PEYTON PLACE
Episode 268. first color episode
09-12-66

Opening   Dorothy Malone as Constance Mackenzie,
Credits:  Ed Nelson as Michael Rossi, 
          Ryan O'Neal as Rodney Harrington,
          Barbara Parkins as Betty Anderson,
          Tim O'Connor as Elliot Carson,
          Christopher Connelly as Norman Harrington,
          Patricia Morrow as Rita Harrington, and 
          James Douglas as Steven Cord.
    
WA:       Betty Anderson [Cord], occupation, housewife.  But today, she 
          is actively employed.  While Constance Mackenzie's husband is 
          in New York, Betty has been staying with her, taking care of 
          her book shop, for Constance is soon to have a baby.  Betty's 
          husband, Steven Cord, occupation counselor-at-law, now 
          defending a man named Lee Webber, on a charge of murder.  A 
          heavy world.  But this morning in Peyton Place, Betty Anderson 
          attempts to lighten it. 
    
MEL:      This is the first of 247 episodes in color.  Allison Mackenzie 
          had disappeared between episodes 263 and 264, only a few days 
          earlier.  The bail for Lee Webber was revoked and he was 
          re-jailed after having spoken to Allison.  She had been a 
          potential witness against Lee.  [The sci-fi series Star Trek 
          debuted 09-08-66, four days earlier.  A number of guest actors 
          in "Star Trek" also appeared in Peyton Place, commencing with 
          the train conductor in episode 1.  Two regular cast members of 
          Star Trek had minor roles.  Scotty as Thomas the chauffeur,  
          and Uhura as a nurse in Boston Memorial in episode 234.  
          "The Fugitive" was in the midst of a four year run at this 
          time.  It made the transition from B&W to color.  Bewitched 
          made the transition to color also.  It ran from Sept. 17, 1964 
          to July 1, 1972.  Kasey Rogers who played Julie Anderson in 
          Peyton Place, played the role of Louise Tate in "Bewitched".  
          About this time, "Gilligan's Island" also made the transition to 
          color. 
       
Intro:    A couple is sitting on a bench, in the square.  There are 
          several children playing.  Betty drives up in her light blue 
          four-door sedan, parks in front of the Book Gallery, crosses 
          the square, and goes into the Peyton Place Bank and Trust 
          Building, also referred to as the Chamber of Commerce building.
       
Scene 1:  In Steven Cord's outer office, miss Nolan has just poured a cup 
          of coffee as Betty comes in.  Betty intercepts the cup of 
          coffee and carries it into Steven.  Without looking to see who 
          it is, Steven says, "Thank you, miss Nolan."  They playfully 
          engage in a little husband-wife banter.  Betty sits in Steven's 
          lap.  After a few moments, Chris Webber barges into Steven's 
          inner office to complain about Steven representing Lee.  Steven 
          dismisses [excuses] Betty from the office by saying, "See you 
          at lunch."  Betty leaves without acknowledging Chris.  Chris 
          angrily demands to know why Steven is representing Lee.  Chris 
          recalls that Steven was on the bluff when Chris plummeted to 
          his blindness.  Steven says that Lee had previously admitted to 
          him that he, Lee, had pushed Chris off the bluff 17 years ago. 
    
Scene 2:  Meanwhile, back at the Peyton mansion, Hannah Cord is sorting 
          through the contents of the late Brian [Cord] Colby's trunk.  
          Martin Peyton comes over to observe and to impose his wisdom 
          upon her.  Hannah tosses an artist's pallette into the 
          fireplace.  Peyton asks, "What madness is this?"  Hannah says 
          that she doesn't want any of Brian's papers to fall into the 
          wrong hands and that she wants to destroy any evidence that 
          Brian ever lived.  [Typical of any grieving widow who had gone 
          through Hannah's experiences.]  She burns a sketch of 
          Catherine.  [Rachel Welles, who appears a few days later would 
          most likely have described Hannah as being bereft].  Hannah 
          tells Peyton that he is cruel. 

