Hound of Heaven (From The Kate Smith Hour) (1953, NBC)

Aired live as part of the Kate Smith Hour on Jan. 15, 1953. Starring John Carradine, James Dean, Edgar Staley.

[@williamcooper177]

Unique video of James Dean! God Bless Kate Smith always!

[@voicetube]

Even though I grew up knowing about James Dean and his GIANT movie roles ( 🙂 ) this is actually the first time I had ever seen him act in anything. I have a lot of catching up to do. I certainly loved the Twilight Zone episode that appears to have been based on this story - AMAZING screenplay!!

[@NC-sn1lo]

I love it when he scratched his wing. Lol.

[@kathymartin7724]

Lol. Great episode. This was my first time watching this. There's a twilight zone episode the hunt. Based upon this one.

[@RWAC685]

James Dean Is The GREATEST, His 3 Movies, And His TV Movies And Stage Plays Are Better Then ANYTHING Now Days.

[@avikr9006]

I'm watching this after 69 years of its airing and I can not believe what an amazing story, writing, acting and direction has been done. It's timeless. Folks who see these seems to have a great taste. PS: Jimmy is such a sweetheart

[@paisleybabee]

So well acted and delightful! Jimmy the farm boy must have loved this :)

[@donhawthorne4277]

I was delighted to see John Carradine in this, but my jaw dropped when I saw James Dean! What a pedigree (see what I did, there? 😉) for this wonderful Earl Hamner story which would go on to become the classic “Twilight Zone” episode, “The Hunt”. Beautiful restoration, too!

[@TheMikester307]

They were all excellent! (Including "Mike!")

[@jimmccord487]

What a great find this evening.This clip found it's way into my feed.I had no idea.I have seen the Twilight Zone episode but did not know of this original production.Simply wonderful, thanks for posting!

[@scottadelman5907]

I’m going to Heaven with my dog I hope ? Beautiful Story.

[@tjj300]

"A dog's gotta have a man around to love just like a man's gotta have a dog. If he wants to be anyways happy."

[@DeanTomboy1995]

I love James Dean's hair in this 😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@itsgleneaton4883]

Jimmys TV work shows how he was practicing expressing himself. Trying out different things and getting used to expressing in front of the camera. He didn’t seem to have the experience of socializing with people as well as the others so I think he was off many times in how to respond to certain things that most are use to. So his goal seemed to be more organic and spontaneous over the motives of the characters that he played.

[@moniquethomas3610]

Excellent Kinescope restoration. No "white noise", B/W & Gray shades are very balanced out, voices are sharp and clear. Very Golden Age, better looking than when it was brand new.

[@daniellack3559]

Can you imagine how much wonderful material is lost for all time, because the kinescopes were disposed of or lost or deteriorated...how sad.....

[@moniquethomas3610]

@@daniellack3559 I totally agree. The live theatre aspect of early television is what I consider Thespian Gold. I would rather have seen James Dean do a one-man performance of "Diary of a Madman" by Nikoli Gogol- disheveled, on center stage with eerie lighting effects, and powerful- than as a too polished up Jim Stark in "Rebel", which I have never regarded as fine acting. Better to be true on a live stage, than spoiled in Hollywood. There were several works he performed for television in '52 - '53 that were partially or completely lost, and that is as you have commented, very sad.

[@A_M_P_]

Even a genius like Rod Serling stood on the shoulders of giants!

[@roxyabrooks864]

What a sweet and classic tale ❤ My favorite part is when Jim scratched his "angel wing" ... spontaneous, natural and quietly brilliant.

[@andrewwaldock]

I love the story "A Man and His Dog Go To Heaven" by Earl Hamner Jr. in all it's various incarnations. Such a wonderful lesson.

[@HotVoodooWitch]

I gotta tell ya--I prefer "The Hunt."

[@bb22602]

@@HotVoodooWitch They had less time for this one.

[@HotVoodooWitch]

@@bb22602 I’m aware of that but it’s immaterial to which I prefer.

