''The West Point Story'', also known simply as ''West Point'', is a

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

tic

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically cate ...

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

shown in the United States by CBS during the 1956–57 season and by ABC during the 1957–58 season.

History

Martin Milner Carolyn Craig West Point 1956

''The West Point Story'', produced with the full cooperation of the

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national sec ...

and the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

, was said to be based on actual files documenting many of the real-life dramatic occurrences at West Point over the years. Names and dates were altered in order to protect the privacy of the real people portrayed, however. The program was hosted by a fictional

cadet A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...

, Charles C. Thompson (portrayed by

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...

Donald May). During its second season on ABC, ''The West Point Story'' was in competition with

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

's '' The Californians'', set in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...

during the

California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California f ...

of the 1850s, and with '' The $64,000 Question'' quiz series on CBS. ''The West Point Story'' was replaced on the summer schedule in 1958 by

Jack Wyatt Jack may refer to: Places * Jack, Alabama, US, an unincorporated community * Jack, Missouri, US, an unincorporated community * Jack County, Texas, a county in Texas, USA People and fictional characters * Jack (given name), a male given name ...

's '' Confession'', which continued to air during the first half of the 1958–1959 season in the 10 p.m. Tuesday evening time slot. At the time that ''The West Point Story'' was broadcast, four other military dramas aired either through syndication or on the major networks: '' Harbor Command'', ''

Navy Log ''Navy Log'' is an American drama anthology series created by Samuel Gallu that presented stories from the history of the United States Navy. This series ran on CBS from September 20, 1955, until September 25, 1956.On October 17, 1956, it moved ...

'', '' The Silent Service'', and '' Men of Annapolis''. On February 26, 2013, Timeless Media Group released all 39 available episodes of the series in a four-disc DVD format.

Guest stars

Among those celebrities who made at least one appearance in ''The West Point Story'' are:

Carolyn Craig Carolyn Craig (born Adele Ruth Crago, October 27, 1934 – December 12, 1970) was an American actress who was best known for her performance as Nora Manning in William Castle's 1959 shocker ''House on Haunted Hill''. Career Craig gained early ...

, Richard Jaeckel, Dick Sargent, Pat Conway,

Chuck Connors Kevin Joseph Aloysius "Chuck" Connors (April 10, 1921 – November 10, 1992) was an American actor, writer, and professional basketball and baseball player. He is one of only 13 athletes in the history of American professional sports to have p ...

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the " Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "'' Do ...

, Ron Foster,

Barbara Eden Barbara Eden (born Barbara Jean Morehead; August 23, 1931) is an American actress, singer, and producer best known for her starring role as Jeannie in the sitcom '' I Dream of Jeannie'' (1965-1970). Other notable roles include Roslyn Pierce opp ...

Larry Hagman Larry Martin Hagman (September 21, 1931 – November 23, 2012) was an American film and television actor, director, and producer, best known for playing ruthless oil baron J. R. Ewing in the 1978–1991 primetime television soap opera, ''Dal ...

(miscredited), Hayden Rorke, Ron Hagerthy, Tyler MacDuff,

Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the late 1950s, 1960s, and ...

, Martin Milner, Larry Pennell, Karen Sharpe,

Robert Vaughn Robert Francis Vaughn (November 22, 1932 – November 11, 2016) was an American actor noted for his stage, film and television work. His television roles include the spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s series '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.''; th ...

and

Leonard Nimoy Leonard Simon Nimoy (; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor, famed for playing Spock in the '' Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes originating Spock in the original ''Star Trek'' series in 1966, th ...

as Tom Kennedy.

Writers

Gene Roddenberry Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter, producer, and creator of '' Star Trek: The Original Series'', its sequel spin-off series '' Star Trek: The Animated Series,'' and '' ...

wrote all or part of ten to twelve of the 39 episodes. Sources differ as to which episodes he should be credited with.

Home media

Timeless Media Group (under license from MGM) released ''West Point - The Complete TV Series'' on DVD February 26, 2012.

References

External links

The Long Gray Line
- series referenced in book by author and journalist Rick Atkinson. *

1950s American anthology television series 1956 American television series debuts 1957 American television series endings American Broadcasting Company original programming Black-and-white American television shows CBS original programming English-language television shows Television series by MGM Television Television shows set in New York (state) United States Military Academy in fiction {{US-drama-tv-prog-stub