Robert Montgomery Presents

Infobox Television
show_name = Robert Montgomery Presents


caption =
aka = Robert Montgomery Presents Your Lucky Strike Theater
genre = Drama
developer =
presenter = Robert Montgomery
starring =
voices =
narrated =
theme_music_composer =
opentheme =
endtheme =
composer =
country = USA
language = English
num_seasons = 10
num_episodes =
list_episodes =
executive_producer = Robert Montgomery
runtime = 60 mins.
channel = NBC
picture_format =
audio_format =
first_run =
first_aired = January 30, 1950
last_aired = June 24, 1957
imdb_id = 0042141
tv_com_id = 4186

"Robert Montgomery Presents" is a dramatic television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950 until June 24, 1957. The live show had several sponsors during its seven-year run, and the title was altered to feature the sponsor, usually Lucky Strike cigarettes, for example, "Robert Montgomery Presents Your Lucky Strike Theater".

In 1949, to develop the series for NBC, Montgomery relocated his family from the West Coast to New York City. "Robert Montgomery Presents" originally was telecast on a semi-weekly basis, alternating with "Musical Comedy Time" and "Somerset Maugham TV Theatre" until December 1951 when it became a weekly series. [ [http://geocities.com/luckygagin/RMpresents.html "Robert Montgomery Presents" ] ]

Initially offering hour-long dramas adapted from successful Hollywood films, the series was hosted and produced by Robert Montgomery. His presence lent a degree of respectability to the new medium of television, and he was able to persuade many of his Hollywood associates to appear. Montgomery introduced each episode and also acted in many episodes.

The program was noted for the high level of production values and the consistent attempt to present quality entertainment within the constraints of a live presentation. A drama built around the Hindenburg disaster, including interviews with survivors of the actual event, was one example of the ambitious nature of the program.

The debut episode was W. Somerset Maugham's "The Letter". During its first season, the movie adaptations included "Rebecca", "The Egg and I", "Dark Victory" and Montgomery's "Ride the Pink Horse". Over the following seasons it adapted highly respected works but also showcased new writers and original dramas written expressly for the series. On Christmas Eve 1956, in a departure from its usual non-musical format, the series telecast Gian-Carlo Menotti's opera "Amahl and the Night Visitors", which had already become an annual television event.

From 1952, a repertory cast appeared on the show along with guest artists. Montgomery's daughter, Elizabeth Montgomery, made her acting debut as a repertory player in 1953 and remained with the show until 1956. Cliff Robertson also made his acting debut as part of the same group in 1964.

Guest stars

Notable guest stars included:
*Luther Adler
*Brian Aherne
*Eddie Albert
*Robert Alda
*Mary Astor
*Jean-Pierre Aumont
*Jim Backus
*Fay Bainter
*Barbara Bel Geddes
*Constance Bennett
*Edna Best
*Claire Bloom
*Lee Bowman
*Lloyd Bridges
*Vanessa Brown
*James Cagney
*Madeleine Carroll
*John Cassavetes
*Claudette Colbert
*Jackie Cooper
*Robert Culp
*Robert Cummings
*James Dean
*Gloria DeHaven
*Joanne Dru
*James Dunn
*June Duprez
*Tom Ewell
*Peter Falk
*Betty Field
*Geraldine Fitzgerald
*John Forsythe
*Peggy Ann Garner
*Dorothy Gish
*Lillian Gish
*Thomas Gomez
*Farley Granger
*Signe Hasso
*Hurd Hatfield
*June Havoc
*Helen Hayes
*Van Heflin
*Wanda Hendrix
*Charlton Heston
*Kim Hunter
*Diana Hyland
*Louis Jourdan
*Boris Karloff
*Grace Kelly
*Phyllis Kirk
*Elsa Lanchester
*Angela Lansbury
*Piper Laurie
*Anna Lee
*Jack Lemmon
*Audra Lindley
*June Lockhart
*Paul Lukas
*Diana Lynn
*Jeffrey Lynn
*Raymond Massey
*Walter Matthau
*Roddy McDowall
*Darren McGavin
*Dorothy McGuire
*Burgess Meredith
*Roger Moore
*Chester Morris
*Leslie Nielsen
*David Niven
*Margaret O'Brien
*Una O'Connor
*Gale Page
*Geraldine Page
*Vincent Price
*Ella Raines
*Lee Remick
*Gena Rowlands
*Ann Rutherford
*Martha Scott
*Zachary Scott
*Alexis Smith
*Kent Smith
*Brett Somers
*Jean Stapleton
*Inger Stevens
*Franchot Tone
*Jo Van Fleet
*Estelle Winwood
*Joanne Woodward
*Teresa Wright
*Jane Wyatt
*Gig Young

Awards and nominations

References

External links

*imdb title|0042141
*Tv.com show|id=4186|title=Robert Montgomery Presents
* [http://geocities.com/luckygagin/RMpresents.html "Robert Montgomery Presents" episode guide]