| Armstrong Circle Theatre | |
|---|---|
) Armstrong Circle Theatre - Sound of Violence 1959. | |
| Genre | Anthology drama |
| Presented by | Nelson Case (1950–1951) Joe Ripley (1952–1953) Bob Sherry (1953–1954) Sandy Becker (1954–1955) John Cameron Swayze (1955–1957) Douglas Edwards (1957–1961) Ron Cochran (1961–1962) Henry Hamilton (1962–1963) |
| Composers | Harold Levey Will Schaefer |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 14 |
| No. of episodes | 370 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | David Susskind (1954–1960) |
| Producers | Selig Alkon Jacqueline Babbin Robert Costello Hudson Faucett George Lowther Ralph Nelson Henry Salomon George Simpson David Susskind |
| Running time | 30 mins. (1950–1955) 60 mins. (1955–1963) |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC (1950–1957) CBS (1957–1963) |
| Picture format | Black-and-white |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | June 6, 1950 – June 5, 1963 |
Armstrong Circle Theatre is an American anthology drama television series which ran from 1950 to 1957 on NBC, and then until 1963 on CBS. It alternated weekly with The U.S. Steel Hour. It finished in the Nielsen ratings at #19 for the 1950-1951 season and #24 for 1951-1952.[1] The principal sponsor was Armstrong World Industries.
Between July 8 and September 16, 1959, CBS aired reruns of six documentary dramas originally broadcast during the 1958–1959 season as episodes of Armstrong Circle Theatre under the title Armstrong by Request.[2] Armstrong by Request aired during Armstrong Circle Theatre′s time slot and also alternated with The United States Steel Hour.[2]
Synopsis
The series featured original dramas by noted writers, although sometimes comedies were shown. Its guidelines specifically called for the avoidance of violence. Originally a half-hour production, in 1955 the show expanded to an hour and began to emphasize dramatized versions of real-life contemporary events (including the sinking of the SS Andrea Doria and a documentary on the history of Communism in the Soviet Union. Upon moving to CBS, the show emphasized several Cold War topics, including espionage, Radio Free Europe and escapes from East Germany.[3]
Rod Serling wrote two episodes of the program. George Lowther was the producer for 62 episodes and wrote one.
Hosts and narrators
- Nelson Case (1950-1951)
- Joe Ripley (1952-1953)
- Bob Sherry (1953-1954)
- Sandy Becker (1954-1955)
- John Cameron Swayze (1955-1957)
- Douglas Edwards (1957-1961)
- Ron Cochran (1961-1962)
- Henry Hamilton (1962-1963)
Guest stars
The series featured numerous guest stars including:
- Tige Andrews
- Edward Asner
- Ann Bancroft
- Ed Begley
- Barbara Britton
- James Broderick
- John Cassavetes
- Dabney Coleman
- Jackie Cooper
- James Dean
- Patty Duke
- Robert Duvall
- Peter Falk
- Geraldine Fitzgerald
- Nina Foch
- Wallace Ford
- Alan Furlan
- Jonathan Harris
- Hurd Hatfield
- Grace Kelly
- Jack Klugman
- Otto Kruger
- Cloris Leachman
- Jack Lemmon
- Julie London
- Audra Lindley
- Gene Lockhart
- Karl Malden
- Walter Matthau
- Roddy McDowell
- Darren McGavin
- Patrick McVey
- Elizabeth Montgomery
- Rosemary Murphy
- Paul Newman
- Lois Nettleton
- Leslie Nielsen
- Carroll O'Connor
- Anthony Perkins
- Lee Remick
- Jason Robards
- Cliff Robertson
- Gena Rowlands
- Telly Savalas
- George Segal
- Martin Sheen
- Kim Stanley
- Maureen Stapleton
- Harold J. Stone
- Suzanne Storrs
- Beatrice Straight
- Ron Thompson
- Jo Van Fleet
- Eli Wallach
- Gene Wilder
- Joanne Woodward
Directors
- Paul Bogart
- William Corrigan
- Marc Daniels
- Robert Ellis Miller
- Robert Mulligan
- Daniel Petrie
- Ted Post
- James Sheldon
- Garry Simpson
- Robert Stevens
References
- ^ "TV Ratings". Classictvhits.com.
- ^ a b Brooks, Tim, and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime-Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present (Sixth Edition), New York: Ballantine Books, 1995, ISBN 0-345-39736-3, p. 57.
- ^ Gibberman, Susan. "Armstrong Circle Theatre". Museum.tv. Retrieved 2009-04-10.