Matinee Theater
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.
Cast
John Conte
Host
Seasons & Episodes
1. Beginning Now
1955-10-31
2. Make Believe Mother
1955-11-01
3. The Persistent Image
1955-11-02
4. I'm Straight with the World
1955-11-03
5. Progress and Minnie Sweeney
1955-11-04
6. The House on Wildwood Lane
1955-11-07
7. Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
1955-11-08
8. One for the Road
1955-11-09
9. An Apple for Miss Myrtle
1955-11-10
10. The Man Without a Country
1955-11-11
11. Jigsaw
1955-11-14
12. She's the One with the Funny Face
1955-11-15
13. All the Hoffmeyers in the World
1955-11-16
14. The Aspern Papers
1955-11-17
15. Roman Fever
1955-11-18
16. Midsummer
1955-11-21
17. The Lady Chooses
1955-11-22
18. The Courtship of Miles Standish
1955-11-23
19. Dispossessed
1955-11-25
20. One for the Road
1955-11-28
21. The Touchstone
1955-11-29
22. Wuthering Heights
1955-11-30
23. The Brass Ring
1955-12-01
24. Jason
1955-12-02
25. Arrowsmith
1955-12-05
26. Passing Strange
1955-12-06
27. For These Services
1955-12-07
28. Cordially - With Bombs
1955-12-08
29. The White Oaks
1955-12-09
30. O'Toole from Moscow
1955-12-12
31. The Milwaukee Rocket
1955-12-13
32. This One is Different
1955-12-14
33. Sins of the Fathers
1955-12-15
34. See You on Sunday
1955-12-16
35. Coming of Age
1955-12-19
36. Technique
1955-12-20
37. Gallin: All-American
1955-12-21
38. Santa is No Saint
1955-12-22
39. The Unwelcomed
1955-12-23
40. The Red Sanders Story
1955-12-26
41. Class of '58
1956-07-09
42. Horns of the Dilemma
1955-12-28
43. Little Girls Grow Up
1955-12-29
44. The Shot
1955-12-30
45. Mr. Krane
1956-01-03
46. Yesterday is Gone
1956-01-04
47. Double Door
1956-01-05
48. The Happy Rest
1956-01-06
49. The Gate
1956-01-09
50. One Left Over
1956-01-10
51. All the Trees in the Field
1956-01-11
52. The Century Plant
1956-01-12
53. Friday the 13th
1956-01-13
54. The Old Maid
1956-01-16
55. Mother Was a Bachelor
1956-01-17
56. The Bottom of the River
1956-01-18
57. The Carefree Tree
1956-01-19
58. Interlude
1956-01-20
59. The Big Box
1956-01-23
60. Sincerely Yours, Charlie Fisher
1956-01-24
61. Doc
1956-01-25
62. The Amateur
1956-01-26
63. Light and Shadow
1956-01-27
64. Romney
1956-01-30
65. O Promise Me
1956-01-31
66. Hold My Hand and Run
1956-02-01
67. Dark Possession
1956-02-02
68. The Diamond
1956-02-03
69. Susan and God
1956-02-06
70. As Young As You Feel
1956-02-07
71. The White Knight
1956-02-08
72. The Anxious Years
1956-02-09
73. The Heart of Mary Lincoln
1956-02-10
74. The Middle Son
1956-02-13
75. Valentine's Day
1956-02-14
76. Summer Cannot Last
1956-02-15
77. The Last Battlefield
1956-02-16
78. The Catbird Seat
1956-02-17
79. Dream House
1956-02-20
80. The Runaways
1956-02-21
81. The Ledger
1956-02-22
82. When the Bough Breaks
1956-02-23
83. I Want to March
1956-02-24
84. Skylark
1956-02-27
85. Tall, Dark Stranger
1956-02-28
86. Anything But Love
1956-02-29
87. Robin Daw
1956-03-01
88. Letter to a Stranger
1956-03-02
89. Dinner at Antoine's
1956-03-05
90. The Mating of Watkins Tottle
1956-03-06
91. Her Son's Wife
1956-03-07
92. The Shining Palace
1956-03-08
93. The Odd Ones
1956-03-09
94. A Cowboy for Chris
1956-03-12
95. The Rocking Chair
1956-03-13
96. The Big Guy
1956-03-14
97. Statute of Limitations
1956-03-15
98. The Baron and the Banshees
1956-03-16
99. Notebook Warrior
1956-03-19
100. Temptation for a King
1956-03-20
