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For an explanation of the inclusion of this story, SEE BELOW ... |
Sammy Davis Jr. starring in "The Desperate Hours". Hollywood Center Theater Non equity? Next door to the famed Hollywood landmark, 'STAN'S Drive-In' Actual terrifying events which occurred in Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania in 1952, inspired author, Joseph Hayes, to write the novel, "The Desperate Hours" in 1953. The book vividly recounts the terror and brutality suffered by a family of four when taken hostage in their home by three escaped convicts. The desperate fugitives torment and threaten the middle class family while waiting for an accomplice to bring them the funds necessary to complete their escape. A resultant statewide manhunt for the escapees increases the tension of the captive family's plight, and the long ordeal finally climaxes with a police shootout killing the leader of the criminal trio. The terror and fear experienced by the two children and their parents is graphically portrayed in the novel and It's reception by critics and readers alike, inspired Joseph Hayes to restructure the presentation of the scenario and write the 1954 play, "The Desperate Hours". "The Desperate Hours" first opened in New Haven's Shubert Theatre in 1955 before premiering on Broadway later that year. The play won Tony Awards for "Best Play" and "Best Direction of a Play" the same year.
While Joseph Hayes' graphic recounting of the horror experienced by the family members throughout their long and terrifying ordeal is captivating, it's his powerful portrayal of the characters, enhanced by their respective dialogue, that ensures the success of his work at all three entertainment levels. The fact that it was based on an actual event, only increased the terror for the work's audience. But, it turned out to be a strange bit of irony, that brought the story to national attention. Author Joseph Hayes, in an attempt to maintain the victim family's anonymity, had changed their name to "Hilliard", and changed the location of the incident from their home in Whitehead, Pennsylvania to a fictitious home in Indianapolis, Indiana. By the time of the play's theatrical success (1955), the actual hostage family, former Pennsylvania residents, the Hills, sued Time, Inc., because LIFE magazine had published a detailed article about "The Desperate Hours". The magazine described the play as based on the actual events, plus the piece was illustrated with staged photos using actors in place of the actual characters. To increase authenticity, the eerie images were shot in the actual Pennsylvania home that was the scene of the gruesome events. The actual victims, the Hill family, had previously been forced to move from their home in a desperate attempt to escape all the lurid publicity generated by the best seller. Suing in a New York court, the plaintiffs relied on a New York statute which permitted damage suits for violation of the right of privacy, but only in instances of use of a person's name or picture for commercial purposes without their consent. The Hills' complaint was that the article falsely described the actual events while claiming it represented the truth. In a rare public appearance after the event, Mr. Hill had told the press that his family had not been molested or harmed, and, considering the intense situation and characters involved, they had been treated in a relatively courteous manner. The Life magazine article, however, stated that some family members had been assaulted, profanity was constantly used, and in many other ways (according to the N.Y. Appellate Court), differed from the actual account given by Hill. The defense presented by Time, Inc., was that the subject matter was of general national interest and that the article had been published in good faith. Although the case concerned privacy from the press, it continued to receive national attention throughout its many judgments and subsequent appeals.
In yet another bit of irony - The Hill family was represented in
the Federal High Court hearing by none other than Richard M. Nixon,
at that time a New York attorney in private practice, on hiatus from
seeking public office. Nixon obviously sought the case because of
its broad legal issues, but primarily for its National media
coverage. The Supreme Court refused to make a judgment and sent the
case back to the New York courts for disposition under their newly
announced constitutional standard.
And the final touch of irony is shown by the suit's ultimate results. Perhaps due to the issues involved, neither the final outcome of 'Time, Inc. v. Hill, 385 U.S. 374 (1967)', nor any further judicial opinions, have ever been reported. No doubt, in an effort to avoid more of the ongoing publicity, the Hills abandoned their suit, or more realistically, accepted a nominal settlement from Time Inc. which included a non-disclosure agreement.
