General Electric Theater 

An American anthology series, with a new episode and different actors and actresses each week. Hosted by Ronald Reagan, the series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.

Creator:

Joe Connelly

Stars:

Ronald Reagan, Lee Marvin, Edgar Buchanan

Nominated for 11 Primetime Emmys. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Ronald Reagan	...	Himself - Host / ... 235 episodes, 1953-1962

Storyline

An American anthology series, with a new episode and different actors and actresses each week. Hosted by Ronald Reagan, the series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.

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Plot Keywords:

company sponsor name in title | anthology | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

TV-G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 February 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

G.E. Theater

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch - 1 Iverson Lane, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

MCA Television, Revue Studios, Theodora Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min (200 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Glen Glenn Sound) Mono (Western Electric Recording) Mono (Westrex Recording System) Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The show's sponsor, General Electric, owned the rights to the series from 2004 to 2011 as majority owner of NBC Universal Television, the successor to Revue Studios that was formed following the NBC/Universal merger from the combination of NBC Studios with Universal Television. NBCUniversal has been controlled by Comcast since 2011, and fully owned by them since 2013.

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Jamie Lee Curtis/The Fixx (1984)

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Soundtracks

Progress
(Closing theme)
by Elmer Bernstein

User Reviews

Anthololgy Series of the First Magnitude

THIS ONE FOUND its way deep in our memories and remains there as a conscious example of what was best about 1950s television. In its 200 + episodes, just about everyone who was anyone in Hollywood and on TV made at least one appearance. The stories varied greatly from week to week and from pure fiction to biographical material.

AS AN EXAMPLE, we submit two episodes that really stick out in our memory.

THE FIRST IS a biographical snippet of a most important happening in the life of famed circus star, clown Emmett Kelly. Portrayed in a very understated, yet intense style by none other than Henry Fonda, the half hour really outs up a great and memorable bit of high drama in its modest half-hour running time. Irony would seem to be the operative word here; as the highly dramatic teleplay was all about the tragedy in the life of a man whose life is all about laughter.

SECONDLY WE OFFER as states evidence a very different half an hour. THE INCREDIBLE JEWEL ROBBERY gave us a very unusual bit of the unusual from yet another facet of the series' varieties. Done as a virtual carbon copy of the silent comedy format, it has only one brief bit of dialogue spoken. Its story and action is propelled forward with the addition of some appropriate background, incidental and queues in the musical sound tack.

AS PERRHAPS THE most historically important episode, we are given what would prove to be the screen swansong for Groucho, Chico and Harpo Marx.

AND SPEAKING OF that which is historical, we now draw your attention to the overview of the series and its weekly Host. It was "Dutch" himself, our future President, Ronald Reagan.

HEY SCHULTZ, HOW about we close with a hearty,

"Where Progress is our Most Important Product!"