The Sounds of Eden

"The Sounds of Eden"

Playhouse 90 episode

Episode no.

Season 4
Episode 2

Directed by

Buzz Kulik

Written by

George Bellak

Original air date

October 15, 1959

Episode chronology

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"Target for Three"

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"Misalliance"

"The Sounds of Eden" was an American television play broadcast live on October 15, 1959, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90. It was the second episode of the fourth season of Playhouse 90 and the 119th episode overall.

Plot

The kidnapping of a wealthy Texas oil man is depicted in a "semi-documentary" style from differing points of view.^[1] After the ransom is paid and the oil man is freed, he provides clues to assist investigators in locating the kidnappers. The play was loosely based on the kidnapping of Charles F. Urschel.^[2]

Production

John Houseman was the producer, and Buzz Kulik was the director.^[1] George Bellak wrote the teleplay.

The cast consisted of James Whitmore as Phillip Anderson (a Texas oil man), Kim Hunter as Mrs. Anderson, Henry Jones as Jess Brown, Everett Sloane as Lawson, Martin Landau as MacCormick, and Dick Foran as Brady.^[1]

Reception

In The New York Times, John P. Shanley called it "skillfully produced," "effectively acted", and "an absorbing account".^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Playhouse Drama Based on Crime". The Victoria Advocate. October 11, 1959 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Whitmore Goes All-Out In Playhouse 90 Kidnap". The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. October 16, 1959.
^ John P. Shanley (October 16, 1959). "TV: A Crime From Life". The New York Times. p. 61.

v t e Playhouse 90
People	John Frankenheimer Martin Manulis Franklin J. Schaffner Rod Serling
Season 1	"Forbidden Area" "Requiem for a Heavyweight" "Sizeman and Son" "Rendezvous in Black" "The Country Husband" "The Big Slide" "Heritage of Anger" "Eloise" "Confession" "Made in Heaven" "Sincerely, Willis Wade" "The Family Nobody Wanted" "Massacre at Sand Creek" "Snowshoes: A Comedy of People and Horses" "The Ninth Day" "So Soon to Die" "The Star Wagon" "The Greer Case" "The Miracle Worker" "The Comedian" "The Coat of White" "The Blackwell Story" "Invitation to a Gunfighter" "The Last Tycoon" "The Hostess with the Mostes'" "Charley's Aunt" "Clipper Ship" "If You Know Elizabeth" "Three Men on a Horse" "Four Women in Black" "Child of Trouble" "Homeward Borne" "Helen Morgan" "Winter Dreams" "Circle of the Day" "Without Incident" "Clash by Night" "Ain't No Time for Glory" "The Fabulous Irishman"
Season 2	"The Death of Manolete" "The Dark Side of the Earth" "Topaze" "A Sound of Different Drummers" "The Playroom" "Around the World in 90 Minutes" "The Mystery of Thirteen" "The Edge of Innocence" "The Clouded Image" "The Jet Propelled Couch" "The Troublemakers" "Panic Button" "Galvanized Yankee" "The Thundering Wave" "For I Have Loved Strangers" "The Lone Woman" "Reunion" "The Last Man" "The 80 Yard Run" "Before I Die" "The Gentleman From Seventh Avenue" "The Violent Heart" "No Time at All" "Point of No Return" "Portrait of a Murderer" "The Last Clear Chance" "The Male Animal" "The Right Hand Man" "Turn Left at Mount Everest" "The Dungeon" "Verdict of Three" "Rumors of Evening" "Not the Glory" "Nightmare at Ground Zero" "Bomber's Moon" "Natchez" "The Innocent Sleep" "A Town Has Turned to Dust" "The Great Gatsby" "A Bitter Heritage"
Season 3	"The Plot to Kill Stalin" "Days of Wine and Roses" "The Time of Your Life" "The Long March" "Shadows Tremble" "Word From a Sealed-Off Box" "Heart of Darkness" "Old Man" "The Return of Ansel Gibbs" "Free Weekend" "Seven Against the Wall" "The Nutcracker" "Face of a Hero" "The Wings of the Dove" "The Blue Men" "The Velvet Alley" "A Quiet Game of Cards" "Child of Our Time" "The Second Man" "The Raider" "The Dingaling Girl" "Made in Japan" "For Whom the Bell Tolls" "A Trip to Paradise" "In Lonely Expectation" "The Day Before Atlanta" "Judgment at Nuremberg" "A Corner of the Garden" "Dark December" "Diary of a Nurse" "A Marriage of Strangers" "Out of Dust" "The Rank and File" "The Killers of Mussolini" "Project Immortality" "Dark as the Night" "The Second Happiest Day"
Season 4	"Target for Three" "The Sounds of Eden" "Misalliance" "The Hidden Image" "The Grey Nurse Said Nothing" "The Tunnel" "The Silver Whistle" "A Dream of Treason" "To the Sound of Trumpets" "The Cruel Day" "Tomorrow" "The Hiding Place" "Alas, Babylon" "Journey to the Day" "The Shape of the River" "In the Presence of Mine Enemies"
Revivals	CBS Playhouse CBS Playhouse 90