"No Time for Sergeants" was very unusual, in that it was first a live teleplay, then a Broadway play and then a Hollywood movie. While a few teleplays were made into hit movies (such as "Marty", "Requiem for a Heavyweight" and "Days of Wine and Roses"), I can't recall one of these original TV plays ever going on to Broadway AND Hollywood--to great success. Plus, it made Andy Griffith a star, as he was in all three forms of this wonderful story.
As for the teleplay, it's amazing to see this and other teleplays of the era, as they were often broadcast LIVE (like this one). So, as millions of Americans watched, the show was done without a major hiccup--something even more amazing as several different shows produced similar teleplays each week from the late 40s up to about 1960. And the acting and writing was often as good or better than anything made in Hollywood at the time.
Unlike the movie version, this begins with a little introduction in which Griffith talks to the audience and then sings a bit--a much more folksy version than you see in the movie. And, throughout the teleplay, he stops to talk to the audience--delivering some hilarious lines. In many ways, this TV version was much more like Griffith's stand-up act in which he told humorous stories with a strong Southern slant (such as with his "What It Was, Was Football" bit). As far as the story goes, it's a lot like snippets of the movie--little vignettes here and there. And the sets are very stage-like--with Griffith walking from set to set as he talks to the audience.
Watching this telelplay was a lot of fun--even more so than the movie. In fact, my wife and I sat there laughing throughout--mostly due to Griffith's wonderful delivery as well as the great writing. To put it succinctly...it was fun! And, in an odd twist, this show was done in front of an audience--and you could hear from the laughter that they thought it was a heck of a lot of fun, too.
As for the teleplay, it's amazing to see this and other teleplays of the era, as they were often broadcast LIVE (like this one). So, as millions of Americans watched, the show was done without a major hiccup--something even more amazing as several different shows produced similar teleplays each week from the late 40s up to about 1960. And the acting and writing was often as good or better than anything made in Hollywood at the time.
Unlike the movie version, this begins with a little introduction in which Griffith talks to the audience and then sings a bit--a much more folksy version than you see in the movie. And, throughout the teleplay, he stops to talk to the audience--delivering some hilarious lines. In many ways, this TV version was much more like Griffith's stand-up act in which he told humorous stories with a strong Southern slant (such as with his "What It Was, Was Football" bit). As far as the story goes, it's a lot like snippets of the movie--little vignettes here and there. And the sets are very stage-like--with Griffith walking from set to set as he talks to the audience.
Watching this telelplay was a lot of fun--even more so than the movie. In fact, my wife and I sat there laughing throughout--mostly due to Griffith's wonderful delivery as well as the great writing. To put it succinctly...it was fun! And, in an odd twist, this show was done in front of an audience--and you could hear from the laughter that they thought it was a heck of a lot of fun, too.
