Magic Lantern Video & Book Store
History of Radio
& Television Pages
• Page One •
"When television is bad, nothing is worse. You will observe a vast wasteland."
— Newton N. Minow (9 May 1961)
"There is a great and perhaps decisive battle to be fought against ignorance, intolerance and indifference. This weapon of television
could be useful. Stonewall Jackson, who knew something about the use of weapons, is reported to have said, 'When war comes, you must
draw the sword and throw away the scabbard.' The trouble with television is that it is rusting in the scabbard during a battle for survival.”
— journalist Edward R. Murrow [1908-65]
"Life doesn't imitate art, it imitates bad television."
— Woody Allen
"(Television) won't be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired
of staring at a plywood box every night." — Darryl F. Zanuck, in 1946
Magic Lantern's Television & Radio Networks Page
Magic Lantern's History of Cinema Page
History of Cinema Timeline Page
Books About Hollywood & Cinema History
Old Time Radio Page at Spirit of America Bookstore
Radio & Television Pioneers & Stars
 | "Pioneers of Primetime" [P.B.S. Nov 1995] 1-hour b&w/color documentary; extras on DVD include extended interviews with Steve Allen, Milton Berle, Buddy Ebsen, Donald O'Connor, Rose Marie & Red Skelton Produced & directed by Steve Boettcher; written by John Hoylman & Jack Jones P.B.S. Paramount widescreen b&w/color DVD [11/2005] for $16.99 full credits at IMDb • official P.B.S. program site |
 | "The Golden Age of TV Comedy" DVD Box Set [2006] featuring 25 half-hour shows, some with commercials included: "The Beaulah Show" (2 episodes); "The Burns & Allen Show" (3 episodes); "The Jack Benny Show" (3 episodes); "Duffy's Tavern" (2 episodes); "Jackson & Jill" (3 episodes); "Life With Elizabeth" with Betty White (4 episodes); "Love That Bob" (1 episode); "The People's Choice" (1 episode); "Topper" (1 episode); and "Trouble With Father" with Stu Erwin (5 episodes) Passport b&w DVD [4/2006] 5 disks - out of prodn/used |
 | "Pioneers of Television" [P.B.S. Jan 2008] 4-episode mini-series: Late Night, Sitcoms, Game Shows, Variety Directed by Steve Boettcher; written by Mike Trinklein P.B.S. Paramount widescreen b&w/color DVD [1/2008] for $22.49 full credits at IMDb • official P.B.S. program site |
 | "TV's Greatest Comedians: A Tribute To The Pioneers of Television Comedy" [2008] 90-minute program featuring 14 of America's most-loved comedians & comedy teams from the golden age of television comedy: Allen & Rossi, Steve Allen, Lucille Ball, Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Burns & Allen, Sid Caesar, Jackie Gleason, Bob Hope, Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis, Groucho Marx, Red Skelton, Danny Thomas, and Ed Wynn Directed by Tom Edinger; hosted by Gene Rayburn • not listed on IMDb Marshall Publg & Promotions color DVD [1/2008] for $12.95 |
"The Golden Age of Comedy" video series from TimeLife
 | "The Golden Age of Comedy: Hail! Ceasar and Uncle Miltie" [undated] 85-minute compilation featuring Steve Allen, Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Ezzard Charles, Howard Morris, and Carl Reiner • not listed on IMDb TimeLife b&w DVD [undated] out of prodn/used |
 | "The Golden Age of Comedy: Here's Johnny" [undated] ??-minute combination of "The Timex All-Star Comedy Show" with Mel Brooks, Johnny Carson, Buddy Hackett & Carl Reiner; and "The Wonderful World of Burlesque" TV special with Lucille Ball, Jerry Lewis & Danny Thomas TimeLife b&w DVD [undated] out of prodn/used |
 | "The Golden Age of Comedy: A Really Big Show" [undated] 75-minute combination of "The Colgate Comedy Hour with Abbott & Costello" with Vera Zorina; and "The Colgate Comedy Hour with Martin & Lewis" spoofing Ed Sullivan, with Jimmy Durante, Tony Curtis & Janet Leigh TimeLife b&w DVD [undated] out of prodn/used |
 | "The Golden Age of Comedy" [2005] 160-minute compilation featuring Abbott & Costello's "Who's On First" routine, Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Harpo Marx, and Red Skelton TimeLife b&w DVD [undated] out of prodn/used |
 | "The Golden Age of Comedy" 4-disk DVD Set [2005] includes the Carson-Thomas, Caesar-Berle, Abbott & Costello-Lucy & Desi, and 'Really Big Show' disks {as above}, plus extras featuring Jackie Gleason, The 2000-Year-Old Man, and 'Legends of Stand-Up' TimeLife b&w DVD set [9/2005] 4 disks for $19.99 |
