''Studio One'' is an American

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...

drama television series that was adapted from a radio series. It was created in 1947 by Canadian director

Fletcher Markle Fletcher Markle (March 27, 1921 – May 23, 1991) was a Canadian actor, screenwriter, television producer and Film director, director. Markle began a radio career in Canada, then worked in radio, film and television in the United States. Early y ...

, who came to CBS from the CBC. It premiered on November 7, 1948, and ended on September 29, 1958, with a total of 467 episodes over the course of 10 seasons.

History

Radio

On April 29, 1947, Fletcher Markle launched the 60-minute CBS Radio series with an adaptation of

Malcolm Lowry Clarence Malcolm Lowry (; 28 July 1909 – 26 June 1957) was an English poet and novelist who is best known for his 1947 novel ''Under the Volcano'', which was voted No. 11 in the Modern Library's 100 Best Novels list.

's ''Under the Volcano''. Broadcast on Tuesdays opposite '' Fibber McGee and Molly'' and '' The Bob Hope Show'' at 9:30 pm Eastern Time, the radio series continued until July 27, 1948, showcasing such adaptations as '' Dodsworth'', ''

Pride and Prejudice ''Pride and Prejudice'' is the second published novel (but third to be written) by English author Jane Austen, written when she was age 20-21, and later published in 1813. A novel of manners, it follows the character development of Elizabe ...

'', '' The Red Badge of Courage'' and '' Ah, Wilderness''. Top performers were heard on this series, including

John Garfield John Garfield (born Jacob Julius Garfinkle; March 4, 1913 – May 21, 1952) was an American actor who played brooding, rebellious, working-class characters. He grew up in poverty in New York City. In the early 1930s, he became a member of ...

, Walter Huston, Mercedes McCambridge, Burgess Meredith and Robert Mitchum. CBS Radio received a

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...

for ''Studio One'' in 1947, citing Markle's choice of material and the authenticity of his adaptations "in a production, which at its best, is distinguished for its taste, restraint, and radio craftsmanship".

Move to television

In 1948, Markle transitioned from radio to television. Sponsored by

Westinghouse Electric Corporation The Westinghouse Electric Corporation was an American manufacturing company founded in 1886 by George Westinghouse and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was originally named "Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company" and was ...

, the television series was seen on CBS (which Westinghouse later owned between 1995 and 2000), from 1948 through 1958, under several variant titles: ''Studio One Summer Theatre'', ''Studio One in Hollywood'', ''Summer Theatre'', ''Westinghouse Studio One'' and ''Westinghouse Summer Theatre''. It was telecast in black-and-white only. Offering a wide range of dramas, ''Studio One'' received

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...

nominations every year from 1950 to 1958. The series staged some notable and memorable teleplays among its 467 episodes. Some created such an impact, they were adapted into theatrical films. William Templeton's 1953 adaptation of

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist, and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to a ...

's novel ''

Nineteen Eighty-Four ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' (also published as ''1984'') is a dystopian novel and cautionary tale by the English writer George Orwell. It was published on 8 June 1949 by Secker & Warburg as Orwell's ninth and final completed book. Thematically ...

'', starring Eddie Albert as Winston Smith, led to the 1956 feature-film version with Edmond O'Brien in the principal role. Reginald Rose's drama " Twelve Angry Men", about the conflicts of jurors deciding a murder case, originated on ''Studio One'' on September 20, 1954; and the 1957 motion picture remake with Henry Fonda was nominated for three

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

. Sal Mineo had the title role in the January 2, 1956, episode of Reginald Rose's "Dino", and he reprised the role for the film '' Dino'' (1957). In 1954, "Crime at Blossoms", scripted by Jerome Ross, was given an

Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America which is based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards hon ...

for Best Episode in a TV Series.

Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne (né Hathorne; July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion. He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associat ...

's granddaughter received a plaque in recognition of her grandfather's writing achievements during the April 3, 1950, telecast of '' The Scarlet Letter''. " The Night America Trembled" was ''Studio One''s September 9, 1957, top-rated television recreation of

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

' October 30, 1938, radio broadcast of '' The War of the Worlds''. The cast included

Alexander Scourby Alexander Scourby (; November 13, 1913 – February 22, 1985) was an American film actor, film, television actor, television, and voice actor and narrator known for his deep and resonant voice and Northeastern elite accent, Mid-Atlantic acce ...

, Ed Asner (credited as Edward Asner) and Vincent Gardenia;

James Coburn James Harrison Coburn III (August 31, 1928 – November 18, 2002) was an American film and television actor who was featured in more than 70 films, largely action roles, and made 100 television appearances during a 45-year career.AllmoviBi ...

