PETER LOVES MARY: THE MOVIE STAR (TV)
Summary
One in this comedy series about Peter and Mary Lindsey, a married couple of stage entertainers, played by real-life spouses and performers Peter Lind Hayes and Mary Healy.
In this episode, Peter is stunned to be "discovered" by two Hollywood producers, who offer him a dramatic leading role in the new gangster picture "Racket Man." Peter protests that he is not a serious actor and does not wish to "break up the team," but Mary urges him to take advantage of the opportunity, explaining that she will enjoy being "just a housewife" during the shoot. Peter receives the script and tries to master the "deep, intense hostility" and many idiosyncrasies of his character, Charles Norman, including his wild jealousy and a strange infantile streak. On the day of the screen test, a nervous Peter asks Mary to audition with him. The producers are dismayed when Peter offers a wildly over-the-top performance and a drawn-out death scene as his character is fatally shot, though they are impressed with Mary in her small role as the criminal's sister.
Mary refuses to accept the role without Peter, but he convinces her to take the part and joins her on the set for moral support. Peter then meets two other men, Phil and Harry, whose wives are also starring in the film. As the men discuss their boring daily plans, he is alarmed to realize that he has been reduced to a "mink-holding gigolo." He calls their manager Lou and begs him to reinstate their canceled gigs for him alone, determined not to be out of work during the filming. Mary admits that she cannot perform without him and Peter is soon recast in the role of the butler. Later, the picture receives lukewarm reviews and Peter and Mary's performances are deemed merely "adequate," though Peter finds that he still cannot entirely shake the character of Charles Norman. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: January 18, 1961 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:25:50
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: B:76417
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Marriage; Actors
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1960-1961
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Billy Friedberg … Producer, Writer
- Edward Rissien … Associate Producer
- Sidney Miller … Director
- Terry Ryan … Writer
- David Schwartz … Writer
- Rudy Schrager … Music by
- Peter Lind Hayes … Cast, Peter Lindsey
- Mary Healy … Cast, Mary Lindsey
- Bea Benaderet … Cast, Wilma
- Merry Martin … Cast, Leslie Lindsey
- Gil Smith … Cast, Steve Lindsey
- Werner Klemperer … Cast, Blake Barker
- Herb Ellis … Cast, Lou Porter
- Ralph Bell … Cast, Fred Huggins
- Lee Goodman … Cast, Harry Thompson
- Herman Rudin … Cast, Scott Marshall
- Fredd Wayne … Cast, Phil Turner
- Oscar Beregi … Cast, Maitre D'
- Al Checco … Cast, Assistant