Portrait of a Murderer
Portrait of a Murderer is an episode of the TV show Playhouse 90 starring Tab Hunter as killer Donald Bashor.[1]
| "Portrait of a Murderer" | |
|---|---|
| Playhouse 90 episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 25 |
| Directed by | Arthur Penn |
| Teleplay by | Leslie Stevens Abby Mann (story) |
| Produced by | Martin Manulis |
| Original air date | February 27, 1958 |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
Leslie Stevens wrote the script with the assistance of a former cell mate of Bashor's. He also wrote while listening to interviews with Bashor.[2]
Reception
The Los Angeles Times thought it was "extremely interesting TV."[3]
The AV Club says the director Arthur Penn "makes extensive use of Bashor’s actual statements and a first-person camera to create a faux-documentary style that was decades ahead of its time. Penn marveled at the improvisatory aspect of Tab Hunter’s performance as Bashor, citing an unplanned moment in which Hunter stops to pick up a basket of spilled laundry just after his character has committed murder. It was a textbook case of how the immediacy of live television was meant to work."[4]
Ray Stark wanted to make a film version directed by Stevens with Hunter reprising his role but it was never made.[5]
References
- Hayes Finishes New Play 'Midnight Sun' Hopper, Hedda. Los Angeles Times 07 Feb 1958: A5.
- THE TV SCENE---: Two Shows to Do Studies in Murder Smith, Cecil. Los Angeles Times 27 Feb 1958: A10.
- THE TV SCENE---: Tape Resurrects Playhouse Epic Smith, Cecil. Los Angeles Times 21 Aug 1958: A12
- Bowie, Stephen (March 17, 2014). "Playhouse 90 refined live TV—and then killed it". AVClub.
- Glenn Ford Voted Exhibitor Favorite: Actor Heads List First Time; Liz Taylor, Bardot Among 10 Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times 24 Dec 1958: A5.