 | "The Golden Age of Comedy: The Secret Word Is Jack" [undated] 80-minute combination of three "Jack Benny Show" episodes featuring Jack and his usual crew, plus guest stars Humphrey Bogart, Bob Hope & Groucho Marx TimeLife b&w DVD [undated] out of prodn/used TimeLife b&w VHS [undated] for $25.99 |
 | "The Golden Age of Comedy: Clubhouse Comedy" [undated] 80-minute combination of "The Phil Silvers Special" with Polly Bergen; "The Ernie Kovacs Show" with Edie Adams; and a bonus segment featuring Soupy Sales TimeLife b&w DVD [undated] out of prodn/used |
 | "The Golden Age of Comedy: Bob Loves Lucy" [undated] 75-minute combination of "The Ed Wynn Show" [Dec 1949] with Buster Keaton; and "The Bob Hope Chevy Show" [Oct 1956] with Lucy & Desi TimeLife b&w DVD [undated] out of prodn/used |
 | "The Golden Age of Comedy: Who's On First" [undated] 80-minute combination of "The Colgate Hour with Abbott & Costello" [Jan 1951] with Lon Chaney Jr.; and "The Colgate Hour with Martin & Lewis" [Jan 1952] with Sheldon Leonard TimeLife b&w DVD [undated] out of prodn/used |
 | "The Golden Age of Comedy: Slowly I Turn . . ." [undated] 90-minute combination of "The Jack Benny Show" with Fred Allen; "The Camel Comedy Caravan" with Ed Wynn and The Three Stooges; and "The Colgate Comedy Hour with Abbott & Costello" with Errol Flynn TimeLife b&w DVD [undated] out of prodn/used |
 | "The Golden Age of Comedy: Say Goodnight, Gracie" [undated] 75-minute combination of three "Burns & Allen Show" episodes, with George Burns & Gracie Allen, and guest star Jack Benny TimeLife b&w DVD [undated] for $6.99 |
 | "The Golden Age of Comedy: Somebody Up There Should Stay There" 80-minute combination of two "Red Skelton Show" episodes with Red Skelton, Peter Lorre and Harpo Marx; bonus segments feature Groucho Marx, Jimmy Durante & John Wayne TimeLife b&w DVD [undated] out of prodn/used |
Magic Lantern's Abbott & Costello Page
browse Bud Abbott on DVD
browse Lou Costello on DVD
Magic Lantern's Steve Allen [1921-2000] Page
Milton Berle [1908-2002]
browse Milton Berle on DVD • IMDb listing •
Wikipedia
 | "The Milton Berle Collection" [2004] from the 'Milton Berle Buick Show' [1953-55] Passport b&w DVD [2/2004] 5 disks for $26.99 |
'father of TV sketch comedy' Sid Caesar [1922-2014]
Stan Chambers
television reporter for KTLA-TV 5 in Los Angeles since 1947
KTLA homepage •
IMDb listing •
Wikipedia
Stan Chambers Journalism Awards [est. 1999]
A.P.T.R.A. annually presents the Stan Chambers Lifetime Achievement Award
2009 inductee of the A.P.T.R.A. Hall of Fame
 |
“KTLA's News At Ten: 60 Years With Stan Chambers” [2008] by Stan Chambers, with Lynn Price Behler Publns 8¼x5½ pb [2/2008] for $1.66 |
newsman Walter Cronkite [1916-2009]
browse Walter Cronkite on DVD •
IMDb listing •
Wikipedia
 | "A Reporter's Life" [1996] by Walter Cronkite Ballantine Books 8¼x5½ pb [10/97] for $12.44 Knopf 9½x6½ hardcover [11/96] for $19.80 |
Philo T. Farnsworth [1906-71]
The Inventor of Modern Television
comedian Ernie Kovacs [1919-62]
browse Ernie Kovacs on DVD •
IMDb listing •
Wikipedia
"The Ernie Kovacs Show" (TV Series 1952–1956) /tt0044262/
"The Ernie Kovacs Show" (TV 1957) /tt1218019/
"Festival of Magic" episode [NBC-TV May 1957]
Season 3, Episode 12 of the "Producers' Showcase" TV series [1954-57]
 | Written & hosted by comedian Ernie Kovacs - who doubles as an amateur magician whose acts fail miserably Produced by Mort Abrahams; directed by Charles S. Dubin; sponsored by John Hancock Insurance, RCA Electronics, & RCA Whirlpool appliances; live from New York; show features world-famous magicians from several countries performing their best-known acts: Richard Cardini (USA), Milbourne Christopher (USA), Robert Harbin (England), June Merlin (Ireland), Rene Septembre (France), Li King Si (Asia), and P.C. Sorcar (India) The Miracle Factory b&w kinescope DVD [10/2009] out of prodn/SOLD OUT ! credits at IMDb • watch full episode [7/2018 upload; 1:16:20] online at YouTube October 2009 article at the Ernie Kovacs fanblog |
"Operation Mad Ball" feature film [1957]
starring Jack Lemmon, Kathryn Grant, Ernie Kovacs, Mickey Rooney, Arthur O'Connell
