Note: This status guide originally covered all three seasons of Cavalcade of Stars but in 2016 was split into three different guides, each covering a single season. You can find the status guide for Season 1 here and the status guide for Season 2 here.
Cavalcade of Stars was an hour-long variety show broadcast by DuMont from 1949 to 1952. The series premiered in June 1949 with Jack Carter as host. He left following the February 11th, 1950 episode and was replaced by Jerry Lester. Jackie Gleason took over as host on July 8th, 1950 and stayed for nearly years. Larry Storch served as guest host for a month during the summer of 1951. He returned as guest host in July 1952 and stayed with the series until went off the air in September 1952.
Two episodes may not have aired in July 1952 due to coverage of political conventions: the July 11th episode may have been pre-empted for coverage of the Republican National Convention while the July 25th episode may have been pre-empted for coverage of the Democratic National Convention. Although weekly TV listings in The New York Times indicate Cavalcade of Stars aired on both these dates, daily listings show convention coverage instead. Daily listings in other newspapers include Cavalcade of Stars while warning that the listings were subject to change due to coverage of the conventions.
The very first Honeymooners sketch aired during the October 5th, 1951 episode. According to Wikipedia, 26 Honeymooners sketches were performed during this season, several of which are considered lost.
At least 10 complete episodes from this season are known to exist, plus excerpts or segments from several others. The UCLA Film & Television Archive has one episode in its collection. The Museum of Broadcast Communications also has that episode. The Paley Center for Media has nine complete episodes.
As I always point out, just because the big TV archives and museums don’t have every episode of Cavalcade of Stars that doesn’t mean the episodes are lost, although because the series aired on DuMont it may be safe to assume that most episodes no longer exist.
Season 3: 1951-1952 | |||
# | Episode Title | Airdate | Status |
---|---|---|---|
116 | Episode 116 | 08/24/1951 | |
With Gracie Barrie, Robert Maxwell and Champ Butler. | |||
117 | Episode 117 | 08/31/1951 | |
With Luba Malina, Champ Butler and Les Pablos. | |||
118 | Episode 118 | 09/07/1951 | |
With Jan Peerce, Darla Hood and Maurice Rocco. | |||
119 | Episode 119 | 09/14/1951 | |
With Kitty Kallen, Donald Richards and Paul Dixon. | |||
120 | Episode 120 | 09/21/1951 | |
With Mimi Benzell, Carl Ravazza and Kathryn Lee. | |||
121 | Episode 121 | 09/28/1951 | Paley |
With Rosalind Courtright, Jackie Heller and Harold and Lola. | |||
122 | Episode 122 | 10/05/1951 | Paley* |
With Pearl Bailey, Bill Callahan and Donald Richards. | |||
123 | Episode 123 | 10/12/1951 | Paley |
With Mel Torme and Lois Hunt. | |||
124 | Episode 124 | 10/19/1951 | |
With Lanny Ross, Kitty Kallen and Harold and Lola. | |||
125 | Episode 125 | 10/26/1951 | UCLA/MBC |
With Georgia Gibbs and Arthur Lee Simpkins. | |||
126 | Episode 126 | 11/02/1951 | Paley |
With Julie Wilson, Don Cornell and Gehrig and Weissmuler. | |||
127 | Episode 127 | 11/09/1951 | Paley** |
With Roberta Peters, Alan Dale and Bob Foesse. | |||
128 | Episode 128 | 11/16/1951 | Paley |
With Igor Gorin and Carmen Cavaliero. | |||
129 | Episode 129 | 11/23/1951 | |
With Dick Haymes, Georgie Tapps and Nancy Wright. | |||
130 | Episode 130 | 11/30/1951 | |
With Yvette, Richard Tucker and George Kirby. | |||
131 | Episode 131 | 12/07/1951 | Paley |
With Cab Calloway and Mary Mays. | |||
132 | Episode 132 | 12/14/1951 | Paley |
With Jan Peerce, Martha Stewart and Verna Raymond. | |||
133 | Episode 133 | 12/21/1951 | Paley |
With Jane Pickens and the Beachcombers. | |||
134 | Episode 134 | 12/28/1951 | Paley*** |
With Verna Raymond. | |||
135 | Episode 135 | 01/04/1952 | |
With Jane Morgan and Champ Butler. | |||
136 | Episode 136 | 01/11/1952 | |
