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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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Season
135 - Course for Collision
Jun. 13,1958
134 - Washington Square
Jun. 12,1958
133 - Town in Turmoil
Jun. 11,1958
132 - The Story of Marcia Gordon
Jun. 10,1958
131 - The Nightbird's Crying
Jun. 06,1958
130 - The Road to Recovery
Jun. 05,1958
129 - Look Out for John Tucker
Jun. 04,1958
128 - The End of the Season
Jun. 03,1958
127 - Button Button
May. 29,1958
126 - The Riddle of Mary Murray
May. 27,1958
125 - The Young and the Fair
May. 23,1958
124 - Day of Discoveries
May. 22,1958
123 - Much Ado About Nothing, Part 2
May. 21,1958
122 - Much Ado About Nothing, Part 1
May. 20,1958
121 - The Cause
May. 12,1958
120 - Angel Street
May. 09,1958
119 - The Quest of Quesnay
May. 07,1958
118 - The Quiet Street
Apr. 25,1958
117 - Some Blessed People
Apr. 24,1958
116 - Phony Venus
Apr. 23,1958
115 - A Boy Grows Up
Apr. 22,1958
114 - Washington Whispers Money
Apr. 18,1958
113 - Found Money
Apr. 17,1958
112 - The Canterville Ghost
Apr. 15,1958
111 - Walk in the Sky
Apr. 11,1958
110 - A Case of Fear
Apr. 10,1958
109 - Man of the House
Apr. 09,1958
108 - Death Takes a Holiday
Apr. 08,1958
107 - The Velvet Glove
Apr. 04,1958
106 - The Two Mrs. Carrolls
Apr. 03,1958
105 - The Inspector General
Apr. 02,1958
104 - Design for Glory
Apr. 01,1958
103 - The Silver Spider
Mar. 28,1958
102 - The Vagabond
Mar. 27,1958
101 - The Alleyway
Mar. 26,1958
100 - O'Rourke's House
Mar. 25,1958
99 - Hush, Mahala, Hush
Mar. 21,1958
98 - Dandy Dick
Mar. 20,1958
97 - On Approval
Mar. 19,1958
96 - Anxious Night
Mar. 18,1958
95 - Contingent Fire
Mar. 14,1958
94 - Career Angel
Mar. 13,1958
93 - You and I
Mar. 12,1958
92 - With Love We Live
Mar. 11,1958
91 - Mrs. Moonlight
Mar. 10,1958
90 - The Prophet Hosea
Mar. 07,1958
89 - Vigilante
Mar. 05,1958
88 - Wednesday's Child
Mar. 04,1958
87 - The Devil's Violin
Feb. 28,1958
86 - The Hickory Heart
Feb. 27,1958
85 - The 65th Floor
Feb. 26,1958
84 - The Suicide Club
Feb. 25,1958
83 - Marriage of Convenience
Feb. 24,1958
82 - Heart's Desire
Feb. 21,1958
81 - Goodbye on Thursday
Feb. 20,1958
80 - The 10th Muse
Feb. 18,1958
79 - Eden End
Feb. 17,1958
78 - The Third Person
Feb. 14,1958
77 - Without Fear or Favor
Feb. 13,1958
76 - Life Upon the Wicked Stage
Feb. 12,1958
75 - Monsieur Beaucaire
Feb. 11,1958
74 - The Odd Ones
Feb. 07,1958
73 - Man Without a Country
Feb. 06,1958
72 - The Long, Long Laugh
Feb. 05,1958
71 - The Iceman
Feb. 04,1958
70 - Cave-In
Feb. 03,1958
69 - Love Out of Town
Jan. 31,1958
68 - The Man with Pointed Toes
Jan. 28,1958
67 - Solider's Boy
Jan. 27,1958
66 - Decision
Jan. 24,1958
65 - Forever and Ever
Jan. 23,1958
64 - The Golden Fleecing
Jan. 22,1958
63 - The Man Who Wanted to Hate
Jan. 21,1958
62 - Daisy Mayne
Jan. 20,1958
61 - Thunderbolt
Jan. 17,1958
60 - Something Stolen, Something New
Jan. 16,1958
59 - More Than a Man
Jan. 15,1958
58 - The Makropoulos Secret
Jan. 14,1958
57 - Home on the Range
Jan. 13,1958
56 - A Chance to Die
Jan. 10,1958
55 - The Great Obstacle Courtship
Jan. 09,1958
54 - Two-Picture Deal
Jan. 08,1958
53 - The Collected Letters of Mr. Sage
Jan. 07,1958
52 - The Europeans
Jan. 06,1958
51 - The House with the Golden Street
Jan. 03,1958
50 - The Survival Kit
Jan. 02,1958
49 - Daughter of Kings
Dec. 31,1957
48 - The Little Minister
Dec. 25,1957
47 - Amahl and the Night Visitors
Dec. 24,1957
46 - Sara Crewe
Dec. 23,1957
45 - In 25 Words or Less
Dec. 20,1957
44 - Tender Leaves
Dec. 19,1957
43 - The Gentleman Caller
Dec. 18,1957
42 - Gentleman of Fortune
Dec. 17,1957
41 - No Time for Comedy
Dec. 16,1957
40 - The Giver and the Gift
Dec. 13,1957
39 - Dark of the Moon
Dec. 12,1957
38 - The Sure Thing
Dec. 11,1957
37 - Give Me a Wand
Dec. 10,1957
36 - The Old Friend
Dec. 10,1957
35 - The Consul
Dec. 09,1957
34 - A Cloud for Jeni
Dec. 06,1957
33 - The Broom and the Groom
Dec. 05,1957
32 - The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg
Dec. 04,1957
31 - Out of My Darkness
Dec. 03,1957
30 - The Conversation Tables
Dec. 02,1957
29 - Daniel Webster and the Sea Serpent
Nov. 29,1957
28 - A Question of Balance
Nov. 27,1957
27 - Green Shores
Nov. 26,1957
26 - Cadenza
Nov. 25,1957
25 - The Johnson House
Nov. 20,1957
24 - Witness to Murder
Nov. 19,1957
23 - The Embassy House
Nov. 18,1957
22 - Remember Me Kindly
Nov. 15,1957
21 - Iris
Nov. 14,1957
20 - The Ransom of Sigmund Freud
Nov. 13,1957
19 - All Over the World
Nov. 12,1957
18 - Aesop and Rhodope
Nov. 11,1957
17 - Grandmama and Grandfather
Nov. 08,1957
16 - Return in Winter
Nov. 07,1957
15 - Something About a Dollar
Nov. 04,1957
14 - Plummer in Paradise
Nov. 01,1957
13 - Elementals
Oct. 31,1957
12 - Nine-Finger Jack
Oct. 30,1957
11 - The Weak and the Strong
Oct. 29,1957
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
10 - The Last Stop
Oct. 28,1957
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
9 - Out of the Frying Pan
Oct. 25,1957
Pretty Martha Radway is vigorously campaigning with members of the League of Women Voters for a new school in their town.
8 - The Glass Hill
Oct. 24,1957
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
7 - Lest We Forget
Oct. 23,1957
6 - Run for the Money
Oct. 22,1957
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.
5 - Sing for Me
Oct. 21,1957
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
4 - Almost Any Man Will Do
Oct. 18,1957
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
3 - A Tone of Time
Oct. 17,1957
A successful career woman falls ill and discovers someone has been administering small doses of poison to her every day. - Tv Guide
2 - Villa of the Angels
Oct. 16,1957
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
1 - Father Come Home
Oct. 15,1957
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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