GE True
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| Also known as | General Electric True |
| Genre | Anthology |
| Written by | Harold Jack Bloom Otis Carney John Kneubuhl Lou Morheim Dean Riesner Michael Zagor |
| Directed by | William Conrad Robert M. Leeds Jack Webb |
| Presented by | Jack Webb |
| Narrated by | Jack Webb |
| Template:Pluralize from text of origin | United States |
| Original languageTemplate:Pluralize from text | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 33 |
| Production | |
| Executive producerTemplate:Pluralize from text | Jack Webb |
| ProducerTemplate:Pluralize from text | Michael Meshekoff |
| Cinematography | Daniel L. Fapp Bert Glennon Carl E. Guthrie Harold E. Stine |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production Template:Pluralize from text | Warner Bros. Television CBS Television Network |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
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GE True (also known as General Electric True)[1] is a 33-episode, American anthology series sponsored by General Electric that aired from September 30, 1962,[2] until May 26, 1963, with repeats through September 1963. Telecast on CBS, the series presented stories, both published and unpublished, from the files of True magazine.[1] The series' executive producer was Jack Webb through his Mark VII Limited company; he also acted as host-narrator, directed several episodes, and acted in several episodes.[3]
Program overview
A representative of the publisher of True magazine met Jack Webb at a party in New York and suggested the magazine as a source of material.[3] Webb and others then researched the magazine's files for story ideas.[3] Stories were adapted for television primarily by head writer Harold Jack Bloom. More than half of the episodes were directed by William Conrad, who portrayed Matt Dillon on radio's Gunsmoke and was later the star of the CBS crime drama Cannon.
In an overview of the 1962 television season, Time noted:
- Jack ("dum-de-dum-dum") Webb is back. This time he is retelling stories from the files of True magazine. The first one was set on a hospital ship off Okinawa, where a doctor (played by William Conrad) operated on a marine who had a live and sensitive shell in his body capable of blowing a six-foot hole in a steel deck. It was a hell of a moment, but Webb sank it. "At 1830 hours exactly," he intoned, "the operation began on a human bomb dead center in the circle of death." He hosts the program in an echo-chambered voice, while he stands beside the word TRUE, spelled out in block letters 22 feet high, or roughly 10 times as tall as Jack Webb.[4][a]
GE True aired at 9:30 p.m. Sundays,[2] following The McCoys, a sitcom that had moved to CBS from ABC.[1] GE True aired a half-hour later than a predecessor series, General Electric Theater, hosted by Ronald Reagan, which had aired at 9 p.m. from 1953 to 1962. Both The McCoys and GE True faced opposition from the highly rated Western series Bonanza on NBC.[1]
The show had a unique opening, of which there were at least two variants. Each opening featured a large "TRUE" sign, apparently several stories tall and shown at an oblique angle, initially in deep shadow. One variant began with Webb voicing "Good evening. Your host, General Electric." with a large GE logo displayed next to the TRUE sign.[5] Another variant lacked the GE logo, but included a superimposed quotation from Daniel Webster: "There is nothing so powerful as truth, and often nothing so strange."[6] Strong symphonic music was featured as part of a majestic opening theme. Webb walked alongside the TRUE sign and stated either "And this, is true" (GE logo variant) or simply "This is true". The sign became brightly lit and the camera changed to a direct view of Webb, who then introduced the episode.
The Webb-hosted short film Red Nightmare (1962) had similarities to the GE True episode "The Last Day", although the former was presented as fantasy via a dream sequence.
In February 1963, Webb succeeded William T. Orr as executive in charge of Warner Bros. Television, with Orr moving to the motion picture part of Warner Bros.[7] At the beginning of June 1963, it was reported that GE True would not continue.[8] Webb's role with Warner ended in December 1963.[9]
Reruns of GE True were later syndicated under the title True.[citation needed]
Episodes
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Guest stars
In addition to performers mentioned above, other notable persons who guest starred on GE True include:
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Notes
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- ^ The final clause in the Time quote is unclear, as it suggests Webb's height was 2.2 feet (0.67 m)—Webb was 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall.
References
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- ^ a b c d Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Lowry, Cynthia (September 30, 1962). "Webb's TV Series Will Face Stiff Competition". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Charleston, West Virginia. AP. p. 9s. Retrieved April 8, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Jack Webb in Pursuit of Truth". Press & Sun-Bulletin. Binghamton, New York. September 29, 1962. p. Ent. 3. Retrieved April 8, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."'Just The Truth, Ma'am,' Theme Of New Jack Web Drama Series". Santa Maria Times. September 22, 1962. p. 2-B. Retrieved April 8, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Show Business: The Retreads". Time. Vol. LXXX, no. 15. October 12, 1962. p. 100. Retrieved April 3, 2023 – via time.com.
- ^ See episode "Code Name Christopher"
- ^ See episode "V-Victor 5"
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Webb Lands Post With Warner Bros". The Ardmoreite. Ardmore, Oklahoma. AP. February 20, 1963. p. 2. Retrieved April 17, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Finnigan, Joseph (June 1, 1963). "Jack Webb Is Running Warner Lot". Cumberland Evening Times. Cumberland, Maryland. UPI. p. 3. Retrieved April 15, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."TV Notes". The Salinas Californian. Salinas, California. December 23, 1963. p. 14. Retrieved April 15, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
External links
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