The Twentieth Century was a half-hour documentary series televised by
CBS. The premiere episode aired on Sunday October 20, 1957 and ran
until 1966. It was hosted and narrated by Walter Cronkite. It covered
historical events of the 20th century and consisted of newsreel footage
and interviews. The sponsor of the show was Prudential Insurance
Company of America.
George Campbell Scott (October 18, 1927 – September 22, 1999)
Scott was a stage and film actor, director and producer. He is best remembered
for his stage work, as well his roles of General George S. Patton in the 1970 film
Patton, and as General Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubrick’s black comedy Dr.
Strangelove (1964).
Scott in Dr. Stangelove
George C. Scott as Patton
1984
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons was one of radio’s longest running shows,
airing for 15-minutes on Tuesday October 12, 1937 to April 19, 1955. It was
first heard on the NBC Blue network until 1947, when it switched to the CBS
radio network becoming a weekly half-hour show. Bennett Kilpack (above)
was the original detective Mr. Keen and Phil Clarke took over the role late
in the series run.
Ann Thomas and Bennett Kilpack (1947, CBS)
When The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, aka The Burns and
Allen Show, began on CBS television Thursday October 12, 1950, it
was an immediate success. The show was originally live before a studio
audience. Burns realized it would be more efficient to do the series on
film (beginning in the fall of 1952); the half-hour episodes could then
be syndicated. With 291 episodes, the show had a long network run
to September 22, 1958 and continued in syndicated reruns for years.
Show announcer Bill Goodwin
