Four Star Playhouse

1952 – 1956
Ended
Drama · Comedy
~30m / ep
4 seasons
6.8/10

Four Star Playhouse is an American television anthology series that ran from 1952 to 1956, sponsored in its first bi-weekly season by The Singer Company; Bristol-Myers became an alternate sponsor when it became a weekly series in the fall of 1953. The original premise was that Charles Boyer, Ida Lupino, David Niven, and Dick Powell would take turns starring in episodes. However, several other performers took the lead from time to time, including Ronald Colman and Joan Fontaine. Blake Edwards was among the writers and directors who contributed to the series. Edwards created the recurring character of illegal gambling house operator Willie Dante for Dick Powell to play on this series. The character was later revamped and spun off in his own series starring Howard Duff, then-husband of Lupino. The pilot for Meet McGraw, starring Frank Lovejoy, aired here, as did another episode in which Lovejoy recreated his role of Chicago newspaper reporter Randy Stone, from the radio drama Nightbeat.

All seasons

Latest: Season 4 · 1955

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E1. The Firing Squad
Oct 6, 1955 · 30m
A WWII captain must oversee an execution he doesn't want to happen.
E2. The Face of Danger
Oct 13, 1955 · 30m
A 100-year-old woman who recalls her romance with a desperado during the days of the old West.
E3. Let the Chips Fall
Oct 20, 1955 · 30m
A reformed card sharp is recruited to unmask a suspected poker cheat among a group of wealthy gamblers. He finds it difficult to be impartial when the suspect enthusiastically befriends him.
E4. Full Circle
Oct 27, 1955 · 30m
A particularly bad review causes a Broadway actress to scheme to humiliate the drama critic.
E5. A Spray of Bullets
Nov 3, 1955 · 30m
A former sheriff, Will Sonnett, known for his fast draw shows up in Mesa to see an optometrist; he's become nearsighted and badly needs glasses. Also in town is a punk gunfighter who wants to make a name for himself. Knowing Sonnett has vision problems, he challenges the lawman to a duel.
E6. The Devil to Pay
Nov 10, 1955 · 30m
In Hell, the administrating office is hopelessly out of date and incompetent, so Satan enlists the help of an exceptionally aggressive and heartless businessman to modernize the place. He installs an IBM system and soon it's the picture of efficiency, much, it turns out, to the businessman's regret.