Checkmate (American TV series)

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Checkmate
Sebastian Cabot Doug McClure Carolyn Craig Checkmate 1962.JPG
Sebastian Cabot, Carolyn Craig, and Doug McClure in "Trial by Midnight" (1962)
Genre Detective/Mystery
Created by Eric Ambler
Directed by Frank Arrigo
Jules Bricken
Herschel Daugherty
Walter Doniger
Robert Florey
William A. Graham
Tom Gries
Douglas Heyes
James Wong Howe
Robert Ellis Miller
Alexander Singer
Don Taylor
Don Weis
Starring Anthony George
Sebastian Cabot
Doug McClure
Theme music composer John Williams
Composer(s) Marty Paich
Pete Rugolo
Morton Stevens
John Williams
Stanley Wilson
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 70
Production
Producer(s) Richard Berg
Herbert Coleman
Joseph T. Naar
Cinematography Joseph F. Biroc
Dale Deverman
Ray Flin
Lionel Lindon
Fred Mandl
John L. Russell
Bud Thackery
John F. Warren
Editor(s) Howard Epstein
Lee Huntington
Tony Martinelli
Running time 60 mins.
Production company(s) JaMco Productions
Revue Studios
Release
Original network CBS
Original release September 17, 1960 (1960-09-17) –
September 1, 1962 (1962-09-01)
External links
[{{#property:P856}} Website]
File:Mickey Rooney Sebastian Cabot Checkmate 1961.JPG
Mickey Rooney and Sebastian Cabot in "The Paper Killer" (1961)[1]
File:Anthony George Eve Arden Checkmate 1961.JPG
Anthony George and Eve Arden in "Death by Design" (1961)

Checkmate is an American detective television series created by Eric Ambler, starring Anthony George, Sebastian Cabot, and Doug McClure. The show aired on CBS Television from 1960 to 1962 for a total of 70 episodes. It was produced by Jack Benny's production company, "JaMco Productions" in co-operation with Revue Studios. Guest stars included Charles Laughton, Peter Lorre, Lee Marvin, Mickey Rooney and many other prominent performers.

Synopsis

The program chronicles the cases of the San Francisco detective agency called Checkmate, Inc. Don Corey and Jed Sills run the agency, which specializes in preventing crimes before they happen, from Corey's stylish apartment supposedly at 3330 Union Street. Sebastian Cabot portrays Dr. Hyatt, a college professor whom they employ as an adviser. Dr. Hyatt's dachshund, Bismarck, occasionally appears. Ken Lynch is frequently seen as police dept. contact Lt. Thomas Brand.

Cast

Notable guest stars

  • "The Yacht Club Gang" (1962),
  • "So Beats My Plastic Heart" (1962)
  • "Moment of Truth" (1960),
  • "An Assassin Arrives Andante" (1962)
  • "Moment of Truth" (1960),
  • "Hot Wind in a Cold Town" (1961)
  • "Deadly Shadow" (1960),
  • "To the Best of My Recollection" (1961), and
  • "Side by Side" (1962)
  • "The Thrill Seeker" (1961), and
  • "So Beats My Plastic Heart" (1962)

Production

Some exterior scenes were filmed[2][3] in San Francisco.[4][5]

Series star Anthony George left his recurring role as Federal Agent Cam Allison on The Untouchables (starring Robert Stack), to front this series.

Episodes

Season 1 (1960–61)

