10 October 1960 (1960-10-10) – 26 March 1969 (1969-03-26)
Festival (initially titled Festival '61) is a Canadian entertainment anthology television series which aired on CBC Television from 1960 to 1969.
Premise
CBC Television aired dramatic and musical anthology series such as Scope and Folio during the 1950s. Robert Allen, a producer on Folio, became supervising producer of the new Festival series.[2][3]
Production
The production cost of a typical Festival drama show was approximately $45,000 in 1961, among the highest production costs of CBC programming at the time.[4] Productions such as a ballet performance or a Gilbert and Sullivan play could cost $60,000 for CBC.[4]
Scheduling
This series was broadcast as follows:
Day
Time
Season run
Duration (minutes)
Monday
9:30 p.m.
10 October 1960
19 June 1961
60-90
Monday
9:30 p.m.
2 October 1961
11 June 1962
60-90
Monday
9:30 p.m.
1 October 1962
20 May 1963
60-135
Wednesday
9:30 p.m.
2 October 1963
24 June 1964
90
Wednesday
9:30 p.m.
7 October 1964
30 June 1965
30
Wednesday
9:30 p.m.
15 September 1965
6 July 1966
30
Wednesday
9:30 p.m.
14 September 1966
10 May 1967
90
Wednesday
9:30 p.m.
4 October 1967
8 May 1968
90
Wednesday
9:30 p.m.
30 October 1968
26 March 1969
90
Seasons
1960-61
Festival was pre-empted some weeks with such programming as specials from the Omnibus or Hall of Fame series, or by sports (hockey, football), or by other special programs.
Starring Richard Cassily, Victor Godfrey, Virginia Gordoni, Ilona Kombrink, Elena Nikolaidi;[13] Music was performed by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Walter Susskind. The production was recorded early January 1961 in Toronto and cost $60,000.[14]
Starring Luther Adler (Rabbi), Dino Narizzano (Channon), Avra Petrides (Leah), Joseph Wiseman (Messenger); produced by Harvey Hart, adapted by Mac Shoub[25]
Starring Peter Brockington, James Doohan (Jules), James Edmond, Gillie Fenwick, Jill Foster, Eric House (Barman), Charles Palmer (Ernest), Catherine Proctor, Drew Thompson (Pitt); produced by Mario Prizek[30]
A performance by the Stratford Festival, recorded in Toronto; starring Irene Byatt (Ruth), Andrew Downie (Frederic), Howell Glynne (Sergeant of Police), Eric House (Major General), Harry Mossfield (Pirate King), Marion Studholme (Mabel); directed for television by Norman Campbell[34][35]
Performed by the National Ballet Company of Canada[42]
"A Cradle of Willow"
Dorothy Wright
25 December 1961 (1961-12-25)
Christmas drama starring Eric Christmas, Leo Ciceri, Dino Narizzano, Tony Van Bridge[43]
"Traveller Without Luggage"
Jean Anouilh
1 January 1962 (1962-01-01)
Starring Geoffrey Alexander James Douglas, Jane Mallet, Norman Renault, Mary Savidge[44]
"The Day of the Dodo"
Ron Boorne
8 January 1962 (1962-01-08)
Drama concerning aeronautical workers; starring John Drainie, Bruno Gerussi, William Needles, Kate Reid[45]
"The Lady's Not For Burning"
Christopher Fry
15 January 1962 (1962-01-15)
Starring Zoe Caldwell (Jennet Jourdemayne), Eric Christmas (Mayor Hebble Tyson), Donald Harron (Thomas Mendip), Mary Savidge (Margaret Devize); produced by Paul Almond, costumes by Horst Daniz, sets by Rudi Dorn[46]
"An Evening With Gilbert and Sullivan"
Unknown
22 January 1962 (1962-01-22)
Portions of Gilbert and Sullivan's works are performed by the Stratford Light Opera: portions of The Mikado, The Pirates of Penzance and The Yeoman of the Guard, plus the full version of Trial By Jury; produced by Norman Campbell[47]
Igor Stravinsky's birthday is celebrated as he conducts the CBC Symphony Orchestra, including a performance of his "Symphony of Psalms"; Robert Craft narrates and conducts the orchestra for certain selections; the program includes appearances by four members of the New York City Ballet, the Festival Singers of Toronto, Nadia Boulanger and George Balanchine; Franz Kraemer produced and directed this broadcast which was recorded in Toronto[61]
1962-63
Weeks not indicated were pre-empted by special broadcasts such as Camera Canada or The Telephone Hour. National election coverage pre-empted Festival on 8 April 1963.
