''Four Star Revue'' (also known as ''All Star Revue'' and ''All Star Summer Revue'') was an American

variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

program that aired on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

from October 4, 1950, to December 26, 1953. The series originally starred four celebrities,

Ed Wynn Isaiah Edwin Leopold (November 9, 1886 – June 19, 1966), better known as Ed Wynn, was an American actor and comedian. He was noted for his ''Perfect Fool'' comedy character, his pioneering radio show of the 1930s, and his later career as a d ...

Danny Thomas Danny Thomas (born Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz; January 6, 1912 – February 6, 1991) was an American actor, singer, nightclub comedian, producer, and philanthropist. He created and starred in one of the most successful and long-running sitc ...

Jack Carson John Elmer Carson (October 27, 1910 – January 2, 1963) was a Canadian-born American film actor. Carson often played the role of comedic friend in films of the 1940s and 1950s, including ''The Strawberry Blonde'' (1941) with James Cagney and ...

, and

Jimmy Durante James Francis Durante ( , ; February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American comedian, actor, singer, vaudevillian, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced son ...

(hence the name ''Four Star Revue''), alternating as hosts of the program every week. Other stars would join the show beginning with its second season, causing the title to change to ''All Star Revue''. Some of the other stars to pass through during the second season were

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with ...

Spike Jones Lindley Armstrong "Spike" Jones (December 14, 1911 – May 1, 1965) was an American musician and bandleader specializing in spoof arrangements of popular songs and classical music. Ballads receiving the Jones treatment were punctuated with gun ...

and

Helen Grayco Helen Grayco (; September 20, 1924 – August 20, 2022) was an American singer and actress active from the 1930s to the 1960s. She was most famous for appearances with her husband Spike Jones on ''The Spike Jones Show'' in the 1950s and the 19 ...

, and Paul Winchell. As the series progressed, several permanent hosts were added to replace the original four. Some included actress and singer

Martha Raye Martha Raye (born Margy Reed; August 27, 1916 – October 19, 1994), nicknamed The Big Mouth, was an American comic actress and singer who performed in movies, and later on television. She also acted in plays, including Broadway. She was honored ...

, boxer

Rocky Graziano Thomas Rocco Barbella (January 1, 1919 – May 22, 1990), better known as Rocky Graziano, was an American professional boxer and actor who held the World Middleweight title. Graziano is considered one of the greatest knockout artists in boxing hi ...

, actor and

toastmaster Toastmaster is a general term, prevalent in the United States in the mid-20th century, referring to a person in charge of the proceedings of a public speaking event. The toastmaster is typically charged with organization of the event, arrangin ...

George Jessel, and actress

Tallulah Bankhead Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 – December 12, 1968) was an American actress. Primarily an actress of the stage, Bankhead also appeared in several prominent films including an award-winning performance in Alfred Hitchcock's '' L ...

. At the time that the show originally aired in the early 1950s, ''Four Star Revue'' was known as the second most expensive hour on television. Each episode initially cost approximately $50,000 to produce. The most expensive was its sister series, ''

The Colgate Comedy Hour ''The Colgate Comedy Hour'' was an American comedy-musical variety series that aired live on the NBC network from 1950 to 1955. The show featured many notable comedians and entertainers of the era as guest stars. Many of the scripts of the series ...

''.

Overview

The ''Four Stars''

Like its sister series, ''Four Star Revue'' started out with four rotating hosts. They were actors

, and

and nightclub entertainer

. Before ''Four Star Revue'',

had been involved in show business for almost 50 years. Wynn began his career in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

in 1903. He was also a star of the

Ziegfeld Follies The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as ''The Ziegfeld Follies of the Ai ...

beginning in 1914. Wynn also made it big in the radio scene. He first started on a radio program '' The Fire Chief'' in the early 1930s. Wynn also had experience in the then new medium of television. During the 1949-50 television season, Wynn hosted one of the first

television shows on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

, entitled ''The Ed Wynn Show''.

was born Amos Muzyad Yakhoob Kairouz on January 6, 1912, in Deerfield,

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

. Before ''Four Star Revue'' and his most memorable role on ''

Make Room for Daddy ''The Danny Thomas Show'' (titled ''Make Room for Daddy'' for its first three seasons) is an American sitcom that ran from 1953 to 1957 on ABC and from 1957 to 1964 on CBS. Starring Danny Thomas as a successful night club entertainer, the show ...

