''Mayor of the Town'' is a syndicated American

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

and

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

that aired in 1954.

Premise

''Mayor of the Town'' was based on the radio series of the same name, which ran from 1942 until 1949. In 1954, writer Jean Holloway created a televised version of the radio program. The series, also titled ''Mayor of the Town'', premiered in November 1954. The series took place in the fictional small American town of Springdale. The series mainly focuses around the mayoral and personal life of Mayor Thomas Russell, (played by Thomas Mitchell). The series co-starred

Kathleen Freeman Kathleen Freeman (February 17, 1923August 23, 2001) was an American actress. In a career that spanned more than 50 years, she portrayed acerbic maids, secretaries, teachers, busybodies, nurses, and battle-axe neighbors and relatives, almost in ...

as Mayor Russell's housekeeper, Marilly, and his ward, Butch, was played by David Saber.

Background

Planning for the program began in 1951, calling for Lionel Barrymore to reprise his radio role as the title character. However, production did not begin until 1954, when Barrymore's health prevented him from acting. Mitchell was selected to take Barrymore's place.

Cast

* Thomas Mitchell as Mayor Thomas Russell *

as Marilly *

Jean Byron Jean Byron (born Imogene Audette Burkhart; December 10, 1925February 3, 2006) was an American film, television, and stage actress. She is best known for the role of Natalie Lane, Patty Lane's mother in ''The Patty Duke Show''. She was also know ...

as Minnie * Tudor Owen as Joe Ainsley

Production and distribution

Rawlins-Grant Productions and Gross-Krasne Films produced the series. UTP was the initial distributor, followed by MCA. All 39 episodes of the series were broadcast in first-run syndication before generally ending in 1955. The Los Angeles market was an exception, as broadcasting of the series there began in 1956 with sponsorship by Richfield Oil.

References

External links

*''{{IMDb title, 0046622'' 1954 American television series debuts 1955 American television series endings American comedy-drama television series CBS original programming First-run syndicated television programs in the United States