Ed Wynn

Ed Wynn

Isaiah Edwin Leopold (November 9, 1886 – June 19, 1966), better known as Ed Wynn, was an American actor and comedian noted for his Perfect Fool comedy character, his pioneering radio show of the 1930s, and his later career as a dramatic actor. Ed Wynn first appeared on television on July 7, 1936 in a brief, ad-libbed spot with Graham McNamee during an NBC experimental television broadcast. In the 1949–50 season, Ed Wynn hosted one of the first network, comedy-variety television shows, on CBS, and won both a Peabody Award and an Emmy Award in 1949. Buster Keaton, Lucille Ball, and The Three Stooges all made guest appearances with Wynn. This was the first CBS variety television show to originate from Los Angeles, which was seen live on the west coast, but filmed via kinescope for distribution in the Midwest and East, as the national coaxial cable had yet to be completed. Wynn was also a rotating host of NBC's Four Star Revue from 1950 through 1952. After the end of Wynn's third television series, The Ed Wynn Show (a short-lived situation comedy on NBC's 1958–59 schedule), his son, actor Keenan Wynn, encouraged him to make a career change rather than retire. The comedian reluctantly began a career as a dramatic actor in television and movies. Father and son appeared in three productions, the first of which was the 1956 Playhouse 90 broadcast of Rod Serling's play Requiem for a Heavyweight. Ed was terrified of straight acting and kept goofing his lines in rehearsal. When the producers wanted to fire him, star Jack Palance said he would quit if they fired Ed. (However, unbeknownst to Wynn, supporting player Ned Glass was his secret understudy in case something did happen before air time.) On live broadcast night, Wynn surprised everyone with his pitch-perfect performance, and his quick ad libs to cover his mistakes. A dramatization of what happened during the production was later staged as an April 1960 Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse episode, "The Man in the Funny Suit", starring both senior and junior Wynns, with key figures involved in the original production also portraying themselves. Ed and his son also worked together in the Jose Ferrer film The Great Man, with Ed again proving his unexpected skills in drama. Requiem established Wynn as a serious dramatic actor who could easily hold his own with the best. His role in The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) won him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Also in 1959, Wynn appeared on Serling's TV series The Twilight Zone in "One for the Angels". Serling, a longtime admirer, had written that episode especially for him, and Wynn later in 1963 starred in the episode "Ninety Years Without Slumbering". For the rest of his life, Wynn skillfully moved between comic and dramatic roles. He appeared in feature films and anthology television, endearing himself to new generations of fans.

  • Title: Ed Wynn
  • Popularity: 5.809
  • Known For: Acting
  • Birthday: 1886-11-08
  • Place of Birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
  • Homepage:
  • Also Known As: Isaiah Edwin «Ed» Wynn, Isaiah Edwin Wynn
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Ed Wynn Movies

  • 1964
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    Mary Poppins

    Mary Poppins

    7.6 1964 HD

    Mr Banks is looking for a nanny for his two mischievous children and comes across Mary Poppins, an angelic nanny. She not only brings a change in...

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  • 1965
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    The Greatest Story Ever Told

    The Greatest Story Ever Told

    6.4 1965 HD

    From his birth in Bethlehem to his death and eventual resurrection, the life of Jesus Christ is given the all-star treatment in this epic retelling....

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  • 1959
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    The Diary of Anne Frank

    The Diary of Anne Frank

    7.2 1959 HD

    The true, harrowing story of a young Jewish girl who, with her family and their friends, is forced into hiding in an attic in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam.

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  • 1967
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    The Gnome-Mobile

    The Gnome-Mobile

    6.1 1967 HD

    An eccentric millionaire and his grandchildren are embroiled in the plights of some forest gnomes who are searching for the rest of their tribe....

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  • 1951
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    Alice in Wonderland

    Alice in Wonderland

    7.2 1951 HD

    On a golden afternoon, wildly curious young Alice tumbles into the burrow and enters the merry, madcap world of Wonderland full of whimsical...

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  • 1961
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    Babes in Toyland

    Babes in Toyland

    5.844 1961 HD

    All roads lead to magical, merry Toyland as Mary Contrary and Tom Piper prepare for their wedding! But villainous Barnaby wants Mary for himself, so...

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  • 1958
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    Marjorie Morningstar

    Marjorie Morningstar

    6.2 1958 HD

    While working as a counselor at a summer camp, college-student Marjorie Morgenstern falls for 32-year-old Noel Airman, a would-be dramatist working...

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  • 1965
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    Those Calloways

    Those Calloways

    6.3 1965 HD

    Story of Cam Calloway and his family, who live in a densely wooded area in New England. Cam dreams of building a sanctuary for the geese that fly...

