Being a Rod Serling fan, I've long wanted to see this "Playhouse 90" episode, ever since I watched the PBS "American Masters" piece on Serling.
I just watched it, and I have to say that it has that signature Serling theme of the consequences of people suddenly thrust into unfamiliar circumstances, so well done.
Art Carney plays Ernie, a struggling teleplay writer working for his big break, with Jack Klugman as Max, his ever-patient agent shepherding his scripts through to the TV studios.
Max recognizes the greatness of one of Ernie's scripts, honestly saying it was one of the finest things he has ever read, before he submits it to the studios.
Max's judgment turns out to be right, when the script is eagerly accepted, with a sizable (by late 1950s standards) offer.
That first script is the catalyst for all that follows, good and bad, but mostly bad.
There's greed, the notoriously cutthroat nature of the entertainment industry, the pressures of success, and the love and loyalty of an old friend and wife both in the balance.
Carney is outstanding, going from one extreme to the other, seemingly pulled by forces beyond his control, even as he willingly goes along with them.
Klugman is perfect in his portrayal of Max, a kind, sensitive man willing to go to the mat for Ernie.
Katharine Bard, as Ernie's wife, is also good, as we watch her transform from proud wife to regretful and justifiably distrustful of the Hollywood set.
Leslie Nielsen (and don't call me Shirley!) is also excellent, as a tired and desperate, but rapacious Hollywood exec with no compunction about whom he has to hurt to get what he wants.
I'm not going to spoil the ending, but just know that in his scripts Serling often greatly rewarded those who did the right thing and severely punished those who did wrong.
My one ding on this DVD is the poor picture and sound quality, poor even by Kinescope quality standards.
BY comparison, I have the VHS copy of Serling's original "Playhouse 90" (the TV version Jack Palance, NOT the theatrical release with Anthony Quinn) Emmy winning classic "Requiem for a Heavyweight," and it easily edges this out in both sound and picture quality, even though "Requiem" came out in the same year.
I'm not sure why this one looks and sounds the way it does, but my guess is that either they did the original Kinescope transfer poorly, or the film they used to do it may have deteriorated.
Either way, I knew full well that this wouldn't be anything approaching HD, and the show still comes through.
I still highly recommend this moving story, something that will really get you thinking, long after the show is over.
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