Academy Award Theater

Premier Air Date: March 30, 1946

Finale Air Date: December 18, 1946

Total Episodes: 39

Time Slot: Weekly. Saturdays, at 7:00 PM, then Wednesdays at 10:00 PM.

Station: CBS Radio Network

30 minutes.

Cast: Fay Bainter, Bette Davis, Paul Lukas, Victor McLaglen, Paul Muni and Ginger Rogers

Sponsors: E. R. Squibb and Sons

Directed by Dee Englebach

Composer: Leith Stevens

Radio / Drama / Anthology / Weekly

Billed as "Hollywood's finest, the great picture plays, the great actors and actresses, techniques and skills, chosen from the honor roll of those who have won or been nominated for the famous golden Oscar of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences." This popular anthology series featured thirty minute adaptations of Oscar winning films starring a variety of Oscar nominated talent.

The sponsor, “The House of Squibb”, paid a high premium to produce this weekly show, spending in excess of $4,000 on the talent, and $1,600 on the rights to use “Academy Award” as their title. This did not include studio costs, or “below the line” talent, such as the writers, composer, and director. Ultimately the cost of such quality proved too much to be borne, and the show was reluctantly canceled after a short run of 39 episodes.