[@ianottaway]

Wow. Thank You.

[@ksk5664]

I really enjoyed this. I always like the Carradine Family in just about everything. (Even if they're playing a bad guy...they play the baddie...good. LOL) What a surprise... a young James Dean billed as Jimmy Dean...he did so well, I thought. What a nice touch he had with scratching his wing and no shoes and overalls on....I can imagine this was Mr Carradine's character's idea of heaven.

[@billykaplan9905]

Jimmy is perfect in this :((

[@georgiapines7906]

How wonderful to see Miss Kate Smith again! This heartwarming episode is a must see for those who love man's best friend and/or are fans of the down-home writing of Earl Hamner. Enjoy!

[@sharonzimmerman5558]

Mary... agreed! Such a great story that clearly withstood the test of time, considering its remake for the Twilight Zone years later. Just continues to prove that you don't need gratuitous violence and obscenity to make something a "success ". Heck, you don't even need color. All you need is good writing and acting in order to create a masterpiece ! Oh, and James Dean ' s small part as " the Good Angel" is simply the icing on the cake!

[@georgiapines7906]

@@sharonzimmerman5558 Well said, Sharon!

[@sharonzimmerman5558]

@@georgiapines7906 Thank you! It is great to find kindred spirits who appreciate these things. I know there must be many out there because more and more "nostalgic TV channels keep popping up, so they are definitely being watched. There are those who say people like us " live in the past". My answer to that is that appreciation of history isn't living in the past. What do you think?

[@susanhillwig5784]

@@sharonzimmerman5558 - I thought it had a Twilight Zone vibe to it!

[@gustavoanguita2350]

​@@sharonzimmerman5558​ Happily, there's definitely quite a lot of people who appreciate these kind of shows! We're all over the world. I just discovered it thanks to The Twilight Zone episode, which I found beautifully poetic. This, the original story, is equally beautiful, it shows that the deepest things about human condition can be expressed in simple, relatable ways. Greetings from Chile, my friends. And remember: "the most important thing is not the light that we turn on day by day, but the one that we once turn off in order to keep the secret memory of Light" (Jorge Teillier, Chilean poet, 1935-1996).

[@p.j.gannon1646]

Love this so much he is so cute what a treat thank you ❤️

[@robbey10]

This was a Twilight Zone episode, The Hunt.

[@danylunny8142]

Good episode

[@alexslavinzki2408]

Is that Rebel Without A Cause - James Dean???

[@DeanTomboy1995]

Yes it is 😊

[@moniquethomas3610]

Better than that- he was a novice New York City Actor, playing an angel with a country boy aire about him. Only a minute and a half of performing in this live "tele stage play", but so refreshing- and for once he's not being a "Bad Boy".

[@RichS-jy7sb]

January, 1953? This has to be the first time the word 'hell' was used on television.

[@HooDatDonDar]

A MAN AND HIS DOG -Earl Hamner, Jr. An old man and his dog were walking down a dirt road for quite sometime when they finally came to a beautiful marble wall with a golden gate. The person standing guard was dressed in a white robe and said: "Welcome to Heaven". It was then the old man realized he and his dog were dead and traveling down Eternity Trail. They both were hot and very thirsty as they had been walking for a long time. The old man was so happy to be at Heaven's gate. He started to enter with his dog following him but the gatekeeper stopped him and said: "I'm sorry, but dogs are not allowed in Heaven so he can't come in with you", as he gestured towards the man's dog. The old man replied: "But my dog has been my faithful companion all his life. If my dog can't come in with me, then I will stay out too. I will not desert him now, not even to enter Heaven." The gatekeeper replied: "Suit yourself, but I must warn you, the Devil's on this road and he'll try to sweet talk you into his area. He will promise you anything to get you to enter. So if you don't leave your dog now and come in, you will spend eternity on this road hot and thirsty or end up in Hell." But the old man still refused to enter and continued walking along the dirt road with his dog. After walking a long ways further, the man and his dog came upon a rundown fence with no gate. He saw a man dressed in old ragged clothes just on the other side, standing next to a large shady tree. The old man called out to him saying: "Excuse me Sir. My dog and I have been on this road all day and are very hot and thirsty. Would it be okay if we took a much needed rest under your shady tree?" "Of course", the other man replied. "There's some cold water under the tree too. So please come in and help yourselves." The old man asks: "Are you inviting my dog too, because I won't come in without him. In fact, that's why I chose not to go to Heaven because I was told dogs are not allowed." The man smiled and said, "Welcome to Heaven, and bring your dog!" The old man exclaimed, "You mean this is Heaven? And dogs are allowed? How come that fellow down the road said they weren't?" "That was the Devil and he gets all the souls who are willing to give up a life long companion for a few small comforts. Those who choose that route soon find out their mistake but it's too late. The dogs always find their way here and the fickle people who abandoned them stay in Hell, for eternity." "You see my friend, GOD would not allow dogs to be banned from Heaven. After all, He created them to be man's companions in life, so He would never separate them in death." -end

