Cameo Theatre | |
---|---|
Genre | Drama |
Written by |
Arthur Miller Rod Coneybeare Raphael Hayes Shirley Jackson |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 4 |
No. of episodes | 38 |
Production | |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Original release | |
Network | NBC |
Release | 16 May 1950 7 August 1955 | –
Cameo Theatre is an American anthology series that aired on NBC during the Golden Age of Television, from 1950 to 1955, three times as a summer replacement and once as a mid-season replacement for other series. [1]
The live series, produced by Albert McCleery, [2] introduced to television the concept of theater-in-the-round, which had been well established and popularized since 1947 by Margo Jones with her Theatre '47 in Dallas, Texas. McCleery's method of staging employed minimal sets and props well lit within a black background, enabling cameras to move about with much freedom in the darkness, picking up shots from any angle. McCleery's skill with this type of staging led directly to his producer role with NBC's Matinee Theatre. The technique put the focus directly on the characters and dialogue rather than scenery.[ citation needed] The way that McCleery used cameras became known as the "cameo shot" and was imitated widely. [3]
Jim Buckley of the Pewter Plough Playhouse (Cambria, California) recalled:
Cameo Theatre featured adaptations from the short stories of Roald Dahl, Shirley Jackson, Irwin Shaw, and others. The Paley Center for Media detailed the scripting contribution of Ellen M. Violett:
Cameo Theatre was notable for developing young writers. Scripter Raphael Hayes recalled entering broadcasting after he left the Army:
NBC carried the series as a replacement show four times: It was telecast from June 14 to September 27, 1950, [1] as a summer replacement for the second half-hour of Four Star Revue.[ citation needed] From June 18, 1951, to August 6, 1951, [1] it replaced What's My name?. [9] It replaced Leave It to the Girls from January 6 to April 13, 1952. [1] The series concluded in 1955 as a summer replacement (July 3 to August 21) [1] for The Loretta Young Show. [2]
Time slots for the broadcasts were as follows:
Each episode ended with McCleery's trademark closing tag, a hand holding chalk and writing "Albert McCleery" on a blackboard. The hand, however, was not McCleery's; although realistic in appearance, it was actually a mannequin hand holding the chalk.[ citation needed]
The premiere episode was "It Takes a Thief". Other presentations were adaptations of Dark of the Moon [2] and (in three parts in March 1952) Peer Gynt. [10] Additional episodes included those shown in the table below.
Date | Title | Actor(s) |
---|---|---|
May 30, 1950 | "The Long Walk" | Richard Carlyle, Patricia Breslin [11] |
June 21, 1950 | "Weep for the Heart" [10]: 281 | -- |
June 28, 1950 | "A Daughter to Think About" [10]: 281 | -- |
September 20, 1950 | "The Paper Sack" | Dennis Harrison, Pat Malone, John Marley, Pat O'Malley, James Little, John Gerstad, Tom Heaphy, Robert Bolger, Harry Kingston, John Harvey [10]: 281 |
June 25, 1951 | "Blackout" | Jeffrey Lynn, Barbara Britton, Harry Hugenot, Robert Bolger, James Little, Paul Lilly, Bob Warren, Ann Anderson [10]: 307 |
July 23, 1951 | "Of Unsound Mind" | Claire Luce, Philip Reed, Donald Briggs [12] |
July 30, 1951 | "The Third Time" | Ilona Massey, Dan Morgan, Larry Kerr, Sanford Gold, Phil Sterling, Roger De Koven, Lyn Merrill, James Van Dyk, Rita Shaw, Bob Bolger [13] |
August 27, 1951 | "Heart's Choice" | Tod Andrews, Miriam Goldina, Beverly Whitney, Constance Ford, Vinton Hayworth, Joe Roman, Jack Henderson [10]: 313 |
August 14, 1955 | "The Man From The South" | Charles Addams, Joseph Schildkraut [14] |
Episodes emphasized content of the stories presented rather than visual elements. "No props, scenery, or fancy costumes were used in the productions." [1] David Crandall directed. [12] The program originated from WNBT-TV. In 1951, Noxema was the sponsor, and Harry W. Junkin was the writer. [9]
