FORGOTTEN TELEVISION: THE ROBERT HERRIDGE THEATER (1960-1961)

THE ROBERT HERRIDGE THEATER (1960-1961) – This half-hour anthology series ran 26 episodes and featured dramatizations of stories by prominent authors as well as experimental installments.

Robert Herridge – a poet, short story writer and television producer – introduced and sometimes narrated the episodes.

STANDOUT INSTALLMENTS:

THE MILES DAVIS STORY – An experimental biography of Miles Davis told via concert footage of Davis himself as well as Dave Brubeck, John Coltrane, Ahmad Jamal and Gil Evans.

THE EASTER STORY – Works of art depicting the story of Jesus Christ are shown accompanied by narration from the Gospels.

A SONG WITH ORANGE IN IT – Jack Lord stars as a composer whose girlfriend (Dolores Dorn) challenges him to write a song rhyming a word with orange. Later made into a major motion picture. (I’m kidding.) 

THE TELL TALE HEART – Edgar Allan Poe’s story. Michael Kane (not Caine) stars.

AN EARLY MORNING OF A BARTENDER’S WALTZ – Robert Duvall stars as a put-upon bartender dealing with violence and other issues.

JAZZ FROM SIXTY-ONE – Ahmad Jamal’s Trio plus Ben Webster and His Combo perform from NBC’s Studio Sixty-One.

A STORY OF A GUNFIGHTER – William Shatner stars in this drama about the minutes before a deadly gunfight. The shooting is never shown, just the tension leading up to it. Also with Dennis Kohler.

THE ANTIC WORLD OF IRVING HARMON – Silent comedy and dramatic sketches performed by Harmon, Sondra Lee and Joe Silver.

FRANKIE AND JOHNNY – Music by Charles Mingus accompanies this ballet version of the folk ballad about the tragedy of two lovers named Frankie and Johnny. Ballerina Melissa Hayden starred.

THE BALLAD OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN – Three consecutive episodes present a musical version of the Mark Twain novel about Huck Finn. Starring Kevin Couglin, Kurt Kasznar and Lincoln Kilpatrick.

HOPE IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS – Eli Wallach and Bert Wheeler star in this tale of Central Park hobos who try to catch a duck for a meal. 

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