 Hallmark Playhouse was introduced on June 10, 1948 as a summer dramatic series bankroll by the Hall Brothers Incorporated that had been sponsoring the Radio Readers Digest for the previous two years. In the summer of that year, the Playhouse ratings helped convince Hallmark executives that they no longer wanted to have their greeting cards marketed alongside Readers Digest magazines and dropped the Digest program entirely in favor of continuing Hallmark Playhouse. The package was negotiated with the CBS Network by Jack Hunt, account executive for Foot, Cone and Building. The estimated initial cost for talent was $5,250 per week. By the end of 1948, the Hall Brothers were on pace to spend $1.5 million per year on the show. About half of the company's entire advertising budget and reported 10% of its gross income. James Hilton, a British novelist, was convinced to serve as the voice of the program both as host and story selector. D. Engelbach was the first producer-director with Lynn Murray responsible for musical direction and Frank Goss serving as announcer. Notable script writers included Gene Holloway and Milton Geiger. The team of Jerome Lawrence and Robert Lee were regular contributors to the program. The cast changed from week to week with radio workhorses such as Barbara Eiler, Earl Ross, Howard McNeer, and Lorraine Tuttle, assuming many of the roles, and Hollywood names like Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Joan Fontaine, and Irene Dunn, providing a dash of star power. The Hallmark Playhouse ran for almost five years from June 1948 until February 1, 1953. The series was overhauled in the course of one week, and the Hallmark Hall of Fame premiered on February 8, 1953. Gone was the man of letters James Hilton. In his place was the inimitable Lionel Barrymore who introduced weekly profiles of famous figures from history such as Sam Houston, Mary Todd Lincoln, and Albert Schweitzer. The Hallmark Hall of Fame aired for two more years from 1953 until 1955 before transitioning fully to television in a series of productions that still aired to this day. For Old Time Radio Researchers, I'm your announcer Patrick Andre. Enjoy the show!