BUICK ELECTRA PLAYHOUSE: THE FIFTH COLUMN (TV)
Summary
One in this series of dramatic specials. In this adaptation of a short story by Ernest Hemingway, the life and mission of an undercover military agent during the Spanish Civil War is greatly complicated when he falls madly in love. Philip Rawlings is posing as a playboy/freelance reporter in war-ravaged Madrid when he meets and immediately falls for Dorothy Bridges. Philip is working on a counter-espionage mission for the Spanish Loyalists but has trouble accepting this mission now that he's fallen in love for the first time in his life. Because of his seeming lack of concern about the plight of the Spanish people, however, Dorothy doesn't appear to care for Philip. When one of his colleagues is shot and killed in Philip's hotel room, he fears that Dorothy will figure out what he is really doing in Madrid. Dorothy attempts to save a judge from dying in the hospital and the judge informs her of Philip's real identity and the political importance of his mission. Dorothy can't believe she is beginning to fall in love with a spy and wants the truth from Philip. Philip confesses his love for Dorothy and promises to go away to France with her after the mission is completed. As Philip and his partner Max begin the most dangerous part of their mission, they discover that some of their supposed allies are really part of the opposition. Dorothy realizes, however that Philip will not be joining her in France once the mission is over because of his life as a spy and his loyalty to Max. Philip promises that he'll arrive in France immediately after their mission is completed but Dorothy has a feeling she'll never see him again. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: January 29, 1960 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:28:49
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: T77:0316
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Spain - History - Civil War - Drama
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1959-1960
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Buick automobiles
CREDITS
- A.E. Hotchner … Executive Producer, Adapted by
- Gordon Duff … Producer
- Joe Scully … Associate Producer
- John Frankenheimer … Director
- Ernest Hemingway … Writer
- David Amram … Music by
- Laurence Rosenthal … Theme Music by
- Richard Burton … Cast, Philip Rawlings
- Maximilian Schell … Cast, Max
- George Rose … Cast, Preston
- von Furstenberg, Betsy … Cast, Dorothy Fisher
- Milton Selzer … Cast, the Hotel Manager
- Shai K. Ophir … Cast, the Electrician
- Sally Ann Howes … Cast, Dorothy Bridges
- Elisa Loti … Cast, Anita
- Tonio Selwart … Cast, the Nazi General
- Sydney Pollack … Cast, the Colonel
- Robert Dowdell … Cast, Wilkinson
- De La Fuente, Alfred … Cast, Judge Riva
- R.G. Brown … Cast, Miller
- Philip Kenneally … Cast, Rido
- Andreas Voutsinas … Cast, the Aide
- James Patterson … Cast, the Spy