Buick-Electra Playhouse
Four Hemingway adaptations aired on CBS in 1959-1960.
Buick-Electra Playhouse was a 90-minute dramatic anthology series produced by and aired on CBS from November 19, 1959, until May 19, 1960, sponsored by Buick. Its four episodes were all based on Ernest Hemingway's works. The executive producer was A.E. Hotchner, and the producer was Gordon Duff. Directors included John Frankenheimer, Tom Donovan, James Clarke, and Albert Marre. Each episode's title sequence featured a bust of Hemingway commissioned by CBS, sculpted by Robert Berks. Notable guest stars included Richard Burton, Maximilian Schell, Eleanor Parker, Robert Ryan, Dean Stockwell and Diane Baker.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Anthology
- Writer
- Ernest Hemingway
- Director
- John Frankenheimer
- Tom Donovan
- James Clarke
- Albert Marre
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Seasons
- 1
- Episodes
- 4
- Executive producers
- A. E. Hotchner
Facts from the source article.
Background
The premiere episode, "The Killers," aired November 19, 1959, starring Dean Stockwell, Dane Clark, Robert Middleton, Ray Walston, Diane Baker and Ingemar Johansson, with supporting cast Fred Scollay and Deborah Moldow. A New York Times review complimented the actors but said, "The adaptation was not successful," noting the difficulty of developing "a brief but moving narrative" to fill 90 minutes. The review pointed out that "most of the incidents that were added to the basic plot were generally ineffective," while "the most absorbing moments ... were those that were pure Hemingway." Other episodes included "The Fifth Column" on January 29, 1960, with Richard Burton, Maximilian Schell, Sally Ann Howes, and Sydney Pollack; "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" on March 25, 1960, with Robert Ryan, Ann Todd, and Janice Rule; and "The Gambler, The Nun, and the Radio" on May 19, 1960.
Did You Know?
- Sculptor Robert Berks spent two weeks reading Hemingway's works and studying films and photos before creating the bust used in the title sequences.
- A potter in New England used clays imported from around the world to make the clay for the Hemingway bust.
More in 1960s American Anthology Television Series
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