A CBS radio program starring Lester debuted on July 25, 1943. In 1950, he became host of
Cavalcade of Stars on the
DuMont Television Network, replacing
Jack Carter. After viewers phoned in their appreciation for Lester's guest appearance on an early television talk show, NBC president
Pat Weaver invited Lester to be one of the hosts of
Broadway Open House, Lester quit
Cavalcade of Stars and
Jackie Gleason was hired as his replacement; the show was soon renamed
The Jackie Gleason Show.
Broadway Open House went on the air in May 1950 with Lester hosting three nights a week and
Morey Amsterdam hosting two nights, but Lester soon became the show's sole emcee. In 1952, he appeared frequently as a panelist on the
ABC-TV game show ''
The Name's the Same''. Lester was host of
The Jerry Lester Show, an afternoon program on ABC-TV in 1953. Later in the 1950s, Lester appeared as a regular on the game show
Pantomime Quiz, and
variety shows such as
Saturday Night Dance Party. In 1959, he moved to
Los Angeles and became host of a local late-night comedy and musical variety show on
KTTV. Lester returned to prominence in theatre in the 1960s, appearing in the lead role of slave Pseudolus in the road production of
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, subsequently replacing
Zero Mostel on Broadway, and playing Seabee in the 1969 production of
South Pacific. == Death ==