Known for Acting
Four Star Playhouse is an American television anthology series that ran from 1952 to 1956, sponsored in its first bi-weekly season by The Singer Company; Bristol-Myers became an alternate sponsor when it became a weekly series in the fall of 1953. The original premise was that Charles Boyer, Ida Lupino, David Niven, and Dick Powell would take turns starring in episodes. However, several other performers took the lead from time to time, including Ronald Colman and Joan Fontaine. Blake Edwards was among the writers and directors who contributed to the series. Edwards created the recurring character of illegal gambling house operator Willie Dante for Dick Powell to play on this series. The character was later revamped and spun off in his own series starring Howard Duff, then-husband of Lupino. The pilot for Meet McGraw, starring Frank Lovejoy, aired here, as did another episode in which Lovejoy recreated his role of Chicago newspaper reporter Randy Stone, from the radio drama Nightbeat.
In New York, Sheila Bennet and her spouse, Matt Krane, are trying to unload a trove of rare jewels they smuggled into America from Cuba, but the police are hot on the couple's trail. Meanwhile, government officials begin a desperate search for an unknown individual who is infecting the city with smallpox.
An Episcopal Bishop, Henry Brougham, has been working for months on the plans for an elaborate new cathedral which he hopes will be paid for primarily by a wealthy, stubborn widow. He is losing sight of his family and of why he became a churchman in the first place. Enter Dudley, an angel sent to help him. Dudley does help everyone he meets, but not necessarily in the way they would have preferred. With the exception of Henry, everyone loves him, but Henry begins to believe that Dudley is there to replace him, both at work and in his family's affections, as Christmas approaches.
A romantic drifter gets caught between a corrupt tycoon and his voluptuous wife.
Poignant true story of Pastor Armin Ritter, who is sent to build a church in a backwoods community and rebuilds the faith of the residents. He ministers to the town folk, including an alcoholic carpenter.
Ernie Reardon, the superintendent, and Bill O'Hara, the foreman, of a construction company crew working on a bridge to a remote valley, are constantly quarreling over small and minor matter, especially when it comes to Peg Mallory, whom both men are romancing and Peg enjoys the attention. Thed work is suspended when a worker is killed, but a flood is approaching and the valley citizens are in dire straits unless the bridge is completed - in a hurry.
Red Ryder convinces homesteaders to settle in Paradise Valley. Business men in nearby Central City want control of the valley and water supply and propose to build a dam for half interest in the land. They use Red to generate interest in the dam but when the dam is completed, they rig the stockholder's meeting so Central City will get the water.
Miss Hinklefink inherits a western ranch, and to spend the summer with Professor Townley, she invites Freddie, Dodie, Betty, Lee, and Roy to spend their vacation on the ranch if Townley will chaperone. Meanwhile, a real estate agent tries to persuade her to send the kids home when desperadoes rob the bank.
The adventures of a boy and his dog in a small town.
Raised by Natalie Brennan, a flamboyant and irresponsible mother, Ziggy Brennan gets involved in hustling men at a young age. She hangs around with a wild crowd and learns gets her "street smarts" first from her mother, who wants everyone to think they are sisters, and then from Denny Reagan, an older man. He starts teaching her his tricks of the trade and she falls right in line with his crooked ways. Then one night she meets Martin J. 'Mart' Neilson, a tall, handsome, honest farmer boy who's a sailor and they fall in love. While he's away fighting the war, she discovers she's pregnant.
In this 1946 All Star Comedy (production number 8434) remake of 1935's "I Don't Remember" short starring Harry Langdon, Sterling Holloway is on his way to make an installment payment on his furniture when a crony talks him into buying an Irish Sweepstakes ticket, and when Sterling's furniture is repossesed, he paints pictures of furniture on his walls to relieve the bareness. He wins the sweepstakes but has forgotten where the winning stub is.
The Duchess, the aunt of Red Ryder, comes to town to protect her property. Crawford, a town big-shot behind an outlaw gang, tries to prevent her from reaching her destination, but the attack is thwarted by Red. The latter is made town marshal, and when he gets too close to the truth and is making it too hot for the Crawford faction, Crawford has his henchman Luke kidnap Red's Indian friend Little Beaver.
