The Comedian is an amazing story. Mickey Rooney's performance is mesmerizing. He is despicable, ruthlessly hateful and is a monster to anyone who doesn't bow down at his feet and give him what he wants instantly. What a revelation to me who only really saw him in the movies with a young Judy Garland. The rest of the cast is outstanding. Mel Torme is brilliant as the brother. I kept waiting for him to stand up for himself, but except for a few moments where you think he's reached the end of his tolerance, he backs down like a little mouse. Edmond O'Brien is good as the head writer but he doesn't quite match the intensity of Mickey Rooney or Mel Torme.To think this was performed live and 90 minutes long. A powerful story that you won't soon forget.

This is one of the teleplays included on the three DVD set from Criterion. All the plays were performed live and it's amazing how good the production values were considering they were put on week after week! Among the films in the set are some amazingly good television events--ones that went on to have expensive Hollywood remakes and in some cases they won Oscars! Such great productions as "Marty", "Requiem for a Heavyweight" and "Days of Wine and Roses" all began first on television--and in some cases this TV version is superior! The basic story idea for "The Comedian" is very, very reminiscent of several other exceptional films from the 1950s. In many ways, it's like José Ferrer's "The Great Man" (1956), Andy Griffith's "A Face in the Crowd" (1957) as well as part of the wonderful film "A Thousand Clowns" (1965) in that all three involve a megalomaniac and downright vicious beloved star--one that America just doesn't know for the jerk he really is.These stories were all were inspired by a real-life event. In the early 1950s, Arthur Godfrey was one of the most trusted and beloved TV personalities--mostly because he came off as so sweet and down to earth. However, in 1953, his anger got the best of him and he actually fired one of his acts ON AIR! And, in subsequent years, his hellish nature became apparent...and his popularity dwindled to nothing. No doubt writer Rod Serling was inspired, at least in part, by Godfrey's example.The comedian from the title is a character played by Mickey Rooney--a huge TV star who has a mean streak a mile wide and takes it out on everyone behind the scenes. He browbeats everyone--but particularly takes it out on his meek brother (Mel Tormé) who is his own personal whipping boy! Mel's wife (Kim Hunter) pressures him to quit--to be a man and stop taking the mistreatment, but his self-esteem is so low that he can't make himself do what he needs to do. In addition to Tormé, a lot of Rooney's wrath is directed to his writer (Edmund O'Brien). Something has to give...as not only these men but everyone who works with Rooney can't stand him and his boorish ways.Overall, it's a very good show--and it's amazing to watch these people doing the show live. However, I must also say that I prefer the films I listed above--they were a bit more subtle and enjoyable--particularly "The Great Man". Still, it's well worth seeing...and an amazing show.

Mickey Rooney plays Sammy Hogarth, a famous comedian of stage and television, adored by the masses, hated and despised by his intimates.There are two plots here, the lesser involving Sammy's brother, Lester, played by Mel Torme--a grown crybaby who clings to his big brother's shirttail from which comes his job as an abused go-for, and along with the job comes a weekly sketch portraying him as Lester the bumbling fool. There's a desire to get out from under this character abuse, but poor, weak Lester hasn't the backbone to properly make his stand without the aid of his endearing, but troubled wife played by Kim Hunter.Edmond O'Brien plays the pivotal role in this production as Sammy's head comedy writer, and the plot involving a less than honorable script he's come up with is the real fuel for this story. Deceit is the name of the game in this television... well, let's call it a mini-movie since that's what Playhouse 90 more or less turned out, and as usual, O'Brien upstages pretty much everyone he's on screen with. Mickey Rooney certainly gives him a run for his money though. Unfortunately, these bad guy type roles Rooney started playing in the 50s were a big part of what contributed to his losing the public's admiration even though he did them well.I don't think you'll be disappointed with anything, except perhaps the ending, which may leave you less contented than ole' Bossy on a late milking day. It's done well though.

I suspect there were two figures, maybe three, who were the basis for the character of early television comic giant Sammy Hogarth in this drama. First there were Sid Caesar and Red Buttons, both of whom were notably difficult to write comedy for (Caesar less than Buttons, in that he was just outspoken when presented by second-rate material; Buttons made a name for himself - and a hash of his comedy variety success - by firing comic writers almost weekly in the second year of his show). The other may be Arthur Godfrey, another "beloved" television personality of the 1950s who was something less than likable in his relations with his staff (ask the unfortunate Julius La Rosa, for example).THE COMEDIAN was a drama by Rod Sterling that was revived on television by Sonny Fox in 1994 in a series showing the best surviving kine-scopes of live television shows from the golden age of television drama. The others included the original BANG THE DRUM SLOWLY, NO TIMES FOR SERGEANTS, and REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT. THE COMEDIAN starred Mickey Rooney as the energetic, dynamic, and totally lousy Hogarth, an ego-maniacal comic genius who demanded the best from everyone around him. He dominates his nervous and downtrodden brother, Lester (Mel Torme, in a surprisingly good performance as a snook who finally seems to grow claws). Kim Hunter plays Julie Hogarth, the wife of Lester, whom has had to fight off the attentions of Sammy. And Edmund O'Brien plays Al Preston, a script writer for Hogarth who is finding the comedian less and less easy to work for and less and less satisfied by his work. Preston's wife Connie (Constance Ford) is trying to convince him that despite the salary it is not worth the aggravation tied to such a creep as Hogarth. O'Brien is almost convinced, and then a disaster hits in the form of a script.Before Preston had been on the staff, another writer worked for Hogarth, and this writer had died. That was why Preston was hired. What Hogarth did not know was that the previous writer had written a full script for Hogarth, and Preston ends up in possession of the script. But the script is in the other writer's name, and if Preston uses it, and the act becomes known, it can ruin his reputation. But if it is used and nobody discovers the truth, Preston's reputation is secured.In the meantime, Hogarth does a series of jokes about noted critic Elwell (Whit Bissell). Elwell discovers all about Hogarth's relationship with his sister-in-law, and publishes it. While this is going on, the purloined script is being produced, and Hogarth is very pleased by it. But each day approaches the date of the television production, and Preston is growing worried. Is he sure he's safe, or will the truth come out to hurt him? Like the contemporary film THE GREAT MAN (also based on Arthur Godfrey), and the business in the contemporary British comedy THE NAKED TRUTH (or YOUR PAST IS SHOWING) concerning British television star "Wee Geordie" MacGregor (Peter Sellers), THE COMEDIAN showed the difference between the real world of television personalities and the final production the public loved. It strives too hard at times at being a bit philosophical (O'Brien finally demanding from Rooney what makes him tick - in real life he would not have bothered to ask). But the drama was a very good one, and certainly added to the laurels of it's five stars (Rooney, O'Brien, Ford, Hunter, and especially Torme). And it added another feather to the legend of Rod Sterling, that peerless television dramatist before the coming of THE TWILIGHT ZONE.