Quiz show producer Jim Morgan reads letters from radio listeners to host Jack Bailey, telling their stories of the impact appearing as contestants on Queen for a Day had on their lives. The stories are The Gossamer World, The High Diver and Horsie.
In The Gossamer World Marjorie Watkins writes to the show thanking them for sending a toy engine to their six-year-old son Pete. Pete has a rampant imagination and is always telling stories. Marjorie tells her husband Dan she is worried Pete has no friends his own age. Pete meets Charles but hits him with a rock. Pete introduces his imaginary friend "Shun", short for "distinction", to his parents and blames Shun for his own accidents. Marjorie worries Pete will not take responsibility and Dan and he have a chat about this. Pete attends his first day at school and makes a friend, Jim, and says Shun was a silly game. Pete then contracts polio. Marjorie tells the show that the train means everything to him because it will be the only way he can get around until he walks again someday.
In The High Diver the son of immigrant parents attempts to raise money for college by doing a dangerous high dive.
Horsie tells of an elderly woman, childless and never married, who takes up nursing other peoples children in order to feel she still has a place in the world.
Queen for a Day was a popular radio quiz show in the 1940s and 1950s with an audience of five million.[4] Film rights to the show had been optioned by Seymour Nebenzal and Jesse L. Lasky but neither had exercised the option. In September 1949 Robert Stillman, a former associate of Stanley Kramer, bought the screen rights from the Raymond B Morgan advertising company.[5] Stillman had been looking to make an American anthology film along the lines of Trio (1950) and felt by using the quiz show as a framing device, "We found a commercial hook for a picture we didn't have to compromise with."[6]
Stillman was going to make the film as his first under a deal with United Artists but then decided to make The Condemned (which became The Sound of Fury) instead.[7]Queen for a Day would be the second in a proposed slate of six films.[8]
In November 1949 Seton I Miller signed to be an associate producer and to write the script.[9]
The original plan was to film four stories. In January 1950 Stillman bought the screen rights to the story "The High Diver" by John Ainsworth, which he intended use as one of the stories in the movie.[10] The same month he bought the rights to Faith Baldwin's 1948 magazine story "This Gossamer World".[11] The third story, "Horsie" was written by Dorothy Parker, was purchased in June.[12] In the end, these were the only stories used, with Miller adapting them into a script.
Lubin signed to make the film in February 1950.[13] Unlike many anthology series, one person, Lubin, directed every episode.[14]
Casting
Most of the 36 cast were relative unknowns to film, although some had theatre experience. Darren McGavin, then best known for appearing on stage in Death of a Salesman was cast in September.[15] Stillman reportedly wanted Mickey Rooney's son Mickey Rooney Jr to play a role in "This Gossamer World" but Mickey refused.[16]
A slightly different version of the film was made for release in France, where the quiz show was formatted differently.[19]
Reception
The film had its world premiere in Waycross Georgia because it sent in the most requests to have a premiere, per ratio.[20]
The Los Angeles Times praised the "exceptionally capable" younger actors.[21]
Diabolique magazine said the third segment "was based on a story by Dorothy Parker, whose satirical point about beauty is muted in this adaptation – perhaps Lubin was too "nice" a director to do it justice. The other stories are warmly done... but put together they don't t quite work as a movie – maybe it would’ve been better had Lubin been restricted to a 65-minute running time like in the old days."[22]
The film was released in some markets as Horsie.[23]
Stillman was meant to follow it with an adaptation of Island in the Sky written by Miller.[24]
^THOMAS F. BRADY (Sep 24, 1949). "STANWYCK SIGNED FOR GABLE MOVIE: She Will Act in Metro's Film, 'To Please a Lady' -- Brown to Produce and Direct". New York Times. p. 9.
^HELEN GOULD (Apr 22, 1951). "THE 'SILENT PARTNER' MAKES NOISE ON HIS OWN: Art That Pays Commercial Hook". New York Times. p. 96.
^Schallert, Edwin (Oct 12, 1949). "Feldman Settles Deal for Filming 'Streetcar;' Stillman Plans Drama". Los Angeles Times. p. B9.
^"Trilogy in Production". The Christian Science Monitor. Sep 21, 1950. p. 4.
^"MOVIE ACTORS VOTE ON UNION FOR VIDEO". New York Times. Nov 15, 1949. p. 31.
^THOMAS F. BRADY (Jan 25, 1950). "METRO PLANNING NEW WAR PICTURE: TO ACT IN BENEFIT". THE NEW YORK TIMES. p. 20.
^THOMAS F. BRADY (Jan 27, 1950). "ROBERT YOUNG SAYS 'NO' TO ROLE IN FILM: Actor Withdraws From Lead in 'The Story of a Divorce,' Skirball-Manning Project". THE NEW YORK TIMES. p. 28.
^"Drama: Wilde and Pat Knight Get Separate Deals". Los Angeles Times. June 17, 1950. p. 8.
^Schallert, Edwin (Feb 1, 1950). "Drama: 'All-Star Game' On Way; Lupino Has New Find; Parker Contract ended". Los Angeles Times. p. A7.
^Schallert, Edwin (July 29, 1951). "Lubin Kicks About Mules; 'Show Boat' Name Under Fire". Los Angeles Times. p. D7.
^Schallert, Edwin (Sep 19, 1950). "'Death of Salesman' Find Wins Break; Litvak Cast Bolstered by Germans". Los Angeles Times. p. A7.
^Schallert, Edwin (Sep 15, 1950). "Pal Takes 'When Worlds Collide' to Paramount; Heflin Film on Chart". Los Angeles Times. p. 30.
^"News of the Screen". The Christian Science Monitor. Aug 29, 1950. p. 4.
^ELIZABETH PALLETTE (Nov 19, 1950). "GOING OFF THE HIGH BOARD WITH SOL SOLOMON: Covering Up". New York Times. p. X5.
^Schallert, Edwin (June 27, 1950). "Drama: Featured Actor in 'Men' Wins Star Role Abroad; Mexico Troupe Returns". Los Angeles Times. p. A7.
^"MOVIELAND BRIEFS". Los Angeles Times. Mar 19, 1951. p. B9.
^Schallert, Edwin (Sep 15, 1951). "'Highway' Engrossing; 'Queen for a Day' Shows". Los Angeles Times. p. A7.
^A.H. WEILER. (June 10, 1951). "BY WAY OF REPORT: Embassy Newsreel to Adopt Large Screen Television--Other Assorted Matters". New York Times. p. X3.
^THOMAS F. BRADY (Jan 26, 1950). "STILLMAN TO MAKE NEW AVIATION FILM: Acquires Rights to 'Island in the Sky,' Gann Novel About Air Transport Command". THE NEW YORK TIMES. p. 23.
