Four Star Playhouse

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Four Star Playhouse
968full-four-star-playhouse-screenshot.jpg
Title card
Genre Anthology
Created by Four Star International
Starring
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes129
Production
Running time25 minutes
Production company Four Star International
Original release
Network CBS
ReleaseSeptember 25, 1952 (1952-09-25) 
September 27, 1956 (1956-09-27)
L-R: Adam Williams & David Niven in episode Night Ride (1953) Four Star Playhouse (Night Ride) 1.jpg
L–R: Adam Williams & David Niven in episode Night Ride (1953)
L-R: Charles Boyer and Dorothy Hart in episode "Second Dawn" (1954) Charles Boyer-Dorothy Hart in Four Star Playhouse (Second Dawn).jpg
L–R: Charles Boyer and Dorothy Hart in episode "Second Dawn" (1954)

Four Star Playhouse is an American anthology series that ran from September 25, 1952, through September 27, 1956. [1]

Contents

Overview

Four Star Playhouse was owned by Four Star International. [2] Its episodes ranged anywhere from surreal mysteries, such as "The Man on the Train", to light comedies, such as "The Lost Silk Hat". [3] [4]

The original premise for the program was that Charles Boyer, Dick Powell, Rosalind Russell, and Joel McCrea would rotate as stars of episodes. By the time it debuted, David Niven and Ida Lupino had replaced McCrea and Russell. In addition to those four stars, other performers, including Ronald Colman, Joan Fontaine, Frank Lovejoy, Merle Oberon, and Teresa Wright occasionally had leading roles. [5]

Powell portrayed the recurring character of illegal gambling-house operator Willie Dante. The character was later revamped and spun off in his own series starring Howard Duff. [5]

Cast

Many actors appeared in different roles in more than one episode, including

Production

The show was sponsored in its first bi-weekly season by The Singer Company. Bristol-Myers became an alternate sponsor when it became a weekly series in the fall of 1953 (both sponsors' names alternated as part of the show's title in its initial broadcasts).[ citation needed ] From September 1952 through September 1954 it was broadcast on Thursdays from 8:30 to 9 p.m. Eastern Time. In October 1954, it was moved to 9:30 to 10 p.m. E. T. on Thursdays, remaining in that slot for the rest of its run. [5]

While it never made the Nielsen Top 30, the ratings were sufficient to keep it on the air for four seasons. In 1954, Billboard voted it the second best filmed network television drama series. [6]

Blake Edwards was among the writers and directors who contributed to the series, making his debut as a director on the program in 1952. [7]

The pilot for Meet McGraw , starring Frank Lovejoy, aired here (under that title, February 25, 1954), as did another episode in which Lovejoy recreated his role of Chicago newspaper reporter Randy Stone, from the radio drama Nightbeat (titled "Search in the Night", November 5, 1953).

Directors

Directors who worked on the show include

Writers

Writers who worked on the show include:

  • Gwen Bagni in 15 episodes (1952–1954)
  • John Bagni in 13 episodes (1952–1954)
  • Richard Carr in 13 episodes (1954–1956)
  • Frederick Brady in 9 episodes (1954–1956)
  • Blake Edwards in 7 episodes (1952–1954)
  • Seeleg Lester in 5 episodes (1953–1954)
  • Merwin Gerard in 4 episodes (1953)
  • Frederick J. Lipp in 4 episodes (1954–1955)
  • Larry Marcus in 3 episodes (1952–1954)
  • Milton Merlin in 3 episodes (1952–1953)
  • Marc Brandell in 3 episodes (1954–1956)
  • László Görög in 3 episodes (1955–1956)
  • James Bloodworth in 3 episodes (1956)
  • Amory Hare in 2 episodes (1953)
  • Octavus Roy Cohen in 2 episodes (1954–1955)
  • Milton Geiger in 2 episodes (1954–1955)
  • Thelma Robinson in 2 episodes (1954)
  • Oscar Millard in 2 episodes (1955–1956)
  • Willard Wiener in 2 episodes (1955)
  • Robert Eggenweiler in 2 episodes (1956)
  • Ida Lupino in 2 episodes (1956)
  • Roland Winters in 2 episodes (1956)

Syndication

Official Films syndicated reruns of Four Star Playhouse under the title Star Performance. In 1956 it was named the best syndicated dramatic show in Billboard's Fourth Annual Program and Talent Awards. Powell was named the best dramatic performer in the competition, and Niven took second place in that category. [8]

Related Research Articles

The year 1953 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events during 1953.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick Powell</span> American actor (1904–1963)

Richard Ewing Powell was an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and studio head. Though he came to stardom as a musical comedy performer, he showed versatility and successfully transformed into a hardboiled leading man, starring in projects of a more dramatic nature. He was the first actor to portray private detective Philip Marlowe on screen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ida Lupino</span> British actress and filmmaker (1918–1995)

Ida Lupino was a British actress, director, writer, and producer. Throughout her 48-year career, she appeared in 59 films and directed eight, working primarily in the United States, where she became a citizen in 1948. She is widely regarded as the most prominent female filmmaker working in the 1950s during the Hollywood studio system. With her independent production company, she co-wrote and co-produced several social-message films and became the first woman to direct a film noir, The Hitch-Hiker, in 1953.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Hayward</span> South African-born British actor (1909–1985)

Louis Charles Hayward was a South African-born, British-American actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Lovejoy</span> American actor (1912–1962)

Frank Andrew Lovejoy Jr. was an American actor in radio, film, and television. He is perhaps best remembered for appearing in the film noir The Hitch-Hiker and for starring in the radio drama Night Beat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard Duff</span> American actor (1913–1990)

Howard Green Duff was an American actor.

