Matinee Theater

Matinee Theater

1955
Matinee Theater
Matinee Theater

Matinee Theater

7.7 | en | Drama

Matinee Theater is an American anthology series that aired on NBC during the Golden Age of Television, from 1955 to 1958. The series, which ran daily in the afternoon, was frequently live. It was produced by Albert McCleery, Darrell Ross, George Cahan and Frank Price with executive producer George Lowther. McCleery had previously produced the live series Cameo Theatre which introduced to television the concept of theater-in-the-round, TV plays staged with minimal sets. Jim Buckley of the Pewter Plough Playhouse recalled: When Al McCleery got back to the States, he originated a most ambitious theatrical TV series for NBC called Matinee Theater: to televise five different stage plays per week live, airing around noon in order to promote color TV to the American housewife as she labored over her ironing. Al was the producer. He hired five directors and five art directors. Richard Bennett, one of our first early presidents of the Pewter Plough Corporation, was one of the directors and I was one of the art directors and, as soon as we were through televising one play, we had lunch and then met to plan next week’s show. That was over 50 years ago, and I’m trying to think; I believe the TV art director is his own set decorator —yes, of course! It had to be, since one of McCleery’s chief claims to favor with the producers was his elimination of the setting per se and simply decorating the scene with a minimum of props. It took a bit of ingenuity.

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Seasons & Episodes

3
2
1
EP135  Course for Collision
Jun. 13,1958
Course for Collision

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EP134  Washington Square
Jun. 12,1958
Washington Square

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EP133  Town in Turmoil
Jun. 11,1958
Town in Turmoil

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EP132  The Story of Marcia Gordon
Jun. 10,1958
The Story of Marcia Gordon

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EP131  The Nightbird's Crying
Jun. 06,1958
The Nightbird's Crying

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EP130  The Road to Recovery
Jun. 05,1958
The Road to Recovery

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EP129  Look Out for John Tucker
Jun. 04,1958
Look Out for John Tucker

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EP128  The End of the Season
Jun. 03,1958
The End of the Season

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EP127  Button Button
May. 29,1958
Button Button

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EP126  The Riddle of Mary Murray
May. 27,1958
The Riddle of Mary Murray

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EP125  The Young and the Fair
May. 23,1958
The Young and the Fair

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EP124  Day of Discoveries
May. 22,1958
Day of Discoveries

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EP123  Much Ado About Nothing, Part 2
May. 21,1958
Much Ado About Nothing, Part 2

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EP122  Much Ado About Nothing, Part 1
May. 20,1958
Much Ado About Nothing, Part 1

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EP121  The Cause
May. 12,1958
The Cause

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EP120  Angel Street
May. 09,1958
Angel Street

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EP119  The Quest of Quesnay
May. 07,1958
The Quest of Quesnay

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EP118  The Quiet Street
Apr. 25,1958
The Quiet Street

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EP117  Some Blessed People
Apr. 24,1958
Some Blessed People

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EP116  Phony Venus
Apr. 23,1958
Phony Venus

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EP115  A Boy Grows Up
Apr. 22,1958
A Boy Grows Up

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EP114  Washington Whispers Money
Apr. 18,1958
Washington Whispers Money

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EP113  Found Money
Apr. 17,1958
Found Money

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EP112  The Canterville Ghost
Apr. 15,1958
The Canterville Ghost

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EP111  Walk in the Sky
Apr. 11,1958
Walk in the Sky

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EP110  A Case of Fear
Apr. 10,1958
A Case of Fear

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EP109  Man of the House
Apr. 09,1958
Man of the House

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EP108  Death Takes a Holiday
Apr. 08,1958
Death Takes a Holiday

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EP107  The Velvet Glove
Apr. 04,1958
The Velvet Glove

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EP106  The Two Mrs. Carrolls
Apr. 03,1958
The Two Mrs. Carrolls

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EP105  The Inspector General
Apr. 02,1958
The Inspector General

