BOB HOPE PRESENTS THE CHRYSLER THEATRE {UNIVERSAL STAR TIME}: A SMALL REBELLION (TV)
Summary
One in this anthology series sponsored by the Chrysler Corporation. A young writer, Michael Kolinos, waits in an empty theater, frustrated and waiting for someone. He calls a telephone operator and tries to talk to her about his predicament, but she does not listen. He tries to get in touch with the owner of the theater to air his grievances; he is waiting for actress Sara Lescault, who has yet to arrive. However, the theater owner, Noel Greb, arrives to assure Michael that Sara will be there. Michael argues with him; Michael has written a play that he hopes Sara will be in, but he is losing faith in his own ability as a writer, and their argument takes a philosophical bent. Sara’s approval would make Michael famous overnight, and her decision to meet with him is a rare occasion. At last Noel throws Michael out, but just as he is leaving Sara arrives. He hides and observes her on the stage as she apologizes for being late. She coaxes him out of hiding by taking his wallet, and they have a discussion. Sara notes that she has distaste for Michael, but came because Noel insisted. Michael muses that he doesn’t want to be a sycophant to a “ticket hustler” such as Sara. They continue to argue; Sara notes that she arrived in order to refuse the play, and is somewhat amused that if she approved Michael would be forced to “come into the light” and become famous. Sara notes that Michael’s play is full of “lies,” and wants to offer him advice on how to rewrite it so that it can be properly performed. Michael is adamant that he will not alter his play in any way, and Sara believes he is out of touch with reality. When she tries to leave Michael stops her and explains that his script is “made from pure terror” and took him two years to write. He believes that the real reason Sara refused was because his play “hits too close to home” and she is afraid. Sara offers Michael advice about his play, such as his excessive reliance on obscene language, but Michael insists that he must write that way, and he believes Sara is deliberately setting him up to fail. Despite this, Sara admits that Michael writes with “intelligence and insight,” and cannot reconcile this with his behavior and demeanor. Sara finally opens up Michael’s play and discusses the characters with him. The play concerns a woman who has relationships with a number of men, including her husband, and in one way or another helps them all. Sara’s questions enrage Michael, especially when she implies that the main character is psychologically “sick.” They continue to argue, and despite her apparent interest Sara still intends not to do the play unless the third act is rewritten. When Sara expresses more concerns about the main character’s motivations, Michael decides to offer a visual demonstration by going to the stage and setting up a scene for the two of them, explaining in detail the characters’ feelings and the atmosphere of the scene. Sara still denies Michael’s reasoning, but is brought to tears while trying to argue against him. Michael explains to Sara why the main character is so appealing despite her actions, which Sara views as “despicable.” Sara implies that when she was younger she was similar to Michael’s main character, and Michael tries to explain why she is “beautiful” to Sara; his essential point is that her altruism is too good for the world and she is “doomed.” However, Sara manages to get to the truth: the play’s main character is based on a real person with whom Michael has some history and a “vendetta.” Sara still tries to convince Michael to rewrite the third act, changing it so that the character will live instead of dying. If he does so, she promises to play the part as written, noting that despite everything Michael has written the character with “grace, respect, and eloquence.” Michael seems to agree, and they reach an accord. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: February 9, 1966 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:47:28
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:49655
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Playwrights
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1963-1967
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Dick Berg … Producer
- Ron Roth … Associate Producer
- Stuart Rosenberg … Director
- S. Lee Pogostin … Writer
- Lalo Schifrin … Music by
- Dizzy Gillespie … Music by
- Johnny Williams (See also: John Williams) … Theme Music by
- Simone Signoret … Cast, Sara Lescault
- George Maharis … Cast, Michael Kolinos
- Sam Levene … Cast, Noel Greb