Alcoa Theatre

Alcoa Theatre
DeForest Kelley on Alcoa Theatre 1960
GenreAnthology
Written byBob Barbash
Frederick Brady
Fred Freiberger
Leonard Freeman
Fred F. Finklehoffe
Christopher Knopf
Ruth McKenney
Stirling Silliphant
George F. Slavin
Directed byRobert Florey
Alvin Ganzer
Tay Garnett
Byron Haskin
Paul Henreid
Don McDougall
Robert Ellis Miller
Don Siegel
David Swift
Don Taylor
Don Weis
Paul Wendkos
StarringDavid Niven
Robert Ryan
Jane Powell
Jack Lemmon
Charles Boyer
Theme music composerGeorge Duning
Johnny Williams
ComposerGeorge Duning (2.4)
Harry Sukman (3.17)
John Williams (1.4, 2.1)
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes114
Production
ProducersVincent M. Fennelly
Fred F. Finklehoffe
Winston O'Keefe
William Sackheim
EditorCole Trapnell
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time24-25 minutes
Production companiesFour Star Television (1957-1958)
Screen Gems (1958-1960)[1]
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseSeptember 30, 1957 (1957-09-30) –
May 23, 1960 (1960-05-23)
Related
The Alcoa Hour
Alcoa Premiere

Alcoa Theatre is a half-hour American anthology series sponsored by the Alcoa Corporation and telecast on NBC at 9:30 pm on Monday nights from September 30, 1957 to May 23, 1960.[2] For its first four months on the air, the title Turn of Fate was used as an umbrella title for Alcoa Theatre and its alternate-week counterpart, Goodyear Theatre.[3]

In 1955, The Alcoa Hour premiered in a one-hour format aired on Sunday nights, but it was reduced to 30 minutes, retitled Alcoa Theatre, and moved to Monday evening in 1957. The show employed an alternating rotating company of actors: David Niven, Robert Ryan, Jane Powell, Jack Lemmon and Charles Boyer during its initial season. They did not return in 1958, "and the program became a true anthology once again".[3]

Overview

Brandon deWilde and Agnes Moorehead in "Man of His House" (1959)

The series continued to feature the talents of veteran and emerging actors over the ensuing years, including Cliff Robertson, John Cassavetes, Brandon deWilde, Cornel Wilde, Agnes Moorehead, Jack Carson, Walter Slezak and Gary Merrill. Child actor Flip Mark made his television debut as Robbie Adams in the 1959 episode "Another Day Another Dollar".

"333 Montgomery" (June 13, 1960) starred DeForest Kelley in the pilot episode of an unsold series written by Gene Roddenberry. It was based on the book Never Plead Guilty by San Francisco criminal lawyer Jake Ehrlich. Kelley acted in three separate pilots for Columbia, and the studio decided to try him in a lead and sent him to meet Roddenberry. Kelley and Roddenberry went to San Francisco to meet Ehrlich, who chose him for the lead.

Jack Lemmon, William Talman and Joan Blackman starred in "The Victim," a suspense episode involving a disappearing woman.

Awards and nominations

Year Result Award Category Recipient Episode
1959 Nominated Emmy Award Best Writing of a Single Program of a Dramatic Series - Less Than One Hour Christopher Knopf "The Loudmouth"
Nominated Emmy Award Best Single Performance by an Actor Mickey Rooney "Eddie"
Won Emmy Award Best Writing of a Single Program of a Dramatic Series - Less Than One Hour Alfred Brenner and Ken Hughes "Eddie"
Won Emmy Award Best Dramatic Series - Less Than One Hour
Won Emmy Award Best Direction of a Single Program of a Dramatic Series - Less Than One Hour Jack Smight "Eddie"

Episodes

Series overview

Season Episodes Season Premiere Season Finale
1 39 September 30, 1957 (1957-09-30) June 23, 1958 (1958-06-23)
2 37 September 22, 1958 (1958-09-22) June 15, 1959 (1959-06-15)
3 37 September 14, 1959 (1959-09-14) May 23, 1960 (1960-05-23)

