American spy drama series
Casablanca
is an hour-long American television series, in the genre of spying and intrigue during the
Cold War
, which was broadcast on
ABC
between September 27, 1955 and April 24, 1956 as part of the
wheel series
Warner Bros. Presents
.
[1]
[2]
[3]
The third of 20 filmed shows produced for ABC, between 1955 and 1963, by
Warner Bros. Television
, under the supervision of executive producer
William T. Orr
,
Casablanca
is also the only one among those shows to be structured in the form of a non-U.S.-based Cold-War-intrigue storyline, while 14 of the 20 productions were western and detective/adventure series.
[4]
[5]
Series elements
[
edit
]
The series was based on
Everybody Comes to Rick's
, a play written in 1940 by American authors
Murray Burnett
and
Joan Alison
, and the celebrated 1942 film version,
Casablanca
starring
Humphrey Bogart
,
Ingrid Bergman
and
Peter Lorre
.
The television series stars
Charles McGraw
as Rick Blaine,
[6]
the character played in the film by Bogart. After the 7-episode
Kings Row
, it was the second-least-successful among Orr's twenty ABC series, canceled after the production of only ten episodes.
[7]
Director John Peyser has attributed the failure to studio head
Jack L. Warner
's refusal to finalize the hiring of charismatic rising star
Anthony Quinn
to play Rick and settling instead on McGraw, an actor Peyser said "couldn't act his way out of a hat".
[1]
Although the standard length for episodes of hour-long filmed series was 53 or 54 minutes, the first 23 episodes of
Warner Bros. Presents
, including 8 of the 10 installments of
Casablanca
, were timed to run 48 minutes, thus enabling Warner Bros Television to append 6-minute segments, hosted by
Gig Young
,
[8]
[9]
promoting upcoming Warners films and chatting with stars under contract to the studio.
[10]
Background for the creation of the series
[
edit
]
Buying the rights to the unpublished and unstaged play by Burnett and Allison in January 1942, Warners had, at various intervals, assigned its adaptation to scenarists
Julius
and
Philip Epstein
,
Howard Koch
and the uncredited
Casey Robinson
, while also putting at the helm one of their top directors,
Michael Curtiz
.
[11]
Production began on May 25, with final shooting concluded on August 3.
[12]
[13]
Casablanca's
New York City
premiere was rushed to take place in November, thus taking advantage of the newspaper headlines announcing Allied capture of
North African
ports, including
Casablanca
. Because of the November release, the
New York Film Critics
included the film in its 1942 award season for best picture (the ultimate winner turned out to be the British wartime naval saga,
In Which We Serve
), but the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
insisted that since
Casablanca
was not released nationally until early 1943, it would compete at the
Award ceremony taking place in 1944
. Sixteen months after its New York premiere,
Casablanca
won Best Picture,
Best Director
and
Best Adapted Screenplay
for Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch. There were five additional nominations:
Best Actor
(
Humphrey Bogart
),
Best Supporting Actor
(
Claude Rains
),
Best Cinematography, Black-and White
(
Arthur Edeson
),
Best Film Editing
(
Owen Marks
) and
Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture
(
Max Steiner
).
More than a decade later, Warner Bros Television chose its Best Picture nominees for 1943,
Casablanca
(in addition to the winner, Warners had a second nominee,
Watch on the Rhine
), and 1942,
Kings Row
(the studio had one other nominee,
Yankee Doodle Dandy
), as television's initial two series to be directly derived from theatrical films.
King's Row
starred
Jack Kelly
in
Robert Cummings
' role in the theatrical film and
Robert Horton
playing
Ronald Reagan
's part; Kelly and Horton later played leading roles in the television series
Maverick
and
Wagon Train
respectively for five seasons beginning two years later in 1957. The third rotating element of
Warner Brothers Presents
,
Cheyenne
, the first of seven westerns produced for ABC, was a non-directly-derivative concept (Warners 1947 western,
Cheyenne
has no connection to the series) which also made history as TV's first hour-long western and also the first western series made for adults, rather than children, who had been watching such half-hour series as
The Lone Ranger
and
The Cisco Kid
since the earliest years of full-schedule TV programming. Analogous to the abbreviated time allotted for 8 of
Casablanca's
10 installments, the 48-minute episode length was also applicable to 8 of
Cheyenne's
15 installments and all 7 installments of
Kings Row
.
