Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersSundance Film FestivalIndependent Spirit AwardsBlack History MonthSXSWSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Episode guide
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Kraft Theatre

Original title: Kraft Television Theatre
  • TV Series
  • 1947–19581947–1958
  • 1h
IMDb RATING
8.2/10
195
YOUR RATING
Kraft Theatre (1947)
Drama
A well-received anthology series presenting live television dramas.A well-received anthology series presenting live television dramas.A well-received anthology series presenting live television dramas.
IMDb RATING
8.2/10
195
YOUR RATING
  • Stars
    • Ed Herlihy
    • Vaughn Taylor
    • Valerie Cossart
  • Stars
    • Ed Herlihy
    • Vaughn Taylor
    • Valerie Cossart
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 1User review
    • 1Critic review
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 2 Primetime Emmys

    Episodes589

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated

    Photos62

    James Dean in Kraft Theatre (1947)
    Elizabeth Montgomery and Lee Remick in Kraft Theatre (1947)
    Walter Matthau and Nancy Walker in Kraft Theatre (1947)
    Kraft Theatre (1947)
    William Shatner in Kraft Theatre (1947)
    Kraft Theatre (1947)
    Kraft Theatre (1947)
    Kraft Theatre (1947)
    Kraft Theatre (1947)
    Kraft Theatre (1947)
    Kraft Theatre (1947)
    Kraft Theatre (1947)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ed Herlihy
    Ed Herlihy
    • Announcer…
    Vaughn Taylor
    Vaughn Taylor
    • Mr. Mergenthwirker…
    Valerie Cossart
    • Mrs. Ryerson…
    E.G. Marshall
    E.G. Marshall
    • Colonel Hodges…
    Joe Maross
    Joe Maross
    • Don Birnham
    Dan Morgan
    • 3rd Class Passenger…
    Mercer McLeod
    • Hardcastle…
    Harry Townes
    Harry Townes
    • Bill…
    Richard Kiley
    Richard Kiley
    • Fred Staples…
    John Stephen
    • Loomis
    Margaret Phillips
    Margaret Phillips
    • Kate
    John Baragrey
    John Baragrey
    • Edward Rochester
    J. Pat O'Malley
    J. Pat O'Malley
    • Dovetail…
    John Newland
    John Newland
    • Krogstad
    Felicia Montealegre
    • Emma Woodhouse…
    Nancy Marchand
    Nancy Marchand
    • Ann…
    Henry Jones
    Henry Jones
    • Professor Bowdin…
    Mark Roberts
    Mark Roberts
    • Kelly…
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Alcoa Hour
    7.4
    The Alcoa Hour
    Goodyear Playhouse
    8.1
    Goodyear Playhouse
    The Philco Television Playhouse
    7.9
    The Philco Television Playhouse
    Studio One
    7.7
    Studio One
    Danger
    7.9
    Danger
    The United States Steel Hour
    8.2
    The United States Steel Hour
    The Big Story
    7.5
    The Big Story
    Playhouse 90
    8.5
    Playhouse 90
    Suspense
    7.7
    Suspense
    Armstrong Circle Theatre
    8.1
    Armstrong Circle Theatre
    Lux Video Theatre
    7.9
    Lux Video Theatre
    Omnibus
    8.5
    Omnibus

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Unlike some other early television series, many episodes of this series survive as kinescope recordings. The March 3, 1948 episode is the oldest episode for which a complete copy exists.
    • Connections
      Featured in Television: Play Power (1985)
    • Soundtracks
      Music of Manhattan
      By Norman Clautier

    User reviews1

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    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.
    helpful•7
    6
    • arneblaze
    • Dec 21, 2002

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 7, 1947 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
      • New York City, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • J. Walter Thompson Agency
      • Kraft Foods Inc.
      • Talent Associates
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour
      • Black and White
      • Mono

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Kraft Theatre (1947)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Kraft Theatre (1947) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page
    Add episode

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.