Honestly, Celeste!
Encyclopedia
Honestly, Celeste! is an eight-episode 1954 CBS
situation comedy
starring Celeste Holm
as Celeste Anders, a 37-year-old college journalism
professor
from Minnesota
who accepts a reporter’s position on the staff of the fictitious New York Express newspaper
.
, where she meets the recently released convict, Marty, as well as the staff members of the New York Express. In later episodes, Celeste finds an apartment in Greenwich Village
, writes a feature story on modern art
, and becomes concerned about an underprivileged family.
(1922–1983) as Marty Gordon, an ex-convict cab driver trying to become rehabilitated (Kellin had appeared in the preceding season on the NBC sitcom Bonino
in the role of Rusty), Geoffrey Lumb (1905–1990), as Mr. Wallace, the editor, and Mary Finney (last acting role: 1962) as Mr. Wallace’s secretary. Among the guest stars was Ross Martin
, later a co-star of CBS’s Mr. Lucky and The Wild Wild West
, later a major television producer, and Larry Gelbart
, who subsequently developed M*A*S*H for CBS television, joined the writing staff of Honestly, Celeste! but could not change the ratings. Jerry Fielding was the music director.
Honestly, Celeste! aired at 9:30 p.m. Sunday after the premiere season of Ronald Reagan
's anthology series, General Electric Theater
, and before the first season of Robert Young
’s sitcom, Father Knows Best
. Its principal competition was the alternating NBC
series, The Philco Television Playhouse
and Goodyear Television Playhouse
In 1970, Holm again appeared as a journalist in a second short-lived sitcom, Nancy
(NBC), in which she played the press secretary of the First Lady of the United States
.
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
starring Celeste Holm
Celeste Holm
Celeste Holm is an American stage, film, and television actress, known for her Academy Award-winning performance in Gentleman's Agreement , as well as for her Oscar-nominated performances in Come to the Stable and All About Eve...
as Celeste Anders, a 37-year-old college journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
from Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
who accepts a reporter’s position on the staff of the fictitious New York Express newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
.
Synopsis
In the series premiere, Celeste arrives at Grand Central Station in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where she meets the recently released convict, Marty, as well as the staff members of the New York Express. In later episodes, Celeste finds an apartment in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
, writes a feature story on modern art
Modern art
Modern art includes artistic works produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of...
, and becomes concerned about an underprivileged family.
Cast
Holm’s co-stars were Scott McKay (1915–1987) as Bob Wallace, the son of the newspaper editor; Mike KellinMike Kellin
-Early life:Kellin was born Myron Kellin in Hartford, Connecticut, the son of Sophia and Samuel Kellin, Russian Jewish immigrants. He was educated at Boston University and Trinity College...
(1922–1983) as Marty Gordon, an ex-convict cab driver trying to become rehabilitated (Kellin had appeared in the preceding season on the NBC sitcom Bonino
Bonino (TV series)
Bonino is an ethnic situation comedy television series starring Ezio Pinza as an Italian-American opera singer trying to rear his six children after the death of their mother. The program aired on NBC from September 12 to December 26, 1953....
in the role of Rusty), Geoffrey Lumb (1905–1990), as Mr. Wallace, the editor, and Mary Finney (last acting role: 1962) as Mr. Wallace’s secretary. Among the guest stars was Ross Martin
Ross Martin
Ross Martin was a Polish-born American Emmy-nominated actor known for playing Artemus Gordon in the western TV series The Wild Wild West, starring Robert Conrad, and Andamo on Mr...
, later a co-star of CBS’s Mr. Lucky and The Wild Wild West
The Wild Wild West
The Wild Wild West is an American television series that ran on CBS for four seasons from September 17, 1965 to April 4, 1969....
Production
The show was highly publicized but soon plunged into ratings failure. Young Norman LearNorman Lear
Norman Milton Lear is an American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude...
, later a major television producer, and Larry Gelbart
Larry Gelbart
Larry Simon Gelbart was an American television writer, playwright, screenwriter and author.-Early life:...
, who subsequently developed M*A*S*H for CBS television, joined the writing staff of Honestly, Celeste! but could not change the ratings. Jerry Fielding was the music director.
Honestly, Celeste! aired at 9:30 p.m. Sunday after the premiere season of Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's anthology series, General Electric Theater
General Electric Theater
General Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald W. Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.-Radio:...
, and before the first season of Robert Young
Robert Young (actor)
Robert George Young was an American television, film, and radio actor, best known for his leading roles as Jim Anderson, the father of Father Knows Best and as physician Marcus Welby in Marcus Welby, M.D. .-Early life:Born in Chicago, Illinois, Young was the son of an Irish immigrant father...
’s sitcom, Father Knows Best
Father Knows Best
Father Knows Best is an American radio and television comedy series which portrayed a middle class family life in the Midwest. It was created by writer Ed James in the 1940s.-Radio:...
. Its principal competition was the alternating NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
series, The Philco Television Playhouse
The Philco Television Playhouse
The Philco Television Playhouse, a live television anthology series sponsored by Philco, was telecast from 1948 to 1955. Produced by Fred Coe, the NBC series was seen on Sundays from 9:00pm to 10:00pm...
and Goodyear Television Playhouse
Goodyear Television Playhouse
The Goodyear Television Playhouse produced live television dramas from 1951 to 1957 during the "Golden Age of Television".Sponsored by Goodyear, the hour-long anthology series was telecast Sundays at 9pm on NBC...
Cancellation
The program ran for only eight episodes from October 10 to December 5, 1954 before being canceled because of bad ratings. In the United States at the time, it was uncommon for a show to end this quickly, with the exception of summer series.In 1970, Holm again appeared as a journalist in a second short-lived sitcom, Nancy
Nancy (TV series)
Nancy is a 1970-1971 NBC sitcom starring Renne Jarrett as Nancy Smith, the daughter of the President of the United States, who, according to the story line, while she is on vacation in fictitious Center City, Iowa, meets and marries a veterinarian, played by John Fink in the role of Dr...
(NBC), in which she played the press secretary of the First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
.