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1 1 "Death Runs Wild" Jules Bricken Story by: John Kneubuhl
Teleplay by: James Gunn & John Kneubuhl
September 17, 1960 (1960-09-17)
2 2 "Interrupted Honeymoon" Herschel Daughterty Michael Morris September 24, 1960 (1960-09-24)
3 3 "The Cyanide Touch" Don Weis Stirling Silliphant October 1, 1960 (1960-10-01)
4 4 "Lady on the Brink" Frank Arrigo Story by: Howard Browne
Teleplay by: Howard Browne & Joel Murcott
October 15, 1960 (1960-10-15)
5 5 "Face in the Window" Robert Florey Story by: Leigh Brackett
Teleplay by: Leigh Brackett & Harold Clements
October 22, 1960 (1960-10-22)
6 6 "Runaway" Don Medford Story by: Richard Nelson & Steve Fisher
Teleplay by: James Gunn & Richard Nelson
October 29, 1960 (1960-10-29)
7 7 "Target: Tycoon" Frank Arrigo Story by: Johnathan Latimer
Teleplay by: Robert Yale Libott
November 5, 1960 (1960-11-05)
8 8 "Deadly Shadow" Don Weis Story by: William McGivern
Teleplay by: Harold Clements & William McGivern
November 12, 1960 (1960-11-12)
9 9 "The Dark Divide" Don Weis Story by: Robert Bloomfield
Teleplay by: James Gunn & Robert Bloomfield
November 19, 1960 (1960-11-19)
10 10 "Moment of Truth" Walter Doniger Story by: Leonard Heideman
Teleplay by: Jameson Brewer & Leonard Heideman
November 26, 1960 (1960-11-26)
11 11 "The Mask of Vengeance" Ted Post Warner Law December 3, 1960 (1960-12-03)
12 12 "The Murder Game" Douglas Heyes Douglas Heyes December 17, 1960 (1960-12-17)
13 13 "The Princess in the Tower" Herschel Daugherty Story by: Betty Ulius
Teleplay by: Halsey Melone
December 31, 1960 (1960-12-31)
14 14 "Terror from the East" Herschel Daugherty Harold Clements January 7, 1961 (1961-01-07)
15 15 "The Human Touch" Don Weis Story by: John Falvo & Pete Mamakos
Teleplay by: James Gunn
January 14, 1961 (1961-01-14)
16 16 "Hour of Execution" John English Story by: Helen Nielsen
Teleplay by: Robert Yale Libott
January 21, 1961 (1961-01-21)
17 17 "Don't Believe a Word She Says" Sidney Lansfield Story by: William Lindsay Gresham
Teleplay by: Robert C. Dennis
January 28, 1961 (1961-01-28)
18 18 "Laugh Till I Die" Don Weis Bernie Giler February 4, 1961 (1961-02-04)
19 19 "Between Two Guns" John English Harold Clements February 11, 1961 (1961-02-11)
20 20 "A Matter of Conscience" Richard Irving Story by: Leonard Heideman
Teleplay by: Edmund Morris
February 18, 1961 (1961-02-18)
21 21 "Melody for Murder" Don Taylor Stuart Jerome February 25, 1961 (1961-02-25)
22 22 "Phantom Lover" Herschel Daugherty Raphael Hayes March 4, 1961 (1961-03-04)
23 23 "The Gift" Jules Bricken Story by: Robert Blees
Teleplay by: Irwin and Gwen Gielgud
March 11, 1961 (1961-03-11)
24 24 "One for the Book" Don English Story by: Curtis Kenyon
Teleplay by: Robert C. Dennis
March 18, 1961 (1961-03-18)
25 25 "The Paper Killer[1]" Don Taylor Story by: Stuart Jerome
Teleplay by: James Dunn
March 25, 1961 (1961-03-25)
26 26 "Jungle Castle" Ted Post Story by: Bernie Giler and Robert C. Dennis
Teleplay by: Robert C. Dennis
April 1, 1961 (1961-04-01)
27 27 "The Deadly Silence" Paul Stewart Story by: Rik Vollaerts
Teleplay by: Harold Clements
April 8, 1961 (1961-04-08)
28 28 "Goodbye Griff" Allen H. Miner Story by: Steven Thornley
Teleplay by: Steven Thornley and Sheldon Stark
April 15, 1961 (1961-04-15)
29 29 "Dance of Death" Paul Stewart Robert Yale Libott April 22, 1961 (1961-04-22)
30 30 "Voyage Into Fear" Jules Bricken Story by: Edmund Morris
Teleplay by: Edmund Morris & Harold Clements
May 6, 1961 (1961-05-06)
31 31 "Tight as a Drum" Herschel Daugherty Story by: Edwin Blum
Teleplay by: Edwin Blum and Robert C. Dennis
May 13, 1961 (1961-05-13)
32 32 "Death by Design" John Newland Story by: Bob & Wanda Duncan
Teleplay by: Sheldon Stark and Bob & Wanda Duncan
May 20, 1961 (1961-05-20)
33 33 "The Thrill Seeker" Don Taylor Stuart Jerome May 27, 1961 (1961-05-27)
34 34 "Hot Wind in a Cold Town" Don Weis Story by: James Lee Barrett
Teleplay by: James Lee Barrett and Dick Berg
June 10, 1961 (1961-06-10)
35 35 "A Slight Touch of Venom" Earl Bellamy Story by: James Gunn
Teleplay by: Robert C. Dennis
June 17, 1961 (1961-06-17)
36 36 "State of Shock" James Wong Howe Story by: William P. Templeton and Finlay McDermid
Teleplay by: Robert C. Dennis
June 24, 1961 (1961-06-24)

Season 2 (1961–62)

