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Willys Theatre Presenting Ben Hecht's Tales of the CityWillys Theatre Presenting Ben Hecht's Tales of the City is an American half-hour television anthology series. Ben Hecht served as the series host. It was broadcast from June 25, 1953, to September 17, 1953, on CBS.[1] Hecht (whose stories were the basis for all episodes) introduced and closed each episode off-screen.[2] The city referred to in the title was New York City.[3] Among its guest stars were Madeleine Carroll,[4] Janis Carter, Barry Nelson, Ann Rutherford, Gary Merrill,[5] Charles Coburn, Laraine Day Wendell Corey, and Hume Cronyn. ProductionThe series was broadcast live[6] from 8:30 to 9 pm Eastern Time on Thursdays,[2] replacing Amos 'n' Andy.[7] William Dozier was the producer, and Robert Stevens was the director.[6] Hank Sylvern and his orchestra provided music.[5] Also known as Tales of the City,[8] the program alternated weeks with Four Star Playhouse.[9] Tales of the City was sponsored by the Willys automobile company.[9] Willys was considering moving the show to Saturdays at 7 pm in the autumn of 1953, but Billboard reported that the series "did no tlive up to critical expectations", and Willys canceled it.[10] Critical responseA review in the trade publication Billboard said, "There should be no question about the success of Tales of the City".[5] Reviewer Leon Morse wrote that the series used a time-tested formula based on the "myth of the big heart of the city", in which people in need are helped.[5] The review said that the June 25, 1953, episode met a human-interest need, "But it also was phony, contrived, and devoid of reality."[5] Morse complimented the direction, production, and writing and described the actors as "outstanding".[5] Paul Cotton, writing in The Des Moines Register, said that same episode was written well, with dialogue that "was turgid in spots, but literate."[3] He rated it "a little superior" when compared to other shows of the same summer, acknowledging that such a comment was a "modest compliment".[3] The trade publication Variety called the premiere episode "a honeyed cornball" and "a bit of incense burned in honor of the popular myth that New York has a heart."[11] The review praised Merrill's performance for "projecting some life in a bloodless play", said that Rutherford "was saccharine to fit her lines", and observed that the other actors "never had a chance."[11] References
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