The Death And Life Of Larry Benson

Length: 3 acts.

How mid-century television anthologies reflected and shaped US values and identities.

 The prodigious but humble scion of a New York theatrical family, Chester Morris acted on Broadway as a teenager and earned an Academy Award nomination for his first role in a Hollywood "talkie," Alibi (1929). He became leading man to filmdom's top female stars and starred in the popular series of "Boston Blackie" mysteries before creating substantial characters in the theater and the burgeoning medium of television. This first book about Morris provides a detailed account of his life and career on stage, film, radio and television, and as a celebrated magician. It also constructs a fascinating record of his previously undocumented labor activism during the early years of the Screen Actors Guild and his tireless efforts to aid U.S. troops on the home front during World War II.

Finalist, 2021 Wall Award (Formerly the Theatre Library Association Award) The untold story behind one of America’s greatest dramas In early 1957, a low-budget black-and-white movie opened across the United States. Consisting of little more than a dozen men arguing in a dingy room, it was a failure at the box office and soon faded from view. Today, 12 Angry Men is acclaimed as a movie classic, revered by the critics, beloved by the public, and widely performed as a stage play, touching audiences around the world. It is also a favorite of the legal profession for its portrayal of ordinary citizens reaching a just verdict and widely taught for its depiction of group dynamics and human relations. Few twentieth-century American dramatic works have had the acclaim and impact of 12 Angry Men. Reginald Rose and the Journey of “12 Angry Men” tells two stories: the life of a great writer and the journey of his most famous work, one that ultimately outshined its author. More than any writer in the Golden Age of Television, Reginald Rose took up vital social issues of the day—from racial prejudice to juvenile delinquency to civil liberties—and made them accessible to a wide audience. His 1960s series, The Defenders, was the finest drama of its age and set the standard for legal dramas. This book brings Reginald Rose’s long and successful career, its origins and accomplishments, into view at long last. By placing 12 Angry Men in its historical and social context—the rise of television, the blacklist, and the struggle for civil rights—author Phil Rosenzweig traces the story of this brilliant courtroom drama, beginning with the chance experience that inspired Rose, to its performance on CBS’s Westinghouse Studio One in 1954, to the feature film with Henry Fonda. The book describes Sidney Lumet’s casting, the sudden death of one actor, and the contribution of cinematographer Boris Kaufman. It explores the various drafts of the drama, with characters modified and scenes added and deleted, with Rose settling on the shattering climax only days before filming began. Drawing on extensive research and brimming with insight, this book casts new light on one of America’s great dramas—and about its author, a man of immense talent and courage. Author royalties will be donated equally to the Feerick Center for Social Justice at Fordham Law School and the Justice John Paul Stevens Jury Center at Chicago-Kent College of Law.

A boyhood buddy tried flipping himself into a beanbag chair, became a quadriplegic – and a highly esteemed teacher. June dueled cancer three times – and pointedly told the author never to forget her. Joel was a pubescent blowhard who became a helping hand to many before battling health crises. Pat was a homecoming queen, became a hospice nurse and overcame ambivalence about attending reunions before taking on cancer. During teen years Chris seemed the most self-assured but later revealed she had been “in a fog.” DeeDee’s husband, an MS victim, urged her to put him in a nursing home to ease her burden. She refused. This loveliest of widows kept on living and loving – and at age 59 still could do cartwheels. Fran proved unstoppable during a daunting journey from college mascot to career success. Poh Hong put aside doubts by family and friends and flew half way around the world to attend a reunion. John was a college football player, became a minister, accepted strangers into his prayer circle and dealt with his own heartaches. Then there was Jim who persuaded the author to attend his first reunion – and later showed remarkable mettle amid dire circumstances. Reunions can be powerful. High school, college and graduate school class reunions as well as one-on-one reconnections in distant locations can whisper strong messages, teach lasting lessons, and tell us much about the resilience of the human spirit.