PLAYHOUSE 90: FORBIDDEN AREA {SERIES PREMIERE} (TV)
Summary
The premiere of this dramatic anthology series. At the start of the program, Jack Palance introduces the viewers to this landmark premiere of "Playhouse 90" and explains why this series is unique. Then, the live production of "Forbidden Area" begins. In a town called "Little Chicago," two men are being tested on their knowledge of baseball. One of them, Stanley Smith, is called into a dark room where he is interrogated not only on his knowledge of baseball, but also about his birthplace and his current place of residence. It is soon revealed that this "Little Chicago" is located just outside of Moscow and this young man is being trained to be a Russian spy in the American Air Force. Meanwhile, a group of top brass officers of all four branches of the United States Armed Forces sits in a top secret room known as the "forbidden area" where they attempt to figure out when Russia will attack the United States. A year later, Stanley Smith is working as a cook for the Air Force and spends most of his time making coffee for the men going out on missions. A little later, American B-99 airplanes begin to disappear in the sky. One by one they are being blown to bits over the sea. The men in the "forbidden area" attempt to discern if this is sabotage and, if it is, what the enemy thinks it will accomplish by destroying a few B-99s. The answers come when the government insists that all B-99 aircraft be grounded until the cause of their horrific destruction can be determined. One of the men on the top secret team, Colonel Price, realizes that if the enemy succeeds in making the United States government ground all of the B-99s, then there will be no deterrent air force to protect the United States against attack. In addition, Colonel Price realizes that Christmas is just around the corner and that an American holiday like Christmas is the perfect day for the enemy to strike unexpectedly. Unfortunately, it seems almost impossible to convince anyone with power to listen to his warning. In addition, Colonel Price and the "forbidden area" secretary, Catherine Hume, discover they are in love, but also realize that it may be too late to do anything about it. Includes commmercials and promos.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: October 4, 1956 9:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:28:54
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: T80:0801
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Cold War - Drama; Drama
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1956-1961
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Bristol-Myers Ban deodorant
- TV - Commercials - Bristol-Myers Bufferin pain relief tablets
- TV - Commercials - Petri wine
- TV - Commercials - Philip Morris cigarettes
- TV - Commercials - Ronson "66" Super Trim electric shaver
- TV - Commercials - Singer Swing Needle Portable sewing machines
- TV - Promos - "Playhouse 90: Requiem for a Heavyweight"
- TV - Promos - "The Ed Sullivan Show" (voice-over)
CREDITS
- Martin Manulis … Producer
- Julian Claman … Associate Producer
- John Frankenheimer … Director
- Pat Frank … Writer, Based on the novel by
- Rod Serling … Writer, Adapted by
- Jack Palance … Host
- Dick Joy … Announcer
- Charlton Heston … Cast, Colonel Price
- Tab Hunter … Cast, Stanley Smith
- Diana Lynn … Cast, Catherine Hume
- Vincent Price … Cast, Clark Simmons
- Victor Jory … Cast, Rear Admiral Batt
- Charles Bickford … Cast, General Keaton
- Jackie Coogan … Cast, the Cook
- Tyler McVey … Cast, Brig. Gen. Cragey
- David Lewis … Cast, Felix Fromberg
- John Gallaudet … Cast, Gen. Cummings
- Eddie Ryder … Cast, Joe
- Harold Dyrenforth … Cast, Capt. Schiller
- Howard Price … Cast, Clint
- Richard Gaines … Cast, the Admiral
- Thomas Palmer … Cast, the Senator
- Arthur Batanides … Cast, Fensky
- William Schallert … Cast, the Commentator
- Robin Morse … Cast, the Bartender
- Don Donaldson … Cast, the Operations Officer
- Don Lutz … Cast, the Control Operator
- Jason Wingreen … Cast, the Captain
- Gil Frye … Cast, the Radar Man
- Marland Messner … Cast, the Survivor
- Joel Fluellen … Cast, the Mechanic