Screen Directors' Playhouse

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Full Hour Programs SCREEN DIRECTORS’ PLAYHOUSE CD 7: “My Favorite Wife” - 12/07/50 Cary Grant and Irene Dunne star in this screwball comedy about a Program Guide by Elizabeth McLeod man on the verge of marriage — who is stunned when his missing first wife suddenly reappears. Producer Leo McCarey introduces In these days of Netflix and video-on-demand, it’s hard to imagine a time when movies were this radio adaptation of the 1940 film. something you rarely had the chance to see once they left the theater. In the days before Hollywood came to terms with television, classic films were rarely reissued. For many years, radio played an CD 8: “The Lady Gambles” - 12/14/50 important role in filling that niche — with broadcast adaptations of top films helping to keep the big- This sobering, issue-oriented drama exploring the progressive screen memories alive. One of the most outstanding series of film adaptations to grace the postwar degradation of a woman’s life by addictive gambling stars Barbara era was NBC’s Screen Directors’ Playhouse. Stanwyck, William Conrad and John Dehner. Director Michael Gordon introduces this radio adaptation of the 1949 film. Film adaptations on radio had a long tradition. As early as the mid-1920’s, adaptations of silent films were heard over New York station WHN, as part of the long-running MGM Movie Club series, and CD 9: “A Foreign Affair” - 03/01/51 over KFWB in Hollywood, owned by Warner Brothers. With the coming of sound, film studios made Lucille Ball, Marlene Dietrich, and John Lund star in this radio the leap to network radio, offering such series as The Paramount-Publix Hour , The RKO Hour , and adaptation of the 1948 film. Director Billy Wilder introduces the Warner Brothers’ Vitaphone action: an American congressional investigator, a suave Army Hour , all offering scenes from officer, and a sultry German lounge singer in postwar Berlin find upcoming films featuring the themselves involved in a romantic triangle with political overtones. Bob Hope original stars. The first major network series to originate CD 10: “The Great Lover” - 03/22/51 from Hollywood, Louella Director George Marshall introduces this radio adaptation of the 1949 film. Bob Hope (above) and Parsons’ famous Hollywood Rhonda Fleming star with Jim Backus, Walter Tetley, and Fritz Feld in the mixed-up story of a Hotel , continued in this bumbling scoutmaster who becomes involved in a romance with a duchess — and runs afoul of a mass tradition, presenting twenty- murderer! minute condensations of top films through the mid-1930s.

It was in 1936, however, that radio film adaptations took on their definitive form. When Lux Radio Theatre moved west, exchanging its Broadway play PO Box 1315, Little Falls, NJ 07424 format for film adaptations www.RadioSpirits.com hosted by Cecil B. DeMille, big name stars in big-time Audio programs licensed from series rights holders. productions would be de rigueur Program Guide © 2010 Elizabeth McLeod and RSPT LLC. All Rights Reserved. for radio film adaptations from then on. 44812 screen_directors.qxd:8 Page Booklet 9/20/10 1:59 PM Page 2

