Cavalcade of Bands (TV series)
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| Cavalcade of Bands | |
|---|---|
 Title card | |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | DuMont |
| Release | January 17, 1950 – September 25, 1951 |
Cavalcade of Bands is an early 1950s American television series which aired on the now defunct DuMont Television Network.
Produced by Drug Store Television Productions and DuMont, Cavalcade of Bands featured performances by popular and obscure Big Band orchestras, and aired on Tuesdays from 9-10pm ET beginning on January 17, 1950.[1]
The series was a spin-off of DuMont's popular Cavalcade of Stars.[citation needed] The initial host was Fred Robbins. Although he had been publicized as "permanent master of ceremonies",[2] he was replaced on January 24, 1950, by Warren Hull.[3] Ted Steele, and Buddy Rogers became hosts later in the program's run. Cavalcade of Bands was a major television effort, and was designed to lure away NBC's audience after The Milton Berle Show.[4]
The last episode of the series aired on September 25, 1951.[4] It was replaced by "Cosmopolitan Theatre".
Critical reception
A review in the trade publication Billboard described Cavalcade of Bands as "pure vaude[ville]".[5] It noted that the sequence of acts and the way they were introduced essentially followed vaudeville style. The review added that the show's success depended on how attractive an episode's band and guest stars were, adding that in the episode reviewed, nothing that the guests did "was particularly distinguished".[5] It concluded with the comment, "only name guests of major caliber will build an audience for the show".[5]