Ford Festival

Ford Festival, also known as The James Melton Show, is an hour-long television show, sponsored by Ford Motor Company, hosted by James Melton, and broadcast on NBC Television beginning on April 5, 1951. The final show was aired June 26, 1952.^[1] This show was replaced by another Ford-sponsored NBC show, Ford Television Theatre, from October 1952 to June 1956.^{[citation needed]}

The initial premise of the program was that each episode had a plot that tied together performances by Melton and other performers, including singer Dorothy Warenskjold, comedienne Vera Vague, and comedic singers the Wiere Brothers. Effective June 7, 1951, the format changed to a traditional revue. The Wiere Brothers were dropped, and Billy Barty joined the group.^[2]

The show aired:

• April 5, 1951 – December 27, 1951, Thursdays 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET^[2]
• January 3, 1952 – June 26, 1952, Thursdays 9:30-10:30 p.m. ET^[2]