Screen Directors' Playhouse was a popular American radio and television anthology series aired on NBC from 1949 to 1951. The show featured adaptations of films with the original film directors occasionally involved in the productions, usually limited to introducing the episodes and taking a brief curtain call with the cast. During its 122-episode run, the series hosted notable Hollywood actors such as Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, Gary Cooper, Joan Crawford, and John Wayne, among others.

The radio version underwent several title changes, from NBC Theater and Screen Directors Guild Assignment to Screen Directors Assignment, finally known as Screen Directors' Playhouse from July 1, 1949. The television version of the series aired during the 1955-56 season and featured original teleplays along with adaptations of famous short stories, such as Robert Louis Stevenson's "Markheim."

Creator Don Sharpe believed that writing was the most critical factor for the show's success. Some notable film adaptations featured in the series included "Stagecoach," "The Best Years of Our Lives," "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House," "Music for Millions," "A Foreign Affair," "The Magnificent Obsession," "The Human Comedy," and "It's a Wonderful Life."