The Arthur Murray Party
A dance variety show that crossed all four major networks.
From July 1950 to September 1960, The Arthur Murray Party was a TV variety show hosted by dancers Arthur and Kathryn Murray. It featured celebrity guests and performances while promoting their dance studio chain. Each week, the couple performed a mystery dance; the viewer who guessed it correctly earned two free lessons. The show was one of the few 1950s series to air on all four major commercial networks during television's Golden Age.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Variety show
- Director
- Barry Shear; Burt Shevelove
- Presenter
- Arthur Murray; Kathryn Murray
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Executive producers
- Jack Philbin
- Camera
- Multi-camera
- Runtime
- 15 min/30 min/60 min
Facts from the source article.
Overview
The show was structured as a large party, with Kathryn Murray hosting guests from sports, acting, and music. Instructors from Murray dance studios assisted Kathryn and Arthur in demonstrating dance steps to the guests. Each episode concluded with the couple performing a Johann Strauss waltz. Dancers wore elegant clothing, which sometimes led to amusing incidents; on a surviving February 15, 1954 episode, female dancers audibly squealed with excitement at guest Johnnie Ray. Buddy Holly and The Crickets performed "Peggy Sue" on the December 29, 1957 telecast, preserved on kinescope. The J. Fred and Leslie W. MacDonald Collection at the Library of Congress holds thirteen kinescoped programs, including a complete one-hour show from late 1950 with The DeMarco Sisters, Andy and Della Russell; a complete half-hour show from August 17, 1954 with Don Cornell; a segment from September 27, 1956 featuring The Platters and Andy Williams; and a segment from August 5, 1957 with a dance contest among celebrities Jack E. Leonard, Bert Lahr, Paul Winchell, and June Havoc. Choreographer James Starbuck won an Emmy Award for his work on the program.
Broadcast history
The series first aired on ABC as Arthur Murray Party Time from July to September 1950. It then moved to DuMont in October 1950 under the title The Arthur Murray Show, before returning to ABC, then to CBS, back to DuMont, again to CBS, then to NBC, back to CBS, and finally to NBC. By fall 1951 the title had become The Arthur Murray Party, which it retained thereafter. Time slots varied widely: Thursdays 9–9:30 p.m. Eastern Time on ABC (July–September 1950); Sundays 9–10 p.m. on DuMont (October 1950–January 1951); Sundays 9–9:30 p.m. on DuMont (January–March 1951); Mondays 9–9:30 p.m. on ABC (April–June 1951); Wednesdays 9–9:30 p.m. on ABC (September–December 1951); Sundays 9–9:30 p.m. on ABC (January–May 1952); Fridays 8–8:30 p.m. on CBS (July–August 1952); Sundays 10–10:30 p.m. on DuMont (October 1952–April 1953); Sundays 9:30–10 p.m. on CBS (June–October 1953); Mondays 7:30–7:45 p.m. on NBC (October 1953–April 1954); Tuesdays 8:30–9 p.m. on NBC (June–September 1954 and June–September 1955); Thursdays 10–10:30 p.m. on CBS (April–September 1956); Tuesdays 8–8:30 p.m. on NBC (April–June 1957); Mondays 9:30–10 p.m. on NBC (July–September 1957); Mondays 10–10:30 p.m. on NBC (September 1958–September 1959); Tuesdays 9–9:30 p.m. on NBC (September 1959–January 1960); and Tuesdays 9:30–10 p.m. on NBC (January–September 1960).
Frequently Asked Questions
When did The Arthur Murray Party first air?
The Arthur Murray Party first aired on 20 July 1950.
When did The Arthur Murray Party end?
The Arthur Murray Party last aired on 6 September 1960.
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