Comedy
Drama

Ford Star Jubilee

Ford Star Jubilee is an American anthology series that aired once a month on Saturday nights on CBS at 9:00 P.M., E.S.T. from the fall of 1955 to the fall of 1956. The series was approximately 90 minutes long, aired in black-and-white and color, and was typically broadcast live. Ford Star Jubilee was sponsored by the Ford Motor Company.

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Created By

Status

Ended

Original Name

Ford Star Jubilee

First Air Date

September 24, 1955

Last Air Date

November 3, 1956

Seasons

1

Episodes

12

Language

English

Production Companies

Networks

CBS

S01E12

The Wizard of Oz

The final Ford Star Jubilee was the first television broadcast of the 1939 MGM film The Wizard of Oz. The show was expanded to two hours and Bert Lahr was engaged to host with assistance from 10 year old Liza Minnelli and Justin G. Schiller, a 13 year old Oz expert. CBS paid MGM for the right to show the film twice at $225,000 each airing. The broadcast was a ratings smash. CBS showed it again December 13, 1959 (Red Skelton and his daughter Valentina hosting) in an earlier time slot and it was an even bigger hit. CBS exercised its options ($200,000 each for four more broadcasts) for further airings in what became a TV tradition. Later hosts included Richard Boone and his son Peter (1960), Dick Van Dyke and his children (1961-62), and Danny Kaye (1964-67).

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