DESILU PLAYHOUSE 1958 - 1960 5 dvd

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse is an American television anthology 
series produced by Desilu Productions. The show ran between 1958 and 1960. 

In the fall of 1958, "The Time Element," starring William Bendix, aired to positive 
reviews. Written by Rod Serling, the show's popularity gave Serling the leverage 
to convince CBS to give the go-ahead to Serling's concept for a science 
fiction/fantasy anthology series (which was what Serling had in mind when 
writing the "The Time Element") that he called The Twilight Zone which debuted 
in the fall of 1959.


History

Between 1951 and 1957, Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball starred in and produced 
(via their Desilu production company) the popular I Love Lucy show. In early 
1958, Desi Arnaz convinced CBS to purchase Desilu Playhouse with the promise 
that a bi-monthly Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show (later rebroadcast as The Lucy-Desi 
Comedy Hour) would be among the dramas, comedies and musical numbers 
planned for the show. Westinghouse paid a then-record $12 million to sponsor 
the show, which resulted in the cancellation of the prestigious anthology series 
Studio One, also sponsored by Westinghouse. Lucille Ball's first television role that 
was not Lucy Ricardo. She played a dance teacher 
who inherited a boxer in 1958.


7 Great shows from this series

BERNADETTE - The story of Bernadette Soubirous (Pier Angeli) and the events 
that took place in 1858 at Lourdes after she saw a vision of the Virgin Mary. 
Louise: Marian Seldes. Dr. Dozous: Don McHenry. Francois: Bruce Gordon. Mme. 
Lacade: Ludi Claire. Mayor: Jacques Aubuchon. Pomian: Ron Soble. 

K.O. KITTY starring Lucille Ball and Aldo Ray - A dancing teacher (Lucille Ball) 
inherits a rural prize fighter (Aldo Ray) from her late uncle---and decides to 
train him herself for the big time. David: William Lundigan. Barney: Jesse White. 
Louis: Sid Melton.

MURDER IS A PRIVATE AFFAIR starring David Ryan and Adam West with 
Dina Merrill - A retired gambling czar (David Brian) sends his handsome 
henchman (Adam West) to protect an heiress (Dina Merrill) whose husband 
is out to murder her. Ingrid: Myrna Hansen. Hinkle: Hal Baylor. 
Jung Lu: Kam Tong. Bannister: Peter Adams. Jan: Barbara Hines.

DESILU REVUE - A musical revue featuring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Ann Sothern, 
Danny Thomas, George Murphy, Bonita Granville, Rory Calhoun, Spring Byington, 
William Frawley, Vivian Vance, John Bromfield and Hedda Hopper

MAN IN THE FUNNY SUIT starring Ed Wynn, Red Skelton, Keenan Wynn & Rod Serling - 
Ed and Keenan Wynn play themselves in this true story of the backstage tensions 
enveloping Ed's dramatic debut in "Requiem for a Heavyweight." Playing themselves: 
Red Skelton, Bob Mathias, Ralph Nelson, Maxie Rosenbloom and Rod Serling.

THUNDER IN THE NIGHT starring Desi Arnaz - Government agents set out to 
smash a North African counterfeiting gang that prints fake American passports. 
Hunter: Desi Arnaz. Carter: Rod Taylor. Farago: Akim Tamiroff. 
Reuter: George Macready. Ronnie: Marion Marshall. Wilnow: Massimo Serato. 
Nico: Eugene Deckers. Mike: Sid Clute.

TIME ELEMENT - starring Martin Balsam & William Bendix - A psychiatrist (Martin Balsam) 
tries to help a man (William Bendix) who claims he repeatedly goes back in time 
to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Maid: Jesslyn Fax. Bartender: Jesse White. 
Janoski: Darryl Hickman. Mrs. Janoski: Carolyn Kearney. 

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