The United States Steel Hour
Symbol of Authority
TV Flash files “Symbol of Authority” as hour 86 of 259 in the TV Flash guide — The United States Steel Hour (1953–1963) on ABC/CBS, season 4, episode 9, aired 1956-12-19, 60 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S04E09: listed hour 86 of 259 in the The United States Steel Hour guide, hour 9 of 27 in season 4. It aired 1956-12-19 (60 min). The listed hour before it is “The Old Lady Shows Her Medals” (S04E08). Next is “The Human Pattern” (S04E10).
Viewer FAQ
Where does Symbol of Authority sit in the The United States Steel Hour guide?
S04E09 is listed hour 86 of 259 — hour 9 of 27 in season 4, season 4 episode 9.
When did The United States Steel Hour S04E09 air?
Symbol of Authority aired 1956-12-19 and is listed at 60 minutes.
Where should I start?
Start with surviving prestige teleplays — Griffith's No Time for Sergeants breakout if you can get it. Live industrial-sponsor drama is the brief.
In the series
Why this series still plays
The United States Steel Hour was live Golden Age drama with an industrial giant's sheen: serious teleplays, launched stars, theatrical punch. Andy Griffith's No Time for Sergeants breakout happened here. Watch it in 2026 as corporate-sponsored theater of the air — proof a steel company once bankrolled the kind of play networks now fear.
The silhouette is industrial sheen on a live play: a steel logo as a curtain, theatrical punch in a living room, hard-hat prestige. The United States Steel Hour (ABC then CBS, 1953–1963) was Golden Age drama with an industrial giant's polish — serious teleplays, launched stars, The Theatre Guild and U.S. Steel, 259 episodes, ten seasons. Andy Griffith's No Time for Sergeants breakout happened on this stage of the air (1955). **This was not a commercial break; this was a hard launch in corporate light.** Proof a…
Open the The United States Steel Hour package · Season 4 hub