"Old Man"

Playhouse 90 episode

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Episode no.

Season 3
Episode 8

Directed by

John Frankenheimer

Written by

Horton Foote (adaptation), William Faulkner (novel)

Original air date

November 20, 1958

Guest appearances

Sterling Hayden as Tall convict
Geraldine Page as Young woman

Episode chronology

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"Heart of Darkness"

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"The Return of Ansel Gibbs"

"Old Man" is an American television play broadcast on November 20, 1958, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90. The production, starring Sterling Hayden and Geraldine Page, was adapted by Horton Foote from the short novel "Old Man" by William Faulkner. It was nominated for three Emmy Awards: for most outstanding program of the year; for best single performance by an actress (Page); and for best writing of a single dramatic program one hour or longer (Foote).

Plot

A prison farm in Mississippi releases prisoners to help fight a flood. The story focuses on the interaction between a tall convict (played by Sterling Hayden), a pregnant young woman (played by Geraldine Page), and the floodwaters. The "Old Man" referenced in the title is the Mississippi River.

Cast

The following performers received screen credit for their performances:^[1]

Sterling Hayden as tall convict
Geraldine Page as young woman
Milton Selzer as long-term prisoner
Malcolm Atterbury as sympathetic physician
James Westerfield as warden

Melvyn Douglas hosted the broadcast.

Production

John Frankenheimer was the director and Fred Coe the producer. Horton Foote wrote the teleplay based on William Faulkner's short novel "Old Man" published in 1938 as part of the book The Wild Palms.

Reception

In The New York Times, John P. Shanley called it a "superlative production" and praised Geraldine Page for "a performance of remarkable range and sensitivity."^[1]

Television critic William Ewald called it "superb" and credited the success to the John Frankenheimer, "one of TV's young geniuses," and Horton Foote. He also praised Page's performance as "brilliant" and called a scene in which Hayden rescued Page from the river in time for her to give birth to a baby as "one of the most moving scenes I've ever witness[ed] on TV."^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b John P. Shanley (November 21, 1958). "Faulkner's 'Old Man' a Rich Script". The New York Times. p. 59.
^ "'Old Man' Superb, 'Kate" Seen So-So". Bristol Courier and Levittown Times (UPI story). November 21, 1958. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.

v t e Playhouse 90
People	John Frankenheimer Martin Manulis Franklin J. Schaffner Rod Serling
Season 1	"Forbidden Area" "Requiem for a Heavyweight" "Sizeman and Son" "Rendezvous in Black" "The Country Husband" "The Big Slide" "Heritage of Anger" "Eloise" "Confession" "Made in Heaven" "Sincerely, Willis Wade" "The Family Nobody Wanted" "Massacre at Sand Creek" "Snowshoes: A Comedy of People and Horses" "The Ninth Day" "So Soon To Die" "The Star Wagon" "So Soon To Die" "The Greer Case" "The Miracle Worker" "The Comedian" "The Coat of White" "The Blackwell Story" "Invitation to a Gunfighter" "The Last Tycoon" "The Hostess with the Mostes'" "Charley's Aunt" "Clipper Ship" "If You Know Elizabeth" "Three Men on a Horse" "Four Women in Black" "Child of Trouble" "Homeward Borne" "Helen Morgan" "Winter Dreams" "Circle of the Day" "Without Incident" "Clash by Night" "Ain't No Time for Glory" "The Fabulous Irishman"
Season 2	"The Death of Manolete" "The Dark Side of the Earth" "Topaze" "A Sound of Different Drummers" "The Playroom" "Around the World in 90 Minutes" "The Mystery of Thirteen" "The Edge of Innocence" "The Clouded Image" "The Jet Propelled Couch" "The Troublemakers" "Panic Button" "Galvanized Yankee" "The Thundering Wave" "For I Have Loved Strangers" "The Lone Woman" "Reunion" "The Last Man" "The 80 Yard Run" "Before I Die" "The Gentleman From Seventh Avenue" "The Violent Heart" "No Time at All" "Point of No Return" "Portrait of a Murderer" "The Last Clear Chance" "The Male Animal" "The Right Hand Man" "Turn Left at Mount Everest" "The Dungeon" "Verdict of Three" "Rumors of Evening" "Not the Glory" "Nightmare at Ground Zero" "Bomber's Moon" "Natchez" "The Innocent Sleep" "A Town Has Turned to Dust" "The Great Gatsby" "A Bitter Heritage"
Season 3	"The Plot To Kill Stalin" "Days of Wine and Roses" "The Time of Your Life" "The Long March" "Shadows Tremble" "Word From a Sealed-Off Box" "Heart of Darkness" "Old Man" "The Return of Ansel Gibbs" "Free Weekend" "Seven Against the Wall" "The Nutcracker" "Face of a Hero" "The Wings of the Dove" "The Blue Men" "The Velvet Alley" "A Quiet Game of Cards" "Child of Our Time" "The Second Man" "The Raider" "The Dingaling Girl" "Made in Japan" "For Whom the Bell Tolls" "A Trip To Paradise" "In Lonely Expectation" "The Day Before Atlanta" "Judgment at Nuremberg" "A Corner of the Garden" "Dark December" "Diary of a Nurse" "A Marriage of Strangers" "Out of Dust" "The Rank and File" "The Killers of Mussolini" "Project Immortality" "Dark as the Night" "The Second Happiest Day"
Season 4	"Target for Three" "The Sounds of Eden" "Misalliance" "The Hidden Image" "The Grey Nurse Said Nothing" "The Tunnel" "The Silver Whistle" "A Dream of Treason" "To the Sound of Trumpets" "The Cruel Day" "Tomorrow" "The Hiding Place" "Alas, Babylon" "Journey to the Day" "The Shape of the River" "In the Presence of Mine Enemies"
Revivals	CBS Playhouse CBS Playhouse 90