What Makes Sammy Run?: Part 1
- Episode aired Sep 27, 1959
The story of an unscrupulous Hollywood promoter.The story of an unscrupulous Hollywood promoter.The story of an unscrupulous Hollywood promoter.
Photos
- Mike Crowley
- (as Horace MacMahon)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAround 1956, Eddie Fisher and his agent Lew Wasserman were discussing roles for Fisher's acting debut. A project being discussed at the time was "What Makes Sammy Run?" by Budd Schulberg and Stuart Schulberg. Fisher wanted to play aggressive producer Sammy Glick, "the ultimate Jewish hustler. I knew a lot of real Sammy Glicks and I felt confident that was a character I could play." Lew Wasserman decided that the character was too much of a classic negative Jewish stereotype and that it would be bad for Fisher to play it. So Fisher went in the complete opposite direction (in retrospect, perhaps too far) with then-wife Debbie Reynolds in the squeaky clean comedy that Fisher hated, Bundle of Joy (1956), a film made to capitalize on the birth of their daughter, future Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) "Princess Leia" Carrie Fisher. The Schulberg project "What Makes Sammy Run?" was eventually produced in 2 parts for this show, episodes #1.2 and #1.3.
- Quotes
[first lines]
Al Manheim: Alright. Alright.
[moves across bedroom to stand in front of a dresser with a mirror, picks up an invitation and reads from it, talking to a woman getting dressed in another part of the room]
Al Manheim: "Worldwide Pictures requests the pleasure of your company at a dinner honoring Mr. Samuel Glick."
[tosses invitation down on dresser top, looks in mirror and begins tying a black bowtie]
Al Manheim: That's our Sammy.
[continues to quote parts of the invitation from memory]
Al Manheim: "... the occasion of his appointment as chairman of the board. Windsor Room, Park Wilshire Hotel. RSVP." Black tie, yet. "RSVP" - "Remember Sammy's Vengeful Power." I dare anyone not to attend!
When this made for TV movie begins, Sammy is only a lowly copy boy at a newspaper in New York. Yet, within a brief instant, he's gotten a huge promotion and is sharing an office with Al Manheim (John Forsythe). Not too long after this, he's off to Hollywood to work on a movie project. And, surprisingly, he convinces Al to join him later to help him. Al is thrilled but a little worried--after all, Sammy seems like a conniving rat. And, after spending some time there, it's rather apparent that Al's instincts were right--Sam is a rat! And, the ultimate jerkish thing that Sammy has done is claim credit for a script he didn't even write! Nice guy, huh? To learn the rest of the story, tune in to episode two.
Larry Blyden did a great job in the film as Sammy--plus the likes of Forsythe, Dina Merrill, Barbara Rush and David Opatashu sure helped make this a fine acted movie. But the big star was the incredibly biting script by Bud Schulberg--which was based on his best-selling 1941 tell all book. Schulberg was a natural for this, as his father, B.P. Schulberg was an old-time Hollywood exec--the sort of mover and shaker that make the city. Well worth your time.
- planktonrules
- Mar 21, 2013