"Turn Left at Mount Everest" was an American television play broadcast on April 3, 1958, as part of the second season of the CBS television series Playhouse 90. Del Reisman wrote the teleplay, as an adaptation of a stage play by Lowell Barrington. Peter Lorre and Fess Parker starred.[1]
| "Turn Left at Mount Everest" | |
|---|---|
| Playhouse 90 episode | |
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| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 29 |
| Written by | Del Reisman (adaptation), Lowell Barrington (stage play) |
| Original air date | April 3, 1958 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
Plot edit
A comedy in which Private Linus Powell (Fess Parker) stows away on a B-17 flying from China across the Himalayas at the end of World War II to reunite with his British girlfriend in Calcutta. While Powell sleeps, the crew bails out in a monsoon, and Powell is left behind with a half-loaded Asian man played by Peter Lorre, who tries to guide Powell over the Himalayas.[2]
Reception edit
Television critic William Ewald described it as "a pretty peculiar stab" at light comedy. While he found some scenes that "almost made it", he concluded that the production "as a whole ... didn't have it. Its situation and characters were only mildly amusing and its dialogue lacked sustained spark."[3]
Critic Hope Strong wrote that the production aspired to be "deliciously droll" but ended up with "drizzly drivel."[4]
Another critic, Fred Remington, was amused by the production, writing that Fess Parker "just plays himself, and a very agreeable, entertaining self it is."[5]
Cast edit
The following performers received screen credit for their performances:[1]
- Peter Lorre - Tenzing
- Fess Parker - Pvt. Linus Powell
- Patricia Cutts - Sally Gates
- Paul Ford - Colonel
- Arnold Stang - Allencamp
References edit
- ^ a b "Playhouse 90, Season 2". Classic TV Archive. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ^ "TV Key Previews". The Sacramento Bee. April 3, 1958. p. D9 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "'Turn Left at Everest' Just Didn't Have it". The Press Democrat. April 4, 1958. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "A Citizen Views TV". The Lima Citizen. April 6, 1958. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Fred Remington (April 4, 1958). "Fess Parker Provides Bright Comedy In Playhouse 90". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com.