Starlight Theatre (TV series)

Starlight Theatre is a 30-minute American television anthology series[1] of romantic stories[2] that aired on CBS from April 2, 1950, to October 4, 1951.[3] Forty-nine episodes aired.[citation needed] In 1950-1951 it alternated with The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.[3]

Guest stars that appeared include Mary Sinclair,[4] Julie Harris, Barry Nelson, Eve Arden, John Forsythe, Melvyn Douglas,[1] Jackie Cooper, George Reeves, Jean Stapleton, Felicia Montealegre Bernstein, and Franchot Tone.

Production

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Robert Stevens was the producer. The directors included Stevens,[5] John Peyser,[3] Yul Brynner,[6] Martin Ritt,[7] and Curt Conway.[citation needed] The program originated from WCBS-TV and was sustaining.[5] It was broadcast at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Sundays, replacing The Girls.[8]

Critical response

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Critic Jack Gould commended the "Welcome Home" episode for its portrayal of a radio correspondent who was thrust into celebrity status when she returned to the United States from the Far East. Gould's review in The New York Times noted that the episode's lines often seemed "awkward and contrived" and that the "direction was satisfactory".[6]

Episodes

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Partial List of Episodes of Starlight Theatre
Date Title Actor(s)
July 10, 1950 "The Last Kiss" Mary Sinclair, John McQuade[4]
November 16, 1950 "Welcome Home" Nancy Kelly, Robert Webber[6]
December 28, 1950 "Two White Horses" Lee Bowman.[9]
March 22, 1951 "The Flaxen Haired Mannequin" Gil Lamb[10]
September 6, 1951 "Act of God Nonwithstanding" Chester Morris, Olive Deering, John McGovern, Michael Higgins, Bert Conway, Jock McGraw, Joe Mantell, Ray Danton[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 1300. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  2. ^ Hawes, William (November 16, 2015). Live Television Drama, 1946-1951. McFarland. p. 110. ISBN 978-1-4766-0849-5. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c 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. 788. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  4. ^ a b "Television Highlights of the Week". The Boston Globe. July 9, 1950. p. 6-A. Retrieved May 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.comn.
  5. ^ a b "Starlight Theater". Ross Reports on Television including The Television Index. June 18, 1950. p. 7. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Gould, Jack (November 17, 1950). "A Television Show Closer to Reality". The New York Times. p. 34. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  7. ^ a b Nollen, Scott Allen; Nollen, Yuyun Yuningsih (January 3, 2020). Chester Morris: His Life and Career. McFarland. p. 285. ISBN 978-1-4766-3839-3. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  8. ^ Lohman, Sidney (April 2, 1950). "News from the Studios: N.B.C. Video Offers Audition Series-- A Wry Comment--Other Items". The New York Times. p. 105. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  9. ^ Jones, Paul (December 28, 1950). "TV Not Available For Bowl Games". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 15. Retrieved April 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Stretch, Bud (March 22, 1951). "Air Waves". Courier-Post. New Jersey, Camden. p. 11. Retrieved August 1, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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