Fifth Horse, a stage adaptation by Ronald Ribman of the story Diary of a Superfluous Man by Ivan Turgenev. The play was videotaped for public television that same year, and this home video release presents a recording of one of Hoffman's first truly great roles. Dmitri Zoditch (Dustin Hoffman) is a lower-level manuscript reader for a large publishing company, and while he's in love with the daughter (Susan Anspach) of the firm's deceased founder, he lacks the courage to court her. The diary of a second-rate nobleman who has fallen on hard times, Nikolai Alexeyevich Chulkaturin (Michael Tolan), has been submitted for publication, and the manuscript is given to Zoditch for appraisal. Told he must read the work in one night, Zoditch soon finds himself drawn into the world of the bitter Chulkaturin, whose angst is a compliment for the insignificance of Zoditch's own life." - www.allmovie.com

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An enemy of the people 1966 - A scathing indictment of a corrupt society

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IMDB Rating: 7,8

Director: Paul Bogart
Main Cast: James Daly, Kate Reid, Philip Bosco, Tim Daly, Barbara Dana

"Arthur Miller's celebrated adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's powerful drama was brought to the small screen in this production staged for television. An Enemy of the People stars James Daly as a doctor living in a small town in Norway. The local economy depends on the success of a spa offering waters from a nearby spring, which are believed to have a healing effect. But the doctor discovers the waters are not only not healthy, they have been polluted with potentially deadly toxins; however, his attempts to alert the townspeople are challenged by the city fathers, who are more concerned with the financial health of the community than its physical well-being. Kate Reid and Philip Bosco appear in the supporting cast." - www.allmovie.com

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Death of a salesman 1966 - An outstanding play and an outstanding TV adaptation

Lee J. Cobb and Mildred Dunnock in Death of a salesman (1966)

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IMDB Rating: 7,8

Director: Alex Segal
Main Cast: Lee J. Cobb, Mildred Dunnock, James Farentino, Albert Dekker, George Segal, Karen Steele, Gene Wilder

"Death of a Salesman is a 1966 television film adapted from the play of the same name by Arthur Miller. It was directed by Alex Segal and adapted for television by Miller. It received numerous nominations for awards, and won several of them, including three Primetime Emmy Awards, a Directors Guild of America Award and a Peabody Award. It was nominated in a total of 11 Emmy categories at the 19th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1967. Lee J. Cobb reprised his role as Willy Loman and Mildred Dunnock reprised her role as Linda Loman from the original 1949 stage production. The performance marks a strong dramatic turn for George Segal who is known for his comic work, while a young Gene Wilder presents a comic but sensitive performance as Bernard."

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Hamlet at Elsinore 1964 - English/Danish co-production filmed on location in Denmark

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IMDB Rating: 7,3

Director: Philip Saville
Main Cast: Christopher Plummer, Robert Shaw, Alec Clunes, Michael Caine, June Tobin, Jo Maxwell Muller, Donald Sutherland

"Hamlet at Elsinore is a 1964 television version of Shakespeare's play. Produced by the BBC in association with Danish Radio, it was shown in the U.S. on NET. Broadcast a few days before Shakespeare's 400th birthday, Hamlet at Elsinore was the BBC's major contribution to the quartercentenary celebrations, as well as being a technical milestone. Up to then, television Shakespeare broadcasts were exclusively studio reconstructions or relays of live theatre productions, but this was the first time that a full-length play had been taped on location, in this case at Denmark's Kronborg Castle in Elsinore. This programme was recorded and edited on video tape and not 'filmed'. It is the longest version of the play telecast in one evening up to that time, running nearly three hours. (A 1947 telecast of the play had split it up into two ninety-minute halves over two weeks.)
The Canadian actor Christopher Plummer took the lead role as the Melancholy Dane and earned an Emmy Award nomination for his performance. In supporting roles were Robert Shaw as Claudius, Donald Sutherland as Fortinbras, Roy Kinnear as the Gravedigger and Michael Caine, in his only Shakespearean performance, as Horatio. Sutherland, Caine and Shaw were, at the time, almost completely unknown to American audiences, and just before the presentation's first U.S. telecast, Plummer began to gain popularity in the U.S. because of his appearance in the 1965 musical film The Sound of Music."

