Customer Reviews

The Comedian [VHS]

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I was glad to see that you have this video in your catalogue and wish you had more from Playhouse 90. I was there in Television City when it was made, and it certainly caused a stir there, as well as critically acclaimed by fans of Playhouse 90. With an excellent script by Rod Serling and powerful direction by John Frankenheimer, the wunderkind team of Playhouse 90, this program brilliantly satirizes their perception of the on, and, particularly, offstage life of a famous comedian who also taped shows at the same studio. The Comedian is an excellent example of what a great medium television was and could have been forever until I Love Lucy other such trivia replaced the ever exciting live TV dramas of The Golden Age of Television and reduced the medium to a "cultural wasteland."

I saw a filmed version of this live '57 TV drama on PBS in the early 80's it was like nothing I had ever seen before. Mel Torme was so moving as the beaten down brother/writer for the TV comic Rooney. It is one of the heaviest dramas you will ever see, and it was done in the middle of "the everything is OK" late 50s . One of a kind, and deeply affecting, Mel Torme was the real thing.

I was glad to see that you have this video in your catalogue. I was there in Television City when it was made, and it certainly caused a stir there, and it was critically acclaimed by fans of Playhouse 90. With an excellent script by Rod Serling and powerful direction by John Frankenheimer, the wunderkind team of Playhouse 90, this program brilliantly satirizes the on, and particularly offstage, life of a famous comedian who also taped shows at the same studio. It obviously made its point, because the comedian never allowed anyone from the Playhouse 90 staff into his rehearsals or shows. The Comedian is an excellent example of what a great medium television could have been until I Love Lucy other such trivia replaced the ever exciting live TV dramas.

THE COMEDIAN was directed by John Frankenheimer and originally broadcast 'live' over the CBS network on 2/14/57.

Rod Serling's teleplay consists of three main concurrent plotlines:
1.) Former vaudeville clown Sammy Hogarth, now a successful television comic, and his shrilly abusive relationship with brother Lester and the TV show's writers and production crew.
2.) Head writer Al Preston, whose comedic well has gone dry. A special target of Sammy's wrath, Al in desperation tries to to appease his demanding boss by stealing material.
3.) Lester Hogarth, constant butt of Sammy's TV show opening monologues. A glorified go-fer with no personal life thanks to his brother's constant demands, Lester has little self-respect and is in danger of losing his fed up wife.


As so brilliantly portrayed by Mickey Rooney, Sammy Hogarth defines "ogre." A self-centered megalomaniac, the face he presents to the camera is 180° opposite of his true self; a sadistic phony with a capital "P." That Lester (also superbly limned by Mel Tormé) allows himself to be a doormat is one of the puzzles of this story. With all the pressures from Sam and wife Julie, Lester suffers a sort of breakdown and confronts his brother on camera and on air. Pathetic demands for respect gain nothing but tears in his wife's arms, for at the end, Sammy calls from across a now vacant studio and Lester meekly complies, leaving Julie to stand and contemplate.

The third remarkable performance is Edmond O'Brien as the used-up comedy writer. Al Preston in hindsight wisely sabotages his career by plagiarizing a dead man then freely admitting to his crime. This Sammy Hogarth broadcast will be Al's last, yet it's also a real beginning for him, a liberating escape from Sam's mental chamber of horrors.


More than almost any other 1950s TV drama broadcast, this precious kinescope conveys both the genuine "feel" of live television and how superb the medium could be when utilized properly. Behind the camera glimpses of a TV studio at work, especially the control room, vividly portray the chaos when that ON AIR sign is lit, a sort of knife edge existence that surely offered enormous satisfaction when things went right and pure terror when they didn't.

THE COMEDIAN is theater at its best and television the way it still should be. Highest recomendation.


Parenthetical number preceding title is a 1 to 10 imdb viewer poll rating.

(8.5) The Comedian (TV-1957) - Mickey Rooney/Kim Hunter/Edmond O'Brien/Mel Tormé/Constance Ford/Whit Bissell/King Donovan

I think most people who only remember Mickey Rooney as Judy Garland's young screen partner, or the innocent Andy Hardy will be shocked to find out what a fantastic actor he is. His performance as the egocentric, often cruel comedian is stunning, and Mel Torme as his weak, long suffering brother is another surprise. The man famous for his music turned in a beautiful performance. I'm so happy this was preserved so that it can still be seen, and I recommend it to everyone who loves quality entertainment.