Judy Holliday's television career began in the infancy of the medium. The countless performances she gave with The Revuers and on the Broadway stage in Kiss Them For Me and Born Yesterday, had prepared her well for the frenetic and unpredictable environment of live television. In 1949, she starred in an hour-long episode of the anthology series The Ford Theater entitled She Loves Me Not. She had been written about in national magazines and heard occasionally on radio, but for many viewers outside of the New York area, this was their first chance to actually see her perform. Two weeks after this show, MGM released the film Adam's Rib and the buzz surrounding her began to grow. Columbia's film version of Born Yesterday followed and soon Judy was in high demand to make guest appearances on several TV programs.
In 1950, the television landscape was dominated by the likes of Sid Caesar, Milton Berle and Jack Benny. NBC saw a similar talent in Judy and were intrigued with idea of having a series centered around a comedienne, be it a variety show or a situation comedy. While negotiations between Judy and the network dragged on, a report called Red Channels linked her to several Communist-front organizations. Fearing a backlash from consumers, the advertisers who sponsored the television programs pressured the networks not to employ actors who were suspected of being Communists. Judy, who had signed a contract to guest star on Bob Hope's NBC television program, was informed that she was banned from show. NBC also dropped their plans for the proposed Judy Holliday series. Later that year, CBS premiered the hit show I Love Lucy starring Lucille Ball. Unable to employ Judy, NBC countered with I Married Joan starring comedienne Joan Davis in 1952. Judy's blacklist status would prevent her from working in television for the next 2 years.
With the political demise of Senator Joseph McCarthy, the blacklist began to fade away. Judy returned to TV screens with guest appearances on game shows like What's My Line? and The Name's the Same. In 1954, she co-starred with Tony Randall in an installment of The Goodyear Playhouse called The Huntress. Viewers were also treated to glimpses of what might have been when she appeared in five comedy-variety specials that showcased her flair for sketch comedy. From dead-on impressions of Marilyn Monroe and Harpo Marx to her "Billie Dawn" type dumb blonde characters, it's not hard to imagine that her own series could have succeeded.
In later years, she continued to make guest appearances on various television programs including The Steve Allen Show, The Arthur Murray Show and The Ed Sullivan Show. Information about her work on these and other shows can be found in the Chronology section of this site. Below are detailed reports of nine television programs that she appeared on between 1949 and 1963. Click on the text below for information about each program.
Main |
New & News |
Biography |
Chronology |
Multimedia |
Articles |
FBI Files |
F.A.Q. |
Quotes
Film |
Theatre |
Music |
Radio |
Television |
Awards |
Trivia |
Books |
TV Schedule |
Links |
E-Mail
