This Is Your Life (1952–1961)

Each week, an unsuspecting celebrity would be lured by some ruse to a location near the studio. He would then be surprised with the news that he was to be the featured guest. Next he was ... See full summary »

Stars:

Ralph Edwards, Jack Benny, Axel Gruenberg

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Ralph Edwards	...	Himself - Host (41 episodes, 1952-1961)

Storyline

Each week, an unsuspecting celebrity would be lured by some ruse to a location near the studio. He would then be surprised with the news that he was to be the featured guest. Next he was escorted into the studio, and one by one people significant in the guest's life would be brought out to offer anecdotes. At the end of the show family members and friends would gather about the guest who would then be presented with some gifts. These usually included jewelry, a scrapbook of memories, and a home 16 mm projector and camera.

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Plot Keywords:

non fiction

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Genres:

Biography | Family | Reality-TV

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 October 1952 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ralph Edwards Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Trivia

Actress Ann Sheridan's biography was canceled because she found out in advance what was being planned.

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Connections

Referenced in Glee: The Rhodes Not Taken (2009)

User Reviews

Possibly rare silent segment shown in Heston episode

I saw a rerun of the Charlton Heston episode sometime in the late 1970s or early 1980s, probably on one of the NY stations. In it, they showed a short clip from Heston's first film, which appeared to be a silent film (it had titles). Heston appeared to be playing an Indian, and an Indian maiden asked "would you like to adjust my garter." Switching back to the show, they showed a very embarrassed looking Heston.

IMDb shows no such film in Heston's filmography. I've always wondered if this was some stag film that he appeared in early in his career. Or perhaps it was a gag perpetrated by the folks at This is Your Life.

Do copies of this episode still exist? The host was definitely Ralph Edwards, and had to have been the 1957 episode for Heston, not one from later versions of the show.