Family Theater was an old-time radio show which aired
on the Mutual Broadcasting System in the United States from February
13, 1947 to September 11, 1957.
The show was produced by Family Theater Productions, a film and
radio studio extension of the Family Rosary Crusade founded by the
Holy Cross Priest, Father Patrick Peyton, CSC, as a way to promote
family prayer. The motto of the these Holy Cross Family Ministries
is, "The family that prays together, stays together."
The program had no commercial sponsor, yet Fr. Peyton, CSC arranged
for many of Hollywood's stars in film and radio at the time to appear.
In its ten-year run, famous actors and actresses such as Jimmy Stewart,
Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Raymond Burr, Jane Wyatt, Charlton Heston,
Bing Crosby, Jack Benny, Gene Kelly and Chuck Connors all appeared
as announcers, narrators or stars.
The program featured not only religious stories, but half-hour
adaptations of literary works such as A Tale of Two Cities, Moby
Dick and Don Quixote.
This collection of Family Theater Greats includes
381 different shows and appearances for a total of 181+ hours of
listening enjoyment.
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