Pond's Theater

Its original title was Kraft Television Theatre, but when Kraft decided to drop the Thursday night version on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) Pond's took over the sponsorship and retitled the series Pond's Theater.The series had its origin in the second simultaneous series of Kraft Television Theatre begun October 1953, on ABC to promote Kraft's new Cheez Whiz product.Both series followed the sponsorship format also used by Ford Theatre and Eastman Kodak's Screen Directors Playhouse.[2] Reviewer John Crosby, in a March 31, 1955 article entitled "Pond's Theatre Delivers Satisfying Dramatic Fare" commented that:[3] "Pond's Theater doesn't do that well because its on a Thursday, and because it's on ABC-TV,which can't deliver the stations."Among its guest stars that year were Sidney Poitier, Joanne Woodward, John Cassavetes, Gena Rowlands, Roddy McDowall, Gene Raymond, Sylvia Sidney, Buster Crabbe, E.G. Marshall, Eva Gabor, Ed Begley, and Mildred Dunnock.