Classic TV Info - Stump the Stars

Stump the Stars
1962-63

By Jim Davidson
Posted 4/2005
Updated 4/2/2011

Mike Stokey

Hans Conried, Beverly Garland,
Sebastian Cabot, and Ross Martin

Created by producer/host Mike Stokey, this show can best be described as "celebrities playing charades." Under the title Pantomime Quiz, it began life in 1947 as a local Los Angeles game show before becoming a yearly summer replacement on CBS in 1950. After two summers on ABC in 1958 and 1959, it went on hiatus until returning for an entire season in 1962-63 with the new name of Stump the Stars. (There were also brief runs during the regular season on NBC, Dumont, and ABC throughout the 1950s.)

The format of this prerecorded-on-videotape program was simple: two teams of four members each would vie for the most points. Each member would take a turn acting out a (usually) clever quotation, title, or epigram sent in by a viewer, and the other members would try to guess it. The less time it took, the more points the team would be awarded.

The makeup of the teams varied, but there were usually two guests, each one teaming up with three regulars. Sometimes there were four guests (often drawn from the cast of a TV show like Dick Van Dyke or Perry Mason) who would make up one team and play against another team of four regulars. When the season started in the fall of 1962, Pat Harrington Jr. was the host, but he was replaced by the show's producer/creator Mike Stokey on December 10.

Stump the Stars lasted only a single season on CBS, unable to compete with the popular Ben Casey on ABC. It returned for brief runs in syndication in 1964 and 1969-70, but never recaptured its earlier glory. The show is fondly remembered by fans, and VHS and DVD copies of its episodes aren't hard to find.

The Episodes

Sources: TV Guide (Northern California edition) on microfilm, Dr. Charles Beardsley
CBS-TV, Monday Nights 10:30 - 11:00 pm

