Quest (initially titled Q for Quest) is a Canadian entertainment and information anthology television series which aired on CBC Television from 1961 to 1964.
Premise
The series began in January 1961 as Q for Quest and featured a variety of documentaries, dramas and musical performances. The series was hosted by Andrew Allan for its first six months. Executive producer Ross McLean described the series as "a free-form exercise in the inventive use of television."[1]
After the initial season ended in June 1961, McLean left CBC for the upstart private CTV Television Network and was replaced by Daryl Duke. Allan was replaced as host by Robert Whitehead.[2] The series title was shortened to Quest when it began its first full season in October 1961. Episode producers included Harvey Hart, George McCowan, Mario Prizek and Whitehead.
In March 1964, Duke left the CBC to work with Steve Allen in the United States after completing an episode featuring musician Bob Dylan for Quest.[3][4] That final episode of Quest was broadcast on 10 March 1964.[5] CBC created a new experimental anthology series Eye Opener which aired from January to March 1965.[6]
Reception
Quest took an experimental and often controversial approach on the productions it aired.[7] The presentation of Jules Feiffer's satirical play Crawling Arnold on the 4 February 1962 episode drew particularly strong public reaction. Edwin William Brunsden, a Member of Parliament, received negative correspondence to this broadcast and denounced the episode in Parliament as "depraved... disgusting... garbage... and a rank violation of the sanctity of the Canadian home and family." The suitability of Quest's subject matter for a broadcast audience was also a concern of CBC management on occasion.[8][9] Ottawa-based Sock 'n' Buskin Theatre Company lodged a different complaint regarding the CBC's promotion of "Crawling Arnold" as a "North American premiere" because the theatre group began its performances of the play three days prior to the broadcast.[10]
Alberta Member of Parliament Clifford Smallwood declared to the 25 February 1964 broadcast of "For Want of Something Better to Do" to be "corrupt and immoral". Smallwood demanded that CBC programming be approved by a House of Commons committee. Ottawa Citizen columnist Frank Penn saw little immorality in that episode, but rather that the play was a challenge to inhumanity.[11]
CBC had received more critical letters from viewers for Quest than for any other program according to Duke during a September 1962 interview.[12]
Episodes
Weeks not listed were usually pre-empted by other programming such as extended editions of Close-Up, CBC Newsmagazine or Stanley Cup playoffs.
Season 1: early 1961
Q for Quest began as a mid-season series, airing Tuesdays at 10:30 p.m. (Eastern).
Jeremy Wilkin's solo performance of James Reaney's work, under the theme of "Life and Death in Canada". Harvey Hart was the producer.[15]
"Josef Drenters"
–
24 January 1961 (1961-01-24)
A biographical film by Allan King on Ontario farmer and sculptor Josef Drenters[16]
"Festival In Puerto Rico"
–
7 February 1961 (1961-02-07)
A documentary on Puerto Rico's Casals Festival where classical singer Maureen Forrester and her conductor husband Eugene Kash performed. This National Film Board production also features their three children who also travelled to the festival. Roman Kroitor directed this.[17]
Charmion King, Tom Harvey, Cosette Lee and Joe Austen star in this comedy play in which a couple's apartment is destroyed.[26][27]
"Lambert, Hendricks and Ross"
–
16 May 1961 (1961-05-16)
A musical concert with Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, a vocal group who simulates big band instrumentals.[28]
"Standard of Dying"
Herbert Eisenreich
23 May 1961 (1961-05-23)
Drama concerning a couple set in Europe starring Charmion King and Budd Knapp, produced by Paul Almond.[29][30]
"It's Harder to be Anybody"
–
30 May 1961 (1961-05-30)
Talk show with Mordecai Richler concerning his writing, accompanied by performances of excerpts of his books "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz" and "It's Harder to be Anybody".[31][32][33]
"Death in the Barren Ground"
–
6 June 1961 (1961-06-06)
A drama with Douglas Rain about youths in the North attempting to survive, previously broadcast in October 1959 on Explorations.[34]
The initial 1961 half-season was pre-empted by extended hour-long editions of Close-Up on 31 January, 7 March, 25 April.[38][39]Stanley Cup playoff broadcasts also pre-empted Q for Quest on 21 March and 4 April 1961. The 2 May episode was pre-empted by the special documentary University.[40]
Season 2: 1961–1962
The first full season of Quest aired on Sundays at 10:30 p.m. (Eastern).
