From Publishers Weekly
Coe will be familiar to students of TV's early years: he produced NBC's Philco-Goodyear Playhouse for several years in the 1950s, produced Mary Martin's Peter Pan as well as producing the Broadway version of The Miracle Worker, starring Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke. But thanks to Krampner's diligent and inviting treatment of this pioneer who so strongly influenced the medium, knowledge of Coe's resume is completely non-essential. Krampner views postwar America through the lens of the iconoscope, just as Coe did, and weaves Coe's story with solid writing, subtle humor and a slavish devotion to detail. Krampner re-creates the impact of McCarthyism in casting Coe's live dramas, the enormous impact of the televised debate between JFK and Nixon on the 1960 election; how Jack Ruby's murder of Lee Harvey Oswald also killed a play. Hardly any stray person shows up here without a telling anecdote, retold memories are followed by dissenting points of view, and excerpts of reviews and interviews (many conducted by Krampner) abound. Although Krampner indulges in too many comparisons of Coe's life with those of both real and fictional characters, and can be defensive on the subject of his narrative, he makes a compelling case for Coe's artistic vision having defined the medium. And although, in Krampner's telling, Coe's exploits are squeaky clean, there's a bit of dirt, and enough famous guest stars to fill a miniseries. Illustrations.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
There are many untold stories about the creative geniuses behind TV's golden age, the 1950s. Krampner tells some from the age's live drama sector, which is unlikely to be reborn, for modern programming concerns make live drama unwieldy and, considering the dangers of collapsing sets and blown lines, unattractive in a far more technologically demanding era. Krampner nods to the changes time has wrought and then delivers a stirring account of the career of one of the more prolific early TV producers, who, despite also producing stage and movie presentations, is largely forgotten today. Fred Coe may not be a household name, but Krampner argues that his influence on what Americans see on TV is undeniable. Of great casual interest to long-memoried readers is the appended listing of the shows Coe worked on. Forgive him the slight sitcom Mr. Peepers and think of Mary Martin in Peter Pan and of Paddy Chayefsky's 1953 TV slice of life, Marty. Essential reading in TV history. Mike Tribby