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date
37 1 "Portrait of a Man Running" Elliot Silverstein Richard Fielder October 4, 1961 (1961-10-04)
38 2 "The Button Down Break" Paul Stewart Story by: William Shatner
Teleplay by: Lewis Reed
October 11, 1961 (1961-10-11)
39 3 "The Heat of Passion" Ron Winston Story by: Sonya Roberts & Mann Rubin
Teleplay by: Mann Rubin
October 18, 1961 (1961-10-18)
40 4 "Waiting for Jocko" Don Taylor Juarez Roberts October 25, 1961 (1961-10-25)
41 5 "Through a Dark Glass" Robert Ellis Miller Richard DeRoy November 1, 1961 (1961-11-01)
42 6 "Juan Moreno's Body" Tom Gries Anthony Spinner November 8, 1961 (1961-11-08)
43 7 "Kill the Sound" James Wong Howe Alfred Brenner November 15, 1961 (1961-11-15)
44 8 "The Crimson Pool" Alan Crosland, Jr. Richard DeRoy November 22, 1961 (1961-11-22)
45 9 "The Two of Us" Paul Stewart Lewis Reed November 29, 1961 (1961-11-29)
46 10 "Nice Guys Finish Last" Alan Crosland, Jr. Larry Cohen December 13, 1961 (1961-12-13)
47 11 "To the Best of My Recollection" Paul Stewart John McGreevey December 27, 1961 (1961-12-27)
48 12 "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Game" Don Taylor Story by: Lewis Reed
Teleplay by: Lewis Reed & Don Taylor
January 3, 1962 (1962-01-03)
49 13 "The Star System" William Graham Richard DeRoy January 10, 1962 (1962-01-10)
50 14 "The Renaissance of Gussie Hill" Ron Winston Story by: Oliver Gard
Teleplay by: Oliver Gard & Mark Rodgers
January 17, 1962 (1962-01-17)
51 15 "A Very Rough Sketch" Ron Winston Mann Rubin January 24, 1962 (1962-01-24)
52 16 "The Yacht Club Gang" Alex Singer Robert J. Shaw January 31, 1962 (1962-01-31)
53 17 "Death Beyond Recall" Herman Hoffman Max Ehrlich February 7, 1962 (1962-02-07)
54 18 "The Sound of Nervous Laughter" Paul Stewart Story by: Jonathan Latimer
Teleplay by: Jonathan Latimer & Mark Rodgers
February 14, 1962 (1962-02-14)
55 19 "An Assassin Arrives, Andante" Tom Gries Story by: Anthony Spinner
Teleplay by: Sy Salkowitz
February 21, 1962 (1962-02-21)
56 20 "Remembrance of Crimes Past" William Graham Richard DeRoy February 28, 1962 (1962-02-28)
57 21 "Heart Is a Handout" Tom Gries Sy Salkowitz March 7, 1962 (1962-03-07)
58 22 "A Brooding Fixation" Robert Ellis Miller Story by: Oliver Crawford
Teleplay by: Mark Rodgers & Oliver Crawford
March 14, 1962 (1962-03-14)
59 23 "A Chant of Silence" William Graham Richard McCracken March 21, 1962 (1962-03-21)
60 24 "Trial by Midnight" Alex Singer Mark Rodgers March 28, 1962 (1962-03-28)
61 25 "Ride a Wild Horse" Byron Paul Story by: Harold Jack Bloom
Teleplay by: Harold Jack Bloom & Dick Nelson
April 4, 1962 (1962-04-04)
62 26 "So Beats My Plastic Heart" Bernard Girard Mark Rodgers April 11, 1962 (1962-04-11)
63 27 "In a Foreign Quarter" Robert Ellis Miller Sy Salkowitz April 18, 1962 (1962-04-18)
64 28 "Referendum on Murder" Lewis Allen John Mantley April 25, 1962 (1962-04-25)
65 29 "The Someday Man" Robert Ellis Miller Richard DeRoy May 2, 1962 (1962-05-02)
66 30 "Rendezvous in Washington" William Graham Mark Rodgers May 9, 1962 (1962-05-09)
67 31 "The Bold and the Tough" Don Taylor Story by: Reuben Bercovitch & Dick Nelson
Teleplay by: Dick Nelson
May 16, 1962 (1962-05-16)
68 32 "Will the Real Killer Please Stand Up?" Ron Winston Mark Rodgers May 23, 1962 (1962-05-23)
69 33 "Down the Gardenia Path" Ralph Senensky Robert J. Shaw June 6, 1962 (1962-06-06)
70 34 "Side by Side" Robert Ellis Miller Richard Fielder June 20, 1962 (1962-06-20)

Broadcast

CBS aired the series on Saturday in the 8:30-9:30 PM time slot from its début on September 17, 1960, until June 24, 1961. The series finished at #21 among all series.[6] It was then reprogrammed[2] to Wednesday in the same time slot from October 4, 1961, to June 20, 1962, where it fell in the ratings opposite The Perry Como Show on NBC.[7] CBS replaced it with The Beverly Hillbillies.

The series was also seen in Canada from 1961 on CTV during that network's initial season.[8]

By 1963, it was re-run in syndication.[3]

Home media

Timeless Media Group has released two "Best of..." collections on DVD in Region 1. Checkmate: The Best of Season 1[9] was released on October 30, 2009, and Checkmate: The Best of Season 2 was released on March 25, 2008.[10] Timeless Media Group released Checkmate: The Complete Series on 14 DVDs on June 22, 2010 (Region 1).[11][4][5]

Response

The series was a critical favorite.[citation needed] In 1961, John J. Lloyd won the show's sole Emmy nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction and Scenic Design.[12] The icon for this series is swirling liquid shapes at the opening and closing of each episode with theme music by John Williams.

Comics

In 1962, Gold Key Comics published a two-issue comic book run based on the series.

References

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External links