Anita Kraft

Kraft Television Theatre was an American anthology drama series that aired from 1947 to 1958. Initially broadcast on NBC, it featured live, hour-long episodes with original stories and characters each week, alongside adaptations of classic literature. The series was produced by the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency and aired live from Studio 8-H at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. For its entire run, it presented new material every Wednesday evening, without repeats, though one episode, "Patterns," was performed twice as separate live productions.

In 1953, ABC introduced a separate, concurrent series also titled Kraft Television Theatre, specifically to promote Kraft's Cheez Whiz. This second show ran for sixteen months. The original NBC series continued, and after the second show ended, it transitioned to become Pond's Theatre on ABC. The original Kraft Television Theatre concluded its run in 1958, with its rights later sold to Talent Associates, which revamped it as Kraft Mystery Theatre and later the filmed series Kraft Suspense Theatre.

The Kraft Television Theatre debuted on May 7, 1947, on NBC, initially airing on Wednesday evenings at 7:30 p.m. before moving to a 9 p.m. timeslot in January 1948, where it remained until 1958. The live, hour-long program was produced by the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency and presented a new television play every week for over eleven years, airing 52 weeks a year without repeats. Broadcast live from Studio 8-H at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the series aired more than 650 comedies and dramas during its run. A second, separate series under the same name was added to ABC in October 1953 to promote Kraft's Cheez Whiz, running for sixteen months. After Kraft cancelled this second show, it was sponsored by Pond's, while the original continued on NBC.

Kraft Television Theatre served as a significant platform for emerging talent, launching the careers of numerous actors, directors, and playwrights. Among the notable performers who appeared on the series were James Dean, Grace Kelly, Paul Newman, Lee Remick, George C. Scott, and Joanne Woodward. Directors such as Sidney Lumet and Robert Altman, and writers like Rod Serling, contributed to the show's acclaimed productions. Serling, in particular, won an Emmy for his script "Patterns," an episode so impactful that it was rebroadcast live and later adapted into a feature film. The series concluded in 1958 with a Tennessee Williams play, featuring young actors Martin Huston and Zina Bethune.

The series concluded in 1958, with its format evolving into Kraft Mystery Theatre and later the filmed Kraft Suspense Theatre. During its broadcast history, Kraft Television Theatre achieved respectable Nielsen ratings, ranking within the top 25 for several seasons. The show's impact is partly preserved through archival materials. Excerpts from early episodes and a collection of 1947 clips are held by the Library of Congress. Additionally, the Library of Congress possesses a substantial number of complete episodes, including several from 1948. The American Heritage Center also houses scripts from various episodes spanning 1947 to 1949, which were edited by Edmund C. Rice.