The Dick Powell Show
The Dick Powell Show is an American anthology series that ran on NBC from 1961 to 1963, primarily sponsored by the Reynolds Metals Company. It was hosted by longtime film star Dick Powell until his death from lung cancer on January 2, 1963, then by a series of guest hosts (under the revised title The Dick Powell Theater) until the series ended. The first of these hosts was Gregory Peck, who began the January 8 program with a tribute to Powell, recognizing him as "a great and good friend to our industry."[1] Peck was followed by fellow actors such as Robert Mitchum, Frank Sinatra, Ronald Reagan, Glenn Ford, Charles Boyer, Jackie Cooper, Rock Hudson, Milton Berle, Jack Lemmon, Dean Martin, Robert Taylor, Steve McQueen, David Niven, Danny Thomas, Robert Wagner, and John Wayne.[2]
| The Dick Powell Show | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | The Dick Powell Theater |
| Directed by | Blake Edwards, Sam Peckinpah, Ralph Nelson, Arthur Hiller, Robert Ellis Miller, Lewis Allen, Ray Milland, Buzz Kulik, Don Medford |
| Starring | Dick Powell Milton Berle Charles Boyer Jackie Cooper Glenn Ford Rock Hudson Jack Lemmon Dean Martin Steve McQueen Robert Mitchum David Niven Gregory Peck Frank Sinatra Robert Taylor Danny Thomas Robert Wagner John Wayne |
| Composer | Herschel Burke Gilbert |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 60 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 45–48 minutes |
| Production company | Four Star Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Picture format | Black-and-white |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | September 26, 1961 – April 30, 1963 |
Overview
The series was an anthology of various dramas and comedies. It featured many future stars, producers, and directors early in their careers, including Aaron Spelling, Sam Peckinpah, and Bruce Geller. Blake Edwards wrote and directed a number of episodes, including two featuring Robert Vaughn as an Ivy League private eye known as The Boston Terrier. Several episodes, including those featuring The Boston Terrier, doubled as pilots for potential Four Star Television series, including an unsuccessful attempt to revive The Westerner in a modern-day setting, featuring Lee Marvin in Brian Keith's original role. The original pilot episode for Burke's Law ("Who Killed Julie Greer?"), starring Powell as Amos Burke, appeared as the debut episode of this series, featuring Ronald Reagan (who later went on serve as the Governor of California, and then become the 40th President of the United States).
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater had run on CBS in the late 1950s, but he switched networks for his last series. The Dick Powell Show was one of the many productions of Four Star Television. The series' theme, "More Than Love" ("Theme from The Dick Powell Show") and the majority of musical compositions heard throughout the series were the work of Herschel Burke Gilbert.
References
- "Reading Eagle - Google News Archive Search". google.com. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- "The Press-Courier - Google News Archive Search". google.com. Retrieved 3 September 2015.