The Seven Lively Arts (1957)

Directed by

Mel Ferrer

Genre

anthology series

Country

United States

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

This anthology series covers different topics each week, from religion to filmmaking to folk music. It was hosted by a newspaper critic and aimed to treat popular culture with the same seriousness as classical arts.

educationalthoughtfulvariedreflectivelow-keyinformativeculturalleisurely

What happens

The Seven Lively Arts is an American anthology series that aired on Sunday afternoons on CBS television from November 3, 1957, until February 16, 1958. The series was executive produced by John Houseman, and hosted by New York Herald Tribune critic John Crosby. Alfredo Antonini served as the musical director for several episodes. The title was taken from the influential book of the same name written by the cultural critic Gilbert Seldes, in which he argued that the low arts (comics, vaudeville) deserved as much critical attention as the high arts (opera, literature). The eleven programs produced were—not in order: "The Revivalists" – a profile of contemporary evangelism "Hollywood around the World" – a profile of overseas film productions directed by Mel Ferrer "The Blast in Centralia #5" – about a 1947 mine blast in Centralia, Illinois "Here is New York" – an essay about the city written by E. B. White and narrated by E. G. Marshall. "A Few Folks And Their Songs" – a program on folk music, hosted by Theodore Bikel "The Nutcracker" – the first television production of Tchaikovsky's ballet (heavily abridged) "The World of Nick Adams" – an adaptation combining five early Ernest Hemingway stories "Profile of a Composer" – a profile of American composer and choralist Norman Dello Joio "Gold Rush" – a ballet choreographed by Agnes de Mille "The Sound of Jazz" – The top jazz musicians of the day performing live. "The Changing Ways of Love" – the opening program, starring Piper Laurie and Jason Robards, written by S.J. Perelman (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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