Hollywood Opening Night (1951-53)
Episode Guide compiled by The Classic TV Archive
with contributions by:
Rina Fox
references:
Library of Congress (telnet://locis.loc.gov)
Internet Movie Database (https://us.imdb.com)
UCLA Film and Television Archive
HOLLYWOOD OPENING NIGHT
Jul 1951-Mar 1952, CBS Fri 10:30-11:00 (filmed dramas)
Oct 1952-Mar 1953, NBC Mon 9:00-9:30 (live dramas)
Second Season Produced by William Corrigan
US Anthology series 1951-53 (July 20, 1951 to March 23, 1953)
Hosted by Jimmy Fidler (1952-53)
######### Hollywood Opening Night ##########
############ season 1 1951-52 ############
#######################################
Live from New York until October 6, 1952
when it was moved to the NBC Burbank Studio,
where it became the first live dramatic anthology
from the West Coast.
Season 1 episodes were mainly repeats
from the
Stars Over
Hollywood series
[01] Hollywood Opening Night: THE SECOND MRS. SANDS
20Jul1951 CBS Fri
starring
Hillary Brooke
Synopsis:
A woman plots to do away with her husband. [RF]
[02] Hollywood Opening Night: THE DEVIL YOU SAY
27Jul1951 CBS Fri
starring
Fred Sherman
*NOTE: Originally aired on "Stars Over Hollywood" 09May51.
[03] Hollywood Opening Night:
03Aug1951 CBS Fri
[04] Hollywood Opening Night: THE AGELESS
10Aug1951 CBS Fri
starring
Onslow Stevens
Synopsis:
A stranger brings peace and happiness into the troubled lives of the occupants
of a dingy waterfront hotel. [RF]
[05] Hollywood Opening Night: AUTUMN FLAMES
17Aug1951 CBS Fri
starring
Onslow Stevens
Maria Palmer
Synopsis:
A man and his wife encounter problems when an artist comes between them. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
A woman after 14 years of marriage, thinks that the romance between herself and
her husband has died. [RF]
*NOTE: Originally aired on "Stars Over Hollywood" 28Feb51.
[06] Hollywood Opening Night: THE RETURN OF VAN SICKLE
24Aug1951 CBS Fri
starring
Cliff Arquette .... Mr. Van Sickle
Synopsis:
A play about the unstuffing of a very stuffy son-in-law by Mr. Van Sickle. [RF]
*NOTE: Originally aired on "Stars Over Hollywood" 07Feb51.
[07] Hollywood Opening Night:
31Aug1951 CBS Fri
[08] Hollywood Opening Night: SON OF THE ROCK
07Sep1951 CBS Fri
starring
Ellen Corby
Stanley Andrews
John Qualen
Synopsis:
A tale of a young man who has been taught by his father to be ruthless in
business and of the mother's ability
in overcoming this situation. [RF]
Synopsis 2:
A stern father raises an even sterner son who alienates his mother by taking
over her husband's business. [RF]
Syndication airing on "Hollywood Playhouse" 01Dec1955.
*NOTE: Originally aired on "Stars Over Hollywood" 21Feb51.
[09] Hollywood Opening Night: HAND ON MY SHOULDER
14Sep1951 CBS Fri
starring
Frank Jenks
Marjorie Lord
Synopsis:
A racetrack tout hits a streak of luck and learns to share it with others. [RF]
*NOTE: Originally aired on "Stars Over Hollywood" 14Feb51.
*TRIVIA: A racetrack tout is someone who offers advice about betting on horses
or influence the odds in hope
of sharing the winnings.
[10] Hollywood Opening Night: WHEN THE DEVIL IS SICK
21Sep1951 CBS Fri
starring
Larry Blake
Dorothy Adams
Synopsis:
A roistering tippler temporarily reforms when he suffers a heart attack. [RF]
*NOTE: Aired originally on "Stars Over Hollywood" 07Mar51.
[11] Hollywood Opening Night: SOME SMALL NOBILITY
28Sep1951 CBS Fri
starring
Joan Banks
Synopsis:
A woman puts on airs to make herself seem important.
Synopsis 2:
When a wife discovers that her husband has but one year to live, she sacrifices
everything in order to make
his last year a happy one. [RF]
*NOTE: Originally aired on "Stars Over Hollywood" 04Oct50.