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The cherry orchard 1962 - A studio version of the Royal Shakespeare Company's production

Dorothy Tutin, John Gielgud and Judi Dench

(in The cherry orchard 1962)

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IMDB Rating: 7,3

Director: Michael Elliott
Main Cast: Peggy Ashcroft, John Gielgud, Dorothy Tutin, Judi Dench

"The production is adapted by John Gielgud and directed by Michael Elliott and Michel Saint-Denis. It also stars Gielgud as the family patriarch, Gaev, and Peggy Ashcroft (Sunday Bloody Sunday) as Madame Ranevsky. A very young Judi Dench plays their head-in-the-clouds daughter, Anya, and in his earliest performance of the set, Ian Holm is Trofimov. This character is not only Anya's love interest, but as an adult student, he is another of Chekhov's thinking environmentalists. His vision of a future where humanity and the natural world will find some harmony is contrasted against the plight of Gaev and Ranevsky.
Having returned from a trip, they are told they must sell their family orchard in order to pay their debts, a situation they face with a stiff upper lip that looks a lot like denial. This subplot lends a nostalgia to the script, as Chekhov is examining the passing of an age. Class distinctions are clearly drawn, with an almost upstairs-downstairs structuring that cuts back and forth between the servant class and the landowners, a line that will be erased as the play goes on."

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Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol 1962 - The original animated television classic

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IMDB Rating: 7,7

Director: Abe Levitow

"Having made a bundle on their 130-episode package of Mr. Magoo TV cartoons, the folks at UPA studios decided to star Magoo in a 60-minute musical version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. First telecast over the NBC network on December 18, 1962, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol deftly uses the device of depicting Magoo as a famous Broadway star, returning to the stage to essay the role of Ebeneezer Scrooge. This "framing" device has, unfortunately, been eliminated from currently available TV and video versions of this hour-long animated special. Still, Magoo has plenty of time to shine as Scrooge, a role ideally suited for the character's crotchety demeanor and comic nearsightedness. The five original songs by Jules Styne and Bob Merrill are wonderful-far more so than the disposable score of the 1970 live-action Christmas Carol musical adaptation Scrooge. The principal voices are provided by Jim Backus as Magoo, Jack Cassidy as Bob Cratchit, Royal Dano as Marley's Ghost, and Joan Gardner, Morey Amsterdam and Paul Frees." - www.allmovie.com

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Macbeth 1961 - Television adaptation with the young Sean Connery in the title role

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IMDB Rating: 6,8

Director: Paul Almond
Main Cast: Sean Connery, Zoe Caldwell, William Needles, Ted Follows

"The Scottish lord Macbeth, chooses evil as the way to fulfill his ambition for power. He commits regicide to become king and then furthers his moral descent with a reign of murderous terror to stay in power, eventually plunging the country into civil war. In the end, he loses everything that gives meaning and purpose to his life before losing his life itself. Macbeth, based on the play by Shakespeare, was produced in 1961 and it was a TV movie with Sean Connery as the lead character. It's not entirely a visually striking film but it does have that eerie atmosphere that makes the movie. It's gloomy which is perfect for the plot of the movie. Macbeth, is an eerie film, a film about murder, witches, and how power corrupts a person. Still to this day there are leaders that will kill for power as it was in the Medieval world. But we must remember that Macbeth is not the only accomplice, Lady Macbeth, she also hungers for power and 'helps' her husband obtain that power by using her words of crazed wisdom. So this production in particular, for being not a cinematic film isn't bad."

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Lullaby 1960 - An interesting Don Appell drama on the small screen

Husband and wife: Eli Wallach & Anne Jackson

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IMDB rating: 7,0

Director: Don Richardson
Main Cast: Eli Wallach, Anne Jackson, Ruth White, Tom Carlin

"A 38-year-old truck driver and a weary cigarette girl from a nightclub elope and discover that they know very little about each other. The mama's boy's domineering mother gives them no peace or privacy on their honeymoon and soon the marriage turns into the eternal triangle - with his mother as the 'other woman'. This televised stage play was shown as part of the anthology series called Play of the Week in NTA Film Network Syndication."

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The consul 1960 - Cold war atmosphere with wonderful performances

American soprano Patricia Neway in The consul 1960

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IMDB Rating: 7,7

Directors: Bill Butler, William A. Graham
Main Cast: Patricia Neway, Chester Ludgin, Evelyn Sachs, Leon Lishner

