AMERICAN PLAYHOUSE: CONCEALED ENEMIES, PART 2: ACCUSATION (TV)
Summary
Continued from T88:0238. Part two of four. One in this dramatic anthology series. This docudrama deals with the actual events of the Alger Hiss spy case and examines the role played by Whittaker Chambers, the man whose accusations brought Hiss down. Set in the Cold War era, this drama also provides an incisive portrait of the times that produced the House Committee on Un-American Activities and vaulted the young Richard Nixon to national attention. In this part, Chambers reiterates his charges against Hiss on the radio news show "Meet the Press." Hiss responds by suing Chambers for libel and, by so doing, forces Chambers to produce concrete evidence to substantiate his claim. At a pretrial hearing, Chambers accuses Hiss of using his former position in the Justice Department to obtain classified information to pass to the Russians. He presents the panel with documents that he obtained from Hiss ten years earlier. Nixon and his committee subpoena Chambers and tell him to surrender any further documents. He complies and leads the committee to a pumpkin patch on his Maryland farm where he has concealed several rolls of microfilm in a hollowed-out pumpkin. The committee quickly stacks up evidence against Hiss. The testimony of Julian Wadleigh, a former Communist, proves detrimental to Hiss. Tests reveal that classified documents were retyped on Hiss's home typewriter and that his wife Priscilla might also be involved. On the basis of this evidence, Hiss is indicted for perjury by the grand jury. Continues with T88:0240.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: May 7, 1984 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:02
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T88:0239
- GENRE: Docudrama; Drama, historical
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Espionage, Communism; U S House Committee on Un-American Activities
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1982-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- David Elstein … Executive Producer
- Lindsay Law … Executive Producer
- Peter B. Cook … Producer
- Penelope Pigott … Associate Producer
- Jeff Bleckner … Director
- Hugh Whitemore … Writer
- Jonathan Tunick … Music by
- Gerry Bamman … Cast, Father John Cronin
- John Harkins … Cast, Whittaker Chambers
- Herrmann, Edward (See also: Herrmann, Ed) … Cast, Alger Hiss
- Maria Tucci … Cast, Priscilla Hiss
- Jamie E. Pierce … Cast, Tony Hiss
- Alice Drummond … Cast, Hiss's Secretary
- Kurt Knudson … Cast, Walter Sarnoff
- Peter Riegert … Cast, Richard Nixon
- Alan North … Cast, Karl Mundt
- MacIntyre Dixon … Cast, John McDowell
- Lee Wallace … Cast, Ben Mandel
- Stuart Burney … Cast, Louis Russell
- Jack Dodson … Cast, F. Edward Hebert
- Kevin O'Morrison … Cast, John E. Rankin
- Wayne Tippit … Cast, Robert Stripling
- Mart Hulswit … Cast, Charles Dollard
- Henderson Forsythe … Cast, John Foster Dulles
- Priscilla Reetz … Cast, Dulles' Secretary
- George Hamlin … Cast, Allen Dulles
- Frank Maraden … Cast, Julian Wadleigh
- Jean De Baer … Cast, Edythe Wadleigh
- John McMartin … Cast, William Marbury
- Eunice Anderson … Cast, Hisses' Neighbor
- Marcia Jean Kurtz … Cast, Esther Chambers
- Michael Tucker … Cast, Harold Rosenwald
- Melissa Ann Green … Cast, Rosenwald's Secretary
- Barton Heyman … Cast, Mr. Oseas
- Richard Hamilton … Cast, Club Member
- Stephen Mendillo … Cast, Mr. Appell
- Vic Polizos … Cast, Mr. Wheeler
- Ron Rifkin … Cast, Samuel Roth
- Peter Bigelow … Cast, James Reston
- Mort Kaplan … Cast, Radio Announcer
- John Valentine … Cast, Edward T. Folliard
- Jess Cain … Cast, Lawrence E. Spivak
- Tim Wise … Cast, Tom Reynolds
- Richard Jenkins … Cast, Nicholas Vazzana
- Maurice Plasse … Cast, Richard Cleveland
- Charles Kimbrough … Cast, Edward McLean
- Peter C. Kovner … Cast, Journalist
- Christopher Childs … Cast, Burdick, FBI
- Holland Taylor … Cast, Mrs. Marbury
- Victoria Howard … Cast, Marburys' Maid
- Remak Ramsay … Cast, Dr. Carl Binger
- William Miller … Cast, Miami Journalist
- Bart McCarthy … Cast, Miami Journalist
- Anne Pitoniak … Cast, Chambers' Mother
- J. Bradford Jones … Cast, Seed Salesman
- Peter Gerety … Cast, Edwin H. Fearon
- Earl Hindman … Cast, Lombardo, FBI
- William Prince … Cast, John W. Davis
- Michael Ryan … Cast, Raymond Whearty
- Madison Arnold … Cast, Alexander Campbell
- Ted Kazanoff … Cast, Grand Juror
- Charles Werner Moore … Cast, Grand Juror
- Eugene Boles … Cast, Grand Juror
- Tom Griffin … Cast, Grand Juror
- June Judson … Cast, Grand Juror
- W. Clapham Murray … Cast, Grand Jury Official
- David Ian … Cast, Nixon Aide