Goodyear TV Playhouse

1 9 5 1 – 1 9 6 0 (USA)

Goodyear tyres sponsored this hour-long, early US television anthology programme that debuted on the NBC network on 14 October 1951 and remained on the air longer than any other series of its kind.

Every other week for six years, a live, hour-long TV drama was presented, alternating with the Philco Television Playhouse, and later with The Alcoa Hour.

Many celebrated performers appeared in the series, including Rod Steiger, Roddy McDowall, Walter Matthau, Eva Marie Saint, Roger Moore, Gene Kelly, Jessica Tandy and Lillian Gish to name but a few.

In September 1957 the series temporarily became known as Goodyear Theater and featured a rotating roster of stars, including Robert Ryan, David Niven, Jack Lemmon and Charles Boyer, but by February 1958 the show’s title reverted to Goodyear TV Playhouse.

During its last two years, performers on the show included Peter Lawford, Edward G Robinson, Jackie Cooper, Erroll Flynn and Eddie Albert.