The Blackwell Story (Playhouse 90)

"**The Blackwell Story**"
"The Blackwell Story"
Playhouse 90 episode
	Joanne Dru in "The Blackwell Story"
Episode no.	Season 1; Episode 22
Directed by	James Neilson
Written by	Mel Barr, Lloyd C. Douglas
Cinematography by	Gert Andersen
Original air date	February 28, 1957
Guest appearances
	Joanne Dru as Elizabeth Blackwell; Dan O'Herlihy as Dr. Keller; Charles Korvin as Dr. Von Neff;
Episode chronology
← Previous; "One Coat of White"	Next →; "Invitation to a Gunfighter"

"The Blackwell Story" was an American television film broadcast live on February 28, 1957, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90. It was the 22nd episode of the first season of Playhouse 90. Joanne Dru played the role of Elizabeth Blackwell.

Plot

The play examines the life of Elizabeth Blackwell who became America's first woman doctor in 1849.

Cast

Joanne Dru as Elizabeth Blackwell
Dan O'Herlihy as Dr. Keller
Charles Korvin as Dr. Von Neff
Marshall Thompson as David
Keith Larsen as Howard
Wilton Graff as Samuel Blackwell
Philip Tonge as Dean Parkington
Paul Keast as Dean Robertson
Damian O'Flynn as Dr. McKay
Joanna Barnes as Ellen Blackwell
Harvey Stephens as Dr. Adams

Frank Lovejoy hosted the show.

Production

The film was produced by Screen Gems for Playhouse 90.^[1] It was Screen Gems' fifth production for the series.^[2]

Eva Wolas was the producer, and James Neilson was the director.^[2] Mel Barr wrote the teleplay based on an unproduced script ("The First Woman Doctor") by Lloyd C. Douglas. Gert Andersen was the director of photography.

Reception

Walter Ames in the Los Angeles Times called it a "TV triumph" and praised Dru's "sterling performance".^[3]

In the New York Daily News, Ben Gross called it an "interesting play" and praised Dru for "an appealing and forceful portrayal."^[4]

References

^ Hal Burdick (December 30, 1956). "TV News". Santa Cruz Sentinel. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ^a ^b "To Be Continued". Sandusky Register. July 24, 1957 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Walter Ames (March 2, 1957). "Dru Emotes Through Storm to TV Triumph". Los Angeles Times. p. III-5 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Ben Gross (March 1, 1957). "What's On?". New York Daily News. p. 55 – via Newspapers.com.

[1] Hal Burdick (December 30, 1956). "TV News". Santa Cruz Sentinel. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.

[TBC-2] "To Be Continued". Sandusky Register. July 24, 1957 – via Newspapers.com.

[3] Walter Ames (March 2, 1957). "Dru Emotes Through Storm to TV Triumph". Los Angeles Times. p. III-5 – via Newspapers.com.

[4] Ben Gross (March 1, 1957). "What's On?". New York Daily News. p. 55 – via Newspapers.com.

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v t e Playhouse 90
People	John Frankenheimer Martin Manulis Franklin J. Schaffner Rod Serling
Season 1	"Forbidden Area" "Requiem for a Heavyweight" "Sizeman and Son" "Rendezvous in Black" "The Country Husband" "The Big Slide" "Heritage of Anger" "Eloise" "Confession" "Made in Heaven" "Sincerely, Willis Wade" "The Family Nobody Wanted" "Massacre at Sand Creek" "Snowshoes: A Comedy of People and Horses" "The Ninth Day" "So Soon to Die" "The Star Wagon" "The Greer Case" "The Miracle Worker" "The Comedian" "The Coat of White" "The Blackwell Story" "Invitation to a Gunfighter" "The Last Tycoon" "The Hostess with the Mostes'" "Charley's Aunt" "Clipper Ship" "If You Know Elizabeth" "Three Men on a Horse" "Four Women in Black" "Child of Trouble" "Homeward Borne" "Helen Morgan" "Winter Dreams" "Circle of the Day" "Without Incident" "Clash by Night" "Ain't No Time for Glory" "The Fabulous Irishman"
Season 2	"The Death of Manolete" "The Dark Side of the Earth" "Topaze" "A Sound of Different Drummers" "The Playroom" "Around the World in 90 Minutes" "The Mystery of Thirteen" "The Edge of Innocence" "The Clouded Image" "The Jet Propelled Couch" "The Troublemakers" "Panic Button" "Galvanized Yankee" "The Thundering Wave" "For I Have Loved Strangers" "The Lone Woman" "Reunion" "The Last Man" "The 80 Yard Run" "Before I Die" "The Gentleman From Seventh Avenue" "The Violent Heart" "No Time at All" "Point of No Return" "Portrait of a Murderer" "The Last Clear Chance" "The Male Animal" "The Right Hand Man" "Turn Left at Mount Everest" "The Dungeon" "Verdict of Three" "Rumors of Evening" "Not the Glory" "Nightmare at Ground Zero" "Bomber's Moon" "Natchez" "The Innocent Sleep" "A Town Has Turned to Dust" "The Great Gatsby" "A Bitter Heritage"
Season 3	"The Plot to Kill Stalin" "Days of Wine and Roses" "The Time of Your Life" "The Long March" "Shadows Tremble" "Word From a Sealed-Off Box" "Heart of Darkness" "Old Man" "The Return of Ansel Gibbs" "Free Weekend" "Seven Against the Wall" "The Nutcracker" "Face of a Hero" "The Wings of the Dove" "The Blue Men" "The Velvet Alley" "A Quiet Game of Cards" "Child of Our Time" "The Second Man" "The Raider" "The Dingaling Girl" "Made in Japan" "For Whom the Bell Tolls" "A Trip to Paradise" "In Lonely Expectation" "The Day Before Atlanta" "Judgment at Nuremberg" "A Corner of the Garden" "Dark December" "Diary of a Nurse" "A Marriage of Strangers" "Out of Dust" "The Rank and File" "The Killers of Mussolini" "Project Immortality" "Dark as the Night" "The Second Happiest Day"
Season 4	"Target for Three" "The Sounds of Eden" "Misalliance" "The Hidden Image" "The Grey Nurse Said Nothing" "The Tunnel" "The Silver Whistle" "A Dream of Treason" "To the Sound of Trumpets" "The Cruel Day" "Tomorrow" "The Hiding Place" "Alas, Babylon" "Journey to the Day" "The Shape of the River" "In the Presence of Mine Enemies"
Revivals	CBS Playhouse CBS Playhouse 90