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Season 1

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Matinee Theater Season 1

October. 31,1955

7.7

| Drama

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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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Matinee Theater Season 1 Full Episode Guide

Episode 199 - The Perfect Alibi

First Aired: August. 10,1956

Episode 198 - The Old Payola

First Aired: August. 08,1956

Episode 197 - Cupid Rode a Horse

First Aired: August. 07,1956

Episode 196 - The Fall of the House of Usher

First Aired: August. 06,1956

Episode 195 - Some Man Will Want You

First Aired: August. 03,1956

Episode 194 - Gretel

First Aired: August. 02,1956

Episode 193 - Pygmalion Jones

First Aired: August. 01,1956

Episode 192 - Belong to Me

First Aired: July. 31,1956

Episode 191 - The Cypress Tree

First Aired: July. 30,1956

Episode 190 - Home at Seven

First Aired: July. 27,1956

Episode 189 - Letter of Introduction

First Aired: July. 26,1956

Episode 188 - Another Sky

First Aired: July. 25,1956

Episode 187 - Woman at the Window

First Aired: July. 24,1956

Episode 186 - The Reverberator

First Aired: July. 23,1956

Episode 185 - A Full, Rich Life

First Aired: July. 20,1956

Episode 184 - The Feast

First Aired: July. 19,1956

Episode 183 - Summer Pavilion

First Aired: July. 18,1956

Episode 182 - Beg, Borrow or Steal

First Aired: July. 17,1956

Episode 181 - Remittance

First Aired: July. 16,1956

Episode 180 - The Bishop Misbehaves

First Aired: July. 13,1956

Episode 179 - Backfire

First Aired: July. 12,1956

Episode 178 - Marriage by the Millions

First Aired: July. 11,1956

Episode 177 - Class of '58

First Aired: July. 09,1956

Episode 176 - Black Chiffon

First Aired: July. 06,1956

Episode 175 - High Places

First Aired: July. 05,1956

Episode 174 - The Declaration

First Aired: July. 04,1956

Episode 173 - Seasoned Timber

First Aired: July. 03,1956

Episode 172 - There's Always Juliet

First Aired: July. 02,1956

Episode 171 - The Young and the Damned

First Aired: June. 29,1956

Episode 170 - The Ghost of Greenwich Village

First Aired: June. 28,1956

Episode 169 - The Birthday Present

First Aired: June. 27,1956

Episode 168 - But Fear Itself

First Aired: June. 26,1956

Episode 167 - Moon Over

First Aired: June. 25,1956

Episode 166 - The Damask Cheek

First Aired: June. 22,1956

Episode 165 - Love, Honor and O'Day

First Aired: June. 21,1956

Episode 164 - Forsaking All Others

First Aired: June. 20,1956

Episode 163 - The Guest Cottage

First Aired: June. 19,1956

Episode 162 - Safe Place

First Aired: June. 18,1956

Episode 161 - Alison's House

First Aired: June. 15,1956

Episode 160 - The Luck of Amos Currie

First Aired: June. 14,1956

Episode 159 - Crime at Blossom's

First Aired: June. 13,1956

Episode 158 - The Serpent's Tooth

First Aired: June. 12,1956

Episode 157 - George Has a Birthday

First Aired: June. 11,1956

Episode 156 - Autumn Crocus

First Aired: June. 08,1956

Episode 155 - Fight the Whole World

First Aired: June. 07,1956

Episode 154 - Cause for Suspicion

First Aired: June. 06,1956

Episode 153 - The American

First Aired: June. 05,1956

Episode 152 - The Goodtime Boys

First Aired: June. 04,1956

Episode 151 - Taxi to the Moon

First Aired: June. 01,1956

Episode 150 - Three for the Money

First Aired: May. 31,1956

Episode 149 - Herself Alone

First Aired: May. 30,1956

Episode 148 - The Children of Papa Juan

First Aired: May. 29,1956

Episode 147 - Bachelor Buttons

First Aired: May. 28,1956

Episode 146 - To Whom It May Concern

First Aired: May. 25,1956

Episode 145 - The Girl from Boro Park

First Aired: May. 24,1956

Episode 144 - Brief Music

First Aired: May. 23,1956

Episode 143 - The Bottle Imp

First Aired: May. 22,1956

Episode 142 - The Spare Room

First Aired: May. 21,1956

Episode 141 - Edwina Black

First Aired: May. 18,1956

Episode 140 - To Have and to Hold

First Aired: May. 17,1956

Episode 139 - Blind Date

First Aired: May. 16,1956

Episode 138 - A Family Affair

First Aired: May. 14,1956

Episode 137 - Johnny Came Marching Home

First Aired: May. 11,1956

Episode 136 - The Catamaran

First Aired: May. 10,1956

Episode 135 - Perspective

First Aired: May. 09,1956

Episode 134 - A Man and His Maid

First Aired: May. 08,1956

Episode 133 - The 25th Hour

First Aired: May. 07,1956

Episode 132 - Night Must Fall

First Aired: May. 04,1956

Episode 131 - Daughter of the Seventh Day

First Aired: May. 03,1956

Episode 130 - The Legend of Jenny Lind

First Aired: May. 02,1956

Episode 129 - Graybeards and Witches

First Aired: May. 01,1956

Episode 128 - The Carefree Tree

First Aired: April. 30,1956

Episode 127 - The Bright Boy

First Aired: April. 27,1956

Episode 126 - A Woman Named Ruby

First Aired: April. 26,1956

