The Railroad Hour

The Railroad Hour is a half-hour musical show featuring adaptations of popular Broadway musicals, primarily from the 1930s and early 1940s. It was sponsored by the Association of American Railroads and hosted by Gordon McRae.

The show premiered on ABC in 1948, then moved to NBC in 1949, where it ran until 1954. Guest stars appearing opposite McRae include many of the famous names of the day, such as Dinah Shore, Jane Powell, and Lucille Norman. The stories are severely abridged from to fit in the half-hour time slot, but fun to listen to; the singing is truly a treat.

The show is fondly remembered. Many of the scripts are archived at Ohio State's Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute. In addition, Gerald Wilson and Martin Grams, Jr., cataloged the episodes, stars, and songs in their book, The Railroad Hour.

For more information, see the Railroad Hour website.

Series description provided by Frank Bell.