Airdate	Host, Regulars, and Guests
9/17/1962	Host: Pat Harrington Jr. Guests: Jerry Lewis, Jayne Mansfield. Regulars: Beverly Garland, Jan Clayton, Diana Dors, Mickey Manners, Sebastian Cabot, Ross Martin.
9/24/1962	Guests: Dick Van Dyke, Imogene Coca. Regulars: Diana Dors, Jan Clayton, Sebastian Cabot, Beverly Garland, Ross Martin, Mickey Manners.
10/1/1962	Guests: Lee Marvin, Gypsy Rose Lee. Regulars: Sebastian Cabot, Beverly Garland, Ross Martin, Jan Clayton, Mickey Manners, Diana Dors.
10/8/1962	This episode was originally to have featured Yvonne DeCarlo and Art Linkletter but was postponed until the following week. It's not known what aired in its place.
10/15/1962	Host: Pat Harrington Jr. Guests: Yvonne DeCarlo, Art Linkletter. Regulars: Sebastian Cabot, Beverly Garland, Ross Martin, Jan Clayton, Mickey Manners, Diana Dors. Note: This episode was postponed from the previous week.
10/22/1962	Host: Pat Harrington Jr. Guests: Janet Blair, Mickey Rooney.
10/29/1962	Guest Gisele MacKenzie with regulars Sebastian Cabot, Beverly Garland, and Ross Martin vs. guest Tab Hunter with regulars Jan Clayton, Diana Dors, and Mickey Manners.
11/5/1962	Guest Terry Moore with regulars Sebastian Cabot, Beverly Garland, and Ross Martin vs. guest Cesar Romero with regulars Jan Clayton, Diana Dors, and Mickey Manners.
11/12/1962	Guests: Sammy Davis Jr., Jane Russell.
11/19/1962	Guest Hedy Lamarr with regulars Sebastian Cabot, Jan Clayton, and Ross Martin.
11/26/1962	Guests Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie and Morey Amsterdam (the cast of The Dick Van Dyke Show) vs. regulars Sebastian Cabot, Beverly Garland, Ross Martin, and Gisele MacKenzie. Note: This episode has been released in The Dick Van Dyke Show Season 2 DVD set. Buy it now (paid link).
12/3/1962	No information available.
12/10/1962	Creator/producer Mike Stokey takes over as host. The guests are four members of the cast of Rawhide (names not specified) vs. regulars Sebastian Cabot, Diana Dors, Beverly Garland, and Ross Martin.
12/17/1962	Guests: Robert Horton, Angie Dickinson.
12/24/1962	Host: Mike Stokey. Guest Nancy Sinatra with regulars Diana Dors, Richard Long, and Tommy Noonan vs. guest Tommy Sands (Nancy's husband) with regulars Sebastian Cabot, Hans Conried, and Beverly Garland. Note: An interlude in the program features Santa Claus singing "Silent Night" to the children of the show's crew.
12/31/1962	Host: Mike Stokey. Guests: Dan Dailey, Janet Blair. Regulars: Diana Dors, Beverly Garland, Sebastian Cabot, Tommy Noonan, Hans Conried, Richard Long.
1/7/1963	Guests: Alan Young, Connie Hines, Larry Keating, and Edna Skinner (the cast of Mister Ed) vs. regulars Sebastian Cabot, Hans Conried, Diana Dors, and Beverly Garland.
1/14/1963	Guest Carol Lynley with regulars Diana Dors, Richard Long, and Tommy Noonan vs. guest Vincent Price with regulars Hans Conried, Sebastian Cabot, and Beverly Garland.
1/21/1963	Guest Eartha Kitt with regulars Sebastian Cabot, Hans Conried, and Beverly Garland.
1/28/1963	Guest John Forsythe with Diana Dors, Richard Long, and Tommy Noonan vs. guest Barbara Hale with regulars Sebastian Cabot, Hans Conried, and Beverly Garland.
2/4/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guests Angie Dickinson, Robert Horton, Cyril Ritchard, and Walter Slezak vs. regulars Sebastian Cabot, Hans Conried, Diana Dors, and Beverly Garland.
2/11/1963	Guest Hugh O'Brian with regulars Sebastian Cabot, Hans Conried, and Beverly Garland vs. guest Dolores Gray with regulars Diana Dors, Richard Long, and Tommy Noonan.
2/18/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guests: Sheila and Gordon MacRae, Robert Clary. Regulars: Ruta Lee, Beverly Garland, Stubby Kaye, Tommy Noonan, Richard Long.
2/25/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guests: Michael Landon, Nina Foch. Regulars: Beverly Garland, Tommy Noonan, Ruta Lee, Richard Long, Stubby Kaye, Robert Clary. Buy This Episode (paid link)
3/4/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guests: Gene Barry, Jayne Mansfield. Regulars: Sebastian Cabot, Beverly Garland, Stubby Kaye, Ruta Lee, Richard Long, Tommy Noonan.
3/11/1963	Guests: Lizabeth Scott, George Hamilton.
3/18/1963	Guests Sir Cedric Hardwicke, David Wayne, MacDonald Carey, and Gretchen Wyler vs. regulars Ross Martin, Hans Conried, Beverly Garland, and Sebastian Cabot. Note: This episode was taped in New York.
3/25/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guests: Paul Ford, Maureen O'Sullivan, Orson Bean, Tom Poston.
4/1/1963	Guests: E. G. Marshall and Robert Reed (of The Defenders), Zina Bethune (of The Nurses), Martha Scott.
4/8/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guests Nanette Fabray, Dane Clark, Bert Lahr, and Alice Ghostley vs. regulars Sebastian Cabot, Beverly Garland, Ross Martin, and Hans Conried. Note: This episode has a Broadway vs. Hollywood theme.
