Mohawk Showroom

Last updated
Mohawk Showroom
Country of originUnited States
Original release
Network NBC
ReleaseMay 2, 1949 (1949-05-02)

Mohawk Showroom is an American musical television program that debuted on NBC on May 2, 1949 [1] and ended on November 23, 1951. [2] It was sponsored by Mohawk Carpet Mills Inc. [3] In 1951, the program was one of several NBC-TV shows selected to be shown to United States military personnel overseas via kinescope recordings. [4] The same title was also used for a similar radio program in 1951.

Contents

Overview

Morton Downey and Roberta Quinlan initially shared hosting duties on the 15-minute program, [1] Carmen Mastren and The Chieftains provided music, and Bob Stanton was the announcer. [5] Downey starred on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and Quinlan was the star on Tuesdays and Thursdays. [1] Because of the alternating hosts, the series was sometimes referred to as The Morton Downey Show and The Roberta Quinlan Show. [2] : 563  Downey left the show after the December 9, 1949, episode, and Quinlan became featured on each episode. [1] At some point the Tuesday and Thursday segments were dropped, with broadcasts continuing at 7:30 p. m. Eastern Time on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. [6] Each of the program's episodes had a theme (such as marriage or graduation) to which all of its songs related. Commercials were also tailored to the theme as much as possible. [6] : 50 

Production

Roger Muir was the producer; Clark Jones and Doug Rodgers were the directors. The show originated from WNBT. [7]

Critical reception

A review of Downey's show in The New York Times said that most episodes of the show provided "a program with both pace and variety". [8] The review complimented Downey's performance but said that he should not "try to incorporate too much extraneous 'business'", because he came across better with a more relaxed approach. [8]

In September 1951, a review in the trade publication Billboard complimented Quinlan's performance and the show's visual presentation. It called the program "one of the really pleasant little musical quarter hours in television". [9]

Radio version

Spurred by the success of its TV program, in the spring of 1951, Mohawk began a radio version, also titled Mohawk Showroom. Sponsor magazine reported, "The spot radio effort has grown partially out of the desire of dealers in non-TV markets for support like that furnished their brethren in TV territory via the Mohawk Showroom". [10] Quinlan starred in the radio version, which was 15 minutes long and ran three days per week. It initially ran for 13 weeks in 26 markets with plans for a second 13-week series in the fall of 1951 along with hopes for increasing the number of markets. [10]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Cox, Jim (10 January 2014). Musicmakers of Network Radio: 24 Entertainers, 1926-1962. McFarland. p. 115. ISBN   978-0-7864-8962-6 . Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  2. 1 2 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. 701. ISBN   0-14-02-4916-8.
  3. ↑ "Sponsor warns" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 12, 1951. p. 58. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  4. ↑ "TV shows go 'over there'" (PDF). Broadcasting. September 17, 1951. p. 85. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  5. ↑ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 708. ISBN   978-0-7864-6477-7.
  6. 1 2 "Mohawk uses a new broom" (PDF). Sponsor. September 11, 1950. pp. 28–29, 50. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Musical Variety (Continued)". Ross Reports. September 11, 1949. p. 9. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  8. 1 2 Gould, Jack (May 29, 1949). "Programs in Review: 'Mr. I. Magination' — Songs by Downey — 'Blind Date' — A Variety Revue" . The New York Times. p. X 9. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Capsule Comment". Billboard. September 15, 1951. p. 13. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
  10. 1 2 "TV leads Mohawk to radio" (PDF). Sponsor. March 26, 1951. pp. 36, 64–65. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
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