The Lux program remained radio’s dominant film showcase through the war years, with its major CD 3B: “One Way Passage” - 12/30/49 challenger being the half-hour Screen Guild Theatre , produced by the Screen Actors’ Guild. Its Director Tay Garnet introduces William Powell, Peggy Dow, Steve Dunne, and John Dehner in this productions were breezier than the sometimes ponderous Lux presentations, but at the same time adaptation of the 1932 film. A condemned criminal and a woman dying of a rare disease find a doomed suffered from the necessity of condensing ninety-minute films into about twenty-five minutes of romance aboard an ocean liner. actual running time. Nonetheless, these two programs comfortably co-existed for many seasons, dividing the bulk of the Hollywood pie between them. CD 4A: “The Sea Wolf” - 02/03/50 Edward G. Robinson stars with Lurene Tuttle, Paul Frees, and Lou Merrill in this radio adaptation of Then came a man by the name of Donald W. Sharpe, who saw no reason why there couldn’t be a third the 1941 film adaptation of the novel by Jack London. Director Michael Curtiz introduces this rugged major showcase for movie adaptations. And, Donald W. Sharpe was the sort of man who was exactly tale of violence and terror on the high seas. positioned to make such a program happen. He had been kicking around radio since the mid-1930s, when he moved from bit acting roles on The Kate Smith Hour to writing short dramatic sketches for that program. He quickly became Smith’s head writer, earning him a healthy paycheck and offering CD 4B: “It’s in the Bag” - 02/17/50 the opportunity to make valuable connections in the business. A cynical flea-trainer inherits a fortune — hidden inside one of five missing antique chairs in this adaptation of the 1945 film. Fred Allen, Lurene Tuttle, Frank Nelson, and Hans Conried are introduced A short, jowly type, who looked and acted for all the world like Central Casting’s idea of a Hollywood by director Richard Wallace. agent, Don Sharpe had a fast and snappy line of patter that could sell just about anything — a script, or a concept, or most of all, himself. By the mid-1940’s, he had lived up to the promise of his own CD 5A: “Champion” - 03/17/50 physiognomy by actually becoming an agent — specializing in the packaging of popular stars Kirk Douglas stars with Rita Lynn and Frank Lovejoy in this adaptation of the 1949 film that was for radio appearances. Sharpe soon assembled an impressive stable of talent, including based on a story by Ring Lardner. Director Mark Robson introduces this classic tale of the boxing ring Cary Grant (below), Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Brian Donlevy, Lucille Ball, Charles Boyer, Dick Powell, and a young contender desperate to reach the top. Jeff Chandler, Ronald Colman, John Wayne, and Edward G. Robinson. His preferred approach involved building an entire series around a particular client, and presenting the complete package to CD 5B: “The Dark Mirror” - 03/31/50 a network or sponsor. This strategy would lead to a number of notable radio successes, including No director introduction is heard in this episode featuring an Dick Powell’s Richard Diamond , Private Detective , Brian adaptation of the 1946 film. However, Olivia De Havilland, Francis Donlevy’s Dangerous Assignment , Lucille Ball’s My Favorite X. Bushman and John Dehner are on hand to dramatize this classic Husband , and Cary Grant’s Mr. and Mrs. Blandings . of psychological terror revolving around a pair of twins — one of them a sociopathic murderer. Sharpe found the idea of promoting a new movie-adaptation series to be a natural, and he hit NBC with the concept at precisely the CD 6A: “When My Baby Smiles at Me” - 05/05/50 right time. Having just seen the cream of their schedule poached Betty Grable (right) stars with Herb Vigran and Barton Yarborough away to CBS, the network’s slate was pocked with holes demanding in this adaptation of the 1948 film. Director Fred Hegland to be filled — with the more star power, the better. Sharpe was introduces this jaunty romance set in the rough-and-tumble world of pitching exactly the package that NBC needed to buy. burlesque.

Every movieland show needed a gimmick, something to set it apart CD 6B: “Miss Grant Takes Richmond” - 05/19/50 from its rivals. For Lux , it was the august presence of Cecil B. This adaptation of the 1949 film is a comic tale of an innocent, DeMille as host. For Screen Guild , it was the charity angle, the idea bumbling secretary unwittingly involved in underworld dealings. that the big name talent contributed its fees towards the construction Director Lloyd Bacon introduces Lucille Ball, Frank Nelson and of a retirement home for indigent movie-industry elders. So, for his Steve Dunne. Cary Grant proposed Screen Directors’ Playhouse, Sharpe put the gimmick right Betty Grable 2 7 screen_directors.qxd:8 Page Booklet 9/20/10 1:59 PM Page 3

