# Medallion Theatre

Medallion Theatre, aka Chrysler Medallion Theatre, is a 30-minute American anthology series that aired on CBS from July 11, 1953, to April 3, 1954. Henry Fonda (in the premiere telecast "The Decision of Arrowsmith"), Claude Rains, and Janet Gaynor made their major television dramatic debuts on this series in various 1953 episodes. Others guest stars included Helen Hayes, Charlton Heston, Ronald Reagan, Jack Lemmon, Rod Steiger, and Roddy McDowell. Among its writers were Rod Serling and Robert Anderson. Directors included Ralph Nelson, Don Medford, Robert Stevens, and Seymour Robbie. The original producer was William Spier.

## Premise

Spier said that older short stories were selected for their quality: "Thirty or forty years ago, writers knew content better, and by using their stories we hope to get what we're aiming at, dramas with fiber and dimension."

## Production

All thirty episodes were aired live from New York. Mort Abrahams was associate producer, Samuel Leve was the set designer, and Robert Tallman the story editor.

## Reaction

Ben Gross of the New York Daily News said it was "a welcome recruit to the ranks of live dramatic shows". Columnist John Crosby was intrigued at the show's extracting a storyline for its premiere episode from a longer work, and praised the cast, writing, and all-around production.

## Broadcast history

By mid-February 1954 columnist Erskine Johnson reported that CBS had decided to replace Medallion Theater with a new sitcom called That's My Boy. About the same time, the producer role was taken over by Mort Abrahams.

## Episodes

List of Episodes of Medallion Theatre (in original broadcast order) :
| Date | Title | Cast | Notes |
| Jul 11, 1953 | The Decision of Arrowsmith | Henry Fonda, Diana Douglas, Juano Hernández | An extract from the novel by Sinclair Lewis. |
| Jul 18, 1953 | A Job for Jimmy Valentine | Ronald Reagan | Adaption from O. Henry short story. |
| Jul 25, 1953 | Grand Cross of the Crescent | Jack Lemmon, Ernest Truex, Freddie Bartholomew | |
| Aug 01, 1953 | The Man Who Liked Dickens | Claude Rains, Richard Kiley, Russell Collins | The Evelyn Waugh short story is given a happy ending. |
| Aug 08, 1950 | Mrs. Union Station | June Havoc, Scott McKay, Richard Carlyle | Newlywed has to compete with husband's electric train hobby. |
| Aug 15, 1953 | The Consul | Charles Ruggles | A diplomat deals with a visiting politician, adapted from Richard Harding Davis story. |
| Aug 22, 1953 | The Quiet Village | Robert Preston | Film director (Preston) plots revenge on actor. |
| Aug 29, 1953 | Columbo Discovers Italy | Dane Clark | Brooklyn shoemaker inherits decaying island hotel. |
| Sep 05, 1953 | Scent of the Roses | Martha Scott, Patricia Smith | Southern woman bides her time in pursuing a husband. |
| Sep 12, 1953 | The Padre of San Pablo | Zachary Scott | Mexican bank-robber assumes identity of deceased priest. |
| Sep 19, 1953 | The Bartlett Desk | Edward Everett Horton, Mildred Natwick | Antique dealer badgers poor woman for her family heirloom. |
| Sep 26, 1953 | The Big Bow Mystery | Cedric Hardwicke | Retired Scotland Yard detective solves crime. |
| Oct 03, 1953 | The Archer Case | Claude Rains | Barrister defends cadet accused of stealing five shillings. |
| Oct 10, 1953 | Trouble Train | Jeffrey Lynn, Madge Evans, Iris Mann | Son of separated couple tries to reunite them. |
| Oct 17, 1953 | A Time for Heroes | Victor Moore | Moore plays aged Civil War veteran. |
| Oct 24, 1953 | Return Match | Maria Riva, Joseph Anthony, William Prince | Tennis player ex- roils woman's second marriage. |
| Oct 31, 1953 | Gran'ma Rebel | Jackie Cooper, Betsy von Furstenberg, Beulah Bondi | |
| Nov 07, 1953 | Battle Hymn | Helen Hayes, Wesley Addy, Stephen Cortleigh | Harriet Beecher Stowe ponders her novel's contribution to starting the Civil War. |
| Nov 14, 1953 | The Bishop's Candlesticks | Victor Jory and Barry Jones | An episode from the first volume of Les Misérables. |
| Nov 21, 1953 | The Canterville Ghost | Edward Everett Horton | |
| Nov 28, 1953 | Dear Cynthia | Janet Gaynor | |
| Dec 05, 1953 | Crimson Velvet | Blanche Yurka | Aging star attempts to revive her career. |
| Dec 12, 1953 | A Day in Town | Charlton Heston | Poverty-stricken farmer must sell his land to feed his family. |
| Dec 19, 1953 | Twenty-four Men to a Plane | Jackie Cooper and Leslie Nielsen | Two former flying officers clash over a General's diary. |
| Dec 26, 1953 | They Called Them the Meek | Thomas Gomez and Gene Raymond | This was a drama by Rod Serling. |
| Jan 02, 1954 | A Suitable Marriage | Otto Kruger, Roddy McDowell, Ann Shoemaker, Lenka Peterson, Morton Stevens, and Francis Compton. | |
| Jan 09, 1954 | The Magic Touch | Paul Douglas | Ghost writer's integrity is challenged by his son. |
| Jan 16, 1954 | The Gentle Deception | Thomas Mitchell | A plumber with style is taken for a doctor. |
| Jan 23, 1954 | The Blue Serge Suit | Diana Lynn | Newlywed comes to terms with the ethics of the legal profession. |
| Jan 30, 1954 | Book Overdue | Jan Sterling and Barry Sullivan | Mystery writer's attempt to write novel imperils his marriage. |
| Feb 06, 1954 | Teacher | Nancy Olson, Don Taylor, Hope Emerson | Schoolmarm (Olson) is caught up in rural infighting. |
| Feb 13, 1954 | The 39th Bomb | Steve Cochran | Former military bomb disposal expert must deal with time-bomb. |
| Feb 20, 1954 | The Voyage Back | Richard Kiley, Nancy Kelly, Claudia Morgan | Couple encounters lonely third party on sea voyage. Original teleplay by Tad Mosel. |
| Feb 27, 1954 | Homestead | Eddie Albert | Land agents try to cheat settlers in Oklahoma Territory. |
| Mar 6, 1954 | Sinners | Mildred Dunnock, Rhys Williams | Woman confronts man she had sent to prison wrongfully. |
| Mar 13, 1954 | Flight to Fame | Edith Fellows | Young actress must decide between her opportunity for Broadway and a stranger's life. |
| Mar 20, 1954 | Contact with the West | Jerome Thor, Joseph Wiseman | British officer befriends liberated Russian POW during World War II. Original teleplay by Geoffrey Kean. |
| Mar 27, 1954 | The Alibi Kid | Sam Levene, Stephen McNally, Ben Gazzarra | Heavyweight contender has trouble with brother's impending marriage. |
| Apr 3, 1954 | Safari | Brian Donlevy, Marilyn Erskine | Hunter is obsessed with capturing rare African animal. |