View source for Little Moon of Alban (Hallmark Hall of Fame)

{{Infobox television episode
| image        = Julie Harris, Barry Jones & Christopher Plummer in Little Moon of Alban.jpg
| caption      = Julie Harris, Barry Jones & Christopher Plummer in ''Little Moon of Alban''
| image_size   =
| series       = [[Hallmark Hall of Fame]]
| season       = 7
| episode      = 5
| production   =
| airdate      = {{Start date|1958|3|24}}
| runtime      = 1:29
| writer       = [[James Costigan]]
| director     = George Schaefer
| music        =
| photographer =
| guests       = * [[Julie Harris]] as Brigid Mary Mangan
* [[Christopher Plummer]] as Kenneth Boyd
| prev         = ''Hans Brinker''
| next         = ''Dial M for Murder''
| episode_list = List of Hallmark Hall of Fame episodes
}}
"'''Little Moon of Alban'''" was an American [[television play]] broadcast by [[NBC]] on March 24, 1958, as part of the television series, ''[[Hallmark Hall of Fame]]''. It was written by [[James Costigan]], directed by [[George Schaefer (director)|George Schaefer]], and starred [[Julie Harris]] and [[Christopher Plummer]].
The production won four [[11th Primetime Emmy Awards|Primetime Emmy Awards]] for best special dramatic program, best performance by an actress (Harris), best direction (Schaefer), and best writing (Costigan). It was also recognized with [[Peabody Award|Peabody]], [[Christopher Award|Christopher]], and [[1958 Sylvania Television Awards|Sylvania Television Award]]s.
==Plot==
The play is set in [[Dublin]] and vicinity between October 1919 and January 1922. Brigid Mary Mangan (played by [[Julie Harris]]) has already lost her brother and father to the [[Irish War of Independence]]. Her fiancé Dennis (played by [[George Peppard]]) also becomes involved in the rebellion and is killed by English soldiers as she watches. Brigid Mary then joins the Daughters of Charity and is assigned to a hospital. She meets a wounded English lieutenant, Kenneth Boyd (played by [[Christopher Plummer]]). Boyd is the English soldier who killed her fiancé. He was badly injured in a retaliatory attack by Irish rebels. Both Brigid Mary and Boyd have had their faith shaken. Brigid Mary nurses Boyd back to health, and he asks her to marry him. Having regained her faith, she decides instead to renew her vows.<ref name=Paley/><ref name=NYT/>
==Cast==
The cast included performances by:<ref name=Paley>{{cite web|title=Hallmark Hall of Fame: Little Moon of Alban|publisher=The Paley Center for Media|accessdate=October 10, 2020|url=https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item/?q=julie&p=10&item=T78:0369}}</ref><ref name=CTVA>{{cite web|title=Hallmark Hall of Fame, Season 7|publisher=The Classic TV Archive|accessdate=October 10, 2020|url=http://ctva.biz/US/Anthology/Hallmark/HallOfFame_07_(1957-58).htm}}</ref>
{{Div col|colwidth=25em}}
*[[Julie Harris]] as Brigid Mary Mangan
*[[Christopher Plummer]] as Kenneth Boyd
*[[Frank Conroy (actor)|Frank Conroy]] as Father Curran
*[[George Peppard]] as Dennis Walsh
*[[Nora O'Mahoney]] as Shelagh Mangan (credited as Nora O'Mahony)
*[[Elspeth March]] as Sister Savant
*[[Barry Jones (actor)|Barry Jones]] as Dr. Clive
*[[Helena Carroll]] as Sister Teresa
*[[Pauline Flanagan]] as Sister Martha Kevin
*Mildred Trares as Sister Barbara
*Norman Barrs as English Officer
*[[Joseph Maher]] as British Soldier
*Jamie Ross as British Soldier
*Liam Clancy as Boy
*Tom Clancy as Patch Keegan
{{Div col end}}
==Production==
[[George Schaefer (director)|George Schaefer]] was the producer and director and [[James Costigan]] the writer. It was broadcast in color on the [[NBC]] network on March 24, 1958, as part of the series, ''[[Hallmark Hall of Fame]]''.<ref name=Paley/> Presented as an Easter special, it was the first 90-minute original teleplay commissioned by the ''Hallmark Hall of Fame''.<ref name=CT64>{{cite news|title=Television Encore: Julie Harris In 'Little Moon'|newspaper=The Catholic Transcript|date=March 12, 1964|url=https://thecatholicnewsarchive.org/?a=d&d=CTR19640312-01.2.61}}</ref>
===Adaptations===
In 1960, Costigan adapted the work for Broadway with Harris reprising her role and [[John Justin]] playing part of the English officer and [[Robert Redford]] playing the part of her fiance.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Theatre: 'Little Moon of Alban'; James Costigan Play Is at Longacre Julie Harris and John Justin Head Cast|newspaper=The New York Times|author=Howard Taubman|date=December 2, 1960|page=34|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1960/12/02/99974138.html?pageNumber=34}}</ref>
The program was restaged in March 1964 with Harris reprising her role and [[Dirk Bogarde]] in the role of the English officer.<ref>{{cite news|title='Little Moon of Alban' Will Rise and Shine Again|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 15, 1964|author=Paul Gardner|page=441|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1964/03/15/issue.html}}</ref> [[Ruth White (actress)|Ruth White]] played Shelagh Mangan in the 1964 version and won an [[16th Primetime Emmy Awards|Emmy award]] for outstanding performance in a supporting role by an actress.