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  • 1960
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    Cinderfella

    Cinderfella

    6.127 1960 HD

    When his father dies, poor Fella is left at the mercy of his snobbish stepmother and her two no-good sons Maximilian and Rupert. As he slaves away...

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  • 1964
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    The Patsy

    The Patsy

    6.2 1964 HD

    When a star comedian dies, his comedy team decides to train a 'nobody' to play the Star in a big TV show (a Patsy). But the man chosen, bellboy...

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  • 1966
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    The Daydreamer

    The Daydreamer

    4.8 1966 HD

    A young Hans Christian Andersen goes in search of knowledge in the Garden of Paradise in order to make his studies easier. Each time he falls asleep,...

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  • 1930
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    Follow the Leader

    Follow the Leader

    5.375 1930 HD

    A kooky waiter and sometimes vaudevillian promises to get his employer's daughter into a Broadway show. When he kidnaps the show's star, she gets her...

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  • 1933
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    The Chief

    The Chief

    3 1933 HD

    The dim-witted son of a heroic fire chief tries to follow in his late father's footsteps, only to become the unknowing pawn of corrupt politicians.

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  • 1962
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    The New March of Dimes Presents: The Scene Stealers

    The New March of Dimes Presents: The Scene Stealers

    7 1962 HD

    A TV movie with intertwining music numbers and sketches.

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  • 1956
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    The Great Man

    The Great Man

    4.8 1956 HD

    Joe Harris, preparing a eulogy for popular radio commentator Herb Fuller, finds that nobody has a good word to say about him.

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  • 1932
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    Hollywood on Parade

    Hollywood on Parade

    3 1932 HD

    A short featuring many stars

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  • 2021
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    Boulevard! A Hollywood Story

    Boulevard! A Hollywood Story

    4.5 2021 HD

    Dickson Hughes and Richard Stapley, two young composers and romantic partners, are caught in the web of silent film star Gloria Swanson when she...

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  • 1943
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    Stage Door Canteen

    Stage Door Canteen

    6.1 1943 HD

    A young soldier on a pass in New York City visits the famed Stage Door Canteen, where famous stars of the theater and films appear and host a...

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  • 1961
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    The Absent-Minded Professor

    The Absent-Minded Professor

    6.4 1961 HD

    Bumbling professor Ned Brainard accidentally invents flying rubber, or "Flubber", an incredible material that gains energy every time it strikes a...

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  • 1963
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    Son of Flubber

    Son of Flubber

    5.895 1963 HD

    Beleaguered professor Ned Brainard has already run into a pile of misfortunes with his discovery of the super-elastic substance "Flubber." Now he...

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  • 1933
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    Turn Back the Clock

    Turn Back the Clock

    5.1 1933 HD

    While recuperating in a hospital after he's hit by an automobile, a struggling shopowner dreams what his life might have been like if he'd made...

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  • 1965
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    That Darn Cat!

    That Darn Cat!

    6.5 1965 HD

    A young woman suspects foul play when her cat comes home wearing a wristwatch. Convincing the FBI, though, and catching the bad guys is tougher than...

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  • 1959
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    Meet Me in St. Louis

    Meet Me in St. Louis

    5 1959 HD

    This adaptation of the classic 1944 film musical explores the lives of the close-knit Smith family -- mother, father, grandfather, and five children...

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  • 2008
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    Shemp Cocktail: A Toast to the Original Stooge

    Shemp Cocktail: A Toast to the Original Stooge

    1 2008 HD

    A compilation that highlights works from the Three Stooges. It includes the shorts Brideless Groom, Sing a Song of Six Pants, and Malice in the...

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  • 1976
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    That's Entertainment, Part II

    That's Entertainment, Part II

    6.8 1976 HD

    Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire present more golden moments from the MGM film library, this time including comedy and drama as well as classic musical...

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  • 1964
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    For the Love of Willadean

    For the Love of Willadean

    6 1964 HD

    A new boy, Harley, joins a club but shows an interest in the girl on whom the club leader has a crush. The two club members trick Harley into...

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  • 1965
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    Dear Brigitte

    Dear Brigitte

    6.385 1965 HD

    Professor Leaf, an absent-minded poet with a prejudice against the sciences, is forced to face the fact that his son is a math prodigy with little...

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  • 1963
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    The Sound of Laughter

    The Sound of Laughter

    2 1963 HD

    A compilation of film clips of comedies from 1930's.

