THIS.
I'm here today to bring you, finally, a commentary on "Day is Done" an episode of the Screen Director's Playhouse Bobby did back in 1955, the year he graduated high school.
This was one of my very favorite of his TV episodes. I feel like I say that about everything, but there are reasons I really mean it about this one! It follows the story of a young, "green" soldier in the Korean War, 1951 named Private Zane.
NOTE: I had quite a time saving these pictures after I cropped them, I have no clue why the computer didn't want to work with me today. So most of them will not be cropped, and I am sorry. It was that or my sanity, and the latter won out, so feel free to save them if you like them and crop them on your own time.
In the opening scenes of this show, we are treated to an explanation of what
Screen Director's Playhouse is -- a show in which each week, a different acclaimed director has picked (or supposedly has) a script to direct, featuring a star-studded cast. This week, Frank Borzage is shown in his director's chair, standing up to go give instruction to Rory Calhoun and our Bobby. You can't actually hear what he says, of course, as the narrator was voicing over.
After the title is announced and the cast names pop up, we see a young guy come upon two men sitting around on base. He introduces himself as Private Zane, and tells them who he is supposed to report to. Both guys instantly sense Zane is a "noob," mostly because of all his questions regarding what he's supposed to be doing and when they're going to be moving, and while friendly enough, the older guy pretty much tells him to chill out in a bravado-laced tone -- until the other guy sitting close by calls his bluff by pointing out that he had just gotten there yesterday, like pretty much everyone else. They all laugh together, then, and a sense of camaradery is established.
I shall pause here to say how cool it is to finally feel I can sort of identify Bobby's laugh from having listened to radio shows and watched his TV episodes. It's breathy and gentle.
Anyway, the fun and games threatens to come to an end when a guy walks by and tells them to look out for showing any disrespect toward their commanding officer, "Ol' Sam" (though not to be CALLED Ol' Sam in person). He's apparently a hard guy, and has been on the scene for awhile.
While Zane's buddy doesn't seem too concerned, Zane himself is paying good heed, and we can tell he's a serious guy.
Next scene, of course, shows the sergeant sidling up beside the jokester and rendering a stern lecture regarding all the "sitting around," which breaks up our little group.
Afterward, we get to know the sergeant a little better when he talks to his commanding officer about going on reconnaissance at enemy lines that night, needing to take two men with him. Sergeant Sam tells the captain how little he has to work with in regards to brave men, as most of his division just newly arrived. But find two people he must.... and so he goes back out to the camp, where he passes Private Zane and friend discussing how they had both been drafted and weren't a bit happy to even be here at the moment.
The sergeant tells both men how he'll need two people that very night to go out on a reconnaissance mission. Zane and the other guy listen sympathetically before saying, "Good luck with that!"... WHICH wins them a place at the sergeant's side that night as the two "volunteers." Yay...
Zane obediently goes on the reconnaissance mission, though not without making his share of dumb mistakes... namely, activating a grenade when it wasn't ordered and nearly getting everyone killed....
So we have a young kid who has done nothing right so far, and now the sergeant gives the order to descend down to enemy lines. A frightened Zane follows, not realizing his "way in" with the sergeant is about to be discovered!
On their way down to enemy lines, Zane pauses next to the corpse of a man who had a bugle on his person. Apparently musical, young Zane goes to take the bugle off the dead man, intent on taking it back with him.
Not a great shot because it's dark, but here we see Zane with the bugle, and the buddy behind him talking him out of taking it. It doesn't work.
Instead, "Sarge" passes Zane and takes the bugle from him... clearly intrigued by it as well. Even though he points out its cheapness and issues a stern lecture to Zane regarding taking something that could have been booby trapped, he looks it over himself and, in the conversation that follows, it is revealed that both men are musicians -- establishing a common element between the sergeant and his youngest, "greenest" private.
Look at the wonderment spread on Bobby's face here as Rory Calhoun begins to play the horn.
The sergeant even warms up enough on the topic of music to allow young Zane a shot at playing. And play he does! I wonder if Bobby actually did his own playing for this -- we know from one of his interviews as a 17-year-old that he and one of his friends talked to the reporter at length about Bobby's love of music, specifically progressive jazz, and even refers to having owned a trumpet. I can't seem to find article now, though it was once on the website....
Anyway, the moment of camaraderie passes quickly and after complimenting Zane on his musical abilities, ol' Sam snatches back the bugle and tells his young charge that they're wasting their time and need to keep moving. This is the expression that registers in response....
