Waterfront is a syndicated half-hour American television drama series that starred Preston Foster as the captain of the harbor tug Cheryl Ann.[1] The series was filmed 1954–1955 by Roland Reed Productions, Inc., for the Ziv Company, in part on location at the Port of Los Angeles. Although Foster had been a Broadway, Vaudeville, and Hollywood actor since his 20s, he grew up in coastal cities in New Jersey, worked as a clerk for a shipping company when he was 20, and was an officer in the United States Coast Guard during World War II. He was quoted as insisting on authenticity where possible in the production.[citation needed]
Production
editPreston Foster portrayed Captain John Herrick, a tugboat captain at Los Angeles Harbor, operating from Berth 14 in San Pedro, in 78 episodes, production of which concluded in 1955. It also starred Douglas Dick, Lois Moran, Willie Best[2] and Harry Lauter. Moran portrayed Herrick's wife. Lauter and Dick played his sons, and Billy Chapin portrayed his grandson. Best was seen as the tugboat's cook. Others in the cast were Pinky Tomlin as deckhand Tip Hubbard and Eddy Waller as lighthouse keeper Jonathan Beal.[1]
Foster said, “On Waterfront, I insisted that we use the real locale. We went down to Los Angeles harbor and got a lot of good background shots. The Coast Guard supplied the equipment we needed, and I even learned how to handle the tugboat myself.”[3]
The actor left the program to make the pilot for a new program, “Test Pilot,” which, ultimately, did not make it into series production. Foster explained that the end of Waterfront was a financial decision.
“We’ve made 78 of them,” he said. “That’s enough for two years, including 26 weeks of reruns. The show is still riding high, and we could probably make more."[3]
“But the profit is in the second runs. It’s important to sell them in the second-run market while the show’s popularity is high; you get a better price for them."[3]
“Now is when the producers cash in on the investment. So far they haven’t made a profit. I’m the only one who has - because I was under salary.”[3]
Episodes
editSeason 1 (1954)
edit| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Skipper's Day" | John Brahm | Story by : Teleplay by : M. Bernard Fox and Jesse L. Lasky Jr. | August 21, 1954 |
| 2 | 2 | "Sunken Treasure Of San Pedro" | Phil Karlson | Story by : Teleplay by : Warren Wilson | August 28, 1954 |
| 3 | 3 | "Lighthouse" | Phil Karlson | Story by : Teleplay by : Robert J. Shaw | September 5, 1954 |
| 4 | 4 | "A New Whistle For The Cheryl Ann" | Hollingsworth Morse | Story by : Teleplay by : Warren Wilson | September 12, 1954 |
| 5 | 5 | "Cap'n Long John" | Hollingsworth Morse | Story by : Warren Wilson Teleplay by : Marjorie Hunt Pierson | September 19, 1954 |
| 6 | 6 | "Term Paper" | John Brahm | Story by : Teleplay by : M. Bernard Fox and Robert J. Shaw | September 26, 1954 |
| 7 | 7 | "Cap'n John's Dilemma" | Phil Karlson | Story by : Teleplay by : Arthur Hoerl | October 3, 1954 |
| 8 | 8 | "Family Problems" | Phil Karlson | Story by : Teleplay by : M. Bernard Fox, Eugene Ling, and Robert J. Shaw | October 10, 1954 |
| 9 | 9 | "Sea Bells" | John Brahm | Story by : Teleplay by : Norman Reilly Raine | 1954 |
| 10 | 10 | "Tug O'War" | Phil Karlson | Story by : Teleplay by : Charles Belden | 1954 |
| 11 | 11 | "Tailor-Made Trouble" | Hollingsworth Morse | Story by : Teleplay by : Burt Sims and Arthur Hoerl | 1954 |
| 12 | 12 | "Troubled Waters" | Phil Karlson | Story by : Teleplay by : Frank L. Moss and Lee Berg | 1954 |
| 13 | 13 | "The Rift" | Phil Karlson | Story by : Teleplay by : Lillie Hayward | 1954 |
| 14 | 14 | "First Mate" | Ted Post | Story by : Robert C. Dennis Teleplay by : Arthur Hoerl and Louis Vittes | 1954 |
| 15 | 15 | "Warehouse Incident" | Phil Karlson | Story by : Teleplay by : David Dortort | 1954 |
| 16 | 16 | "High Water" | Ted Post | Story by : Charles Belden Teleplay by : Charles Belden and Louis Vittes | 1954 |
| 17 | 17 | "Floating Mine" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Sidney Biddell and Frederic M. Frank | 1954 |
| 18 | 18 | "Fog Bound" | Phil Karlson | Story by : Teleplay by : Frank L. Moss and Lee Berg | 1954 |
| 19 | 19 | "Live Cargo" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : David Dortort | 1954 |
| 20 | 20 | "Cap'n Christopher" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : James O'Hanlon | 1954 |
| 21 | 21 | "Tension" | Ted Post | Story by : Adrian Spies Teleplay by : Arthur Hoerl and Louis Vittes | 1954 |
| 22 | 22 | "Back Wash" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Lillie Hayward | 1954 |
| 23 | 23 | "Diamonds In The Rough" | Ted Post | Story by : John Tucker Battle Teleplay by : John Tucker Battle, Louis Vittes, and Warren Wilson | 1954 |
| 24 | 24 | "The Long Beach Pier" | Ted Post | Story by : John Tucker Battle Teleplay by : John Tucker Battle, Louis Vittes, and Warren Wilson | 1954 |
| 25 | 25 | "Portia Of The Sea" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Frank L. Moss and Lee Berg | 1954 |
| 26 | 26 | "Anchors Of The Past" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Eugene Vale and Frank L. Moss | 1954 |
| 27 | 27 | "Driftwood" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Frank L. Moss and Lee Berg | 1954 |
| 28 | 28 | "Drawbridge Incident" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Sidney Biddell and Frederic M. Frank | 1954 |
| 29 | 29 | "Tuna Clipper" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Frederic M. Frank | 1954 |
| 30 | 30 | "The White Ducks" | Phil Karlson | Story by : Teleplay by : David Dortort | 1954 |
