This is a never released pilot which was shot for ABC but woundup on the shelf.
Director of Photography: Ozzie Smith
Art Director: Jim Hulsey
Film Editor: Dick Bartlett
Production Associate: Leigh Brown
Running Time: 60 Min
Written and narrated by Jean Shepherd
Storylines:
The Blind Date
"Friendly Fred" the used car dealer
Baseball for the United Brethren
By Jay Sharbutt
The Associated Press
October 1978
"Jean Shepherd-once told of a kid who got his first job in a steel mill and learned to dream the American dream -- of the beautiful future, the glorious past, and the crummy now."
That was in "Phantom of the Open Hearth," the wryly funny PBS television drama he wrote and narrated. Aired in 1976, it hailed blue-collar life in "the great inverted bowl of darkness" -- the Midwest.
Now the Chicago-born maestro of Americana is at it again with a new version of "Phantom" he's making at 20th Century-Fox Television as a movie for ABC. It could become a weekly series."
Thanks to John Shepherd (No Relation) The only people from the original PBS production are Barbara Bolton as "Mom", William Lampley as "Flick" and Leigh Brown who switched roles from "Lovely Arlita" to "Mrs. Kissel"
Jean Shepherd - Ralph
John Shepherd (No relation) - Young Ralph
Richard Venture - The Old Man
Barbara Bolton - Mom
Damon Raskin - Randy
Mike Hammett - Schwartz
William Lampley - Flick
Jerome Guardino - Friendly Fred
Warren Munson - Junie Jo's Father
David Byrd - Mr. Dirks
Joe Medalis - Zudoc
Milt Kogan - Gertz
Nancy Bell - Junie Jo
Michael Barbera - Boring Date
Leigh Brown - Mrs Kissel
Jon Terry - Uncle Carl
Bill Sorrells - Mill Worker
Edwin Owens - John
Melissa Sherman - Clara Mae Mattingly |