The Best of Broadway (original) (raw)

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"The Royal Family (film)" redirects here. For the 1969 British television documentary, see Royal Family (film).

1954 American TV series or program

The Best of Broadway is a 60-minute live television anthology series that aired on CBS Television on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time from September 15, 1954, to May 4, 1955, for a total of nine episodes. Each show was broadcast live in color from New York City, was an adaptation of a famous Broadway play, and included commercials for Westinghouse featuring Betty Furness.[2] Using a "giant new studio,"[3] plays were presented in front of a studio audience, which contributed a Broadway-like element.[1]

This series ran every fourth week, with Pabst Blue Ribbon Bouts being aired the other three weeks.[3]

The series originated from CBS Television Studio 72 at WCBS-TV. Martin Manulis was the initial producer, and Paul Nickell was the director. David Brookman was in charge of the music.[2] In February 1955, Felix Jackson became the producer when Manulis began producing Climax!.[4]

| | Play | Author(s) | Broadcast Date | Stars | | | ------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | The Royal Family | George S. Kaufman, Edna Ferber | September 15, 1954 | Charles Coburn, Claudette Colbert, Helen Hayes, Fredric March, Nancy Olson[5] | | 2 | The Man Who Came to Dinner | George S. Kaufman, Moss Hart | October 13, 1954 | Joan Bennett, Margaret Hamilton, Buster Keaton, Bert Lahr, Merle Oberon, ZaSu Pitts, Monty Woolley | | 3 | Panama Hattie | Cole Porter, Herbert Fields, B. G. DeSylva | November 10, 1954 | Art Carney, Ethel Merman | | 4 | The Philadelphia Story | Philip Barry | December 8, 1954 | Mary Astor, Herbert Marshall, Dorothy McGuire | | 5 | Arsenic and Old Lace | Joseph Kesselring | January 5, 1955 | Billie Burke, Helen Hayes, Edward Everett Horton, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre | | 6 | The Show-Off | George Kelly | February 2, 1955 | Carleton Carpenter, Jackie Gleason, Thelma Ritter, Cathy O'Donnell, Alice Ghostley, Russell Collins[6] | | 7 | The Guardsman | Ferenc Molnár | March 2, 1955 | Claudette Colbert, Margaret Hamilton, Franchot Tone | | 8 | Stage Door | George S. Kaufman, Edna Ferber (adapted by Gore Vidal) | April 6, 1955 | Rhonda Fleming, Elsa Lanchester, Diana Lynn, Victor Moore[7] | | 9 | Broadway | George Abbott, Philip Dunning | May 4, 1955 | Joseph Cotten, Piper Laurie, Gene Nelson, Akim Tamiroff, Keenan Wynn |

A review of "The Show-Off" in the trade publication Variety said that the episode was "pretty feeble stuff" but that Gleason's performance kept it from being "a trying experience, indeed."[6]

• 1954-55 United States network television schedule

1. ^ a b Hawes, William (2001). Filmed Television Drama, 1952–1958. McFarland. pp. 22–23. ISBN 9780786411320. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
2. ^ a b "Wednesday (15)" (PDF). Ross Reports on Television. September 12, 1954. p. 152. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
3. ^ a b Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (7th ed.). New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group. p. 89. ISBN 0-345-42923-0.
4. ^ "Other Network Changes & Additions" (PDF). Ross Reports on Television. February 6, 1955. p. 17. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
5. ^ "Television in Review: Color Drama," The New York Times 17 Sept. 1954.
6. ^ a b "The Show Off". Variety. February 9, 1955. p. 37. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
7. ^ Shanley, J. P. "Television: 'Stage Door,'" The New York Times 8 Apr. 1955.

• The Best of Broadway at IMDb
• The Best of Broadway list of episodes and cast lists at CTVA