This drama concerns Rose Schmidt (Elise Charette) who is committed to a psychiatric hospital. Producer Harvey Hart adapted Gascar's play for this episode. Victoria Mitchell and Catherine Proctor also star.[41]
"The Alcoholic Veteran with the Washboard Cranium"
Jackie Cain and Roy Kral are a married singing duo who perform songs about courtship.[43][44]
"Do Jerry Parker"
Bernard Slade
5 November 1961 (1961-11-05)
Ted Follows, Gayle Gerber, Frank Gorshin and Larry D. Mann star in this drama. It concerns an impressionist who was discovered by a television celebrity whom the impressionist develops a psychopathic obsession. Producer Leon Major.[45][46]
"Sam"
Norman Klenman
12 November 1961 (1961-11-12)
Suzanne Grossman, Charmion King, Dino Narizzano and Louis Zorich star in this play about a mentally ill man who attempts to sell the world's secret to people on the street.[47]
"The House of the Rising Sun"
–
19 November 1961 (1961-11-19)
Don Francks and Eve Smith perform with the Don Thompson Octet in this blues-based musical set in New Orleans.[48][49]
Produced by Mario Prizek, this adaptation concerns various subjects, mostly the character of Arnold who is reduced to crawling in reaction to his overbearing parents.[62][63]
"Dreams"
–
18 February 1962 (1962-02-18)
The hopes and plans of youths are profiled in this documentary.[64]
Tijuana, Mexico is featured in this documentary narrated by Bruno Gerussi, filmed by Robert Crone and directed by Cliff Solway. The film explores the various aspects of Tijuana's life as it exists near the U.S. border.[71]
"Pedro the Monkey"
Antonio Callado
27 May 1962 (1962-05-27)
Play starring Oscar Brown Jr. set in Brazil concerning a thief and his girlfriend.[72][73]
Season 3: 1962–1963
Quest retained its Sunday 10:30 p.m. (Eastern) time slot for its 1962–63 season.
In this play, produced and adapted by Harvey Hart, a lonely man is exploited when he seeks friendship from another lonely man, starring Everett Sloane and Howard Da Silva.[77][78]
"Protest"
–
4 November 1962 (1962-11-04)
This documentary concerns the nature of modern protesting from the violent riots of New York to the comic dissent of The Second City.[79]
"Black and White"
–
18 November 1962 (1962-11-18)
Concerns the racial differences in musicians' lives, based on material published in Down Beat.[80]
Docudrama produced by Eric Till concerning Kim Malthe-Bruun who was a member of the Danish resistance during World War II. The program is based on excerpts from writings by Malthe-Bruun (Garrick Hagon) who wrote letters to his mother (Sydney Sturgess) and girlfriend (Heidy Hunt) while he was imprisoned by the Nazis. Other characters featured include a Gestapo officer (Paul Harding), a sweeper (Sydney Brown) and a young boy (Peter Kastner). Douglas Rain is the narrator.[89]
Set 300 years in the future, the planet Venus has become a prison colony. Western governments wish to attack the east and plot to use Venus as a launching point for their attack. Western leaders travel to Venus on the space ship Vega to offer the exiles on Venus a return trip to Earth in exchange for supporting their plans to attack the east. Mavor Moore, Bernard Behrens, Orest Ulan, Christopher Newton, Ivor Barry, Drew Thompson, William Osler, Gillie Fenwick and Claude Ray star in this Mario Prizek production.[90]
"Paul Loves Libby"
Philip Roth
17 February 1963 (1963-02-17)
Graydon Gould, Cec Linder, Martha Henry, Larry D. Mann star in this play based on Roth's novel Letting Go.[91]
"Oppenheimer"
Alan King
24 February 1963 (1963-02-24)
This docudrama concerns the 1954 security hearings of J. Robert Oppenheimer whose suspension from the Atomic Energy Commission included allegations that he improperly associated with communists. Fletcher Markle portrays Oppenheimer; other cast members in this George McCowan production include John Bethune, Ed McNamara, Ruth Springford and Alexander Webster.[92]
"The Wounded Soldier"
George Garrett
3 March 1963 (1963-03-03)
Jack Kuper adapted Garrett's short story concerning a soldier who seeks to avoid isolation from society. Mario Prizek produced and directed.[93][94]
