Mickey Rooney in "The Comedian" (1957) TV

"The Comedian" is a 1957 live television drama written by Rod Serling from a novella by Ernest Lehman, directed by John Frankenheimer, and starring Mickey Rooney.

Rooney portrayed a ragingly egomaniacal television comedian venting his hysterical wrath on his brother (Mel Tormé) with Edmond O'Brien as a writer driven to the brink of insanity by the mayhem. The 90-minute drama was broadcast live as part of the anthology series Playhouse 90 on February 14, 1957. The show was captured on crystallinely clear kinescope and is available for viewing at The Paley Center for Media in New York City and Los Angeles. The show is also available as part of a 3-DVD set called "The Golden Age of Television," produced by the Criterion Collection. It is also available for viewing on Hulu.