Slattery's People

Slattery's People
Crenna with guest star Ed Wynn, 1964.
GenreDrama
Created byJames E. Moser
StarringRichard Crenna
Ed Asner
Tol Avery
Theme music composerNathan Scott
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes36
Production
Executive producerJames E. Moser
ProducerMatthew Rapf
Production companiesBing Crosby Productions,
in association with Pendick Enterprises and the CBS Television Network (filmed at the studios of Desilu)
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseSeptember 21, 1964 (1964-09-21) –
November 26, 1965 (1965-11-26)

Slattery's People is a 1964–65 American television series about local politics starring Richard Crenna as title character James Slattery, a state legislator, co-starring Ed Asner and Tol Avery, and featuring Carroll O'Connor and Warren Oates in a couple of episodes each. James E. Moser was executive producer. The program, telecast on CBS, was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

Slattery's People is mainly notable for having been one of the few American television series spotlighting the travails of local politicians, a topic that other programs of the period mainly avoided. Episodes opened with the following admonition: "Democracy is a very bad form of government. But I ask you never to forget: All the others are so much worse."[1]

Many television critics highly praised the series. Many politicians also approved of the program. U.S. Representative James C. Corman said in a Congressional Record statement on September 30, 1964, “I am pleased that they have taken the high road to show a legislator’s life, and have not pandered to sensationalism or unreality to stimulate an audience following.” This series was a major career change for Crenna. Following more than a decade as a lead actor in two popular network comedies, Our Miss Brooks and The Real McCoys, his role as Jim Slattery opened doors for later guest appearances in several dramatic programs and feature films.

Moser's script for the pilot ("Question: What is truth?") was printed as an appendix in Teleplay; an introduction to television writing by Coles Trapnell.

Television composer Nathan Scott wrote the theme music for Slattery's People.[2]

Guest stars

  • Philip Abbott in "Question: What is Honor? What is Death?"
  • Joan Blackman as Pat Allison in "Question: Remember the Dark Sins of Youth?"
  • Russ Conway in "Question: Bill Bailey, Why Did You Come Home?"
  • Don Keefer as George Farnum in "Question: What Did You Do All Day, Mr. Slattery?"
  • Joyce Meadows as Gert in the episode "Question: Is Laura the Name of the Game?"
  • John M. Pickard as Vance Durant in "Question: How Long Is the Shadow of a Man?"
  • Judson Pratt as Harry Daniels in "Question: How Impregnable Is a Magic Tower?"
  • Robert F. Simon in "Question: What Did You Do All Day, Mr. Slattery?"
  • Joan Tompkins as Dorothy Ralston in "Question: What Time Is the Next Bandwagon?"
  • Arthur Hill as Dr. George Allison and Michael Constantine as Paul Hungerford in "Question: Remember the Dark Sins of Youth?"
  • Ed Wynn as Ezra Tallicott on "What Ever Happened to Ezra?"
  • Tommy Sands in "Question: Why the Lonely, Why the Misbegotten?"
  • Ricardo Montalbán (credited as Ricardo Montalban) as Rodriguez in "Question: What Became of the White Tortilla?"
  • Claude Akins as Dr. Roy Kirk and Barbara Eden as Lucrezia Kirk in "Question: When Do We Hang the Good Samaritan?"
  • Forrest Tucker as Bill Bailey in "Question: Bill Bailey, Why Did You Come Home?"

Episode list

Season 1 (1964–65)