[12] Hollywood Opening Night: OLD MOTHER HUBBARD
05Oct1951 CBS Fri
starring
Ellen Corby
Craig Stevens
Synopsis:
A mother checks up on her daughter's employer by taking a job as the cleaning
woman in his office and she
makes some surprising discoveries. [RF]
*NOTE: Originally aired on "Stars Over Hollywood" 28Mar51.
[13] Hollywood Opening Night: PRETTY BOY
15Oct1951 CBS Mon
starring
Robert Clarke
Lynne Roberts
Richard Benedict
*NOTE: Originally aired on "Stars Over Hollywood" 25Apr51.
[14] Hollywood Opening Night: GIRL OR GHOST
22Oct1951 CBS Mon
starring
Gloria Saunders
Herb Patterson
Synopsis:
A comedy of love between a comely Puritan ghost and a writer of history. [RF]
*NOTE: Originally aired on "Stars Over Hollywood" 09May51.
[15] Hollywood Opening Night: ROCK AGAINST THE SEA
29Oct1951 CBS Mon
starring
Mary Stuart
Synopsis:
A young librarian falls in love with a handsome sea captain, but her fear of the
sea interferes. [RF]
*NOTE: Originally aired on "Stars Over Hollywood" 18Oct50.
[16] Hollywood Opening Night: TEXAS PARSON
05Nov1951 CBS Mon
starring
Ross Ford
Lynne Roberts
Synopsis:
A tale of a preacher in the old West who found that his meekness did nothing
about cleaning up a town,
so he did it another way. [RF]
*NOTE: Originally aired on "Stars Over Hollywood" 18Oct50.
[17] Hollywood Opening Night: GRADY EVERETT FOR THE PEOPLE
12Nov1951 CBS Mon
written by Rod Serling
starring
Bert Freed
Synopsis:
Grady Everett is a selfish politician who fixes everything but the disaster he
brings upon himself. [RF]
*NOTE: Originally aired on "Stars Over Hollywood" 13Sep50.
[18] Hollywood Opening Night: LANDING AT DAYBREAK
19Nov1951 CBS Mon
starring
Anita Louise
Ray Montgomery
Marcia Van Dyke
Synopsis:
An airliner fighting for existence in a big storm as a young woman in love with
a married man tells her
story in flashbacks. [RF]
*NOTE: Originally aired on "Stars Over Hollywood" 29Nov50.
[19] Hollywood Opening Night: CREW CUT
26Nov1951 CBS Mon
starring
Bill Williams
Synopsis:
A former barber in the US Navy saves a friend at the expense of a General's
hair-piece. [RF]
[20] Hollywood Opening Night: SHOWDOWN
03Dec1951 CBS Mon
starring
Lurene Tuttle
Synopsis:
A tale set in a frontier town of the Old West and Granny is pitted against the
town tough guy. [RF]
*NOTE: Originally aired on "Stars Over Hollywood" 25Oct50.
[21] Hollywood Opening Night: THE LAST LETTER
10Dec1951 CBS Mon
starring
Onslow Stevens
Ross Ford
Synopsis:
An invalid woman thinks her husband is a policeman. [RF]
[22] Hollywood Opening Night: THIS LITTLE PIG CRIED
17Dec1951 CBS Mon
starring
Frances Rafferty
Robert Rockwell
Synopsis:
The story of a piggy bank containing the joint savings of a young couple intend
on getting unhitched. [RF]
*NOTE: Originally aired on "Stars Over Hollywood" 15Nov50.
[23] Hollywood Opening Night: CHRISTMAS FOR SWEENEY
24Dec1951 CBS Mon
starring
Bruce Cabot
*NOTE: Originally aired on "Stars Over Hollywood" 20Dec50.
[24] Hollywood Opening Night:
31Dec1951 CBS Mon
[25] Hollywood Opening Night:
07Jan1952 CBS Mon
[26] Hollywood Opening Night:
14Jan1952 CBS Mon
[27] Hollywood Opening Night: MY NEPHEW NORWELL
21Jan1952 CBS Mon
starring
Harold Peary
*NOTE: Originally aired on "Stars Over Hollywood" 03Jan51.
[28] Hollywood Opening Night: THE KIRBYS
28Jan1952 CBS Mon
starring
Ann Rutherford
Cameron Mitchell
*NOTE: Originally aired on "Stars Over Hollywood" 18Apr51.