(credited as Jim Coburn),

Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career has spanned over six decades, and he has received an Academy Award and three Golden Globe Awards. He also received the Irving G. Thalberg Memor ...

and Warren Oates all made their television debuts in bit parts. John Astin appeared uncredited as a reporter. Another notable presentation was an adaptation in 1952 of a medieval

mystery play Mystery plays and miracle plays (they are distinguished as two different forms although the terms are often used interchangeably) are among the earliest formally developed plays in medieval Europe. Medieval mystery plays focused on the represe ...

about the

Nativity of Jesus The Nativity or birth of Jesus Christ is found in the biblical gospels of Gospel of Matthew, Matthew and Gospel of Luke, Luke. The two accounts agree that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Palestine, in Herodian kingdom, Roman-controlled Judea, th ...

, " The Nativity", based on the

Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...

and York Mystery Plays of the 14th and 15th centuries, reworked into

Elizabethan English Early Modern English (sometimes abbreviated EModEFor example, or EMnE) or Early New English (ENE) is the stage of the English language from the beginning of the Tudor period to the English Interregnum (England), Interregnum and Stuart Restor ...

. With musical accompaniment by the Robert Shaw Chorale, and presented during the Christmas season of 1952, it was one of the few medieval mystery plays telecast on commercial network television. The cast included Thomas Hardie Chalmers, Miriam Wolfe, Hurd Hatfield and Paul Tripp. During the 1953 presentation "Dry Run", whole sections of a submarine were built inside the studio, and the entire cast was nearly electrocuted when water that was being used for special effects got very close to power cables. Worthington Miner, Martin Manulis and others produced. As the official commercial spokeswoman for Westinghouse, Betty Furness became strongly identified with the Westinghouse products she advertised and demonstrated during the commercial breaks, and she was also seen as an actress in eight ''Studio One'' dramas. The show's musical directors were Milton C. Anderson, who also created music for ''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' is an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 134 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of t ...

'', and Eugene Cines. The show's musical orchestra was also directed in several episodes during the 1950s by Alfredo Antonini. The show's run ended when Westinghouse switched its sponsorship to the '' Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse'', which premiered in 1958. The series finished at number 24 in the

Nielsen ratings Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...

for the 1950–1951 season.

Episodes

Lost episode

For years, the second half of the original TV production of "Twelve Angry Men" was considered lost. However, in 2003, Joseph Consentino, a researcher-producer for The History Channel, discovered a complete

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 1940s ...

of the ''Studio One'' production in the home of the late New York defense attorney (and later judge) Samuel Leibowitz. Consentino was researching a History Channel documentary about Leibowitz, and the discovery was announced by the Museum of Television & Radio (now The Paley Center for Media). Many ''Studio One'' episodes are available for viewing at the Paley Center for Media in New York City and Los Angeles, and some are available through

Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...

Awards and nominations

Home media

In 2008, Koch Vision released the ''Studio One Anthology'' with 17 episodes. The episodes contain the original Westinghouse commercials. Bonus features include the "Studio One Seminar" from the Paley Center for Media; an interview with director Paul Nickell, footage from the Archive of American Television and a featurette on the series. The episode "Twelve Angry Men" is also included as a bonus on the

Criterion Collection The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films". A "sister company" of arthouse film distributo ...

DVD and

Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...

releases of the 1957 film. Amazon.com is also issuing several made-to-order DVDs of episodes not included in the Koch Vision Anthology.

Preservation

The episode "Walk Down the Hill" was digitally preserved by the UCLA Film & Television Archive in collaboration with Paramount Pictures Archive from 16mm kinescope picture and track negative elements and a composite kinescope. Preservation funding was provided by the John H. Mitchell Television Preservation Endowment. The preserved episode screened at the 2024 UCLA Festival of Preservation.

References

External links

*
''Studio One'' production files, 1948–1955
held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division,

New York Public Library for the Performing Arts The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, is located at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, in the Lincoln Center complex on the Upper West Side in Manhattan, New York City. Situated between the Metropolitan O ...

Thousand Oaks Library: Fletcher Markle Collection

Watch

''Studio One'' (September 29, 1952): Westinghouse spokeswoman Betty Furness explains UHF and demonstrates the UHF adapter

''Studio One'' (May 18, 1953): Opening scenes of "The Laughmaker" with Jackie Gleason and Art Carney

Listen to

Wisconsin Public Radio; ''Studio One'': ''Babbitt''
* {{EmmyAward DramaSeries 1951-1975 CBS original programming CBS Radio programs 1948 American television series debuts 1958 American television series endings 1940s American radio programs 1940s American anthology television series 1950s American anthology television series American radio dramas Television series based on radio series 1940s American drama television series 1950s American drama television series Black-and-white American television shows Edgar Award–winning works American English-language television shows Television series by CBS Studios Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series winners Peabody Award–winning radio programs Studio One Anthology radio series CBS television dramas