When the small screen was in its infancy in the 1950s, a group of young, scrappy writers such as Rod Serling, JP Miller, Reginald Rose and Paddy Chayefsky and directors such as John Frankenheimer, Alex Segal, Delbert Mann, Franklin Schaffner, Sidney Lumet and George Roy Hill collaborated on a series of live television dramas that set the gold standard for the fledgling medium.
FOR THE RECORD: 'The Golden Age of Television': A DVD review in Saturday's Calendar on "The Golden Age of Television" misstated "A Wind From the South" director Daniel Petrie's first name as Donald, and misidentified the director of "Requiem for a Heavyweight," Ralph Nelson, as John Frankenheimer. —
"The Hallmark Hall of Fame," "Playhouse 90," "Kraft Television Theatre," "Goodyear Television Playhouse," "Studio One" and "Climax" were among the decade's top anthology series -- a veritable Broadway stage in your own home. These shows also attracted such veteran performers as Helen Hayes and Mary Martin and up-and-comers such as Paul Newman, James Dean and Steve McQueen.
In the early 1980s, PBS presented a series, "The Golden Age of Television," which offered eight renowned productions from the early age of TV along with commentary and interviews with those involved. This week, the Criterion Collection released the DVD set of this PBS program, and it's a knockout.
On May 24, 1953, viewers who tuned in to the "Goodyear Television Playhouse" witnessed what is considered a pivotal moment in the development of live television: Chayefsky's "Marty." Produced by Fred Coe and directed by Mann, this haunting drama revolves around a 36-year-old Bronx butcher (a perfectly cast Rod Steiger) who is being pressured to get married. Two years later, Mann and Chayefsky teamed up to bring "Marty" to the big screen, and it won Oscars for best film, director, screenplay and actor (Ernest Borgnine).
"Patterns," which aired Jan. 12, 1955, on "Kraft Television Theatre," put Serling on the map and won him his first Emmy for original teleplay. The searing morality tale is remarkably timely these days because it deals with the ruthlessness of corporate America. The show was such a hit that it was repeated a month later with most of the original cast. In 1956, Serling adapted his teleplay for the equally hard-hitting feature version.
