1948 was a banner year for Broadway shows in New York, with some of the world’s favorite plays and musicals debuting in 1948. Almost all of these popular plays and musicals were made into movies at some point, indicating how popular they were (and still are) with Broadway audiences. Some of the most popular 1948 Broadway shows include:

Mr. Roberts

This comedy premiered on Broadway in February 1948 and starred Henry Fonda as Lieutenant Roberts, the embattled junior officer aboard a cargo ship during World War II. Roberts wants to get out of the ship and fight for real, but the tyrannical captain won’t sign his orders and will let him go. This classic comedy was made into a movie also starring Fonda, along with James Cagney as the belligerent captain.

Anthony and Cleopatra

This Shakespearean classic hit Broadway as a tragic drama and featured 126 shows before it closed. Staying true to the play, the drama showed the love story between the beautiful Egyptian queen and the Roman soldier, and included a young Charlton Heston in a minor role as a soldier. It became a very famous movie starring then-couple Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.

Oklahoma!

This super classic musical by Rogers and Hammerstein is still well loved today and premiered for over 5 years on Broadway. The love story between Curly and Laurey is at the heart of this musical, but the comedy, dance, and acting also garnered rave reviews. It was made into a film in 1955 that remains a classic in musical innovation and adaptation today.

Summer and smoke

Master playwright Tennessee Williams wrote “Summer and Smoke” about the daughter of a southern minister in the early 1900s. Lonely and naive, she is courted by a boy she loved in her childhood, a wild, unruly and totally opposite doctor. This tragic drama was made into a film in 1961, and had 102 performances between 1948 and 1949, and was revived several times over the years on Broadway.

Anne of the thousand days

This memorable drama tells the story of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, his wife whom he had beheaded because she did not give him the heir he desired, and he believed he was having an affair. Veteran actor Rex Harrison played Henry on stage, and this, like many other popular 1948 Broadway shows, was made into a movie in 1969.

Kiss me kate

This remake of a Shakespearean play (The Taming of the Shrew) in a musical debuted on Broadway on December 30, 1948, becoming the last show to open that year. Cole Porter wrote the music and lyrics for the show, which may be one of the reasons it stayed on Broadway for nearly three years. It is actually a work within a work that follows the production of a musical while following the producer. The musical was made into a film in 1953.

Some of the best-known and best-loved shows were the 1948 Broadway shows, and many of them are still alive today, they are still beloved on Broadway.