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  • 1962
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    The Golden Horseshoe Revue

    The Golden Horseshoe Revue

    1 1962 HD

    The 10,000th performance of Disneyland's venerable "Golden Horseshoe Revue," featuring special guest stars.

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  • 1951
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    Operation Wonderland

    Operation Wonderland

    7.3 1951 HD

    1951 behind the scenes featurette of the Walt Disney animated classic.

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  • 1961
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    Back Stage Party

    Back Stage Party

    7 1961 HD

    Party, enterianment, and Behind the scenes

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  • 1956
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    Requiem for a Heavyweight

    Requiem for a Heavyweight

    7 1956 HD

    An over-the-hill heavyweight boxing champion who suffers from the ravages of years of head trauma is exploited by his manager, despite the efforts of...

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  • 1959
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    Miracle On 34th Street

    Miracle On 34th Street

    7 1959 HD

    In this charming TV adaptation of the 1947 film classic, a kindly old gentleman (Ed Wynn) working as a Macy's department store Santa causes a...

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  • 1957
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    On Borrowed Time

    On Borrowed Time

    1 1957 HD

    Mr. Brink seems to bring death with him wherever he goes. But can a young boy and his grandfather change this dire situation?

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  • 1941
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    The Three Stooges: Live and Hilarious

    The Three Stooges: Live and Hilarious

    1 1941 HD

    The Three Stooges are at it again in a hilarious and extremely hard-to-find turn on the Ed Wynn Show.

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  • 1927
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    Rubber Heels

    Rubber Heels

    1 1927 HD

    A European royal couple come to New York to sell some of the royal family's crown jewels. A gang of international jewel thieves is planning to steal...

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  • 1963
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    Burke's Law

    Burke's Law

    6 1963 HD

    Burke's Law is an American detective series that ran on ABC from 1963 to 1965 and was revived on CBS in the 1990s. The show starred Gene Barry as...

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  • 1950
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    The Colgate Comedy Hour

    The Colgate Comedy Hour

    7 1950 HD

    The Colgate Comedy Hour is an American comedy-musical variety series that aired live on the NBC network from 1950 to 1955. The show starred many...

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  • 1956
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    Playhouse 90

    Playhouse 90

    7.5 1956 HD

    Playhouse 90 is an American television anthology series that was telecast on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. It originated from...

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  • 1953
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    General Electric Theater

    General Electric Theater

    6 1953 HD

    General Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was...

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  • 1951
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    Hallmark Hall of Fame

    Hallmark Hall of Fame

    8.667 1951 HD

    Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The...

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  • 1959
    imgS5 E36

    The Twilight Zone

    The Twilight Zone

    8.441 1959 HD

    A series of unrelated stories containing drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, and/or horror, often concluding with a...

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  • 1958
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    Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

    Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

    5.25 1958 HD

    Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse is an American television anthology series produced by Desilu Productions. The show ran on CBS television between 1958...

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  • 1959
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    Rawhide

    Rawhide

    7.1 1959 HD

    The tale of trail boss Gil Favor and his trusty foreman Rowdy Yates as they drives cattle across the old west. Along the way they meet up with...

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  • 1964
    imgS7 E17

    The Hollywood Palace

    The Hollywood Palace

    4.5 1964 HD

    The Hollywood Palace is an hour-long American television variety show that was broadcast weekly on ABC from January 4, 1964 to February 7, 1970....

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  • 1952
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    This Is Your Life

    This Is Your Life

    6.556 1952 HD

    This Is Your Life is an American television documentary series broadcast on NBC, originally hosted by its producer, Ralph Edwards from 1952 to 1961....

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  • 1955
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    The 20th Century Fox Hour

    The 20th Century Fox Hour

    5.167 1955 HD

    The 20th Century Fox Hour is an American drama anthology series televised in the United States on CBS from 1955 to 1957. Some of the shows in this...

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  • 1956
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    The Dinah Shore Chevy Show

    The Dinah Shore Chevy Show

    5.3 1956 HD

    The Dinah Shore Chevy Show is an American variety series hosted by Dinah Shore, and broadcast on NBC from October 1956 to June 1963. The series was...

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  • 1949
    imgS1 E39

    The Ed Wynn Show

    The Ed Wynn Show

    7 1949 HD

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  • 1956
    imgS5 E31

    The Steve Allen Show

    The Steve Allen Show

    5 1956 HD

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  • 1958
    imgS6 E20

    77 Sunset Strip

    77 Sunset Strip

    6.7 1958 HD

    Stu Bailey and Jeff Spencer are the wisecracking, womanizing private-detective heroes of this Warner Brothers drama. They work out of an office...

