Sun 12 Apr 2020
A TV Episode Review: FOUR STAR PLAYHOUSE “High Stakes†with Dick Powell as Dante (1956).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV mysteries[13] Comments
FOUR STAR PLAYHOUSE “High Stakes†Dante’s Inferno #5. 26 January 1956 (Season 4, Episode 15). Dick Powell (Willie Dante), Herb Vigran, Walter Sande. Guest Cast: Frances Bergen, James Seay, Morris Ankrum. Writer: Richard Carr. Director: William A. Seiter.
After reviewing one of the episodes of Dante starring Howard Duff, I found that Alpha Video had released four of the earlier Dick Powell episodes of them on DVD, and not only that, but I had a copy. While I’ve indicated below which four of them (*) are on the DVD, there were a total of eight that Dick Powell did, but as it turns out, the one I watched is available on YouTube as well:
Willie Dante is the owner and manager of a nightclub called, fittingly enough, Dante’s Inferno; it’s successful enough, but for patrons who are in the know, he has a casino in the back room, which is even more successful.
Based on this single episode, which is all I’ve watched so far, Dick Powell demonstrated a lot more gravitas in the part than Howard Duff did. To me, Duff seemed to have a secret twinkle in his eye in the role, while Powell is a lot more serious and solemn. He is in fact a hands on micro-manager of his nightclub, knowing for example, exactly how much money he should extend as credit to a customer and when to cut her off.
And this is what gets him into trouble in “High Stakes,†as when her angry husband comes in with a gun ablazing, Dante stays cool, fires back, and ends up seriously wounding the man. What the police can’t figure out, though, is that there is no gun in the room, nor any bullet holes.
It’s an excellent, tightly knit episode, showing that good defective stories on TV can be done in only 30 minutes, and still have time to let the star’s personality show through.
The Dante series on FOUR STAR PLAYHOUSE —
“Dante’s Inferno” October 9 1952
“The Squeeze” October 1 1953 (*)
“The Hard Way” November 19,1953
“The House Always Wins†April 28 1955. (*)
“High Stakes†January 26 1956 (*)
“No Limit†February 16, 1956
“A Long Way from Texas†May 3 1956
“The Stacked Deck†June 28 1956 (*)
April 12th, 2020 at 9:50 pm
Steve, gravitas and star appeal; Powell has it, Duff is a nice actor without it. I love Powell in these episodes, or in almost anything, and have always seen his Dante a close relation to his Johnny O’Clock, a film to be personally treasured, at least by me. Witty, humane, and dangerous.
April 12th, 2020 at 10:27 pm
Barry
I think that close up photo of him about halfway down says it all. And to think he started off as a goofy song and dance man.
April 13th, 2020 at 6:01 am
Half-hour drama is nowadays a lost art, and these things — when done properly — are assuming the status of the rare miniatures of antiquity.
April 13th, 2020 at 10:28 am
In my old review of DANTE, Barry and I had a fun discussion of Powell vs Duff. Your review and Barry’s comment here has me thinking again about the two.
Powell’s Dante could be a smug know-it-all who was in control and knew it. He could talk down to people (this is my take I know Barry and many others will disagree).
I found Duff more comedic. He was a man without any control. A man trying to go straight and bed as many women as possible and the cops, the mob, and the weirdest circumstances kept getting in the way.
The two may have played the same character but for the premise of the shows it was two different Dantes.
My most serious problem with the old version was the writing with its ancient running gags (for example the one about coffee) that were old in vaudeville. Where I found the remake writing better and more focused on humor based on the plots, premise, and characters.
There are a handful of series I would loved to see remastered and on DVD/streaming and Duff’s DANTE is high on my list. I am glad the Powell version is still available to watch.
April 13th, 2020 at 12:17 pm
Michael
I went back to read your earlier review of the Howard Duff DANTE series, but I neglected to read the comments where you and Barry discussed the merits of that series and the Dick Powell shows. Based on my recent viewing of only one of each, I would have to agree that the two different Dante’s are two different people, based on more or less the same premise. Both have their merits, but at the moment I am willing to give Dick Powell the edge.
Perhaps tomorrow my answer will be different.
PS. I miss David Bushman and the very useful and interesting comments he used to leave on this blog.
April 13th, 2020 at 2:43 pm
And — I like Frances Bergen better than I’ve ever liked her daughter.
April 13th, 2020 at 4:10 pm
Oh my. I missed that. That Bergen family!
April 13th, 2020 at 3:38 pm
Compare Dick Powell’s Willie Dante to Dick Powell’s Amos Burke. Both were rich men who were laid-back (notice how Powell’s Dante reacts to the cops closing him down to end every episode – he didn’t seem to care knowing he be back in business soon). And Powell’s Amos lacked any interest in justice. When he grew bored with the murder Amos dumped it in her team and left for a vacation.
Both Powell’s versions seemed to be fighting rich man’s boredom. Both Duff as Dante and Gene Barry as Amos were driven by different motivations.
Note other changes in Dante and Burke. Powell’s didn’t want to go straight but it was very important to Duff’s Dante.
And the changes to Burke, Gene Barry’s Amos take his crime fighting seriously and often leaves a beautiful woman for his duty as a cop (of course Amos got to question all the beautiful women suspects).
April 13th, 2020 at 5:11 pm
I must be getting old and some of things I once knew I no longer have room in my head for. I had totally forgotten that AMOS BURKE started out on THE DICK POWELL SHOW. Now I will have to go looking to see what I can find to watch one online.
April 13th, 2020 at 5:12 pm
That idn’t take long. Here we go:
https://www.solie.org/alibrary/DickPowellTheatre_101WhoKilledJulieGreer.html
April 14th, 2020 at 1:38 am
What Powell had was that he had grown into that wonderful face and those world weary expressions that didn’t always need dialogue. I liked Duff, but in Powell you always had the feeling of a whole life beneath a shrug or a frown and an edge because while Powell never played outright bad guys (as Duff did) some of his good guys were on the thin edge of the right side.
April 14th, 2020 at 7:01 am
Well-put, David!
April 14th, 2020 at 1:13 pm
I have been re-reading Ross Thomas’ BRIARPATCH while watching the TV adaption (I hope to write a review if my energy holds up). I think Dick Powell would be a great choice for the typical Ross Thomas protagonist – a flawed cynical man who despite his past is likable and someone the reader/audience roots for.