About this season
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.
Episodes (199)
1. Beginning Now
Aired 31 October 1955 • 60 min
2. Make Believe Mother
Aired 1 November 1955 • 60 min
A man who left his wife and infant son turns up years later. He drops in for a visit at the home of his now-married son and grandchildren. His sudden appearance and penchant for gambling wreak havoc in his son's home.
3. The Persistent Image
Aired 2 November 1955 • 60 min
A once successful writer, who now verges on the alcoholic, makes one last attempt to sell his latest work. When this fails, he must decide which is more important, personal integrity or money.
4. I'm Straight with the World
Aired 3 November 1955 • 60 min
This is the tragic love story of a man and woman who fall in love as youngsters, but each married another.
5. Progress and Minnie Sweeney
Aired 4 November 1955 • 60 min
A young intern tries to convince his fiance she shouldn't have the responsibility of supporting her divorced sister and the sister's child.
6. The House on Wildwood Lane
Aired 7 November 1955 • 60 min
7. Beyond a Reasonable Doubt
Aired 8 November 1955 • 60 min
8. One for the Road
Aired 9 November 1955 • 60 min
9. An Apple for Miss Myrtle
Aired 10 November 1955 • 60 min
10. The Man Without a Country
Aired 11 November 1955 • 60 min
11. Jigsaw
Aired 14 November 1955 • 60 min
An elderly father is being pressured by his family to sell his orange groves to a real estate developer. He resists but starts to reconsider when he considers that his tomboy grandaughter could use the money to develope her singing career.
12. She's the One with the Funny Face
Aired 15 November 1955 • 60 min
13. All the Hoffmeyers in the World
Aired 16 November 1955 • 60 min
During all the years of their married life, Helen has been bullied by her husband Phil--about the neglected house, her ill health and the care of their son. Lately, Phil has been seeing much of Ruth, their next-door-neighbor, whose husband Matt, according to Phil, is ""an unambitious cop."" A terrible accident reveals Phil as he really is.
14. The Aspern Papers
Aired 17 November 1955 • 60 min
In a Korean battle five Americans become detached from their company. They take over a hut in which they find and capture two North Korean soldiers, and an orphaned youngster. The boy soon becomes their mascot.
15. Roman Fever
Aired 18 November 1955 • 60 min
A shy school principal and a rising young attorney are both in love with the same woman. A man who looks a great deal like Abraham Lincoln arrives in town as a summer boarder and becomes involved in the situation.
16. Midsummer
Aired 21 November 1955 • 60 min
17. The Lady Chooses
Aired 22 November 1955 • 60 min
The daughter and sister of a pretty widown decide to play Cupid. Both want to marry her off to a likely suitor. - Tv Guide
18. The Courtship of Miles Standish
Aired 23 November 1955 • 60 min
A Polish merchant learns that his teen-age son and daughter have been won over to communism. He laboriously arranges an escape from the country, with his rebellious son virtually his prisoner. Even in Sweden their trouble continues, as the son informs on a priest who has aided their escape. - Tv Guide
19. Dispossessed
Aired 25 November 1955 • 60 min
20. One for the Road
Aired 28 November 1955 • 60 min
A beautiful young socialite is found murdered.
21. The Touchstone
Aired 29 November 1955 • 60 min
A middle-aged bachelor thus far has avoided matrimony. His friends, knowing he is in need of money, arrange a meeting with a prospective bride who might be willing to support a husband.
22. Wuthering Heights
Aired 30 November 1955 • 60 min
A mother discovers she is falling in love with the man her daughter has married.
23. The Brass Ring
Aired 1 December 1955 • 60 min
A meek little file clerk turns into a veritable tiger when his boss hires an efficiency expert. His file system has worked for 30 years. and he's not going to change it for an efficiency expert.
24. Jason
Aired 2 December 1955 • 60 min
A husband has definite ideas about bringing up his children. He feels his way of life on an isolated island is better than letting his offspring be subjected to education and other ""cruelties"" of civilization.
25. Arrowsmith
Aired 5 December 1955 • 60 min
Three generations come together to celebrate the grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary. During the evening the newly wedded granddaughter insists on modeling her grandmother's wedding gown.
26. Passing Strange
Aired 6 December 1955 • 60 min
A woman art instructor entering her 30s falls in love with a pupil younger than she. Her overbearing brother tries to convince the woman that the artist is only using her to further his career.
27. For These Services
Aired 7 December 1955 • 60 min
Following the death of her husband, a widow insists on keeping his tailor shop open even though business is falling off. A long-time friend, who has been in love with her for many years, tries to convince the grief-stricken widow she is making a mistake by treating the shop as a shrine to her husband's memory.
