Texaco Star Theater
Texaco Star Theater was a groundbreaking variety show that began as a radio program in 1938 before transitioning to television in 1948. Initially hosted by Fred Allen, the show found great success under the guidance of Milton Berle, who became the permanent host after a series of specials. Berle's charismatic performance captivated audiences, contributing to the show’s immense popularity, with an estimated 80 percent of American television sets tuning in each week. The format featured a blend of comedy and music, showcasing talent from prominent stars of the era, including Pearl Bailey and Frank Sinatra.
The show also prominently featured its sponsor, Texaco, incorporating promotional elements throughout the episodes, including performances by Texaco service station attendants. Texaco Star Theater was not only a pioneer of television variety shows but also played a significant role in the rise of television as an essential part of American family life, winning several Emmy Awards and inspiring many similar productions. Its cultural impact and Berle's influence on television comedy have left a lasting legacy in the entertainment industry.
On this Page
Texaco Star Theater
Identification Television variety show
Date Aired from June 8, 1948 to 1956
One of the most popular programs on early television was Texaco Star Theater, a comedy-variety show hosted by Milton Berle, who earned the nickname “Mr. Television” for his work on the show.
Named after the petroleum company that sponsored it, Texaco Star Theater originated on radio in 1938 and was hosted by Fred Allen before it moved to television in 1948. After deciding to move its show to television, Texaco engaged Milton Berle—who was already hosting another radio program that it sponsored—to be the guest host of several Texaco Star Theater specials on the National Broadcasting Company’s summer schedule. A natural on television, Berle was an immediate hit. In its review of the inaugural show, Variety said that Berle’s performance “may well be remembered as a milestone in television.” By the fall television season, Berle was signed on as the weekly show’s permanent host.
Berle brought to the show all the comedic skills and routines he learned in vaudeville and gathered around him many of the top comedy and music stars of the time, such as Pearl Bailey, Frank Sinatra, and Eva Gabor. Berle dominated his first season on television at a level that would never be matched in the future. An estimated 80 percent of all American television sets tuned into Texaco Star Theater every Tuesday night, and he made the covers of both Time and Newsweek magazines in 1949. Soon, other networks were scrambling to put on similar variety shows.
As was typical of early television variety shows, Texaco Star Theater aggressively promoted its sponsor’s name. Each show opened with a quartet of immaculately dressed Texaco service-station attendants singing,
Oh, we’re the men of Texaco
After intoning several verses extolling the virtues of Texaco gas stations, the quartet ushered in “television’s number one star,” host Milton Berle. Throughout the hour, Texaco station attendants periodically reappeared as smiling “guardian angels,” performing good deeds of some kind.
Impact
Texaco Star Theater was a true pioneering phenomenon on television. In addition to capturing an extraordinary proportion of weekly television audiences, the show won a number of prestigious Emmy Awards. More significantly, it inspired the creation of other television variety shows and was credited with encouraging unknown thousands of people to purchase television sets, while helping American families develop their television habit.
Bibliography
Bianculli, David. “Texaco Star Theater.” In Dictionary of Teleliteracy: Television’s Five Hundred Biggest Hits, Misses, and Events. New York: Continuum, 1996.
Edgerton, Gary R. The Columbia History of American Television. New York: Columbia University Press, 2007.
Stark, Steven D. Glued to the Set. New York: Free Press, 1997.