"Movie fans who don't cotton to opera may find The Consul an exception. This rarity, filmed for TV in 1960, presents Gian-Carlo Menotti's searing opera in mostly uncinematic terms, it's true, but the intensely melodramatic and moving story that forms its core should be very attractive to fans of Cold War dramas and stories of intrigue. opera purists have tended to sniff a bit at The Consul, and it's true that portions are not as musically potent as might be desired. It's also true that the opera climaxes with the shattering "To This We've Come" aria in the second act, and that the lengthy nightmare sequence that comprises the bulk of the third act falls a little short of paying off. On the whole, however, the sheer power of the piece makes up for its musical or dramatic shortcomings. Having been shot for television pretty much from an on-stage vantage point, some may find it a trifle stagy and visually uninteresting. Fortunately, The Consul has an ace up its sleeve that renders this and all other complaints meaningless -- the shattering performance of Patricia Neway in the leading role. Neway is, in a word, magnificent, delivering a harrowing, wrenching performance that leaves the viewer drained. The rest of the cast is competent, sometimes more, but it's Neway that matters. This legendary performance alone makes The Consul worth seeing." - www.allmovie.com

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The iceman cometh 1960 - Excellent television production with a stellar cast

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IMDB Rating: 7,6

Director: Sidney Lumet
Main Cast: Jason Robards, Myron McCormick, Tom Pedi, James Broderick, Robert Redford

"Done as part of WNTA's 'Play of the Week' series, Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh was a major television 'event' in its time, getting the seal of approval from The New York Times theater critic Brooks Atkinson, who introduced both halves of the presentation (it was done in two nights, a week apart). Sidney  Lumet got a dream cast here, starting with Jason Robards Jr., who recreates his success as Hickey from the 1950s off-Broadway revival (which is where the play became a success, in the hands of director Jose Quintero). Also present are Myron McCormick as Larry, and such names as James Broderick, Robert Redford, Roland Winters, and Michael Strong. Lumet proves adept at moving his actors and cameras in what is essentially a dramatic ballet. Those who know his film 12 Angry Men will love this production and the opportunity to experience the excitement that attended the broadcast. This is also a wonderful showcase not only for Robards, whose portrayal of Hickey was one of the highlights of his career, but also for Myron McCormick, a much-loved stage actor whose film work (including No Time for Sergeants) was only a shadow of his true dramatic range, his talent captured here about as well as it ever was." - www.allmovie.com

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The world of Sholom Aleichem 1959 - Three sweet adaptations from classic Yiddish literature

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IMDB rating: 7,6

Director: Don Richardson
Main Cast: Zero Mostel, Gertrude Berg, Conrad Bromberg, Jack Gilford, Lee Grant

"Many people are familiar with the name of the Russian-born, Yiddish-language writer Sholom Aleichem (1859-1916), but today he is primarily recognized as the literary source that inspired the beloved musical Fiddler on the Roof. However, not too many people have actually read his stories, which detail the trials and tribulations of the Jewish communities in Czarist Russia.
In 1953, American playwright Arnold Perl sought to capture the spirit of Sholom Aleichem by creating an Off-Broadway play. The World of Sholem Aleichem was actually a bit of a cheat, since only one of its three acts was directly based on an Aleichem story. Nonetheless, the work offered a vibrant celebration of the author’s spirit.
In 1959, producer David Susskind arranged for Perl to adapt his work for broadcast on the weekly television series Play of the Week. This production of The World of Sholom Aleichem was remarkable at several levels, and by contemporary standards it remains a landmark of sorts."

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Kiss me, Kate 1958 - A Hallmark Hall of Fame adaptation with Broadway's original stars

Patricia Morison & Alfred Drake in Kiss me, Kate (1958)

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IMDB rating: 8,0

Director: George Schaefer
Main Cast: Alfred Drake, Patricia Morison, Julie Wilson, Bill Hayes

"Not to be confused with the 1953 Kiss Me Kate - the big screen feature directed by George Sidney with assist from Bob Fosse - this 1958 television production actually constitutes a filmed version of the original stage play, loose adaptation of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew by Sam Spewack, Bella Spewack and Cole Porter. The cast includes the original Broadway stars too: Patricia Morison , Bill Hayes, Julie Wilson and Alfred Drake. George Schaefer served as producer and director, Franz Allers handled musical direction and Ernest Flatt did the choreography. This was originally telecast on November 20, 1958 as part of the Hallmark Hall of Fame showcase." - www.allmovie.com

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Cinderella 1957 - The original TV musical written specifically for Julie Andrews

Julie Andrews in Cinderella (1957)

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IMDB Rating: 7,7

Director: Ralph Nelson
Main Cast: Julie Andrews, Ilka Chase, Edie Adams, Kaye Ballard, Alice Ghostley, Jon Cypher

"On March 31,1957, composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein produced a live, made-for-television version of Cinderella, the classic rags-to-riches story of a young woman oppressed by her wicked step-family. Aired on CBS in what was widely believed to be the network's answer to NBC's Peter Pan, Cinderella starred Julie Andrews in the title role of Cinderella, John Cypher as the Prince, and Edith Adams as the Fairy Godmother. Though the musical was specifically written to showcase Andrews' famous vocal talents, all performances were well-received. Over 107 million television viewers tuned into this live adaptation of Cinderella, giving it the largest audience of the time." - www.allmovie.com

