It is said that Nero Wolfe creator Rex Stout was not happy with a series of feature films based on his books that had been released in the 30's. However, in the late 50's, he had asked a personal friend in charge of his business interests for radio & television to look into a television pilot. There had been two radio series with Sydney Greenstreet as Wolfe.
Edwin Fadiman, whose brother was Stout's business contact, served as executive producer for an unsold 1959 pilot that was commissioned by CBS. Its stars had been appearing on Broadway, and would later achieve greater fame. Austrian-born Kurt Kasznar was cast as Wolfe, and future icon William Shatner as Archie Goodwin, Wolfe's associate.
CBS, for whatever reason, decided not to go through with the series, which had been earmarked for a Monday night berth, which later went to Jackie Cooper's sitcom, Hennessey. The problem? While the case was solved within a half-hour, there were some that felt it went by too quickly, which is why later iterations, such as the short-lived 1981 series with William Conrad & Lee Horsley, were an hour long.
Then again, the radio show was also a half-hour, and no one complained about that. Hmm.
Anyway, here's "Count The Man Down". Shatner narrates in character as Goodwin:
Kurt Kasznar would land just two regular series roles, both after Shatner achieved icon status with Star Trek. Kasznar was granted "guest star" status in season 1 of Land of The Giants, and, if memory serves me correctly, he followed that up with The Young Rebels, which lasted just one season.
Shatner's been in the news lately, claiming he's done playing Capt. James T. Kirk after more than half a century. Can you blame the guy? He's currently doing commercials pitching some sort of cleaning device for sleep aids.
One of these days, we'll look at the last Wolfe series that aired in the US, with Maury Chaykin and Timothy Hutton.
Rating: B.
Never knew about this incarnation of Nero Wolfe! Very interesting. I can understand making the TV episodes about an hour long since it gives more time to flesh out characters and plot points.
ReplyDeleteMethinks some politicking was going on behind the scenes to prevent this from going to series.
I can't blame Shatner either for being tired of "Trek". It's been almost 55 years and although it's the best known project he'd ever done, he still has a right to walk away in his remaining years and not be made to feel like he must be tied to the role. I lOVED it when he said during that Trekkie skit when he told them to "Get a life!" Sure it was funny as a gag but it was true on some level.
I didn't know about this Nero until the video popped up on YouTube. Until learning Kasznar was Austrian, I thought he was trying to mimic Sydney Greenstreet (I have a CD set of the radio show). The things ya learn.
ReplyDeleteAs a lifelong (almost, anyway) Nero Wolfe enthusiast, I submit to having known at least something about much of this for many years.
ReplyDeleteChronology:
- Rex Stout was never a fan of any of the Wolfe adaptations , in either movies or radio; he avoided movies, and except for news, never listened to radio entertainment.
He allowed the Fadiman brothers (Edwin and Clifton) to put on the several radio series on the condition that he would never actually have to listen to them.
The Fadimans once took Stout and his family to a recording of a Wolfe radio show, when the part was played by OTR veteran Santos Ortega; accounts state that Stout was a bit impressed by how Ortega, who wasn't fat, managed to sound so on mike, but overall he didn't care for the experience.
- The Fadimans were trying to sell Wolfe to TV for most of the '50s.
Rex Stout wanted nothing directly to do with the deal, as long as the checks cleared.
The TV deal with CBS came together in '59; Kasznar and the Shat were cast, an "original" story was written, the pilot was filmed, CBS announced a time slot -
- and then, of a sudden, Wolfe was out and Hennessey was in.
What happened?
Rex Stout hated hated HATED the pilot:
As quoted by his official biographer, John McAleer: "It was terrible."
In the biography (which is my source for most of this comment), Stout denounces TV in toto; he only owned a set when advancing age precluded in-person attendance at baseball games (New York Giants, and later Mets).
For the final decade-and-a-half of his life, Rex Stout routinely rejected any and all offers for Nero Wolfe movies and TV (although he did allow European companies to produce such shows - since he would never have to see them).
The Fadiman brothers had retired from the fray; they got Stout's message.
Stout was also quoted as saying that after his death, his descendants could do whatever they wanted in this regard, " … if they've a mind to …".
As it turned out, Stout's daughters did exactly that - but you know that …
That '59 pilot film was long thought to be lost, as in "doesn't exist anymore".
For a while, there were rumors that more episodes were made; these proved to be (as Archie Goodwin would say) "Firecrackers!"
In summary, Rex Stout's whole attitude toward the adaptations of Nero Wolfe in other media during his lifetime can be summed up this way:
"Pfui."
Stout definitely seemed rather quirky during his lifetime. As a writer myself, I can understand worrying about your characters being butchered by Hollywood types who don't see the characters as the author/creator would.
ReplyDelete@Mike: I'd read that Stout was not a fan of any adaptation of Nero Wolfe, be it movie, radio, or TV, and noted his dislike of the films. Have to see if a tape of Santos Ortega (later known for his soap opera work) is available.
ReplyDelete@Magicdog: A lot of today's "auteurs" or "artistes" probably feel the same as Stout did. It's the nature of the medium.
Belatedly:
ReplyDeleteKurt Kasznar was not a performer on The Young Rebels.
I'm still trying to figure out who you're confusing him with.