Days of Wine and Roses (1958 TV drama)
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Days of Wine and Roses was an acclaimed 1958 teleplay by JP Miller which dramatized the problems of alcoholism. John Frankenheimer directed the cast headed by Cliff Robertson, Piper Laurie and Charles Bickford.[1]
The 90-minute telecast was presented live with tape inserts on October 2, 1958 and was the second episode of the third season of the anthology series Playhouse 90 on CBS. Costume changes were made possible because Frankenheimer taped the Alcoholics Anonymous scenes on the day prior to the live telecast.
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[edit] Plot
The story tells of the effects of alcoholism on an ambitious young executive Joe Clay (Robertson) and his wife Kristen (Laurie). Heavy drinking seems to be a mandatory part of their hectic social schedule. The drinking takes them on a ride to the bottom of a bottle and wrecks the lives they were building.
[edit] Background
JP Miller found his title in the 1896 poem "Vitae Summa Brevis Spem Nos Vetet Incohare Longam" by the English writer Ernest Dowson (1867-1900):[2]
- They are not long, the weeping and the laughter,
- Love and desire and hate;
- I think they have no portion in us after
- We pass the gate.
- They are not long, the days of wine and roses:
- Out of a misty dream
- Our path emerges for a while, then closes
- Within a dream.
[edit] Cast
- Cliff Robertson as Joe Clay
- Piper Laurie as Kirsten Arnesen Clay
- Charles Bickford as Ellis Arensen
- Marc Lawrence as Scarface
- Malcolm Atterbury as Jim Hungerford
- Martha Wentworth as Mrs. Nolan
- Mimi Gibson
[edit] Production credits
- Directed by John Frankenheimer
- Produced by Martin Manulis
- Scripted by JP Miller
[edit] Critical reception
The episode received good reviews from television critics. Jack Gould, in The New York Times, praised the writing, director and cast: "It was a brilliant and compelling work... Mr. Miller's dialogue was especially fine, natural, vivid and understated. Miss Laurie's performance was enough to make the flesh crawl, yet it also always elicited deep sympathy. Her interpretation of the young wife just a shade this side of delirium tremens--the flighty dancing around the room, her weakness of character and moments of anxiety and her charm when she was sober--was a superlative accomplishment. Miss Laurie is moving into the forefront of our most gifted young actresses. Mr. Robertson achieved first-rate contrast between the sober man fighting to hold on and the hopeless drunk whose only courage came from the bottle. His scene in the greenhouse, where he tried to find the bottle that he had hidden in the flower pot, was particularly good... John Frankenheimer's direction was magnificent. His every touch implemented the emotional suspense but he never let the proceedings get out of hand or merely become sensational. [3]
[edit] Adaptation
A film of the teleplay was produced in 1962 by Martin Manulis with Blake Edwards directing. The drama featured Jack Lemmon, Lee Remick, Charles Bickford, and Jack Klugman. Bickford was the only member of the TV cast to repeat his role in the movie. See: Days of Wine and Roses. [4] When Frankenheimer was not chosen to direct the movie, he was told by his agent, "John, they say you're not a comedy director." [5] (Lemmon and Edwards, prior to 1962, were mainly associated with comedies.)
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Playhouse 90" The Days of Wine and Roses at the Internet Movie Database.
- ^ Loveridge, Charlotte. Curtain Up, theater review, February 24, 1995.
- ^ Gould, Jack. The New York Times, television review, "TV: Study in Alcoholism," October 3, 1958. Last accessed: January 5, 2008.
- ^ Days of Wine and Roses at the Internet Movie Database.
- ^ List: Movie Trivia: FAQ