Scene 3:  Sandy Webber comes home to find Chris sitting on the sofa 
          brooding.  She asks Chris if he has had lunch and if he would 
          be interested in going fishing.  Sandy says that she had a bad 
          day today.  She dropped a pot of coffee and gave a woman too 
          much change for a five dollar bill.  Chris asks Sandy why she 
          hasn't been to visit Lee since he has been in jail.  And he 
          asks if she thinks that Lee murdered Ann Howard. 
    
Scene 4:  Rodney is working in the Shoreline Garage as Norman and Rita 
          come in to visit.  Rodney totes an automobile battery over to 
          the car that he is working on.  Rita tells Rodney he is just 
          like Dr. Rossi.  That Rossi is working day and night trying to 
          forget about Ann Howard.  Rodney is working day and night 
          trying to forget about Allison.  Rodney responds that Allison 
          needed him.  Rita tells Rodney that "We need you."  Rita says 
          she knows that Allison will be back.  [Wishful thinking.]  
          Rodney hugs Rita.  
    
Scene 5:  At the Carson house, Betty is cooking hamburger patties and is 
          putting food on the table for Constance.  They all sit down to 
          eat.  Because Constance is expecting, she is eating rabbit food. 
          Constance complains about the diet she is reluctantly trying 
          to follow.  Betty counters that she has gained 5 pounds after 
          she married Steven.  [A lot of women let themselves go after 
          getting married.  However, some travel a lot farther than 
          others.]  Betty says she misses her mother.  [Julie had left 
          Peyton Place shortly after episode 252.]  Betty confides in 
          Constance that she was always envious of Allison.  The phone 
          rings and Betty offers to answer it.  Constance says it may be 
          Elliot so she goes to the livingroom to pick up the phone. 
       
Scene 6:  From his New York City hotel room, Elliot is calling Constance.  
          The scene switches back and forth between the hotel room in New 
          York City and the Carson livingroom in Peyton Place.  Elliot 
          says that he has checked in with the New York City police, the 
          hospitals, and the publishers.  Constance has a white phone and 
          Elliot is using a black phone.  

MEL:      [With the coming of color TV, more attention was paid to the 
          color of phones and other props.  Several offices upgraded to 
          10-line and 15-line speaker-phones, but touch-tone® did not 
          make it to the series.]  

          Constance tells him that she has thought up a new name for the 
          baby.  Matthew, "Gift of God."  Elliot says he likes it.  After 
          some more chit-chat he says goodbye and hangs up.  Betty brings 
          Constance a cup of tea.  Constance feels a kick from the baby 
          who will become Matthew.  [Back in those days fetae were 
          referred to as "unborn babies.] 
    
Scene 7:  Steven bumps into Rodney near the entrance to the Police 
          Station.  Rodney had been talking with police Sgt. Edward 
          Goddard about Allison.  Steven tries to convince Rodney that 
          Lee Webber may not be responsible for Allison's disappearance.  
          Rodney is far from convinced.  Steven walks the few steps into 
          the courthouse.  Rodney walks toward the bandstand on the 
          square. 
          
Preview:  In his cell in the Peyton County jail, Lee Webber talks with 
          Steven Cord.  Constance, in early labor, talks to miss Choate 
          and Betty.  Rodney complains to Martin Peyton. 
           
          LW:  You get him here. 
          SC:  I just talked to Chris this morning.  I got the impression 
               he didn't want to see you. 
          LW:  He's all mixed up and he needs me out there with him.
          SC:  You need him.
        
          CM:  Betty, call the hotel.  Try to reach Elliot.
       
          RH:  You disect me.  You run little tests on me in your 
               laboratory, to find out what I'm made of and how you can 
               use me. 

MEL:      Hannah Cord, Anna Chernak, and Judge Otto Crutcher are the only 
          palindromic characters in Peyton Place.  That is, if you don't 
          count all the Bob's.  There are Dr. Robert B. Morton, Bob 
          Franklin, and a few other Bob's of minor import. 

          Barbara Parkins is in the early weeks of realizing that the 
          story of Peyton Place is really about her, not Allison nor 
          Martin Peyton.  She realizes that she was very fortunate not to 
          have been killed off in an early episode as was one of the 
          proposed story-lines.  If she had been killed, this would have 
          seriously diminished her on-screen time. 

Police Sgt. Edward Goddard-Garry Walberg.
The actor playing Edward Goddard was also in the Fugitive series 
  playing a police officer.

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