"The Fabulous Irishman" was an American

television play A television play is a television programming genre which is a drama performance broadcast from a multi-camera television studio, usually live in the early days of television but later recorded to tape. This is in contrast to a television mov ...

broadcast live on June 27, 1957, as part of the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

television series, '' Playhouse 90''. It was the 39th episode of the first season.

Plot

The play tells the story of Irish politician Robert Briscoe. It begins in 1918 when Briscoe, as a young Jewish Irishman, became active in the

Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various paramilitary organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to irredentism through Irish republicanism, the belief th ...

(IRA). During the Irish War of Independence, he smuggled arms past the

Black and Tans Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have ...

and was the subject of a "shoot on sight" order. He later became the first Jewish Lord Mayor of Dublin.

Cast

The cast included performances by: *

Art Carney Arthur William Matthew Carney (November 4, 1918 – November 9, 2003) was an American actor and comedian. A recipient of an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and six Primetime Emmy Awards, he was best known for his role as Ed Norton on the si ...

as Robert Briscoe * Katharine Bard as Lillian Isaacs * Michael Higgins as Jamie Farrow * Charles Davis as Sean O'Brien *

Eli Mintz Eli Mintz (born Edward Satz, 1 August 1904 – 8 June 1988) was an American actor of Polish-Austrian Jewish descent. Biography Born in Lemberg, Austrian-Hungary (now Lviv, Ukraine), the son of a tailor, Mintz began acting professionally as a ch ...

as Mr. Isaacs * George Mathews as Mellows * David Opatoshu as Briscoe's Father *

Berta Gersten Berta Gersten born Berta Gerstenman (1894 – September 10, 1972) was an American actor in Yiddish theater and later in Broadway productions. She took a major role in ''The Benny Goodman Story'' film in 1954. Life Gersten was born in Kraków in ...

Peter Lorre Peter Lorre (; born László Löwenstein, ; June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was a Hungarian and American actor, first in Europe and later in the United States. He began his stage career in Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, before movin ...

Eddie Cantor hosted the broadcast.

Production

Martin Manulis was the producer and

John Frankenheimer John Michael Frankenheimer (February 19, 1930 – July 6, 2002) was an American film and television director known for social dramas and action/suspense films. Among his credits were ''Birdman of Alcatraz'' (1962), '' The Manchurian Candidate'' ( ...

the director. Elick Moll wrote the teleplay. The play was presented live on June 27, 1957.

Reception

In ''The New York Times'', J. P. Shanley called it "a splendid tribute to a colorful patriot" and "a most creditable conclusion" to ''Playhouse 90s first season. Shanley wrote that Carney was "ideal" for the title role and that Carney has proven himself "a versatile and brilliant actor." In ''The Boston Globe'', Elizabeth W. Driscoll called it "one of the most heartwarming offerings of the season and "a story that had all the authenticity and much of the impact of ' The Informer' without its great tragedy." She praised the absence of "sanctimonious little speeches" and wrote that Carney gave a performance that "helps convince you television is a wonderful thing."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fabulous Irishman 1957 American television episodes Playhouse 90 (season 1) episodes 1957 television plays