Alcoa Theatre - Wikipedia
- ️Mon Sep 30 1957
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| Alcoa Theatre | |
|---|---|
 DeForest Kelley on Alcoa Theatre 1960 | |
| Genre | Anthology |
| Written by | Bob Barbash Frederick Brady Fred Freiberger Leonard Freeman Fred F. Finklehoffe Christopher Knopf Ruth McKenney Stirling Silliphant George F. Slavin |
| Directed by | Robert Florey Alvin Ganzer Tay Garnett Byron Haskin Paul Henreid Don McDougall Robert Ellis Miller Don Siegel David Swift Don Taylor Don Weis Paul Wendkos |
| Starring | David Niven Robert Ryan Jane Powell Jack Lemmon Charles Boyer |
| Theme music composer | George Duning Johnny Williams |
| Composer | George Duning (2.4) Harry Sukman (3.17) John Williams (1.4, 2.1) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 114 |
| Production | |
| Producers | Vincent M. Fennelly Fred F. Finklehoffe Winston O'Keefe William Sackheim |
| Editor | Cole Trapnell |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 24-25 minutes |
| Production companies | Four Star Television (1957-1958) Screen Gems (1958-1960)[1] |
| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | September 30, 1957 – May 23, 1960 |
| Related | |
| The Alcoa Hour Alcoa Premiere |
Alcoa Theatre is a half-hour American anthology series sponsored by the Alcoa Corporation and telecast on NBC at 9:30 pm on Monday nights from September 30, 1957 to May 23, 1960.[2] For its first four months on the air, the title Turn of Fate was used as an umbrella title for Alcoa Theatre and its alternate-week counterpart, Goodyear Theatre.[3]
In 1955, The Alcoa Hour premiered in a one-hour format aired on Sunday nights, but it was reduced to 30 minutes, retitled Alcoa Theatre, and moved to Monday evening in 1957. The show employed an alternating rotating company of actors: David Niven, Robert Ryan, Jane Powell, Jack Lemmon and Charles Boyer during its initial season. They did not return in 1958, "and the program became a true anthology once again".[3]
The series continued to feature the talents of veteran and emerging actors over the ensuing years, including Cliff Robertson, John Cassavetes, Brandon deWilde, Cornel Wilde, Agnes Moorehead, Jack Carson, Walter Slezak and Gary Merrill. Child actor Flip Mark made his television debut as Robbie Adams in the 1959 episode "Another Day Another Dollar".
"333 Montgomery" (June 13, 1960) starred DeForest Kelley in the pilot episode of an unsold series written by Gene Roddenberry. It was based on the book Never Plead Guilty by San Francisco criminal lawyer Jake Ehrlich. Kelley acted in three separate pilots for Columbia, and the studio decided to try him in a lead and sent him to meet Roddenberry. Kelley and Roddenberry went to San Francisco to meet Ehrlich, who chose him for the lead.
Jack Lemmon, William Talman and Joan Blackman starred in "The Victim," a suspense episode involving a disappearing woman.
Awards and nominations
[edit]
| Year | Result | Award | Category | Recipient | Episode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Nominated | Emmy Award | Best Writing of a Single Program of a Dramatic Series - Less Than One Hour | Christopher Knopf | "The Loudmouth" |
| Nominated | Emmy Award | Best Single Performance by an Actor | Mickey Rooney | "Eddie" | |
| Won | Emmy Award | Best Writing of a Single Program of a Dramatic Series - Less Than One Hour | Alfred Brenner and Ken Hughes | "Eddie" | |
| Won | Emmy Award | Best Dramatic Series - Less Than One Hour | |||
| Won | Emmy Award | Best Direction of a Single Program of a Dramatic Series - Less Than One Hour | Jack Smight | "Eddie" |
| Season | Episodes | Season Premiere | Season Finale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 39 | September 30, 1957 | June 23, 1958 |
| 2 | 37 | September 22, 1958 | June 15, 1959 |
| 3 | 37 | September 14, 1959 | May 23, 1960 |
Additional episodes in this season:
- "Action Off Screen" - January 11, 1960[7]
- "Chinese Finale" - March 7, 1960[8]
- "The Glorious 4th" - April 4, 1960[9]
Alcoa Theatre was produced on film.[3] By Four Star Films Incorporated at RKO-Pathe Studio in Culver City, California. Robert Fellows was the producer.[10]
- ^ Hyatt, Wesley (2015-09-11). "The Alcoa-Goodyear Theatre". Emmy Award Winning Nighttime Television Shows, 1948-2004. McFarland. pp. 136–140. ISBN 978-1-4766-0874-7.
- ^ Englund, Klaudia (2009). Television Series and Specials Scripts, 1946-1992: A Catalog of the American Radio Archives Collection. McFarland. p. 11. ISBN 9780786454372.
- ^ a b c Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present (9 ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
- ^ a b Jarlett, Franklin (November 1, 1997). Robert Ryan: A Biography and Critical Filmography. McFarland. p. 274. ISBN 978-0-7864-0476-6. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
- ^ "Monday February 24". Ross Reports. February 24, 1957. p. A. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
- ^ Leiby, Bruce R.; Leiby, Linda F. (September 15, 2015). A Reference Guide to Television's Bonanza: Episodes, Personnel and Broadcast History. McFarland. p. 243. ISBN 978-1-4766-0075-8. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
- ^ "Monday January 11". Ross Reports. January 11, 1960. p. 2-B. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
- ^ "Monday March 7 (Cont'd)". Ross Reports. March 7, 1960. p. 10-B. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
- ^ "Monday April 4 (Cont'd)". Ross Reports. March 4, 1960. p. 14-B. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
- ^ "This Week (Cont'd)". Ross Reports. September 30, 1957. p. 74. Retrieved October 4, 2023.