RUSC MAILING

Written by Ned Norris

Every now and then I come across a radio series that didn’t run for very long, but still feels like a little treasure from the golden age. Four Star Playhouse is one of those.

NBC introduced the series in the summer of 1949, at a time when the network was trying to steady itself after CBS had made headlines by luring away some of radio’s biggest names. NBC’s answer was a stylish dramatic anthology built around Hollywood star power — and what star power it was.

Each week, the lead role rotated between four well-known film favorites: Fred MacMurray, Loretta Young, Rosalind Russell, and Robert Cummings. That gave the show a fresh flavor from episode to episode, with each star bringing something different to the microphone — MacMurray’s easy versatility, Young’s elegance, Russell’s sharp poise, and Cummings’ warm, likable charm.

The series ran for just 12 weekly episodes, from July 3 to September 18, 1949, but it packed a lot into that short summer run. The stories were adapted from pieces published in Cosmopolitan, with Milton Geiger handling the radio adaptations. And behind those famous names were some of radio’s finest supporting players, including Elliot Lewis, Shirley Mitchell, Paul Frees, William Conrad, and Janet Waldo.

What I enjoy about Four Star Playhouse is that it doesn’t lean on celebrity alone. The surviving episodes show real craftsmanship — tight scripts, polished production, and performers who knew how to create a whole world using only sound. It’s a fine reminder that even as television was beginning to loom larger, radio still had a remarkable ability to fire the imagination.

Only six of the twelve episodes are known to survive today, which makes them all the more special. They offer a lovely snapshot of late-1940s broadcasting: Hollywood glamour, network experimentation, and old time radio artistry all wrapped into a neat half-hour package.

If you enjoy anthology drama with big-name stars and first-rate radio acting, Four Star Playhouse is well worth a listen.

Be sure to check in to RUSC as I will be adding them throughout this week.

Happy listening,

RUSC Old Time Radiowww.rusc.com

© 2025 rusc.com