The Hostess with the Mostes' (Playhouse 90)

"**The Hostess with the Mostes'**"
"The Hostess with the Mostes'"
Playhouse 90 episode
Episode no.	Season 1; Episode 25
Directed by	Paul Nickell
Written by	Speed Lamkin, Hagar Wilde
Original air date	March 21, 1957
Guest appearances
	Shirley Booth as Perle Mesta; Hedda Hopper as Maizie Weldon;
Episode chronology
← Previous; "The Last Tycoon"	Next →; "Charley's Aunt"

"The Hostess with the Mostes'" was an American television play broadcast live on March 21, 1957, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90. It was the 25th episode of the first season. Shirley Booth played the part of socialite Perle Mesta.

Plot

The play tells the story of socialite Perle Mesta, who was known for her lavish social parties. She grew up in Oklahoma, married the president of a steel company, and served as the U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg.^[1] She was also the inspiration for Irving Berlin's musical, Call Me Madam.^[2]

Cast

The cast included performances by:^[3]

Shirley Booth as Perle Mesta
Hedda Hopper as Maizie Weldon
Perle Mesta as Herself
Shepperd Strudwick as Charley Potter
Robert Lowery as George Mesta
Frank Milan as Philip Caldwell
Joan Wetmore as Emily Caldwell
Louise Beavers as Mattie Mae
Peter Votrian as Mac
Evelyn Rudie as Young Perle
Fred Essler as Professor Froelich
Emily Lawrence as Reverend Mother
Caren Lenay as Countess Bellefonte
Carol Veazie as Mrs. Kreeger
Howard Wendell as Senator Kreeger
Edgar Barrier as Count Bellefonte
Lewis Martin as Mr. MacBride
Peter Brocco as French Chef
Paul Millard as Mr. Forbes
James Gavin as Mr. Skirvin
Werner Klemperer as Mr. Kolosoff
Helen Hatch as Sister Euprasia
Mavis Neal as Nurse
Tony Romano as The Guitarist

Perle Mesta hosted and narrated the broadcast.

Production

Martin Manulis was the producer. Paul Nickell directed. The teleplay was written by Speed Lamkin and Hagar Wilde. Albert Heschong was the art director.^[3]

Reception

In The New York Times, Jack Gould called it "a bewildering bouillabaisse of cliche and corn" and proclaimed: "Unreservedly, it was the worstes'."^[4]

Jack O'Brian of the International News Service called it "a long, friendly, slow, patient explanation of Perle Mesta, virtually a 90-minute commercial setting the record straight through Mrs. Mesta's rose-colored memory."^[5]

References

^ "Hostess With The Mostes". The Orlando Sentinel. March 17, 1957 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Howard Pearson (March 21, 1957). "Shirley Booth As Perle Mesta In Playhouse 90 Tops Viewing". Deseret News and Telegram. p. 10B.
^ ^a ^b Kinescope of "The Hostess with the Mostes'", aired March 21, 1957.
^ Jack Gould (March 22, 1957). "TV: Cliche and Corn: 'Hostess With the Mostes' Attempts to Dramatize Life of Perle Mesta". The New York Times. p. 47.
^ Jack O'Brian (March 22, 1957). "Perle Mesta: Mostes' Hostess Friendly...Slow..." The Des Moines Tribune – via Newspapers.com.

[1] "Hostess With The Mostes". The Orlando Sentinel. March 17, 1957 – via Newspapers.com.

[2] Howard Pearson (March 21, 1957). "Shirley Booth As Perle Mesta In Playhouse 90 Tops Viewing". Deseret News and Telegram. p. 10B.

[Kine-3] Kinescope of "The Hostess with the Mostes'", aired March 21, 1957.

[4] Jack Gould (March 22, 1957). "TV: Cliche and Corn: 'Hostess With the Mostes' Attempts to Dramatize Life of Perle Mesta". The New York Times. p. 47.

[5] Jack O'Brian (March 22, 1957). "Perle Mesta: Mostes' Hostess Friendly...Slow..." The Des Moines Tribune – via Newspapers.com.

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v t e Playhouse 90
People	John Frankenheimer Martin Manulis Franklin J. Schaffner Rod Serling
Season 1	"Forbidden Area" "Requiem for a Heavyweight" "Sizeman and Son" "Rendezvous in Black" "The Country Husband" "The Big Slide" "Heritage of Anger" "Eloise" "Confession" "Made in Heaven" "Sincerely, Willis Wade" "The Family Nobody Wanted" "Massacre at Sand Creek" "Snowshoes: A Comedy of People and Horses" "The Ninth Day" "So Soon to Die" "The Star Wagon" "The Greer Case" "The Miracle Worker" "The Comedian" "The Coat of White" "The Blackwell Story" "Invitation to a Gunfighter" "The Last Tycoon" "The Hostess with the Mostes'" "Charley's Aunt" "Clipper Ship" "If You Know Elizabeth" "Three Men on a Horse" "Four Women in Black" "Child of Trouble" "Homeward Borne" "Helen Morgan" "Winter Dreams" "Circle of the Day" "Without Incident" "Clash by Night" "Ain't No Time for Glory" "The Fabulous Irishman"
Season 2	"The Death of Manolete" "The Dark Side of the Earth" "Topaze" "A Sound of Different Drummers" "The Playroom" "Around the World in 90 Minutes" "The Mystery of Thirteen" "The Edge of Innocence" "The Clouded Image" "The Jet Propelled Couch" "The Troublemakers" "Panic Button" "Galvanized Yankee" "The Thundering Wave" "For I Have Loved Strangers" "The Lone Woman" "Reunion" "The Last Man" "The 80 Yard Run" "Before I Die" "The Gentleman From Seventh Avenue" "The Violent Heart" "No Time at All" "Point of No Return" "Portrait of a Murderer" "The Last Clear Chance" "The Male Animal" "The Right Hand Man" "Turn Left at Mount Everest" "The Dungeon" "Verdict of Three" "Rumors of Evening" "Not the Glory" "Nightmare at Ground Zero" "Bomber's Moon" "Natchez" "The Innocent Sleep" "A Town Has Turned to Dust" "The Great Gatsby" "A Bitter Heritage"
Season 3	"The Plot to Kill Stalin" "Days of Wine and Roses" "The Time of Your Life" "The Long March" "Shadows Tremble" "Word From a Sealed-Off Box" "Heart of Darkness" "Old Man" "The Return of Ansel Gibbs" "Free Weekend" "Seven Against the Wall" "The Nutcracker" "Face of a Hero" "The Wings of the Dove" "The Blue Men" "The Velvet Alley" "A Quiet Game of Cards" "Child of Our Time" "The Second Man" "The Raider" "The Dingaling Girl" "Made in Japan" "For Whom the Bell Tolls" "A Trip to Paradise" "In Lonely Expectation" "The Day Before Atlanta" "Judgment at Nuremberg" "A Corner of the Garden" "Dark December" "Diary of a Nurse" "A Marriage of Strangers" "Out of Dust" "The Rank and File" "The Killers of Mussolini" "Project Immortality" "Dark as the Night" "The Second Happiest Day"
Season 4	"Target for Three" "The Sounds of Eden" "Misalliance" "The Hidden Image" "The Grey Nurse Said Nothing" "The Tunnel" "The Silver Whistle" "A Dream of Treason" "To the Sound of Trumpets" "The Cruel Day" "Tomorrow" "The Hiding Place" "Alas, Babylon" "Journey to the Day" "The Shape of the River" "In the Presence of Mine Enemies"
Revivals	CBS Playhouse CBS Playhouse 90