High Tor
- Episode aired Mar 10, 1956
- 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
29
YOUR RATING
A musical version of Maxwell Anderson's never-filmed fantasy play.A musical version of Maxwell Anderson's never-filmed fantasy play.A musical version of Maxwell Anderson's never-filmed fantasy play.
Richard Keene
- 2nd Sailor
- (as Dick Keene)
Bobby Jordan
- 3rd Sailor
- (as Bob Jordan)
- Directors
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaPlaywright Maxwell Anderson first considered a musical adaptation of "High Tor" for television in 1949. In mid-1954 CBS Chairman William Paley approached Anderson about producing the play for his newly planned live-action, 90-minute anthology series, Ford Star Jubilee (1955). Anderson and writer John Monks Jr. decided to adapt the play as a musical fantasy, with music composed by Arthur Schwartz and lyrics by Anderson, and starring Bing Crosby. Crosby was not comfortable with doing live television--especially 90 minutes of it nonstop--and insisted that the production be filmed. His production office was on the Paramount Pictures lot in Hollywood, and he did not want to use the CBS studio in Hollywood nor the New York studio for the shooting. Desilu Studios--formerly the RKO Pictures lot--was across the street from the Paramount lot, and an agreement was reached to shoot the production there. CBS wanted to shoot it on videotape, as it normally did with live shows, but Crosby didn't want that. He reached a deal with CBS that would result in his covering the additional expense of shooting the production on film, and any associated costs. In the end the show's budget reached $450,000, making it the most expensive TV production up to that time (Crosby himself was reported to have been paid $375,000). Shot in November of 1955 by cinematographer Lester Shorr and directors James Neilson and Franklin J. Schaffner--all of whom had previously worked on both live and filmed shows--it was broadcast on March 10, 1956, to lukewarm reviews. The show's score was released that year on Decca Records.
- Quotes
Judith: But you only worked three weeks out of the year.
Van Van Dorn: That's all I need.
Judith: The rest of the time you hunt, of fish, or swim or sleep, or heaven knows what.
Van Van Dorn: Ain't it the truth?
- ConnectionsRemake of The Philco Television Playhouse: High Tor (1950)
Featured review
Hijinks With High Spirits
It's a busy night on High Tor, on the Palisades near the Tappan Zee. Bing Crosby owns the mountain, but girlfriend Nancy Olson points out that if he sold it and worked a steady job, they could get married. He says no, so she says it's over. Hans Conried and Lloyd Corrigan show up, offering Bing cash, which he refuses. So do some guys who have robbed the local bank of $25,000. Also some spirits of a Futch ship stranded thereabouts for three centuries, including Julie Andrews.
The musical version of Maxwell Anderson's 1930s fantasy has songs by Anderson and Arthur Schwartz. It was planned for a CBS show, but Crosby insisted on it being filmed. Later, it was premiered in a live performance on CBS's Ford Star Jubilee to blah reviews. I can see why. The songs are not particularly good, although Crosby and Miss Andrews certainly sell their numbers. There's also something about the pacing of the actors which seems a little slow, despite two skilled directors in Franklin Schaffner and James Neilson. I suspect that it was timed for the eventual TV production, and no one seems to offer any sense that anything weird is happening.
Still, it has possibilities. Stephen Sondheim has done a set of songs for his own version. Anderson refused to let it be done, so we'll have to wait until the copyright lapses in 2042 before he have a chance at it.
The musical version of Maxwell Anderson's 1930s fantasy has songs by Anderson and Arthur Schwartz. It was planned for a CBS show, but Crosby insisted on it being filmed. Later, it was premiered in a live performance on CBS's Ford Star Jubilee to blah reviews. I can see why. The songs are not particularly good, although Crosby and Miss Andrews certainly sell their numbers. There's also something about the pacing of the actors which seems a little slow, despite two skilled directors in Franklin Schaffner and James Neilson. I suspect that it was timed for the eventual TV production, and no one seems to offer any sense that anything weird is happening.
Still, it has possibilities. Stephen Sondheim has done a set of songs for his own version. Anderson refused to let it be done, so we'll have to wait until the copyright lapses in 2042 before he have a chance at it.
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- boblipton
- Mar 3, 2023
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