Mickey Rooney Sebastian Cabot Checkmate 1961

''Checkmate'' is an American detective television series created by

Eric Ambler Eric Clifford Ambler OBE (28 June 1909 – 22 October 1998) was an English author of thrillers, in particular spy novels, who introduced a new realism to the genre. Also working as a screenwriter, Ambler used the pseudonym Eliot Reed for book ...

, starring Anthony George, Sebastian Cabot, and Doug McClure. The show aired on

CBS Television CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...

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 Charles Laughton (1 July 1899 – 15 December 1962) was a British actor. He was trained in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and first appeared professionally on the stage in 1926. In 1927, he was cast in a play with his future w ...

, Peter Lorre, Lee Marvin,

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...

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 The dachshund ( or ; German: "badger dog"), also known as the wiener dog, badger dog, and sausage dog, is a short-legged, long-bodied, hound-type dog breed. The dog may be smooth-haired, wire-haired, or long-haired, and comes in a variety of c ...

, 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 Jack Fillmore Betts, also credited as Hunt Powers, is an American character actor and playwright. He has acted in film, on stage, and on television. Career Betts portrayed Chris Devlin in the CBS mystery series ''Checkmate'' (1960-1962). He a ...

as Chris Devlin

Notable guest stars

Philip Abbott Philip Abbott (March 20, 1924 – February 23, 1998) was an American character actor. He appeared in several films and numerous television series, including a lead role as Arthur Ward in the crime series ''The F.B.I.'' Abbott was also the founder ...

in "Trial by Midnight" (1962) * Anna Maria Alberghetti in "Runaway" (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 Anne Baxter (May 7, 1923 – December 12, 1985) was an American actress, star of Hollywood films, Broadway productions, and television series. She won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, and was nominated for an Emmy. A granddaughter of Fra ...

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 Wilfred Bailey Everett Bixby III (January 22, 1934 – November 21, 1993) professionally known as Bill Bixby, was an American actor, director, producer, and frequent game-show panellist. Bixby's career spanned more than three decades, includi ...

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 James Harrison Coburn III (August 31, 1928 – November 18, 2002) was an American film and television actor who was featured in more than 70 films, largely action roles, and made 100 television appearances during a 45-year career.AllmoviBi ...

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 Carolyn Craig (born Adele Ruth Crago, October 27, 1934 – December 12, 1970) was an American actress who was best known for her performance as Nora Manning in William Castle's 1959 shocker ''House on Haunted Hill''. Career Craig gained early ...

in "Trial by Midnight" (1962) *

Norma Crane Norma Crane (born Norma Anna Bella Zuckerman; November 10, 1928 — September 28, 1973) was an American actress of stage, film, and television best known for her role as Golde in the 1971 film adaptation of ''Fiddler on the Roof''. She also star ...

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 Peter John Helm Jr. (born December 22, 1941) is a Canadian-American film and television actor. Helm was born in Toronto, Ontario. Helm began his acting career in 1959, appearing in the television sitcom ''Too Young to Go Steady''. In 1960 he ap ...

in "Rendezvous in Washington" (1960) * Celeste Holm in "So Beats My Plastic Heart" (1962) *

James Hong James Hong (; born February 22, 1929) is an American actor, producer and director. He has worked in numerous productions in American media since the 1950s, portraying a variety of roles. With more than 650 film and television credits as of 20 ...

in "In a Foreign Quarter" (1962) *

Clegg Hoyt Clegg Hoyt (December 10, 1910 – October 6, 1967) was an American film and television actor. He appeared in over 100 films and television programs, and was perhaps best known for his silent role as the Sportscaster's sidekick, George, in the 19 ...

in "The Deadly Silence" (1961) *

Jeffrey Hunter Jeffrey Hunter (born Henry Herman McKinnies Jr.; November 25, 1926 – May 27, 1969) was an American film and television actor and producer known for his roles in films such as ''The Searchers'' and ''King of Kings (1961 film), King of Kin ...

in "Waiting for Jocko" (1961) * David Janssen in "Ride a Wild Horse" (1962) *

Wright King Wright Thornburgh King (January 11, 1923 – November 25, 2018) was an American stage, film and television actor whose career lasted for over forty years.1930 US Federal Census for Wright T. King, retrieved froAncestry.com/ref>1940 US Federal Cen ...

as Jim Barker in "Portrait of a Man Running" (1961) *

Otto Kruger Otto Kruger (September 6, 1885 – September 6, 1974) was an American actor, originally a Broadway matinee idol, who established a niche as a charming villain in films, such as Hitchcock's ''Saboteur''. He also appeared in CBS's ''Perry Mason'' a ...

