The Strawhatters
Encyclopedia
The Strawhatters was an American television summer variety show
that aired on the national DuMont
network from May 27, 1953 until September 1953, and again in 1954, from June until September 8 of that year. Episodes of the program had also been seen on WABD, the New York City
-area DuMont station, in 1952, before it aired nationally. For 1954, the program was retitled Summer in the Park.
Filmed at Palisades Amusement Park
in New Jersey
, across the Hudson River
from New York City, The Strawhatters featured talent shows, musical entertainment, and diving exhibitions. The Complete Directory to Primetime Network and Cable TV Shows (8th edition, 2003) called The Strawhatters "essentially an hour-long advertisement for Palisades Amusement Park."
The program was hosted and emceed by Johnny Olson
in 1953, and Virginia Graham
in 1954.
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
that aired on the national DuMont
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
network from May 27, 1953 until September 1953, and again in 1954, from June until September 8 of that year. Episodes of the program had also been seen on WABD, the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
-area DuMont station, in 1952, before it aired nationally. For 1954, the program was retitled Summer in the Park.
Filmed at Palisades Amusement Park
Palisades Amusement Park
Palisades Amusement Park was an amusement park located in Bergen County, New Jersey, across the Hudson River from New York City. It was situated atop the New Jersey Palisades lying partly in Cliffside Park and partly in Fort Lee. The park operated from 1898 until 1971, remaining one of the most...
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, across the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
from New York City, The Strawhatters featured talent shows, musical entertainment, and diving exhibitions. The Complete Directory to Primetime Network and Cable TV Shows (8th edition, 2003) called The Strawhatters "essentially an hour-long advertisement for Palisades Amusement Park."
The program was hosted and emceed by Johnny Olson
Johnny Olson
John Leonard "Johnny" Olson was an American radio personality and television announcer. His work spanned 32 game shows produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman from the late 1950s through the mid 1980s...
in 1953, and Virginia Graham
Virginia Graham
Virginia Graham born Virginia Komiss, was a daytime television talk show host from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s...
in 1954.
See also
- List of programs broadcast by the DuMont Television Network
- List of surviving DuMont Television Network broadcasts