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The anatomist 1956 - Concerning with moral and ethical dilemmas

Scene from TV movie, The anatomist (1956)

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IMDB rating: 6,0

Director: Dennis Vance

Main Cast: Alastair Sim, George Cole, Adrienne Corri, Jill Bennett

"Usually listed in reference books as a theatrical release made in 1961, this actually debuted on British TV (on the series ITV Play of the Week) in 1956 but may have played theatrically later on. It's yet another retelling of the famous real-life Burke and Hare West Port Murders. Burke and Hare were a pair of scuzzy, low-life Edinburgh grave robbers and murderers who supplied a medical doctor with fresh corpses for his experiments. The duo were the basis for at least a dozen other films and the story was and still remains very popular in the UK. One of the first film adaptations to touch on the subject matter was the classic Val Lewton production The body snatcher (1945)."

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Eight witnesses 1954 - An interesting Cold War spy thriller

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IMDB Rating: 7,0

Director: Lawrence Huntington

Main Cast: Peggy Ann Garner, Dennis Price, Charles Jacquemar, Wolfgang Büttner

"Eight Witnesses is a fast-paced mystery thriller with a twist. When a scientist carrying vital information on a secret formula is murdered, it is witnessed by no less than eight people. However, every one of them is blind, and the race is on to find the secret formula before it falls into the wrong hands. Dennis Price and Peggy Ann Garner star in this suspenseful whodunit."

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Babes in Toyland 1954 - Another rare glimpse into early live television

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IMDB Rating: 6,9

Director: Max Liebman

Main Cast: Wally Cox, Dennis Day, Dave Garroway, Jack E. Leonard, Ellen Barrie

"During the Christmas season a young girl (Joan) becomes lost in a department store. She finds comfort from a Santa Claus who tells her the story of an imaginary land where storybook characters come to life. As the girl dreams, the viewer is transported to Toyland where the adventures of Tommy Tucker are depicted as he attempts to romance Jane Piper against the wishes of Silas Barnaby, a villain who wants the lovely girl for himself."

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Macbeth 1954, 1960 - A very good adaptation of Shakespeare's play

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IMDB Rating: 6,8

Director: George SchaeferMain Cast: Maurice Evans, Judith Anderson, House Jameson

"Breaking with their usual videotape tradition, the producers of NBC television's Hallmark Hall of Fame decided to commit its 1960 production of MacBeth to film. Maurice Evans stars as the fatally ambitious Scots warrior, with Judith Anderson as Lady MacBeth and Malcolm Keen as Duncan, whom MacBeth murders in order to further his own advancement. The production was a restaging of Hall of Fame's live presentation of the play, which was telecast in 1954. So impressed were Shakespeare scholars by Evans' interpretation of Macbeth that few complaints were made about the rather ruthless cutting of the Shakespearean text. This George Schafer-directed MacBeth was eventually released theatrically in Europe, its running time expanded by outtakes and newly filmed footage." - www.allmovie.com

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King Lear 1953 - A landmark broadcast production for Shakespeare lovers

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IMDB rating: 6,9

Director: Andrew McCulloughMain Cast: Orson Welles, Natasha Parry, Arnold Moss, Bramwell Fletcher, Beatrice Straight

"One of the first important distinctions to be made about this version of King Lear is that it is not the same version directed by Peter Brook in 1971. Brook was responsible for the staging of this 1953 version, but it was Andrew McCullough who put it to film. Orson Welles portrays the titular character, one of the most memorable and important characters from the Shakespearean canon. The story begins with the famous request Lear makes of his daughters: to express how much they love him. In exchange, Lear will divide his land and power amongst them based on the extent of their answers. Cordelia (Natasha Parry), the youngest and the one whom Lear loves the most, answers very modestly - yet honestly - and incurs the wrath of Lear, who not only withholds his gift to her, but banishes her as well. Lear divides his lands and power between the two older daughters, Goneril (Beatrice Straight) and Regan (Margaret Phillips), who intend to take swift and complete control of their father's power almost instantaneously. Lear is reduced to an angry, bitter man who realizes too late what has happened. After a series of indignities are inflicted upon him by his daughters, he retreats into a storm, vowing revenge. This film is an above-average adaptation with a very capable cast and a well-staged presentation. The subplot of Gloucester and his sons has been removed." - www.allmovie.com

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