Adventure Theater


Adventure Theater is a dramatic anthology series that aired on NBC from June 16, 1956, through September 1, 1956. The series was produced in England under the title 'Mayfair Mystery House' in 1953, but was never broadcast there as a series. It was also known as Calling Scotland Yard.

Series structure

Actor Paul Douglas was the program's host and introduced each of the two-act plays that composed the series. Each introduction involved a memento or souvenir that he had brought back from England. The story about the object led into that week's episode.

Cast

With the exception of Douglas, all of the featured cast members were British actors and included Hugh Latimer, Laurence Naismith, Anthony Nicholls, Derek Blomfield, Jack Watling, Maurice Denham, Robert Raglan, Hazel Court, Derek Bond and Kay Walsh.

Broadcast history

Sponsored by the American Tobacco Company and Hudnut, the series, which had originally be sold Paramount as a series of '3-reel-features' for theatrical release under the 'Calling Scotland Yard' banner in 1954, was broadcast in 1956 on Saturday evenings as a summer replacement for Your Hit Parade. The series returned in 1957 with repeats of the original 13 episodes.

Episodes

Some of the episodes were re-titled for broadcast in the United States.
  1. "The Missing Passenger"
  2. "Falstaff's Fur Coat"
  3. "The Thief of London"
  4. "Thirty Days to Die"
  5. "The Wedding Gift"
  6. "The Final Twist"
  7. "The Javanese Dagger"
  8. "The Ripper Strikes"
  9. "The Wilful Widow"
  10. "The Stranger on the Sea"
  11. "The Corpse of Pleasant Avenue"
  12. "The Man Who Stayed Alive"
  13. "The Sable Scarf"

    Film adaptations

Two films were made from the series for release in UK theaters in 1954, each comprising three episodes from the series, linked by Gilbert Harding.

''Gilbert Harding Speaking of Murder''

Featuring the episodes:
  • "The Missing Passenger"
  • "Falstaff's Fur Coat", starring H. Marion Crawford
  • "Thirty Days to Die"

    ''Tale of Three Women''

''The Wedding Gift''

A man marries off his girlfriend to a wealthy diamond merchant then murders him.
Cast
  • Hazel Court as Trude
  • Derek Bond as Max
  • David Horne as Hines
  • Oliver Johnston as Butler

    ''The Thief of London''

A professional pickpocket makes his gift pay.
Cast
  • Jack Watling as Dick
  • Gene Anderson as Pamela
  • Peter Gawthorne as Sir Frederick
  • Helene Cordet as Maria
  • Michael Ripper as Simpkins

    ''The Final Twist''

A jeweller robs himself and commits murder.
Cast
  • Karel Stepanek as Alfred Dykemann
  • Catherine Finn as Joanna, his dyke
  • Philip Leaver as Groote
  • Patricia Owens as Mary
  • Gordon McLeon as Counsel
  • Robert Perceval as Inspector Clarke
  • Digby Wolfe as Brightwell