'', which premiered in 1953, Thomas had already established himself as an entertainer. Thomas had started his career as a performer on local

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

, station WMBC program ''The Happy Hour Club'' in 1932. In August 1940, Kairouz began performing at the 5100 Club in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

, under the pseudonym "Danny Thomas" (after two of his brothers). Thomas enjoyed success in the nightclub business and also found some success in the radio medium. Thomas made appearances on such radio shows as '' The Bickersons'', ''

The Baby Snooks Show ''The Baby Snooks Show'' was an American radio program starring comedian and ''Ziegfeld Follies'' alumna Fanny Brice as a mischievous young girl who was 40 years younger than the actress who played her when she first went on the air. The series b ...

'', and '' The Big Show'' starring future recurring ''Revue'' hostess

. Thomas got a stint at his own radio show entitled ''The Danny Thomas Show'', which ran from 1942 to 1943 on the

Blue Network The Blue Network (previously known as the NBC Blue Network) was the on-air name of a now defunct American radio network, which broadcast from 1927 through 1945. Beginning as one of the two radio networks owned by the National Broadcasting Comp ...

and again from 1947 to 1948 on

, known to many as ''The Schnoz'' and ''the Great Schnozzola'', established himself as a comedian and talented musician long before ''Revue'' and before the beginning of television itself. Durante first became known as a member of the Original New Orleans Jazz Band, the first recognizable jazz band in New York. Durante was the only member of the group not originally from

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

. His routine of breaking into a song to deliver a joke, with band or orchestra chord punctuation after each line, became a Durante trademark. In 1920 the group was renamed Jimmy Durante's Jazz Band. Later on in the 1920s, Durante spent time in vaudeville and formed the comedy trio of Clayton, Jackson, and Durante, also known as The Three Sawdust Bums with fellow comedians Lou Clayton and Eddie Jackson in 1923. He was also known for his recording of the Ben Ryan-composed

Inka Dinka Doo "Inka Dinka Doo" is a 1933 popular song whose words were written by Ben Ryan, and whose music was composed by James Francis "Jimmy" Durante. Background The song debuted in the 1934 movie '' Palooka,'' a film about the comics character Joe Paloo ...

in 1933 which, after its debut in the 1934 movie '' Palooka'', was Durante's "theme song" for the rest of his life. Durante also had a relatively good career in radio. He had a recurring role on

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Familiar to Broadway, radio, movie, and early television audiences ...

's NBC radio program ''

The Chase and Sanborn Hour ''The Chase and Sanborn Hour'' is the umbrella title for a series of American comedy and variety radio shows sponsored by Standard Brands' Chase and Sanborn Coffee, usually airing Sundays on NBC from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. during the years 1929 to ...

'' in late-1933. From there he went on to '' The Jumbo Fire Chief Program'' for a year from 1935-36. He then teamed up with comedian

Garry Moore Garry Moore (born Thomas Garrison Morfit; January 31, 1915 – November 28, 1993) was an American entertainer, comedic personality, game show host, and humorist best known for his work in television. He began a long career with the CBS network ...

to do ''

The Durante-Moore Show ''The Durante-Moore Show'' was an old-time radio show that ran on NBC with episodes running from March 25, 1943–October 28, 1943 and on CBS with episodes running from October 8, 1943–June 27, 1947. The series starred burlesque and va ...

'' from 1943–1947. After Moore left, the program became known as ''The Jimmy Durante Show'' and ran for three more years until being cancelled in 1950. John Elmer "Jack" Carson was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

-born American-based film actor. Carson had done several memorable films during the 1930s and 1940s before his role on ''Four Star Revue''. He also had a stint with his own radio show in the early 1940s.

Season One

''Four Star Revue'' premiered on

on Wednesday, October 4, 1950. After several episodes had aired, a few problems with the show had come to light. The first problem was location. The second problem was the amount of money put into each episode of the show. The third problem was trying to keep a sole sponsor. In 1950, it wasn't yet possible to broadcast coast-to-coast, so ''Four Star Revue'', like most live shows, originated from New York (with viewers in other time zones watching a delayed

kinescope Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program on motion picture film, directly through a lens focused on the screen of a video monitor. The process was pioneered during the 194 ...