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EP104  Design for Glory
Apr. 01,1958
Design for Glory

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EP103  The Silver Spider
Mar. 28,1958
The Silver Spider

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EP102  The Vagabond
Mar. 27,1958
The Vagabond

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EP101  The Alleyway
Mar. 26,1958
The Alleyway

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EP100  O'Rourke's House
Mar. 25,1958
O'Rourke's House

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EP99  Hush, Mahala, Hush
Mar. 21,1958
Hush, Mahala, Hush

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EP98  Dandy Dick
Mar. 20,1958
Dandy Dick

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EP97  On Approval
Mar. 19,1958
On Approval

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EP96  Anxious Night
Mar. 18,1958
Anxious Night

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EP95  Contingent Fire
Mar. 14,1958
Contingent Fire

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EP94  Career Angel
Mar. 13,1958
Career Angel

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EP93  You and I
Mar. 12,1958
You and I

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EP92  With Love We Live
Mar. 11,1958
With Love We Live

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EP91  Mrs. Moonlight
Mar. 10,1958
Mrs. Moonlight

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EP90  The Prophet Hosea
Mar. 07,1958
The Prophet Hosea

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EP89  Vigilante
Mar. 05,1958
Vigilante

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EP88  Wednesday's Child
Mar. 04,1958
Wednesday's Child

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EP87  The Devil's Violin
Feb. 28,1958
The Devil's Violin

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EP86  The Hickory Heart
Feb. 27,1958
The Hickory Heart

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EP85  The 65th Floor
Feb. 26,1958
The 65th Floor

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EP84  The Suicide Club
Feb. 25,1958
The Suicide Club

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EP83  Marriage of Convenience
Feb. 24,1958
Marriage of Convenience

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EP82  Heart's Desire
Feb. 21,1958
Heart's Desire

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EP81  Goodbye on Thursday
Feb. 20,1958
Goodbye on Thursday

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EP80  The 10th Muse
Feb. 18,1958
The 10th Muse

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EP79  Eden End
Feb. 17,1958
Eden End

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EP78  The Third Person
Feb. 14,1958
The Third Person

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EP77  Without Fear or Favor
Feb. 13,1958
Without Fear or Favor

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EP76  Life Upon the Wicked Stage
Feb. 12,1958
Life Upon the Wicked Stage

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EP75  Monsieur Beaucaire
Feb. 11,1958
Monsieur Beaucaire

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EP74  The Odd Ones
Feb. 07,1958
The Odd Ones

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EP73  Man Without a Country
Feb. 06,1958
Man Without a Country

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EP72  The Long, Long Laugh
Feb. 05,1958
The Long, Long Laugh

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EP71  The Iceman
Feb. 04,1958
The Iceman

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EP70  Cave-In
Feb. 03,1958
Cave-In

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EP69  Love Out of Town
Jan. 31,1958
Love Out of Town

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EP68  The Man with Pointed Toes
Jan. 28,1958
The Man with Pointed Toes

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EP67  Solider's Boy
Jan. 27,1958
Solider's Boy

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EP66  Decision
Jan. 24,1958
Decision

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EP65  Forever and Ever
Jan. 23,1958
Forever and Ever

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EP64  The Golden Fleecing
Jan. 22,1958
The Golden Fleecing

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EP63  The Man Who Wanted to Hate
Jan. 21,1958
The Man Who Wanted to Hate

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EP62  Daisy Mayne
Jan. 20,1958
Daisy Mayne

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EP61  Thunderbolt
Jan. 17,1958
Thunderbolt

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EP60  Something Stolen, Something New
Jan. 16,1958
Something Stolen, Something New

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EP59  More Than a Man
Jan. 15,1958
More Than a Man

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EP58  The Makropoulos Secret
Jan. 14,1958
The Makropoulos Secret

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EP57  Home on the Range
Jan. 13,1958
Home on the Range

