This is a chronological listing of the titles that were showcased on the first four seasons of NBC Saturday Night at the Movies .
Season 1 [ edit ] The first 30-week season (1961–1962) consisted of post-1948 titles from 20th Century Fox . Those films in the widescreen CinemaScope format were resized for the small screen. In terms of content, very little editing was done because the films met the broadcast standards of the time for the most part. There were several weeks when the films ran far beyond the scheduled 11pm end time. The list of films in the "episode guide" come from the TV Listings page of the Lima News , Lima, Ohio .
Episode # Airdate Movie Title and Year Main Cast Network TV Run Time 1 9/23/1961 How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) Betty Grable , Marilyn Monroe , Lauren Bacall 2 hours 2 9/30/1961 The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952) Gregory Peck , Susan Hayward , Ava Gardner 2 hours, 20 minutes 3 10/07/1961 Titanic (1953) Clifton Webb , Barbara Stanwyck , Robert Wagner 2 hours 4 10/14/1961 Garden of Evil (1954) Gary Cooper , Susan Hayward , Richard Widmark 2 hours 5 10/21/1961 The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951) James Mason , Cedric Hardwicke , Jessica Tandy 2 hours 6 10/28/1961 There's No Business Like Show Business (1954) Ethel Merman , Donald O'Connor , Marilyn Monroe 2 hours, 25 minutes 7 11/04/1961 Soldier of Fortune (1955) Clark Gable , Susan Hayward , Michael Rennie 2 hours 8 11/11/1961 Halls of Montezuma (1951) Richard Widmark , Jack Palance , Robert Wagner 2 hours, 20 minutes 9 11/18/1961 Demetrius and the Gladiators (1954) Victor Mature , Susan Hayward , Michael Rennie 2 hours 10 11/25/1961 Dreamboat (1952) Clifton Webb , Ginger Rogers , Anne Francis 2 hours 11 12/02/1961 Broken Arrow (1950) James Stewart , Jeff Chandler , Debra Paget 2 hours 12 12/09/1961 Man on a Tightrope (1953) Fredric March , Terry Moore , Gloria Grahame 2 hours 13 12/16/1961 Destination Gobi (1953) Richard Widmark , Don Taylor , Max Showalter 2 hours 14 12/23/1961 O. Henry's Full House (1952) John Steinbeck , Marilyn Monroe , Richard Widmark 2 hours, 25 minutes 15 12/30/1961 On the Riviera (1951) Danny Kaye , Gene Tierney , Corinne Calvet 2 hours 16 1/06/1962 What Price Glory (1952) James Cagney , Corinne Calvet , Robert Wagner 2 hours, 15 minutes 17 1/13/1962 People Will Talk (1951) Cary Grant , Jeanne Crain , Hume Cronyn 2 hours, 15 minutes 18 1/20/1962 5 Fingers (1952) James Mason , Danielle Darrieux , Michael Rennie 2 hours, 15 minutes 19 1/27/1962 Cheaper by the Dozen (the 1950 version) Clifton Webb , Jeanne Crain , Myrna Loy 2 hours 20 2/03/1962 The Frogmen (1951) Richard Widmark , Dana Andrews , Robert Wagner 2 hours 21 2/10/1962 With a Song in My Heart (1952) Susan Hayward , Rory Calhoun , Robert Wagner 2 hours, 20 minutes 22 2/17/1962 Monkey Business (1952) Cary Grant , Ginger Rogers , Marilyn Monroe 2 hours 23 2/24/1962 Stars and Stripes Forever (1952) Clifton Webb , Debra Paget , Robert Wagner 2 hours 24 3/03/1962 The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951 film) Michael Rennie , Patricia Neal , Sam Jaffe 2 hours 25 3/10/1962 The Black Rose (1950) Tyrone Power , Orson Welles , Michael Rennie 2 hours, 15 minutes 26 3/17/1962 Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950) Dana Andrews , Gene Tierney , Gary Merrill 2 hours 27 3/24/1962 No Highway in the Sky (1951) James Stewart , Marlene Dietrich , Glynis Johns 2 hours 28 3/31/1962 Bird of Paradise (1951) Debra Paget , Louis Jourdan , Jack Elam 2 hours 29 4/07/1962 It Happens Every Spring (1949) Ray Milland , Jean Peters , Ed Begley 2 hours 30 4/14/1962 Diplomatic Courier (1952) Tyrone Power , Patricia Neal , Karl Malden 2 hours
Season 2 [ edit ] The second season (1962–1963) began on September 22, 1962, just as the first season started off, with Marilyn Monroe , this time with the television debut of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes . The broadcast had become a special tribute to Monroe, who had died just a month earlier. It was also a second season of 30 titles from 20th Century Fox .
