Studio 57
Rod Taylor appeared in three installments of "Studio 57" in 1955.
"Studio 57" was an anthology series that aired on the DuMont Television Network
from Sept. 21, 1954 to Sept. 6,
1955. It is one of the last regularly scheduled series ever carried on DuMont,
which had debuted in 1946 as a rival to ABC and CBS. Revue
Productions (now Universal Television) produced the series.
DuMont did not have the big budgets of other networks and relied
on using then-unknown actors -- like young Rod Taylor, recently
arrived from Australia.
The half-hour anthology series was also known as "Heinz Studio 57" and
"Heinz 57 Playhouse." After DuMont's demise, "Studio 57" shows were
shown on local stations under many banners throughout the late
1950s, including Hollywood Playhouse, Diamond Playhouse, Marquee
Theater, Bulova Show Time, Summer Playhouse, Silver Screen Playhouse
and Regal Theater. Reruns also appeared on NBC's summer anthologies
"Your Play Time" (1955), "Encore Theatre" (1956) and "Moment of
Fear" (1964).
In Australia, "Studio 57" episodes were incorporated into
"Whitehall Playhouse," which was one of the original shows on
Australian TV, starting in 1956.
"Black Sheep's Daughter"
Episode 1.32 (April 26, 1955)
Rodney Taylor played Tommy Scarborough,
the son of stuffy
English family headed by Baron Scarborough (actor Tom
Dugan).
Philip Ober starred as Tracy Piper, a middle-aged American playboy who is
about to divorce his wife, Susan (Frances Mercer), for another woman,
Diana Flagg
(Carolyn Jones). Meanwhile, his daughter, Susan Piper (Marcia Patrick),
wants to marry Tommy Scarborough
(Rod) and tries to hide the fact that
her father is a notorious rogue.
After Tracy Piper sees that his daughter's
fiancé is just a younger edition of his
worthless self, he eventually recovers the love and respect of his
wife and daughter.
The day after this episode first aired, Rod was signed to a
contract to play Sir David Karfrey in "Giant."
The episode aired on Australia's
"Whitehall Playhouse" on Jan. 11, 1960 (Sydney, TCN-9).
"The Last Day on Earth"
Episode 1.34 (May 10, 1955)
Rod Taylor played Dr. Don Dalby in this episode, which is also known as "The
Last Day of My Life."
Walter Coy had the lead role as Dr. Robert Carlyle, a research
scientist experimenting with a new wonder drug. He inadvertently
injects himself with a serum that has proved fatal on animals.
Fearing he has just one day left to live, he sets out to make is
last day on earth a memorable one and decides to devote his remaining hours to his previously
neglected family.
Jean Byron played his wife, Mary Carlyle. Jeri Lou James
played Felice. The episode was directed by Stuart Gilmore.
The episode aired on Australia's
"Whitehall Playhouse" on Dec. 28, 1959
(Sydney, TCN-9).
"Killer Whale"
Episode 1.38 (June 7, 1955)
Rod Taylor starred as Patrick Harrington in this drama set along the north
Atlantic Coast in 1897. A series of mishaps hits a whaling boat, and the
crew blames an old sailors' superstition that a woman onboard is bad
luck. In this case, it's the captain's daughter. Veteran character
actor Roy Roberts played Jonathan
Winters, the luckless captain of the whaling vessel. Jean Howell
plays his daughter, Faith Winters. Claude Akins
plays Jed Evans. The episode was directed by John English and
written by Lawrence Kimble, a prolific screenwriter for 1940s movies
and 1950s TV anthology series.
The episode aired on Australia's
"Whitehall Playhouse" on Dec. 21, 1959
(Sydney, TCN-9).
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