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EP56  A Chance to Die
Jan. 10,1958
A Chance to Die

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EP55  The Great Obstacle Courtship
Jan. 09,1958
The Great Obstacle Courtship

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EP54  Two-Picture Deal
Jan. 08,1958
Two-Picture Deal

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EP53  The Collected Letters of Mr. Sage
Jan. 07,1958
The Collected Letters of Mr. Sage

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EP52  The Europeans
Jan. 06,1958
The Europeans

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EP51  The House with the Golden Street
Jan. 03,1958
The House with the Golden Street

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EP50  The Survival Kit
Jan. 02,1958
The Survival Kit

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EP49  Daughter of Kings
Dec. 31,1957
Daughter of Kings

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EP48  The Little Minister
Dec. 25,1957
The Little Minister

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EP47  Amahl and the Night Visitors
Dec. 24,1957
Amahl and the Night Visitors

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EP46  Sara Crewe
Dec. 23,1957
Sara Crewe

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EP45  In 25 Words or Less
Dec. 20,1957
In 25 Words or Less

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EP44  Tender Leaves
Dec. 19,1957
Tender Leaves

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EP43  The Gentleman Caller
Dec. 18,1957
The Gentleman Caller

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EP42  Gentleman of Fortune
Dec. 17,1957
Gentleman of Fortune

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EP41  No Time for Comedy
Dec. 16,1957
No Time for Comedy

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EP40  The Giver and the Gift
Dec. 13,1957
The Giver and the Gift

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EP39  Dark of the Moon
Dec. 12,1957
Dark of the Moon

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EP38  The Sure Thing
Dec. 11,1957
The Sure Thing

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EP37  Give Me a Wand
Dec. 10,1957
Give Me a Wand

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EP36  The Old Friend
Dec. 10,1957
The Old Friend

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EP35  The Consul
Dec. 09,1957
The Consul

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EP34  A Cloud for Jeni
Dec. 06,1957
A Cloud for Jeni

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EP33  The Broom and the Groom
Dec. 05,1957
The Broom and the Groom

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EP32  The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg
Dec. 04,1957
The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg

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EP31  Out of My Darkness
Dec. 03,1957
Out of My Darkness

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EP30  The Conversation Tables
Dec. 02,1957
The Conversation Tables

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EP29  Daniel Webster and the Sea Serpent
Nov. 29,1957
Daniel Webster and the Sea Serpent

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EP28  A Question of Balance
Nov. 27,1957
A Question of Balance

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EP27  Green Shores
Nov. 26,1957
Green Shores

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EP26  Cadenza
Nov. 25,1957
Cadenza

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EP25  The Johnson House
Nov. 20,1957
The Johnson House

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EP24  Witness to Murder
Nov. 19,1957
Witness to Murder

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EP23  The Embassy House
Nov. 18,1957
The Embassy House

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EP22  Remember Me Kindly
Nov. 15,1957
Remember Me Kindly

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EP21  Iris
Nov. 14,1957
Iris

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EP20  The Ransom of Sigmund Freud
Nov. 13,1957
The Ransom of Sigmund Freud

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EP19  All Over the World
Nov. 12,1957
All Over the World

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EP18  Aesop and Rhodope
Nov. 11,1957
Aesop and Rhodope

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EP17  Grandmama and Grandfather
Nov. 08,1957
Grandmama and Grandfather

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EP16  Return in Winter
Nov. 07,1957
Return in Winter

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EP15  Something About a Dollar
Nov. 04,1957
Something About a Dollar

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EP14  Plummer in Paradise
Nov. 01,1957
Plummer in Paradise

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EP13  Elementals
Oct. 31,1957
Elementals

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EP12  Nine-Finger Jack
Oct. 30,1957
Nine-Finger Jack

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EP11  The Weak and the Strong
Oct. 29,1957
The Weak and the Strong

