Helen Morgan (Playhouse 90)
"Helen Morgan" was an American television play broadcast on May 16, 1957, as part of the CBS television series, "Playhouse 90". It was the 33rd episode of the first season of "Playhouse 90". Polly Bergen won the Emmy Award for her performance. The production also received Emmy nominations for Program of the Year and best directing by George Roy Hill. Sylvia Sidney and Hoagy Carmichael co-starred. Plot. The teleplay follows the life of singer Helen Morgan from age 17 and through her work as a Chicago torch singer, on Broadway in "George White's Scandals , and in Show Boat" where she gained fame singing "Bill" and "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man". The production also covers Morgan's alcohol abuse, her three marriages, and her death at age 41 from cirrhosis of the liver. Cast. The following performers received screen credit for their performances: Dana Wynter hosted the broadcast. Production. Martin Manulis, the producer of "Playhouse 90", purchased the television rights to the story from Morgan's mother, Lulu Morgan. In January 1957, Polly Bergen signed to play the lead role. She had previously been known for making commercials for Pepsi-Cola and as a  panelist on "To Tell the Truth." When "Playhouse 90" acquired the television rights, Warner Brothers Pictures was already working on a motion picture version. Warner asked CBS to delay the television broadcast, but CBS declined and announced it would air its version on May 16. The movie, titled "The Helen Morgan Story", was released in October. George Roy Hill directed the production. The teleplay was written by Leonard Spigelgass and Paul Monash, and Lulu Morgan was also given story credit. Albert Heschong was the art director. The production was nominated for the Emmy Award for Program of the Year, but  lost to another "Playhouse 90" episode, "The Comedian". Polly Bergen won the Emmy Award for best actress. George Roy Hill was also nominated for best direction (one hour or more). Reception. In "The New York Times", Jack Gould wrote that the production "had warmth, nostalgia and poignancy", though the telling of her backstage life "tended at times to be rather over-melodramatic." Gould also wrote that Hoagy Carmichael "dominated all his scenes in his usual effortless manner." As for Polly Bergen, Gould wrote that "her interpretation did not quite come off", though she "gave it a sincere and interesting try ." In "The Boston Globe", Mary Cremmen called it "a triumph of home screen entertainment."