The Golden Age of TV Drama

This remarkable and entertaining 5-DVD collection of 16 rare television dramas, broadcast both live and filmed from 1951 to 1960, features up-and-coming performers just as they're starting their careers, as well as seasoned pros from the big screen, and represents such classic TV anthologies as PLAYHOUSE 90, THE U.S. STEEL HOUR, TELEPHONE TIME, FOUR STAR PLAYHOUSE, and DUPONT THEATER. Working behind the scenes were such legendary writers and directors as ROD SERLING, JOHN FRANKENHEIMER, DANIEL PETRIE, and DAVID SUSSKIND. Included in this extraordinary set are: BANG THE DRUM SLOWLY (1956) - Paul Newman THE COMEDIAN (1957) - Mickey Rooney, Mel Torme PLAYMATES (1952) - Natalie Wood THE BELLS OF COCKAIGNE (1953) - James Dean THE WILD BUNCH (1955) - Natalie Wood, Charles Boyer FIGHT FOR THE TITLE (1957) - Michael Landon FULL CIRCLE (1955) - Joanne Woodward, David Niven DEATH OF MANOLETE (1957) - Jack Palance, Suzy Parker WOMAN'S WORK (1956) - Walter Brennan, James Best MAN AGAINST CRIME (1952) - Ralph Bellamy HILL NUMBER ONE (1951) - James Dean, Roddy McDowall I BEHELD HIS GLORY (1953) - George Macready LETTER TO LORETTA (1953) - Loretta Young TREASURE ISLAND (1960) - Boris Karloff, Hugh Griffith SUMMER OF DECISION (1959) - Suzanne Pleshette FEDERAL MEN (1955) - Gloria Talbott A rare treat for fans of classic television - and classic Hollywood! TOTAL RUNNING TIME: Approx. 714 mins. Disc One BANG THE DRUM SLOWLY (U.S. Steel Hour) - 9/26/56 - Paul Newman, George Peppard, Albert Salmi - Heart-rending tale of baseball pitcher Henry Wiggins (20-year-old Paul Newman), who befriends the team's slow-witted catcher, Bruce Pearson (Albert Salmi from The Twilight Zone), after Pearson is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Twenty-five years later, Daniel Petrie once again directed Paul Newman, in Fort Apache: The Bronx. 52 mins. THE COMEDIAN (Playhouse 90) - 2/14/57 - Mickey Rooney, Mel Torme, Kim Hunter, Edmond O'Brien - Rod Serling (The Twilight Zone) scripted this powerful tale of ruthless and megalomaniacal TV comic, Sammy Hogarth (Mickey Rooney) who abuses everyone he works with - especially his own brother, Lester (Mel Torme). Directed by John Frankenheimer (Birdman of Alcatraz). 72 mins. PLAYMATES (Pepsi-Cola Playhouse) - 8/29/54 - Natalie Wood, Alan Napier - A lonely young girl (16-year-old Natalie Wood in her television debut) plays with imaginary friends in her uncle's mansion, but why does her uncle (Alan Napier of Batman) start to hear them, too? Directed by Ric