| 31 | 31 | "Star Bright" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Frank L. Moss | 1954 |
| 32 | 32 | "Harbor Piracy" | Phil Karlson | Story by : Teleplay by : David Lang | 1954 |
| 33 | 33 | "The Sea And Captain Taggart" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Bernie Giler | 1954 |
| 34 | 34 | "Ghost Tug" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Elizabeth Wilson | 1954 |
| 35 | 35 | "F.O.B. Vera Cruz" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Robert J. Shaw | 1954 |
| 36 | 36 | "Night At The Lighthouse" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : James O'Hanlon | 1954 |
| 37 | 37 | "Live Bait" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Jack Laird | 1954 |
| 38 | 38 | "Oil Island" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Douglas Morrow | 1954 |
| 39 | 39 | "Christmas In San Pedro" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Eugene Ling | 1954 |
Season 2 (1954-1955)
edit| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 1 | "Fisherman's Fiesta" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Elizabeth Wilson | 1954 |
| 41 | 2 | "Yellow Flag" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Charles Belden and Frank L. Moss | 1954 |
| 42 | 3 | "Floating Bottle" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Endre Bohem and Louis Vittes | 1954 |
| 43 | 4 | "The Reluctant Guest" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Douglas Morrow | 1955 |
| 44 | 5 | "Homing Flight" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Endre Bohem and Louis Vittes | 1955 |
| 45 | 6 | "Farnum's Folly" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Bernie Giler, Endre Bohem, and Louis Vittes | 1955 |
| 46 | 7 | "Trial By Fire" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : David Dortort | 1955 |
| 47 | 8 | "Shipper, Beware" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Bernie Giler | 1955 |
| 48 | 9 | "Captain Without a Ship" | Frederick Stephani | Story by : Teleplay by : Frank L. Moss | 1955 |
| 49 | 10 | "The Man" | Ted Post | Story by : Curt Siodmak Teleplay by : John A. Kneubuhl | 1955 |
| 50 | 11 | "The Skipper and The Padre" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : James and Jean O'Hanlon | 1955 |
| 51 | 12 | "The Sea Rustler" | Frederick Stephani | Story by : Teleplay by : David Lang and Stan Jones | 1955 |
| 52 | 13 | "Shakedown Cruise" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : John Kneubuhl | 1955 |
| 53 | 14 | "Trestle Point" | Frederick Stephani | Story by : Teleplay by : David Dortort | 1955 |
| 54 | 15 | "The Search" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Douglas Morrow | 1955 |
| 55 | 16 | "The Artful Horse" | Paul Landres | Story by : Teleplay by : Endre Bohem and Louis Vittes | 1955 |
| 56 | 17 | "Tuna Bound" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Lee Perenchio and Violet Atkins | 1955 |
| 57 | 18 | "The Semi-Private Room" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Douglas Morrow | 1955 |
| 58 | 19 | "Beyond The Line" | Frederick Stephani | Story by : Teleplay by : Frank L. Moss | 1955 |
| 59 | 20 | "The Angel Louise" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Violet Atkins and Lee Perenchio | 1955 |
| 60 | 21 | "Stand By All Stations" | Paul Landres | Story by : Stan Jones Teleplay by : David Dortort | 1955 |
| 61 | 22 | "Ferry Boat Ride" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : John Kneubuhl | 1955 |
| 62 | 23 | "The Seal" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Douglas Morrow | 1955 |
| 63 | 24 | "Safe Harbor" | Paul Landres | Story by : Teleplay by : James and Jean O'Hanlon | 1955 |
| 64 | 25 | "The Race" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Douglas Morrow | 1955 |
| 65 | 26 | "The Rescue" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Douglas Morrow | 1955 |
| 66 | 27 | "Double Exposure" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Bernie Giler | 1955 |
| 67 | 28 | "Mike" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : John Kneubuhl | 1955 |
| 68 | 29 | "The Hideout" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Douglas Morrow | 1955 |
| 69 | 30 | "Captain For A Day" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Endre Bohem and Louis Vittes | 1955 |
| 70 | 31 | "Catalina Swim" | Paul Landres | Story by : Teleplay by : Lee Perenchio and Violet Atkins | 1955 |
| 71 | 32 | "Beached" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Bernie Giler | 1955 |
| 72 | 33 | "Red Label Cargo" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : John Kneubuhl | 1955 |
| 73 | 34 | "Sea Explorers" | Paul Guielfoyle | Story by : Teleplay by : Bernie Giler | 1955 |
| 74 | 35 | "Bait Cruise" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Violet Atkins and Lee Perenchio | 1955 |
| 75 | 36 | "The Yacht Race" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Douglas Morrow | 1955 |
| 76 | 37 | "Trouble Ship" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : David Dortort and Douglas Morrow | 1955 |
| 77 | 38 | "The Rivals" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : Douglas Morrow | 1955 |
| 78 | 39 | "Harbor Bound" | Ted Post | Story by : Teleplay by : David Dortort | 1955 |
References
edit- ^ a b "'Waterfront' Returns to KSLA Sept. 8". The Shreveport Times. September 4, 1955. p. 12-C. Retrieved October 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. pp. 732–733. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
- ^ a b c d Thomas, Bob (January 22, 1956). "Foster Turns In Tug for Jet". The San Bernardino County Sun. Associated Press. p. 4. Retrieved October 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.