 | "Zoomar: A Sophisticated Novel About Love and TV" [1957] by Ernie Kovacs A comic romp, (loosely) based on the life & career of television pioneer Pat Weaver Bantam mass pb [1959] out of print/scarce Doubleday hardcover [1957] out of print/scarce Doubleday hardcover [1957] out of print/used |
starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs & Hermione Gingold
"Silents Please" 4-episode TV series [1961] /tt0053536/
Hosted by Ernie Kovacs, researched by William K. Everson
"The Ernie Kovacs Special" [Dumont/ABC Nov 1961] /tt1218020/
 | "The Best of Ernie Kovacs" [1977 P.B.S. series] White Star b&w DVD [11/2000] 2 disks out of prodn/used Kultur Video b&w VHS [4/92] 5 tapes for $30.97 |
"Ernie Kovacs: Television's Original Genius" [1982 TV] /tt0083898/
"Ernie Kovacs: Between The Laughter" [1984 TV movie] starring Jeff Goldblum
"The Ernie Kovacs Phile" [Simon & Schuster 1987] by David Walley
"Kovacsland: A Biography of Ernie Kovacs" [HB&J 1990] by Diana Rico
"The Importance of Being Ernie" stage play [2004] by Sean Sanczel
 | "The Ernie Kovacs Collection" [2011] includes episodes from his local & national morning shows; episodes from his NBC-TV prime-time show; 3 kinescopes of "Tonight!" 1956 & 1957; "Kovacs On Music"; five ABC-TV specials; the color version of his legendary silent show, "Eugene"; award-winning commercials for Dutch Masters Cigars; and a 44-page booklet Shout! Factory DVD set [4/2011] 6 disks for $50.99 |
"Ernie Kovacs & Early TV Comedy: Nothing in Moderation" [5/2011] by Andrew Horton
http://www.amazon.com/Ernie-Kovacs-Early-Comedy-Moderation/dp/0292728867/
Robert Q. Lewis [1920-91]
IMDb listing [1939-86] •
Wikipedia
Groucho Marx [1890-1977]
Groucho Marx Section on Magic Lantern's Marx Brothers Page
browse Groucho Marx on DVD at Amazon
Magic Lantern's
Edward R. Murrow [1908-65] Page
Edward R. Murrow Quotations Page at Working Minds Philosophy website
talk-show pioneer Jack Paar [1918-2004]
"The Morning Show" [CBS-TV 1954-56], daily morning show [1956-57], "Tonight Starring Jack Paar" [NBC-TV 1957-62], "The Jack Paar Program" [Fridays on
NBC-TV 1962-65]; in the 1970s, NBC decided to dump their old kinescopes & video 'airchecks' in a New Jersey landfill, thus video of Jack Paar is rare.
IMDb listing [1951-1998] •
Wikipedia
"Jack Paar Comes Home" color TV special [NBC-TV Nov 1986]
b&w clips feature The Beatles (on tape), Richard Burton, Bill Cosby, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, and
Richard Nixon
credits at IMDb •
watch show [10/2015 upload 48:29] online at YouTube
 | "The Jack Paar Collection" [2004] Shout Factory color DVD [3/2004] 3 disks for $16.39 includes the documentary "Smart Television: The Best of Jack Paar" [P.B.S. 2003] and 3 episodes of the prime-time "The Jack Paar Program" [1962-65] |
 | "Jack Paar - As I Was Saying . . . and More!" [2004]
Kultur Video b&w DVD [3/2004] out of prodn/used two hours of clips featuring Woody Allen, Godfrey Cambridge, Bill Cosby, Judy Garland, John F. Kennedy, and Jonathan Winters |
newsman Dan Rather
IMDb listing [since 1962] •
Wikipedia
 | "Rather Outspoken: My Life In The News" [2012] by Dan Rather, with Digby Diehl Kindle Edition from Hachette [5/2012] for $14.99 Grand Central Publng 9½x6½ hardcover [5/2012] for $16.45 |
Nikola Tesla [1856-1943]
The Inventor of Radio
Early Television Programs
"The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin" TV series [1954-59]
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"Cartoon Express" on independent KHJ-TV 9 in Los Angeles [1954-1966] with Engineer Bill
"Howdy Doodie & Buffalo Bob" [NBC-TV 1947-1960]
"Kukla, Fran & Ollie" [1947-57]
"Leave It To Beaver" [1957-63]
http://www.amazon.com/Leave-Beaver-Complete-First-Season/dp/B000B7HZUK/
http://www.amazon.com/Leave-Beaver-Complete-Limited-Edition/dp/B000B7HZUU/
"Little Rascals" {syndication of 'Our Gang' shorts}
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"Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" [1963-2001]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_Rogers%27_Neighborhood
starring Fred McFeely Rogers [1928-2003]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Rogers
http://www.facebook.com/pbs/videos/10157297391400550/ mr rogers
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"Mr. Wizard"
Don Herbert [1917-2007] created and hosted "Watch Mr. Wizard" (1951-65, 1971-72) and "Mr. Wizard's World" (1983-90).
