Ford Star Jubilee

Ford Star Jubilee was a live, ninety minute, color spectacular that aired once a month on Saturday nights on CBS for, basically, one season. Sponsored by the Ford Motor Company the shows featured top of the line talent in front of, and behind, the camera. The shows were done live from New York or the CBS Television City Color Studios in Hollywood, CA. The program was nominated for an Emmy as Best Variety Series. Pictured here are Lillian Gish, Raymond Massey and Jack Lemmon in "The Day Lincoln Was Shot." In spite of the talent and cost involved the specials did not receive high enough ratings to satisfy Ford and CBS-especially CBS who had to preempt Gunsmoke every time it aired. After two shows in the fall of 1956 they pulled the plug. The last show was the first TV broadcast of the classic film The Wizard of Oz.