"Four Star Playhouse" (1952) TV series 1952-1956

Director:

Tay Garnett

Writer:

Frank L. Moss (adaptation) (story "Listener, The")

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | unknown

Release Date:

25 September 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

This show featured four rotating stars, Charles Boyer, David Niven, Ida Lupino and Dick Powell in individual episodes consisting of everything from comedy to drama.

Plot Keywords:

Anthology | Number In Title

Awards:

Nominated for 14 Primetime Emmys. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

David Niven	...	Andy / ... (33 episodes, 1952-1956)
Dick Powell	...	Willie Dante / ... (32 episodes, 1952-1956)
Charles Boyer	...	Paul / ... (30 episodes, 1952-1956)
Ida Lupino	...	Ellen / ... (19 episodes, 1952-1956)
Herb Vigran	...	Monte / ... (15 episodes, 1952-1956)

Series Directed by
Roy Kellino		(42 episodes, 1953-1956)
Robert Florey		(32 episodes, 1952-1956)
Richard Kinon		(8 episodes, 1955-1956)
Robert Aldrich		(5 episodes, 1953-1954)
Blake Edwards		(4 episodes, 1953-1954)
Frank McDonald		(3 episodes, 1954)
William A. Seiter		(3 episodes, 1955-1956)
Laslo Benedek		(3 episodes, 1956)
William Asher		(2 episodes, 1954)
Tay Garnett		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Gwen Bagni		(16 episodes, 1952-1954)
John Bagni		(14 episodes, 1952-1954)
Richard Carr		(13 episodes, 1954-1956)
Frederick Brady		(12 episodes, 1954-1956)
Blake Edwards		(7 episodes, 1952-1954)
Seeleg Lester		(5 episodes, 1953-1954)
Merwin Gerard		(4 episodes, 1953)
Frederick J. Lipp		(4 episodes, 1954-1955)
Larry Marcus		(3 episodes, 1952-1954)
Milton Merlin		(3 episodes, 1952-1953)
Marc Brandell		(3 episodes, 1954-1956)
László Görög		(3 episodes, 1955-1956)
James Bloodworth		(3 episodes, 1956)
Amory Hare		(2 episodes, 1953)
Octavus Roy Cohen		(2 episodes, 1954-1955)
Milton Geiger		(2 episodes, 1954-1955)
Thelma Robinson		(2 episodes, 1954)
Oscar Millard		(2 episodes, 1955-1956)
Willard Wiener		(2 episodes, 1955)
Robert Eggenweiler		(2 episodes, 1956)
Ida Lupino		(2 episodes, 1956)
Roland Winters		(2 episodes, 1956)
Frank L. Moss		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Don Sharpe	....	executive producer (74 episodes, 1952-1956)
Warren Lewis	....	associate producer / producer (23 episodes, 1952-1956)
Dick Powell	....	producer (19 episodes, 1952-1956)
Charles Boyer	....	producer (16 episodes, 1952-1956)
David Niven	....	producer (13 episodes, 1954-1956)
George Haight	....	producer (10 episodes, 1954)
Roy Kellino	....	producer (4 episodes, 1954-1955)

Series Original Music by
Leon Klatzkin		(1 episode, 1956)
Ernest Hughes		(unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
George E. Diskant		(71 episodes, 1952-1956)
Nicholas Musuraca		(2 episodes, 1956)
Joseph F. Biroc		(unknown episodes)

Series Film Editing by
Samuel E. Beetley		(56 episodes, 1952-1956)
Roland Gross		(6 episodes, 1954-1956)
Frank Doyle		(3 episodes, 1952-1953)
Lester Orlebeck		(3 episodes, 1956)
Coles Trapnell		(unknown episodes)

Series Casting by
Joe Scully		(unknown episodes, 1955-1956)

Series Production Design by
William Cameron Menzies		(1 episode, 1954)

Series Art Direction by
Duncan Cramer		(62 episodes, 1953-1956)
Ralph Berger		(10 episodes, 1952-1953)

Series Set Decoration by
Budd Friend		(13 episodes, 1955-1956)
Glen Daniels		(6 episodes, 1955)

Series Makeup Department
Karl Herlinger	....	makeup artist (38 episodes, 1953-1956)
Kiva Hoffman	....	makeup artist (13 episodes, 1954-1956)

Series Production Management
Lloyd Richards	....	production supervisor (46 episodes, 1953-1956)
Ruby Rosenberg	....	production supervisor / production manager (8 episodes, 1952-1953)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bruce Fowler Jr.	....	assistant director (18 episodes, 1953-1955)
Jack Sonntag	....	assistant director (14 episodes, 1954-1956)
Frank Baur	....	assistant director (12 episodes, 1953-1956)
John Pommer	....	assistant director (5 episodes, 1952-1953)
Jack R. Berne	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1954-1955)
Nathan Barragar	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1952)
Mark Evans	....	assistant director (2 episodes, 1956)

Series Art Department
William Garrett	....	draperies (10 episodes, 1955-1956)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
A.Z. Arnold	....	furs (3 episodes, 1953-1956)

Series Editorial Department
Bernard W. Burton	....	editorial supervisor / supervising editor (55 episodes, 1953-1956)

Series Music Department
Leon Klatzkin	....	composer: opening music "The Cavalry Surgeon" (unknown episodes)

Series Other crew
Coles Trapnell	....	story editor (33 episodes, 1953-1956)
Lloyd Richards	....	production supervisor (4 episodes, 1954-1956)

Production Companies

• Four Star Productions
• Official Films

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1952) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Rhino Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Marathon Music & Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Alpha Video Distributors (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Critics' Choice Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Encore Home Video (????) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Star Performance" - USA (rerun title)

Runtime:

USA:30 min (129 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Four Star Productions

Trivia:

During the first season (September 1952 to June 1953), this program was broadcast on the CBS-TV network on Thursday evenings between 8:30 and 9:00 PM alternating with "The Amos 'n Andy Show" (1951).

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Death in Hollywood (1990) (V)

The Lonely Ida Lupino

Although Ida Lupino was not that interesting to look at, her themes of loneliness and singleness made a valuable contribution to later projects such as 'The Twilight Zone' and 'Thriller'. I can't say that I enjoyed this particular project, or any of her projects leading up to 1959. She was probably a better writer than actress.