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''CBS Children's Film Festival'' (also known as ''CBS Children's Hour'') is a 1967–1984 television series of live action films from several countries that were made for children (several of them dubbed into English). Originally a sporadic series airing on Saturday mornings, Sunday afternoons, or weekday afternoons beginning in February 1967, it became a regularly scheduled program in 1971 on the CBS Saturday-morning lineup, running one hour with some films apparently edited down to fit the time slot. The program was hosted by 1950s television act ''
Kukla, Fran and Ollie ''Kukla, Fran and Ollie'' is an early American television show using puppets. It was created for children, but was soon watched by more adults than children. It did not have a script and was entirely ad-libbed. It was broadcast from Chicago bet ...
'', a.k.a.
puppeteer A puppeteer is a person who manipulates an inanimate object called a puppet to create the illusion that the puppet is alive. The puppet is often shaped like a human, animal, or legendary creature. The puppeteer may be visible to or hidden from the ...
Burr Tillstrom Franklin Burr Tillstrom (October 13, 1917 – December 6, 1985) was a puppeteer and the creator of ''Kukla, Fran and Ollie''. Early life Tillstrom was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Bert and Alice Burr Tillstrom. He attended Senn High School in ...
and actress
Fran Allison Frances Helen Allison (November 20, 1907June 13, 1989) was an American television and radio comedienne, personality, and singer. She is best known for her starring role on the weekday NBC-TV puppet show '' Kukla, Fran and Ollie'', which ran fr ...
. Kukla, Fran and Ollie were dropped from the series in 1977 and the program was renamed ''CBS Saturday Film Festival''.''CBS Children's Film Festival''
at TVGuide.com
Archived
from the original on September 6, 2015.
In 1978 CBS canceled the show in favor of the youth-targeted magazine '' 30 Minutes'' which was modeled after its adult sister show ''
60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who distinguished it from other news programs by using a unique style o ...
''. CBS canceled ''30 Minutes'' in 1982 and brought back ''Saturday Film Festival'' which ran for two seasons until CBS cancelled it for good in 1984. Perhaps the most famous "episode" of the series was the 1960 British film '' Hand in Hand'', the story of a deep friendship between two elementary school students, one a
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
boy and the other a
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
girl. In addition to many American and
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
films, the series also featured motion pictures from
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
,
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
,
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
,
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
,
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
,
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,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
,
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, and
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
, as well as several other countries. Other films that aired during the series run include the
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
-winning French film ''
The Red Balloon ''The Red Balloon'' () is a 1956 French fantasy comedy-drama featurette written, produced, and directed by Albert Lamorisse. The thirty-four-minute short, which follows the adventures of a young boy who one day finds a sentient, mute, red ballo ...
;'' '' Skinny and Fatty'' from Japan; ''
Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World ''Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World'' is a 1973 British children's fantasy- adventure comedy film starring Jim Dale, and directed by Joseph McGrath. A large supporting cast of British movie stalwarts includes Spike Milligan, Angela Dougl ...
'' from Great Britain; '' Tillie, the Unhappy Hippopotamus'' from Czechoslovakia; and '' Mi-Mi, the Lazy Kitten'' from China. Actor
Ray Bolger Raymond Wallace Bolger (; January 10, 1904 – January 15, 1987) was an American actor, dancer, singer, vaudevillian, and stage performer (particularly musical theater) who started his movie career in the silent-film era. Bolger was a major B ...
, a star of ''
The Wizard of Oz ''The Wizard of Oz'' is a 1939 American Musical film, musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Based on the 1900 novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum, it was primarily directed by Victor Fleming, who left pro ...
'', served as narrator for some of the episodes during the show's 1980s run.
Joel Hodgson Joel Hodgson (born February 20, 1960) is an American writer, comedian, and television actor. He is best known for creating ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (''MST3K'') and starring in it; he played the character Joel Robinson. In 2007, ''MST3K'' ...
of ''
Mystery Science Theater 3000 ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (abbreviated as ''MST3K'') is an American science fiction comedy television series created by Joel Hodgson. The show premiered on WUCW, KTMA-TV (now WUCW) in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on November 24, 1988. It then ...
'' fame stated that the characters of Kukla, Fran and Ollie were an early influence on his show.