official website •
IMDb listing •
Wikipedia
 | "Watch Mr. Wizard" Gift Set, Volumes 1-8 [2013] 32 'hand-picked' episodes from the original 547 half-hour b&w episodes broadcast on the NBC-TV network from 1951 to 1965; another 26 shows were produced in color and shown on NBC-TV and CBC-TV in 1971 to 1972 Mr. Wizard Studios b&w DVD set [2013] 8 disks for $92.95 series credits at IMDb |
 | "Mr. Wizard's World" Gift Set, Volumes 1-10 [2013] Forty episodes out of the original 78 episodes that were shown from 1983 and then repeated over "Nickelodeon" and "Nick At Night" and "The Science Channel" thru at least 2006 Mr. Wizard Studios color DVD set [2013] 10 disks for $132.00 series credits at IMDb |
"Perry Mason" TV series [1957-66]
"Sheriff John" [1952-1970] on KTTV Channel 11 in Los Angeles, California
The "Sheriff John Birthday Song" as .MP3 file [2:02]
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"{Westinghouse Presents} Studio One" [CBS-TV 1948-58]
Under various series names, "Studio One" presented a wide range of memorable dramas and received 18-Emmy nominations and five wins during its prestigious nine-year-run totaling 467 episodes; featured writers included: Louisa May Alcott (2 episodes), Charlotte Brontë (2), Raymond Chandler (2), Sumner Locke Elliott (9), Paul Gallico (3), Frank D. Gilroy (2), Jackie Gleason (2), Dashiell Hammett (2), Ben Hecht (4), Henry James (6), Ernest Kinoy (4), Rudyard Kipling (2), Loring Mandel (5), Don Mankiewicz (2), Abby Mann (2), Ferenc Molnár (2), J.B. Priestley (2), Rod Serling (6), William Shakespeare (6), Georges Simenon (2), William Templeton (3), Ivan Turgenev (2), Gore Vidal (3), and Dale Wasserman (2), with one episode each by: Nathaniel Benchley, Emily Brontë, W.R. Burnett, Taylor Caldwell, John Dickson Carr, Agatha Christie, Walter Van Tilburg Clark, Horton Foote, Fred Gipson, David Goodis, Arthur Hailey, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Patricia Highsmith, MacKinlay Kantor, George S. Kaufman, Ring Lardner, John D. MacDonald, W. Somerset Maugham, Gian Carlo Menotti, George Orwell, Luigi Pirandello, May Sarton, Dorothy L. Sayers, Curt Siodmak, John Steinbeck, Robert Louis Stevenson, Leo Tolstoy, P.L. Travers, Mark Twain, and Stefan Zweig
series credits at IMDb •
series entry at Wikipedia •
{incomplete} list of episodes at Wikipedia
"Westinghouse Studio One: The Night America Trembled"
live broadcast [CBS-TV Sept 1957]
 | A version of what happened on the night that Orson Welles broadcast his "War of The Worlds" radio program
Directed by Tom Donovan; written by Nelson Bond; starring Edward R. Murrow, Alexander Scourby, Robert Blackburn, Casey Allen, Norman Rose, Ray Boyle, Frank Marth, Edward Asner, Freda Holloway, John Gibson, Clint Kimbrough, Tom Clancy, Vincent Gardenia, Fred J. Scollay, James Coburn, Priscilla Gillette, Susan Hallaran, Crahan Denton, Al Markim, Frank Daly, Roger Quinlan, Larry Robinson, Warren Beatty, Warren Oates, Fritz Weber, Bob Kilgallen, Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy, Betty Furness, John Cameron Swayze, John Astin Synergy Ent. b&w DVD-R [11/2007] for $9.99 episode credits at IMDb • episode entry at Wikipedia • watch full episode [3/2012 upload; 59.24] online at YouTube |
 | "Studio One: Sentence of Death and The Night America Trembled" [2006] includes two "Studio One In Hollywood" b&w episodes: "Sentence of Death" [CBS-TV Aug 1953] directed by Matt Harlib; story by Thomas Walsh, adapted by Adrian Spies; starring Gene Lyons, Betsy Palmer, Ralph Dunn, James Dean, Virginia Vincent, Tony Bickley, Fred J. Scollay, Henry Sharp, Eda Heinemann, Charles Mendick, Frank Biro, and announcers Betty Furness, June Graham, Paul Brinson • full credits at IMDb; and "The Night America Trembled" {as above} • full credits at IMDb Video Service Corp. b&w DVD [6/2006] for $12.98 |
 | "A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court" and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" [2007] includes two b&w CBS-TV episodes: hour-long "A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court" [CBS-TV May 1952] episode of "Studio One In Hollywood" TV series directed by Franklin J. Schaffner; adapted by Alvin Sapinsley from the Mark Twain novel; starring Thomas Mitchell, Boris Karloff {as King Arthur}, Berry Kroeger, Salem Ludwig {as Merlin}, Loretta Daye, Robert Duke • full credits at IMDb; and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" [CBS-TV Sept 1955] episode of the "Climax" TV series directed by Herbert B. Swope Jr., starring Charles Taylor {as Huck}, Robert Hyatt {as Tom Sawyer}, Denise Alexander, John Carradine, Walter Catlett, Sol Gorss, Thomas Mitchell, Elizabeth Patterson, Katherine Warren, Minor Watson • partial credits at IMDb 90-minute Alpha Home Ent. b&w DVD [5/2007] for $5.99 "Connecticut Yankee" only: 30-minute {sic} Synergy Ent. b&w DVD [9/2007] for $9.99 |