[14]
[15]
Casablanca
, the series
[
edit
]
One of the most iconic films in Hollywood history,
Casablanca
perfectly caught the present-day (1942) wartime spirit of the age, but the TV series set, as it was, during the latter-day (1955) present of the
Cold War
, with its spies and intrigue, could not compete.
[16]
Its stories were molded into the style of standard TV drama of the era, omitting any mention of themes which would have been considered inappropriate for an early-evening audience.
Series characters in 1955 and in the 1983 revival
[
edit
]
The three top-billed roles in the 1942 film are played by
Humphrey Bogart
as Rick Blaine,
Ingrid Bergman
as Ilsa Lund and
Paul Henreid
as Victor Laszlo. In the series, the last name of Rick, portrayed by
Charles McGraw
, is Jason, while Ilsa and Victor do not appear as characters. The debut episode, "Who Holds Tomorrow?", showcases single-installment guest star
Anita Ekberg
playing a version of Ilsa, named Trina, but the storyline's reminiscence of Rick and Trina's past relationship veers into spies, killers and Cold War intrigue.
[17]
Billed fourth through seventh in the film's credits are
Claude Rains
as Captain Louis Renault,
Conrad Veidt
as Major Strasser,
Sydney Greenstreet
as Ferrari and
Peter Lorre
as Ugarte. The TV series retains the French police chief who bears a slightly different surname, Captain Renaud, played by
Marcel Dalio
(who was unbilled as Emil, Rick's gambling table croupier in 1942). The Nazi major, who had been fatally shot by Rick at the end of the film, was eliminated as a character, but Ferrari, the Fat Man with the powerful connections, was now portrayed by heavily built
Dan Seymour
(who was unbilled as Abdul the doorman at Rick's in 1942). Like Strasser, Ugarte, who had been reported as killed near the end of the film, is not in the series. Among those further down the film's cast list,
S. K. Sakall
(credited in a number of his later roles as
S. Z. "Cuddles" Sakall
) as Carl,
Dooley Wilson
as Sam and
Leonid Kinskey
as Sasha are reflected in the series' three supporting regulars ?
Ludwig Stossel
(who had an unbilled part as the refugee Mr. Leuchtag in 1942) portrays the Sakall-styled maitre d', Ludwig,
Clarence Muse
is at the piano as Sam and
Michael Fox
provides slight comedy relief as Sasha the bartender.
[18]
Twenty-seven years after the final first-run episode of
Casablanca
was broadcast in April 1956,
Warner Bros. Television
produced another TV series titled
Casablanca
which premiered on April 10, 1983. The role of Rick, whose surname was returned to its original form, Blaine, was won by
David Soul
who gained TV stardom as one of the stars of the popular 1975?79 police detective series
Starsky & Hutch
. His turn as Rick, however, lasted only five episodes.
The setting of the 1983 series returned to the film's period of early World War II, with its action described as taking place over a year earlier than the events depicted in the film. All the personalities depicted in the 1955 series were the same, except for the return of Major Strasser and his aide Lieutenant Heinz. The French police captain's name also returned to its film form, Renault, and the bartender's name was now spelled "Sacha".
Episodes
[
edit
]
N
o
|
Title
|
Directed by
|
Written by
|
Original air date
|
1
| "Who Holds Tomorrow?"
| John Peyser
| David P. Harmon
| September 27, 1955
(
1955-09-27
)
|
---|
To be determined
[19]
Guest cast:
Anita Ekberg
as Trina, Alberto Morin as Portino
|
2
| "Black Market Operation"
| Unknown
| Unknown
| October 18, 1955
(
1955-10-18
)
|
---|
To be determined
[20]
Guest cast:
Nicole Maurey
as Denise,
Peter Van Eyck
as Alex Thannis
|
3
| "Labor Camp Escape"
| Unknown
| Unknown
| November 8, 1955
(
1955-11-08
)
|
---|
Rick becomes aware of plotting by Soviet spies; the wife (
Maureen O'Sullivan
) of an American newspaper reporter (
William Hopper
) captured behind the Iron Curtain is reunited with her husband.
