This kind of topic is not my cup of tea, but I admit that one is worth seeing, inventive, with a sort of social impact. The old female beggar's character - Jessie - is adorable, funny and touching and Jeannette Nolan's performance emphasizes the convincing impact of this so simple but beautiful tale. Her performance would deserve an Academy Award, no problem. Richard Boone directed this episode and it is a good piece of work, I think he had great skills for film making. We could have expected from him an action story, mainly for tough men characters, such as the ones he mainly showed during his career, and not such a story, a social character study.
2 Reviews
Laura Devon to the fore
lor_16 September 2023
Though Jeanette Nolan's bravura turn as a former Gibson Girl ending up as a fun caricature of a bag lady fronts this Damon Runyon-esque episode of Richard Boone's show, I was more impressed with the multi-layered performance of Laura Devon. This beautiful actress of her era deserved major roles and got one here -the sort of part that Marilyn Monroe often personified, and she makes the most of it.
Not the hooker with a heart of gold but a young woman modeling for a living, worn down by dashed hopes of making her way in the world, overcoming male chauvinism and all the stereotyping that stands in her way.
Louis Pollock's story is all about stereotypes, and its broad brush treatment of serious issues: idealism (personified by architect/urban renewal advocate Warren Stevens) versus cynicism (oddly given to beatnik poet/hedonist Guy Stockwell) and an old-fashioned look at populism, has dated badly in the 60 years since this little play for television was broadcast.
Boone's repertory troupe plays a bunch of greasepaint characters, and their entertaining turns are fun to watch, but too many mixed messages underneath the flamboyant acting didn't add up for me. Transported to the 21st century, the title issue of voting for or against Proposition 11 to tear down a set of tenement blocks and put up Stevens' high rises is far more complicated and the depiction of a Lower East Side population is way too condescending. This is no trenchant "A Face in the Crowd" nor even an update of "Guys and Dolls" and the feminist undertone embodied in the powerful characters of Devon and Nolan is poorly conceived.
Not the hooker with a heart of gold but a young woman modeling for a living, worn down by dashed hopes of making her way in the world, overcoming male chauvinism and all the stereotyping that stands in her way.
Louis Pollock's story is all about stereotypes, and its broad brush treatment of serious issues: idealism (personified by architect/urban renewal advocate Warren Stevens) versus cynicism (oddly given to beatnik poet/hedonist Guy Stockwell) and an old-fashioned look at populism, has dated badly in the 60 years since this little play for television was broadcast.
Boone's repertory troupe plays a bunch of greasepaint characters, and their entertaining turns are fun to watch, but too many mixed messages underneath the flamboyant acting didn't add up for me. Transported to the 21st century, the title issue of voting for or against Proposition 11 to tear down a set of tenement blocks and put up Stevens' high rises is far more complicated and the depiction of a Lower East Side population is way too condescending. This is no trenchant "A Face in the Crowd" nor even an update of "Guys and Dolls" and the feminist undertone embodied in the powerful characters of Devon and Nolan is poorly conceived.
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