The Philco Television Playhouse
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The Philco Television Playhouse was a live anthology television series broadcast during the Golden Age of Television from 1948 to 1955. The series was produced by Fred Coe and was carried on NBC, Sundays from 9:00 to 10:00 P.M.
The title of the show was briefly changed to "Repertory Theatre" and "Arena Theatre" during part of the first season, but then reverted to "The Philco Television Playhouse"
The first season consisted of adaptations of famed Broadway plays and musicals. The first episode was Dinner at Eight by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber. The second season was mostly adaptations of popular novels from the Book of the Month Club. During later seasons, both original stories and adaptations were used.
Besides using existing plays, the series launched the television writing careers of Paddy Chayefsky, Horton Foote, Tad Mosel, Alan Arthur, Arnold Schulman, and Gore Vidal.
Its most famous episode was Chayefsky's Marty, which starred Rod Steiger and was later made into a movie that won an Academy Award for Ernest Borgnine.
Among the many performers on the series were Joanne Woodward, Steve McQueen, Rod Steiger, Eva Marie Saint, Grace Kelly, Kim Stanley, Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach and Walter Matthau.
Beginning in 1951, the series alternated between the "Philco Television Playhouse" and the "Goodyear Television Playhouse". In 1955, the "Philco Television Playhouse" was replaced with "The Alcoa Hour". The three series were essentially the same, with the only real difference being the name of the sponsor.
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