Cameo Theatre | |
---|---|
Genre | Drama |
Written by |
Arthur Miller Rod Coneybeare Raphael Hayes Shirley Jackson |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 4 |
No. of episodes | 38 |
Production | |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Original release | |
Network | NBC |
Release | 16 May 1950 7 August 1955 | –
Cameo Theatre is an American anthology series that aired on NBC during the Golden Age of Television, from 1950 to 1955, three times as a summer replacement and once as a mid-season replacement for other series. [1]
The live series, produced by Albert McCleery, [2] introduced to television the concept of theater-in-the-round, which had been well established and popularized since 1947 by Margo Jones with her Theatre '47 in Dallas, Texas. McCleery's method of staging employed minimal sets and props well lit within a black background, enabling cameras to move about with much freedom in the darkness, picking up shots from any angle. McCleery's skill with this type of staging led directly to his producer role with NBC's Matinee Theatre. The technique put the focus directly on the characters and dialogue rather than scenery.[ citation needed] The way that McCleery used cameras became known as the "cameo shot" and was imitated widely. [3]
Jim Buckley of the Pewter Plough Playhouse (Cambria, California) recalled:
Cameo Theatre featured adaptations from the short stories of Roald Dahl, Shirley Jackson, Irwin Shaw, and others. The Paley Center for Media detailed the scripting contribution of Ellen M. Violett:
Cameo Theatre was notable for developing young writers. Scripter Raphael Hayes recalled entering broadcasting after he left the Army:
NBC carried the series as a replacement show four times: It was telecast from June 14 to September 27, 1950, [1] as a summer replacement for the second half-hour of Four Star Revue.[ citation needed] From June 18, 1951, to August 6, 1951, [1] it replaced What's My name?. [9] It replaced Leave It to the Girls from January 6 to April 13, 1952. [1] The series concluded in 1955 as a summer replacement (July 3 to August 21) [1] for The Loretta Young Show. [2]
Time slots for the broadcasts were as follows:
Each episode ended with McCleery's trademark closing tag, a hand holding chalk and writing "Albert McCleery" on a blackboard. The hand, however, was not McCleery's; although realistic in appearance, it was actually a mannequin hand holding the chalk.[ citation needed]
The premiere episode was "It Takes a Thief". Other presentations were adaptations of Dark of the Moon [2] and (in three parts in March 1952) Peer Gynt. [10] Additional episodes included those shown in the table below.
Date | Title | Actor(s) |
---|---|---|
May 30, 1950 | "The Long Walk" | Richard Carlyle, Patricia Breslin [11] |
June 21, 1950 | "Weep for the Heart" [10]: 281 | -- |
June 28, 1950 | "A Daughter to Think About" [10]: 281 | -- |
September 20, 1950 | "The Paper Sack" | Dennis Harrison, Pat Malone, John Marley, Pat O'Malley, James Little, John Gerstad, Tom Heaphy, Robert Bolger, Harry Kingston, John Harvey [10]: 281 |
June 25, 1951 | "Blackout" | Jeffrey Lynn, Barbara Britton, Harry Hugenot, Robert Bolger, James Little, Paul Lilly, Bob Warren, Ann Anderson [10]: 307 |
July 23, 1951 | "Of Unsound Mind" | Claire Luce, Philip Reed, Donald Briggs [12] |
July 30, 1951 | "The Third Time" | Ilona Massey, Dan Morgan, Larry Kerr, Sanford Gold, Phil Sterling, Roger De Koven, Lyn Merrill, James Van Dyk, Rita Shaw, Bob Bolger [13] |
August 27, 1951 | "Heart's Choice" | Tod Andrews, Miriam Goldina, Beverly Whitney, Constance Ford, Vinton Hayworth, Joe Roman, Jack Henderson [10]: 313 |
August 14, 1955 | "The Man From The South" | Charles Addams, Joseph Schildkraut [14] |
Episodes emphasized content of the stories presented rather than visual elements. "No props, scenery, or fancy costumes were used in the productions." [1] David Crandall directed. [12] The program originated from WNBT-TV. In 1951, Noxema was the sponsor, and Harry W. Junkin was the writer. [9]