With Hazel Scott, Chaz Chase and Trini Reyes. | |||
137 | Episode 137 | 01/18/1952 | |
Guest host Art Carney; with Kitty Kallen, Four Beachcombers, Verna Raymond and Jay Marshall. | |||
138 | Episode 138 | 01/25/1952 | |
With Morton Downey and Teresa Brewer. | |||
139 | Episode 139 | 02/01/1952 | |
With Peggy Lee, Carlos Ramirez and Mrs. Kathryn Murray. | |||
140 | Episode 140 | 02/08/1952 | |
With Art Carney, June Taylor Dancers, Eugene Conley and Polly Bergen. | |||
141 | Episode 141 | 02/15/1952 | |
With Art Carney, June Taylor Dancers, Donald Richards and Lois Hunt. | |||
142 | Episode 142 | 02/22/1952 | |
With Art Carney, June Taylor Dancers, Mel Torme and Thelma Carpenter. | |||
143 | Episode 143 | 02/29/1952 | |
With Robert Rounseville and Betty George. | |||
144 | Episode 144 | 03/07/1952 | |
With Jan Peerce and Roberta Quinlan. | |||
145 | Episode 145 | 03/14/1952 | |
With Clark Dennis and Nancy Donovan. | |||
146 | Episode 146 | 03/21/1952 | |
With Alan Dale and Yvette. | |||
147 | Episode 147 | 03/28/1952 | |
With Connie Haines and Stuart Harris. | |||
148 | Episode 148 | 04/04/1952 | |
With Dorothy Dandridge and Del Casina. | |||
149 | Episode 149 | 04/11/1952 | |
With Peggy Lee and Lawrence Winters. | |||
150 | Episode 150 | 04/18/1952 | |
With Art Carney, Deep River Boys and Mary Mayo. | |||
151 | Episode 151 | 04/25/1952 | |
With Art Carney, Beverly Hudson and Tony Bennett. | |||
152 | Episode 152 | 05/02/1952 | |
With Art Carney, Johnny Desmond and Betty George. | |||
153 | Episode 153 | 05/09/1952 | |
With Toni Arden, Jimmy Nelson and Ralph Young. | |||
154 | Episode 154 | 05/16/1952 | |
With Jane Pickens and Merv Griffin. | |||
155 | Episode 155 | 05/23/1952 | |
With Donald Richards and Jane Morgan. | |||
156 | Episode 156 | 05/30/1952 | |
With Eugene Conley and Colette Lyons. | |||
157 | Episode 157 | 06/06/1952 | |
With Morten Downey and the DeCastro Sisters. | |||
158 | Episode 158 | 06/13/1952 | Paley**** |
With Nat Cole, Mary Mayo, Art Carney and the June Taylor Dancers. | |||
159 | Episode 159 | 06/20/1952 | Paley |
With Richard Tucker and Teresa Brewer. | |||
160 | Episode 160 | 06/27/1952 | |
With Art Carney, Paul Remas and Connie Russell. | |||
*Larry Storch Begins Hosting for the Summer* | |||
161 | Episode 161 | 07/04/1952 | |
With Roberta Peters, Maurice Rocco, Trini Reyes and Derby Wilson. | |||
162 | Episode 162 | 07/11/1952 | |
With Connie Haines, Earl Wrightson, and Robert Maxwell. | |||
163 | Episode 163 | 07/18/1952 | |
With Mel Torme, Kitty Kallen and the Clark Brothers. | |||
164 | Episode 164 | 07/25/1952 | |
With Connie Russell, Donald Richards, and Florian Zabach. | |||
165 | Episode 165 | 08/01/1952 | |
With Carmen Cavellero, Tony Bavaar and June Valli. | |||
166 | Episode 166 | 08/08/1952 | |
With Bob Crosby, Jimmy Nelson and Gisele MacKenzie. | |||
PRE-EMPTED: College All-Stars vs. Los Angeles | 08/15/1952 | — | |
167 | Episode 167 | 08/22/1952 | |
With Doretta Morrow and Don Cornell. | |||
169 | Episode 169 | 08/29/1952 | |
With Jane Pickens and Alan Dale. | |||
170 | Episode 170 | 09/05/1952 | |
With Jan Peerce and Marilyn Ross. | |||
171 | Episode 171 | 09/12/1952 | |
With Georgia Gibbs and Earl Wrightson. | |||
172 | Episode 172 | 09/19/1952 | |
With Tony Bavaar and Lois Hunt. | |||
173 | Episode 173 | 09/26/1952 | |
With Donald Richards and Mary Mayo. |
*The Paley Center has a copy of the October 5th, 1951 episode in its collection (in two parts). UCLA has a copy of “The Honeymooners: The Really Lost Debut Episodes” special that aired in May 1994, which includes the first Honeymooners sketch from this episode as well as five other sketches, but does not have a copy of the episode itself.
**The Paley Center has “selected routines” from the November 9th, 1951 episode.
***The Paley Center has 30 minutes from the December 28th, 1951 episode. Additional material may be included on a compilation of “various sketches” from several episodes.
****The Paley Center has a “segment” of the June 13th, 1952 episode that runs 37 minutes.
Revised June 2nd, 2016