The splendor and glamour of Things always attract the young. Every kid wants to be a Super hero on the football team while the girls wanna be the home-coming queen. In "Plan for Escape" the beauty queen finds she has grown up too quickly with those who only wish to rule her life. When she witnesses the evil of vanity and the evil of murder, she runs - without a plan. Happen-stance brings this girl into reality where she must make a choice of diamonds and glitter or true love and accepting that growing up isn't something to be ashamed of. A hero does not mean that you drive a fancy car or spread "doe" around. It means living life with honesty and devotion. Sounds kinda mundane, I know. But a "Plan for Escape" brings a frightened young girl out of the naivete of the childish desires of fame and fortune into the world of love and friendship and "down-home-cookin'" Yep - it is mundane and simple. But this short play protrays it very well. 5 Stars.

When I was a kid my mom, a very hard working parent who was raising 6 children, had certain times that were sacred to her: above all, was the time with her beloved books - but also she always looked forward to her television "plays" as she called them. Her favorites were "Studio One", "Playhouse 90", "Kraft Television Playhouse", and "Philco Television Playhouse. This was a time when most of her children would sit down with her and enjoy them as well. It remains one of my favorite childhood memories.

But on to the play.

The most remarkable thing about this play and the hundreds of others like it that were produced between 1949 and 1960 or so, is that they were LIVE performances. As such, they remain a singular creative achievement.

When you consider that they were cranked out every week, on a large stage that included numerous sets, quick costume changes, and LIVE performances that had to get it right the first and only time, one can't help but respect the crew's enterprise, focus and obvious skill.

As the Fifties progressed programs were increasingly filmed; this medium allowed for retakes and this made for a slicker, more seamless product but the energy, tension and continuity of live theater, the medium that these television productions most nearly resembled, was lost.

"Plan for Escape" is not great television theater; the plot is thin, even disingenuous; the dialogue is sometimes wooden and ineffective but the actors did an excellent job given the material they had to work with. The camera work, the production design and continuity are remarkably good. Even the commercials, in this case the entire show was supported by a single sponsor, were "informative" as well as persuasive and occupied perhaps 3.5 minutes of this 60 minuute production

This production's principle actors would all have successful careers as supporting players. Curiously, Peggy Ann Garner, who - as a child actress was as popular as Margart O'Brien and Natalie Wood - would not have much of a career in her future. After 3 marriages she would succumb to pancreatic cancer in 1984 at the age of 52.

Part of the charm of these early television productions is, for those of us who are old enough to remember them, they represent a time in our lives when we were young; life still offered many possibilities and America was at the top of its gsme.
Finally, at least for me, they represent quiet, communal family moments in an often turbulent youth.

0.0 stars for title (?!)
1.5 stars for story
3.0 stars for production values
4.5 stars for nostalgia value

I know because I watched it last month. Anyway, this is a good show featuring the child actress Peggy Ann Garner who in this feature was of legal age and looking very attractive. Check out the Fox Noir BLACK WIDOW made a few years later. She really looked beautiful.