''Mr. Citizen'' is a 30-minute American anthology series of dramas based on actual acts of heroism performed by average people. It was produced by
Ed Byron and hosted by
Allyn Edwards. Among its guest stars were
Hal Holbrook
Harold Rowe Holbrook Jr. (February 17, 1925 – January 23, 2021) was an American actor, television director, and screenwriter. He first received critical acclaim in 1954 for a one-man stage show that he developed called ''Mark Twain Tonight!'' ...
,
Paul Lukas
Paul Lukas (born Pál Lukács; 26 May 1894 – 15 August 1971) was a Hungarian actor. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor, and the first Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for his performance in the film ''Watc ...
,
James Daly and
Anne Seymour. Thirteen episodes aired on
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
from April 10, 1955 to July 13, 1955.
Each episode included a prominent American's presentation of the Mister Citizen Award to the person featured.
Format
Episodes began with a dramatization of something that an ordinary citizen did that was heroic in nature. When that segment concluded, a camera was turned to the studio audience, revealing the person who had performed the heroic action. He or she was brought on stage and interviewed, after which the award was presented.
Episodes
*April 20, 1955 - "Late for Supper", starring Holbrook and Nancy Kenyon.
*May 18, 1955 - "A Present for Mary", starring
William Gargan
William Dennis Gargan (July 17, 1905February 17, 1979) was an American film, television and radio actor. He was the 5th recipient of the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 1967, and in 1941, was nominated for the Academy Award for B ...
.
*June 9, 1955 - "The Friendly Stranger", starring Lukas.
Production
Sponsored by
Liggett & Myers
Liggett Group ( ), formerly known as Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company, is the fourth largest tobacco company in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Durham, North Carolina, though its manufacturing facility is 30 miles to the west i ...
, ''Mr. Citizen'' replaced that company's
Stuart Erwin
Stuart Erwin (February 14, 1903 – December 21, 1967) was an American actor of stage, film, and television.
Early years
Erwin was born in Squaw Valley, Fresno County, California. He attended Porterville High School and the University of ...
program. Ed Byron was the producer, and Charles Tate was the director. Howard Rodman and Robert Shaw were the writers, and John Gart led the orchestra.
''Mr. Citizen'' was broadcast live
on Wednesdays from 8:30 to 9 p.m. Eastern Time.
Critical response
Gene Plotnik, writing in the trade publication ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'', noted that ''Mr. Citizen'' contained elements "that have already proved successful in other programs", such as ''
The Big Story'' and ''
This Is Your Life''.
[ He cited some flaws in the premiere episode but suggested that the series "will probably do a pretty good selling job" for its sponsor.][
]
References
External links
''Mr. Citizen'' at CVTA with episode list
*
1950s American anthology television series
1955 American television series debuts
1955 American television series endings
American Broadcasting Company original programming
Black-and-white American television shows
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