"Kraft Television Theatre" (1947) TV series 1947-1958

Writers:

Stephen Vincent Benet (writer) (episode)
Burton Benjamin (writer)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | unknown

Release Date:

7 May 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Company Sponsor Name In Title

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 8 nominations

Cast

Vaughn Taylor		(19 episodes, 1947-1954)
E.G. Marshall	...	Colonel Hodges (19 episodes, 1950-1957)
Valerie Cossart	...	Mrs. Cratchit / ... (17 episodes, 1948-1956)
Joe Maross		(15 episodes, 1952-1957)
Harry Townes	...	Bill / ... (14 episodes, 1949-1958)
Richard Kiley	...	Fred Staples / ... (13 episodes, 1951-1958)
J. Pat O'Malley		(12 episodes, 1951-1958)
John Baragrey		(11 episodes, 1947-1958)
John Newland		(11 episodes, 1949-1953)
Dan Morgan	...	Mr. Janosek / ... (11 episodes, 1950-1957)
Mark Roberts	...	Adam Smith / ... (10 episodes, 1949-1958)
Felicia Montealegre	...	Emma Woodhouse / ... (10 episodes, 1949-1956)
Mercer McLeod		(10 episodes, 1949-1951)
Henry Jones	...	Stanley (10 episodes, 1953-1958)
James Daly		(9 episodes, 1949-1956)
Enid Markey		(9 episodes, 1949-1955)
Robert Pastene		(9 episodes, 1950-1957)
Nancy Marchand	...	Mary Hillyer (9 episodes, 1951-1958)
James Gregory		(9 episodes, 1953-1957)
Bea Arthur		(8 episodes, 1951-1958)

Also Known As:

Kraft Mystery Theatre (USA) (new title)
Kraft Theatre (USA) (new title)

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

J. Walter Thompson Agency

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Mike Wallace Interview: Rod Serling" (1959)

Dean superb in last live television drama

A LONG TIME TILL DAWN was one of James Dean's last television appearances (out of 25 or so between 1951 and 1954). A Kraft Playhouse hour long presentation in 1953, it starred Dean as Joe Harris, a sociopathic young man who has been unable to make it in NYC with his young wife and whose barely repressed rage has resulted in felony charges - beatings and robberies - that have ended in two prison terms. The drama opens as he has just been let out of his last six month prison term and returns to his NYC neighborhood, looking for his wife, who has returned home to their small town and is living with his father.

Joe's rage erupts at the storekeeper who advised his wife to leave and he assaults him. Back in his hometown he attempts to make believe he has turned over a new leaf and that all of his mistakes are behind him. However, the old man he has assaulted dies and the police are looking for Joe.

This production is typical of early television dramas but it is far better written (Rod Serling) than most and Dean is brilliant in a very complex role. He far outshines everyone else in the cast. Although the ending is melodramatic and a bit irrational in terms of continuity, it doesn't really hurt the essentially way ahead of its time character study of the sociopathic personality. All fans of Dean are encouraged to add this to their collection.

A kinescope of the final dress rehearsal in b&w is available on videotape. The lighting tends to vary from good to rather dark, but it tends to apply mainly to the quality of the commercials (which are left in) and only infringes on a few minutes of act two of the drama.