101. The White Knight
1956-03-21
102. The Anxious Years
1956-03-22
103. M is for the Many
1956-03-23
104. Silent Partner
1956-03-26
105. Winter in April
1956-03-27
106. Bread Upon the Waters
1956-03-28
107. The Giant Killer
1956-03-29
108. The Book of Ruth
1956-03-30
109. Singer in the Valley
1956-04-02
110. The Heart of a Husband
1956-04-03
111. From the Desk of Margaret Tydings
1956-04-04
112. But You Look Like Sisters
1956-04-05
113. The House of Seven Gables
1956-04-06
114. Fiddlin' Man
1956-04-09
115. The Hollow Woman
1956-04-10
116. People in Glass
1956-04-11
117. One of the Family
1956-04-12
118. Young Hands, Young Feet
1956-04-13
119. The Lark Shall Sing
1956-04-16
120. In Dread of Winter
1956-04-17
121. The Babylonian Heart
1956-04-19
122. Ask Me No Questions
1956-04-20
123. Whom Death Has Joined Together
1956-04-23
124. The Wedding
1956-04-24
125. The Reckoning
1956-04-25
126. A Woman Named Ruby
1956-04-26
127. The Bright Boy
1956-04-27
128. The Carefree Tree
1956-04-30
129. Graybeards and Witches
1956-05-01
130. The Legend of Jenny Lind
1956-05-02
131. Daughter of the Seventh Day
1956-05-03
132. Night Must Fall
1956-05-04
133. The 25th Hour
1956-05-07
134. A Man and His Maid
1956-05-08
135. Perspective
1956-05-09
136. The Catamaran
1956-05-10
137. Johnny Came Marching Home
1956-05-11
138. A Family Affair
1956-05-14
139. Blind Date
1956-05-16
140. To Have and to Hold
1956-05-17
141. Edwina Black
1956-05-18
142. The Spare Room
1956-05-21
143. The Bottle Imp
1956-05-22
144. Brief Music
1956-05-23
145. The Girl from Boro Park
1956-05-24
146. To Whom It May Concern
1956-05-25
147. Bachelor Buttons
1956-05-28
148. The Children of Papa Juan
1956-05-29
149. Herself Alone
1956-05-30
150. Three for the Money
1956-05-31
151. Taxi to the Moon
1956-06-01
152. The Goodtime Boys
1956-06-04
153. The American
1956-06-05
154. Cause for Suspicion
1956-06-06
155. Fight the Whole World
1956-06-07
156. Autumn Crocus
1956-06-08
157. George Has a Birthday
1956-06-11
158. The Serpent's Tooth
1956-06-12
159. Crime at Blossom's
1956-06-13
160. The Luck of Amos Currie
1956-06-14
161. Alison's House
1956-06-15
162. Safe Place
1956-06-18
163. The Guest Cottage
1956-06-19
164. Forsaking All Others
1956-06-20
165. Love, Honor and O'Day
1956-06-21
166. The Damask Cheek
1956-06-22
167. Moon Over
1956-06-25
168. But Fear Itself
1956-06-26
169. The Birthday Present
1956-06-27
170. The Ghost of Greenwich Village
1956-06-28
171. The Young and the Damned
1956-06-29
172. There's Always Juliet
1956-07-02
173. Seasoned Timber
1956-07-03
174. The Declaration
1956-07-04
175. High Places
1956-07-05
176. Black Chiffon
1956-07-06
177. Class of '58
1956-07-09
178. Marriage by the Millions
1956-07-11
179. Backfire
1956-07-12
180. The Bishop Misbehaves
1956-07-13
181. Remittance
1956-07-16
182. Beg, Borrow or Steal
1956-07-17
183. Summer Pavilion
1956-07-18
184. The Feast
1956-07-19
185. A Full, Rich Life
1956-07-20
186. The Reverberator
1956-07-23
187. Woman at the Window
1956-07-24
188. Another Sky
1956-07-25
189. Letter of Introduction
1956-07-26
190. Home at Seven
1956-07-27
191. The Cypress Tree
1956-07-30
192. Belong to Me
1956-07-31
193. Pygmalion Jones
1956-08-01
194. Gretel
1956-08-02
195. Some Man Will Want You
1956-08-03
196. The Fall of the House of Usher
1956-08-06
197. Cupid Rode a Horse
1956-08-07
198. The Old Payola
1956-08-08
199. The Perfect Alibi
1956-08-10
