FEEL IT.STREAM
Ann B. Davis

Ann B. Davis

Acting

Known For

Matinee Theater
5.3

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.

Matinee Theater

1955Series
No image
7.5

The John Forsythe Show began as a situation comedy in the fall of 1965 on NBC, but at mid-season it switched to a spy show. In the first phase of the series, John Forsythe appeared as United States Air Force veteran John Foster, who inherited the private Foster School for Girls in San Francisco, California, from his late aunt, Victoria. Forsythe's co-stars were Elsa Lanchester as the principal, Miss Culver; Ann B. Davis, as the physical education teacher, Miss Wilson; and Guy Marks as Ed Robbins, Forsythe's aide and a former sergeant. Actors who portrayed students included Pamelyn Ferdin as Pamela, Darlene Carr as Kathy, Page and Brooke Forsythe as Marcia and Norma Jean, Peggy Lipton, as Joanna, Tracy Stratford as Susan, and Sara Ballantine as Janice. NBC advertising in February, 1965, gave a working title of The Mr. and The Misses. When the format changed to espionage, it was explained to viewers that Major Foster had been recalled to active duty as a secret agent. All the other regulars except Forsythe and Marks were dropped from the cast. Peter Kortner was the producer of the series, which aired twenty-nine episodes from September 13, 1965, to August 29, 1966. The series was produced by Forsythe's own company in conjunction with Universal Television Studios. Earl Bellamy was the director.

The John Forsythe Show

1965Series