The Ford 50th Anniversary Show (1953)
2h
Running Time
June 15, 1953Release Date
The Ford 50th Anniversary Show (1953)
2h
Running Time
June 15, 1953Release Date
Network & Production Companies
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Plot.
The program was the first so-called "Television Spectacular". Ford presented the show without commercial interruption. It is believed to be the first time that Edward R. Murrow appeared on NBC in a professional capacity. Also, in 1953, it was necessary for Ford to buy time on two networks to ensure maximum coverage of US TV households - at the time, neither CBS nor NBC reached 100% of them. The famed 1953 television special celebrating the Ford Motor Company's 50th anniversary brought together two of the greatest leading ladies Broadway has ever known. The highlight of the program is Merman and Martin’s 13-minute duet medley, where they sing the songs that made them famous, plus much more. On their own, Merman sings “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” and “Mademoiselle from Armetières” and Martin performs a brilliantly comic routine about changes in fashion over the first half of the 20th century.
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Details.
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Wiki.
The Ford 50th Anniversary Show, also known as The American Road, was a two-hour television special that was broadcast live on June 15, 1953, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Ford Motor Company purchased two hours of prime time from both NBC and CBS for an entertainment extravaganza celebrating the company's 50th anniversary. The program was presented without commercial interruption.
Featuring performances from an all-star cast and choreography by Jerome Robbins, the program received four honors at the 1954 Sylvania Television Awards. The program has been called "a landmark in television" and "a milestone in the cultural life of the '50s".