Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been writing about a lot of different boxed sets that might be the perfect gift for someone on your list this holiday season. Over the past three weeks, I have been completely engrossed in the six DVD, approximately 982 minute, Studio One Anthology put out by Koch Vision in November of 2008. Studio One was first heard on CBS radio in April of 1947. Created by then 26- year-old Canadian director Fletcher Markle, the series featured such notable performers as John Garfield, Walter Huston, Robert Mitchum, and Burgess Meredith, adapting notable works including: Pride and Prejudice and The Red Badge of Courage.
In 1948, Markle decided to move his radio program to the fledgling medium of television, where it had a successful run on CBS until 1958. During that time, the series went through many titles: Studio One Summer Theatre, Studio One in Hollywood, Summer Theatre, Westinghouse Studio One and Westinghouse Summer Theatre. Whatever the name, the series was consistently a success, receiving 18 Emmy nominations and winning five during its decade long run.
Koch Vision has put together seventeen stellar episodes of Studio One, packaged with a 52-page booklet that gives a background and synopsis of each episode. While 12 Angry Men is definitely the crown jewel of this set, none of the other episodes should be overlooked. An adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 features Eddie Albert as Winston Smith, Lorne Greene as O’Brien, and Robert M. Culp as the male television voice, who better known as simply Robert Culp, would go on to star in I Spy.
An Almanac of Liberty, broadcast on November 8, 1954 was based on the book of the same name by then Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas. The teleplay concerns the fight for freedom and liberty. Written for television by frequent Studio One contributor Reginald Rose (he also was the original writer of 12 Angry Men), the episode features actor Ethel Everett (Remey) who went on to play Alma Miller on As the World Turns from 1963 until her death in 1973. The episode also features an appearance by Clarice Blackburn who went on to The Secret Storm and Guiding Light. Also a writer, Ms. Blackburn provided dialogue for All My Children in the 1980’s and ’90’s.
The Arena was written especially for Studio One by The Twilight Zone creator, Rod Serling. A drama about the machinations of the United States Senate and the people who make it work, the episode features standout performances from Wendell Corey (Rear Window), Chester Morris (The Great White Hope) and a young Frances Sternhagen, who currently has a recurring role on The Closer.
Confessions of a Nervous Man, is a comedy by George Axelrod, satirizing his recollection of the events preceding and the year after the debut of his internationally successfully play, The Seven Year Itch. Art Carney plays the author, Jacqueline Susann (later to gain fame as the author of The Valley of the Dolls, among other novels) has a small part as a female interviewer and George Axelrod pops up briefly, playing himself.
Dark Possession broadcast in February of 1954, was written especially for Studio One by famed novelist Gore Vidal. Believed to be the first television drama to focus on the issue of multiple personality disorder, the acting is first rate. Academy Award nominee Geraldine Fitzgerald (Wuthering Heights) plays the women who suffers from the disease. She is joined in the cast by Leslie Nielsen (The Naked Gun films), Barbara O’Neil (Gone with the Wind) and Milton Selzer who, according to the book Television Guest Stars: An Illustrated Chronicle for Performers of the Sixties and Seventies, Selzer is quite possibly the record-holder for most prolific TV actor as he guest starred on more TV series than any other actor.
Written by Reginald Rose, The Death and Life of Larry Benson is the tale of parents and a sibling awaiting the return of their loved one from Korea. After the boy returns home, the family realizes he is not Larry. However, after some interesting events, the family accepts the new “Larry” as their own. The cast features a young Lee Remick, showing the beauty and ability that would launch her film career just as few years later, with 1957’s A Face in the Crowd.
Dino, once again written by Reginald Rose, stars a young Sal Mineo as a young teen with a long history of delinquency. He has no respect for authority, and only visits his parole officer because he has to. Ultimately, Dino reveals his years of pent up anger and decides to get help for his troubles. This episode was turned into a film of the same name in 1957. Directed by Thomas Carr, Mineo appears in the title role.
The adaptation of Julius Caesar is perhaps the weakest of the set. This was the third time Studio One put forth a version of the famous Shakespeare play and it just doesn’t work. The acting seems over the top and choppy. It is worth noting that the play was adapted by Leo Penn, father of actor/director Sean Penn.
June Moon is based on the 1929 play by Ring Lardner Jr. and George S. Kaufman. The story of an aspiring songwriter during the Jazz age, this one is a star studded affair: Jack Lemmon, Eva Marie Saint, and Glenda Farrell who would go on to win an Emmy for her work on Ben Casey in 1963.
Summer Pavilion is another teleplay written especially for Studio One by Gore Vidal. Based in New Orleans, this episode features the legendary Miriam Hopkins (Becky Sharpe, Old Acquaintance) as the widowed Theresa Durand; A member of the old aristocracy, whose impoverished family is now forced to sell their furniture and other items to stay financially solvent. Hopkins is joined by Elizabeth Montgomery (Bewitched), Ruth White (To Kill a Mockingbird) and Joseph Sweeney who played juror #9 in the Studio One adaptation of 12 Angry Men and later reprised the role in the 1957 feature film.
The 1957 film, 12 Angry Men starring Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam, Ed Begley and others is undeniably as classic. However, the September 1954 version that aired on Studio One is television at its absolute best. Thought to be lost until 2003, that version is presented on DVD for the first time ever. The teleplay features Robert Cummings, Franchot Tone, Edward Arnold, Norman Feld (later Fell) and George Voskovec among others, as jurors deciding the fate of a young man charged with manslaughter.
The powerful setting of a sweltering New York City courtroom is palpable. As all but one juror are prepared to rendered a swift guilty verdict, the tension mounts as the one holdout refuses to budge from his position. The psychological interplay is fascinating, as the one holdout juror slowly begins to transform the mindset of one man in the room and the other men slowly follow suit.
Aside from the adaptations mentioned above, the Studio One Anthology also includes: The Medium, an opera in two acts, an adaptation of Pontius Pilate from a story by Michael Dyne, The Remarkable Incident at Carson Corners that was written especially for Studio One by Reginald Rose, The Storm directed by Yul Brynner (The King and I), The Strike written by Rod Serling and Wuthering Heights featuring Charlton Heston and Lloyd Bochner.
Not only has Koch Vision brought together seventeen episodes of a historic series in television, but they have included some wonderful bonus features. There is footage from the Archive of American Television that utilizes Interview excerpts about Studio One, excerpts from the Paley Center’s seminar on Studio One, an interview with frequent Studio One director Paul Nickel, a Studio One historical overview and rediscovery featurette, as well as the accompanying 52-page booklet.
The video quality is rough at times (expected for a series that ran in the late 40s to the mid 50s) but the sound is fairly good and it looks like for the most part, they did a fine job. The fact that we finally have access to a historical gem like this is wonderful.
The Studio One Anthology represents an important piece of television history. Media scholars and fans of the medium should make this collection a part of their personal DVD collections. Since there were 467 episodes of Studio One produced, we will hope that Koch Vision puts out additional volumes in the near future.
