Holiday Hotel

Holiday Hotel is. an American television musical revue that was broadcast on ABC from March 23, 1950, until June 28, 1951 or October 4, 1951. Premise A fictitious hotel on Park Avenue was the setting for this musical variety program, in which a "beleaguered manager" tried to "keep the bizarre tenants and guests under control." Each episode usually began with a comedy skit, after which the scene shifted to the hotel's ballroom, where the episode's guest stars entertained and musical production numbers occurred. Personnel Edward Everett Horton was the initial star of Holiday Hotel, and Lenore Lonergan portrayed the telephone operator. During the show's summer hiatus in 1950, Don Ameche signed to replace Horton as the hotel's manager, effective with the program's return to the air on September 14, 1950. Bill Harrington and Betty Brewer were singers, and June Graham and Don Saddler were dancers. Other regulars included Walter Dare Wahl, Dorothy Greener, Florence Halop, Joshua Shelley, the Charles Tate Dancers, and Don Craig's Chorus. Production Carl Schullinger, Monte Proser, Edgar Peterson, and Felix Jackson were producers, and Peston Wood was the director. Bernie Green led the orchestra, and Gordon Jenkins wrote the music. Packard Motors was the only sponsor initially. On March 24, 1951, Arrow Shirts became a sponsor, with the companies alternating weeks. In late May 1950, Packard considered canceling the series, but the trade publication Billboard reported, "the fact that the program has become much stronger in recent weeks may work in its favor". The half-hour show was broadcast initially at 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursdays. In September 1950 it was moved to 9 p.m. E. T. on Thursdays. Holiday Hotel was replaced by Don Ameche Playhouse, which was also known as Don's Musical Playhouse.