"The Rank and File" is 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 on May 28, 1959 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''. The cast includes

Van Heflin Emmett Evan "Van" Heflin Jr. (December 13, 1908 – July 23, 1971) was an American theatre, radio and film actor. He played mostly character parts over the course of his film career, but during the 1940s had a string of roles as a leading man. H ...

and Charles Bronson. The teleplay was written by Rod Serling

Plot

An alcoholic factory worker, Bill Kilcoyne, becomes the president of the local union, rises to national prominence, and becomes involved in corruption and racketeering. He is called to testify before the U.S. Senate where he tells his story.

Cast

The cast includes the following: *

- Bill Kilcoyne *

Luther Adler Luther Adler (born Lutha Adler; May 4, 1903 – December 8, 1984) was an American actor best known for his work in theatre, but who also worked in film and television. He also directed plays on Broadway. Early life and career Adler was born on ...

- Irving Werner *

Harry Townes Harry Rhett Townes (September 18, 1914 – May 23, 2001) was an American actor who later became an Episcopalian minister. Early life Harry Townes was born in Huntsville, Alabama. the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Townes. He had a brother and ...

- Gabe Brewster * Charles Bronson - Andy Kovaric * Cameron Prudhomme -Joseph Farrell * Carl Benton Reid - Senator Henders * Bruce Gordon - Tony Russo *

Whitney Blake Whitney Blake (born Nancy Ann Whitney; February 20, 1926 – September 28, 2002) was an American film and television actress, director, and producer. She is known for her four seasons portraying Dorothy Baxter, the mother, on the 1960s sitco ...

- Martha Brewster * Addison Richards - Harker *

Wright King Wright Thornburgh King (January 11, 1923 – November 25, 2018) was an American stage, film and television actor whose career lasted for over forty years.1930 US Federal Census for Wright T. King, retrieved froAncestry.com/ref>1940 US Federal Cen ...

- Riley * Tom Palmer - Eaton * Danny Richards - Charlie Hacker * Joe Sullivan - Union Man * Clegg Hoyt - Guard * Bruce Hall - Dickson * Henry Barnard - The Secretary * Alfred Hopson - Striker * Jay Overholts - Striker * Robert Cass - Striker

Production

The program aired on May 28, 1959, on the CBS television series ''Playhouse 90''. Rod Serling was the writer and

Franklin Schaffner Franklin James Schaffner (May 30, 1920July 2, 1989) was an American film, television, and stage director. He won an Academy Award for Best Director for ''Patton'' (1970), and is known for the films ''Planet of the Apes'' (1968), ''Nicholas and Al ...

the director.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rank and File, The 1959 American television episodes Playhouse 90 (season 3) episodes 1959 television plays