Hollywood Star Playhouse
| Genre | Dramatic anthology |
|---|---|
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| Syndicates | CBS ABC NBC |
| Announcer | Norman Brokenshire Wendell Niles |
| Written by | Milton Geiger Frank Burt Robert Libbott |
| Directed by | Jack Johnstone |
| Narrated by | Herbert Rawlinson Orval Anderson |
| Air dates | April 24, 1950 to February 15, 1953 |
Hollywood Star Playhouse was a radio dramatic anthology series in the United States. It was broadcast April 24, 1950-February 15, 1953, appearing on CBS, ABC and NBC over that span.
As the name implies, Hollywood Star Playhouse featured movie stars, as did a number of other old-time radio programs. A news brief announcing the premiere broadcast noted that the program would feature "a different top screen personality each week in original stories of mystery and adventure by leading Hollywood writers." Those stories were what distinguished this program from others, according to radio historian John Dunning He wrote that the stories were "tense, original suspense plays well suited for the half-hour." Writers usually created scripts for specific stars. One story, The Six Shooter, broadcast April 13, 1952, starred Stewart and later was turned into a series by that same name in which Stewart starred.
By its nature, Hollywood Star Playhouse had no regular cast. Different movie stars of the era, such as James Stewart, Deborah Kerr and Victor Mature were featured each week. The program was the venue for the radio debuts of Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Charlton Heston. Casts were rounded out by radio actors such as William Conrad, Betty Lou Gerson and Harry Bartell.
The one consistent voice from week to week was the host-narrator. Herbert Rawlinson originally filled that role, followed by Orval Anderson.Jeff Alexander was the first orchestra leader for the program. Basil Adlam later had that role.
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