Westinghouse Studio One - Move To Television

Move To Television

In 1948, Markle made a quantum leap from radio to television. Sponsored by Westinghouse Electric Corporation, the television series was seen on CBS (which Westinghouse 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 466 episodes. Some created such an impact they were adapted into theatrical films. In 1953, William Templeton's adaptation of George Orwell's novel, starring Eddie Fisher as WInston Smith, in turn led to the 1956 Feature film version with Edmond O'Brien in the title role. Reginald Rose's drama Twelve Angry Men, about the conflicts of jurors deciding a murder case, originated on Studio One on 20 September 1954, and the 1957 motion picture remake with Henry Fonda was nominated for three Academy Awards. Sal Mineo had the title role in the 2 January 1956 episode of Reginald Rose's Dino, and he reprised the role for the movie 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 3 April 1950 telecast of The Scarlet Letter.

The Night America Trembled was Studio One's 9 September 1957 top-rated television recreation of Orson Welles' radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds on 30 October 1938. The cast included Alexander Scourby, Ed Asner and Warren Oates. James Coburn made his television debut, and John Astin appeared uncredited as a reporter. In one of his earliest acting roles, Warren Beatty appeared in the bit part of a card-playing college student.

Another notable presentation was an adaptation in 1952 of a medieval mystery play about the birth of Christ, 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, this 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.

The show's run ended when Westinghouse switched its sponsorship to the Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, which premiered in 1958.

Worthington Miner, Martin Manulis and others produced. As spokeswoman for Westinghouse, Betty Furness became strongly identified with Westinghouse products, and she also was seen in eight Studio One dramas. The show's musical directors were Milton C. Anderson, who also created music for Playhouse 90, and Eugene Cines.