Tragedy in a Temporary Town (The Alcoa Hour)

"Tragedy in a Temporary Town"
	The Alcoa Hour episode
Episode no.	Season 1; Episode 10
Directed by	Sidney Lumet
Teleplay by	Reginald Rose
Produced by	Herbert Brodkin
Original air date	19 February 1956
Running time	47–50 minutes
Guest appearance(s)
	Lloyd Bridges

"Tragedy in a Temporary Town" is a dramatic teleplay written by Reginald Rose. It was originally produced for The Alcoa Hour in the US directed by Sidney Lumet[1] and sparked media attention for its portrayal of race and for Lloyd Bridges ad libbed profanity during its live broadcast. Bridges was nominated for the Emmy Award for Best Single Performance by an Actor for 1957 but did not win.[2]

In 1959 the same script was produced as the third episode of the Australian anthology drama show Shell Presents starring Michael Pate.

Plot

In a small town, a group of migrant workers are employed at an aircraft factory and live in a trailer park. When 15 year-old Dotty Fisher claims she has been attacked, a group of men, led by Frank Doran, attempt to find out who is possible. They seize a boy, Raphael Infante, and threaten to lynch him. Only a tolerant man called Alec Beggs dares to stand up to the mob in an attempt to stop them.

Cast

For the 1956 Alcoa Hour Production:

Edward Binns as Anderson
Lloyd Bridges as Alec Beggs
Rafael Campos as Raphael Infante
Robert Dryden as Sankey
Robert Emhardt as Matt Fisher
Pete Gumeny as Reynolds
Donald Harron as Mickey Doran
Betty Lou Keim as Dotty Fisher
Will Kuluva as Julio Infante
Vivian Nathan as Grace Beggs
Milton Selzer as Pike
Clifford Tatum Jr. as Buddy Beggs
Jack Warden as Frank Doran
Jane White as Dolores Infante

Reception

The US production garnered press in February 1956 for actor Lloyd Bridges' emotional performance during which Bridges inadvertently slipped some profanity in while ad-libbing.[3][4] Although the slip of the lip and the racial content generated some complaints, most of the public feedback was positive. The episode won a Robert E. Sherwood Television Award, with Bridges' slip being defended even by some members of the clergy.[3][5][6] The episode, during which an innocent Puerto Rican man is targeted by a mob for a sexual crime, was cited by the Anti-Defamation League as "the best dramatic program of the year dealing with interethnic group relations."

References

"Actor's Slip Of Tongue Keeps TV Viewers Arguing". The Hartford Courant. 9 March 1956. p. 9. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
"Tragedy in a Temporary Town (Alcoa-Hour Goodyear P". Television Academy. Retrieved 2019-08-26.
"Profanity Ad-libbed by Emotional Actor". The Leader-Post. Associated Press. 20 February 1956. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
Harron, Don (November 17, 2012). "My Double Life: Sexty Years of Farquharson Around with Don Harn". Dundurn – via Google Books.
Newcomb, Horace (2004). Encyclopedia of Television. CRC Press. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-57958-411-5.
Hyatt, Wesley (10 March 2004). A Critical History of Television's The Red Skelton Show, 1951-1971. McFarland. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-7864-1732-2.

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[1] "Actor's Slip Of Tongue Keeps TV Viewers Arguing". The Hartford Courant. 9 March 1956. p. 9. Retrieved 7 May 2011.

[2] "Tragedy in a Temporary Town (Alcoa-Hour Goodyear P". Television Academy. Retrieved 2019-08-26.

[LP2-3] "Profanity Ad-libbed by Emotional Actor". The Leader-Post. Associated Press. 20 February 1956. Retrieved 7 May 2011.

[4] Harron, Don (November 17, 2012). "My Double Life: Sexty Years of Farquharson Around with Don Harn". Dundurn – via Google Books.

[EoT2-5] Newcomb, Horace (2004). Encyclopedia of Television. CRC Press. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-57958-411-5.

[6] Hyatt, Wesley (10 March 2004). A Critical History of Television's The Red Skelton Show, 1951-1971. McFarland. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-7864-1732-2.