Willys Theatre Presenting Ben Hecht's Tales of the City

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Willys Theatre Presenting Ben Hecht's Tales of the City is an American half-hour television anthology series. Ben Hecht served as the series host. It was broadcast from June 25, 1953, to September 17, 1953, on CBS.[1] Hecht (whose stories were the basis for all episodes) introduced and closed each episode off-screen.[2] The city referred to in the title was New York City.[3]

Among its guest stars were Madeleine Carroll,[4] Janis Carter, Barry Nelson, Ann Rutherford, Gary Merrill,[5] Charles Coburn, Laraine Day Wendell Corey, and Hume Cronyn.

Production[edit]

The series was broadcast live[6] from 8:30 to 9 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursdays,[2] replacing Amos 'n' Andy.[7] William Dozier was the producer, and Robert Stevens was the director.[6] Hank Sylvern and his orchestra provided music.[5] Also known as Tales of the City,[8] the program alternated weeks with Four Star Playhouse.[9]

Tales of the City was sponsored by the Willys automobile company.[9] Willys was considering moving the show to Saturdays at 7 p.m. in the fall of 1953, but Billboard reported that the series "did no tlive up to critical expectations", and Willys canceled it.[10]

Critical response[edit]

A review in the trade publication Billboard said, "There should be no question about the success of Tales of the City".[5] Reviewer Leon Morse wrote that the series used a time-tested formula based on the "myth of the big heart of the city", in which people in need are helped.[5] The review said that the June 25, 1953, episode met a human-interest need, "But it also was phony, contrived, and devoid of reality."[5] Morse complimented the direction, production, and writing and described the actors as "outstanding".[5]

Paul Cotton, writing in The Des Moines Register, said that same episode was written well, with dialogue that "was turgid in spots, but literate."[3] He rated it "a little superior" when compared to other shows of the same summer, acknowledging that such a comment was a "modest compliment".[3]

The trade publication Variety called the premiere episode "a honeyed cornball" and "a bit of incense burned in honor of the popular myth that New York has a heart."[11] The review praised Merrill's performance for "projecting some life in a bloodless play", said that Rutherford "was saccharine to fit her lines", and observed that the other actors "never had a chance."[11]

References[edit]

  1. ^ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 816. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  2. ^ a b Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (7th ed.). New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group. p. 1120. ISBN 0-345-42923-0.
  3. ^ a b c Cotton, Paul (July 20, 1953). "On Television". The Des Moines Register. p. 14. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  4. ^ Pascoe, John (April 17, 2020). Madeleine Carroll: Actress and Humanitarian, from The 39 Steps to the Red Cross (in Arabic). McFarland. p. 217. ISBN 978-1-4766-3559-0. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Morse, Leon (July 4, 1953). "Hecht Has Sure Winner in Video's Summer Stake Race". Billboard. p. 2. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Hawes, William (December 26, 2001). Filmed Television Drama, 1952-1958. McFarland. pp. 20–22. ISBN 978-0-7864-1132-0. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  7. ^ "Coaxial Notes". The Buffalo News. July 7, 1953. p. 24. Retrieved August 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 89. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  9. ^ a b "CBS-TV Sells Summer Segs". Billboard. May 16, 1953. p. 4. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  10. ^ "Willys cancelling Ben Hecht series". Billboard. July 22, 1953. p. 27. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Tales of the City". Variety. July 1, 1953. p. 27. Retrieved August 19, 2023.

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