The John Frankenheimer story contains one of the great second acts of American filmmaking. The wunderkind who left his Air Force film unit and talked his way into an assistant director's job at CBS established himself as one of the most brilliant talents to emerge from TV's "Golden Age", helming more than 150 live dramas between 1954 and 1960, prestigious contributions like "The Last Tycoon" (starring Jack Palance), "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (Jason Robards, Maureen Stapleton and Eli Wallach), the original "Days of Wine and Roses" (Cliff Robertson and Piper Laurie), "The Turn of the Screw"
During his last two summer vacations of college, acted in summer stock at the Highland Playhouse in Falmouth, Massachusetts
1951
Served in US Air Force; eventually joined its newly formed film squadron
Short film about a California cattle farm brought him first assignment from the private sector, writing and producing a local TV show, "The Harry Howard Ranch Roundup"; served unofficially as director for drunken title holder
1953
Arrived in NYC with $150 and talked his way into an assistant director's job at CBS
1954
TV directing debut, "The Plot Against King Solomon" episode of the CBS series "You Are There"
