| Show Name: | Hollywood Star Playhouse |
| Format: | Dramatic anthology |
| Runtime: | 30 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Syndicates: | CBS ABC NBC |
| Announcer: | Norman Brokenshire Wendell Niles |
| Director: | Jack Johnstone |
| Narrated: | Herbert Rawlinson Orval Anderson |
| First Aired: | April 24, 1950 |
| Last Aired: | February 15, 1953 |
Hollywood Star Playhouse is a radio dramatic anthology series in the United States. It was broadcast April 24, 1950-February 15, 1953, appearing on CBS, ABC and NBC over that span.[1]
As the name implies, Hollywood Star Playhouse featured movie stars, as did a number of other old-time radio programs. A news brief announcing the premiere broadcast noted that the program would feature "a different top screen personality each week in original stories of mystery and adventure by leading Hollywood writers."[2] Those stories were what distinguished this program from others, according to radio historian John Dunning. He wrote that the stories were "tense, original suspense plays well suited for the half-hour."[1] Writers usually created scripts for specific stars.[3] One story, The Six Shooter, broadcast April 13, 1952, starred Stewart and later was turned into a series by that same name in which Stewart starred.[3]
By its nature, Hollywood Star Playhouse had no regular cast. Different movie stars of the era, such as James Stewart, Deborah Kerr and Victor Mature were featured each week. The program was the venue for the radio debuts of Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Charlton Heston.[3] Casts were rounded out by radio actors such as Wendell Niles, William Conrad, Betty Lou Gerson and Harry Bartell.
The one consistent voice from week to week was the host-narrator. Herbert Rawlinson originally filled that role, followed by Orval Anderson.[1] Jeff Alexander was the first orchestra leader for the program. Basil Adlam later had that role.[4]
As indicated in the table below, Hollywood Star Playhouse ran on three networks during its almost three years on radio, with two sponsors during that span. Although many radio programs took the summer off, with replacement programs filling their time slot, Hollywood Star Playhouse continued. An account executive at the advertising agency that handled the program said, "Our agency believes the huge amount of out-of-home listening in car radios and other secondary sets makes radio an excellent buy during the warm weather season."[5]
| Starting Date | Ending Date | Network | Sponsor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 24, 1950 | July 16, 1951 | CBS | Bromo-Seltzer | |
| July 26, 1951 | January 17, 1952 | ABC | none | |
| February 24, 1952 | February 15, 1953 | NBC | Bakers of America |
A version of Hollywood Star Playhouse was available via syndication for television stations. It was included ("over 400 half hours") among a number of programs available from MCA in an eight-page ad in the trade magazine Broadcasting.[8]