Episode # Airdate Movie Title and Year Main Cast Network TV Run Time 31 9/22/1962 Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) Jane Russell , Marilyn Monroe , Charles Coburn 2 hours 32 9/29/1962 Broken Lance (1954) Spencer Tracy , Robert Wagner , Richard Widmark 2 hours 33 10/06/1962 The Egyptian (1954) Jean Simmons , Victor Mature , Gene Tierney , Edmund Purdom 2 hours, 45 minutes 34 10/13/1962 Three Coins In The Fountain (1954) Clifton Webb , Dorothy McGuire , Louis Jourdan 2 hours 35 10/20/1962 River of No Return (1954) Robert Mitchum , Marilyn Monroe , Rory Calhoun 2 hours 36 10/27/1962 Mister Scoutmaster (1953) Clifton Webb , Edmund Gwenn , Frances Dee 2 hours 37 11/03/1962 Beneath the 12-Mile Reef (1953) Robert Wagner , Terry Moore , Richard Boone 2 hours 38 11/10/1962 The Desert Rats (1953) Richard Burton , James Mason , Robert Newton 2 hours 39 11/17/1962 White Witch Doctor (1953) Susan Hayward , Robert Mitchum , Walter Slezak 2 hours 40 11/24/1962 Sailor of the King (1953) Jeffrey Hunter , Michael Rennie , Wendy Hiller 2 hours 41 12/01/1962 Night People (1954) Gregory Peck , Broderick Crawford , Buddy Ebsen 2 hours 42 12/08/1962 No Down Payment (1957) Joanne Woodward , Tony Randall , Jeffrey Hunter 2 hours, 5 minutes 43 12/15/1962 Désirée (1954) Marlon Brando , Merle Oberon , Michael Rennie 2 hours, 10 minutes 44 12/22/1962 Red Skies of Montana (1952) Richard Widmark , Jeffrey Hunter , Richard Boone 2 hours 45* 12/29/1962 Rawhide (1951 film, no relation to the CBS-TV series) Tyrone Power , Susan Hayward , Jack Elam 2 hours 46 1/5/1963 Decision Before Dawn (1951) Richard Basehart , Gary Merrill , Hildegard Neff 2 hours, 25 minutes 47 1/12/1963 The Sun Also Rises (1957) Tyrone Power , Ava Gardner , Errol Flynn 2 hours, 35 minutes 48 1/19/1963 Woman's World (1954) Van Heflin , Lauren Bacall , Clifton Webb 2 hours 49 1/26/1963 Deadline - U.S.A. (1952) Humphrey Bogart , Kim Hunter , Ed Begley 2 hours 50 2/2/1963 Niagara (1953) Marilyn Monroe , Joseph Cotten , Jean Peters 2 hours 51 2/9/1963 Kangaroo (1952) Maureen O'Hara , Peter Lawford , Richard Boone 2 hours 52 2/16/1963 The Long Hot Summer (1958) Paul Newman , Joanne Woodward , Orson Welles 2 hours, 15 minutes 53 2/23/1963 The President's Lady (1953) Susan Hayward , Charlton Heston , John McIntire 2 hours 54 3/2/1963 The Roots of Heaven (1958) Errol Flynn , Juliette Gréco , Eddie Albert 2 hours, 25 minutes 55 3/9/1963 In Love and War (1958) Robert Wagner , Hope Lange , Jeffrey Hunter 2 hours, 10 minutes 56 3/16/1963 A Certain Smile (1958) Rossano Brazzi , Joan Fontaine , Johnny Mathis 2 hours, 5 minutes 57 3/23/1963 Fraulein (1958) Dana Wynter , Mel Ferrer , Theodore Bikel 2 hours 58 3/30/1963 Ten North Frederick (1958) Gary Cooper , Geraldine Fitzgerald , Stuart Whitman 2 hours 59 4/6/1963 Night and the City (1950) Richard Widmark , Gene Tierney , Herbert Lom 2 hours 60 4/13/1963 I'd Climb the Highest Mountain (1951) Susan Hayward , Rory Calhoun , Gene Lockhart 2 hours
To avoid confusion with the TV series Rawhide , 20th Century Fox renamed the film, Desperate Siege for television. Season 3 [ edit ] The third season (1963-1964) began on September 21, 1963. For the third season in a row, the network opened its Saturday night movie series with a Marilyn Monroe -starring film, 1955's The Seven Year Itch . By this time, NBC had added a second movie night, Monday, to its prime-time schedule. A new package of films were acquired at a cost of $14 million to the network consisting of 42 titles from 20th Century Fox , as well as 35 post 1950 films from MGM to fill both nights. For the most part, heavy dramatic films, such as The Diary of Anne Frank (1959 film) were chosen for season three of Saturday Night At The Movies, while lighter fare, such as comedies and musicals were reserved for the new Monday Night series. [1]
