CLIMAX!: PORTRAIT IN CELLULOID (TV)
Summary
One in this dramatic anthology series. This production offers a cynical look at 1950's Hollywood as emobodied by Art Shaddick, a once-great screenwriter during Hollywood's golden age, who has now hit bottom as a second-rate literary agent. Art is abrasive, phony, and desperate to sell the work of his hack clients. He senses an opportunity when Barbara, his sharp-witted secretary, calls to his attention an excellent screenplay submitted by a young, na•ve writer named John, in whom she has taken a romantic interest. Art attempts to ride the young scribe's talent back to the top, by suggesting they collaborate on a rewrite, which Art insists is necessary. As Art proceeds to bleed all the freshness out of the script with tired rewrites, Barbara grows deeply concerned for John and his work. Matters come to a head at a party at Art's house, where he and John await the verdict of a prominent director who has read the rewritten script. Includes commercials and promos. (This is a black-and-white copy of a color program.)
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: November 24, 1955 Thursday 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:58:40
- COLOR/B&W: B&W copy of a color telecast
- CATALOG ID: T:31035
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Hollywood; Screenwriters
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1954-1958
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Chrysler automobiles
- TV - Promos - "Climax!: A Man of Taste"
- TV - Promos - "Climax!: The Passport" (voice-over only)
- TV - Promos - "Shower of Stars: A Christmas Carol" (voice-over only)
CREDITS
- Martin Manulis … Producer
- John Frankenheimer … Director
- Rod Serling … Writer
- William Lundigan … Host
- Jack Carson … Cast, Art Shaddick
- Kim Hunter … Cast, Barbara Wiliams
- Don Taylor … Cast, John Appleby
- Audrey Totter … Cast, Edna Shaddick
- Robert F. Simon … Cast, Robert Chumley
- John Gallaudet … Cast, Boris Lotz