GE True
Encyclopedia
GE True is an American anthology series sponsored by General Electric
. Telecast on CBS
, the series presented stories previously published in True
magazine. Articles from the magazine were adapted to TV by Gene Roddenberry
and other screenwriters.
Jack Webb
produced and hosted the 33 episodes during his stint as head of Warner Bros. Television
. GE True ran from September 30, 1962 until May 26, 1963, with repeats through September 1963.
then appeared.
In an overview of the 1962 TV season, Time
noted:
The series occupied the same time slot as General Electric Theater
had held on CBS Sunday evenings (9pm ET) from 1953 until September 1962, thus adding to the diminished identity of GE True and some factual confusions. Several episodes of the series were directed by William Conrad
. Reruns of the series were later syndicated under the title True.
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
. Telecast on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, the series presented stories previously published in True
True (magazine)
True, also known as True, The Man's Magazine, was published by Fawcett Publications from 1937 until 1974. Known as True, A Man's Magazine in the 1930s, it was labeled True, #1 Man's Magazine in the 1960s. Petersen Publishing took over with the January 1975, issue...
magazine. Articles from the magazine were adapted to TV by Gene Roddenberry
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and futurist, best known for creating the American science fiction series Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, California where his father worked as a police officer...
and other screenwriters.
Jack Webb
Jack Webb
John Randolph "Jack" Webb , also known by the pseudonym John Randolph, was an American actor, television producer, director and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Sergeant Joe Friday in the radio and television series Dragnet...
produced and hosted the 33 episodes during his stint as head of Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television is the television production arm of Warner Bros. Entertainment, itself part of Time Warner. Alongside CBS Television Studios, it serves as a television production arm of The CW Television Network , though it also produces shows for other networks, such as Shameless on...
. GE True ran from September 30, 1962 until May 26, 1963, with repeats through September 1963.
Synopsis
The show had a unique opening: A huge "True" sign, apparently five stories tall, darkened and was seen in deep shadows. Jack Webb announced, "This is True!" Strong symphonic music included timpani rhythms, followed by the majestic opening theme. The True sign became brightly lit as Jack Webb walked alongside the illuminated sign in an off-stage direction. A classic quotation from such writers as Daniel WebsterDaniel Webster
Daniel Webster was a leading American statesman and senator from Massachusetts during the period leading up to the Civil War. He first rose to regional prominence through his defense of New England shipping interests...
then appeared.
In an overview of the 1962 TV season, Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
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 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 ten times as tall as Jack Webb.
The series occupied the same time slot as General Electric Theater
General Electric Theater
General Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald W. Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.-Radio:...
had held on CBS Sunday evenings (9pm ET) from 1953 until September 1962, thus adding to the diminished identity of GE True and some factual confusions. Several episodes of the series were directed by William Conrad
William Conrad
William Conrad was an American actor, producer and director whose career spanned five decades in radio, film and television....
. Reruns of the series were later syndicated under the title True.
Guest stars
Guest stars on the series included:- Lloyd BochnerLloyd BochnerLloyd Wolfe Bochner was a Canadian actor, usually playing the role of suave, rich leading men.- Career :...
- James DoohanJames DoohanJames Montgomery "Jimmy" Doohan was a Canadian character and voice actor best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series Star Trek...
- Ron FosterRon Foster (actor)Ronald R. Foster, known as Ron Foster , is an American actor, whose longest-running role was as Dr. Charles Grant from 1991-1995 in the defunct CBS soap opera The Guiding Light....
- David FrankhamDavid FrankhamDavid Frankham is a film and television actor. After serving in India and Malaya in WWII, Frankham worked first as a news reader, and then a writer, interviewer and producer for the BBC from 1948 through 1955....
- James GriffithJames GriffithJames Griffith was an American character actor, musician and screenwriter.-Career:Born in Los Angeles, Griffith aspired to be a musician rather than an actor. Instead, he managed to find work in little theatres around Los Angeles, where the budding musician eased into a dual career of acting...
- Werner KlempererWerner KlempererWerner Klemperer was a comedic and dramatic actor, best known for his role as Colonel Klink on the CBS television sitcom, Hogan's Heroes.-Early life:...
- Albert PaulsenAlbert PaulsenAlbert Paulsen was an Ecuadorian-American actor who appeared in many United States television series beginning in the 1960s, playing characters primarily of European origin. He died from natural causes at the age of 78...
- Russell JohnsonRussell JohnsonRussell David Johnson is an American television and film actor best known as "The Professor" on the CBS television sitcom Gilligan's Island...
Episodes
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | "Circle of Death" | September 30, 1962 |
| 1-2 | "V-Victor 5" | October 7, 1962 |
| 1-3 | "Harris Vs. Castro" | October 14, 1962 |
| 1-4 | "Code Name: Christopher (Part 1)" | October 21, 1962 |
| 1-5 | "Code Name: Christopher (Part 2)" | October 28, 1962 |
| 1-6 | "The Handmade Private" | November 4, 1962 |
| 1-7 | "The Last Day" | November 11, 1962 |
| 1-8 | "Man With a Suitcase" | November 18, 1962 |
| 1-9 | "Mile Long Shot To Kill" | November 25, 1962 |
| 1-10 | "Cheating Cheaters" | December 2, 1962 |
| 1-11 | "UXB (Unexploded Bomb)" | December 9, 1962 |
| 1-12 | "The Wrong Nickel" | December 16, 1962 |
| 1-13 | "The Amateurs" | December 30, 1962 |
| 1-14 | "Open Season" | January 6, 1963 |
| 1-15 | "Defendant: Clarence Darrow" | January 13, 1963 |
| 1-16 | "O.S.I." | January 20, 1963 |
| 1-17 | "Firebug" | January 27, 1963 |
| 1-18 | "Little Richard" | February 3, 1963 |
| 1-19 | "Escape (Part 1)" | February 10, 1963 |
| 1-20 | "Escape (Part 2)" | February 17, 1963 |
| 1-21 | "The Moonshiners" | February 24, 1963 |
| 1-22 | "Security Risk" | March 3, 1963 |
| 1-23 | "The Black Robed Ghost" | March 10, 1963 |
| 1-24 | "Ordeal" | March 17, 1963 |
| 1-25 | "Pattern for Espionage" | March 24, 1963 |
| 1-26 | "The Tenth Mona Lisa" | March 31, 1963 |
| 1-27 | "Gertie The Great" | April 14, 1963 |
| 1-28 | "Black Market" | April 21, 1963 |
| 1-29 | "Nitro" | April 28, 1963 |
| 1-30 | "Heydrich (Part 1)" | May 5, 1963 |
| 1-31 | "Heydrich (Part 2)" | May 12, 1963 |
| 1-32 | "Commando" | May 19, 1963 |
| 1-33 | "Five Tickets to Hell" | May 26, 1963 |