Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair ran from October 12, 1948 to November 2, 1951 and was CBS' first daily interview show.  Variety described the series as “…an engaging and adult matinee femme program. It is at all times informal and natural, yet informative and interesting" (reviewed: 10/20/48).  Dorothy Doan, women’s editor for the International News Service (INS) and writer for the show, was the hostess/ “editor” joined later by “assistant editor” Gil Fates. Producers include: Frances Buss, Gil Fates and Dorothy Doan. Among the sponsors were: Maiden Form Brassiere, Robeson Cutlery, and Air Wick. Later sponsors include: Marlene Hair Shampoo. Among the “bookers” on the show (1951) were: Betty Hamilton, Shirley Reeser, and Hazel Arnett. A September 30, 1949 show was done as a special color one-shot from Washington during the color demonstrations.

Among the series' guests were: Maria von Trapp, Grace Tully (secretary to FDR), Mrs. John Kilbreth (Red Cross Chairman), Ned Calmer (CBS news commentator), Janet Botting Rhodes (Mademoiselle magazine), JMrs. Edward G. Robinson, Henry Steeger (publisher of “Argosy”), Olga Moore (Washington lobbyist), Pita Pirogov (Russian flyer), Cecil Beaton (designer), Jerome Smith (curator of Museum City of NY), Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Brandon DeWilde (8-year-old star of “The Member of the Wedding”), Donald Durlacher (square dance caller), Kay Jamesson (beauty editor, Today’s Woman), Erskine Caldwell, Ethel Waters, Jack McCoy & Tonie Cherry Hatfield (both in show business and fourth generation members of Hatfield-McCoy clans), Mark Van Doren, Sam Jaffe, Joseph Schildkraut, Cliff Edwards, Mrs. Olive Remington Goldman (UN rep), Sidney Franklin (bull fighter), Sarah Churchill, Marc Connelly, James Michner.