‘Producer’s Showcase’, NBC 1954-1957
‘Producer’s Showcase’, NBC 1954-1957
This “spectacular” was a creation of NBC President Pat Weaver and was overseen by the great producer/director Fred Coe. Thirty seven elaborate episodes of this 90 minute, live color show aired at 8PM every forth Monday. Production was done at NBC Brooklyn. The ambitious series presented original musicals or plays, re-staging of Broadway productions, great concert artists, and tribute programs. Producers’ Showcase presented the first international show with live remote locations (‘Wide Wide World’), and the first full-length Broadway production on color television which was ‘Peter Pan’. Only top talent starred in each unique production and the list of names is a who’s who including appearances by movie stars Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Henry Fonda in ‘Petrified Forrest’, Broadway’s Mary Martin in ‘Peter Pan’, ballet stars Margot Fonteyn and Michael Somes in ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Sleeping Beauty’. The series earned eight Emmy Awards and dozens of nominations. The photo is from ‘Cinderella’ which aired April 29, 1957 and there is a short clip from the Kinescope capture.
NBC has announced that they are going ahead with plans for a live broadcast of “Peter Pan” in December of this year as a follow up to the “Live Sound of Music” broadcast done in December of last year. Hopefully they have learned from the Sound of Music broadcast and will do “Peter Pan’ justice.