SAMMY -
He would later work in films with some of Hollywood's finest stars, including: Bob Hope, George Raft, Ronald Reagan, Joseph Cotton, Tony Curtis, Rhonda Fleming, Susan Hayworth, and Claire Trevor. |
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**At the height of "The Millionaire's" popularity, Miller would hand out, in lieu of a conventional autograph, a check for "One million dollars ... worth of good luck," made out to the person who made the request. |
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Sammy Davis Jr. starring in "The Desperate Hours". The play was to be directed by the hot young composer, record producer, arranger, celebrity conductor, and TV bandleader, Buddy Bregman. At a very young age, Bregman's famed uncle, Jules Styne (Sammy Cahn's songwriting partner - "Let It Snow! Let It Snow"), took the youngster under his wing. With the support of his musical parents, Buddy was a piano prodigy, who learned musical composition simultaneously, and could orchestrate at the age of 11. By 14, he was writing charts for jazz musician Bill Russo. At 17, he landed a job as arranger for the hottest songwriting team in music, Leiber & Stoller, at Capital Records. His recording debut, "Bazoom I Need Your Loving" by the "Cheers", was a smash hit, and veteran producer, Norman Granz, heard it on the radio, which led to a terrific career break. Granz was starting up a new record label and offered Bregman a chance to work for him. The label turned out to be Verve, which quickly grew to be one of the most celebrated labels in Jazz. Bregman was appointed head of A&R and was instrumental in the label's success. He is best known by jazz fans for his arranging and conducting talents on a stack of sides by famed jazz greats, including Ella Fitzgerald and Anita O'Day. He also made what might arguably be one of Bing Crosby's best records, "Bing Sings Whilst Bregman Swings". He worked with some of the greatest musical artists of 20th Century popular music, including: Judy Garland, Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, Jerry Lewis, Rick Nelson, Count Basie, Joe Williams, Bobby Short, Buddy Rich, Joel Grey, Louie Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Carmen McRae, Ethel Merman, Bobby Darin and Eydie Gorme. He was directly responsible for at least four of the label's platinum albums. He also scored and orchestrated many major motion pictures including; 'The Pajama Game, Crime in the Streets, Secret of the Purple Reef, to name a few. After his success at Verve, he became the youngest musical director ever hired by NBC for "The Eddie Fisher Show". The next year, the network offered him his own TV music series, "Buddy Bregman's Music Shop". The new show was designed to feature Buddy in the style of TV legend Dick Clark. The series lasted for an unlucky 13 shows, hardly knocking Clark off American Bandstand. The TV series convinced Buddy that he wasn't going to be a TV star, but he aspired for fame behind the camera, specifically, in the roles of director, producer, and writer, as well as his many musical contributions. http://community.mcckc.edu/crosby/bregman.htm Buddy had befriended Sammy Davis Jr. while he was producing Frank Sinatra at Verve. Due to the fact that Sammy was signed to Decca Records, when Bregman recorded with Sammy, he served as the
Date: December 8, 1958
Date: December 11, 1958
The Buddy Bregman Orchestra (acc), Buddy Bregman (dir), Sammy
Davis, Jr. (v)
Date: ca. April 1960 DATES - Davis suffered a setback on November 19, 1954, when he almost died in an automobile accident in Victorville, California on a return trip from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. Davis lost his left eye as a result. The accident occurred on a bend in U.S. Highway 66 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sammy_Davis,_Jr.
After he was discharged, Davis rejoined the dance act which played
at a wide variety of spots around Portland Oregon, and began to
achieve success on his own as he was singled out for praise by
critics. The next year, he released his second album. The next move
in his growing career was to appear in the Broadway show Mr.
Wonderful in 1956. |
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The play's theatrical success, in turn, inspired Paramount Pictures
to produce the movie "The Desperate Hours", based on Hayes'
popular play. Directed by William Wyler, "The Desperate Hours"
was released in 1955, starring Humphrey Bogart as the criminal
trio's leader, Glenn Griffin, and Fredric March, in the role of the
distraught father, Mr. Hilliard, whose family's suburban
Indianapolis home is seized by the desperate escaped convicts.
