"One Man's Family" (1949)TV series 1949-1952

Directors:

Clark Jones
Jack Smight

Writer:

Carlton E. Morse (writer)

Release Date:

4 November 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

This soap opera was the TV version of the radio serial that had begun in 1932. It tells the story of San Francisco banker Henry Barbour and his family...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Radio Show | Soap Opera | Number In Title

Cast

Bert Lytell	...	Henry Barbour
Marjorie Gateson	...	Fanny Barbour
Russell Thorson	...	Paul Barbour
Lillian Schaaf	...	Hazel Barbour Herbert (1949-1952)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Madeline Belgard	...	Teddy Lawton (1951-1952)
Lloyd Bochner	...	Capt. Nicholas Lacey (1952)
Jim Boles	...	Joe Yarbourogh (1950-1952)
Walter Brooke	...	Bill Herbert #2 (1950-1952)
Mona Bruns	...	Mrs. Roberts (1950-1951)
Arthur Cassell	...	Jack Barbour #1 (1949-1950)
Nancy Franklin	...	Claudia Barbour #1 (1949-1950)
Billy Greene	...	Burton (1951-1952)
Lois Hall	...	Beth Holly
Michael Higgins	...	Johnny Roberts (1949-1951)
Gina Holland	...	Jo Collier (1952)
Bill Idelson	...	Cliff Barbour #2 (1949)
James Lee	...	Cliff Barbour #3 (1949-1952)
Ralph Locke	...	Mr. Roberts (1950-1952)
Athena Lorde	...	Judith Richardson (1950)
Maurice Manson	...	Sir Guy Vane (1952)
Norma Jane Marlow	...	Betty Carter (1950)
Michael McAloney	...	Sgt. Tony Adams (1952)
Mercedes McCambridge	...	Beth Holly #1 (1949-1950)
John Newland	...	Danny Frank (1950)
Tony Randall	...	Mac (1950-1952)
Eva Marie Saint	...	Claudia Barbour Roberts #2 (1950-1952)
Susan Shaw	...	Beth Holly #2 (1950-1952)
Calvin Thomas	...	Judge Hunter (1949)
Frankie Thomas	...	Cliff Barbour #1 (1949) (as Frank Thomas Jr.)
Les Tremayne	...	Bill Herbert #1 (1950)
Luis Van Rooten	...	Dr. Thompson (1949-1950)
Richard Wigginton	...	Jack Barbour #2 (1951-1952)

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "M*A*S*H: It Happened One Night (#4.3)" (1975)

Believe it or not,I have seen it !

I live here in Phoenix,Arizona and we have a TV channel origianlly broadcast out of Flagstaff (KAZT-27),now located here in the valley. For a very short time,this channel actually aired daytime reruns of this show in 2002 or 03.

Despite it's "soap opera" label,it seems more like a precursor to shows like "7th Heaven" or "Party of Five" where the family has their arguments & problems but still care for each other. The acting is pretty good and is quite surprising at times,in terms of subjects discussed that today wouldn't even make one blink an eye. Sometimes it could fall into the over-dramatic but that's the way it was then.

Funny thing about it,I read somewhere that the TV show's plots ran a full generation behind the original radio version,which was still on the air then. On the radio version,a lot of the characters had grown up,on TV these characters were kids again!

Tony Randall,as listed in cast credits here,was in the cast for a short period. He's a consummate actor and he's really good in these few shows I got to view. Unfortunately,there must not have been too many viewers other than myself because just weeks later,it was replaced by something more familiar to folks. "The Andy Griffith Show".

Can I rate this based on those few shows? I think so. Taking into account that it's over 55 years old and acting on TV was different then,I give it a 7 ******* star rating. It was very interesting to watch,again not bad performances for late 40's early 50's

but since it left the air 16 years before my time,I can't say it's something I'd buy or not,were it to emerge on video or DVD. (END)