The Nash Airflyte Theater

The Nash Airflyte Theater
GenreAnthology
Directed byMarc Daniels
David Pressman
Presented byWilliam Gaxton
Theme music composerOtis Clements
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes26
Production
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time25 minutes
Production companyNash Motor Co.
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseSeptember 21, 1950 (1950-09-21) –
March 15, 1951 (1951-03-15)

The Nash Airflyte Theater is an American dramatic anthology television series that was broadcast from September 21, 1950, through March 15, 1951, on CBS on Thursday evenings.[1] It originated from WCBS-TV[2] in New York City at 10:30 p.m.[3] The show was sponsored by the Nash Motor Co.;[4] the Nash Airflyte was an automobile model produced by the company.

William Gaxton was the program's host.[1] Mike Krich was story editor.[5]

The series featured original teleplays and adaptations of works by famous writers, including Anton Chekhov, O.Henry and Agatha Christie.

The program broadcast the first televised adaptation of a Gilbert and Sullivan musical when it aired Trial by Jury on November 30, 1950,[6] and its December 21, 1950, episode, "Molly Morgan", was the first TV adaptation of a work by John Steinbeck.[7] The December 7, 1950, episode is believed to be Ronald Reagan's first TV credit.[8] The initial TV appearances of Ruth Hussey and David Niven occurred on this program.[9]

Nash Motors ended its sponsorship at a time when other automobile manufacturers were also dropping or reducing their sponsorships of TV programs.[10]

Guest stars

Other actors on the series included:[11]

Production

Marc Daniels was the producer and director; Sylvia Friedlander was the production manager.[2]

Selected episodes

Partial List of Episodes of The Nash Airflyte Theater
Date Title Star(s)
September 21, 1950 "The Double Dyed Deceiver" Ian Keith, Ralph Riggs.[12]
September 28, 1950 "Borrowed Memory" Ruth Hussey, Torin Thatcher, Chester Stratton, Kathryn Grill, Janie Alexander[13]
October 5, 1950 "Portrait of Lydia" David Niven, Mary Beth Hughes[14]
October 12, 1950 "The Boor" Fredric March[15]
October 19, 1950 "The Box Supper" Marguerite Piazza[16]
October 26, 1950 "Municipal Report" Herbert Marshall[17]
November 2, 1950 "The Cut Glass Bowl" Martha Scott[18]
November 9, 1950 "I Won't Take a Minute" Dane Clark[19]
November 16, 1950 "Suppressed Desires" Lee Bowman[20]
November 23, 1950 "The Doll in the Pink Silk Dress" Ann Rutherford, Otto Kruger[21]
November 30, 1950 "Trial By Jury" Patricia Morrison[6]
December 3, 1950 "Mystery of Mrs. Dickenson" Franchot Tone[22]
December 7, 1950 "The Case of the Missing Lady"[23] or "Disappearance of Mrs. Gordon"[24] Ronald Reagan[23]
December 16, 1950 "The Windfall" Gene Lockhart, Peggy Conklin[25]
December 21, 1950 "Molly Morgan" Barbara Bel Geddes[7]
December 28, 1950 "The Kind Mr. Smith" Basil Rathbone[26]
January 4, 1951 "Waltz Dream" Kitty Carlisle, Jimmy Carroll, Ralph Riggs[27]
January 11, 1951 "The Lipstick" Jane Wyatt[28]
January 18, 1951 "Pot of Gold" Joan Blondell, Richard Arlen[29]
January 22, 1951 "Manhattan Pastorale" Teresa Wright[30]
January 25, 1951 "The Calico Dog" Nina Foch, Lucille Watson[31]
February 1, 1951 "Crisis" Laraine Day[32]
March 8, 1951 "A Kiss for Mr. Lincoln" Richard Greene, Grace Kelly[33]

References

  1. ^ a b McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 20. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  2. ^ a b "This Week -- Debuts, Highlights, Changes". Ross Reports on Television including The Television Index. September 17, 1950. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  3. ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (7th ed.). New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group. p. 714. ISBN 0-345-42923-0.
  4. ^ "Radio-TV Notes". The New York Times. February 15, 1951. p. 46. ProQuest 111844472. Retrieved April 7, 2021 – via ProQuest.
  5. ^ "beat" (PDF). Broadcasting. March 19, 1951. p. 11. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Tele Topics" (PDF). Radio Daily-Television Daily. November 21, 1950. p. 7. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Strezlecki, Jenne (December 20, 1950). "Mrs. Roosevelt to Appear on Bob Hope TV Christmas Show". The Daily Times. p. 34. Retrieved April 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Suddenly, It's A New Life For Old Reagan Movies". The Charlotte Observer. December 7, 1980. p. 2 F. Retrieved April 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Gerhard, Inez (January 5, 1951). "Geraldine Brooks Began Career Touring in Shakespearian Plays". The Biggs News. California, Biggs. WNU Features. p. 5. Retrieved April 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Car Supply Fades, Olds Drops Show" (PDF). Billboard. March 31, 1951. p. 10. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  11. ^ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 743. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  12. ^ Lohman, Sidney (September 17, 1950). "News of TV and Radio". The New York Times. p. 119. ProQuest 111657008. Retrieved April 7, 2021 – via ProQuest.
  13. ^ "Television". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 28, 1950. p. 29. Retrieved April 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "(WMAR-TV advertisement)". The Baltimore Sun. October 1, 1950. p. 72. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  15. ^ "Program Notes". The Evening Sun. October 12, 1950. p. 34. Retrieved April 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "(WBTV advertisement)". The Charlotte Observer. October 19, 1950. p. 48. Retrieved April 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Television . . . . . . Highlights of the Week". Detroit Free Press. October 22, 1950. p. B 6. Retrieved April 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Television". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 2, 1950. p. 27. Retrieved April 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Television Highlights for Thursday". Detroit Free Press. November 9, 1950. p. 42. Retrieved April 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "(photo caption)". The News-Herald. Pennsylvania, Franklin. November 10, 1950. p. 9. Retrieved April 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Television . . . . . . Highlights of the Week". Detroit Free Press. November 19, 1950. p. 22. Retrieved April 13, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "(WMAR-TV advertisement)". The Baltimore Sun. December 3, 1950. p. 22 C. Retrieved April 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ a b Jones, Paul (December 7, 1950). "TV Ready for Part In Propaganda Race". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 25. Retrieved April 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "Television Highlights for Thursday". Detroit Free Press. December 7, 1950. p. 43. Retrieved April 14, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ "(WNBF-TV advertisement)". Press and Sun-Bulletin. New York, Binghamton. December 16, 1950. p. 7. Retrieved April 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ Jones, Paul (December 28, 1950). "TV Not Available For Bowl Games". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 15. Retrieved April 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ Jones, Paul (January 4, 1951). "Levant Puts Life In 'Who Said That?'". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 8. Retrieved April 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "Theater Star". The Rock Island Argus. Illinois, Rock Island. January 11, 1951. p. 22. Retrieved April 16, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  29. ^ "Along Radio Lanes". The Rock Island Argus. Illinois, Rock Island. January 18, 1951. p. 26. Retrieved April 17, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ "(WMAR-TV advertisement)". The Baltimore Sun. January 21, 1951. p. 64. Retrieved April 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "Video Highlights". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. January 25, 1951. p. 19. Retrieved April 17, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  32. ^ Jones, Paul (February 1, 1951). "Schindler Debunks Fictional Detectives". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 12. Retrieved April 17, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  33. ^ "TV-Radio Life" (PDF). March 2, 1951. p. 13. Retrieved April 9, 2021.