The Best Episodes of Playhouse 90

William Saroyan's Pulitzer Prize-winning play revolves around the denizens of a San Francisco bar in 1939. Lonely, lovelorn, weary or cynical, the characters drift in and out of the bar and each other's lives, giving voice to Saroyan's philosophies as they randomly comment about the impending world war, the beauty of art, and traditional notions of good and evil.

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To fight a Mississippi flood in 1927, a prison farm releases some convicts.

Director: John Frankenheimer

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Americans try to cope with the aftermath of a nuclear catastrophe.

Director: Robert Stevens

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In the Warsaw ghetto, a Jewish man seeks revenge for the rape of his sister by a German soldier.

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An over-the-hill heavyweight boxing champion who suffers from the ravages of years of head trauma is exploited by his manager, despite the efforts of a compassionate young woman who tries to help him recover his self-respect.

Director: Ralph Nelson

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Based on a true story, Donald Bashor robs and bludgeons two women to their deaths. While committing the crimes he maintains a normal existence with his girlfriend Florry.

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A weakling sheriff is unable to prevent a lynching. Can he redeem himself by preventing a second one?

Director: John Frankenheimer

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Ernie Pandish has tried to be a writer for years and has never made much money out of it. But now he seems likely to hit the big-time.

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The story of Anne Sullivan's struggle to teach the blind and deaf Helen Keller how to communicate.

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In late 1952, an aging and increasingly paranoid Stalin puts in motion a purge against his doctors, with anti-Semitic overtones. His lackeys, including Khrushchev, Molotov and Beria, fear it will spread to the Politburo, and plan to strike first.

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Slow witted, and tired, Fentry leads a lonely life of grinding poverty in his sharecropper's shack until a sick, pregnant woman escaping her abusive husband comes there. He takes her in and cares for her, eventually falling in love with her.

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A gunfighter is terrorizing a small western town. The townspeople finally pool their money to a hire another gunfighter to drive him out of town. The townsfolk thought they had it bad until they handed the reigns over to the new terror. Pooling their money again, this time to hire Jeffers to get rid of Dancer.

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In the later stages of the Nuremberg Trials, four German judges are accused of perverting the course of justice.

Director: George Roy Hill

Writer: Abby Mann

Sammy Hogarth, a vaudeville comedian who now has his own TV show, is a ruthless egomaniac who demands instant obedience from his staff and heaps abuse on those in lesser positions than his. His most vituperative behavior, however, is reserved for his weak-willed brother, Lester, whom Sammy has hired as his assistant but whom he really uses as his whipping boy.

Director: John Frankenheimer

Writer: Rod Serling

A movie producer is slowly working himself to death.

Director: John Frankenheimer

Writer: N/A

A romance on the high seas revolving around the comely widow of a shipping magnate, and her growing love for a handsome young political prisoner who was scheduled to be put to death when the vessel reached its destination. Though unyielding at first, the ship's stern captain eventually helped the woman to make a clean getaway, with the condemned man in tow.

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An alcoholic falls in love with and gets married to a young woman, whom he systematically addicts to booze so they can share his "passion" together.

Director: John Frankenheimer

Writer: N/A

A hard-hearted Colonel loses many men in his group's bombing missions over World War II Germany, but keeps on going and won't tolerate a young lieutenant losing his nerve under the strain, who refuses to continue.

Director: John Frankenheimer

Writer: N/A

A Midwesterner becomes fascinated with his wealthy neighbor, who obsesses over his lost love.

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American soldiers must use stealth to take over a German command post in Normandy.

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Marry in haste, repent at leisure? Well, maybe.

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An airliner flying nonstop at night from Miami to New York fails to check in, then disappears from radar. We see how its disappearance affects people on the ground. The Episode was directed by David Swift, who also collaborated with Charles Einstein with the screenplay. Charles Einstein is also credited with writing the story. Guests include William Lundigan, Betsy Palmer, Jane Greer, Buster Keaton, Chico Marx, Frank Wilcox & Charles Bronson. The Production Company was CBS Television Network and was distributed in the USA by CBS.

Director: David Swift

Writer: Charles Einstein

The last hours in the life of Spain's most celebrated matador.

Director: John Frankenheimer

Writer: N/A

This telecast of George Balanchine's famous production was broadcast only four years after it was premiered by the New York City Ballet. This was the only episode of the series televised in color.

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As the Salo Republic crumbles around him, Mussolini, along with his mistress and several of his ministers flee with retreating Nazi soldiers, but are caught at the town of Dongo by red partisans. All are brutally executed without trial.

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