Favorite Story ran from 1946-1949, the concept behind the show being that celebrities from various disciplines (film, radio, tv, music, the various arts, etc.) would choose their “favorite story” to be dramatized. English writer James Hilton’s (1900-1954) 1933 novel Lost Horizon was chosen by silent film star, international celebrity, and co-founder of United Artists (along with D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, and Douglas Fairbanks) Mary Pickford (1892-1979). It aired on July 24, 1948 and starred Favorite Story‘s host Ronald Colman, who also starred in the classic Frank Capra film of the same name in 1937.

“Lost Horizon” takes place in a hidden lamasery in the “Valley of the Blue Moon” high in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet in the early 1930s. The lamasery is known as “Shangri-La,” a name that has become synonymous with “utopia.” In essence, the philosophical and religious beliefs of the East and West meet head on in this thoughtful tale, where dramatic life choices must be made, and where immortality comes at a price some are unwilling to pay.

Play Time: 27:06