). At the start of the season, Ed Wynn was the only host to use the Center Theatre (formerly a venue for ice shows but recently converted to a TV studio) at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan. The others at first declined to follow suit because of the theater's huge, 3700-seat capacity, fearing that the audience wouldn't have a good view of the stage and might not laugh at the appropriate moments. But when NBC installed a television monitor there in January 1951, the problem was solved and Durante, Thomas, and Carson relocated. Television set manufacturer

Motorola Motorola, Inc. () was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, United States. After having lost $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009, the company split into two independent public companies, Motorola ...

opened the season as sole sponsor of the show, but cut back after 13 episodes. In January, they began sharing sponsorship with Pet Evaporated Milk and Norge refrigerators, each paying a third of the cost. ''Four Star Revue'' cost $50,000 a week to produce, compared to only $17,500 for its CBS competition, ''

Arthur Godfrey and His Friends ''Arthur Godfrey and His Friends'' is an American television variety show hosted by Arthur Godfrey. The hour-long series aired on CBS Television from January 1949 to June 1957 (as ''The Arthur Godfrey Show'' after September 1956), then again as a ...

''. But according to the Videodex ratings service, Revue reached an average of 2,339,000 homes, while ''Godfreys homes totaled 3,519,000. That worked out to a cost of $6.89 per viewer for Revue, compared to $1.46 for ''Godfrey''. The season 1 finale aired on July 18, 1951.

Season Two

The second series premiered on a new night, Saturday, and under a new title. Owing to the decision to increase the number of guest hosts, when the show's second season premiered on September 8, 1951, it was renamed ''All Star Revue''. Several factors influenced NBC's decision in 1951 to expand the number of ''Four Star Revue'' hosts. First, some of the stars were having trouble producing the expected ratings. Second, with more and more money flowing into television, the competition from other networks was becoming fierce. Third, NBC had found with ''

'' that scheduling conflicts, illnesses, and the simple fact that some of its stars simply weren't well suited to the revue format meant that it was important to have a backup plan. To hedge its bets, the network brought in additional hosts, who could be called upon to fill in for or replace the regulars if needed. Holding on to its original four stars, ''Revue'', in its second season, added the likes of Olsen and Johnson and

in four episodes each,

and

in two, and

Victor Borge Børge Rosenbaum (3 January 1909 – 23 December 2000), known professionally as Victor Borge ( ), was a Danish-American comedian, conductor, and pianist who achieved great popularity in radio and television in the North America and Europe. His ...

, the

Ritz Brothers The Ritz Brothers were an American family comedy act who performed extensively on stage, in nightclubs and in films from 1925 to the late 1960s. A fourth brother, George, acted as their manager. Early life The four brothers were born to Austria ...

, and Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney, each doing one apiece. With a larger stable of hosts, the old ''Four Star'' name was no longer accurate, so the show was rechristened ''All Star Revue''. The decision to move ''Revue'' from Wednesday nights to Saturday nights had to do with the fact that CBS's ''Arthur Godfrey and His Friends'' crushed ''Revue'' in the ratings. ''All Star Revue'' replaced the cancelled '' Jack Carter Show'', in the hope that it would prove a better lead-in to the popular ''

Your Show of Shows ''Your Show of Shows'' is a live 90-minute variety show that was broadcast weekly in the United States on NBC from February 25, 1950, through June 5, 1954, featuring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca. Other featured performers were Carl Reiner, Howa ...

''. The move had some success; with only Ken Murray and

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, W ...

as competition, ''Revue'' finished the season with a 36.3 rating (tied with '' Dragnet'' for 20th place). The time slot change would seem to be minor compared to the major cast change that occurred after the February 16, 1952, telecast. Jack Carson, one of the original four stars, left the show temporarily to star in a 1952 Broadway revival of the George and

Ira Gershwin Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the 2 ...

musical ''

Of Thee I Sing ''Of Thee I Sing'' is a musical with a score by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and a book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. The musical lampoons American politics; the story concerns John P. Wintergreen, who runs for President o ...

''. But that February 16 telecast would turn out to be Carson's last appearance on the show. Despite the improved ratings, holding on to sponsors didn't get any easier. With an increase in cost to $60,000 per episode, Motorola and Norge dropped out. NBC managed to hold on to Pet Milk and persuaded

Kellogg's The Kellogg Company, doing business as Kellogg's, is an American multinational food manufacturing company headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. Kellogg's produces cereal and convenience foods, including crackers and toa ...

and Snow Crop orange juice to sign on. But the latter cut out after the May 31st telecast and was replaced the following week by Hazel Bishop Cosmetics. While starting the season at the Center Theatre in New York City, construction of the transcontinental cable line allowed the show to move to the west coast in November. It was a boon to hosts like Ed Wynn, Jimmy Durante, and Danny Thomas, who were based in Hollywood, but Jack Carson and Carson's replacement

continued to originate their shows from New York. The second season finale aired on June 21, 1952.

