Tue 3 Nov 2020
A TV Episode Review: FOUR STAR PLAYHOUSE “Bourbon Street†(1954).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV Drama[8] Comments
FOUR STAR PLAYHOUSE “Bourbon Street.†CBS, 09 December 1954 (Season 3, Episode 11). Dick Powell, Beverly Garland, William Leicester, Clarence Muse, Ed Platt. Writer: Richard Carr. Director: Roy Kellino.
In many ways this noirish 25 minute play has more going for it than many a shoot ’em up, ultra violent neo-noir two-hour extravaganza in full color does today. Dick Powell is in full hard-boiled tough guy mode in this one, as a piano player who has managed to make his way out of the quicksand life of New Orleans, only to return when he learns that the girl he loved has committed suicide.
He blames the young hoodlum who stole the girl from him, and the only thing on his mind is revenge. Along the way he meets another girl (Beverly Garland) who pleads with him to give it up and take her along with him. Does he? Not a chance. He walks out, closing (but not slamming) the door behind him.
Right into an out-and-out beating and a twist that maybe you will see coming, but I didn’t. It’s beautifully set up, though, and if you decide to watch it (video clip provided), I hope you agree. I liked this one.
November 3rd, 2020 at 7:20 am
Where did you find this one?
November 3rd, 2020 at 10:22 am
It was churned up by the algorithms on YouTube, based I assume on what they knew I’d already been watching. I’d been talking to Jon about the TV series BOURBON STREET BEAT, so the title is what caught my eye.
November 3rd, 2020 at 8:11 pm
This series did quite a few tough hard boiled episodes with Powell, capitalizing on his film persona after a string of noir hits. Considering the length and the limits of television they were often well written, directed, and acted since Powell as a producer still had a good eye for talent and what audiences wanted.
November 3rd, 2020 at 8:37 pm
The good news is that I believe quite a few of the Powell episodes are readily available online, including YouTube.
November 3rd, 2020 at 11:54 pm
Just for fun, I went to IMDb and came up with a list of all the episodes of FOUR STAR PLAYHOUSE Dick Powell was on:
Four Star Playhouse (TV Series)
– Success Story (1956) … Dan Matson
– The Stacked Deck (1956) … Willie Dante
– Watch the Sunset (1956) … Philip Benton
– One Forty Two (1956) … Priest
– A Long Way from Texas (1956) … Willie Dante
– Autumn Carousel (1956) … Steve
– To Die at Midnight (1956) … Grover Doane
– No Limit (1956) … Willie Dante
– High Stakes (1956) … Willie Dante
– A Place Full of Strangers (1955) … Fleet Mason
– A Spray of Bullets (1955) … Will Sonnett
– The House Always Wins (1955) … Willie Dante
– The Girl on the Bridge (1955) … Andrew
– The Returning (1955) … Capt. Avery
– Fair Trial (1955) … Dave
– Go Ahead and Jump (1954) … Eddie
– Bourbon Street (1954) … Jeff
– The Contest (1954) … Dan
– Interlude (1954) … Chris
– A Study in Panic (1954) … Fred
– Detective’s Holiday (1954) … Dave Robinson
– The Gun (1954) … Dan Hodges
– The Test (1954) … Dan
– The Room (1953) … Graham
– The Hard Way (1953) … Willie Dante
– The Witness (1953) … Mike Donegan
– Love at Sea (1953) … Paul
– The Squeeze (1953) … Willie Dante
– Shadowed (1953) … Burt Stroude
– Trail’s End (1953) … US Marshal Philip Dana
– Welcome Home (1952) … Eddie White
– Dante’s Inferno (1952) … Willie Dante
November 4th, 2020 at 4:53 am
“He walks out, closing (but not slamming) the door behind him.”
If a character slammed the door in a 1950s TV drama programme the set usually collapsed.
November 4th, 2020 at 11:39 am
Ha! I should have added something to the effect that otherwise this was a very solid example of good storytelling.
November 4th, 2020 at 1:18 pm
No, Steve, he is wrong. this was filmed television done in Hollywood, not at all like the New York produced shows.