Films

Following is a partial list of films aired on the program:The CBS Children's Film Festival
at Tripod.com *'' Adventure in Golden Bay'' – Czech, 1956 *'' Adventure in the Hopfields'' – British, 1954 *'' Angel and Big Joe'' – American, 1975 *'' Anoop and the Elephant'' – British, 1972 *'' Bag on Bag'' – Soviet, 1974 *'' A Bird of Africa'' – Japanese, 1975 *'' Birds Come Flying To Us'' – Bulgarian, 1971 *'' Black Mountain'' – Soviet, 1970 *'' The Blind Bird'' – Soviet, 1963 *'' The Boy and the Airplane'' – French, 1965 *'' The Boy Who Owned a Melephant'' – American, 1959 *'' The Boy Who Wore Spectacles'' – Soviet, ? *'' The Boy With Glasses'' – Japanese, 1962 *'' Bunnie'' – Polish, 1973 *'' The Camerons'' – Australian, 1974 *'' Captain Korda'' – Czech, 1970 *'' Captain Mikula, the Kid'' – Yugoslavian, 1974 *'' Carole, I Love You'' – French, 1971 *'' Charlie the Rascal'' – Swedish, 1972 *'' Chimpmates'' – British, 1976 *'' The Chiffy Kids'' – British, 1976 *'' Circus Adventure'' – Dutch, 1972 *''
Circus Angel ''Circus Angel'' () is a 1965 French fantasy film directed and produced by Albert Lamorisse Albert Lamorisse (; 13 January 1922 – 2 June 1970) was a French filmmaker, film producer, and writer of short films which he began making in the lat ...
'' – French, 1965 *''
Clown A clown is a person who performs physical comedy and arts in an Improvisational theatre#Comedy, open-ended fashion, typically while wearing distinct cosmetics, makeup or costume, costuming and reversing social norm, folkway-norms. The art of ...
'' – Spanish, 1969 *''
Cold Pizza ''Cold Pizza'' was an American television sports morning talk show that aired weekdays on ESPN2 from 2003 to 2007. The show's style was more akin to ''Good Morning America'' than ''SportsCenter''s straight news and highlights format. It included ...
'' – Canadian, 1972 *'' Countdown to Danger'' – British, 1967 *'' Cry Wolf'' – British, 1968 *''
Danger Point Danger Point is a coastal feature and cliff face in Devon, on the south coast of England. It is about southeast of the city of Exeter and about east of Exmouth and lies between the towns of Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth. Geology and littor ...
'' – British, 1971 *'' Death of a Gandy Dancer'' – Canadian, 1977 *''
Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World ''Digby, the Biggest Dog in the World'' is a 1973 British children's fantasy- adventure comedy film starring Jim Dale, and directed by Joseph McGrath. A large supporting cast of British movie stalwarts includes Spike Milligan, Angela Dougl ...
'' – British, 1973 *'' Doggie and Three'' – Czech, 1955 *'' Egghead's Robot'' – British, 1970 *'' Elephant River'' – Ceylon, 1956 *'' Felipa: North of the Border'' – American, 1971 *'' The Firefighters'' – British, 1975 *'' Flash the Sheepdog'' – British, 1966 *'' Fly Away Dove'' – American, 1982 *'' The Flying Sorcerer'' – British, 1973 *'' For Boys Only Is For Girls, Also'' – Czech, 1964 *'' A Friend'' – Italian, 1967 *'' Friend or Foe'' – British, 1969 *'' Friends for Life'' – Soviet, 1971 *'' Funny Stories'' – Soviet, 1962 *'' Geronimo Jones'' – American, 1970 *'' Get Used to Me'' – American, 1976 *'' Ghost of a Chance'' – British, 1968 *'' The Giant Eel'' – Czech, 1971 *'' Glamador'' – French, 1955 *'' The Goalkeeper Also Lives on Our Street'' – Czech, 1957 *'' The Golden Fish'' – French, 1959 *'' Gosha the Bear'' – Soviet, 1971 *'' Hand in Hand'' – British, 1960 *'' Headline Hunters'' – British, 1967 *''
Heidi ''Heidi'' (; ) is a work of children's fiction published between 1880 and 1881 by Swiss author Johanna Spyri, originally published in two parts as ''Heidi: Her Years of Wandering and Learning'' () and ''Heidi: How She Used What She Learned'' ( ...
'' – German/Austrian, 1965 *''J.T.'' (1969)''CBS Children's Hour: J.T.''
at UCLA Film and Television Archives
Archived
from the original on December 4, 2017
*''
Joey Joey may refer to: People *Joey (name) Animals * Joey (marsupial), an infant marsupial * Joey, a blue-fronted Amazon parrot who was one of the Blue Peter pets Film and television * ''Joey'' (1977 film), an American film directed by Horace ...
'' – American, 1978 *'' John and Julie'' – British, 1954 *'' The Johnstown Monster'' – British, 1971 *'' Jumping Over Puddles'' – Czech, 1970 *'' The Legend of John Henry'' – American, 1974 *'' The Legend of Paul Bunyan'' – American, 1973 *'' Lionheart'' – British, 1968 *'' The Little Bearkeepers'' – Czech, 1957 *''
