| The Nash Airflyte Theater | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Anthology |
| Directed by | Marc Daniels David Pressman |
| Presented by | William Gaxton |
| Theme music composer | Otis Clements |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production company | Nash Motor Co. |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | September 21, 1950 – March 15, 1951 |
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]
Other actors on the series included:[11]
Marc Daniels was the producer and director; Sylvia Friedlander was the production manager.[2]
| 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] |
