Series synopsis
MGM Parade is a drama television series that premiered on September 14, 1955. It ended on May 2, 1956. It stars George Murphy, Donna Reed, Esther Williams and Fred Astaire.
The original concept of the show was to allow the viewer to see the inner workings of a movie studio and featured interviews with MGM stars and explanations of how movies were made. Later, the format changed to show edited versions of MGM films.
Premise
The original concept of the show was to allow the viewer to see the inner workings of a movie studio and featured interviews with MGM stars and explanations of how movies were made. Later, the format changed to show edited versions of MGM films.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- George Murphy as Host
- Donna Reed as Self - Guest
- Esther Williams as Self - Water Ballerina in 'Ziegfeld Follies' (archive footage)
- Fred Astaire as Performer in 'Ziegfeld Follies'
- Cyd Charisse as Self
- Jackie Cooper as Dink in 'The Champ' (archive footage)
- Glenn Ford
- Ray Bolger
Supporting cast
- Jack Haley
- Bert Lahr
- Paul Guilfoyle
- Juano Hernández
- Katy Jurado
- Dorothy McGuire
- Rafael Campos
- Jonathan Hale
- Leslie Howard
- Arthur Kennedy
- Robert Middleton
- Norma Shearer
Guest cast
- Donna Reed as Self - Guest
- Esther Williams as Self - Water Ballerina in 'Ziegfeld Follies' (archive footage)
- Fred Astaire as Performer in 'Ziegfeld Follies'
- Cyd Charisse as Self
- Jackie Cooper as Dink in 'The Champ' (archive footage)
- Glenn Ford
- Ray Bolger
- Jack Haley
- Bert Lahr
- Paul Guilfoyle
- Juano Hernández
- Katy Jurado
Episodes
This series spans 1 season with 34 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 34 | September 14, 1955 | May 2, 1956 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Episode 1 A promotional film hosted by George Murphy promoting the studio's past and its current release of "It's Always Fair Weather." |
September 14, 1955 |
| 2 |
Episode 2 In recapping the presentation of the "If I Only Had the Nerve/We're Off To See The Wizard" musical number, host George Murphy hopes that it will bring back fond memories for adults who have seen The Wizard of Oz (1939), and will encourage children who haven't seen the movie to see it. He is appropriately in the MGM trophy room to introduce the short The Story of Alfred Nobel (1939). He is visited by young Leo, who wants George to showcase his friends Screwball Squirrel and Meathhead as they duke it out in animated short Screwball Squirrel (1944). And he visits with Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse on the set of It's Always Fair Weather (1955). Gene is featured in the "I Like Myself" roller skating musical number from the movie. |
September 21, 1955 |
| 3 |
Episode 3 After thanking the viewing audience for their positive reception to the show, host George Murphy introduces from the MGM vaults the classic movie A Free Soul (1931), showing a clip featuring the Academy Award winning performance by Lionel Barrymore. Next, he shows a short film, One Against the World (1939), which chronicles the career of Dr. Ephraim McDowall, who was the first person ever to perform internal surgery, which was before then considered sacrilegious and was therefore unheard of. Then he shows Guest Pests (1945), which demonstrates the different kinds of house guests that can be an annoyance. And in the coming attraction, he shows a few scenes from Trial (1955), based on the Harper Award winning novel of the same name by Don Mankiewicz, who adapted his novel for the big screen. |
September 28, 1955 |
Production
Release
| First aired | September 14, 1955 |
|---|---|
| Last aired | May 2, 1956 |
| Status | ended |