Criterion Collection # 495



DVD Release Date: November 24, 2009




 
http://www.criterion.com/films/3560

 
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051523/
 
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0675616/



Description:

The hugely popular live American television plays of the 1950s have become the stuff of legend. Combining elements of theater, radio, and filmmaking, they were produced at a moment when TV technology was growing more mobile and art was being made accessible to a newly suburban postwar demographic. These astonishingly choreographed, brilliantly acted, and socially progressive 'teleplays' constituted an artistic high for the medium, bringing Broadway-quality drama to all of America. The award-winning programs included in this box set -- originally curated for PBS in the early 1980s as the series The Golden Age of Television, featuring recollections from key cast and crew members -- were conceived by such up-and-comers as Rod Serling and John Frankenheimer and star the likes of Paul Newman, Mickey Rooney, Rod Steiger, Julie Harris, and Piper Laurie.





READ:

The Golden Age of Television, Act III

by Ron Simon

For twenty years, the remains of television's self-proclaimed golden age lay dormant in the vaults of the commercial networks.
 
http://www.criterion.com/current/posts/1310





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DISC THREE

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"THE COMEDIAN" (74 min.) Originally broadcast on "Playhouse 90" on Feb 14, 1957. Dir. John Frankenheimer, Written by Rod Serling from a Novelette by Ernest Lehman. Starring Mickey Rooney, Kim Hunter, Edmond O?Brien and Mel Torme.



"DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES" (80 min.) Originally broadcast on "Playhouse 90" on Oct 2, 1958. Dir. John Frankenheimer, Written by J.P. Miller. Starring Cliff Robertson and Piper Laurie.





EXTRAS

In 1981, the public television anthology series "The Golden Age of Television" broadcast these eight shows. These broadcasts were preceded by substantial introductions hosted by well-known actors and including brief interviews with some cast and crew from the show. These introductions are included with each of the shows in the boxed set. Hosts include Eva Marie Saint, Keenan Wynn, Roddy McDowell, Merv Griffin, Cliff Robertson, Jack Klugman, Carl Reiner, and Julie Harris.





Format: ripped from the disc images and reformatted in avi

Size: 1.6 GB
 (with extras)




Runtime (main feature): 154 minutes
 (without extras)


Type: Black and White