"Gallows Humor (part 1)"
Jack Richardson
17 March 1963 (1963-03-17)
This two-part drama concerns Walter (Jack Klugman) who is in jail awaiting a death sentence, and receives a visit from a woman. Charmion King and Budd Knapp also star.[95]
"Gallows Humor (part 2)"
Jack Richardson
24 March 1963 (1963-03-24)
Concluding part of a drama by Jack Richardson.[95]
This episode presents a pair of eulogies. The first, by James Baldwin from his novel Another Country, concerns a young black man. The other eulogy by Wallace Markfield from To an Early Grave is delivered by a rabbi in commemoration at a boy's funeral. Harvey Hart directed.[94][96]
A play set during peacetime featuring Canadian soldiers, starring John Vernon and Johnathan White.[103]
"Dave Broadfoot"
–
15 October 1963 (1963-10-15)
Recorded live at a coffee house in Vancouver, this episode features comedy by Dave Broadfoot, later of Air Farce.[104]
"The Living Premise"
–
22 October 1963 (1963-10-22)
Features material from an off-Broadway musical.[105]
"Flipside"
Charles Cohen
5 November 1963 (1963-11-05)
A successful disc jockey is the focus of this play.[106]
"Night of Admission"
Frank Freedman
19 November 1963 (1963-11-19)
Dramatic play set in a hospital, starring Don Francks and Joe Austen.[107][108]
"The World of Kurt Weill in Song, part 1"
–
26 November 1963 (1963-11-26)
Musical episode starring Martha Schlamme and Will Holt performing portions of their New York revue of Kurt Weill's music. Harvey Hart produced this broadcast which was recorded in Toronto at Casa Loma's Dungeonette Room.[109][110]
"The World of Kurt Weill in Song, part 2"
–
3 December 1963 (1963-12-03)
The concluding part of this musical performance starring Martha Schlamme and Will Holt.[109]
"O Canada"
–
10 December 1963 (1963-12-10)
Cliff Solway produced this film concerning Quebec separatism.[111]
New York's The Living Premise, Britain's The Establishment and Toronto's Village Revue star in the New Year's Eve presentation of satirical sketches.[113]
"Bedlam Galore for Two or More"
Eugene Ionesco
7 January 1964 (1964-01-07)
Jack Creley and Norma Renault star in this drama, produced and directed by Mario Prizek.[114]
"The Bathroom"
Eric Nicol
14 January 1964 (1964-01-14)
Mervyn Blake, Eric House and Ruth Springford star in this humorous play concerning a nursing home in Vancouver.[115]
"The Brig"
Kenneth H. Brown
21 January 1964 (1964-01-21)
Len Birman, Ed McNamara, Gordon Pinsent and Mel Scott star in this drama set in a military prison.[116]
Jimmy Witherspoon performs blues music with jazz group Dizzy Reece Sextet. This was an excerpt from Daryl Duke's 1963 production Sixty Minutes With Spoon.[118][119]
"20,000 Reasons for Courage"
–
18 February 1964 (1964-02-18)
John Chester, a Hamilton resident, seeks to resolve his $20,000 financial debt in this documentary based on a Maclean's article.[120][121]
"For Want of Something Better To Do"
Maxim Gorky
25 February 1964 (1964-02-25)
Len Birman, Lynn Gorman, Teresa Hughes, Larry D. Mann and Hugh Webster star in this play set in the Canadian Prairies. George Ryga adapted Gorky's short story for broadcast.[122]
Daryl Duke produced this profile of Bob Dylan.[5] This episode was recorded in Toronto, featuring songs that were rejected by CBS for programs such as The Ed Sullivan Show.[123]
References
^ abWebster, Andrew (3 January 1961). "Televiews". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
^"Free Speech Attracts Producer to Television". Globe and Mail. 25 September 1961. p. 27.
^Allan, Blaine (1996). "Quest"(PDF). CBC Television Series, 1952–1982. Queen's University. Archived from the original(PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
^Corcelli, John (May 2005). "Quest". Canadian Communications Foundation. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
^ ab"Televiews". Ottawa Citizen. 10 March 1964. p. 19. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
^Braithwaite, Dennis (19 January 1965). "Crackdown Victim". Globe and Mail. p. 29.
^ abDube, Bernard (11 January 1961). "Dial Turns". The Gazette. Montreal. Retrieved 21 August 2017.