| Title | Variety reviews Cooper |
| Message Text | Variety -- June 22, 1949 VOL. 1, NO.1 with Wyllis Cooper, Jack Lescoulie, Nancy Sheridan, Frank Thomas, Jr., Albert J. Buhrman, organist Producer-Writer: Wyllis Cooper Director: Alex Segal 30 mins., Thurs., 9:30 p.m. Sustaining From New York Wyllis Cooper, who distinguished himself in radio with the "Quiet, Please" and "Lights Out" shows, has made a provocative start in video with his production of "Vol. 1, No. 1." He has applied techniques used in film and legit in a manner that makes the audience part of the show with his stationary one camera technique, and provides a story with an indefinite conclusion that leaves the viewers stewing in their intellectual juices groping for a plausible explanation. Briefly, the yarn tells of a couple being shown to a hotel room by a bellhop. Said couple have just robbed a bank, killed a watchman and made a successful getaway to this hideout hotel. The moment the bellhop leaves, they discover their money and the gun missing, despite the fact that their luggage hasn't been switched. The bellhop seems to be the master of the situation. He strands them without food, water, cigarets, and without a possibility of making a getaway. The focal point seems to center around the bellhop, played with just the right amount of puckishness by Frank Thomas, Jr. It's hard to make out exactly what he represents. He could be the personification of the couple's conscience or some supernatural being. The audience can apply any solution it likes and it will still be groping for explanations. Jack Lescoulie and Nancy Sheridan as the embattled couple do excellent jobs that call for a graduated change of emotions from cockiness to stark terror. Cooper has made the audience part of the show by using his single camera stationed behind what is purportedly a wall mirror. The camera range is limited to what can be seen by one peeking into the room. Cooper has seen to it that the audience is given a feeling of guilt by looking in on the show, especially when the absconding pair complain that they have the feeling that someone's watching them. With the variation in story treatment, Cooper has also introduced some penetrating bits of business. At one point the siren of a passing ambulance merges with the loud swing record from the music store on the ground floor of the hotel in a manner that made it a completely harmonic composition and one that helps create an atmosphere that helps accentuate the feeling of terror that envelopes the twosome. Cooper, who made a brief appearance to introduce the program, has contracted for an initial series of six shows. With the first of this series, it seems that he has fashioned an adult type of diversion for the higher IQ levels. He has provided an indication that the medium is growing up. Jose. ____________________ From an interview with actor Frank Thomas, Jr.: ... They finally talked [Cooper] into doing TV, and he agreed only to do these six stories. [June 16 to July 21, 1949 on ABC] For the first broadcast, we did something called "The Bellhop's Story," with only three characters, played by myself, Jack Lescoulie and Nancy Sheridan. Well, the next morning after the broadcast, at an ungodly hour, Bill [Cooper] called me up. I worked a great deal for him, so we were on friendly terms. I had worked on "Quiet, Please!" which is the [horror-fantasy] show he did after "Lights Out!" Anyway, he called and said, "Frank, have you seen Variety? Well, of course, you haven't seen it, I have an advance copy, I wanta read this to you, kid: 'Television Comes of Age with Wyllis Cooper's Volume One.'" And that was the review! It was indeed a very interesting script. ... |
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| Submission Date | Apr 09, 2004 |