Four Star Playhouse

For the radio program of the same name, see Four Star Playhouse (radio program).
Four Star Playhouse
Title card
GenreAnthology
Created byFour Star International
Starring
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes129
Production
Running time25 minutes
Production companyFour Star International
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseSeptember 25, 1952 (1952-09-25) –
September 27, 1956 (1956-09-27)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)
L–R: Adam Williams & David Niven in episode Night Ride (1953)
L–R: Charles Boyer and Dorothy Hart in episode "Second Dawn" (1954)

Four Star Playhouse is an American anthology series that ran from September 25, 1952, through September 27, 1956.[1] Four Star Playhouse was owned by Four Star International. Its episodes ranged anywhere from surreal mysteries, such as "The Man on the Train", to light comedies, such as "The Lost Silk Hat". 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.

The show was 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 (both sponsors' names alternated as part of the show's title in its initial broadcasts).

While it never made the Nielsen Top 30, the ratings were sufficient to keep it on the air for four seasons. In 1954, Billboard voted it the second best filmed network television drama series.[2]

  1. ^ 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. 299. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  2. ^ "'Ford' Tops '4 Star' In Network Dramas". Billboard. July 31, 1954. p. 14. Retrieved July 21, 2024.