Episode 125 - The Reckoning

First Aired: April. 25,1956

Episode 124 - The Wedding

First Aired: April. 24,1956

Episode 123 - Whom Death Has Joined Together

First Aired: April. 23,1956

Episode 122 - Ask Me No Questions

First Aired: April. 20,1956

Episode 121 - The Babylonian Heart

First Aired: April. 19,1956

Episode 120 - In Dread of Winter

First Aired: April. 17,1956

Episode 119 - The Lark Shall Sing

First Aired: April. 16,1956

Episode 118 - Young Hands, Young Feet

First Aired: April. 13,1956

Episode 117 - One of the Family

First Aired: April. 12,1956

Episode 116 - People in Glass

First Aired: April. 11,1956

Episode 115 - The Hollow Woman

First Aired: April. 10,1956

Episode 114 - Fiddlin' Man

First Aired: April. 09,1956

Episode 113 - The House of Seven Gables

First Aired: April. 06,1956

Episode 112 - But You Look Like Sisters

First Aired: April. 05,1956

Episode 111 - From the Desk of Margaret Tydings

First Aired: April. 04,1956

Episode 110 - The Heart of a Husband

First Aired: April. 03,1956

Episode 109 - Singer in the Valley

First Aired: April. 02,1956

Episode 108 - The Book of Ruth

First Aired: March. 30,1956

Episode 107 - The Giant Killer

First Aired: March. 29,1956

Episode 106 - Bread Upon the Waters

First Aired: March. 28,1956

Episode 105 - Winter in April

First Aired: March. 27,1956

Episode 104 - Silent Partner

First Aired: March. 26,1956

Episode 103 - M is for the Many

First Aired: March. 23,1956

Episode 102 - The Anxious Years

First Aired: March. 22,1956

Episode 101 - The White Knight

First Aired: March. 21,1956

Episode 100 - Temptation for a King

First Aired: March. 20,1956

Episode 99 - Notebook Warrior

First Aired: March. 19,1956

Episode 98 - The Baron and the Banshees

First Aired: March. 16,1956

Episode 97 - Statute of Limitations

First Aired: March. 15,1956

Episode 96 - The Big Guy

First Aired: March. 14,1956

Episode 95 - The Rocking Chair

First Aired: March. 13,1956

Episode 94 - A Cowboy for Chris

First Aired: March. 12,1956

Episode 93 - The Odd Ones

First Aired: March. 09,1956

Episode 92 - The Shining Palace

First Aired: March. 08,1956

Episode 91 - Her Son's Wife

First Aired: March. 07,1956

Episode 90 - The Mating of Watkins Tottle

First Aired: March. 06,1956

Episode 89 - Dinner at Antoine's

First Aired: March. 05,1956

Episode 88 - Letter to a Stranger

First Aired: March. 02,1956

Episode 87 - Robin Daw

First Aired: March. 01,1956

Episode 86 - Anything But Love

First Aired: February. 29,1956

Episode 85 - Tall, Dark Stranger

First Aired: February. 28,1956

Episode 84 - Skylark

First Aired: February. 27,1956

Episode 83 - I Want to March

First Aired: February. 24,1956

Episode 82 - When the Bough Breaks

First Aired: February. 23,1956

Episode 81 - The Ledger

First Aired: February. 22,1956

Episode 80 - The Runaways

First Aired: February. 21,1956

Episode 79 - Dream House

First Aired: February. 20,1956

Episode 78 - The Catbird Seat

First Aired: February. 17,1956

Episode 77 - The Last Battlefield

First Aired: February. 16,1956

Episode 76 - Summer Cannot Last

First Aired: February. 15,1956

Episode 75 - Valentine's Day

First Aired: February. 14,1956

Episode 74 - The Middle Son

First Aired: February. 13,1956

Episode 73 - The Heart of Mary Lincoln

First Aired: February. 10,1956

Episode 72 - The Anxious Years

First Aired: February. 09,1956

Episode 71 - The White Knight

First Aired: February. 08,1956

Episode 70 - As Young As You Feel

First Aired: February. 07,1956

Episode 69 - Susan and God

First Aired: February. 06,1956

Episode 68 - The Diamond

First Aired: February. 03,1956

Episode 67 - Dark Possession

First Aired: February. 02,1956

Episode 66 - Hold My Hand and Run

First Aired: February. 01,1956

Episode 65 - O Promise Me

First Aired: January. 31,1956

Episode 64 - Romney

First Aired: January. 30,1956

Episode 63 - Light and Shadow

First Aired: January. 27,1956

Episode 62 - The Amateur

First Aired: January. 26,1956

Episode 61 - Doc

First Aired: January. 25,1956

Episode 60 - Sincerely Yours, Charlie Fisher

First Aired: January. 24,1956

Episode 59 - The Big Box

First Aired: January. 23,1956

Episode 58 - Interlude

First Aired: January. 20,1956

Episode 57 - The Carefree Tree

First Aired: January. 19,1956

Episode 56 - The Bottom of the River

First Aired: January. 18,1956

Episode 55 - Mother Was a Bachelor

First Aired: January. 17,1956

Episode 54 - The Old Maid

First Aired: January. 16,1956

Episode 53 - Friday the 13th

First Aired: January. 13,1956

Episode 52 - The Century Plant

First Aired: January. 12,1956

Episode 51 - All the Trees in the Field

First Aired: January. 11,1956

Episode 50 - One Left Over

First Aired: January. 10,1956

Episode 49 - The Gate

First Aired: January. 09,1956

Episode 48 - The Happy Rest

First Aired: January. 06,1956

