Radio directing
CBS Radio's
Studio One (1948) On April 29, 1947, Fletcher Markle launched the 60-minute CBS Radio series with an adaptation of
Malcolm Lowry'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,
The Red Badge of Courage and
Ah, Wilderness. Top performers were heard on this series, including
John Garfield,
Walter Huston,
Mercedes McCambridge,
Burgess Meredith and
Robert Mitchum. CBS Radio received a
Peabody Award 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 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 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's novel
Nineteen Eighty-Four, 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.
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 for Best Episode in a TV Series.
Nathaniel Hawthorne'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 Ones September 9, 1957, top-rated television recreation of
Orson Welles' October 30, 1938, radio broadcast of
The War of the Worlds. The cast included
Alexander Scourby,
Ed Asner (credited as Edward Asner) and
Vincent Gardenia;
James Coburn (credited as Jim Coburn),
Warren Beatty 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 about the
Nativity of Jesus, "
The Nativity", based on the
Chester and
York Mystery Plays of the 14th and 15th centuries, reworked into
Elizabethan English. 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, 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 for the 1950–1951 season. ==Episodes==