"Studio One Anthology" Box Set [2016]
 | includes 17 restored "Studio One In Hollywood" episodes, CBS-TV 1948-1956:
"The Medium" by Gian Carlo Menotti [broadcast 12/1948];
"June Moon" by George S. Kaufman & Ring Lardner [broadcast 6/1949];
"The Storm" [broadcast 10/1949]; "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Brontë [broadcast 10/1950];
"Pontius Pilate" starring Cyril Ritchard [broadcast 4/1952];
"1984" by George Orwell [broadcast 9/1953];
"Confessions of a Nervous Man" by George Axelrod [broadcast 11/1953];
"The Remarkable Incident At Carson Corners" [broadcast 1/1954];
"Dark Possession" by Gore Vidal [broadcast 2/1954];
"The Death and Life of Larry Benson" [broadcast 5/1954];
"The Strike" by Rod Serling [broadcast 6/1954]; "Twelve Angry Men" by Reginald Rose [broadcast 9/1954];
"An Almanac of Liberty" based on the book by William O. Douglas [broadcast 11/1954];
"Summer Pavilion" by Gore Vidal [broadcast 5/1955];
"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, adaptation by Leo Penn [broadcast 8/1955];
"Dino" by Reginald Rose [broadcast 1/1956]; and "The Arena" by Rod Serling [broadcast 4/1956]
Koch Vision b&w DVD [7/2016] 6 disks - out of prodn - SOLD OUT! |
 | "Studio One Dramas: Rod Serling" [2016] includes two b&w episodes written by Rod Serling: "The Strike" [CBS-TV June 1954] directed by Franklin J. Schaffner; starring James Daly, Roy Roberts, Bert Freed, Frank Marth • full credits at IMDb; and "The Arena" [CBS-TV April 1956] directed by Franklin J. Schaffner; starring Wendell Corey, Chester Morris, John Cromwell, Leora Dana, Edgar Stehli, Peter Turgeon, Frances Sternhagen, Harry Holcombe • full credits at IMDb Sony Pictures Home Ent. b&w DVD [7/2016] for $12.38 |
'The Three Stooges' {syndication from 1958}
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"Time For Beany" live puppet TV show [1949-55]
entry at Wikipedia •
bare credits at IMDb
"Bob Clampett's Beany and Cecil" animated cartoon series [ABC-TV 1959 & 1988]
entry at Wikipedia •
1959 series credits (26 episodes) at IMDb •
1988 series credits (5 episodes) at IMDb
created by Robert 'Bob' Clampett [1913-84]
entry at Wikipedia •
credits at IMDb •
"The Bob Clampett Show" at Wikipedia
official 'Beany and Cecil' DVD website • video credits at IMDb
  | "Bob Clampett's Beany and Cecil" [indep 2000 & 2009] The first volume contains twelve color cartoons, four b&w 'Time For Beany' episodes, over 500 still photographs, and "The Lost Work" archival material; the second volume contains eleven color cartoons, two b&w 'Time For Beany' episodes, still photograph gallery, interviews, more "The Lost Work" archival material, "Bob Clampett & Friends" 70-minute audio history, and much more Volume 1: Image Ent. Special Edition color DVD [1/2000] out of prodn/used Volume 2: Hen's Tooth Video Special Edition color DVD [9/2009] out of prodn/used |
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"The Twilight Zone"
"Webster Webfoot"
. . . and at 'Readers of The Purple Sage' Western Bookstore
Elfego Baca [Disney TV series 1958-60]
Cisco Kid & Pancho Page
Hopalong Cassidy Page
"The Life & Legend of Wyatt Earp" [TV series 1955-61]
The Lone Ranger Page
"Zorro" [Disney TV series 1957-61]
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 | "1950s TV's Greatest Westerns" [2002]
indep 5-hour DVD set [7/2002] 3 disks for $24.99 contains 12 TV episodes, 1949-1960: "The Adventures of Jim Bowie (1956 episode) starring Scott Forbes; "Annie Oakley" (1956 episode) starring Gail Davis; "Bat Masterson" (1958 episode) starring Gene Barry; "The Cisco Kid" (1951 color episode) starring Duncan Renaldo & Leo Carillo; "Death Valley Days" (1953 episode) hosted by Stanley Andrews; "Fury" (1956 episode) starring Peter Graves; "Judge Roy Bean" (1955 episode) starring Edgar Buchanan; "The Lone Ranger" (1949 episode) starring Clayton Moore & Jay Silverheels; "The Roy Rogers Show" (1955 episode) starring Roy Roger & Dale Evans; "Sergeant Preston of The Yukon" (1957 episode) starring Richard Simmons; "Sky King" (1958 episode) starring Kirby Grant; and "Tate" (1960 pilot) starring David McLean |
 | "1950s TV's Greatest Detectives" [2002]