Collier Hudson Young was an American film producer and writer, who worked on many films in the 1950s, before becoming a television producer for such shows as NBC's Ironside and CBS's The Wild, Wild West, as well as the supernatural anthology series One Step Beyond (1959–61).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Brady</span> American actor (1924–1985)

Scott Brady was an American film and television actor best known for his roles in Western films and as a ubiquitous television presence. He played the title role in the television series Shotgun Slade (1959-1961).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse White (actor)</span> American actor (1917–1997)

Jesse White was an American actor who was best known for his portrayal as "Ol' Lonely" the repairman in Maytag television commercials from 1967 to 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sally Forrest</span> American actress (1928–2013)

Sally Forrest was an American film, stage and TV actress of the 1940s and 1950s. She studied dance from a young age and shortly out of high school was signed to a contract by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthology series</span> Form of broadcast entertainment

An anthology series is a written series, radio, television, film, or video game series that presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a different cast in each episode, but several series in the past, such as Four Star Playhouse, employed a permanent troupe of character actors who would appear in a different drama each week. Some anthology series, such as Studio One, began on radio and then expanded to television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four Star Television</span> Defunct American television production company

Four Star Television, also called Four Star International, was an American television production company. Founded in 1952 as Four Star Productions by prominent Hollywood actors Dick Powell, David Niven, Charles Boyer and Joel McCrea, it was inspired by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz founding Desilu Productions a year earlier. McCrea left soon after its founding to continue in films, television and radio, and was replaced by Ida Lupino as the fourth star—although Lupino did not own stock in the company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chubby Johnson</span> American character actor and journalist

Charles Randolph "Chubby" Johnson was an American film and television supporting character actor with a genial demeanor and warm, country-accented voice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willis Bouchey</span> American actor (1907–1977)

Willis Bouchey was an American character actor.

<i>Schlitz Playhouse of Stars</i> US television series 1951-1959

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars is an anthology series that was telecast from 1951 until 1959 on CBS. Offering both comedies and drama, the series was sponsored by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. The title was shortened to Schlitz Playhouse beginning with the fall 1957 season.

<i>Ford Theatre</i> Television and radio series

Ford Theatre, spelled Ford Theater for the original radio version and known, in full, as The Ford Television Theatre for the TV version, is a radio and television anthology series broadcast in the United States in the 1940s and 1950s. At various times the television series appeared on all three major television networks, while the radio version was broadcast on two separate networks and on two separate coasts. Ford Theatre was named for its sponsor, the Ford Motor Company, which had an earlier success with its concert music series, The Ford Sunday Evening Hour (1934–42).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Birch (actor)</span> American actor (1912–1969)

Paul Birch was an American actor. He was a film star of 39 movies, 50 stage dramas, and numerous television series, including the Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951).

<i>Screen Directors Playhouse</i> American radio and television anthology series

Screen Directors Playhouse is an American radio and television anthology series which brought leading Hollywood actors to the NBC microphones beginning in 1949. The radio program broadcast adaptations of films, with original directors of the films sometimes involved in the productions, although their participation was usually limited to introducing the radio adaptations and taking a brief "curtain call" with the cast and host at the end of the program. During the 1955–56 season, the series was seen on television, focusing on original teleplays and several adaptations of famous short stories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Gerstle</span> American actor (1915–1970)

Francis M. Gerstle was an American character actor who appeared in supporting roles in numerous films, radio programs and TV shows following World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audrey Totter filmography</span>

This is the complete filmography of actor Audrey Totter. Originally a radio actress, she entered motion pictures in 1944 and became known for her portrayals of Femme fatales and hard-boiled dames. She is best remembered for her appearances in such features as Lady in the Lake (1947), The Unsuspected (1947), and The Set-Up (1949). She later found equal success in television with recurring roles on such syndicated sitcoms as Our Man Higgins, Cimarron City, Dr. Kildare, and Medical Center.

References

  1. McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 299. ISBN   0-14-02-4916-8.
  2. Charnay, John (February 11, 1977). "Spotlight on Syndication". Back Stage. p. 55. ProQuest   963037768. Four Star was founded in 1952 by Dick Powell and David Niven with the sole aim of producing one top-quality dramatic series: 'Four Star Playhouse.' It was an immediate success and soon launched Four Star into network production on a major scale.
  3. Veilette, Eric (December 2009). "The Ghosts in Johnny's Closet". Rue Morgue. p. 35. Retrieved July 23, 2024. "The ghost theme continues in 'The Man on the Train' (1953), from Four Star Playhouse. William Langford (David Niven) is a London businessman who has a rather icy encounter with the titular 'Man' (Alan Napier, Alfred on TV's Batman). Upon his return to London, William mentions the ominous meeting to his business associates, who inform Langford of its impossibility—the man he claims to have seen is dead! Predictable but performed by master actors, it prefigured The Twilight Zone by six years."
  4. Bril. (October 29, 1952). "TV-Films: TELEPIX REVIEWS - FOUR STAR PLAYHOUSE". Variety. p. 28. ProQuest   1032341645. The Lord Dunsany play, 'The Lost Silk Hat,' was given a delightful, whimsical production on 'Four Star Playhouse' Thursday (23).
  5. 1 2 3 Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (7th ed.). New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group. p. 363. ISBN   0-345-42923-0.
  6. "'Ford' Tops '4 Star' In Network Dramas". Billboard. July 31, 1954. p. 14. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  7. Feiwell, Jill (December 12, 2003). "Life Oscar to Edwards". Daily Variety. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  8. "First-Run Shows, New Web Reissues Head Syndication". Billboard. July 7, 1956. p. 9. Retrieved July 24, 2024.