Episode # Airdate Movie Title and Year Main Cast Network TV Run Time 61 9/21/1963 The Seven Year Itch (1955) Marilyn Monroe , Tom Ewell , Evelyn Keyes 2 hours, 10 minutes 62 9/28/1963 The Journey (1959)(First post-1950 MGM film to air on network TV) Yul Brynner , Deborah Kerr , Jason Robards 2 hours, 25 minutes 63 10/5/1963 Ask Any Girl (1959) David Niven , Shirley MacLaine , Gig Young 2 hours 64 10/12/1963 The Asphalt Jungle (1950) Sterling Hayden , Jean Hagen , Sam Jaffe 2 hours, 15 minutes 65 10/19/1963 The Tall Men (1955) Clark Gable , Jane Russell , Cameron Mitchell 2 hours, 25 minutes 66 10/26/1963 Something of Value (1957) Rock Hudson , Dana Wynter , Sidney Poitier 2 hours, 15 minutes 67 11/2/1963 Let's Make Love (1960) Marilyn Monroe , Yves Montand , Tony Randall 2 hours, 20 minutes 68 11/9/1963 The Diary of Anne Frank (1959 film) Millie Perkins , Joseph Schildkraut , Shelley Winters , Ed Wynn 3 hours, 20 minutes 69 11/16/1963 Untamed (1955) Tyrone Power , Susan Hayward , Richard Egan 2 hours, 10 minutes N/A 11/23/1963 Pre-empted due to continuing NBC News coverage of the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy 70 11/30/1963 Count Your Blessings (1959) Deborah Kerr , Rossano Brazzi , Maurice Chevalier 2 hours 71 12/7/1963 The Left Hand of God (1955) Humphrey Bogart , Gene Tierney , Lee J. Cobb 2 hours 72 12/14/1963 The Opposite Sex (1956) June Allyson , Joan Collins , Leslie Nielsen 2 hours, 20 minutes 73 12/21/1963 A Man Called Peter (1955) Richard Todd , Jean Peters , Les Tremayne 2 hours, 15 minutes 74 12/28/1963 The Secret Partner (1961) Stewart Granger , Haya Harareet , Bernard Lee 2 hours 75 1/4/1964 Daddy Long Legs (1955) Fred Astaire , Leslie Caron , Fred Clark 2 hours, 25 minutes 76 1/11/1964 Imitation General (1958)(Rescheduled from 11/23/1963) Glenn Ford , Taina Elg , Red Buttons 2 hours 77 1/18/1964 The Naked Spur (1953) James Stewart , Janet Leigh , Robert Ryan 2 hours 78 1/25/1964 Until They Sail (1957) Jean Simmons , Paul Newman , Joan Fontaine 2 hours, 15 minutes 79 2/1/1964 Lust for Life (1956) Kirk Douglas , Anthony Quinn , Pamela Brown 2 hours, 30 minutes 80 2/8/1964 The Band Wagon (1953) Fred Astaire , Cyd Charisse , Oscar Levant 2 hours, 10 minutes 81 2/15/1964 Edge of the City (1957) John Cassavetes , Sidney Poitier , Ruby Dee 2 hours 82 2/22/1964 The Story of Three Loves (1953) Pier Angeli , Ethel Barrymore , Kirk Douglas 2 hours, 25 minutes 83 2/29/1964 Violent Saturday (1955) Victor Mature , Sylvia Sidney , Lee Marvin 2 hours 84 3/7/1964 Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! (1958) Paul Newman , Joanne Woodward , Jack Carson 2 hours 85 3/14/1964 Black Widow (1954) Ginger Rogers , Van Heflin , Gene Tierney 2 hours 86 3/21/1964 Man on Fire (1957) Bing Crosby , Inger Stevens , E. G. Marshall 2 hours 87 3/28/1964 Wild River (1960) Montgomery Clift , Lee Remick , Albert Salmi 2 hours, 15 minutes 88 4/4/1964 Fourteen Hours (1951) Richard Basehart , Barbara Bel Geddes , Paul Douglas 2 hours 89 4/11/1964 The Vintage (1957) Pier Angeli , Mel Ferrer , Theodore Bikel 2 hours 90 4/18/1964 The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (1955) Ray Milland , Joan Collins , Farley Granger 2 hours, 10 minutes
In the spring and summer of 1964, NBC elected to rebroadcast select titles previously seen on the Monday Night at the Movies series, in hopes of better ratings. The films seen for the first time on Saturday are listed below.