[29] Hollywood Opening Night:
04Feb1952 CBS Mon
[30] Hollywood Opening Night:
11Feb1952 CBS Mon
[31] Hollywood Opening Night:
18Feb1952 CBS Mon
[32] Hollywood Opening Night: THE HOUSEKEEPER
25Feb1952 CBS Mon
starring
Albert Dekker
Synopsis:
A psychiatrist makes an error in a diagnosis which leads to further
complications. [RF]
[33] Hollywood Opening Night:
03Mar1952 CBS Mon
[34] Hollywood Opening Night: NOR GLOOM OF NIGHT
10Mar1952 CBS Mon
starring
Buddy Ebsen
*NOTE: Originally aired on "Stars Over Hollywood" 16May51.
*Some listings say "Nor Bloom of Night".
[35] Hollywood Opening Night: PRISON DOCTOR
17Mar1952 CBS Mon
starring
Cameron Mitchell
Raymond Burr
Synopsis:
A young prison doctor saves a man from the electric chair during this
psychological drama. [RF]
*NOTE: Originally aired on "Stars Over Hollywood" 14Mar51.
[36] Hollywood Opening Night: STRANGE ENCOUNTER
24Mar1952 CBS Mon
starring
Jorja Curtright
########## Hollywood Opening Night #########
############ season 2 1952-53 ############
#######################################
2.01 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: TERRIBLE TEMPERED TOLLIVER
06-Oct-1952
Produced & directed by William Corrigan
NBC sportcaster Bill Stern was used as the story consultant.
Guest cast:
William Bendix
Peggy Ann Garner
Synopsis:
An umpire never reversed a decision is now hit with failing eyesight
and his daughter is falling in love with a rookie he doesn't like.
2.02 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: LET GEORGE DO IT
13-Oct-1952
Guest cast:
Richard Egan
Ann Sothern
2.03 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: DELAYING ACTION
20-Oct-1952
Guest cast:
John Agar
John Hodiak
Tab Hunter
2.04 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: SOMEBODY I KNOW
27-Oct-1952
Guest cast:
James Dunn
Peggy Ann Garner
Ann Harding
2.05 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: WELCOME HOME, STRANGER
03-Nov-1952
Guest cast:
Mark Stevens
Teresa Wright
2.06 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: THIRTY DAYS
10-Nov-1952
Guest cast:
Edward Arnold
Robert Stack
2.07 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: HOPE CHEST
17-Nov-1952
Guest cast:
Macdonald Carey
Joan Caulfield
2.08 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: THE SINGING YEARS
24-Nov-1952
Guest cast:
Dorothy Lamour
2.09 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: THE LUCKY COIN
01-Dec-1952
Guest cast:
Wendell Corey
Maureen O'Sullivan
2.10 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: MYSTERIOUS WAYS
08-Dec-1952
Guest cast:
Ethel Barrymore
2.11 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: SWORD PLAY
15-Dec-1952
Script by Eliot Asinof
Story by Rafael Sabatini
Directed by William Corrigan
Hosted by Jimmie Fidler & Jimmy Wallington
Guest cast:
David Niven
2.12 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: JOSIE
22-Dec-1952
Guest cast:
Jane Darwell
James Dunn
Ann Whitfield
2.13 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: PRICELESS GIFT
29-Dec-1952
Guest cast:
Ronald Reagan
2.14 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: LEGAL AFFAIR
05-Jan-1953
Guest cast:
Nina Foch
Franchot Tone
2.15 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: THE LIVING IMAGE
12-Jan-1953
Guest cast:
Paul Douglas
2.16 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: INTERLUDE
19-Jan-1953
Guest cast:
Ezio Pinza
2.17 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: MRS. GENIUS
26-Jan-1953
Guest cast:
Celeste Holm
2.18 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: THE SHEPHERD'S TOUCH
02-Feb-1953
Guest cast:
Henry Brandon
Diana Lynn
2.19 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: FALSE WITNESS
09-Feb-1953
Guest cast:
Virginia Field
2.20 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: THE PATTERN
16-Feb-1953
Guest cast:
Gloria Swanson
2.21 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: THE ROMANTIC TYPE
23-Feb-1953
Guest cast:
Don DeFore
June Havoc
2.22 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: THE INVITED SEVEN
02-Mar-1953
Guest cast:
Boris Karloff
2.23 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: UNCLE FRED FLITS BY
09-Mar-1953
Guest cast:
David Niven
Ronald Young
2.24 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: MR. BARBER'S LOVE AFFAIR
16-Mar-1953
Guest cast:
Robert Newton
2.25 [--] Hollywood Opening Night: MY BOSS AND I
23-Mar-1953
Guest cast:
Richard Carlson
Marguerite Chapman
######### Hollywood Opening Night #########
############### the end #################
#######################################
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