In the promotional segment, Gig Young interviews
Liberace
on the set of his Warners film
Sincerely Yours
.
Guest cast:
Maureen O'Sullivan
as Helen,
William Hopper
as William Randoll,
Don Randolph
as Captain Rudolph
|
4
| "Hand of Fate"
| John Peyser
| Nelson Gidding
| November 29, 1955
(
1955-11-29
)
|
---|
Rick attempts to recover an extremely valuable artifact.
[21]
In the promotional segment, Gig Young interviews
Gary Cooper
on the set of his Warners film
The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell
.
Guest cast:
Kurt Katch
as Ozmajian, David Leonard as Professor Garnier, Harry Nader as Jahmed
|
5
| "Family Dispute"
| Unknown
| Unknown
| December 20, 1955
(
1955-12-20
)
|
---|
To be determined
[22]
In the promotional segment, Gig Young introduces film clips of
Al Jolson
entertaining soldiers on the sidelines of battlefronts; another segment depicts
Mario Lanza
performing "Ave Maria".
Guest cast:
Arleen Whelan
,
Joe De Santis
,
Lydia Reed
,
Patty McCormack
|
6
| "Fateful Night"
| John Peyser
| S
: Robert Libott;
T
:
Nelson Gidding
| January 10, 1956
(
1956-01-10
)
|
---|
A man who opposed the Vichy government in Casablanca had been betrayed and his father asks for Rick's help in finding who was responsible.
In the promotional segment, Gig Young commemorates the 30th anniversary of the
John Barrymore
vehicle,
Don Juan
, Warner Bros. first film with recorded sound.
Guest cast:
Lester Matthews
as Colonel Masters, Karin Booth as Sylvia,
Jean De Briac
as General Dupres,
Lisa Daniels
as Vicki,
Jon Shepodd
as Larry,
Morris Ankrum
as Lou
|
7
| "Satan's Veil"
| Alvin Ganzer
| S
:
Eric Ambler
;
T
:
Nelson Gidding
,
Norman Lessing
| January 31, 1956
(
1956-01-31
)
|
---|
The enticingly named international spy Ghitana Eros uses her beauty and erotic wiles to entrap innocent tourist Allardyce Newton.
Guest cast:
Elliott Reid
as Allardyce Newton,
Rossana Rory
as Ghitana Eros
|
8
| "The Alley"
| Don Weis
| Seeleg Lester
| February 28, 1956
(
1956-02-28
)
|
---|
A man who is fatally stabbed in the alley alongside Rick's place reveals with his last breath that a plan is afoot to assassinate the diplomats gathering that night for a peace conference.
Guest cast:
Eduard Franz
as Ben Hassan, Rena Clark as Rhoda,
Corey Allen
as Abdel
|
9
| "Siren Song"
| Richard L. Bare
| Frederick Brady,
Seeleg Lester
| April 10, 1956
(
1956-04-10
)
|
---|
Trying to impress a beautiful international playgirl, retired bullfighter Francisco ignores the advice of his friend Rick and determines that he must return to the ring.
Guest cast:
Mari Blanchard
as Elsa Norden,
James Mitchell
as Francisco,
Roberta Haynes
as Maria,
Hayden Rorke
as Henderson,
Ric Roman
as Rossano
|
10
| "Deadlock!"
| Don Weis
| Nelson Gidding
| April 24, 1956
(
1956-04-24
)
|
---|
To be determined
Guest cast:
Olive Sturgess
as Susette,
Peter van Eyck
as Chadec, Carl Milletaire as Guillot, Laurie Mitchell as Gaby,
Ann Codee
as Miss Stohli
|
Sources
[
edit
]
- Anderson, Christopher.
Hollywood TV: The Studio System in the Fifties
. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1994.
- Balio, Tino, editor.
Hollywood in the Age of Television
. Boston: Unwin, Hyman, 1990.
- Woolley, Lynn; Malsbary, Robert W. and Strange, Robert G., Jr.