Season 1 (1957-58)

No. in
series		No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
11"Silhouette of a Killer"September 30, 1957 (1957-09-30)
22"Circumstantial"October 7, 1957 (1957-10-07)
33"Lost and Found"October 14, 1957 (1957-10-14)
44"Encounter on a Second-Class Coach"October 21, 1957 (1957-10-21)
55"Danger by Night"October 28, 1957 (1957-10-28)
66"Guests for Dinner"November 4, 1957 (1957-11-04)
77"Voices in the Fog"November 11, 1957 (1957-11-11)
88"On Edge"November 18, 1957 (1957-11-18)
99"Hurricane"November 25, 1957 (1957-11-25)
1010"Souvenir"December 2, 1957 (1957-12-02)
1111"The Crowd Pleaser"December 9, 1957 (1957-12-09)
1212"Cupid Wore a Badge"December 16, 1957 (1957-12-16)
1313"The Tinhorn"December 23, 1957 (1957-12-23)
1414"The Face of Truth"December 30, 1957 (1957-12-30)[4]
1515"The Victim"January 6, 1958 (1958-01-06)
1616"In the Dark"January 13, 1958 (1958-01-13)
1717"The Fatal Charm"January 20, 1958 (1958-01-20)
1818"Hidden Witness"January 27, 1958 (1958-01-27)[4]
1919"Music in the Night"February 3, 1958 (1958-02-03)
2020"The Caller"February 10, 1958 (1958-02-10)
2121"The White Flag"February 17, 1958 (1958-02-17)
2222"The Days of November"February 24, 1958 (1958-02-24)[5]
2323"Most Likely to Succeed"March 3, 1958 (1958-03-03)
2424"Even a Thief Can Dream"March 10, 1958 (1958-03-10)
2525"The Seventh Letter"March 17, 1958 (1958-03-17)
2626"Taps For Jeffrey"March 31, 1958 (1958-03-31)
2727"Loudmouth"April 7, 1958 (1958-04-07)
2828"A Frame For Mourning"April 14, 1958 (1958-04-14)
2929"My Wife's Next Husband"April 21, 1958 (1958-04-21)
3030"The Giant Step"April 28, 1958 (1958-04-28)
3131"Most Likely to Succeed"May 5, 1958 (1958-05-05)
3232"The Lady Takes a Stand"May 12, 1958 (1958-05-12)
3333"The Perfectionist"May 19, 1958 (1958-05-19)
3434"Decision by Terror"May 26, 1958 (1958-05-26)
3535"The Clock Strikes 12"June 2, 1958 (1958-06-02)
3636"Disappearance"June 9, 1958 (1958-06-09)
3737"Johnny Risk"June 16, 1958 (1958-06-16)[6]
3838"Three Years Dark"June 23, 1958 (1958-06-23)
3939"Decoy Duck"June 30, 1958 (1958-06-30)

Season 2 (1958-59)