[@sauvageaux]

❤️

[@royphillips7435]

Little JD doing the stuff that would change everything ! For a tiny spell anyway ... Then after he died acting we went back to the nothingness acting we know and seemingly love to this day !

[@gisanneali-clarke850]

Heard James appeared in vampira's show. If so would like to see that episode.

[@IAmJimRetzer]

Wasn't this recycled as a Twilight Zone episode?

[@glass4breakfast]

Marc Catalano yes absolutely, the director wanted another shot, wasn’t satisfied for some reason with TZ. I don’t see anything different or better about this version...it’s ok tho.

[@saucermcfly]

Yes, many Twilight Zone episodes came from various sources - teleplays, short stories; not all were written specifically for that series. This version is from 1953; the Twilight Zone episode was from 1962.

[@kathymartin7724]

Yes the hunt by earl hamner.

[@glass4breakfast]

Wtf...this is hilarious n so weird, this episode makes less sense then the TZ version which has far more charm.

[@thesunwillcomeoutwaitandse2373]

Think about when this was made. The Twilight Zone was years later. TV was a brand new medium at this time. It wasn't nearly as "professional" but that shouldn't stop us from enjoying it for what it is. Besides, the 'story' is ageless.

[@glass4breakfast]

The Sun Will Come Out, Wait And See uh...yeah idk about all that, I only found a mention of it in the Twilight Zone Companion book I recently bought which criticized that episode n the director n actors outspoken dissatisfaction n lack of talent n just mentioned that he redid it. So actually this came after it sounds like, or so I assumed. Also I completely disagreed with the writers assessment n what I just cited from the director of that episode, I feel like the Hunt, although far from being one of my favorites is still a solid lovely episode that was a heck of a lot better than this. Not that this doesn’t have it’s own sort of charm or pleasant style but...it’s just not as emotionally impactful or as u said professional or effective as far as story telling. Are u a TZ fan btw?

[@thesunwillcomeoutwaitandse2373]

@@glass4breakfastI love this story in all it's forms. I'm a dog lover soooo....lol! I also love James Dean and this is so different from alot of what he did. It was done in 1953 and TV was fairly newish so it wasn't as "professionally" done.. I'm absolutely a Twilight Zone fan. I grew up with it. It's been awhile since I went on a "binge" but there might just be one coming on. I've never read a TwilightZone guide but I think I might look for it. There are so many episodes that I remember parts of but I sometimes get a little confused with The Outer Limits. You've piqued my interest though, so I intend to become better informed.

[@HotVoodooWitch]

@@glass4breakfast we're on the same page because I also disagree with Zicree's assessment of "The Hunt." I really like it a lot, though; it's one of my faves.

[@HotVoodooWitch]

@@thesunwillcomeoutwaitandse2373 if you have a cable subscription, the SyFy channel runs TZ marathons on July 4th and New Year's Eve. You might want to watch for it.