The National Broadcasting Company presents up front in the title: each program would be introduced by the director of the original film, who would SCREEN DIRECTORS PLAYHOUSE share his thoughts on the production and engage in filmland chatter with the stars. All that, compressed into half an hour, would give NBC a high-powered feature to plug into its sagging schedule. Given Directed by Blll Cairn the urgency of the moment, the network decided to premiere the series on its own nickel — confident Production Supervisor — Howard Wiley that the prestige of the stars and the quality of production would attract a lucrative sponsor. Executive Producer - Donald W. Sharpe Premiering under the title Screen Directors’ Assignment , the program opened as a sustaining feature Music composed and conducted by Henry Russell, with Jimmy Wallington announcing. on January 9, 1949 — exactly one week after Jack Benny made the jump to CBS — and was thrust into direct competition with another recent defector to the rival chain, The Amos ‘n’ Andy Show . The new series began with big guns drawn — literally — with John Wayne starring in a condensation of Half-Hour Programs his film success Stagecoach , introduced by director John Ford. This auspicious debut was followed over the next several weeks by programs featuring Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Robert Montgomery, CD 1A: “Trade Winds” - 05/29/49 Rosalind Russell, Irene Dunne (below), Ronald Colman and Edward G. Robinson. Producer Sharpe Frederic March stars with Lurene Tuttle and GeGe Pearson in this adaptation of the 1938 film. was obviously using the program as a showcase for his personal stable of stars. The strategy struck a Introduced by director Tay Garnett, this comic romance revolves around a detective sent on a round- note with the network, which temporarily expanded the program to a full hour in March of 1949, the-world wild goose chase in pursuit of a murder suspect. while at the same time moving it to a more advantageous time slot, well away from Amos ‘n’ Andy.

CD 1B: “Jezebel” - 08/12/49 The series continued to improve, building a steady audience through thoughtful, well-mounted Bette Davis stars with Gerald Mohr and Paul Frees in this adaptation of the 1938 film. Director adaptations of films. From his own years at the typewriter, Sharpe understood the importance of William Wyler introduces this story about a cruel, egotistical beauty who cuts a broad swath through careful scripting, and he closely supervised each week’s production to ensure consistent quality. This the antebellum South. attention to detail attracted the attention of the Pabst Brewing Company, which signed on as sponsor for a thirteen-week half-hour run during the summer of 1949, moving the program to Friday nights CD 2A: “The Uninvited” - 11/18/49 as a seasonal replacement for The Eddie Cantor Show . Ray Milland, June Foray and John Dehner take to the airwaves in this supernatural romance set in a lonely, abandoned house on the During that summer run, Sharpe continued to shuffle and English coast. Director Lewis Allen introduces this adaptation of manipulate his roster of talent to maintain listener interest. With his 1944 film. most of the big star programs off the air for the summer months, the newly-retitled Screen Directors Playhouse had the field much to CD 2B: “Spiral Staircase” - 11/25/49 itself, capturing attention with such Sharpe contractees as Dick Dorothy McGuire, John Dehner and Steve Dunne are featured in Powell, Charles Boyer, Gregory Peck, and Ray Milland. Although this suspense thriller revolving around a family that is as corrupt as Pabst didn’t pick up the series for a fall run once the Cantor show their rambling old mansion is dark. Director Robert Siodmak resumed, NBC remained confident enough in the vehicle to keep it introduces this adaptation of his 1945 film. on the schedule as a sustainer through the end of the year.

CD 3A: “Call Northside 777” - 12/09/49 1950 brought a new approach, with RCA Victor sponsoring the Jimmy Stewart stars with William Conrad and Stacy Harris in this series. In reality, this was only one step up from sustaining status, adaptation of the 1948 film. Introduced by director Henry as NBC and RCA Victor were sister companies controlled by the Hathaway, this taut newspaper drama focuses on a hard-boiled behemoth Radio Corporation of America. Costs of the program reporter determined to free an innocent man convicted of murder. merely shifted from one RCA subsidiary to another, while giving the Poster for Bette Davis’ 1938 film Jezebel. corporation a useful platform from which to sell its consumer Irene Dunne 6 3 screen_directors.qxd:8 Page Booklet 9/20/10 1:59 PM Page 4