remastered b&w DVD [7/2002] 3 disks for $24.99 includes 12 TV episodes, 1951-1959: "Martin Kane, Private Eye" (1951) with William Gargan; "Dick Tracy" (1952) with Ralph Byrd; "Dragnet" (1952) with Jack Webb; "Man Against Crime" (1952) with Ralph Bellamy; "Mr. & Mrs. North" (1952) with Richard Denning & Barbara Britton; "Mystery Theatre Presents" (1952) with Tom Conway; "I Am The Law" (1953) with George Raft; "The Lone Wolf" (1954) with Louis Hayward; "Sherlock Holmes" (1954) with Ronald Howard; "Gangbusters" (1955) with Myron Healey; "Treasury Men In Action" (1955) with Charles Bronson; and "Peter Gunn" (1959) with Craig Stevens |
 | "Best of TV Detectives" 150-episode DVD Box Set [2007]
Mill Creek Ent. b&w/color DVD set [6/2007] 12 disks for $19.99 includes 150 TV episodes from: "The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu" [1956]; "The Adventures of Ellery Queen" [1950]; "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" [1955] hosted by Alfred Hitchcock; "Bulldog Drummond" [1957 pilot]; "Burke's Law" [1963] starring Gene Barry; "The Cases of Eddie Drake" [1952]; "Checkmate" [1960]; "Code 3" [1957] hosted by Richard Travis; "Colonel March of Scotland Yard" [1956] starring Boris Karloff; "The Court of Last Resort" [1957] created by Erle Stanley Gardner; "Decoy" [1957] starring Beverly Garland; "Dick Tracy" [1950] 6 episodes starring Ralph Byrd;"Dragnet" [1951-59] 25 episodes starring Jack Webb; "Federal Men" [1950] 5 epiosdes; "Follow That Man" [1949-54] 6 episodes starring Ralph Bellamy; "Front Page Detective" [1951] starring Edmund Lowe; "Gang Busters" [1951]; "I'm The Law" [1953] starring George Raft; "The Lawless Years" [1959] 6 episodes; "Lock |
| Up" [1959] 8 episodes starring Macdonald Carey; "Lone Wolf" [1955] starring Louis Hayward; "The Man Behind the Badge" [1953] 6 episodes; "Man With A Camera" [1958] starring Charles Bronson; "Mannix" [1967-75] starring Mike Connors; "Martin Kane, Private Eye" [1949] 6 episodes; "Miami Undercover" [1961]; "Michael Shayne" [1960] starring Richard Denning; "Mr. & Mrs. North" [1952] 16 episodes starring Richard Denning & Barbara Britton; "The Public Defender" [1954-56] starring Reed Hadley; "Racket Squad" [1951] 7 episodes starring Reed Hadley; "Richard Diamond, Private Detective" [1957-60] starring David Janssen; "The Shadow" [1954 pilot]; "Sheriff of Cochise" [1956-58] starring John Bromfield; and "U.S. Marshal" [1958-60] starring John Bromfield |
 | "Here Comes Tobor and Other Lost Action Shows of The 1950s" on DVD [2008]
Alpha Home Ent. DVD set [2/2008] for $5.98 NOTE: data on Amazon page is for a different DVD product: this single disk includes four unsold ½-hour live-action TV pilots: "Captain Fathom" [1955], "Here Comes Tobor" [1957], "Sea Divers" [1958], and "Counterspy" [1958] |
 | "Essential Family Television" 150-episode DVD Box Set [2008]
Mill Creek Ent. b&w/color DVD set [7/2008] 12 disks for $14.97 includes 150 TV episodes from: "The Adventures of Hiram Holiday" [1956-57] 6 episodes; "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet" [1952+] 20 episodes; "The Bob Cummings Show" [1955-59] 7 episodes; "The Buster Keaton Show" [1950-51] 2 episodes; "The Dennis Day Show" [1952-53] 2 episodes; "The Dennis O'Keefe Show" [1959-60] 4 episodes; "The Dick Van Dyke Show" [1961-66] 4 episodes; "The Ed Wynn Show" [1958] 5 episodes; "The Eddie Fisher Show" [1957-58]; "The Edgar Bergen Show" [1958]; "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show" [1950-58] 6 episodes; "The Howdy Doody Show" [1947-60]; "I Married Joan" [1952-55] 6 episodes; "The Jack Benny Program" [1950-65] 10 episodes; "The Jim Backus Show" [1960-61] 2 episodes; "Lassie" [1954+] 2 episodes; "The Liberace Show" [1952+] 4 episodes; "The Life of Riley" [1953-58] 2 episodes; "Life With Elizabeth" [1952-55] |
| 6 episodes starring Betty White; "The Lucy Show" [1962-68] 20 episodes; "Make Room For Daddy" [1953-65] 5 episodes starring Danny Thomas; "The Mickey Rooney Show" [1954-55] 5 epi-sodes; "The Milton Berle Show" [1958-62] 5 episodes; "Mister Ed" [1958-66] starring Alan Young; "Our Miss Brooks" [1952-56] 2 episodes starring Eve Arden; "Petticoat Junction" [1963-70] 6 episodes starring Edgar Buchanan; "Phil Silvers Special" [1959?]; "Private Secretary" [1953-57] 3 episodes starring Ann Sothern; "Sea Hunt" [1958-61] starring Lloyd Bridges; "Sky King" [1951-62] 4 episodes starring Kirby Grant; and "The Trouble With Father" [1950-55] 6 episodes starring Stuart Erwin |
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 | "Classic Sci-Fi TV: 150 Episodes" DVD Box Set [2009]
