Colgate Theatre (1949 TV series)

Colgate Theatre
GenreLive dramatic anthology series
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
Production
Running time30 minutes
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseJanuary 3, 1949 (1949-01-03) –
June 25, 1950 (1950-06-25)

Colgate Theatre is a 30-minute dramatic television anthology series telecast on NBC from January 3, 1949, to June 25, 1950.[1]

The series is unrelated to NBC's 1958 series of the same name.[2]

Production and content

Colgate Theatre was a live television anthology series. Its episodes included a variety of comedies, dramas, and mysteries.[2] Some were based on short stories, plays, or radio shows — the first season included the first television adaptations of the radio shows Mr. and Mrs. North and Vic and Sade[2] — while others used scripts specifically written for television.[2] Although top names usually did not appear on Colgate Theatre,[2] casts included a wide variety of actors and actresses.[2] Each episode began with a "Broadway Theater" theme playing while cameras showed the audience members take their seats in the theater, look through the program for the episode's title, and then focus their attention on the stage as the curtain rose.[2]

Broadcast history

Colgate Theatre premiered on January 3, 1949,[2] and was telecast from 9:00 to 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday nights from then through September 1949. On October 2, 1949 it moved to Sunday nights, airing from 8:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time from October 1949 to June 1950.[2] It last episode was broadcast on June 25, 1950. It was replaced by Vic and Sade beginning on July 11, 1949.[3]

Critical reception

A review in the trade publication Variety described the presentation of "The Haunting Years" on January 10, 1949, as being "completely devoid of quality".[4] It said that the episode "was supposed to be a gag of cosmic proportions but it turned out to be only a kindergarten romp," adding that all involved in the production were "victimized by the script."[4]

Notable stars

Episodes

Season 1 (1949)

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"Fancy Meeting You Here"UnknownUnknownJanuary 3, 1949 (1949-01-03)
2"The Haunting Year"UnknownUnknownJanuary 10, 1949 (1949-01-10)
?"Mr. and Mrs. North"UnknownUnknownJuly 4, 1949 (1949-07-04)
?"Vic and Sade (Part 1)"UnknownUnknownJuly 11, 1949 (1949-07-11)
?"Vic and Sade (Part 2)"UnknownUnknownJuly 18, 1949 (1949-07-18)
?"Vic and Sade (Part 3)"UnknownUnknownJuly 25, 1949 (1949-07-25)
?"The Key in the Lock"UnknownUnknownAugust 15, 1949 (1949-08-15)
Starring Rory Mallinson, Nancy Coleman, Jesse White, John Marley, and Julius Bing.
?"What Price Story"UnknownUnknownAugust 22, 1949 (1949-08-22)
Starring William Post, Jr., Mary K. Wells, Reed Brown, Jr., Tony Rivers, and Dort Clark.[5]
?"Old Flame"UnknownUnknownAugust 29, 1949 (1949-08-29)
Starring Donald Buka, Sally Moffat, and John Boruff.[6]
?"My Wife Is a Liar"UnknownUnknownSeptember 5, 1949 (1949-09-05)
Starring Erin O'Brien-Moore, William Post, Jr., Hunter Gardner, Frank Thomas, Jr., John Marley, David Orrick, and John Shay.[7]
?"The Loan"UnknownUnknownSeptember 19, 1949 (1949-09-19)
Starring Tom Ewell, Harry Bannister, Billy Lynn, Fay Sappington, and Norma Jean Marlowe.[8]

Season 2 (1949–1950)