''All Star Summer Revue''

In 1952, instead of taking a break for the summer, ''All Star Revue'' continued. But this summer series had little relationship to the regular season show. Originating from New York's Center Theatre, there were no regular hosts, though

Dave Garroway David Cunningham Garroway (July 13, 1913 – July 21, 1982) was an American television personality. He was the founding host and anchor of NBC's ''Today'' from 1952 to 1961. His easygoing and relaxing style belied a lifelong battle with depressi ...

and Jan Murray repeated, as did a few of the guests. The budget was considerably lower, which explains why there were fewer big-name guests. Sponsors were Pet Evaporated Milk, Kellogg's Cereals ( Shredded Wheat and

All-Bran All-Bran is a high-bran, high-fibre, wheat bran breakfast cereal manufactured by Kellogg's and marketed as an aid to digestive health. History The introduction of All-Bran in 1916 came on the heels of the success of Kellogg's Bran Flakes a yea ...

), and the

United States Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces. Since July 20 ...

. The ''Summer Revue'' ran from June 28 to August 30, 1952.

Season Three

George Jessel Professor Gonzamacher All Star Revue 1953

Season 3 of ''All Star Revue'' premiered on September 6, 1952. Unfortunately, Thomas and Wynn did not make it past season 2. Olsen and Johnson were not successful among viewers either. At the time of the third-season premiere, Durante was the only one of the original four stars still on the program. Martha Raye also managed to survive the second season. To fill the open slots, NBC decided on hiring a number of showbiz veterans, including

Maurice Chevalier Maurice Auguste Chevalier (; 12 September 1888 – 1 January 1972) was a French singer, actor and entertainer. He is perhaps best known for his signature songs, including " Livin' In The Sunlight", " Valentine", " Louise", " Mimi", and " Thank H ...

and

Harold Lloyd Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American actor, comedian, and stunt performer who appeared in many silent comedy films.Obituary '' Variety'', March 10, 1971, page 55. One of the most influential film c ...

, before eventually settling on actors George Jessel and

as regular hosts. Other hosts that season were

Dennis Day Dennis Day (born Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty; May 21, 1916 – June 22, 1988) was an American actor, comedian, and singer. He was of Irish descent. Early life Day was born and raised in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx, New York City, the ...

Rosalind Russell Catherine Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907November 28, 1976) was an American actress, comedienne, screenwriter, and singer,Obituary '' Variety'', December 1, 1976, p. 79. known for her role as fast-talking newspaper reporter Hildy Johnson in the H ...

, the Ritz Brothers,

Walter O'Keefe Walter O'Keefe (August 18, 1900 – June 26, 1983) was an American songwriter, actor, syndicated columnist, Broadway composer, radio legend, screenwriter, musical arranger and TV host. Biography O'Keefe was born in Hartford, Connecticut. H ...

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signin ...

, and

Ben Blue Ben Blue (born Benjamin Bernstein; September 12, 1901 – March 7, 1975) was a Canadian-American actor and comedian who had a career that spanned nearly 50 years. Early life He was born Benjamin Bernstein in Montreal, Quebec on Septe ...

. There was also a special ice skating show starring

Sonja Henie Sonja Henie (8 April 1912 – 12 October 1969) was a Norwegian figure skater and film star. She was a three-time Olympic champion (1928, 1932, 1936) in women's singles, a ten-time World champion (1927–1936) and a six-time European champio ...

with guest

Harpo Marx Arthur "Harpo" Marx (born Adolph Marx; November 23, 1888 – September 28, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, mime artist, and harpist, and the second-oldest of the Marx Brothers. In contrast to the mainly verbal comedy of his brothers Grou ...

