NBC Matinee Theater

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

Tabs

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.

Genre Anthology

Directed by

John Drew Barrymore

Alan Cooke

Walter Grauman

Arthur Hiller

Lamont Johnson

Sherman Marks

Lawrence Menkin

Albert McCleery

Boris Sagal

Pace Woods

No. of seasons 3

No. of episodes 650

Production

Executive producer(s) George Lowther

Producer(s) George Cahan

Albert McCleery

Frank Price

Darrell Ross

Running time 60 mins.

Broadcast

Original channel NBC

Original run October 31, 1955 – June 27, 1958

Highlights

Barbara Billingsley on appearing on Matinee Theatre live broadcasts

03:04

Robert Culp on moving to Los Angeles and appearing on NBC Matinee Theater and Trackdown produced by Dick Powell's Four Star Productions

04:45

Leonard Nimoy on getting a small role on a Matinee Theater episode (with Vincent Price, directed by Boris Sagal) and getting fired from another episode

02:08

Lynn Stalmaster on doing casting live television for NBC Matinee Theater

01:16

Elinor Donahue on performing on Matinee Theater

05:10

Who talked about this show

Ray Aghayan

Ray Aghayan on his early costume design experiences for Matinee Theater

09:05

Ray Aghayan on costume design for Matinee Theater

17:56

Barbara Billingsley

Barbara Billingsley on appearing on Matinee Theatre live broadcasts

03:04

John Conte

John Conte on appearing on Matinee Theater, and being sent to Atlanta by David Sarnoff to promote NBC

06:00

John Conte on David Sarnoff and on working with producer Albert McCleery on Matinee Theater

06:03

John Conte on acting as host for Matinee Theater, and on the audience of the show

04:43

John Conte on the writers and producers of Matinee Theater, including producer Albert McCleery

02:30

John Conte on the production of Matinee Theater, on the cost of the show, and on actors who appeared during its run

04:34

John Conte on mishaps during the broadcast of Matinee Theater, and on the cancellation of the show

03:02

Robert Culp

Robert Culp on moving to Los Angeles and appearing on NBC Matinee Theater and Trackdown produced by Dick Powell's Four Star Productions

04:45

Elinor Donahue

Elinor Donahue on performing on Matinee Theater

05:10

Walter E. Grauman

Director Walter Grauman on actress Sarah Churchill needing to get bailed out of jail to make her "live" appearance on Matinee Theater

03:20

Director Walter Grauman on working with boxer Primo Carnera on Matinee Theater: "Frankenstein" (airdate: 2/5/57), in which an overzealous and unrehearsed Carnera (playing Frankenstein's monster) threw an actor through the scenery

03:29

Director Walter Grauman on how a superstition led Sylvia Sidney to forget the final line on "live" TV for a Matinee Theater show [tentatively identified by Grauman as "Death of a Salesman" but possibly "The Gift and the Giver" (airdate: 12/16/57)]

01:29

Director Walter Grauman on a mishap that occurred to Constance Bennett minutes before a "live" TV production of Matinee Theater [likely "One Hundred Red Convertibles (airdate: 9/5/56), for which the credits match]

01:07

Director Walter Grauman briefly on Cameo Theatre and Matinee Theater creator/producer Albert McCleery

00:30

Arthur Hiller

Arthur Hiller on how he came to direct NBC Matinee Theater, based on a show he had directed in Canada for the CBC

04:38

Arthur Hiller on his first time directing NBC Matinee Theater and his nerves on the set

01:20

Arthur Hiller on the schedule for producing NBC Matinee Theater and the excitement of directing for live television

02:17

Arthur Hiller on dealing with an athlete who couldn't act appearing on NBC Matinee Theater, and his love of doing "live" television

02:32

Arthur Hiller on idea he "stole" from Delbert Mann while directing NBC Matinee Theater

01:02

Arthur Hiller on Dennis Hopper's appearance on an episode of NBC Matinee Theater

00:33

Arthur Hiller on John Conte as host of NBC Matinee Theater

00:27

Arthur Hiller on working with producer Albert McCleery on NBC Matinee Theater

01:12

Arthur Hiller on leaving NBC Matinee Theater

04:24

Arthur Hiller on the opportunities and limitations of NBC Matinee Theater due to the fact it was a daily show, and interference from the sponsors

02:31

Arthur Hiller on the lack of sets on both NBC Matinee Theaterand Cameo Theatre

03:15

Arthur Hiller on NBC Matinee Theater being broadcast in color

01:31

Arthur Hiller on Dennis Hopper appearing on an episode of NBC Matinee Theater

01:48

Arthur Hiller on John Conte as host of NBC Matinee Theater

00:40

Arthur Hiller on the rehearsal process for NBC Matinee Theater

03:01

Arthur Hiller on moving from "live" television on NBC Matinee Theater to film television

05:08

Lamont Johnson

Lamont Johnson on the kinds of roles he got as an actor, and on working with producer Albert McCleery on NBC Matinee Theater

