- ABC Stage 67
"ABC Stage 67" was the umbrella title for a series of 26 weekly shows that included
dramas ,variety shows ,documentaries , and originalmusicals .It premiered on ABC on
September 14 ,1966 withMurray Schisgal 's "The Love Song of Barney Kempinksi", directed byStanley Prager and starringAlan Arkin as a man enjoying the sights and sounds ofNew York City in his last remaining hours of bachelorhood. Arkin was nominated for anEmmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance By An Actor in a Leading Role in a Drama and the program was nominated as Outstanding Dramatic Program.Future programs included appearances by
Petula Clark ,Bobby Darin ,Sir Laurence Olivier ,Albert Finney ,Peter Sellers ,David Frost , andJack Paar .ABC's effort to bring culture to the masses was a noble but unsuccessful experiment. Scheduled first against "
I Spy " on Wednesdays and then "The Dean Martin Show " on Thursdays, the show consistently received low ratings. Its last production, an adaptation ofJean Cocteau 's one-woman play "The Human Voice " starringIngrid Bergman , aired onMay 4 ,1967 ."Stage 67" was not actually a part of the primary ABC facilities in
Los Angeles . It was produced at the old Monogram Studios backlot that was later sold toKCET . [http://www.kcet.org/about/station-history/index.php?ID=3]ignificant episodes
*"The Kennedy Wit" (aired October 5, 1966) featured Jack Paar discussing
John F. Kennedy 's speeches withDavid Francis Powers , who served as Special Assistant to the President in theWhite House and was the original curator of the Kennedy Library.
*"The Canterville Ghost" (aired November 2, 1966), an original musical version of theOscar Wilde tale with a score byJerry Bock andSheldon Harnick . It starredMichael Redgrave ,Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. , andFrankie Howerd .
*"Evening Primrose " (aired November 16, 1966), an original musical (with a book byJames Goldman and a score byStephen Sondheim ) about a poet who opts to drop out of society and live in a department store. It was directed byPaul Bogart and starredAnthony Perkins ,Charmian Carr , andDorothy Stickney . The program was taped after regular business hours at the now-defunctStern Brothers department store in Manhattan. A studio recording withNeil Patrick Harris in the Perkins role was released in 2001. This episode is available for viewing at theMuseum of Television & Radio branches inNew York City andBeverly Hills .
*"The Legend ofMarilyn Monroe " (aired November 30, 1966), a documentary about the film star narrated byJohn Huston . The episode has been released on DVD.
*"On the Flip Side" (aired December 7, 1966), an original rock musical, with songs byBurt Bacharach andHal David , about a teen idol has-been portrayed byRicky Nelson . An original soundtrack album was released byDecca Records .
*"A Christmas Memory " (aired December 21, 1966), an adaptation ofTruman Capote 's semi-autobiographical novella, won aPeabody Award and Emmy Awards for Capote andEleanor Perry 's teleplay andGeraldine Page 's leading performance.
*"Sex in the Sixties" (aired January 12, 1967), a documentary about the changing sexual mores of the decade, included discussions withWilliam Masters andVirginia E. Johnson , authors of "Human Sexual Response ", and "Playboy "'sHugh Hefner .
*"The Light Fantastic" (aired February 9, 1967), a lighthearted look at the influence of dance on society withLauren Bacall andJohn Forsythe .
*"Rodgers and Hart Today" (aired March 2, 1967), a salute toRichard Rodgers andLorenz Hart hosted byPetula Clark andBobby Darin , withQuincy Jones as musical director. Guests includedthe Mamas and the Papas ,the Supremes ,Count Basie and his Orchestra, andPeter Gennaro and his dancers. The show was unique in that it included not one word of dialogue. Three of the songs the Mamas and the Papas performed ("My Heart Stood Still," "Sing For Your Supper," and "Here in My Arms ") appear on the DVD "California Dreamin': The Songs of the Mamas & the Papas" released in 2005.
*"The American Boy" (aired March 9, 1967) was a trio of films about adolescent boys living in the city, the suburbs, and the country. One of the three, "Skaterdater", had been nominated for a 1965Academy Award as Best Live Action Short, and was the winner of nine international film festival awards, including thePalme D'Or atCannes .
*"A Time For Laughter: A Look at Negro Humor in America" (aired April 6, 1967) was a showcase forAfrican-American performers produced byHarry Belafonte and featuringGodfrey Cambridge ,Diahann Carroll ,Dick Gregory ,Richard Pryor ,George Kirby ,Redd Foxx , andMoms Mabley (in her television debut). It was nominated for an Emmy as Outstanding Variety Program.External links
* [http://www.tv.com/abc-stage-67/show/13585/summary.html?full_summary=1&om_act=convert&om_clk=summarysh&tag=showspace_links;full_summary/ Episode recaps]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0233023 "ABC Stage 67" at IMDB]
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