Starring Inge Bergman, Robert Christie, John Drainie, Ron Hartman, Douglas Rain[67]
"Break-Up"
Helge Krog
12 November 1962 (1962-11-12)
Starring Barbara Chilcott, Leo Ciceri, Leslie Nielsen; produced by Mario Prizek[68]
"The Gondoliers"
Gilbert & Sullivan
19 November 1962 (1962-11-19)
Stratford Festival production, starring Douglas Campbell, Ann Casson, Jack Creley, Ilona Kombrink; music by Louis Applebaum conducting the National Festival Orchestra, production by Norman Campbell[69]
This play concerns a Jewish arts graduate in Winnipeg who attempts to decide his life's future direction; starring Lynne Gorman, Donnelly Rhodes, Toby Tarnow, Powys Thomas; producer Harvey Hart[77][78]
Starring Zoe Caldwell, Peter Donat, Gillie Fenwick, Leo Genn[84]
"Galileo"
Bertolt Brecht, adapted by Lister Sinclair
25 March 1963 (1963-03-25)
Starring John Colicos (Galileo), Sharon Acker (Galileo's daughter), Leo Ciceri (Pope), Gillie Fenwick (Cardinal Inquisitor), Bruno Gerussi (Little Monk); narrated by Hugh Webster, directed by Mario Prizek[85][86]
"Birth of a Symphony"
Unknown
1 April 1963 (1963-04-01)
Performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 by the Festival Orchestra with conductor Karl Boehm[87]
"Laudes Evanglii"
Unknown
15 April 1963 (1963-04-15)
Miracle play which portrays the life of Jesus Christ, produced by Associated-Rediffusion and originally broadcast in the UK in 1961; featuring Ballet European choreographed by Leonide Massine, the chorus of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, with soloists and mime performers[88][89]
"Othello"
Verdi
22 April 1963 (1963-04-22)
Starring Richard Cassilly, Ilona Kombrink, John McCollum, Louis Quilico, Jan Rubes; broadcast from 8:30 Eastern due to program length of 2 hours 15 minutes[90]
Weeks not indicated were pre-empted by special broadcasts such as Camera Canada, Horizon or Intertel. NHL hockey playoffs pre-empted Festival on 8 April 1964.
Title
Writer
Original air date
"The Mikado"
Gilbert and Sullivan
2 October 1963 (1963-10-02)
Stratford Festival production, starring Maurice Brown (Mikado), Irene Byatt (Katisha), Andrew Downie (Nanki-Poo), Howell Glynne (Pooh-Bah), Eric House (The Lord High Executioner), Heather Thomson (Yum-Yum); produced by Norman Campbell[96][97]
Theatre du Nouveau Monde from Montreal performs this play in French; starring Jean Dalmain, Gabriel Gascon, Germaine Giroux, Guy Hoffman, Monique Joly, Monique Leyrac; introduction by Rene Levesque, directed by Jean Gascon[101][102]
"Viennese Night"
Unknown
6 November 1963 (1963-11-06)
Music performance featuring soloist Elizabeth Schwarzkopf and conductor Willi Boskovsky[103]
"I Spy / A Resounding Tinkle"
John Mortimer and N. F. Simpson
13 November 1963 (1963-11-13)
Two plays are featured: "I Spy" stars Henry Comor, Eric House, Hilary Vernon, and "A Resounding Tinkle" stars Helen Burns, Eric House[104]
"Pierre Boulez, Frenchman, Composer, Conductor"
Unknown
20 November 1963 (1963-11-20)
Broadcast of a Radio-Canada music performance featuring works by Debussy, Stravinsky with works by Boulez himself[105]