Warner Brothers Television: Every Show of the Fifties and Sixties, Episode by Episode
. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 1985.
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
Hyatt, Wesley.
Short-Lived Television Series, 1948-1978: Thirty Years of More Than 1,000 Flops
(McFarland, January 6, 2003)
ISBN
1476605157
- ^
"Warner Brothers Presents / U.S. Dramatic Series" (The Museum of Broadcasting Communications ? Encyclopedia of Television)
- ^
"Warner Bros. Presents" at the Square One website
- ^
Paietta, Ann Catherine and Kauppila, Jean L.
Health Professionals on Screen
. Scarecrow Press, 1999
- ^
Brodie, Douglas.
Shooting Stars of the Small Screen: Encyclopedia of TV Western Actors, 1946?Present
. University of Texas Press, 2010
- ^
Robinson, Johnny.
"Jack Kelly, star of Warners'
Kings Row
ABC-TV series, isn't letting the current Hollywood heat wave get him down"
Montreal
Gazette
, August 13, 1955, page 23
- ^
Johnson, Erskine.
"Hollywood Notes / "Kings Row" is fading off TV in the
Warner Bros. Presents
stanzas but Jack Kelly isn't"
Lakeland
Ledger
, June 4, 1956, page 4
- ^
Robinson, Johnny.
"Video Versions / Gig Young, emcee of 'Warner Bros. Presents' which had its debut last night,,,"
Lewiston
Evening Journal
, September 14, 1955, page 22
- ^
Thomas, Bob.
"Movie?TV Talk / Gig Young Glad He Said No"
Daytona Beach
Morning Journal
, November 24, 1964, page 4
- ^
Peterson, Bettelou.
"Television Had Its Own 'King's Row'"
St. Petersburg
Evening Independent
, June 25, 1981, page 10B
- ^
LRampey. Web page dedicated to the life and work of Henry Bellamann
- ^
Northway, Martin. "Tragic Consequences: Fulton, Missouri set the stage for the Henry Bellamann novel “Kings Row” and a future for a young Ronald Reagan" (
Newcity Lit
, September 30, 2011)
- ^
Ball, Karen {Associated Press}. "Attitudes towards book have softened" (
The Item
{Sumter, South Carolina}, October 18, 1987, page 6C)
- ^
"Hollywood Relents / Movies in TV Picture" (
Milwaukee Sentinel TeleScope Magazine
, September 18, 1955, page 41)
- ^
Friedrich, Otto (1986).
City of Nets: A Portrait of Hollywood in the 1940s
. University of California Press (1997 reprint). pp. 86?89
- ^
Fanning, Win. "Radio and TV / Some Notes on Things to Come" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 29, 1955, page 31)
- ^
Rode, Alan K.
Charles McGraw: Biography of a Film Noir Tough Guy
(McFarland, August 14, 2012). Includes photograph of Charles McGraw and Anita Ekberg in the premiere episode, "Who Holds Tomorrow?"
ISBN
147660035X
- ^
Manners, Dorothy. "Folksy 'Little Britches' Before Cameras Soon / Victor Jory who hasn't been in Hollywood in two years (TV in New York) returns to play Dr. Towers in Warners TV serial, 'Kings Row'" (
Milwaukee Sentinel
, June 28, 1955, page 6, Part 2)
- ^
"Saturday Show: 'Lady in Fear', Jack Kelly, Nan Leslie (
Ocala Star-Banner All-Florida?TV Week Magazine
, August 14, 1960, page 10)
- ^
"The Saturday Film: starring Wallace Ford in 'Two of a Kind' directed by Paul Stewart (BBC Television, 11 April 1959)
- ^
"Mail Bride: Lee Patrick is the 'mail order' bride who starts things stirring in
"Kings Row"
on
Warner Bros. Presents
tonight at 6:30 over WISN-TV. Miss Patrick co-stars with Rhys Williams, who plays the part of the lonely railroad man who courts her (
Milwaukee Sentinel
, November 15, 1955, page 12, part 1)
- ^
"Hour of Stars: Victor Jory, Maria Palmer and Jack Kelly in 'Introduction to Erica'" (
The Miami News
, November 9, 1961, page 3B)
External links
[
edit
]