4/15/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guests Joseph Cotten, his wife Patricia Medina, Eli Wallach, and Celeste Holm vs. regulars Sebastian Cabot, Beverly Garland, Ross Martin, and Robert Clary. Note: This episode was taped in New York.
4/22/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guests Robert Morse, Rudy Vallee, Joy Claussen, and Michele Lee vs. regulars Sebastian Cabot, Beverly Garland, Ross Martin, and Robert Clary.
4/29/1963	Guests: Jacques Bergerac and his wife Dorothy Malone.
5/6/1963	Guest Jackie Coogan with regulars Hans Conried, Stubby Kaye, and Ruta Lee vs. guest Frank Gorshin with regulars Sebastian Cabot, Beverly Garland, and Ross Martin.
5/13/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guest Marilyn Maxwell with regulars Hans Conried, Stubby Kaye, and Ruta Lee vs. guest Dennis Weaver with regulars Sebastian Cabot, Beverly Garland, and Ross Martin.
5/20/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guests Robert Culp, James Gregory, Ty Hardin, and Grant Williams (the cast of the movie PT 109) vs. regulars Sebastian Cabot, Ross Martin, Beverly Garland, and Hans Conried.
5/27/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guest Nick Adams with regulars Stubby Kaye, Ruta Lee, and Richard Long vs. guest Paula Prentiss with regulars Sebastian Cabot, Beverly Garland, and Ross Martin. Buy This Episode (paid link)
6/3/1963	This episode was originally to have featured Ed Begley and Jeanne Crain but was postponed until 8/19/1963. It's not known what aired in its place.
6/10/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guests Tab Hunter, Frankie Avalon, Harvey Lembeck, and Jim Backus (the cast of the movie Operation Bikini) vs. regulars Sebastian Cabot, Ross Martin, Beverly Garland, and Hans Conried.
6/17/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guest Connie Stevens with regulars Sebastian Cabot, Beverly Garland, and Ross Martin vs. guest Allan Sherman with regulars Hans Conried, Stubby Kaye, and Ruta Lee.
6/24/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guest Lloyd Nolan with regulars Hans Conried, Stubby Kaye, and Ruta Lee vs. guest Gisele MacKenzie with regulars Sebastian Cabot, Beverly Garland, and Ross Martin.
7/1/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guest Clint Walker with regulars Sebastian Cabot, Beverly Garland, and Ross Martin vs. guests Mamie Van Doren and Gisele MacKenzie with regulars Hans Conried and Stubby Kaye.
7/8/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guests Raymond Burr, Barbara Hale, William Hopper, and William Talman (the cast of Perry Mason) vs. regulars Sebastian Cabot, Hans Conried, Beverly Garland, and Ross Martin. Note: A portion of this episode has been released in the Perry Mason 50th Anniversary Edition DVD set. Buy it now (paid link).
7/15/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guest Don Murray with regulars Hans Conried, Beverly Garland, and Richard Long vs. guest Anna Maria Alberghetti with regulars Sebastian Cabot, Ross Martin, and Dorothy Hart.
7/22/1963	Guest Juliet Prowse with regulars Ross Martin, Sebastian Cabot, and Dorothy Hart vs. guest Peter Falk with Hans Conried, Beverly Garland, and Richard Long.
7/29/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guests Dolores Hart, Robert Vaughn, Edd Byrnes, and Asa Maynor (Edd's wife) vs. regulars Ross Martin, Sebastian Cabot, Beverly Garland, and Hans Conried.
8/5/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guest Michael Wilding with regulars Sebastian Cabot, Ross Martin, and Dorothy Hart vs. guests Tina Louise and Roddy McDowall with regulars Beverly Garland, and Richard Long.
8/12/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guests Ty Hardin, James Gregory, and Grant Williams (the cast of PT 109), and Roddy McDowall vs. regulars Sebastian Cabot, Beverly Garland, Ross Martin, and Dorothy Hart.
8/19/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guest Ed Begley with regulars Ruta Lee, Hans Conried, and Stubby Kaye vs. guest Jeanne Crain with regulars Ross Martin, Sebastian Cabot, and Beverly Garland. Note: This episode was postponed from 6/3/1963. Buy This Episode (paid link)
8/26/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guest Fabian with regulars Richard Long, Stubby Kaye, and Ruta Lee vs. guest Julie London with regulars Ross Martin, Beverly Garland, and Sebastian Cabot.
9/2/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guest Dwayne Hickman with regulars Beverly Garland, Sebastian Cabot, and Ross Martin vs. guests Eartha Kitt and Lizabeth Scott with regulars Richard Long and Stubby Kaye.
9/9/1963	Guest Dean Jones with regulars Ruta Lee, Stubby Kaye, and Richard Long vs. guest Roger Smith with regulars Sebastian Cabot, Beverly Garland, and Ross Martin. Buy This Episode (paid link)
9/16/1963	Host: Mike Stokey. Guest Amanda Blake with regulars Sebastian Cabot, Beverly Garland, and Ross Martin vs. guest Jack Ging with regulars Stubby Kaye, Ruta Lee, and Richard Long.