All episodes in black-and-white

No.
overall 		No. in
season 		Title Directed by Written by Original air date
11"Question: What is the Truth?"Lamont JohnsonJames E. MoserSeptember 21, 1964 (1964-09-21)
22"Question: Why the Lonely, Why the Misbegotten?"UnknownBarry TriversSeptember 28, 1964 (1964-09-28)
33"Question: Remember the Dark Sins of Youth?"Robert GistDean RiesnerOctober 5, 1964 (1964-10-05)
44"Question: Whatever Happened to Ezra?"UnknownUnknownOctober 12, 1964 (1964-10-12)
55"Question: What Are You Doing Out There, Waldo?"UnknownUnknownOctober 19, 1964 (1964-10-19)
66"Question: What Became of the White Tortilla?"Sydney PollackJack Guss & William P. McGivernOctober 26, 1964 (1964-10-26)
77"Question: Where Vanished the Tragic Piper? (aka Children of Calamity)"Lamont JohnsonAnthony LawrenceNovember 2, 1964 (1964-11-02)
88"Question: Is Laura the Name of the Game?"UnknownNorman KatkovNovember 9, 1964 (1964-11-09)
99"Question: What is a Genius Worth This Week?"UnknownJack GussNovember 16, 1964 (1964-11-16)
1010"Question: What is Honor, What is Death?"UnknownWilliam P. McGivernNovember 23, 1964 (1964-11-23)
1111"Question: Do the Ignorant Sleep in Pure White Beds?"UnknownUnknownNovember 30, 1964 (1964-11-30)
1212"Question: Which One Has the Privilege?"UnknownNorman KatkovDecember 7, 1964 (1964-12-07)
1313"Question: How Long is the Shadow of a Man?"UnknownBob & Wanda DuncanJanuary 1, 1965 (1965-01-01)
1414"Question: What is a Requiem for a Loser?"UnknownJack GussJanuary 8, 1965 (1965-01-08)
1515"Question: What Did You Do All Day, Mr. Slattery?"UnknownWilliam P. McGivernJanuary 15, 1965 (1965-01-15)
1616"Question: How Do You Fall in Love with a Town?"UnknownUnknownJanuary 22, 1965 (1965-01-22)
1717"Question: Does Nero Still at Ringside Sit?"UnknownDean RiesnerFebruary 5, 1965 (1965-02-05)
1818"Question: How Do You Catch a Cool Bird of Paradise?"Mark RydellMichael ZagorFebruary 12, 1965 (1965-02-12)
1919"Question: When Do We Hang the Good Samaritan?"UnknownBob & Wanda DuncanFebruary 19, 1965 (1965-02-19)
2020"Question: Is Democracy Too Expensive?"Robert GistS. Lee PogostinFebruary 26, 1965 (1965-02-26)
2121"Question: Did He Who Made the Lamb Make Thee?"Richard C. SarafianWilliam P. McGivernMarch 5, 1965 (1965-03-05)
2222"Question: Who You Takin' to the Main Event, Eddie?"UnknownUnknownMarch 12, 1965 (1965-03-12)
2323"Question: What's New in Timbuctoo?"UnknownUnknownMarch 19, 1965 (1965-03-19)
2424"Question: Bill Bailey, Why Did You Come Home?"UnknownStanford WhitmoreApril 2, 1965 (1965-04-02)
2525"Question: What Time is the Next Bandwagon?"UnknownPreston WoodApril 9, 1965 (1965-04-09)
2626"Question: What's a Swan Song for a Sparrow?"Robert GistJack GussApril 16, 1965 (1965-04-16)

Season 2 (1965)

All episodes in black-and-white

No.
overall 		No. in
season 		Title Directed by Written by Original air date
271"A Sitting Duck Named Slattery"UnknownPreston WoodSeptember 17, 1965 (1965-09-17)
282"He Who Has Ears, Let Him Bug Someone Else"UnknownDavid RintelsSeptember 24, 1965 (1965-09-24)
293"How Impregnable is a Magic Tower?"UnknownSheldon StarkOctober 1, 1965 (1965-10-01)
304"The Unborn"UnknownPat FielderOctober 8, 1965 (1965-10-08)
315"Rally Round Your Own Flag, Mister"UnknownDavid KarpOctober 15, 1965 (1965-10-15)
326"What Can You Do with a Wounded Tiger?"UnknownBob & Wanda DuncanOctober 22, 1965 (1965-10-22)
337"The Hero"UnknownPreston WoodNovember 5, 1965 (1965-11-05)
348"Of Damon, Pythias and Sleeping Dogs"UnknownUnknownNovember 12, 1965 (1965-11-12)
359"The Last Commuter"Marc DanielsDavid KarpNovember 19, 1965 (1965-11-19)
3610"Color Him Red"UnknownPat FielderNovember 26, 1965 (1965-11-26)

See also

Quentin Durgens, M.P., a similar Canadian TV series that aired around the same time.

References

  1. ^ "- YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  2. ^ Burlingame, Jon (2010-03-03). "Nathan Scott, 94, scored TV shows - Composer's credits included 'Dragnet,' 'Lassie'". Variety. Retrieved 2010-03-10.
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