Mill Creek Ent. DVD set [1/2009] 12 disks for $9.99 includes 150 television episodes: "Captain Z-Ro" (24 episodes); "Rocky Jones, Space Ranger" (23 episodes); "One Step Beyond" hosted by John Newland (18 episodes); "Flash Gordon" starring Steve Holland (14 of 39 episodes); "The Phantom Empire" movie serial starring Gene Autry (12 chapters); "Radar Men From The Moon" movie serial starring George Wallace as Commando Cody (12 chapters); "Under-sea Kingdom" movie serial starring Ray 'Crash' Corrigan (12 chapters); "Space Angel" animated TV series (9 episodes); "Tales of Tomor-row" (6 episodes); "Lights Out!" (4 episodes); "Captain Fathom" animated TV series (3 episodes); "General Electric Theater" hosted by Ronald Reagan (2 episodes); "The Shadow" (2 episodes) — and these single episodes: "Climax! Mystery Theater: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" starring Michael Rennie [1955]; "Clutch Cargo: Operation Moon Beam" animated TV series [1959]; "Destination Space" TV movie |
| [1959]; "Johnny Jupiter" live action & puppets [1953-54]; "Stamp Day For Superman" promo short starring George Reeves [1954]; "The Star and The Story: Dark Stranger" starring Edmond O'Brien [1955]; "Here Comes Tobor" unsold ½-hour TV pilot [1957]; "Tales of Frankenstein" unsold ½-hour TV pilot [1958]; "Thriller: The Return of Andrew Bentley" hosted by Boris Karloff [1961]; "Your Jeweler's Showcase: Operation, E.S.P." [1952] |
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 | "The Golden Age of Television" DVD Box Set [2009]
Criterion Collection b&w DVD [11/2009] 3 disks for $37.99 contains 8 live teleplays: "Marty" (24 May 1953) written by Paddy Chayefsky, starring Rod Steiger; "Patterns" [15 Jan 1955) written by Rod Serling, starring Ed Begley; "No Time For Sergeants" (15 March 1955) starring Andy Griffith & Harry Clark; "A Wind From The South" (14 Sept 1955) written by James Costigan, starring Julie Harris; "Bang The Drum Slowly" (26 Sept 1956) starring Paul Newman & Albert Salmi; "Requiem For A Heavy-weight" (11 Oct 1956) written by Rod Serling, starring Anthony Quinn, Jackie Gleason & Mickey Rooney; double Emmy-winner "The Comedian" (17 Feb 1957) adapted by Rod Serling, starring Mickey Rooney & Mel Tormé; and "Days of Wine and Roses" (2 Oct 1958) starring Cliff Robertson |
 | "Lost and Rare Film & TV Treasures, Volume 1: TV Pilots" on DVD [2012]
Festival Films b&w DVD [6/2012] out of prodn/scarce contains five half-hour pilots for b&w TV series, 1954-61: "Four Star Playhouse" episode "Meet McGraw" [Feb 1954] starring Frank Lovejoy as a hard-hitting private eye hired by Audrey Totter - was later spun off into the 1957-58 network series; "The Ed Wynn Show" sitcom pilot [1958] did air, but for only 16 episodes; "Maggie" unsold sitcom [1960] starred Leon Ames & Fay Baker as parents to teenager Margaret O'Brien, produced by George Burns (includes the original commercials); "The Jane Powell Show" unsold sitcom [Four Star TV 1961] starring Jane Powell & Russell Johnson; and "Munroe" [1963] almost-lost pilot about a loveable Army K-9 mutt |
 | "Lost TV Classics" on DVD [2013] "Red Ryder" [1956] episode "Gun Trouble Valley": Allan 'Rocky' Lane reprises his big-screen role as the fearless & heroic Red Ryder, with the help of his trusty steed Thunder and his sidekick Little Beaver; "Kimbar of The Jungle" [1949]: starring muscleman Steve Reeves and set in darkest Africa; "From The Files of Jeffrey Jones" [1952]: starring Don Haggerty; "Bulldog Drummond" [1952]: Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. hosts an adaptation of H.C. McNeile's popular character, Robert Beatty is Drummond, while Michael Ripper plays his faithful pal, Kelly; and "The Storyteller" [1952]: Marvin Miller hosted this syndicated series that began on radio as "The Story Behind The Story" 1-hour 40-minute? Alpha Video DVD [10/2013] out of prodn/used |
 | "Television's Lost Classics, Volume 2: Four Rare Pilots" on DVD [2018]
New HD restorations; four b&w half-hour TV pilots: "The Life of Riley" NBC-TV series 1949 pilot starring Lon Chaney, Jr. who was replaced by Jackie Gleason for the 26-episode series; "Racket Squad" CBS-TV series pilot episode "Case of The Sure Thing" starring Reed Hadley, filmed in 1951, aired 9/53; "Cool and Lam" is based on the book series by Erle Stanley Gardner {writing as A.A. Fair}, directed by the great Jacques Tourneur, starring Billy Pearson & Benay Venuta, ½-hour episode broadcast as a CBS-TV special in 1958; and the unsold 1959 "Nero Wolfe" TV pilot based on the book series by Rex Stout, starring Kurt Kasznar & William Shatner V.C.I. Ent. b&w Blu-ray [9/2018] for $18.89 V.C.I. Ent. b&w DVD [9/2018] for $12.89 |
Recent Television Programs
Arena" is a British television documentary series, made and broadcast by the BBC since 1 October 1975; voted by TV executives in a Broadcast Magazine survey
as one of the 50 most-influential programs of all time; "Arena" has produced over six hundred episodes.
