An article in the trade publication Billboard reported that Hallmark executives preferred not to continue sharing product identification with Reader's Digest.
"[2] That goal was missed, however, at the beginning; "The Devil and Daniel Webster", by Stephen Vincent Benét was the program's premiere episode, and it had already been presented on radio by Columbia Workshop.
"History comes alive," Pavlik wrote, "through the production's rigorous research, splendid dialogue, and beautiful orchestrations, including acoustical guitar and song, especially as sung by a children's group.
[14] Unlike the focus on classical literature and drama of its predecessor, Hallmark Hall of Fame featured stories about people from America's past.
In the September 15, 1951, issue of Billboard, Bob Francis reviewed the opening episode of the 1951–1952 season of Hallmark Playhouse, an adaptation of J. M. Barrie's Quality Street that starred Deborah Kerr.
"[17] He also commended the program's advertising, writing that Hallmark commercials "were well-spaced and timed — dignified attention-getters without distracting from the interest in the story.