Dr. Cook's Garden
| Dr Cook's Garden | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Ira Levin |
| Date premiered | September 18, 1967 |
| Place premiered | New York |
| Original language | English |
Dr Cook's Garden is a play by Ira Levin. It was adapted as a made-for-television film in 1971 starring Bing Crosby.
Plot
A young doctor returns to his New England home town after a long absence. He visits with the town's kindly old physician, Dr. Cook, a man he has admired since childhood. However, he soon finds out that the old doctor is keeping a mysterious secret.
Original Production
The play premiered on Broadway in 1967 with a cast including Burl Ives and Keir Dullea. George C. Scott was meant to direct[1] but was replaced during rehearsals by Levin.[2]
The play's Broadway production was covered in William Goldman's book on Broadway, The Season: A Candid Look at Broadway.
Television film
| Dr. Cook's Garden | |
|---|---|
| Based on | Dr. Cook's Garden play by Ira Levin |
| Written by | Art Wallace |
| Directed by | Ted Post |
| Starring |
Bing Crosby Frank Converse Blythe Danner Barnard Hughes Bethel Leslie |
| Music by | Robert Drasnin |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Bob Markell |
| Cinematography | Urs Furrer |
| Editor(s) | John McSweeney |
| Running time | 75 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Paramount Television |
| Distributor | ABC |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Original release | January 19, 1971 |
The play was adapted for television in 1971 with Bing Crosby in the title role and Frank Converse as his young colleague Dr. Tennyson. It was well received with Variety magazine commenting, inter alia: "‘Doctor Cook’s Garden’ was an unusually satisfying entry in ABC’s ‘Movie of the Week’ series . . . For Bing Crosby, the title role was an acting triumph. In his long list of films, ‘Garden’ was only his second straight acting role (the other was The Country Girl in 1955) and he has indeed come a long way since his first ‘doctor’ film - ‘Doctor Rhythm’ in 1938. Playing a part that easily could have been hammed-up, Crosby let the fictive character take over—no small trick for a star with a forty-year identity as a singer and light comedy artist."[3]
- Cast
- Bing Crosby as Dr. Leonard Cook
- Frank Converse as Jimmy Tennyson
- Blythe Danner as Janey Rausch
- Barnard Hughes as Elias Hart
- Bethel Leslie as Essie Bullitt
See also
References
- ↑ News of the Rialto: So Many Busy People So Many Busy People By LEWIS FUNKE. New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 27 Aug 1967: D1.
- ↑ Playbill for 1967 production accessed 15 June 2013
- ↑ "Variety". January 27, 1971.
External links
- Dr. Cook's Garden at the Internet Broadway Database
- Dr. Cook's Garden at the Internet Movie Database