04:51

Lamont Johnson on the challenges of directing live broadcasts of NBC Matinee Theater, and on appearing in early televised Shakespeare adaptations

07:37

Lamont Johnson on directing John Carradine in the NBC Matinee Theater production of "Dracula"

01:38

Lamont Johnson on the quick costume changes and makeup needed for live productions of NBC Matinee Theater

02:54

Lamont Johnson on selecting material to adapt for NBC Matinee Theater, and on the music and casting of the show

04:22

Lamont Johnson on casting for NBC Matinee Theater, and on working with Zsa Zsa Gabor

04:34

Lamont Johnson on being on the Hollywood Blacklist, and on producer Albert McCleery disregarding it to hire him

03:48

Lamont Johnson on dealing with the Hollywood Blacklist in regards to NBC Matinee Theater

01:56

Lamont Johnson on NBC Matinee Theater host John Conte, and on the sponsors and intended audience of the show

04:30

Lamont Johnson on the curtain calls and end credits of NBC Matinee Theater, and on the show being in color

04:01

Lamont Johnson on working with actress Sarah Churchill on NBC Matinee Theater

03:09

Lamont Johnson on the producers and budget of NBC Matinee Theater

03:00

Lamont Johnson on leaving NBC Matinee Theater to work on the Berlin Festival, and on directing Thornton Wilder as the "Stage Manager" in a production of "Our Town"

06:26

Russell Johnson

Russell Johnson on his early appearances on Matinee Theater

00:34

Nancy Malone

Nancy Malone on working with Dean Stockwell on Matinee Theater

Abby Mann

Abby Mann on writing for The Kate Smith Show and Matinee Theater, and on his friendship with Tony Bennett

02:15

Jerry Mathers

Jerry Mathers on working on Matinee Theater

00:47

Kent McCray

Kent McCray on being an associate producer on NBC Matinee Theater

01:37

Kent McCray on associate producing NBC Matinee Theater

04:16

Nolan Miller

Nolan Miller on working on NBC Matinee Theater

04:14

Nolan Miller on working on NBC Matinee Theater and other NBC shows

04:52

Alan Neuman

Alan Neuman on directing NBC Matinee Theater

05:20

Leonard Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy on getting a small role on a Matinee Theater episode (with Vincent Price, directed by Boris Sagal) and getting fired from another episode

02:08

Leonard Nimoy on appearing on Matinee Theater and the workweek on this daily "live" anthology

01:54

Frances Reid

Frances Reid on appearing on NBC Matinee Theater

01:33

Del Reisman

Del Reisman on the production details of NBC Matinee Theater

05:23

Del Reisman on working with NBC Matinee Theater producer Albert McCleery

07:11

Del Reisman on working on NBC Matinee Theater

05:27

Del Reisman on working with Albert McCleery on NBC Matinee Theater

04:39

Del Reisman on NBC broadcasting NBC Matinee Theater in color

03:09

Del Reisman on the types of productions done on NBC Matinee Theater

03:32

Del Reisman on a typical workweek on NBC Matinee Theater

03:15

Del Reisman on the various actors who appeared on NBC Matinee Theater over the years, including Wendy Hiller and Sarah Churchill

07:09

Del Reisman on the challenge of holding the viewer's attention for NBC Matinee Theater

04:06

Del Reisman on Steve McQueen appearing on NBC Matinee Theater

02:06

Del Reisman on the writers of NBC Matinee Theater, and on the show adapting from many sources

01:55

Del Reisman on the most memorable NBC Matinee Theater episodes, and on the death of Albert McCleery

04:31

Del Reisman on his family during the time he was story editing NBC Matinee Theater

03:03

Del Reisman on leaving NBC Matinee Theater and going to Playhouse 90

02:29

Gene Reynolds

Gene Reynolds on being a casting director for NBC Matinee Theater

09:21

Gene Reynolds on the Hollywood Blacklist

03:40

Marion Ross

Marion Ross on performing on Matinee Theater, and on what it was like to perform on live television on shows like Studio One

04:21

Thomas W. Sarnoff

Thomas W. Sarnoff on the production of Matinee Theater

05:12

Thomas W. Sarnoff on preservation of Matinee Theater and working with producer Albert McCleery

02:09

William Schallert

William Schallert on working on Matinee Theater

04:30

Arthur Schneider

Arthur Schneider on working on NBC Matinee Theater

01:51

Jan Scott

Jan Scott on doing art direction for NBC Matinee Theater, and on being nominated for Emmys

04:17

Doris Singleton

Doris Singleton on working on three episodes of NBC Matinee Theater

03:16

Lynn Stalmaster

Lynn Stalmaster on doing casting live television for NBC Matinee Theater

01:16

Ret Turner

Ret Turner on a wardrobe mishap during Matinee Theater

00:59

Max Wilk

Max Wilk on writing The Imogene Coca Show and on NBC Matinee Theater

01:45

Alan Young

Alan Young on appearing in the live Matinee Theater teleplay "Ask Me No Questions"

00:58