Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse | |
---|---|
Desilu Productions | |
Original release | |
Network | CBS |
Release | October 6, 1958 June 10, 1960 | –
Related | |
I Love Lucy The Twilight Zone The Untouchables |
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse is an American
History
Between 1951 and 1957,
The show debuted on Monday nights in the 10:00–11:00 pm [Eastern Standard Time] evening time slot on October 6, 1958, hosted by Desi Arnaz, with
In October 1959, the show moved to Friday nights from 9:00–10:00 pm [Eastern Standard Time]. The show lasted only one more year, due to an inability to attract big guest stars, the growing popularity then of westerns and police shows being shown on
Notable episodes
In the fall of 1958, "The Time Element". starring William Bendix, aired to positive reviews. Written by Rod Serling, the show's popularity gave Serling the leverage to convince CBS to give the go-ahead to Serling's concept for a science fiction/fantasy anthology series (which was what Serling had in mind when writing "The Time Element") that he called The Twilight Zone which debuted in the fall of 1959.[2]
In April 1959, Desilu Playhouse aired a two-part drama called "The Untouchables".
Production notes
Music
Music for the show was composed by
Notable crew members
Several notable people contributed to one or more episodes of the show, including (in alphabetical order):[citation needed]
Producers
Directors
Writers
Actors
- Desi Arnaz
- Lucille Ball
- Jane Russell
- Martin Balsam
- Parley Baer
- John Drew Barrymore
- Richard Benedict
- John Beradino
- Warren Berlinger
- Neville Brand
- Rory Calhoun
- Wally Cassell
- Pat Crowley
- Frank DeKova
- Buddy Ebsen
- Abel Fernandez
- Wallace Ford
- William Frawley
- Betty Furness
- Bruce Gordon
- Jean Hagen
- Donald Harron
- Earl Holliman
- Vivi Janiss
- Richard Keith
- Barton MacLane
- Joe Mantell
- Margo
- John McIntire
- Sid Melton
- Martin Milner
- Cameron Mitchell
- George Murphy
- Barbara Nichols
- Hugh O'Brian
- Roger Perry
- Paul Picerni
- Aldo Ray
- Joe De Santis
- Karen Sharpe
- Mickey Simpson
- Red Skelton
- Patricia Smith
- Robert Stack
- Harry Dean Stanton
- Barry Sullivan
- Carol Thurston
- Vivian Vance
- Bill Williams
- Walter Winchell
- James Westerfield
- Jack Weston
- Jesse White
- James Whitmore
- Ed Wynn
- Keenan Wynn
Aftermath
Westinghouse bought CBS in 1995, and renamed itself after its prime asset in 1997.[citation needed]
Further reading
- Anderson, Christopher. Hollywood TV: The Studio System in the Fifties. Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press, 1994. ISBN 0-292-70457-7
- Andrew, Bart. The "I Love Lucy" Book. New York: Doubleday, 1985. ISBN 0-385-19033-6
- Sanders, Coyness Steven, and Tom Gilbert. Desilu: The Story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. New York: William Morrow, 1993. ISBN 0-688-13514-5
References
- ^ a b c "Westinghouse-Desilu Playhouse". The Museum of Broadcast Communications. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
- ^ a b c d "Westinghouse-Desilu Playhouse". Television Heaven. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
- ^ Desilu, Sanders Gilbert 1998
- ^ "Desilu Playhouse (dramatic anthology, host Desi Arnaz)". Classic U.S. TV Series Theme Music. Retrieved 23 December 2008.
- ^ Document Number: H1000089528 Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2010. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2010
External links
- Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse at IMDb
- Desilu Playhouse "Silent Thunder" Complete 52min episode from 16mm film - aired Dec. 8, 1958
- Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse at CVTA with episode list