. Because of sponsor skittishness, there almost wasn't a third season. When Snow Crop pulled out at the end of the previous year, NBC considered cancelling the show. But Kellogg's and Pet Milk remained, and eventually, the network managed to lure Del Monte to sign on as well. Nonetheless, sponsorship was still unstable. Both Kellogg's and Del Monte dropped out at the end of 1952, leaving only Pet. Beacon Wax came on board briefly for the first show in January before being quickly replaced by

Johnson & Johnson Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is an American multinational corporation founded in 1886 that develops medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and consumer packaged goods. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company i ...

(makers of Band-Aid plastic strips). With only two sponsors remaining (Pet and J&J), NBC was forced to pay for one-third of the expenses—which didn't bode well for the show's future. Ratings were also very poor, as they had been for most of the show's run. The show could not compete in the ratings with CBS's new series ''

The Jackie Gleason Show ''The Jackie Gleason Show'' is the name of a series of American network television shows that starred Jackie Gleason, which ran from 1952 to 1970, in various forms. ''Cavalcade of Stars'' Gleason's first variety series, which aired on the DuMon ...

'' (the show ran for two years prior to premiering on CBS on DuMont under the name ''Cavalcade of Stars''). Bankhead and Jessel were not asked to return for the fourth season, nor was Durante. The third-season finale aired on April 18, 1953.

Season Four

At the end of the 1952-1953 season, it looked as though ''All Star Revue'' had finished its run. But when NBC's Saturday night comedy extravaganza ''

'' decided to switch to a three-out-of-four weeks format, the network needed something to plug into the fourth week. ''All Star Revue'' got the nod and found itself back in business. Because ''Show of Shows'' was ninety minutes long, an extra half-hour had to be tacked onto ''Revue'' to fill out the time slot. The plan was to retain the rotating hosts arrangement, with

Hoagy Carmichael Hoagland Howard Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American musician, composer, songwriter, actor and lawyer. Carmichael was one of the most successful Tin Pan Alley songwriters of the 1930s, and was among the first ...

, Henie,

Ethel Merman Ethel Merman (born Ethel Agnes Zimmermann, January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American actress and singer, known for her distinctive, powerful voice, and for leading roles in musical theatre.Obituary '' Variety'', February 22, 1984. ...

, and

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

mentioned at various times as possible hosts. Martha Raye also returned for season four. But when Raye led off the season and scored big in the ratings, NBC decided to keep her coming back. The critics liked her as well, with writer-director

Nat Hiken Nathan Hiken (June 23, 1914 – December 7, 1968) was an American radio and television writer, producer, and songwriter who rose to prominence in the 1950s. Early years Hiken was born on June 23, 1914, in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Jewish p ...

singled out as one of the major factors in the comedian's success. By the start of 1954, after all but one of the episodes had been hosted by Raye, it was decided to change the name to '' The Martha Raye Show''. This time, ''All Star Revue'' was gone for good. The last episode of the series under the ''Revue'' title aired on December 26, 1953. ''The Martha Raye Show'' aired until 1956. Jimmy Durante also received a spin-off of the series, entitled '' The Jimmy Durante Show'', which ran until 1956.

Crew

Directing staff

* Joseph Stanley * Sid Smith *

* Grey Lockwood * Ernest D. Glucksman *

James V. Kern James V. Kern (September 22, 1909, New York City, New York – November 9, 1966, Encino, California) was an American singer, songwriter, screenwriter, actor, and director. Educated at the Fordham Law School, Kern worked for a while as an attor ...

* Charles Isaacs *

Garry Simpson Garry Chalmers Simpson (February 16, 1914 – November 19, 2011) was an American director, writer, and producer for more than 35 years. Simpson was the first stage manager for NBC Television. He was also known for having directing credits on ...

Tim Whelan Tim Whelan (November 2, 1893 – August 12, 1957) was an American film director, writer, producer and actor best remembered for his writing credits on ''Harold Lloyd'' and '' Harry Langdon'' comedies, and his directing of mostly British films (e. ...

* Jim Jordan * Sid Kuller * Mortimer Offner * Dick Berger * Dee Englebach *

Buzz Kulik Seymour "Buzz" Kulik (July 23, 1922 – January 13, 1999) was an American film director and producer. He directed 72 films and television shows, including the landmark CBS television network anthology series ''Playhouse 90'' and several ep ...

Production staff

Producers

* Joe Santley * Karl Hoffenberg * Ernest D. Glucksman * Leo Morgan * Bill Harmon * Norman Zeno * Al Capstaff *

Dean Elliott William Lorenzo Bunt (May 11, 1917 – December 31, 1999), known professionally as Dean Elliott, was an American television and film composer. Career Elliott was born William Lorenzo Bunt on May 11, 1917 in Sioux City, Iowa to George Leroy Bunt ...

