Previously, Balladeer’s Blog examined the 1953-1954 episodes of this revered anthology series HERE. Today I review standout episodes of the 1954-1955 season.
1954-1955 SEASON
THE NOTEBOOK WARRIOR (Sep 14th, 1954) – Ben Gazzara stars as a talented violinist who is drafted into the army and has difficulty adapting to the rigid lifestyle. Richard Kiley also stars.
BASEBALL BLUES (Sep 28th) – A forty-year-old baseball pitcher tries to come to terms with his impending retirement. Starring Edward Andrews and Frank Lovejoy.
THE MAN WITH THE GUN (Oct 12th) – Anti-communist activists suffer in a concentration camp in Europe. Gary Merrill, Edward Binns, Leueen McGrath and Dana Wynter star.
THE FIFTH WHEEL (Oct 26th) – A comedy about a college professor alarmed by political corruption who runs for office himself. Orson Bean, Margaret Hamilton, Franchot Tone and Faye Emerson star.
KING’S PAWN (Nov 23rd) – A scientist goes on the run with Top Secret files. Starring John Forsythe, Neil Hamilton, Janet Blair and Anne Seymour.
ONE FOR THE ROAD (Dec 7th) – Lawyer Fred Perdue at long last meets the father he never knew, but the man’s gambling addiction complicates their potential relationship. Edward Andrews, Charles Coburn and actress Jeff Donnell star.
THE THIEF (Jan 4th, 1955) – JAMES DEAN himself stars as the son of a French aristocrat who steals from the family fortune while dealing with the step-sister who has fallen in love with him. Also with THE Mary Astor, Paul Lukas and Nehemiah Persoff.
SIX O’CLOCK CALL (Feb 1st) – Dark comedy about a widow who starts receiving 6:00 phone calls from her late husband. Gertrude Berg and Gloria Strock star.
FREIGHTER (Feb 15th) – A veteran sea captain begins to fall apart on his final voyage as he and his crew struggle to deal with a powerful storm and personal conflicts on the way to Hong Kong. Starring Martin Balsam, Jocelyn Brando and Paul Lukas.
NO TIME FOR SERGEANTS (Mar 15th) – Andy Griffith in his breakout role of country boy Will Stockdale, who obliviously outmaneuvers his sergeant through luck and “aw, shucks” charm. Also with Joe E. Brown and Bob Hastings. Ira Levin of Rosemary’s Baby fame co-wrote this work which went from this tv episode to an expanded Broadway stage play to a motion picture and finally to a television series. In a way, even Gomer Pyle, USMC imitated it.
THE RACK (Apr 12th) – Rod Serling wrote this drama about a soldier who faces court-martial for breaking under torture while a POW during the Korean War. Stars Wendell Corey, Keenan Wynn, Marshall Thompson and Peggy McCay.
THE ROADS TO HOME (Apr 26th) – After filing bankruptcy, a man becomes an oil worker to repay his debts and hopefully move his family back into the home they lost. Starring James Daley and Beatrice Straight.
BIG WINNER (May 24th) – Comedy about an Italian-American family whose lives get disrupted over the uncle’s obsession with getting on a game show and winning a fortune. Frank Puglia, Joe DeSantis and Dolores Sutton star.
*** I will examine the 1955-1956 Season in the near future.
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