But Zane is persistent. He follows the sergeant as they continue to make their way through the trees, and asks if he can hold the bugle. Sarge begins his explanation, then, of how important division buglers were back in WWII -- he himself was one. He imparted upon Zane that a bugler was tasked with an important job -- keeping the morale of the soldiers high, waking them up in the morning with a cheerful, confident tune to get them ready for the day and whatever they would be facing. Fascinated, Zane seems ready to embrace bugling himself, but is rebuffed by the sergeant who wants to keep the bugle for now. However, he ends the conversation by saying, "Maybe tomorrow," with a smile. A hopeful Zane continues on behind them as they resume their mission.
The next morning, the company is called together by the sound of a bugle. Zane's buddies stare in awe as they realize it's none other than their 'stiff" sergeant, Ol' Sam, playing it. Zane breaks away from them to wander over to his commander, who says he was given permission by his own superior to use the bugle again to raise the morale of the men. He then surprises the young guy by asking if he wants to give "mess call" to round everyone up for breakfast.
There's something I've noticed in a couple of Bobby's movies/shows now: the way he sort of clucks his tongue before he begins speaking. Again, probably a personal mannerism. :)
Anyway, Zane makes the call, and with quite a flourish! Ol' Sam is definitely impressed. I was impressed too: Bobby gave a cocky little tilt of his head as he played the tune. I only wish I could have captured that in a whole sequence for all of you....
The next scene takes us to a little later, when a friendly Sergeant is talking about bugling in the U.S. Army with the rest of the guys under his command, telling some stories about its usefulness in history. It's a moment of bonding and you begin to see the company of men become a little looser around their commander. However -- not ready to lose his edge -- just when one of the guys goes to goof off with another one regarding a traffic citation he received in the mail all the way there in Korea, Ol' Sam stops them dead in their tracks with an unexpected "Shut up!"
And just like that, it's back to business. Zane cringes...
Later that night, we see the Sergeant and his men preparing to move into combat once again with the Koreans. A shrill bugle sounds off consistently from the Korean troops, a move which Sam explains is meant to scare the Americans into thinking they're about to move in for an attack, but it's often a decoy. Zane asks if there's any way to know when they're actually going to attack, and the sergeant explains that they won't. He tells them to hold still and wait for the signal before they charge forward. This time around, we see Zane acting alot braver and far more trusting of his sergeant, which we expect will keep him from making the kind of blunder he made before.
After a bit of time during which the sergeant is in talks with his commander about what the Koreans are about to do, he makes the decision to have his company charge in with bayonets ready. He goes around to each of them, spreading the word. Zane and his partner pull theirs out, looking fearful but READY.
After he feels its time, Sam then pulls out the bugle, giving the call to charge to his men, who -- seemingly inspired by the sound of the bugle -- do so boldly.
Let me pause to tell you all I thank you for not holding it against me that I do not know military terms. This kind of show usually loses me completely, so if some of this part of the story doesn't make sense, just know the point is to show off Bobby in his role. For a detailed description of battle tactics, read Dale Brown or Tom Clancy...
So, morning comes, and we see that Sam's company survived the charge! They obviously can't believe they've made it, but are elated to see dawn break. As they are relieved by another set of soldiers, they head back to camp. This is when Zane realizes the sergeant's missing... and he goes to ask some of the men if they've seen him. I tried to get a shot of this, but it was hard to catch a clear one. Suffice it to say, he stops each one of the men who pass him in order to find the whereabouts of his new friend. The Sarge is commended by a couple of the men who saw him "all over the place" the night before, but no one seems to have seen him this morning.
Until the last guy. Who breaks the news that Sam is dead.
Zane is clearly gutted. As the man goes on to tell that he was right beside the sergeant when he was killed, Zane stares off numbly and begins to walk back toward the trees, looking right and left, no doubt for the body of his friend. His buddies call after him, but he doesn't seem to hear.
He goes off for what is clearly a long time (the scene fades into another, showing him continue to wander), when finally...
He finds him.
Zane sank to his knees beside his commander -- a man he had come to respect -- and observed a quiet moment, before spotting the bugle next to him.
So this is what happened. You knew it was gonna.
He played the taps.
And let me tell you, I could feel every bit of emotion coming from him in that moment.
This was a role Bobby seemed to really give his best to. Of course, that defines pretty much all his roles, and it's why he was too amazing an actor to have been so overlooked later.
Happy Birthday, beloved Bobby. Thank you for having left us your legacy in everything you could -- from voice work to Disney movies to these TV show episodes. You will never be outdone.
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