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IMDbPro

Shower of Stars

  • TV Series
  • 1954–1958
  • 1h
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
74
YOUR RATING
Shower of Stars (1954)
AdventureDramaFamily

A CBS variety show that ran monthly from 1954-1958, broadcast in color. Stars appearing included Betty Grable, Mario Lanza, Jack Benny, Basil Rathbone, Fredric March, Shirley MacLaine, and E... Read allA CBS variety show that ran monthly from 1954-1958, broadcast in color. Stars appearing included Betty Grable, Mario Lanza, Jack Benny, Basil Rathbone, Fredric March, Shirley MacLaine, and Ed Wynn. Lanza and Grable appeared in an amusing episode with Fred Clark, featuring Grable ... Read allA CBS variety show that ran monthly from 1954-1958, broadcast in color. Stars appearing included Betty Grable, Mario Lanza, Jack Benny, Basil Rathbone, Fredric March, Shirley MacLaine, and Ed Wynn. Lanza and Grable appeared in an amusing episode with Fred Clark, featuring Grable as the unlikely replacement for Lanza in a show.

  • Stars
    • William Lundigan
    • Jack Benny
    • Art Gilmore
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    74
    YOUR RATING
    • Stars
      • William Lundigan
      • Jack Benny
      • Art Gilmore
    • 6User reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Primetime Emmy
      • 1 win & 7 nominations total

    Episodes32

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    Photos20

    Red Skelton backstage on the "Shower of Stars" set, June 9, 1955.
    Shower of Stars (1954)
    Bonnie Franklin in Shower of Stars (1954)
    Jack Benny and The Krofft Puppets in Shower of Stars (1954)
    Jacques d'Amboise and The Krofft Puppets in Shower of Stars (1954)
    Frankie Lymon in Shower of Stars (1954)
    Frankie Lymon in Shower of Stars (1954)
    Fredric March and Ray Middleton in Shower of Stars (1954)
    Bonnie Franklin, Fredric March, and Bob Sweeney in Shower of Stars (1954)
    Fredric March in Shower of Stars (1954)
    Fredric March and Ray Middleton in Shower of Stars (1954)
    Sally Fraser and Craig Hill in Shower of Stars (1954)

    Top cast

    Edit
    William Lundigan
    William Lundigan
    • Self - Host…
    Jack Benny
    Jack Benny
    • Self…
    Art Gilmore
    Art Gilmore
    • Announcer…
    Mary Costa
    Mary Costa
    • Self…
    Red Skelton
    Red Skelton
    • Self…
    Fredric March
    Fredric March
    • Ebenezer Scrooge…
    Gary Crosby
    Gary Crosby
    • Eddie Davis…
    Bob Crosby
    Bob Crosby
    • Self
    Betty Grable
    Betty Grable
    • Self…
    Ed Wynn
    Ed Wynn
    • Self
    Harry James
    Harry James
    • Self
    Frankie Laine
    Frankie Laine
    • Self - Singer…
    Ethel Merman
    Ethel Merman
    • Self…
    George Burns
    George Burns
    • Self
    Basil Rathbone
    Basil Rathbone
    • Marley's Ghost
    Bob Sweeney
    Bob Sweeney
    • Bob Cratchit…
    Mel Blanc
    Mel Blanc
    • Self
    Van Johnson
    Van Johnson
    • Self
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    User reviews6

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    "A Christmas Carol" episode
    If you're really lucky, you might be able to find this episode of "Shower of Stars" in video stores. It is the most hysterically awful adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic ever. Despite appearances by Fredric March as a hook-nosed, Jewish-stereotype Scrooge, and the great Basil Rathbone as Marley, this production does not even do a good job of getting the story right. It kind of assumes we've all heard the story before, so instead it fills up the minutes with some of the most truly terrible songs ever composed ("What Shall I Give My Love for Christmas?" "Old Kris Kringle," "God Bless Us Everyone," just to name a few). "A Very Merry Christmas" has some of the most ingenious lyrics ever composed for the light opera: "A very, a merry, a very merry Christmas. A very, a merry, a very merry Christmas." Then the bridge: "Days may come and days may go, but this is the day of mistletoe." There is also a fantastic exchange between meek Bob Cratchit and the ultra-ebullient nephew Fred--Fred: "BOB!! How is that small child of yours?" Bob (timidly): "Very poor, I'm afraid. We don't know if he'll make it through the New Year." Fred: "Well, send him my best! And a MERRY Christmas to you, Bob! And may your days be happy, all year 'round!!" The show is only an hour long, and you get the feeling that the writers and actors made up the script as they went along. By the time they get to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, they realized they had only five minutes left, so they dropped the scene altogether and proceeded straight to Scrooge's redemption. This scene consists of Scrooge showing up at Bob's house and kind of freaking everybody out--he acts like the creepy Skeksis from "The Dark Crystal," and spaces out while Tiny Tim sings a three-minute long reprise of "God Bless Us Everyone." It has to be seen to be believed--I really wish the folks at MST3K would get a hold of this and butcher it.
    helpful•5
    6
    • Tug-3
    • Oct 23, 1998

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • September 30, 1954 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • A Christmas Carol
    • Filming locations
      • Studio 43, CBS Television City - 7800 Beverly Boulevard, Fairfax, Los Angeles, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production companies
      • CBS Television Network
      • Desilu Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour
    • Color
      • Color(original telecasts)
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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