The Little Theater: 240 West 44th Street in Midtown Manhattan

Now known as The Helen Hayes Theater, this was formerly the Little Theater, New York Times Hall and Winthrop Ames Theater. It was built with 597 seats, but reconfigured for TV, seating was reduced to 300.

CBS used the theater as a radio studio for a time, but it was converted to television by ABC in 1958 and renamed the Little Theater. Dick Clark’s ‘Saturday Beechnut Show’ originated there from February 1958 through September 1961. During this time ABC also broadcast the daytime show ‘Who Do You Trust’ with Johnny Carson from the theater.

In the mid 60s, Westinghouse Broadcasting taped the popular syndicated Merv Griffin Show there and later, The David Frost Show. The 1969-70 season of the game show ‘Beat the Clock’ hosted by Jack Narz was also taped there. In April 2011, Colin Quinn’s one-man show ‘Long Story Short’ was recorded there as an HBO special.

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