Pursuit is a one-hour[1] American television anthology drama series which aired live on CBS from October 22, 1958, to January 14, 1959.[2]

Pursuit
Margaret O'Brien and Jeffrey Hunter in "Kiss Me Again, Stranger".
GenreAnthology
Directed byJames B. Clark (director)
David Greene (director)
Herbert Hirschman
Buzz Kulik
Paul Nickell
Daniel Petrie
Paul Stanley (director)
ComposerBernard Herrmann
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes39
Production
Executive producerNorman Felton
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time24 mins.
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseOctober 22, 1958 (1958-10-22) –
January 14, 1959 (1959-01-14)

Overview

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As the program's title implies, each episode focused on a person or group that was being pursued.[2]

Plans for the program were under way in December 1957, with Charles Russell moving from New York to the West Coast of the United States to produce the show. Writers engaged in the project were Charles Larsen, Jonathan Latimer, Don Sanford, Robert Soderberg, and Hagar Wilde.[3] The program's pilot, "The Lady Died at Midnight" starred Earl Holliman and was broadcast on February 23, 1958.[4]

Russell and Eva Wolas alternated weeks as producers, and the Mennen company had full sponsorship on alternate weeks.[5]

Episodes

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Among the presentations were "Kiss Me Again, Stranger", starring Jeffrey Hunter and Margaret O'Brien, "Epitaph For a Golden Girl" starring Michael Rennie, Rip Torn, and Sally Forrest, and Rod Serling's "The Last Night of August", starring Franchot Tone and Dennis Hopper and written by Rod Serling.[2] Other episodes included "Tiger on a Bicycle" (November 12, 1958), with Laraine Day, Dan Duryea, Chester Morris, David Ladd, and Neville Brand,[6] and "The Vengeance" (October 22, 1958), with Sal Mineo, Stu Erwin, Carol Lynley, Macdonald Carey, Vivian Nathan, and Robert Harris.[7]

Some of the actors who were cast in the episodes included: Robert Alda, Martin Balsam, Lew Ayres, John Cassavetes, Joan Caulfield, Jackie Cooper, and Whitney Blake.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 678. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  2. ^ a b c Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (7th ed.). New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group. p. 833. ISBN 0-345-42923-0.
  3. ^ "New TV Comedy on A.B.C. Jan. 20". The New York Times. December 24, 1957. p. 21. ProQuest 114271306. Retrieved March 24, 2021 – via ProQuest.
  4. ^ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 864. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  5. ^ "C.B.S. introducing 'Pursuit' Oct. 22". The New York Times. October 1, 1958. p. 75. ProQuest 114542884. Retrieved March 24, 2021 – via ProQuest.
  6. ^ Cain, Ira (November 12, 1958). "Masterson Used For 'Bear Bait'". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 26. Retrieved March 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Cain, Ira (October 22, 1958). "Costello to Try TV Dramatic Role". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 24. Retrieved March 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
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