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  • 1949
    imgS76 E1

    The Emmy Awards

    The Emmy Awards

    7.5 1949 HD

    An annual awards ceremony honoring the best in U.S. prime time television programming as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

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  • 1954
    imgS5 E31

    December Bride

    December Bride

    5.5 1954 HD

    December Bride is an American sitcom that aired on the CBS television network from 1954 to 1959, adapted from the original CBS radio network series...

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  • 1950
    imgS1 E1

    Four Star Revue

    Four Star Revue

    6.5 1950 HD

    Four Star Revue was an American variety show that aired on NBC from October 4, 1950 to December 26, 1953.

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  • 1959
    imgS14 E16

    Bonanza

    Bonanza

    7.519 1959 HD

    The High-Sierra adventures of Ben Cartwright and his sons as they run and defend their ranch while helping the surrounding community.

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  • 1957
    imgS8 E26

    Wagon Train

    Wagon Train

    6.4 1957 HD

    The series initially starred veteran movie supporting actor Ward Bond as the wagon master, later replaced upon his death by John McIntire, and Robert...

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  • 1951
    imgS20 E25

    The Red Skelton Show

    The Red Skelton Show

    7.4 1951 HD

    The Red Skelton Show is an American variety show that was a television staple for two decades, from 1951 to 1971. It was second to Gunsmoke and third...

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  • 1951
    imgS20 E25

    The Red Skelton Show

    The Red Skelton Show

    7.4 1951 HD

    The Red Skelton Show is an American variety show that was a television staple for two decades, from 1951 to 1971. It was second to Gunsmoke and third...

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  • 1951
    imgS20 E25

    The Red Skelton Show

    The Red Skelton Show

    7.4 1951 HD

    The Red Skelton Show is an American variety show that was a television staple for two decades, from 1951 to 1971. It was second to Gunsmoke and third...

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  • 1951
    imgS20 E25

    The Red Skelton Show

    The Red Skelton Show

    7.4 1951 HD

    The Red Skelton Show is an American variety show that was a television staple for two decades, from 1951 to 1971. It was second to Gunsmoke and third...

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  • 1951
    imgS20 E25

    The Red Skelton Show

    The Red Skelton Show

    7.4 1951 HD

    The Red Skelton Show is an American variety show that was a television staple for two decades, from 1951 to 1971. It was second to Gunsmoke and third...

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  • 1959
    imgS1 E33

    Startime

    Startime

    6 1959 HD

    Startime is an anthology show of drama, comedy, and variety, and was one of the first American television shows broadcast in color. The program was...

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  • 1953
    imgS10 E34

    General Electric Theater

    General Electric Theater

    6 1953 HD

    General Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was...

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  • 1962
    imgS31 E74

    The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

    The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

    7.37 1962 HD

    The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally...

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  • 1950
    imgS34 E7

    The Bob Hope Show

    The Bob Hope Show

    7 1950 HD

    The Bob Hope Show hosted by Bob Hope, debuted on April 9, 1950. During the 1952-1953 season, NBC rotated with other variety shows in a Sunday night...

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  • 1948
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    The Ed Sullivan Show

    The Ed Sullivan Show

    6.632 1948 HD

    The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by...

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  • 1959
    imgS5 E36

    The Twilight Zone

    The Twilight Zone

    8.441 1959 HD

    A series of unrelated stories containing drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, and/or horror, often concluding with a...

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  • 1954
    imgS34 E26

    The Wonderful World of Disney

    The Wonderful World of Disney

    7.607 1954 HD

    Walt Disney Productions has produced an anthology television series under several different titles since 1954. The original version of the series...

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  • 1954
    imgS34 E26

    The Wonderful World of Disney

    The Wonderful World of Disney

    7.607 1954 HD

    Walt Disney Productions has produced an anthology television series under several different titles since 1954. The original version of the series...

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  • 1958
    imgS1 E16

    The Ed Wynn Show

    The Ed Wynn Show

    1 1958 HD

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  • 1950
    imgS1 E876

    What's My Line?

    What's My Line?

    6.7 1950 HD

    Four panelists must determine guests' occupations - and, in the case of famous guests, while blindfolded, their identity - by asking only "yes" or...

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  • 1954
    imgS34 E26

    The Wonderful World of Disney

    The Wonderful World of Disney

    7.607 1954 HD

    Walt Disney Productions has produced an anthology television series under several different titles since 1954. The original version of the series...

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  • 1954
    imgS34 E26

    The Wonderful World of Disney

    The Wonderful World of Disney

    7.607 1954 HD

    Walt Disney Productions has produced an anthology television series under several different titles since 1954. The original version of the series...

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