Jack and the Beanstalk (Producers' Showcase) explained

Series:

"Jack and the Beanstalk" was an American television play broadcast on November 12, 1956, as part of the NBC television series, Producers' Showcase.

Plot

The production revived the fairy tale of a boy who trades the family's cow for a handful of magic beans. It included new characters and 11 original songs.^[1]

Cast

The following performers received screen credit for their performances:^[2]

Joel Grey as Jack
Celeste Holm as Mad Maggie
Cyril Ritchard as The Peddler
Peggy King as Tillie Hemmelpacker
Arnold Stang as Mr. Fum
Leora Dana as The Widow Tooper
Billy Gilbert as Mr. Poopledoop
Dennis King as Narrator

Production

Clark Jones was the director and Mort Abrahams was the executive producer. It was written by Helen Deutsch. The music was by Jerry Livingston with lyrics by Helen Deutsch.

Reception

In The New York Times, Jack Gould that the production had plenty of sets and stars but lacked "the spirit of make-believe" and "only achieved an intermittent glow." He also noted that Joel Grey was "much too old for the part."^[3]

Bob Blackburn called it "sickeningly moral and harmless."^[4]

Notes and References

News: Producer's Showcase Revives Fairy Tale. Daily News-Post. Gene Inge. November 10, 1956. Newspapers.com.
Kinescope of "Jack and the Beanstalk", aired November 12, 1956
News: 'Jack and Beanstalk' Lacks Make Believe; It's a Capt. Video in the Vegetable Patch. The Atlanta Constitution (via The New York Times). Jack Gould. November 13, 1956. Newspapers.com.
News: Make Magical Changes In Jack And Beanstalk. The Ottawa Citizen. Bob Blackburn. November 13, 1956. Newspapers.com.