28. Cordially - With Bombs
Aired 8 December 1955 • 60 min
29. The White Oaks
Aired 9 December 1955 • 60 min
An elderly man of letters supports his orphaned teen-age granddaughter. When he hires a young male secretary, the girl believes she has fallen in love. -Tv Guide
30. O'Toole from Moscow
Aired 12 December 1955 • 60 min
31. The Milwaukee Rocket
Aired 13 December 1955 • 60 min
A young couple moves into the ground floor apartment of a mansion owned by an elderly woman. The husband at first resents the fact that the old lady imposes on his wife to do household chores. Then they learn they have been made sole heirs in her will. -Tv Guide
32. This One is Different
Aired 14 December 1955 • 60 min
A man is determined to prevent his teen-age daughter from leaving home and entering a convent - Tv Guide
33. Sins of the Fathers
Aired 15 December 1955 • 60 min
This is the well-known story of Biblical times about Ruth, whose devotion to her mother-in-law tkes her into a new land among strangers.
34. See You on Sunday
Aired 16 December 1955 • 60 min
When a confirmed bachelor who owns a restaurant tries to sell his special recipe for a salad dressing, he gets involved with a beautiful girl FBI agent.
35. Coming of Age
Aired 19 December 1955 • 60 min
A young English couple decide that they will live with the groom's aged mother after the wedding. When the bride puts up her house for sale, her five brothers and sisters, whom she has not seen for years, descend upon her from all corners of the British Isles to try to prevent the sale.
36. Technique
Aired 20 December 1955 • 60 min
A governess, in love with the father of her charge, is dismayed when she learns the widower is unaware of her feelings and plans to marry another woman. In her bitter disappointment, the governess turns the young boy against his prospective stepmother in an effort to prevent the marriage from taking place.
37. Gallin: All-American
Aired 21 December 1955 • 60 min
The idyllic existence of an American college professor, who has moved with his second wife and two children to Mexico, is menaced by the sudden appearance of his first wife, who is determined to win him back.
38. Santa is No Saint
Aired 22 December 1955 • 60 min
The fifth wealthiest woman in the world hires detectives to trail her fifth husband and ensure his faithfulness. The husband decides to regain his freedom by arranging his own ""death.""-Tv Guide
39. The Unwelcomed
Aired 23 December 1955 • 60 min
40. The Red Sanders Story
Aired 26 December 1955 • 60 min
41. Class of '58
Aired 9 July 1956 • 60 min
42. Horns of the Dilemma
Aired 28 December 1955 • 60 min
43. Little Girls Grow Up
Aired 29 December 1955 • 60 min
A young man is trying to keep up pretenses even though the business he inherited from his father is failing. He is furious when a practical joker at the alumni reunion asks him if he needs a job. -NBC
44. The Shot
Aired 30 December 1955 • 60 min
45. Mr. Krane
Aired 3 January 1956 • 60 min
46. Yesterday is Gone
Aired 4 January 1956 • 60 min
A wealthy industrialist offers to revive the dwindling industry in a small town. In his ruthless business dealings he threatens to ruin the town banker. The other prominent citizens are forced to choose between the banker and the industry the town needs so badly.- TV GUIDE
47. Double Door
Aired 5 January 1956 • 60 min
48. The Happy Rest
Aired 6 January 1956 • 60 min
49. The Gate
Aired 9 January 1956 • 60 min
50. One Left Over
Aired 10 January 1956 • 60 min
51. All the Trees in the Field
Aired 11 January 1956 • 60 min
52. The Century Plant
Aired 12 January 1956 • 60 min
53. Friday the 13th
Aired 13 January 1956 • 60 min
54. The Old Maid
Aired 16 January 1956 • 60 min
55. Mother Was a Bachelor
Aired 17 January 1956 • 60 min
56. The Bottom of the River
