Matinee Theater 1957
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.
- Released: 1955-10-31
- Runtime: 60 minutes
- Genre: Drama
- Stars: John Conte
- Director: George Lowther, Albert McCleery
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1. Father Come Home 1957-10-15
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2. Villa of the Angels 1957-10-16
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3. A Tone of Time 1957-10-17
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4. Almost Any Man Will Do 1957-10-18
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5. Sing for Me 1957-10-21
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6. Run for the Money 1957-10-22
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7. Lest We Forget 1957-10-23
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8. The Glass Hill 1957-10-24
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9. Out of the Frying Pan 1957-10-25
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10. The Last Stop 1957-10-28
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11. The Weak and the Strong 1957-10-29
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12. Nine-Finger Jack 1957-10-30
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13. Elementals 1957-10-31
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14. Plummer in Paradise 1957-11-01
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15. Something About a Dollar 1957-11-04
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16. Return in Winter 1957-11-07
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17. Grandmama and Grandfather 1957-11-08
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18. Aesop and Rhodope 1957-11-11
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19. All Over the World 1957-11-12
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20. The Ransom of Sigmund Freud 1957-11-13
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22. Remember Me Kindly 1957-11-15
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23. The Embassy House 1957-11-18
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24. Witness to Murder 1957-11-19
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25. The Johnson House 1957-11-20
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26. Cadenza 1957-11-25
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27. Green Shores 1957-11-26
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28. A Question of Balance 1957-11-27
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29. Daniel Webster and the Sea Serpent 1957-11-29
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30. The Conversation Tables 1957-12-02
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31. Out of My Darkness 1957-12-03
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32. The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg 1957-12-04
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33. The Broom and the Groom 1957-12-05
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34. A Cloud for Jeni 1957-12-06
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35. The Consul 1957-12-09
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36. The Old Friend 1957-12-10
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37. Give Me a Wand 1957-12-10
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38. The Sure Thing 1957-12-11
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39. Dark of the Moon 1957-12-12
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40. The Giver and the Gift 1957-12-13
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41. No Time for Comedy 1957-12-16
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42. Gentleman of Fortune 1957-12-17
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43. The Gentleman Caller 1957-12-18
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44. Tender Leaves 1957-12-19
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45. In 25 Words or Less 1957-12-20
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46. Sara Crewe 1957-12-23
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47. Amahl and the Night Visitors 1957-12-24
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48. The Little Minister 1957-12-25
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49. Daughter of Kings 1957-12-31
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50. The Survival Kit 1958-01-02
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51. The House with the Golden Street 1958-01-03
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52. The Europeans 1958-01-06
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53. The Collected Letters of Mr. Sage 1958-01-07
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54. Two-Picture Deal 1958-01-08
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55. The Great Obstacle Courtship 1958-01-09
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56. A Chance to Die 1958-01-10
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57. Home on the Range 1958-01-13
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58. The Makropoulos Secret 1958-01-14
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59. More Than a Man 1958-01-15
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60. Something Stolen, Something New 1958-01-16
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61. Thunderbolt 1958-01-17
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62. Daisy Mayne 1958-01-20
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63. The Man Who Wanted to Hate 1958-01-21
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64. The Golden Fleecing 1958-01-22
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65. Forever and Ever 1958-01-23
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66. Decision 1958-01-24
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67. Solider's Boy 1958-01-27
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68. The Man with Pointed Toes 1958-01-28
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69. Love Out of Town 1958-01-31
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70. Cave-In 1958-02-03
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71. The Iceman 1958-02-04
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72. The Long, Long Laugh 1958-02-05
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73. Man Without a Country 1958-02-06
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74. The Odd Ones 1958-02-07
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75. Monsieur Beaucaire 1958-02-11
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76. Life Upon the Wicked Stage 1958-02-12
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77. Without Fear or Favor 1958-02-13
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78. The Third Person 1958-02-14
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79. Eden End 1958-02-17
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80. The 10th Muse 1958-02-18
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81. Goodbye on Thursday 1958-02-20
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82. Heart's Desire 1958-02-21
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83. Marriage of Convenience 1958-02-24
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84. The Suicide Club 1958-02-25
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85. The 65th Floor 1958-02-26
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86. The Hickory Heart 1958-02-27
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87. The Devil's Violin 1958-02-28
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88. Wednesday's Child 1958-03-04
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89. Vigilante 1958-03-05
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90. The Prophet Hosea 1958-03-07
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91. Mrs. Moonlight 1958-03-10
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92. With Love We Live 1958-03-11
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93. You and I 1958-03-12
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94. Career Angel 1958-03-13
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95. Contingent Fire 1958-03-14
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96. Anxious Night 1958-03-18
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97. On Approval 1958-03-19
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98. Dandy Dick 1958-03-20
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99. Hush, Mahala, Hush 1958-03-21
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100. O'Rourke's House 1958-03-25
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101. The Alleyway 1958-03-26
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102. The Vagabond 1958-03-27
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103. The Silver Spider 1958-03-28
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104. Design for Glory 1958-04-01
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105. The Inspector General 1958-04-02
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106. The Two Mrs. Carrolls 1958-04-03
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107. The Velvet Glove 1958-04-04
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108. Death Takes a Holiday 1958-04-08
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109. Man of the House 1958-04-09
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110. A Case of Fear 1958-04-10
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111. Walk in the Sky 1958-04-11
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112. The Canterville Ghost 1958-04-15
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113. Found Money 1958-04-17
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114. Washington Whispers Money 1958-04-18
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115. A Boy Grows Up 1958-04-22
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116. Phony Venus 1958-04-23
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117. Some Blessed People 1958-04-24
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118. The Quiet Street 1958-04-25
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119. The Quest of Quesnay 1958-05-07
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120. Angel Street 1958-05-09
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121. The Cause 1958-05-12
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122. Much Ado About Nothing, Part 1 1958-05-20
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123. Much Ado About Nothing, Part 2 1958-05-21
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124. Day of Discoveries 1958-05-22
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125. The Young and the Fair 1958-05-23
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126. The Riddle of Mary Murray 1958-05-27
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127. Button Button 1958-05-29
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128. The End of the Season 1958-06-03
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129. Look Out for John Tucker 1958-06-04
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130. The Road to Recovery 1958-06-05
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131. The Nightbird's Crying 1958-06-06
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132. The Story of Marcia Gordon 1958-06-10
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133. Town in Turmoil 1958-06-11
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134. Washington Square 1958-06-12
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135. Course for Collision 1958-06-13