Episode # Airdate Movie Title and Year Main Cast Network TV Run Time 91 4/25/1964 "The Reluctant Debutante (film) " (1958) [Rebroadcast from 11/18/1963] Rex Harrison , Sandra Dee , John Saxon 2 hours 92 5/9/1964 "Executive Suite " (1954) [Edited version, Rebroadcast from 9/30/1963] William Holden , June Allyson , Fredric March 2 hours 93 5/16/1964 "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (film) " (1955) [Rebroadcast from 9/16/1963] William Holden , Jennifer Jones 2 hours 94 7/18/1964 "The View from Pompey's Head (film) " (1955) [Rebroadcast from 3/16/1964] Richard Egan (actor) , Marjorie Rambeau , Dana Wynter 2 hours 95 8/8/1964 "The Rains of Ranchipur " (1955) [Rebroadcast from 1/14/1964] Lana Turner , Richard Burton , Fred MacMurray 2 hours, 15 minutes 96 9/19/1964 "The Mating Game (film) ' (1959) [Rebroadcast from 10/21/1963] Debbie Reynolds , Tony Randall , Paul Douglas (actor) 2 hours
Season 4 [ edit ] With 20th Century Fox no longer providing movies to NBC for the 1964-1965 season, the peacock network struck a new deal with Paramount Pictures for 31 high profile films from the 1950's, many of them in the widescreen VistaVision format, now re-sized for the small screen. They also acquired 29 more films from MGM, for a total of 60 titles over two nights, including the new Wednesday Night at the Movies . The 4th season premiere on October 3, 1964, was also the first Paramount Picture to debut on NBC: 1955's Strategic Air Command (film) . This season also saw the TV Debut of White Christmas (film) (1954). The film would become a Saturday Night Holiday tradition on NBC, well into the 1970's
Episode # Airdate Movie Title and Year Main Cast Network TV Run Time 97 10/3/1964 Strategic Air Command (film) (1955) James Stewart . June Allyson , Frank Lovejoy 2 hours, 20 minutes 98 10/10/1964 Escape from Fort Bravo (1953) William Holden , Eleanor Parker , John Forsythe 2 hours 99 10/17/1964 Never So Few (1959) Frank Sinatra , Gina Lollobrigida , Steve McQueen 2 hours, 30 minutes 100 10/24/1964 Last Train from Gun Hill (1959) Kirk Douglas , Carolyn Jones , Anthony Quinn 2 hours 101 10/31/1964 The Teahouse of the August Moon (film) (1956) Marlon Brando , Glenn Ford , Machiko Kyō 2 hours, 30 minutes 102 11/7/1964 The Jayhawkers! (1959) Jeff Chandler , Fess Parker , Nicole Maurey 2 hours 103 11/14/1964 Some Came Running (film) (1958) Frank Sinatra , Dean Martin , Shirley MacLaine 2 hours, 40 minutes 104 11/21/1964 Three Violent People (1957) Charlton Heston , Anne Baxter , Gilbert Roland 2 hours 105 11/28/1964 Designing Woman (1957) Gregory Peck , Lauren Bacall , Dolores Gray 2 hours, 20 minutes 106 12/5/1964 Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) Spencer Tracy , Robert Ryan , Anne Francis 1 hour, 45 minutes 107 12/12/1964 War and Peace (1956 film) * Audrey Hepburn , Henry Fonda , Mel Ferrer 3 hours, 30 minutes 108 12/19/1964 White Christmas (film) (1954) Bing Crosby , Danny Kaye , Rosemary Clooney 2 hours, 25 minutes 109 12/26/1964 Adam's Rib (1949) Spencer Tracy , Katharine Hepburn 2 hours 110 1/2/1965 The Last Hunt (1956) Robert