Book review – "Television plays" by Reginald Rose

Rose was one of the big four of television writers in the 50s, so it is only appropriate he got a published collection of his work like the others. This includes the work for which Rose is best remembered, ‘Twelve Angry Men”, which made a terrific movie and play so I wasn’t surprised to see it just as effective as a teleplay – I mean, it’s all there. (It’s such a good idea no wonder it was expanded).

“The Remarkable Incident at Carson Corners” is a bold piece which surely owes a debt to Priestly’s “The Inspector Calls”, i.e. a who-dunnit that turns in a we-all-did-it-because-we-are-all-our-brothers-keeper. It has this great start: a bunch of parents attending a school play put on by their children – and it turns out the children are putting a janitor on trial for being responsible for the death of another child.

“Crime in the Streets” is a look at juvenile delinquents with a great role for John Cassevetes – I don’t have to see him to know he would have been awesome in this part. It’s pretty tough and full on piece, though the character of the social worker has become a cliché: he speaks the language of the streets (right on), and just wants to relate to the kids (yeah).

“Thunder on Sycamore Street” is a fascinating inside of suburban mob violence – an ex con has moved into the street and the neighbours plan together to kick him out. It’s in three parts – we see a different point of view each time, and muck around in time. The story was clearly inspired by a black family moving into a white street but changed to be about an ex con – though Rose writes in his essay about the play that this had unexpected an advantage, in that it meant everyone could tell the story wasn’t really about an ex-con… but people assumed it was about a variety of issues (not just black - Jewish, Catholic, etc).

Rose went on to have great success and prestige with his legal drama series, The Defenders. In an odd post script, he wound up writing a bunch of action films for producer Euan Lloyd including The Wild Geese. Which just goes to show you never can tell how anyone is going to wind up. (NB I am not bagging these films at all - just saying it's a bit odd.)