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Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

Classic Anthology Series

About This Show

From Wikipedia:

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre is an American anthology series, sponsored by Chrysler Corporation, which ran on NBC from 1963 through 1967. The show was hosted by Bob Hope, but it had a variety of formats, including musical, dramatic, and comedy.

The program included such events as an adaptation of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, starring Jason Robards (from the novel by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn); The Seven Little Foys, starring Mickey Rooney, Eddie Foy Jr. and the Osmond Brothers; Think Pretty, a musical starring Fred Astaire and Barrie Chase; and Groucho Marx in "Time for Elizabeth", a televised adaptation of a play that Marx and Norman Krasna wrote in 1948.

Generally, each episode ran for an hour, although for some 'special presentations', NBC expanded the broadcast time to 90 minutes.

Hope was paid $25,000 per week for those episodes which he merely introduced, and $500,000 for those in which he starred in. Hope's performances consisted of his typical joke- and celebrity-filled blackout sketches. These were usually called Chrysler Presents a Bob Hope Special. Every season, Hope traveled to Vietnam for Christmas, to entertain the troops.

Actors who appeared in episodes included Phyllis Avery, Ida Lupino, Sean Garrison, Peter Falk, Hugh O'Brian, Shelley Winters, Cliff Robertson, John Cassavetes, Jack Lord, William Shatner, Angie Dickinson, Suzanne Pleshette, Robert Stack, Dina Merrill, Darren McGavin, Broderick Crawford, Robert Wagner, Robert Young and Stuart Whitman.

Notable directors included Sydney Pollack, Stuart Rosenberg, John Cassavetes, Sam Peckinpah, Ida Lupino, and Daniel Petrie.

Who Talked About This Show

  • Hugh O'Brian
  • Dick Berg
  • Paul Bogart
  • Nanette Fabray
  • Rita Lakin
  • John J. Lloyd
  • Lalo Schifrin

Featured Content

Video: Watch "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" from Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre:

YouTube video player - HTML5 compatible.
  • Highlights
  • All Interviewee clips on this show

Highlights

  • Dick Berg on working with Rod Serling on <i>Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater </i> and his struggle with the networks Dick Berg on working with Rod Serling on Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater  and his struggle with the networks 
    Clip begins at: 08:13, Duration: 02m 32s
  • Paul Bogart on directing Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theatre<br/>Paul Bogart on directing Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theatre
    Clip begins at: 11:41, Duration: 01m 40s
  • Nanette Fabray on appearing on <i>Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre</i>Nanette Fabray on appearing on Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
    Clip begins at: 19:18, Duration: 00m 46s
  • Hugh O'Brian on appearing in "Double Jeopardy" on <i>Bob Hope Presents the Chrylser Theatre</i> with Lauren BacallHugh O'Brian on appearing in "Double Jeopardy" on Bob Hope Presents the Chrylser Theatre with Lauren Bacall
    Clip begins at: 06:18, Duration: 01m 04s
  • Lalo Schifrin on composing for <i>Chrysler Theatre </i> teleplaysLalo Schifrin on composing for Chrysler Theatre teleplays
    Clip begins at: 18:05, Duration: 03m 44s

All Interviewee clips on this show

  • Dick Berg
    • Dick Berg on producing Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater 
      Clip begins at: 00:00, Duration: 08m 13s
    • Dick Berg on working with Rod Serling on Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater  and his struggle with the networks 
      Clip begins at: 08:13, Duration: 02m 32s
    • Dick Berg on producing "Something About Lee Wiley" for Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater directed by Sydney Pollack
      Clip begins at: 10:45, Duration: 02m 50s
    • Dick Berg on producing "Slow Fade to Black" for Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater  written by Rod Serling
      Clip begins at: 13:35, Duration: 01m 09s
    • Dick Berg on producing "The Game," "Small Rebellion," and other productions for Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater
      Clip begins at: 14:44, Duration: 05m 42s
    • Dick Berg on working with Bob Hope on Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater 
      Clip begins at: 20:26, Duration: 00m 33s
  • Paul Bogart
    • Paul Bogart on directing Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theatre
      Clip begins at: 11:41, Duration: 01m 40s
  • Nanette Fabray
    • Nanette Fabray on appearing on Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre  with Ricardo Montalban and John Forsythe
      Clip begins at: 18:56, Duration: 00m 47s
  • Hugh O'Brian
    • Hugh O'Brian on appearing in "Double Jeopardy" on Bob Hope Presents the Chrylser Theatre with Lauren Bacall
      Clip begins at: 06:18, Duration: 01m 04s
  • Rita Lakin
    • Rita Lakin on writing "The Shattered Glass" for Bob Hope Presents Chrysler Theatre
      Clip begins at: 16:24, Duration: 02m 10s
  • John J. Lloyd
    • John J. Lloyd on differences between several of the popular anthology series; on people he worked with on the shows
      Clip begins at: 10:55, Duration: 04m 32s
  • Lalo Schifrin
    • Lalo Schifrin on composing for Chrysler Theatre teleplays
      Clip begins at: 18:05, Duration: 03m 44s
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