==Reception==
===Critics===
In ''[[The New York Times]]'', Jack Gould called it a play of "stirring poignancy and beauty" and "a searching and sensitive study of the turmoil of a human soul."<ref name=NYT/> He praised Harris's performance as a "glowing" and "utterly compelling" depiction of sincere faith and inner struggle.<ref name=NYT>{{cite news|title=A Poignant Drama: Julie Harris and Christopher Plummer Star in 'Little Moon of Alban'|newspaper=The New York Times|author=Jack Gould|date=March 25, 1958|page=67|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1958/03/25/89070134.html?pageNumber=67}}</ref>
Charles Mercer of the [[Associated Press]] called it "technically faultless" and praised the superb acting and production. He did, however, find that the story "failed to transcend sectarianism" and failed to convince him that Bridgid Mary's life with the Sisters of Charity would be more satisfying than it might have been as the wife of the English lieutenant.<ref>{{cite news|title='Little Moon of Alban' Hailed by TV Critic|newspaper=Alabama Journal (AP story)|date=March 25, 1958|page=8A|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60867583/little-moon-of-alban-hailed-by-tv/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
William Ewald of the [[United Press]] praised Costigan's "crisp and prickly dialogue" and was especially effusive in his praise for Julie Harris's performance: "She has that ability rare among TV actresses -- and almost non-existent among movie queens -- to pitch out an emotion without excessive gesture, she does not merely underplay, she does something much finer -- she works from inside herself, squeezing out scenes through her pores."<ref>{{cite news|title='Little Moon Of Alban' Has A Cast Of Craftsmen Working|newspaper=The Pampa Daily News|author=William Ewald|date=March 26, 1958|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60868151/little-moon-of-alban-has-a-cast-of/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
[[Cecil Smith (writer)|Cecil Smith]] of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' called it "an excellent piece of work, beautifully staged".<ref>{{cite news|title='Moon of Alban' Excellent Work|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|author=[[Cecil Smith (writer)|Cecil Smith]]|date=March 25, 1958|page=II-6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60868425/moon-of-alban-excellent-work/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
===Awards===
In January 1959, the production was honored in four categories at the [[1958 Sylvania Television Awards]]: for outstanding telecast of the year; for outstanding dramatic program of the year; for outstanding performance by an actress (Julie Harris); and for best original teleplay (James Costigan).<ref name=CT>{{cite news|title=Costigan Play Wins 4 Awards|newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune|author=Larry Wolters|date=January 23, 1959|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59913203/costigan-play-wins-4-awards/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Little Moon Of Alban, Author, Star, Win Top Sylvania Television Awards|newspaper=The Sacramento Bee (UPI story)|date=January 23, 1959|page=A13|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59915869/sylvania-television-awards/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
In May 1959, the production also won four [[11th Primetime Emmy Awards|Primetime Emmy Awards]]: for best special dramatic program; for best single performance by an actress (Julie Harris); for best direction of a single dramatic program, one hour or longer (George Schaefer); and for best writing of a single dramatic program, one hour or longer (James Costigan).<ref>{{cite news|title=Astaire Wins 9 Emmy Awards For TV Show: Julie Harris Honored for Role in 'Little Moon of Alban'|newspaper=The New York Times|author=Richard F. Shepard|date=May 7, 1959|page=67|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1959/05/07/89195357.html?pageNumber=67}}</ref> It also received nominations in two other categories: for most outstanding single program of the year and for best single performance by an actor (Christopher Plummer).
Costigan and NBC also won the 1958 [[Peabody Award]] for television writing "for the lyric beauty, the poetic insight, and the dramatic integrity" of ''Little Moon of Alban''.<ref>{{cite web|title=NBC Television, James Costigan, and "Little Moon of Alban" (Hallmark Hall of Fame)|publisher=Peabody Awards|accessdate=October 10, 2020|url=http://www.peabodyawards.com/award-profile/little-moon-of-alban}}</ref>
In January 1959, Schaefer, Costigan, and executive producer Mildred Freed Alberg also received [[Christopher Award]]s for ''Little Moon of Alban''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Christopher Awards Offered For Television And Pictures|newspaper=The News-Messenger|date=January 12, 1959|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60883016/christopher-awards-offered-for/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*{{IMDb episode|0394611}}
{{George Schaefer}}
[[Category:1958 American television episodes]]
[[Category:Films directed by George Schaefer]]
[[Category:Irish War of Independence films]]