Taylor (American actor) , Debra Paget , Stewart Granger 2 hours 111 1/9/1965 Just for You (1952) Bing Crosby , Jane Wyman , Ethel Barrymore 2 hours 112 1/16/1965 The Swan (1956) Grace Kelly , Alec Guinness , Agnes Moorehead 2 hours 113 1/23/1965 The Rainmaker (1956) Burt Lancaster , Katharine Hepburn , Lloyd Bridges 2 hours and 30 minutes 114 2/6/1965 Don't Give Up the Ship (1959) Jerry Lewis , Dina Merrill , Claude Akins 2 hours 115 2/13/1965 Betrayed (1954) Clark Gable , Lana Turner , Victor Mature 2 hours, 15 minutes 116 2/20/1965 Les Girls (1957) Gene Kelly , Mitzi Gaynor , Kay Kendall 2 hours, 15 minutes 117 2/27/1965 Riding High (1950) Bing Crosby , Coleen Gray , Charles Bickford 2 hours, 15 minutes 118 3/6/1965 Battleground (1949) Van Johnson , John Hodiak , Ricardo Montalbán 2 hours 119 3/13/1965 Li'l Abner (1959) Peter Palmer , Leslie Parrish , Stubby Kaye 2 hours, 15 minutes 120 3/20/1965 The Caddy (1953) Jerry Lewis , Dean Martin , Donna Reed 2 hours 121 3/27/1965 Trial (1955) Glenn Ford , Dorothy McGuire , Arthur Kennedy 2 hours, 15 minutes 122 4/3/1965 Warpath (1951) Edmond O'Brien , Polly Bergen , Forrest Tucker 2 hours 123 4/10/1965 Wild Is the Wind (1957) Anna Magnani , Anthony Quinn , Anthony Franciosa 2 hours, 15 minutes 124 4/17/1965 Rhapsody (1954) Elizabeth Taylor , Vittorio Gassman , John Ericson 2 hours, 15 minutes 125 4/24/1965 Annie Get Your Gun (1950) Betty Hutton , Howard Keel , Louis Calhern 2 hours
The network showing of War and Peace had an early start of 8pm. Approx. 35 minutes had to be cut to fit the 3 hours, 30 minutes time slot As with the previous season, the network borrowed a handful of films from it second movie night series (Wednesday Night At The Movies in this case) to make their Saturday debut. These films are listed below.
Episode # Airdate Movie Title and Year Main Cast Network TV Run Time 126 5/1/1965 To Catch a Thief (1955) [Rebroadcast from 9/16/1964] Cary Grant , Grace Kelly , Jessie Royce Landis 2 hours 127 5/8/1965 The Naked Jungle (1954) [Rebroadcast from 2/10/1965] Charlton Heston , Eleanor Parker , Abraham Sofaer 2 hours 128 5/15/1965 The Rack (1956) [Rebroadcast from 11/25/1964] Paul Newman , Anne Francis , Walter Pidgeon 2 hours 129 6/26/1965 Detective Story (1951) [Rebroadcast from 1/27/1965] Kirk Douglas , Eleanor Parker , William Bendix 2 hours 130 7/3/1965 Atlantis, the Lost Continent (1961) [Rebroadcast from 12/23/1964] Joyce Taylor , John Dall 2 hours 131 7/17/1965 But Not for Me (1959) [Rebroadcast from 10/28/1964] Clark Gable , Carroll Baker , Lee J. Cobb 2 hours 132 8/7/1965 The Catered Affair (1956) [Rebroadcast from 3/10/1965] Bette Davis , Ernest Borgnine , Debbie Reynolds 2 hours
In later seasons, films such as The Time Machine (MGM, 1960), Sunset Boulevard (Paramount, 1950), and Sorry, Wrong Number (Paramount, 1948), would occasionally be shown. All three made their television debuts on Saturday Night at the Movies .
[1] UPI Interview with Don Bays, in charge of movies at NBC. Western Kansas Press, Great Bend, April, 27, 1963
Motion picture television series on NBC
Movie umbrella titles