* Dee Englebach *

* Mortimer Offner

Associate producers

* Karl Hoffenberg * Phil Cohen

Executive producers

Samuel Fuller Samuel Michael Fuller (August 12, 1912 – October 30, 1997) was an American film director, screenwriter, novelist, journalist, and World War II veteran known for directing low-budget genre movies with controversial themes, often made ou ...

* Peter Barnum * Harold Kemp

Other

* Joe Bigelow (production supervisor/production manager) * Peter Barnum (production supervisor for NBC) * Harold Kemp (production supervisor for NBC) * William Harmon (associate production supervisor/production manager)

Writing staff

* Matt Brooks * Sam Carlton *

Dick Chevillat Dick Chevillat (December 31, 1905 – May 10, 1984) was an American writer and producer who worked in radio, film, and television. Early in his career, Chevillat wrote for ''The Jack Benny Program'' and for the Marx Brothers, and then for Sealtest- ...

* Eddie Davis * Stanley Davis * Sid Dorfman * Jack Elinson * Dee Englebach * Hal Fimberg * Marvin Fisher * George Foster * Billy Friedberg *

Larry Gelbart Larry Simon Gelbart (February 25, 1928 – September 11, 2009) was an American television writer, playwright, screenwriter, director and author, most famous as a creator and producer of the television series ''M*A*S*H'', and as co-writer of the B ...

* Ernest D. Glucksman *

Hal Goodman Harold "Hal" Goodman (May 9, 1915 - September 3, 1997) was an American producer and screenwriter. He wrote for ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'', with his partner Larry Klein. Career Goodman started his career writing for the tele ...

* Mort Green *

Paul Henning Paul William Henning (September 16, 1911 – March 25, 2005) was an American TV producer and screenwriter. Most famous for creating the television sitcom ''The Beverly Hillbillies'', he was also crucial in developing the "rural" comedies ''Pett ...

* Charles Isaacs * George Jessel * Larry Klein * Sid Kuller * Charles Lee * Virginia Lee * Mannie Manheim *

Larry Markes Lawrence Wolcott Markes (September 24, 1921 – May 19, 1999) was an American comedian, singer and screenwriter. Markes was born in Brooklyn, New York, and decided at an early age to become a writer. Soon after graduating from the University ...

* Elon Packard *

Bob Schiller Robert Achille Schiller (November 8, 1918 – October 10, 2017) was an American screenwriter. He worked extensively with fellow producer/screenwriter Bob Weiskopf on numerous television shows in the United States, including '' I Love Lucy'' (195 ...

Jerry Seelen Jerome Lincoln Seelen (March 11, 1912 - September 12, 1981) was an American screenwriter and lyricist . Biography Jerry Seelen wrote lyrics for songs in musical films and wrote screenplays for radio and television. During his lyricist career, ...

* Danny Shapiro * Ray Singer * Ben Starr * Norman Sullivan * Snag Werris

Broadcast history

NOTE: The most frequent time slot for the series in bold text. * Wednesday at 8:00-9:00 pm on NBC: October 4, 1950–July 18, 1951 * Saturday at 8:00-9:00 pm on NBC: September 18, 1951–April 18, 1953 * Saturday at 9:00-10:30 pm on NBC: October 3, 1953–December 26, 1953

All Star Summer Revue

* Saturday at 8:00-9:00 pm on NBC

Ratings

Theme music

''Four Star Revue'' used several different themes during its run especially for the first two seasons of the series. This was mainly done in part to distinguish between the four celebrities; Wynn, Thomas, Durante, and Carson, and any one episode that a celebrity would host. Theme one (for

): "Danny Thomas Theme" ::Composer: Jack Mason Theme two (for

): "You Gotta Start Off Each Day with a Song" ::Composer: Jimmy Durante Theme three (for other comedians): "All-Star Original Music" ::Composer: Jack Mason Theme four (for Olsen and Johnson, et al.): "All-Star Opening Theme" ::Composer: Milton DeLugg

Awards and nominations

References

{{Reflist 1950s American variety television series 1950 American television series debuts 1953 American television series endings Black-and-white American television shows NBC original programming Television shows filmed in New York (state) Television shows filmed in California