Aired 18 January 1956 • 60 min
57. The Carefree Tree
Aired 19 January 1956 • 60 min
58. Interlude
Aired 20 January 1956 • 60 min
59. The Big Box
Aired 23 January 1956 • 60 min
60. Sincerely Yours, Charlie Fisher
Aired 24 January 1956 • 60 min
61. Doc
Aired 25 January 1956 • 60 min
62. The Amateur
Aired 26 January 1956 • 60 min
63. Light and Shadow
Aired 27 January 1956 • 60 min
64. Romney
Aired 30 January 1956 • 60 min
65. O Promise Me
Aired 31 January 1956 • 60 min
66. Hold My Hand and Run
Aired 1 February 1956 • 60 min
67. Dark Possession
Aired 2 February 1956 • 60 min
68. The Diamond
Aired 3 February 1956 • 60 min
69. Susan and God
Aired 6 February 1956 • 60 min
70. As Young As You Feel
Aired 7 February 1956 • 60 min
71. The White Knight
Aired 8 February 1956 • 60 min
72. The Anxious Years
Aired 9 February 1956 • 60 min
73. The Heart of Mary Lincoln
Aired 10 February 1956 • 60 min
74. The Middle Son
Aired 13 February 1956 • 60 min
75. Valentine's Day
Aired 14 February 1956 • 60 min
76. Summer Cannot Last
Aired 15 February 1956 • 60 min
77. The Last Battlefield
Aired 16 February 1956 • 60 min
78. The Catbird Seat
Aired 17 February 1956 • 60 min
79. Dream House
Aired 20 February 1956 • 60 min
80. The Runaways
Aired 21 February 1956 • 60 min
81. The Ledger
Aired 22 February 1956 • 60 min
82. When the Bough Breaks
Aired 23 February 1956 • 60 min
83. I Want to March
Aired 24 February 1956 • 60 min
84. Skylark
Aired 27 February 1956 • 60 min
85. Tall, Dark Stranger
Aired 28 February 1956 • 60 min
86. Anything But Love
Aired 29 February 1956 • 60 min
87. Robin Daw
Aired 1 March 1956 • 60 min
88. Letter to a Stranger
Aired 2 March 1956 • 60 min
89. Dinner at Antoine's
Aired 5 March 1956 • 60 min
90. The Mating of Watkins Tottle
Aired 6 March 1956 • 60 min
91. Her Son's Wife
Aired 7 March 1956 • 60 min
92. The Shining Palace
Aired 8 March 1956 • 60 min
93. The Odd Ones
Aired 9 March 1956 • 60 min
94. A Cowboy for Chris
Aired 12 March 1956 • 60 min
95. The Rocking Chair
Aired 13 March 1956 • 60 min
96. The Big Guy
Aired 14 March 1956 • 60 min
97. Statute of Limitations
Aired 15 March 1956 • 60 min
98. The Baron and the Banshees
Aired 16 March 1956 • 60 min
99. Notebook Warrior
Aired 19 March 1956 • 60 min
100. Temptation for a King
Aired 20 March 1956 • 60 min
101. The White Knight
Aired 21 March 1956 • 60 min
102. The Anxious Years
Aired 22 March 1956 • 60 min
103. M is for the Many
Aired 23 March 1956 • 60 min
104. Silent Partner
Aired 26 March 1956 • 60 min
105. Winter in April
Aired 27 March 1956 • 60 min
106. Bread Upon the Waters
Aired 28 March 1956 • 60 min
107. The Giant Killer
Aired 29 March 1956 • 60 min
108. The Book of Ruth
Aired 30 March 1956 • 60 min
109. Singer in the Valley
Aired 2 April 1956 • 60 min
110. The Heart of a Husband
Aired 3 April 1956 • 60 min
111. From the Desk of Margaret Tydings
Aired 4 April 1956 • 60 min
112. But You Look Like Sisters
Aired 5 April 1956 • 60 min
113. The House of Seven Gables
Aired 6 April 1956 • 60 min
114. Fiddlin' Man
Aired 9 April 1956 • 60 min
115. The Hollow Woman
Aired 10 April 1956 • 60 min
116. People in Glass
Aired 11 April 1956 • 60 min
117. One of the Family
Aired 12 April 1956 • 60 min
118. Young Hands, Young Feet
Aired 13 April 1956 • 60 min
119. The Lark Shall Sing
Aired 16 April 1956 • 60 min
120. In Dread of Winter
Aired 17 April 1956 • 60 min
121. The Babylonian Heart
Aired 19 April 1956 • 60 min
122. Ask Me No Questions
Aired 20 April 1956 • 60 min
123. Whom Death Has Joined Together
Aired 23 April 1956 • 60 min
124. The Wedding
Aired 24 April 1956 • 60 min
125. The Reckoning
Aired 25 April 1956 • 60 min
126. A Woman Named Ruby
Aired 26 April 1956 • 60 min
127. The Bright Boy
Aired 27 April 1956 • 60 min
128. The Carefree Tree
Aired 30 April 1956 • 60 min
