James Dean On Live Television

2893. JAMES DEAN ON LIVE TELEVISION
1. THE GENERAL ELECTRIC THEATRE (November 14, 1954). CBS-TV net. “I’m A Fool” by SHERWOOD ANDERSON. With JAMES DEAN, EDDIE ALBERT, NATALIE WOOD, ROY GLENN, RONALD REAGAN (host). This is a rebroadcast of a well done period piece aired shortly after Dean’s accidental death in 1955. James portrays a young man who enters the world of horses and race tracks. Meeting the ideal girl, a fayal mistake is made. Imaginatively told in flashback by Eddie Albert, note the minimal, abstract sets. Rear projection, painted floors, suggestive props all add much to a gem of live television. Seeing young Mr. Dean and Natalie Wood before their rise to stardom is an added treat.
2. ARMSTRONG’S CIRCLE THEATRE (November 17, 1953). NBC-TV net. “The Bells Of Cockaigne” by GEORGE LOWTHER. With JAMES DEAN, GENE LOCKHART, VAUGHN TAYLOR. Young Joey’s a bare-chested dock-worker who needs money badly for his sick son. Old Pat wants nothing more than to return to old Ireland for a final visit. While Joey’s losing what little money he has at a lunchtime poker game, Pat wins a “lucky buck” contest. The bells and whistles of the dock make his generous good deed a foregone conclusion. Another meaty role for Dean’s obvious abilities!
55 minutes total. Live TV Drama