Series synopsis
Four Star Playhouse is an American drama comedy television series that premiered on CBS on September 25, 1952. It ended on July 26, 1956. It stars Herbert Heyes, Ronald Colman, Frances Rafferty and George Macready.
Four Star Playhouse is an American television anthology series that ran from 1952 to 1956, 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. The original premise was that Charles Boyer, Ida Lupino, David Niven, and Dick Powell would take turns starring in episodes. However, several other performers took the lead from time to time, including Ronald Colman and Joan Fontaine.
Blake Edwards wa ...
Premise
Four Star Playhouse is an American television anthology series that ran from 1952 to 1956, 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. The original premise was that Charles Boyer, Ida Lupino, David Niven, and Dick Powell would take turns starring in episodes. However, several other performers took the lead from time to time, including Ronald Colman and Joan Fontaine.
Blake Edwards was among the writers and directors who contributed to the series. Edwards created the recurring character of illegal gambling house operator Willie Dante for Dick Powell to play on this series. The character was later revamped and spun off in his own series starring Howard Duff, then-husband of Lupino.
The pilot for Meet McGraw, starring Frank Lovejoy, aired here, as did another episode in which Lovejoy recreated his role of Chicago newspaper reporter Randy Stone, from the radio drama Nightbeat.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Herbert Heyes as Elderly Man
- Ronald Colman as Dr. Bosanquent
- Frances Rafferty as Pat
- George Macready as Man
- Jay Novello as Clerk
- Leonard Bremen as Bartender
- Rhys Williams as Raikes
- Claire Carleton as Alice Hutchinson
Supporting cast
- Freddy Ridgeway as Kevin
- Walter Sande as Johnny Boss
- Barbara Billingsley as Betty
- Joan Camden as Doris Hepburn
- Merle Oberon as Martha
- William F. Leicester as Steve Caspery
- John Harmon as Joe
- Dayton Lummis as Mail Clerk
- William Forrest as Mr. Colter
- Charles Boyer as Paul
- Sarah Selby as Della Charlton
- Noreen Nash as Salesgirl
Guest cast
- Herbert Heyes as Elderly Man
- Ronald Colman as Dr. Bosanquent
- Frances Rafferty as Pat
- George Macready as Man
- Jay Novello as Clerk
- Leonard Bremen as Bartender
- Rhys Williams as Raikes
- Claire Carleton as Alice Hutchinson
- Freddy Ridgeway as Kevin
- Walter Sande as Johnny Boss
- Barbara Billingsley as Betty
- Joan Camden as Doris Hepburn
Episodes
Episode information is not available yet.
No season summary is available for this show yet.
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | CBS |
|---|---|
| First aired | September 25, 1952 |
| Last aired | July 26, 1956 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Thursday |