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) *

in "Terror from the East" (1961) * Cloris Leachman in "The Mask of Vengeance" (1960) *

Julie London Julie London (née Peck; September 26, 1926 – October 18, 2000) was an American singer and actress whose career spanned more than 40 years. A torch singer noted for her sultry, languid contralto vocals, London recorded over thirty albums ...

in "Goodbye, Griff" (1961) *

Jack Lord John Joseph Patrick Ryan (December 30, 1920 – January 21, 1998), best known by his stage name, Jack Lord, was an American television, film and Broadway actor, director and producer. He starred as Steve McGarrett in the CBS television progra ...

in "The Star System" (1962) * Peter Lorre in "The Human Touch" (1961) *

Tina Louise Tina Louise ( Blacker; born February 11, 1934) is an American actress widely known for her role as movie star Ginger Grant in the CBS television situation comedy ''Gilligan's Island''. With the death of Dawn Wells in 2020, Louise became the las ...

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 Daniel Peter O'Herlihy (May 1, 1919 – February 17, 2005) was an Irish actor of film, television, and radio. With a distinguished appearance and rich, resonant speaking voice, O'Herlihy's best known-roles included his Oscar-nominated portraya ...

in "Referendum on Murder" (1962) *

Susan Oliver Susan is a feminine given name, from Persian "Susan" (lily flower), from Egyptian '' sšn'' and Coptic ''shoshen'' meaning "lotus flower", from Hebrew ''Shoshana'' meaning "lily" (in modern Hebrew this also means "rose" and a flower in general), ...

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 Stuart Randall may refer to: * Stuart Randall, Baron Randall of St Budeaux, British politician * Stuart Randall (actor) Stuart Randall (born Clarence Maxwell, July 24, 1909 – June 22, 1988) was an American actor of film and television ...

in "The Cyanide Touch" (1960) *

Tony Randall Anthony Leonard Randall (born Aryeh Leonard Rosenberg; February 26, 1920 – May 17, 2004) was an American actor. He is best known for portraying the role of Felix Unger in a television adaptation of the 1965 play ''The Odd Couple'' by Neil Sim ...

in "The Button Down Break" (1961) * Madlyn Rhue in "Target Tycoon" (1960) *

Jimmie Rodgers James Charles Rodgers (September 8, 1897 – May 26, 1933) was an American singer-songwriter and musician who rose to popularity in the late 1920s. Widely regarded as "the Father of Country Music", he is best known for his distinctive rhythmi ...

in "Melody for Murder" (1961) *

in "The Paper Killer" (1961) * Janice Rule in "The Mask of Vengeance" (1960) *

Barbara Rush Barbara Rush (born January 4, 1927) is an American actress. In 1954, Rush won the Golden Globe Award as most promising female newcomer for her role in the 1953 American science-fiction film ''It Came from Outer Space''.Warren 1982, pp. 151–6 ...

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 Olive Sturgess (born October 8, 1933) is a Canadian former actress who worked in films, television shows, and theatre in the 1950s and 1960s. Her parents were Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Sturgess. Leonard hosted his own radio show. She came to Hollywood ...

in "Brooding Fixation" (1962) * Robert Vaughn in "Interrupted Honeymoon" (1960) *

James Whitmore James Allen Whitmore Jr. (October 1, 1921 – February 6, 2009) was an American actor. He received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Theatre World Award, and a Tony Award, plus two Aca ...

in "Nice Guys Finish Last" (1961) *

Elen Willard Elen Willard (born November 19, 1935) is an American retired character actress who worked in American network dramatic television series from 1960-66. Her first aired performance was a supporting role in a 1960 episode of the short-lived CBS ...

in "Laugh Till I Die" (1961) *

John Williams John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (15 November 2022)Classic Connection review ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who wa ...

in "The Murder Game" (1960) * William Windom in "Through a Dark Glass" (1961) * Jane Wyman in "Lady on the Brink" (1960) *

Keenan Wynn Francis Xavier Aloysius James Jeremiah Keenan Wynn (July 27, 1916 – October 14, 1986) was an American character actor. His expressive face was his stock-in-trade; and though he rarely carried the lead role, he had prominent billing in mos ...

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)

Season 2 (1961–62)

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 CTV may refer to: Television * Connected TV, or Smart TV, a TV set with integrated internet North America and South America * CTV Television Network, a Canadian television network owned by Bell Media ** CTV 2, a secondary Canadian televisio ...

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

Comics

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

References

External links

* * {{epguides, id=Checkmate, title=Checkmate
Checkmate
- The Interviews: An Oral History of Television 1960 American television series debuts 1962 American television series endings 1960s American crime drama television series Black-and-white American television shows CBS original programming American detective television series English-language television shows Gold Key Comics titles Television shows adapted into comics Television series by Universal Television Television shows set in San Francisco