# Checkmate (American TV series)

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

* Anthony George as Don Corey
* Sebastian Cabot as Dr. Carl Hyatt
* Doug McClure as Jed Sills
* Ken Lynch as Lt. Thomas Brand
* Jack Betts as Chris Devlin

### Notable guest stars

* Philip Abbott in "Trial by Midnight" (1962)
* Anna Maria Alberghetti in "Runaway" (1960)
* Julie Adams in "Face in the Window" (1960)
* Dana Andrews in "Trial by Midnight" (1962)
* Eve Arden in "Death by Design" (1961)
* John Astin in
   * "The Yacht Club Gang" (1962),
   * "So Beats My Plastic Heart" (1962)
* Anne Baxter in "Death Runs Wild" (1960)
* Ralph Bellamy in "Portrait of a Man Running" (1961)
* Jack Benny in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Game" (1962)
* Charles Bickford in "Target Tycoon"(1960)
* Bill Bixby in "To the Best of My Recollection" (1961)
* Scott Brady in "Voyage into Fear" (1961)
* Lloyd Bridges in "The Two of Us" (1961)
* Ellen Burstyn in "The Bold and the Tough" (1962)
* Cyd Charisse in "Dance of Death" (1961)
* Sid Caesar in "Kill the Sound" (1961)
* James Coburn in "A Chant of Silence" (1962)
* Richard Conte in
   * "Moment of Truth" (1960),
   * "An Assassin Arrives Andante" (1962)
* Joseph Cotten in "Face in the Window" (1960)
* Carolyn Craig in "Trial by Midnight" (1962)
* Norma Crane in "Hour of Execution" (1961)
* John Dehner in "The Heat of Passion" (1961)
* Francis De Sales in "To the Best of My Recollection" (1961)
* Angie Dickinson in "Remembrances of Crimes Past" (1962)
* Donna Douglas in "The Deadly Silence" (1961)
* Buddy Ebsen in "Side by Side" (1962)
* Norman Fell in "Hot Wind in a Cold Town" (1961)
* Joan Fontaine in "Voyage into Fear" (1961)
* Ron Foster in "The Mask of Vengeance" (1960)
* Beverly Garland in "Between Two Guns" (1961)
* James Gregory in "Hour of Execution" (1961)
* Peter Helm in "Rendezvous in Washington" (1960)
* Celeste Holm in "So Beats My Plastic Heart" (1962)
* James Hong in "In a Foreign Quarter" (1962)
* Clegg Hoyt in "The Deadly Silence" (1961)
* Jeffrey Hunter in "Waiting for Jocko" (1961)
* David Janssen in "Ride a Wild Horse" (1962)
* Wright King as Jim Barker in "Portrait of a Man Running" (1961)
* Otto Kruger in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Game" (1962)
* Martin Landau in
   * "Moment of Truth" (1960),
   * "Hot Wind in a Cold Town" (1961)
* Charles Laughton in "Terror from the East" (1961)
* Cloris Leachman in "The Mask of Vengeance" (1960)
* Julie London in "Goodbye, Griff" (1961)
* Jack Lord in "The Star System" (1962)
* Peter Lorre in "The Human Touch" (1961)
* Tina Louise in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Game" (1962)
* Dorothy Malone in "The Heat of Passion" (1961)
* Scott Marlowe in "Brooding Fixation" (1962)
* Lee Marvin in "Jungle Castle" (1961)
* Eve McVeagh in "A Very Rough Sketch" (1962)
* Tyler McVey in
   * "Deadly Shadow" (1960),
   * "To the Best of My Recollection" (1961), and
   * "Side by Side" (1962)
* Vera Miles in "The Crimson Pool" (1961)
* Gary Merrill in "A Matter of Conscious" (1961)
* Ricardo Montalbán in "Hot Wind in a Cold Town" (1961)
* Elizabeth Montgomery in "The Star System" (1962)
* Mary Tyler Moore in "Lady on the Brink" (1960)
* Patricia Neal in "The Yacht Club Gang" (1962)
* Margaret O'Brien in "Deadly Shadow" (1960)
* Dan O'Herlihy in "Referendum on Murder" (1962)
* Susan Oliver in
   * "The Thrill Seeker" (1961), and
   * "So Beats My Plastic Heart" (1962)
* Eleanor Parker in "The Renaissance of Gussie Hill" (1962)
* Walter Pidgeon in "Death Beyond Recall" (1962)
* Stuart Randall in "The Cyanide Touch" (1960)
* Tony Randall in "The Button Down Break" (1961)
* Madlyn Rhue in "Target Tycoon" (1960)
* Jimmie Rodgers in "Melody for Murder" (1961)
* Mickey Rooney in "The Paper Killer" (1961)
* Janice Rule in "The Mask of Vengeance" (1960)
* Barbara Rush in "The Dark Divide" (1960)
* George Sanders in "The Sound of Nervous Laughter" (1962)
* Dan Sheridan in "A Very Rough Sketch" (1962)
* Dean Stockwell in "Cyanide Touch" (1960)
* Olive Sturgess in "Brooding Fixation" (1962)
* Robert Vaughn in "Interrupted Honeymoon" (1960)
* James Whitmore in "Nice Guys Finish Last" (1961)
* Elen Willard in "Laugh Till I Die" (1961)
* John Williams in "The Murder Game" (1960)
* William Windom in "Through a Dark Glass" (1961)
* Jane Wyman in "Lady on the Brink" (1960)
* Keenan Wynn in "A Slight Touch of Venom" (1961)

## Production

Some exterior scenes were filmed in San Francisco.
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 release 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" | 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 release 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. It was then reprogrammed 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. CBS replaced it with The Beverly Hillbillies.
The series was also seen in Canada from 1961 on CTV during that network's initial season.
By 1963, it was re-run in syndication.

## Home media

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

## Response

The series was a critical favorite. In 1961, John J. Lloyd won the show's sole Emmy nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction and Scenic Design. 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.