129. Graybeards and Witches
Aired 1 May 1956 • 60 min
130. The Legend of Jenny Lind
Aired 2 May 1956 • 60 min
131. Daughter of the Seventh Day
Aired 3 May 1956 • 60 min
132. Night Must Fall
Aired 4 May 1956 • 60 min
133. The 25th Hour
Aired 7 May 1956 • 60 min
134. A Man and His Maid
Aired 8 May 1956 • 60 min
135. Perspective
Aired 9 May 1956 • 60 min
136. The Catamaran
Aired 10 May 1956 • 60 min
137. Johnny Came Marching Home
Aired 11 May 1956 • 60 min
138. A Family Affair
Aired 14 May 1956 • 60 min
139. Blind Date
Aired 16 May 1956 • 60 min
140. To Have and to Hold
Aired 17 May 1956 • 60 min
141. Edwina Black
Aired 18 May 1956 • 60 min
142. The Spare Room
Aired 21 May 1956 • 60 min
143. The Bottle Imp
Aired 22 May 1956 • 60 min
144. Brief Music
Aired 23 May 1956 • 60 min
145. The Girl from Boro Park
Aired 24 May 1956 • 60 min
146. To Whom It May Concern
Aired 25 May 1956 • 60 min
147. Bachelor Buttons
Aired 28 May 1956 • 60 min
148. The Children of Papa Juan
Aired 29 May 1956 • 60 min
149. Herself Alone
Aired 30 May 1956 • 60 min
150. Three for the Money
Aired 31 May 1956 • 60 min
151. Taxi to the Moon
Aired 1 June 1956 • 60 min
152. The Goodtime Boys
Aired 4 June 1956 • 60 min
153. The American
Aired 5 June 1956 • 60 min
154. Cause for Suspicion
Aired 6 June 1956 • 60 min
155. Fight the Whole World
Aired 7 June 1956 • 60 min
156. Autumn Crocus
Aired 8 June 1956 • 60 min
157. George Has a Birthday
Aired 11 June 1956 • 60 min
158. The Serpent's Tooth
Aired 12 June 1956 • 60 min
159. Crime at Blossom's
Aired 13 June 1956 • 60 min
160. The Luck of Amos Currie
Aired 14 June 1956 • 60 min
161. Alison's House
Aired 15 June 1956 • 60 min
162. Safe Place
Aired 18 June 1956 • 60 min
163. The Guest Cottage
Aired 19 June 1956 • 60 min
164. Forsaking All Others
Aired 20 June 1956 • 60 min
165. Love, Honor and O'Day
Aired 21 June 1956 • 60 min
166. The Damask Cheek
Aired 22 June 1956 • 60 min
167. Moon Over
Aired 25 June 1956 • 60 min
168. But Fear Itself
Aired 26 June 1956 • 60 min
169. The Birthday Present
Aired 27 June 1956 • 60 min
170. The Ghost of Greenwich Village
Aired 28 June 1956 • 60 min
A college boy accidentally kills a girl who is trying to blackmail him.
171. The Young and the Damned
Aired 29 June 1956 • 60 min
172. There's Always Juliet
Aired 2 July 1956 • 60 min
173. Seasoned Timber
Aired 3 July 1956 • 60 min
174. The Declaration
Aired 4 July 1956 • 60 min
175. High Places
Aired 5 July 1956 • 60 min
176. Black Chiffon
Aired 6 July 1956 • 60 min
177. Class of '58
Aired 9 July 1956 • 60 min
178. Marriage by the Millions
Aired 11 July 1956 • 60 min
179. Backfire
Aired 12 July 1956 • 60 min
180. The Bishop Misbehaves
Aired 13 July 1956 • 60 min
181. Remittance
Aired 16 July 1956 • 60 min
182. Beg, Borrow or Steal
Aired 17 July 1956 • 60 min
183. Summer Pavilion
Aired 18 July 1956 • 60 min
184. The Feast
Aired 19 July 1956 • 60 min
185. A Full, Rich Life
Aired 20 July 1956 • 60 min
186. The Reverberator
Aired 23 July 1956 • 60 min
187. Woman at the Window
Aired 24 July 1956 • 60 min
188. Another Sky
Aired 25 July 1956 • 60 min
189. Letter of Introduction
Aired 26 July 1956 • 60 min
An American divorcee, transplanted to Paris, receives a letter stating that she is about to be visited by a young man who doesn't know she is his mother.
190. Home at Seven
Aired 27 July 1956 • 60 min
191. The Cypress Tree
Aired 30 July 1956 • 60 min
192. Belong to Me
Aired 31 July 1956 • 60 min
193. Pygmalion Jones
Aired 1 August 1956 • 60 min
194. Gretel
Aired 2 August 1956 • 60 min
195. Some Man Will Want You
Aired 3 August 1956 • 60 min
196. The Fall of the House of Usher
Aired 6 August 1956 • 60 min
197. Cupid Rode a Horse
Aired 7 August 1956 • 60 min
198. The Old Payola
Aired 8 August 1956 • 60 min
199. The Perfect Alibi
Aired 10 August 1956 • 60 min