The Little Ones ''The Little Ones'' is a 1965 British family comedy film directed and written by Jim O'Connolly and starring Carl Gonzales, Kim Smith, Dudley Foster and Derek Newark. Plot Two poor boys from London, Ted, an abused child and Jackie, the son ...
'' – British, 1965 *'' Little Pig'' – Hong Kong, 1976 *'' The Little Wooden Horse'' – French, 1966 *'' Lone Wolf'' – Yugoslavian, 1972 *'' Lost in Pajamas'' – Czech, 1966 *'' Lucy and the Miracles'' – Czech, 1970 *'' The Magnificent 6-1/2'' – British, 1967 *'' Mauro the Gypsy'' – British, 1972 *'' Me and You, Kangaroo'' – Australian, 1974 *'' A Member of the Family'' – British, 1971 *'' Miguel's Navidad'' – Mexico, 1976 *'' Miguel: Up From Puerto Rico'' – American, 1970 *''
Mischief Mischief (or malicious mischief) is the name for a class of criminal offenses that are defined differently in different legal jurisdictions. While the wrongful acts will often involve what is popularly described as vandalism, there can be a lega ...
'' – British, 1968 *'' Mr. Horatio Knibbles'' – British, 1971 *'' My Father, Sun-Sun Johnson'' – Jamaican, 1976 *''
My Main Man ''My Main Man'' is an album by saxophonist Sonny Stitt featuring trombonist Bennie Green recorded in Chicago in 1964 and released on the Argo Records, Argo label.Edwards, D. & Callahan, MArgo Album Discography, Part 1: Jazz Series (1956–1965)acc ...
'' – American, 1975 *'' Nikkolina'' – Canadian, 1977 *'' Nina and the Street Kids'' – Swedish, 1974 *'' Nunu and the Zebra'' – South African, 1973 *'' On Snow White'' – Czech, 1972 *'' The Orange Watering Cart'' – Hungarian, ?1973 *'' Paddle to the Sea'' – Canadian, 1966 *'' Paganini Strikes Again'' – British, 1974 *'' Pero and His Companions'' – Yugoslavia, 1970 *'' The Promise'' – American, 1977 *''
The Ransom of Red Chief "The Ransom of Red Chief" is a short story by O. Henry first published in the July 6, 1907 issue of ''The Saturday Evening Post''. It follows two men who kidnap and demand a ransom for a wealthy man's son. Eventually, the men are overwhelmed by t ...
'' – Soviet, 1963 *''
The Red Balloon ''The Red Balloon'' () is a 1956 French fantasy comedy-drama featurette written, produced, and directed by Albert Lamorisse. The thirty-four-minute short, which follows the adventures of a young boy who one day finds a sentient, mute, red ballo ...
'' – French, 1956 *'' Scramble'' – British, 1969 *'' A Seafaring Dog'' – Soviet, 1973 *'' The Secret'' – American, 1977 *'' The Seven Ravens'' – German, 1937 *'' Shok and Sher'' – Soviet, ? *'' Shopping Bag Lady'' – American, 1975 *'' The Show Must Go On'' – Soviet, ? *'' Six Bears and a Clown'' – Czech, 1972 *''
Sirius Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. Its name is derived from the Greek word (Latin script: ), meaning 'glowing' or 'scorching'. The star is designated  Canis Majoris, Latinized to Alpha Canis Majoris, and abbr ...
'' – Czech, 1974 *'' Skinny and Fatty'' – Japanese, 1959 *'' Soapbox Derby'' – Canadian, ? *''
Stowaway in the Sky ''Stowaway in the Sky'' (French: ''Le Voyage en ballon'') is a 1960 France, French family adventure film, in Dyaliscope and Eastman Color, directed by Albert Lamorisse. Albert Lamorisse used his ten-year-old son Pascal as the main character in th ...
'' – French, 1959 *'' Strange Holiday'' – Australian, 1969 *'' That's My Name, Don't Wear It Out'' – British, 1975 *'' Three Wishes for Cinderella'' – Czech, 1973 *''
Thunderstorm A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustics, acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorm ...
'' – French, ? *'' Ticko'' – Swedish, ? *'' Tiko and the Shark'' – Italian/French, 1965 *'' Tjorven, Batsman, and Moses'' – Swedish, 1964 *'' Tony and the Tick-Tock Dragon'' – Hungarian, ? *'' Turniphead'' – Italian, 1965 *'' Tymancha's Friend'' – Soviet, 1970 *'' Up in the Air'' – British, 1969 *'' The Violin'' – Canadian, 1974 *'' What Next?'' – British, 1974 *'' Where's Johnny?'' – British, 1974 *'' White Mane'' – French, 1952 *'' Winter of the Witch'' – British, 1969 *'' The Yellow Slippers'' – Polish, 1961


References

Informational notes Citations


External links

*
''CBS Children's Film Festival'' film listings
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cbs Children's Film Festival 1960s American children's television series 1970s American children's television series 1980s American children's television series 1967 American television series debuts 1984 American television series endings American television shows featuring puppetry Television series by CBS Studios CBS television dramas American motion picture television series