Matinee Theatre poster

Matinee Theatre

★ 6.7 153 votes 1955–1958 3 seasons · 576 episodes Ended NBC
Starring
Peter HansenSarah ChurchillJohnny CrawfordJohn HoytPeggy McCayJoan Elan
Starring
Peter HansenSarah ChurchillJohnny CrawfordJohn HoytPeggy McCayJoan Elan
Ratings per Episode
246810
Votes per Episode
08152330

Matinee Theatre Episode Ratings Heatmap

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S15.55.5
S26.57.56.07.15.2
S36.36.75.7

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About

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.

All Seasons

Season 11955
5.52520054h
Season 21956
6.58621637h
Season 31957
6.32816029h

Full Cast & Crew

Cast

John Conte Self - Host, Tom Loring
Peter Hansen Fred Purdy, Philip Nolan, Beaucaire
Sarah Churchill Charlotte Lovell, Emilia Marty, Emma Woodhouse
Johnny Crawford Dickie Browning, Jimmy, Leo - Orphan Boy
John Hoyt Harry, Sebastian, the Bishop
Peggy McCay Edith, Eugenie Grandet, Irene
Joan Elan Cherry, Clara Middleton, Dinah
Irene Hervey Margaret March, Myra Gordon, Stella Martyn
Marcia Henderson Lady Ingram, Linda Gresham, Miss Miller
Patrick Macnee Don Pedro, Duke of Winterset, Edward Rochester

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