The Catered Affair (Goodyear Television Playhouse)

17th episode of the 4th season of Goodyear Television Playhouse

"The Catered Affair"

Goodyear Television Playhouse episode
Episode no.| Season 4
Episode 17
Directed by| Robert Mulligan
Written by| Paddy Chayefsky
Production code| Showcase Productions
Original air date| 22 May 1955 (1955-05-22)
Guest appearances
Thelma Ritter
Pat Henning

"The Catered Affair" is a television play episode from the television series Goodyear Television Playhouse. "The Catered Affair" was written by Paddy Chayefsky and was first shown on May 22, 1955. The cast included Pat Henning, Thelma Ritter, and J. Pat O'Malley.[1]

The play was adapted into a 1956 feature film and 2008 stage musical.

It was the last original TV play Chayefsky wrote.[2] A subsequent TV play, The Great American Hoax, was based on an early Chayefsky story.

## Reception

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Chayefsky later called the play "an unfocused piece, in which the first act was farce, and the second was comedy-drama and the third was abruptly drama. There aren't a dozen actresses who could make one piece out of all that; Miss Ritter, of course, did."[3]

The New York Times TV critic later wrote that "the playwright abandoned the stark simplicity that has become his trademark and tried to tell a family story from too many points of view. Parts of his play were rewarding but the whole was disappointing."[4]

## Awards

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Paddy Chayefsky and Thelma Ritter both received Emmy nominations for their work. Pat Henning won an Emmy for his performance.[5]

## References

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1. ^ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0886035/ Internet Movie database [user-generated source]
2. ^ "THE TV SCENE--: Television's Old Grads Hit Top" Smith, Cecil. Los Angeles Times 28 Feb 1958: A8.
3. ^ PADDY CHAYEFSKY (Feb 16, 1969). "Thelma Ritter 1905–1969". New York Times. p. D13.
4. ^ JACK GOULD (May 23, 1955). "TV: 'Catered Affair': Chayefsky's Story of Family Life Offered". New York Times. p. 47.
5. ^ "Pat Henning, Comedian, Dead, Won Emmy for 'Catered Affair: Born Into Circus Family". New York Times. Apr 30, 1973. p. 34.

## External links

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* "The Catered Affair" at IMDb

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Works by Paddy Chayefsky

Films written|

* The True Glory (1945)
* As Young as You Feel (1951)
* Marty (1955)
* The Bachelor Party (1957)
* The Goddess (1958)
* Middle of the Night (1959)
* The Americanization of Emily (1964)
* Paint Your Wagon (1969)
* The Hospital (1971)
* Network (1976)
* Altered States (1980)

Television plays|

* "Holiday Song" (1952)
* "Printer's Measure" (1953)
* "Marty" (1953)
* "The Bachelor Party" (1953)
* "The Sixth Year" (1953)
* "The Mother" (1954)
* "The Catered Affair" (1955)
* "The Great American Hoax" (1956)

Plays|

* The Tenth Man (1959)
* Gideon (1961)
* The Passion of Josef D. (1964)
* The Latent Heterosexual (1968)

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