"American Playhouse" Concealed Enemies, Part I: Suspicion (1984)

Director:

Jeff Bleckner

Writer:

Hugh Whitemore

TV Series:

"American Playhouse" (1981)

Original Air Date:

7 May 1984 (Season 3, Episode 14)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

A dramatized account of the actual events that led to the 1950 conviction of former U.S. State Department...

Plot Keywords:

McCarthyism | Courtroom | Cold War | Communism | U.S. President

Awards:

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Gerry Bamman	...	Father John Cronin
John Harkins	...	Whittaker Chambers
Edward Herrmann	...	Alger Hiss
Maria Tucci	...	Priscilla Hiss
Jamie E. Pierce	...	Tony Hiss
Alice Drummond	...	Hiss's Secretary
Kurt Knudson	...	Walter Sarnoff
Peter Riegert	...	Richard M. Nixon
Alan North	...	Karl Mundt
MacIntyre Dixon	...	John McDowell
Lee Wallace	...	Ben Mandel
Stuart Burney	...	Louis Russell
Jack Dodson	...	F. Edward Hebert
Kevin O'Morrison	...	John E. Rankin
Wayne Tippit	...	Robert Stripling
Mart Hulswit	...	Chrles Dollard
Henderson Forsythe	...	John Foster Dulles
Priscilla Reetz	...	Dulles' Secretary
George Hamlin	...	Allen Dulles
Frank Maraden	...	Julian Wadleigh
Jean De Baer	...	Edythe Wadleigh
John McMartin	...	William Marbury
Eunice Anderson	...	Hisses' Neighbor
Marcia Jean Kurtz	...	Esther Chambers
Michael Tucker	...	Harold Rosenwald
Melissa Ann Green	...	Rosenwald's Secretary
Barton Heyman	...	Mr. Oseas
Richard Hamilton	...	Club Member
Stephen Mendillo	...	Mr. Appell
Vic Polizos	...	Mr. Wheeler
Ron Rifkin	...	Samuel Roth
Peter Bigelow	...	James Reston
Mort Kaplan	...	Radio Announcer
John Valentine	...	Edward T. Folliard
Jess Cain	...	Lawrence E. Spivak
Tim Wise	...	Tom Reynolds
Richard Jenkins	...	Nicholas Vazzana
Maurice Plasse	...	Richard Cleveland
Charles Kimbrough	...	Edward McLean
Peter Kovner	...	Journalist
Christopher Childs	...	Burdick, FBI
Holland Taylor	...	Mrs. Marbury
Victoria Howard	...	Marburys' Maid
Remak Ramsay	...	Dr. Carl Binger
William Miller	...	Miami Journalist
Bart McCarthy	...	Miami Journalist
Anne Pitoniak	...	Chambers' Mother
J. Bradford Jones	...	Seed Salesman
Peter Gerety	...	Edwin H. Fearon
Earl Hindman	...	Lombardo, FBI
William Prince	...	John W. Davis
Michael Ryan	...	Raymond Whearty
Madison Arnold	...	Alexander Campbell
Ted Kazanoff	...	Grand Juror
Charles Werner Moore	...	Grand Juror
Eugene Boles	...	Grand Juror
Tom Griffin	...	Grand Juror
June Judson	...	Grand Juror
W. Clapham Murray	...	Grand Jury Official
David Ian	...	Nixon Aide
James Spruill	...	Bill
Joe Ponazecki	...	Leon Herald
Evan Bell	...	Sam Noisette
Raymond Serra	...	J. Edgar Hoover
Roger Curtis	...	Young, FBI Agent
Bill L. McDonald	...	Cab Driver
Paul Bates	...	Mike Catlett
Theresa Merritt	...	Clytie Catlett
William E. Kennedy	...	Pat Catlett
Regina Taylor	...	Burnetta
Mel Winkler	...	Mr. Marlow
Frank Adu	...	Vernon
Ralph Byers	...	Clyde Tolson
Richard Dysart	...	Lloyd Paul Stryker
Saul Rubinek	...	Harold Shapero
Linda Peterson	...	Stryker's Secretary
Walter Covell	...	Court Clerk
Frederick Coffin	...	Thomas Murphy
Richard Grusin	...	Theo Becker
Sam Gray	...	Judge Samuel Kaufman
Leonard Zola	...	Jury Foreman
Sloane Shelton	...	Psychoanalyst
Bob Owczarek	...	Walter H. Anderson
Ed Vannuys	...	Ramos Feehan
Will Lyman	...	Gabriel Javsicas
Alexandra Bleckner	...	Girl on Piano
Charles W. Wolf	...	Caretaker
Scott Richards	...	Journalist
David Ellsworth	...	Juror
Eric Swanson	...	Timothy
Jonathan Baltzer	...	Ralph
Mary Alice	...	Edith Murray
Robert Milli	...	Claude Cross
Hansford Rowe	...	Judge henry Goddard
David Thomas	...	Court Clerk
Louis Farrah	...	Press Room Reporter
June Lion	...	Jury Foreman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Al Conti	...	Assistant Prosecuting Attorney (uncredited)

Directed by
Jeff Bleckner

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Hugh Whitemore

Produced by
Peter B. Cook	....	producer
David Elstein	....	executive producer
Lindsay Law	....	executive producer
Penelope Piggott	....	associate producer (as Penny Piggott)

