The Ford 50th Anniversary Show (1953)
The Merman and Martin sequences from television's first special.
The program was the first so-called "Television Spectacular". Ford presented the show without commercial interruption. It is believed to be the first time that Edward R. Murrow appeared on NBC in a professional capacity. Also, in 1953, it was necessary for Ford to buy time on two networks to ensure maximum coverage of US TV households - at the time, neither CBS nor NBC reached 100% of them. The famed 1953 television special celebrating the Ford Motor Company's 50th anniversary brought together two of the greatest leading ladies Broadway has ever known. The highlight of the program is Merman and Martin’s 13-minute duet medley, where they sing the songs that made them famous, plus much more. On their own, Merman sings “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” and “Mademoiselle from Armetières” and Martin performs a brilliantly comic routine about changes in fashion over the first half of the 20th century.
Cast
- Mary Martin - Herself
- Ethel Merman - Herself
Screenplay
Keywords
tv special
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is The Ford 50th Anniversary Show about?
- The program was the first so-called "Television Spectacular". Ford presented the show without commercial interruption. It is believed to be the first time that Edward R. Murrow appeared on NBC in a professional capacity. Also, in 1953, it was necessary for Ford to buy time on two networks to ensure maximum coverage of US TV households - at the time, neither CBS nor NBC reached 100% of them. The famed 1953 television special celebrating the Ford Motor Company's 50th anniversary brought together two of the greatest leading ladies Broadway has ever known. The highlight of the program is Merman and Martin’s 13-minute duet medley, where they sing the songs that made them famous, plus much more. On their own, Merman sings “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” and “Mademoiselle from Armetières” and Martin performs a brilliantly comic routine about changes in fashion over the first half of the 20th century.
- Who directed The Ford 50th Anniversary Show?
- The Ford 50th Anniversary Show was directed by Jerome Robbins.
- Who stars in The Ford 50th Anniversary Show?
- The Ford 50th Anniversary Show stars Mary Martin, Ethel Merman.
- How long is The Ford 50th Anniversary Show?
- The Ford 50th Anniversary Show has a runtime of 2h 0m (120 minutes).
- What genre is The Ford 50th Anniversary Show?
- The Ford 50th Anniversary Show is a Music, Comedy film.
- Where was The Ford 50th Anniversary Show produced?
- The Ford 50th Anniversary Show was produced in United States of America.