BBC-TV4 "Arena" official homepage •
series credits on IMDb •
BBC "Arena" entry at Wikipedia
 | "Screen Goddesses" [Illuminations Films Dec 2012] Season 37, Episode 9 of the long-running "Arena" documentary BBC4-TV series [est. 1975] hour-long episode co-produced by Anthony Wall & Andrew Wright; co-produced & directed by David Thompson; narrated by Elizabeth McGovern; with archive footage of: Anna May Wong, Theda Bara, Brigitte Bardot, Ingrid Bergman, Clara Bow, Louise Brooks, Julie Christie, Joan Crawford, George Cukor, Bette Davis, Dolores del Rio, Catherine Deneuve, Marlene Dietrich, Anita Ekberg, Jane Fonda, Greta Garbo, Ava Gardner, Lillian Gish, Jean Harlow, Rita Hayworth, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Hedy Lamarr, Florence Lawrence, Sophia Loren, Marilyn Monroe, Barbara Stanwyck, Gloria Swanson, Elizabeth Taylor, Josef von Sternberg, Mae West, Billy Wilder DVD/Blu-ray not available • episode credits at IMDb |
Shelley Duvall's "Tall Tales & Legends" [Showtime 1985-86]
 |
Nine hour-long episodes broadcast on Showtime; the episodes are: "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" starring Ed Begley Jr.; "Annie Oakley" [12/85] starring Jamie Lee Curtis & Brian Dennehy; "Pecos Bill"; "Casey At The Bat" starring Elliott Gould & Carol Kane; "My Darlin' Clementine" starring Shelley Duvall & Edward Asner; "Johnny Appleseed" starring Martin Short; "Ponce de Leon" starring Michael York; "John Henry" starring Danny Glover; and "Davy Crockett" starring Mac Davis • Co-produced by Shelley Duvall & Fred Fuchs
Complete Series: E1 Ent. color DVD [9/2009] 3 disks for $13.99 full credits at IMDb • series entry at Wikipedia |
"TV Guide's 50 Best Shows of All Time: A 50th Anniversary Celebration" [ABC-TV May 2002]
90-minute TV special directed by Eamon Harrington; written by Rick Mitz; narrated by Jonathon Brandmeier
VHS/DVD/Blu-ray not available • full credits at IMDb
"TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time" magazine article May 2002
entry at Wikipedia
Top 10 TV Shows of All Time - per TV Guide in 2002
1. "Seinfeld" (NBC, July 5, 1989- May 14, 1998)
2. "I Love Lucy" (CBS, October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957)
3. "The Honeymooners" (CBS, October 1, 1955 – September 22, 1956)
4. "All In The Family" (CBS, January 12, 1971 – April 8, 1979)
5. "The Sopranos" (HBO, January 10, 1999 – June 10, 2007)
6. "60 Minutes" (CBS, September 24, 1968 – present)
7. "M*A*S*H" (CBS, September 17, 1972 - February 28, 1983)
8. "The Simpsons" (Fox, December 17, 1989 – present)
9. "The Andy Griffith Show" (CBS, October 3, 1960 – April 1, 1968)
10. "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, October 11, 1975 – present)
"TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All-Time"
entry at Wikipedia
Image Gallery
Television & Radio Links
Museum of Broadcast Communications [est. 1987] in Chicago, Illinois
"TV History: The First 75 Years" website
Early Television Museum/Foundation in Hilliard, Ohio
F.C.C. History of Television pages
Television Station Index
Radio Locator station listings website
50 Years of Western Australia TV
National Media Museum [est. 1983] in Bradford, West Yorkshire, U.K.
Associated Press Television-Radio Association
A.P.T.R.A. Hall of Fame [est. 2009]
C.T.L. Electronics, Inc. [est. 1968], 45 Murray Street, New York City
repair and restoration of vintage radio and television receivers
jump to History of Radio & Television Page Two
History of Cinema Page
Books About Hollywood & Cinema History
Old Time Radio Page at Spirit of America Bookstore
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