Life with Father

Life with Father is an American television sitcom that ran from 1953 to 1955. It starred Leon Ames as Clarence Day Sr. and Lurene Tuttle as his wife Lavinia. It began broadcasting in color in 1954, and was the first live color TV series for network television originating in Hollywood. It was based on the long-running Broadway play of the same name, which had been adapted into a 1947 film, based on New Yorker articles and books by Clarence Day reminiscing about his family in late-19th century New York City. Background Life with Father debuted on Broadway in 1939 and ran for 3224 performances over eight years, making it the longest-running nonmusical play in Broadway history, and the longest-running play of any kind between 1947 and 1972. The Broadway production earned $5.8 million playing to 2.1 million people, and in addition to the Broadway production it was a popular regional theater presentation. While the show was playing on Broadway, 11 touring companies performed in 214 cities, earning $5 million from audiences of 3.7 million people.