"The Edge of Innocence"

Playhouse 90 episode

Teresa Wright and Joseph Cotten from "The Age of Innocence"

Episode no.

Season 2
Episode 8

Directed by

Arthur Hiller

Written by

Berne Giler

Original air date

October 31, 1957

Guest appearances

Joseph Cotten as Robert Rainey
Teresa Wright as Carol Morton
Maureen O'Sullivan as Julia Williams

Episode chronology

← Previous
"The Mystery of Thirteen"

Next →
"The Clouded Image"

"The Edge of Innocence" was an American television film broadcast on November 7, 1957, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90. It aired as the ninth episode of the second season.

Plot

A lawyer, Robert Rainey, defends a friend, Lowell Williams, who is charged with murder.

Cast

The cast included performances by:

Joseph Cotten as Robert Rainey
Teresa Wright as Carol Morton
Maureen O'Sullivan as Julia Williams
Beverly Garland as Gay Sherman
Lorne Greene as Lowell Williams
Dan Barton as Jay Pauling
DeForest Kelley as Lambert

Production

Arthur Hiller was the director and Eva Wolas the producer. Berne Giler wrote the script. The film was produced by Screen Gems for Playhouse 90.^[1]

Reception

In The New York Times, Jack Gould wrote that "absurdities were plentiful" and Berne Giler's familiarity with legal procedure was "remote" and his knowledge of play-writing "even more distant." He did credit Cotten with "a competent portrayal as a defense attorney."^[2]

References

^ "Maureen O'Sullivan Stars In The Edge Of Innocence". The Orlando Sentinel. October 27, 1957 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Jack Gould (November 1, 1957). "TV: 'Edge of Innocence': First Filmed Drama of 'Playhouse 90' Season Is Illogical Murder Story". The New York Times. p. 40.

Films directed by Arthur Hiller

Massacre at Sand Creek (1956)
Homeward Borne (1957)
The Edge of Innocence (1957)
The Careless Years (1957)
Before I Die (1958)
Miracle of the White Stallions (1963)
The Wheeler Dealers (1963)
The Americanization of Emily (1964)
Promise Her Anything (1965)
Penelope (1966)
Tobruk (1967)
The Tiger Makes Out (1967)
Popi (1969)
The Out-of-Towners (1970)
Love Story (1970)
Plaza Suite (1971)
The Hospital (1971)
Man of La Mancha (1972)
The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder (1974)
The Man in the Glass Booth (1975)
W. C. Fields and Me (1976)
Silver Streak (1976)
The In-Laws (1979)
Nightwing (1979)
Making Love (1982)
Author! Author! (1982)
Romantic Comedy (1983)
The Lonely Guy (1984)
Teachers (1984)
Outrageous Fortune (1987)
See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)
Taking Care of Business (1990)
Married to It (1991)
The Babe (1992)
Carpool (1996)
An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997)
National Lampoon's Pucked (2006)

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