Episode 47 - Double Door

First Aired: January. 05,1956

Episode 46 - Yesterday is Gone

First Aired: January. 04,1956

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

Episode 45 - Mr. Krane

First Aired: January. 03,1956

Episode 44 - The Shot

First Aired: December. 30,1955

Episode 43 - Little Girls Grow Up

First Aired: December. 29,1955

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

Episode 42 - Horns of the Dilemma

First Aired: December. 28,1955

Episode 41 - Class of '58

First Aired: July. 09,1956

Episode 40 - The Red Sanders Story

First Aired: December. 26,1955

Episode 39 - The Unwelcomed

First Aired: December. 23,1955

Episode 38 - Santa is No Saint

First Aired: December. 22,1955

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

Episode 37 - Gallin: All-American

First Aired: December. 21,1955

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.

Episode 36 - Technique

First Aired: December. 20,1955

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.

Episode 35 - Coming of Age

First Aired: December. 19,1955

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.

Episode 34 - See You on Sunday

First Aired: December. 16,1955

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.

Episode 33 - Sins of the Fathers

First Aired: December. 15,1955

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.

Episode 32 - This One is Different

First Aired: December. 14,1955

A man is determined to prevent his teen-age daughter from leaving home and entering a convent - Tv Guide

Episode 31 - The Milwaukee Rocket

First Aired: December. 13,1955

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

Episode 30 - O'Toole from Moscow

First Aired: December. 12,1955

Episode 29 - The White Oaks

First Aired: December. 09,1955

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

Episode 28 - Cordially - With Bombs

First Aired: December. 08,1955

Episode 27 - For These Services

First Aired: December. 07,1955

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.

Episode 26 - Passing Strange

First Aired: December. 06,1955

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.

Episode 25 - Arrowsmith

First Aired: December. 05,1955

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.

Episode 24 - Jason

First Aired: December. 02,1955

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.

Episode 23 - The Brass Ring

First Aired: December. 01,1955

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.

Episode 22 - Wuthering Heights

First Aired: November. 30,1955

A mother discovers she is falling in love with the man her daughter has married.

Episode 21 - The Touchstone

First Aired: November. 29,1955

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.

Episode 20 - One for the Road

First Aired: November. 28,1955

A beautiful young socialite is found murdered.

Episode 19 - Dispossessed

First Aired: November. 25,1955

Episode 18 - The Courtship of Miles Standish

First Aired: November. 23,1955

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

Episode 17 - The Lady Chooses

First Aired: November. 22,1955

The daughter and sister of a pretty widown decide to play Cupid. Both want to marry her off to a likely suitor. - Tv Guide

Episode 16 - Midsummer

First Aired: November. 21,1955

Episode 15 - Roman Fever

First Aired: November. 18,1955

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.

Episode 14 - The Aspern Papers

First Aired: November. 17,1955

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.

Episode 13 - All the Hoffmeyers in the World

First Aired: November. 16,1955

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.

Episode 12 - She's the One with the Funny Face

First Aired: November. 15,1955

Episode 11 - Jigsaw

First Aired: November. 14,1955

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.

Episode 10 - The Man Without a Country

First Aired: November. 11,1955

Episode 9 - An Apple for Miss Myrtle

First Aired: November. 10,1955

Episode 8 - One for the Road

First Aired: November. 09,1955

Episode 7 - Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

First Aired: November. 08,1955

Episode 6 - The House on Wildwood Lane

First Aired: November. 07,1955

Episode 5 - Progress and Minnie Sweeney

First Aired: November. 04,1955

A young intern tries to convince his fiance she shouldn't have the responsibility of supporting her divorced sister and the sister's child.

Episode 4 - I'm Straight with the World

First Aired: November. 03,1955

This is the tragic love story of a man and woman who fall in love as youngsters, but each married another.

Episode 3 - The Persistent Image

First Aired: November. 02,1955

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.

Episode 2 - Make Believe Mother

First Aired: November. 01,1955

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.