"Panic Button" was an American
television play broadcast on November 28, 1957, as part of the second season of the
CBS television series ''
Playhouse 90
''Playhouse 90'' was an American television anthology series, anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology dr ...
''.
Rod Serling
Rodman Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter, playwright, television producer, and narrator/on-screen host, best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his anthology television series ' ...
wrote the teleplay.
Franklin Schaffner directed,
Martin Manulis
Martin Ellyot Manulis (May 30, 1915 – September 28, 2007) was an American television, film, and theatre producer. Manulis was best known for his work in the 1950s producing the CBS Television programs ''Suspense'', '' Studio One Summer Theatre' ...
was the producer, and
Dominick Dunne was the executive assistant.
Robert Stack,
Vera Miles, and
Lee J. Cobb starred.
Plot
The investigation into a plane crash concludes that it was caused by pilot error. At the inquiry, the co-pilot (Robert Stack) seeks to place the blame on the captain who died in the crash. In the end, the co-pilot is found to have been responsible for the crash, and his pilot's license is revoked.
Reception
Television reviewer Harriet Van Horne praised Serling's story and cited it as proof that television drama had grown up, no longer having the need for a happy ending. She also praised the performances of Stack, Cobb, Seldes and Miles as valiant and true.
''San Francisco Examiner'' reviewer Dwight Nelson praised the performances of Cobb and Stack but opined that Serling's story was "neither dull nor exciting. Just average for this year's "Playhouse 90" plays which have been distinguished for length than for content."
Cast
The following performers received screen credit for their performances:
*
Robert Stack - Jerry Cook
*
Vera Miles - Carolyn Cook
*
Lee J. Cobb - Al Bengsten
*
Leif Erickson
Leif Erikson, Leiv Eiriksson, or Leif Ericson, ; Modern Icelandic: ; Norwegian language, Norwegian: ''Leiv Eiriksson'' also known as Leif the Lucky (), was a Norsemen, Norse explorer who is thought to have been the first European to have s ...
- Paul Henderson
*
Marian Seldes - Kate Sullivan
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Panic Button
1957 television plays
1957 American television episodes
Playhouse 90 (season 2) episodes