No. in
series		No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
401"The Chain and the River"September 22, 1958 (1958-09-22)
412"The Town Budget"September 28, 1958 (1958-09-28)
423"Strange Occurrences at Rokesay"October 7, 1958 (1958-10-07)
434"Lazarus Walks Again"October 13, 1958 (1958-10-13)
445"Coast to Coast"October 20, 1958 (1958-10-20)
456"Office Party"October 27, 1958 (1958-10-27)
467"The Spy"November 3, 1958 (1958-11-03)
478"Guy In Ward 4"November 10, 1958 (1958-11-10)
489"Eddie"November 17, 1958 (1958-11-17)
4910"The First Star"November 24, 1958 (1958-11-24)
5011"The Reward"December 1, 1958 (1958-12-01)
5112"Points Beyond"December 8, 1958 (1958-12-08)
5213"Curtain Call"December 15, 1958 (1958-12-15)
5314"The Dark File"December 22, 1958 (1958-12-22)
5415"Coogan's Award"December 29, 1958 (1958-12-29)
5516"High Class Type of Mongrel"January 5, 1959 (1959-01-05)
5617"The Afternoon Beast"January 12, 1959 (1959-01-12)
5718"A London Affair"January 19, 1959 (1959-01-19)
5819"30 Pieces of Silver"January 26, 1959 (1959-01-26)
5920"Goodbye Johnny"February 2, 1959 (1959-02-02)
6021"Success Story"February 9, 1959 (1959-02-09)
6122"Corporal Hardy"February 16, 1959 (1959-02-16)
6223"A Good Name"February 23, 1959 (1959-02-23)
6324"Man of His House"March 2, 1959 (1959-03-02)
6425"Of Missing Persons"March 9, 1959 (1959-03-09)
6526"A Sword For Marius"March 30, 1959 (1959-03-30)
6627"Ten Miles to Doomsday"April 6, 1959 (1959-04-06)
6728"The Obenauf Story"April 13, 1959 (1959-04-13)
6829"Girls About Town"April 20, 1959 (1959-04-20)
6930"A Light in the Fruit Closet"April 27, 1959 (1959-04-27)
7031"The Slightly Fallen Angel"May 4, 1959 (1959-05-04)
7132"I Remember Caviar"May 11, 1959 (1959-05-11)
7233"Boydon vs. Bunty (Dear Mom, Dear Dad)"May 18, 1959 (1959-05-18)
7334"Wait Til Spring"May 25, 1959 (1959-05-25)
7435"Medals For Harry"June 1, 1959 (1959-06-01)
7536"Christabel"June 8, 1959 (1959-06-08)
7637"The Best Way to Go"June 15, 1959 (1959-06-15)

Season 3 (1959-60)

No. in
series		No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
771"Another Day, Another Dollar"September 21, 1959 (1959-09-21)
782"Operation Spark"October 5, 1959 (1959-10-05)
793"Day The Devil Hid"November 2, 1959 (1959-11-02)
804"Small Bouquet"November 16, 1959 (1959-11-16)
815"Shadow of Evil"November 30, 1959 (1959-11-30)
826"The Long House on Avenue A"December 14, 1959 (1959-12-14)

Additional episodes in this season:

  • "Action Off Screen" - January 11, 1960[7]
  • "Chinese Finale" - March 7, 1960[8]
  • "The Glorious 4th" - April 4, 1960[9]

Production

Alcoa Theatre was produced on film.[3] By Four Star Films Incorporated at RKO-Pathe Studio in Culver City, California. Robert Fellows was the producer.[10]

References

  1. ^ Hyatt, Wesley (2015-09-11). "The Alcoa-Goodyear Theatre". Emmy Award Winning Nighttime Television Shows, 1948-2004. McFarland. pp. 136–140. ISBN 978-1-4766-0874-7.
  2. ^ Englund, Klaudia (2009). Television Series and Specials Scripts, 1946-1992: A Catalog of the American Radio Archives Collection. McFarland. p. 11. ISBN 9780786454372.
  3. ^ a b c Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present (9 ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
  4. ^ a b Jarlett, Franklin (November 1, 1997). Robert Ryan: A Biography and Critical Filmography. McFarland. p. 274. ISBN 978-0-7864-0476-6. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  5. ^ "Monday February 24". Ross Reports. February 24, 1957. p. A. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  6. ^ Leiby, Bruce R.; Leiby, Linda F. (September 15, 2015). A Reference Guide to Television's Bonanza: Episodes, Personnel and Broadcast History. McFarland. p. 243. ISBN 978-1-4766-0075-8. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  7. ^ "Monday January 11". Ross Reports. January 11, 1960. p. 2-B. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  8. ^ "Monday March 7 (Cont'd)". Ross Reports. March 7, 1960. p. 10-B. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  9. ^ "Monday April 4 (Cont'd)". Ross Reports. March 4, 1960. p. 14-B. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  10. ^ "This Week (Cont'd)". Ross Reports. September 30, 1957. p. 74. Retrieved October 4, 2023.