The Campbell Playhouse (TV series)
{{about|the NBC television series|the CBS radio series of the same name|The Campbell Playhouse (radio series)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image =
| caption =
| alt_name = Campbell Soundstage
TV Soundstage
| runtime = 30 minutes
| director = Garry Simpson
Alex Segal
Marc Daniels
| executive_producer = Martin Horrell
| producer = Martin Horrell
| country = United States
| language = English
| network = NBC
| first_aired = {{Start date|1952|6|6}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1954|5|28}}
| num_series =
| num_episodes = 51
| num_seasons = 2
}}
The Campbell Playhouse (also known as Campbell Soundstage, TV Soundstage, and Campbell Summer Soundstage, (summer hiatus only, see below)) was an American anthology series and television drama that originally aired on NBC from June 6, 1952 to May 28, 1954.{{Citation needed |date=April 2022}}
The series was sponsored by the Campbell Soup Company.
Radio series
{{main|The Campbell Playhouse (radio series)}}
The television series was based on the 1938–1940 radio series of the same name. The radio version was originally aired on CBS as The Mercury Theatre on the Air beginning July 11, 1938. The series made its last broadcast under that title on December 4, 1938. After that, the Campbell Soup Company sponsored the radio drama and renamed it The Campbell Playhouse. The Campbell Playhouse made its radio debut on December 9, 1938.{{cite web|url=http://www.mercurytheatre.info/|title=The Mercury Theatre of the Air|website=mercurytheatre.info|accessdate=October 25, 2014}}
Orson Welles served as the host of the program.
The series offered 60-minute adaptations of famous novels and plays and, on certain occasions, adaptations of popular motion pictures of the time.{{cite web|url=http://www.myoldradio.com/old-radio-shows/campbell-playhouse|title=My old time radio shows Campbell Playhouse|website=myoldradio.com|accessdate=October 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026102802/http://www.myoldradio.com/old-radio-shows/campbell-playhouse|archive-date=October 26, 2014|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}
The radio program ended on March 31, 1940.{{cite web|url=http://www.orsonwelles.org/2012/10/campbell-playhouse.html|title=Campbell Playhouse |website=Orson Welles |date=17 October 2012 |accessdate=October 25, 2014}}
Television series
= ''Campbell Playhouse'' =
The television version of Campbell Playhouse premiered on NBC on June 6, 1952, on Fridays from 9:30 to 10 p.m. Eastern Time as the summer replacement for The Aldrich Family.Filmed episodes included:{{cite book|last1=Brooks|first1=Tim|last2=Marsh|first2=Earle|title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present|date=1999|publisher=The Ballentine Publishing Group|location=New York|isbn=0-345-42923-0|page=155|edition=7th}}
- "The Cavorting Statue" - Cesar Romero, Ann Rutherford
- "Return to Vienna" - Cameron Mitchell, Ruth Warrick
- *This Little Pig Cried" - Frances Rafferty, Robert Rockwell
= ''Campbell Soundstage'' =
On July 10, 1953,{{Citation needed |date=November 2024}} the series (retitled Campbell Soundstage) returned as a permanent replacement series. (The Aldrich Family went off the air on May 28, 1953.{{Citation needed |date=November 2024}}) The series ended its run on May 28, 1954.{{Citation needed |date=November 2024}} It was broadcast live from New York and featured stories with surprise endings.
The April 23, 1954, episode was "The Almighty Dollar" with Mildred Dunnock, Henry Hull, Mildred Natwick, and Parker Fennelly.{{cite news |title=TV Key |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/53779762/?match=1&terms=%22Allyn%20Edwards%22%20Brooklyn |access-date=December 7, 2024 |work=Brooklyn Eagle |date=April 23, 1954 |page=19|via = Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription }}
Other actors who starred in episodes included:
= ''Campbell Summer Soundstage'' =
On June 4, 1954, the name of the series was changed to Campbell Summer Soundstage, with filmed episodes, some of which were reruns of episodes of Ford Theatre.
It was a short-lived revival of the television series. The series aired reruns of anthology series such as ABC's Gruen Playhouse, (later known as Gruen Guild Theatre), and DuMont's Dramatic Shorts.{{Citation needed |date=November 2024}}
Production notes
The series was originally filmed live until its second season when it was released on film.
=Directors=
- Garry Simpson
- Alex Segal
- Don Appell
- Marc Daniels
- Richard Irving
- Don Medford
=Producers=
- Martin Horrell (also served as executive producer)
- Marc Daniels (also served as associate producer)
Broadcast history
The Campbell Playhouse aired on Fridays at 9:30–10:00 pm for its entire run. Campbell Summer Soundstage aired at that time as well.{{Citation needed |date=April 2022}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|tt0044245}}
{{Campbell Soup Company}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell Playhouse}}
Category:1950s American anthology television series
Category:1952 American television series debuts
Category:1954 American television series endings
Category:American live television series
Category:Black-and-white American television shows