David Niven Show (1959)
An anthology series of just 13 stories.
My favourite: #6 A Day of Small Miracles
Easily the worst: #10 Portrait.
Brief reviews of each story:
1 Fortune's Folly - Reno 2.30am. Al has driven nine hours to promise his wife Elly he's learnt his lesson and will never gamble ever again. She's heard it all before and it's a cinch he's soon at the casino, but unusually "it's your night" and he wins ten thousand, but of course.... yes, we've seen it all before too
2 Lifeline - On the run from a cop, deadbeat Steve (Don Taylor) hides with his fortune teller of an aunt. There he tells the fortune of heiress Barbara, predicting, amongst other things, she will fall in love with a guy who will then be violently killed. To win her favours, he starts to make his first predictions appear to come true, so it's all too easy to guess who it is who then falls for her, but can one "change his destiny"? A finale on the roller coaster could have been more convincing in a story that started with some promise
3 Backtrack - DA Nelson is accused by a stranger of sending an innocent man to the gas chamber. The stranger claims he was the real killer, but then he dies of a coronary. Two versions of the 'truth' which Nelson, for his own conscience has to disentangle. Whether he ever did, we'll sadly never know
4 The Promise - According to his wife, successful businessman Adam Winter (Eddie Albert) is a "self-sufficient ice cube." His father-in-law isn't enamoured either: "your God was power and money." From nothing, Adam has risen to take control of 80% of the Steel Company, but dad-in-law has the remaining 20%: "my shares you will never get," he promises. Part two switches tack and sees Adam helping an old flame whose son needs advising against a youthful romance. This forces Adam to make "an audit on his own life" and almost despite himself, he advises the lad not to make the same mistakes he's done. Nearly quite good
5 The Twist of the Key - Marna (Anne Francis) knows her husband's on to her innocent (?) friendship with another man. Nine o'clock is her next assignation, but husband Tom locks her in her room, and arranges for his rival to be killed. How can she prevent it? Answer: her gun, in a Hitchcockesque tale with a nice little finish
6 A Day of Small Miracles - A little treasure of a tale with Eddie Bracken as The Great Merlin, whose stage act as "the legitimate pickpocket" is in ruins when arthritis stops his hands performing as deftly as they used to. Here's a good old fashioned story of how God works some small miracles, even when Merlin is thrice tempted to steal. There has just got to be a happy ending
7 The Lady from Winnetka - Niven's intro: "The scene is an island in the Med. How the Lady from Winnetka, under the influence of blue skies and purple travel folders, becomes involved with intrigue." By this Niven means a mild flirtation for Ellen (Joanne Dru) but when Tavo becomes too fresh she accidentally kills him. But is it murder? In the second half, sadly the writer seems unsure which direction he should take.
8 The Last Room - In a godless state, an interrogator (David Niven) starts to break his prisoner, held for his religious beliefs. The deal is simple, betray your leaders and you can go free. No! He's tougher than he looks: "sometimes I think I'm breaking," admits the one allegedly in control. He begins to understand the power of the one beyond oneself, it's God, the dumb Ilsa (Susan Oliver) explains to him. Finally a bible is given the prisoner...
10 Portrait - Two GI's admire a picture of a young woman in their Bavarian billet. One imagines her as "a livin' doll, low and bluesy," the other sees her with "a touch of class, a little chic." Carolyn Jones gets the chance to play these two parts in a storyline which even at 25 minutes is too long. Absolutely dreadful
11 Sticks and Stones - "An ill-advised pitcher tips his mitt" is how Niven starts this one off, what he means is that it's a daft story with just too many improbable moments. The wife of a famous pitcher (John Ericson) receives poison pen letters and it starts to affect his game, "a hero gone sour" etc etc. But newspaper publicity could drive the author of the letters over the top and bring tragedy. Then at 3.30am there's someone at the door...
12 The Vengeance - Mark, a JP (Dan Dureya), is in danger. "Out of his head" Hilton has talked of revenge these last 8 years and now he's broken out of the asylum. Tension tries to build as Mark awaits alone as "bait," until the inevitable confrontation. "Know any prayers?"
13 The Good Deed - Something of a film noire with Keefe Brasselle's authentic deadpan narration. He plays newspaperman Gentry who receives a late night phone call from cop killer on the run Franklin Sims. Could he have a scoop? "You go to see him and you're putting your head on the block," a cop warns him. Sims' mother also warns him off so Gentry just has to get that interview when Sims agrees to meet him at his wife's secret address. "He's a real kook," she informs Gentry. It's she who had shopped him. Then Sims enters. He's going to kill her. By an upstairs balcony there's a dangerous struggle
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