The year is 1962, and it is known that Russia is planning a full-scale nuclear attack against the U. S and Canada. In a desperate last-minute effort to avert war, the president makes plans to fly to Russia to meet directly with the Russian leaders. - Tv Guide

EP10  The Last Stop
Oct. 28,1957
The Last Stop

Dr. Austin Sloper had always hoped that his daughter Catherine would grow into as charming and brilliant as woman as her mother had been. But Catherine grew up to be a very ordinary woman. - Tv Guide

EP9  Out of the Frying Pan
Oct. 25,1957
Out of the Frying Pan

Pretty Martha Radway is vigorously campaigning with members of the League of Women Voters for a new school in their town.

EP8  The Glass Hill
Oct. 24,1957
The Glass Hill

Marcia Miller has inherited her successful mother's talent for fashion designing. But Marcia has decided she doesn't want to follow in her mother's footsteps. - Tv Guide

EP7  Lest We Forget
Oct. 23,1957
Lest We Forget

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EP6  Run for the Money
Oct. 22,1957
Run for the Money

Recently promoted, a young man is offered help in learning his new duties. The offer comes from a young-lady collegue, whose real motive is to break up his marriage.

EP5  Sing for Me
Oct. 21,1957
Sing for Me

Gomer, a beautiful young girl is blamed by townspeople for the suicide of one of their men. They are about to kill her when Hosea saves her life. The young prophet falls in love with Gomer, grateful to Hosea, promises to become his wife. - Tv Guide

EP4  Almost Any Man Will Do
Oct. 18,1957
Almost Any Man Will Do

After years of carrying the responsibilities of two jobs, Mitchell Dayton has a nervous breakdown. He moves his family to Florida where he takes a job in a gas station. One afternoon he is knocked unconscious, and when he awakens he is hundreds of miles away from home with no money, no identification, and suffers from amnesia. - Tv Guide

EP3  A Tone of Time
Oct. 17,1957
A Tone of Time

A successful career woman falls ill and discovers someone has been administering small doses of poison to her every day. - Tv Guide

EP2  Villa of the Angels
Oct. 16,1957
Villa of the Angels

Frank Wilson is bringing his boss home for dinner and is anxious to make a good impression. He asks his wife Jane to try not to be so shy and tells her she must learn to be more decisive. During the day a strange young man comes to the house posing as a magazine salesman. Jane feels that this a good opportunity to practice being forceful.- Tv Guide

EP1  Father Come Home
Oct. 15,1957
Father Come Home

In a small town, enraged townsfolk refuse to believe the tale of a stranger. He claims that the man they believe committed a murder was miles away at the time of the killing.

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7.7 | en | Drama
Synopsis

Matinee Theater is an American anthology series that aired on NBC during the Golden Age of Television, from 1955 to 1958. The series, which ran daily in the afternoon, was frequently live. It was produced by Albert McCleery, Darrell Ross, George Cahan and Frank Price with executive producer George Lowther. McCleery had previously produced the live series Cameo Theatre which introduced to television the concept of theater-in-the-round, TV plays staged with minimal sets. Jim Buckley of the Pewter Plough Playhouse recalled: When Al McCleery got back to the States, he originated a most ambitious theatrical TV series for NBC called Matinee Theater: to televise five different stage plays per week live, airing around noon in order to promote color TV to the American housewife as she labored over her ironing. Al was the producer. He hired five directors and five art directors. Richard Bennett, one of our first early presidents of the Pewter Plough Corporation, was one of the directors and I was one of the art directors and, as soon as we were through televising one play, we had lunch and then met to plan next week’s show. That was over 50 years ago, and I’m trying to think; I believe the TV art director is his own set decorator —yes, of course! It had to be, since one of McCleery’s chief claims to favor with the producers was his elimination of the setting per se and simply decorating the scene with a minimum of props. It took a bit of ingenuity.

...... View More
Cast

John Conte

Director

Albert McCleery

Producted By

NBC ,