TV ShowEndedDramaComedy

Four Star Playhouse

Rating6.7/10

First Air1952

Seasons4

Episodes129

Votes10

Four Star Playhouse is an American television anthology series that ran from 1952 to 1956, sponsored in its first bi-weekly season by The Singer Company; Bristol-Myers became an alternate sponsor when it became a weekly series in the fall of 1953. The original premise was that Charles Boyer, Ida Lupino, David Niven, and Dick Powell would take turns starring in episodes. However, several other performers took the lead from time to time, including Ronald Colman and Joan Fontaine. Blake Edwards was among the writers and directors who contributed to the series. Edwards created the recurring character of illegal gambling house operator Willie Dante for Dick Powell to play on this series. The character was later revamped and spun off in his own series starring Howard Duff, then-husband of Lupino. The pilot for Meet McGraw, starring Frank Lovejoy, aired here, as did another episode in which Lovejoy recreated his role of Chicago newspaper reporter Randy Stone, from the radio drama Nightbeat.

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First Aired

September 25, 1952

Last Aired

July 26, 1956

Original Language

Popularity

Type

Scripted

Seasons & Episodes

Episodes

Cast

David Niven

Ted Parker, Andy Fields, Jim Kenyon, Doctor, Deacon, George, Maxwell, Larkin, Lee, Frank, Hal Winters, Royal Thurston, Phil Weston, Wyeth, Henry, Uncle Fred, Adams, Ted, William Langford, Doctor Gentry, David, Steve Carlyle / Roger Carlyle, Mitch, Richard Lilliam, Philip, Robert Louis Stevenson, Cookie, John, Charles, Tony Stewart, Bingham, Andy

Dick Powell

Willie Dante, Dan, Graham, Dave Robinson, Priest, Eddie, Capt. Avery, Dave, Grover Doane, Fred, Chris, Steve, Fleet Mason, Philip Benton, Jeff, Mike Donegan, Eddie White, Dan Matson, Burt Stroude, Dan Hodges, US Marshal Philip Dana, Andrew, Paul, Will Sonnett

Charles Boyer

Paul, Andre, Sampan Joe, Dr. Dumont, Alan, Carl Baxter, Dr. Severson, Renneck, The Man, Frank Hepp, Roger, Alan Abbey, Henri, George, Robert, John, Jacques, Grisby, Eric, Martin, Carl, Captain, Major Tinnente, Mr. Graham, Dr. Giboux, Claude Le Beau, Montaigne