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"The Queen Bee"UnknownUnknownOctober 2, 1949 (1949-10-02)
Starring Claire Luce.
2"Something's Got to Give"UnknownUnknownOctober 9, 1949 (1949-10-09)
Starring John Beal and Haila Stoddard.
3"Retaliation"UnknownUnknownOctober 16, 1949 (1949-10-16)
4"Young Stacey"UnknownUnknownOctober 23, 1949 (1949-10-23)
Starring Jane Marlowe.
5"The Old Lady Shows Her Medals"Melville BurkeJ. M. BarrieOctober 30, 1949 (1949-10-30)
Starring Florence Reed.
6"Remember the Day"UnknownUnknownNovember 6, 1949 (1949-11-06)
Starring Donald Rose.
7"O'Brien"UnknownUnknownNovember 13, 1949 (1949-11-13)
Starring Phil Arthur and Jean Pugsley.
8"News Item"UnknownUnknownNovember 20, 1949 (1949-11-20)
Starring James Engler and Mary Alice Moore.
9"Daughters Are Different"UnknownUnknownNovember 27, 1949 (1949-11-27)
Starring Marta Linden, Dean Harens, Wendy Drew, and Mary K. Welles.
10"Company for Dinner"UnknownUnknownDecember 4, 1949 (1949-12-04)
Starring Dorrit Kelton, John Baragrey, Mary K. Welles, and Harry Bannister.
11"A Trip to Czardis"UnknownUnknownDecember 11, 1949 (1949-12-11)
Starring Butch Cavell and Norma Jane Marlowe.
12"The Pearls"UnknownUnknownDecember 18, 1949 (1949-12-18)
Starring Renold Evans and Donald Buka.[9]
13"Blessed Are They"UnknownUnknownDecember 25, 1949 (1949-12-25)
Starring Ian Keith and Norma Jane Marlowe.[10]
14"I'll Marry You Later"UnknownUnknownJanuary 1, 1950 (1950-01-01)
Starring Walter Klavan and Robert Gonay.
15"Second Generation"UnknownUnknownJanuary 8, 1950 (1950-01-08)
Starring Carroll Ashburn and Neva Patterson.
16"Bert's Wedding"UnknownUnknownJanuary 15, 1950 (1950-01-15)
Starring Parker Fennelly, Wendy Drew, and Frank Thomas, Jr.
17"Two for a Penny"UnknownUnknownJanuary 22, 1950 (1950-01-22)
18"Abby, Her Farm"UnknownUnknownJanuary 29, 1950 (1950-01-29)
Starring Jimsey Somers, Joan Castle, John Newland, and Jack Diamond.
19"The Trap"UnknownUnknownFebruary 5, 1950 (1950-02-05)
Starring Oliver Thorndyke and Mary K. Welles.
20"The Brave and the Early Fallen"UnknownUnknownFebruary 12, 1950 (1950-02-12)
Starring Royal Dano.
21"The Karpoldi Letter"UnknownUnknownFebruary 19, 1950 (1950-02-19)
Starring William Neil.
22"The Long, Young Dreams"UnknownUnknownFebruary 26, 1950 (1950-02-26)
Starring Faye Emerson and Barry Nelson.
23"Neither a Borrower"UnknownUnknownMarch 5, 1950 (1950-03-05)
24"Always a Knife in the Back"UnknownUnknownMarch 12, 1950 (1950-03-12)
Starring Vicki Cummings.
25"Blackmail"UnknownUnknownMarch 19, 1950 (1950-03-19)
Starring William Post, Jr., Virginia Gilmore, and Cynthia Carlin.
26"The Green Bush"UnknownUnknownMarch 26, 1950 (1950-03-26)
Starring Robert Feyti, Eleanor Lynn, and Jonathan Marlowe.
27"Burden of Guilt"UnknownUnknownApril 2, 1950 (1950-04-02)
Starring Clay Clement.
28"Motive for Murder"UnknownUnknownApril 9, 1950 (1950-04-09)
Starring John Baragrey and Pam Duncan.
29"Double Entry"UnknownUnknownApril 16, 1950 (1950-04-16)
Starring Florence Reed and Robert Feyti.
30"The Witness to the Crime"UnknownUnknownApril 23, 1950 (1950-04-23)
Starring Joe Glendenning, June Dayton, and Frank M. Thomas.
31"The Lawbeaters"UnknownUnknownApril 30, 1950 (1950-04-30)
Starring Lee Tracy.
32"The Suitable Present"UnknownUnknownMay 7, 1950 (1950-05-07)
Starring Kathleen Comegys.
33"Revenge by Proxy"UnknownUnknownMay 14, 1950 (1950-05-14)
Starring Nancy Coleman, Phil Arthur, Bernard Kates, and Victor Sutherland.
34"Change of Murder"UnknownUnknownMay 21, 1950 (1950-05-21)
Starring Bernard Nedell, Charles Jordan, and Alfred Hopson.
35"South Wind"UnknownUnknownMay 28, 1950 (1950-05-28)
Starring William Post, Jr. and Peggy French.
36"I Got What It Takes"UnknownUnknownJune 4, 1950 (1950-06-04)
Starring William Post, Jr. and Peggy French.
37"The Hotel of the Three Kings"UnknownUnknownJune 11, 1950 (1950-06-11)
Starring Elwyn Harvey, Sara Anderson, and William Beach.
38"Hands of the Enemy"UnknownUnknownJune 18, 1950 (1950-06-18)
Starring Alfreda Wallace, Kem Dibbs, and Richard McMurray.
39"Satan's Waitin'"UnknownUnknownJune 25, 1950 (1950-06-25)

See also

References

Citations

  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. 171. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Brooks & Marsh 1999, p. 198.
  3. ^ "Radio-Video: 'Vic and Sade' Will Make Debut on Television on July 11 Over NBC". The New York Times. June 14, 1949. p. 54. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Colgate Theatre". Variety. January 10, 1949. p. 30. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  5. ^ "Sunday, December 18". Ross Reports on Television including The Television Index. August 20, 1949. p. 3. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  6. ^ "Sunday, December 18". Ross Reports on Television including The Television Index. August 27, 1949. p. 4. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  7. ^ "Sunday, December 18". Ross Reports on Television including The Television Index. September 5, 1949. p. 4. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  8. ^ "Ross Reports on Television Programming for the Week of Sept. 18 to Sept. 24, 1949". Ross Reports on Television including The Television Index. September 22, 1949. p. 4. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  9. ^ "Sunday, December 18". Ross Reports on Television including The Television Index. December 18, 1949. p. 4. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  10. ^ "Sunday, December 25". Ross Reports. December 25, 1949. p. 4. Retrieved September 8, 2023.

Bibliography

  • 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. ISBN 0-345-42923-0.