Assignment Foreign Legion
Assignment Foreign Legion is an American TV series that starred Merle Oberon.[1] It ran on CBS from October 1, 1957, until December 24, 1957.[2]
Premise
The series related activities of the French Foreign Legion during World War II.[2] Oberon narrated episodes and played a newspaper correspondent in search of stories about the Foreign Legion.[3]
Production
The show's producers were M. Smedley Aston and Anthony C. Bartlett.[4] Directors included Don Chaffey, Michael McCarthy and Lance Comfort.[5] Writers included Max Ehrlich.[6] The series was filmed in Morocco, Algiers,[4] England and Spain.[3] Eventually it became too dangerous and filming was completed at Beaconsfield Studios in London.[citation needed] CBS Television Film Sales Inc. distributed the series.[3]
Assignment Foreign Legion was broadcast on Tuesdays from 10:30 to 11 p.m. Eastern Time.[7] Its average cost was $26,000 an episode.[8] It was sponsored by P. Lorillard Company[9] for Kent cigarettes. The trade publication Variety reported, "there was some worry" prior to Lorillard's taking on the show because it "may be too controversial, possibly alienating nationalistic Arabs."[10]
Reception
Variety said "Stories, acting, and production are of good quality.[11]
One week the show was among the top ten shows in Britain.[12]
References
- ^ "Merle Oberon Tells Story". The Canberra Times. Vol. 36, no. 10, 277. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 14 July 1962. p. 15. Retrieved 11 August 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
- ^ a b c Adams, Val (August 20, 1957). "Merle Oberon to Star on C.B.S. In TV Series of Foreign Legion". The New York Times. p. 53. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7864-1132-0. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
- ^ "Stories Of The Foreign Legion". The Canberra Times. Vol. 36, no. 10, 289. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 28 July 1962. p. 7. Retrieved 11 August 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
- ISBN 978-1-4766-2980-3. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
- ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
- ^ "Earnings in Britain Cancel Out $100000 Investment". Variety. 14 November 1956. p. 36.
- ^ "Pabst Weighs CBS Tuesday". Billboard. November 4, 1957. p. 3. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
- ^ "Assignment Foreign Legion". Variety. October 9, 1957. p. 29. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ Review of series at Variety
- ^ "Palladium Number 1". Variety. 27 February 1957. p. 31.
External links
- Assignment Foreign Legion at IMDb
- Assignment Foreign Legion at CTVA
- Review of episode "The Outcast" at Variety