Damon Runyon Theater
| Damon Runyon Theater | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Anthology |
| Presented by | Donald Woods |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 39 |
| Production | |
| Producers | Lou Breslow Michael Kraike |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production companies | Normandie Television Pictures, Inc. |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | April 16, 1955 – June 30, 1956 |
Damon Runyon Theater is an American television program that presented dramatized versions of Damon Runyon's short stories. Hosted by Donald Woods,[1] the program, sponsored by Anheuser-Busch's Budweiser beer, aired for a total of 39 episodes on CBS from April 1955 through February 1956 (repeats continued through June).
Sidney Miller directed the program.[2]
Radio
Damon Runyon Theatre was broadcast on radio in the late 1940s. Actor John Brown had the role of Broadway, the narrator, and portrayed a leading character in each episode. Russell Hughes adapted Runyon's stories, including "Harrigan, the Cop", "Harry, the Horse", "Little Miss Marker", and "Milk-Ear Willie".[3] Richard Sanville directed the program, and Vern Carstensen was the producer. Stations that carried the show included WOR in New York[4] and KGO in San Francisco.[5]
Episode list
Season 1
| # | Title | Original Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | "Pick the Winner" (pilot) | April 16, 1955 |
| 1-2 | "Dancing Dan's Christmas" | April 23, 1955 |
| 1-3 | "All Is Not Gold" | April 30, 1955 |
| 1-4 | "The Lacework Kid" | May 7, 1955 |
| 1-5 | "Numbers and Figures" | May 14, 1955 |
| 1-6 | "Tobias the Terrible" | May 21, 1955 |
| 1-7 | "Old Em's Kentucky Home" | May 28, 1955 |
| 1-8 | "Lonely Heart" | June 4, 1955 |
| 1-9 | "It Comes Up Money" | June 11, 1955 |
| 1-10 | "The Big Umbrella" | June 18, 1955 |
| 1-11 | "Big Shoulders" | June 25, 1955 |
| 1-12 | "Teacher's Pet" | July 2, 1955 |
| 1-13 | "The Mink Doll" | July 9, 1955 |
| 1-14 | "Bunny On the Beach" | July 16, 1955 |
| 1-15 | "The Big Fix" | July 23, 1955 |
| 1-16 | "A Light In France" | July 30, 1955 |
| 1-17 | "A Nice Price" | August 6, 1955 |
| 1-18 | "Small Town Caper" | August 13, 1955 |
| 1-19 | "There's No Forever" | August 20, 1955 |
| 1-20 | "Earthquake Morgan" | August 27, 1955 |
Season 2
| # | Title | Original Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 2-1 | "Bred For Battle" | October 15, 1955 |
| 2-2 | "Miami Moolah" | October 22, 1955 |
| 2-3 | "Situation Wanted" | October 29, 1955 |
| 2-4 | "A Star Lights Up" | November 5, 1955 |
| 2-5 | "Broadway Dateline" | November 12, 1955 |
| 2-6 | "A Job For the Macarone" | November 26, 1955 |
| 2-7 | "Barbecue" | December 3, 1955 |
| 2-8 | "Honorary Degree" | December 10, 1955 |
| 2-9 | "Dog About Town" | December 17, 1955 |
| 2-10 | "Blonde Mink" | December 24, 1955 |
| 2-11 | "Judy the Jinx" | December 31, 1955 |
| 2-12 | "The Face of Johnny Dolliver" | January 7, 1956 |
| 2-13 | "Cleo" | January 14, 1956 |
| 2-14 | "The Good Luck Kid" | January 21, 1956 |
| 2-15 | "The Pee Wees Take Over" | January 28, 1956 |
| 2-16 | "The Pigeon Gets Plucked" | February 4, 1956 |
| 2-17 | "A Tale of Two Citizens" | February 11, 1956 |
| 2-18 | "Hot Oil" | February 18, 1956 |
| 2-19 | "Miracle Jones" | February 25, 1956 |
Guest Stars
Actors who appeared on the series included:
- Jack Albertson
- Gene Barry
- Frances Bavier
- Jack Carson
- Dane Clark
- Charles Coburn
- Broderick Crawford
- Paul Douglas
- Edward Everett Horton
- Mona Freeman
- Coleen Gray
- Barbara Hale
- John Ireland
- Dorothy Lamour
- Thomas Mitchell
- Hugh O'Brian
- Edmond O'Brien
- Cesar Romero
- James Whitmore
- Keenan Wynn
- Fay Wray
- Larry Roberts
References
- ^ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 230. ISBN 978-0-7864-64777.
- ^ Scheuer, Steven H. (November 12, 1955). "Real Pro At Helm Of Runyon". The Record. New Jersey, Hackensack. p. 40. Retrieved June 11, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Radio and Television". The New York Times. July 26, 1949. p. 48. Retrieved November 26, 2020 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "The Damon Runyon Theater" (PDF). Billboard. September 3, 1949. p. 12. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- ^ "On the dotted line ..." (PDF). Broadcasting. p. 24. Retrieved November 26, 2020.