Original Music by
Jonathan Tunick

Cinematography by
David L. Quaid

Film Editing by
William A. Anderson
Jeanne Jordan

Casting by
Fran Kumin
Meg Simon

Production Design by
Robert Gundlach

Art Direction by
Susan Cavedon

Costume Design by
Elizabeth Palmer

Makeup Department
Nancy Labrecque Baker	....	hair stylist
Barbe Ennis	....	makeup artist
Paula Kelly	....	assistant makeup artist
Melissa May	....	assistant hair stylist
Robert Riccio	....	assistant hair stylist

Production Management
Joseph E. Foley	....	unit production manager
Jo-An Kilgore	....	unit manager
Thomas W. Plant	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bob Roe	....	second assistant director
Joan Van Horn	....	first assistant director (as Joan Feinstein Van Horn)

Art Department
Peter Agoos	....	set designer
Michael Bigwood	....	assistant property master
Dinah Buechner	....	art department assistant
Karen Cariani	....	art department assistant
Jane Cavedon	....	assistant art director
Tracey A. Doyle	....	property buyer
David Gulick	....	set dresser
Jennifer Ingram	....	assistant set dresser
James Kaup	....	set constructor
Jonathan Luray	....	art department assistant
Fairlie Myers	....	property assistant
David Phillips	....	assistant property master
Robert Rayle	....	set constructor
Kristin Timkin	....	art department assistant
Kim Whitaker	....	art department assistant
Deborah Wierum	....	property master
Mark Wolper	....	property manager

Sound Department
Alexandra Anthony	....	sound editor
Richard Bock	....	sound mixer
Jay Dranch	....	sound effects editor
Wendy Hedin	....	sound effects editor
Bruce Kitzmeyer	....	sound effects editor
Hal Levinsohn	....	sound effects editor
Charles Lu	....	boom operator
Barbara Minor	....	sound effects editor
Flora Moon	....	sound recordist
Michael Penland	....	boom operator
Eric Taylor	....	boom operator
Magdaline Volaitis	....	sound effects editor
John Waite	....	assistant sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Donald M. Angst	....	lighting assistant
Glynis Burke	....	gaffer
Peter S. Cook	....	lighting assistant
Craig DiBona	....	camera operator
Michael Fardy	....	electrician
Gil Geller	....	camera operator
Craig Haagensen	....	first assistant camera
Barbara Hanania	....	first assistant camera
Roger Haydock	....	grip
Peter Hoving	....	camera operator
Christopher Lauber	....	grip
Deborah Luisi	....	second assistant camera
John Merriman	....	lighting assistant
Scott H. Ramsey	....	gaffer
Steve Ramsey	....	dolly grip
Ed Searles	....	grip (as Edward Searles)
Al Stetson	....	key grip
Richard Williams	....	second assistant camera
William M. Weberg	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Ann Baker	....	casting: Boston
Eva Saks	....	casting assistant: New York

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mary-Anne Aston	....	assistant costume designer
Betty Besio	....	costumer
Quina Fonseca	....	costume assistant
Helen Jarzembowski	....	costumer
Thomas Lee Keller	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Thomas Keller)
Ruth Hammell Obaoill	....	wardrobe supervisor
Stephen Romano	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Kenton Jakub	....	assistant editor
Mark Lapore	....	editing room assistant
Aubrey Stewart	....	telecine operator
Andrea Williams	....	associate editor

Transportation Department
Edward Bratton	....	driver
Howard Coe	....	driver
Mark Gentzell	....	driver
Hugh Kelly	....	driver
Deidre Malloy	....	transportation coordinator
Gillian McManus	....	driver
Kevin Ryan	....	driver
Joseph Salamone	....	driver
Kevin Shale	....	vintage vehicle coordinator

Other crew
Eduardo Aguiar	....	production assistant
Barbara Berwick	....	production coordinator
Peter Bezemes	....	assistant extras coordinator
Anne Botelho	....	production office assistant
Alice Bouvrie	....	production assistant
Elizabeth Buxton	....	production accountant
Tamara Davis	....	intern
Christine Goodwin	....	bookkeeping assistant
Patricia Gorra	....	production assistant
Alexis Haime	....	intern
Elizabeth Joan Hooper	....	intern (as Elizabeth Hooper)
Anne Judge	....	intern
Pip Karmel	....	extras coordinator
Gil Kerr	....	production assistant
Stephen McCarthy	....	intern
Teresa Metcalf	....	production assistant
Mamie Mitchell	....	script supervisor
Susan Morris	....	intern
Emily Norman	....	intern
James Nussbaum	....	intern
James O'Halloran	....	intern
Saraan Parker	....	intern
Susan Presson	....	extras coordinator
Sarah Rubin	....	intern
James M. Smith	....	intern (as James Smith)
James Torres	....	intern
Francesca Toso	....	intern
Willard Van Hazel	....	intern
John Welch	....	production office assistant

Production Companies

• American Playhouse
• Comworld Productions
• Goldcrest Films International
• WGBH

Distributors

• Infinity Video (1988) (Greece) (VHS)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1984) (USA) (TV)

Runtime:

219 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

American Playhouse

superb drama about alger hiss

Even though I disagreed with the central theme of this program--that is, the innocence of Alger Hiss--I found it to be a very enjoyable historical presentation.

The cast was superb. Edward Herrmann was excellent, as was the late John Harkins. Peter Riegert gave one of his best performances ever as Richard Nixon.

The main problem--in fact, the only problem--was the very shaky assumption that Hiss (played by Herrmann) was framed by Whittaker Chambers (Harkins).

This was one of very few efforts put this story on film, and even if it must be taken with a grain of salt, is still very much worth watching.