Series: | Playhouse 90 |
Season: | 3 |
Episode: | 3 |
Production: | 082 |
Director: | Tom Donovan |
Music: | Jackie Gleason |
Guests: |
|
Prev: | Days of Wine and Roses |
Next: | The Long March |
"The Time of Your Life" is a 1958 live television version of William Saroyan's play starring Jackie Gleason, directed by Tom Donovan, and adapted by A. J. Russell. The telecast was shown on October 9, 1958 and was the third episode of the third season of the anthology series Playhouse 90.[1] The supporting cast features Jack Klugman, Dick York, Betsy Palmer, Bert Freed, Gloria Vanderbilt and Dina Merrill. [2]
The film follows the adventures of a group of regulars at Nick's 'Pacific Street Saloon, Restaurant and Entertainment Palace' in San Francisco. A sign outside tells people to come in as they are. At the center is the wealthy Joe, who has given up working to hold court at Nick's bar. He desires to live "a civilized life" without hurting anyone and believes the real truth in people is found in their dreams of themselves, not the hard facts of their actual existence.
A feature film starring James Cagney had been released a decade earlier.