merchandise. Again, Sharpe’s The multiple-sponsorship arrangement ran through the end of contract list furnished the bulk of August 1951, after which the Playhouse returned to sustaining the talent, with Fairbanks, status for a month as the network frantically shopped it around. But, Milland, Robinson and Russell the budget was simply too high, and with major sponsors having all making return engagements, already made their commitments for the new season, there were no joined now by fellow Sharpe takers. The September 28th broadcast would be the last, but even at clients Cary Grant, Joseph the very end of the run, Don Sharpe rose to the occasion. He lured Cotton, and Lucille Ball. A the 1930’s screen legend Norma Shearer out of retirement for a final particularly notable program radio appearance. The Playhouse went out as it had come in — as during this run brought recently- the radio movie program willing to do anything possible to make an retired comedy legend Fred impression on its audience. Allen back to the microphone in a condensation of his surreal The end of Screen Directors’ Playhouse , however, was far from the 1945 film It’s In The Bag . It was end for Don Sharpe. Even as his various radio series began folding programs like this one (featured up and closing down in the early fifties, he was ever more deeply on CD 4 of this collection) that immersed in television — achieving his greatest success with a helped earn the Playhouse a package built around two of his favorite clients, comedienne Lucille reputation as a series not afraid Ball (right) and her bandleader husband Desi Arnaz. Pitching a to look outside the mainstream situation comedy built around their home life to CBS and Phillip Poster for Fred Allen’s 1945 film It’s in the Bag. for its movie-adaptation fare. Morris & Co., Sharpe hit the jackpot when I Love Lucy became a Lucille Ball The program continued in a half-hour format until the end of June 1950, and took the summer off. runaway success. He followed this triumph with yet another, When it returned to the air in November, it fell in line with NBC’s strategy of offering bigger and better partnering with clients Dick Powell, Charles Boyer, and David Niven to form a new production programming to compete against CBS. The Playhouse returned to full-hour productions, and for the company, “Four Star Television,” specializing in filmed series for the new medium. Coming at just first time since the Pabst run, there was outside sponsorship. RCA kept a partial interest in the program the point where Hollywood was awakening to the possibilities offered by television production, for itself, and sold other portions to American Home Products, Inc. on behalf of Anacin, to the Ford Sharpe’s new enterprise was positioned at precisely the ground floor — and within two years he had Motor Company, and to Liggett and Myers Tobacco on behalf of Chesterfield cigarettes. This become one of the most powerful men in television, “the man,” boasted trade magazine ads, “who multiple-sponsor plan allowed expensive big-time radio to continue without placing a particularly entertains fifty million people each week.” weighty burden on any one sponsor — a significant consideration at a time when many advertising agencies were only just beginning to dip their toes in the unknown depths of television and were Awash in his new success, and with not a little swagger in his step, Sharpe continued to produce new looking for strategies to help reduce costs in other media. projects — including a television version of Screen Directors’ Playhouse . Instead of movie adaptations, the series specialized in original anthology drama, produced on film, and featuring casts Screen Directors’ Playhouse ran in this format for nearly a year, reaching the peak of its quality and drawn once again from Sharpe’s regular client list. As he had for the radio version, John Wayne starred its prestige. Sharpe’s contract list continued to provide top-level stars, and his writing and production in the premiere episode — his television debut — and subsequent episodes maintained the original team, headed by veteran radio scribes Milton Geiger, Warren Lewis, and Richard Simmons, director radio program’s reputation for high quality production values, quality scripts, and outstanding casts. Bill Cairn, and production supervisor Howard Wiley, consistently produced well-crafted, powerful scripts. The series also achieved publicity coups by netting two microphone rarities over two Don Sharpe remained a vital, busy figure in television up to his death in 1975. He lived just long consecutive weeks in April 1951 – first, a rare radio appearance by the notoriously mike-shy Joan enough to see his favoriteradio series revived in syndication, with reruns of Screen Directors’ Crawford, followed a week later by the first acting role for the nation’s First Daughter, Margaret Playhouse popping up from the mid-1970’s onward on various radio nostalgia programs, and proving Truman. Once again, Sharpe proved himself adept at pursuing the unusual to keep attention focused to a whole new audience that attention to detail, a commitment to quality and, most of all, an agent on his program. with a strong client list could combine for outstanding radio entertainment. 4 5 screen_directors.qxd:8 Page Booklet 9/20/10 1:59 PM Page 4