What Makes Sammy Run?

A "long-lost" classic from the Golden Age of Television.
I am thrilled that this wonderful television adaptation of Budd Schulberg's classic novel "What Makes Sammy Run?" is being released on DVD. The television play was originally shown in two one-hour installments on September 27 and October 4, 1959. Although the color videotapes used for the broadcast no longer exist, for many years a black-and-white kinescope of the first hour was available for viewing at the Museum of Television & Radio (now the Paley Center for Media) in New York City and Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the second hour was on the Museum's list of "lost treasures."

In 2004, I was in the process of revising the book of the 1964 musical version of the same story (which ultimately led to a successful NYC revival in 2006) and arranged an interview with actress Dina Merrill to discuss her performance as the man-eating socialite, Laurette Harrington. Since most of Ms Merrill's performance occurred in the "lost" second hour, I wanted to learn more about the...

Superb Classic TV Drama
"What Makes Sammy Run?" is based on a novel by 27-year-old Budd Schulberg ("On the Waterfront," "A Face In the Crowd") written in 1941. The novel focused on the meteoric rise of Sammy Glick, a poor Jewish kid from the Lower East Side, from newspaper copy boy to Hollywood studio head, steamrolling anyone in his path. Sammy Glick was the forerunner of characters played by Michael Douglas in "Wall Street," Kevin Spacey in "Swimming With Sharks," and Tim Robbins in "The Player."
Hollywood never filmed Schulberg's novel, perhaps because it hit too close to home. Instead, it was adapted by Schulberg and directed by Delbert Mann in a two-part television drama in 1959 for "Sunday Showcase." "What Makes Sammy Run?" stars Larry Blyden in the title role, John Forsythe, Barbara Rush, and Dina Merrill. Supporting cast members include Sidney Blackmer, Norman Fell, David Opatashu, and Horace MacMahon.
Blyden was chosen for the role over many contenders, including Anthony Perkins,...

THE GOLDEN AGE OF TV STUNNINGLY RETURNS
Congratulations to Koch Vision, The Academy of TV Arts and Sciences, The Paley Center and all who are finally bringing these gems of TV's "Golden Age" to quality home video--first with the "Studio One" box, now with "What Makes Sammy Run?" and, hopefully, many, many more. The rich heritage of live (and later taped) TV drama (and comedy) has been sorely neglected in the home video market. FINALLY, something is being done.

I first saw the restored "Sammy" at the Paley Center in NYC. Now I can enjoy it at home with all the "extras" that one comes to expect in a fabulous DVD production.

Please, please, "Archive of American Televison Presents," keep this stuff coming. We all remember how great it was, AND IS.

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