''Theatre-Five'' (aka ''Theater-Five'' or ''Theatre 5'') was a radio drama series, presented by

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

between 1964 and 1965. The series used an anthology format, presenting a number of short (20-minute) radio plays across a number of genres, a number of which reflected topical issues contemporary with its airing. Writers for the show varied, as did actors, although a principal cast included

George O. Petrie George O. Petrie (November 16, 1912 – November 16, 1997) was an American radio and television actor. Early years Petrie was born on November 16, 1912, in New Haven, Connecticut.DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biograph ...

, Brett Morrison,

Jackson Beck Jackson Beck (July 23, 1912 – July 28, 2004) was an American actor best known as the announcer on radio's '' The Adventures of Superman''Dunning, John. (1998). ''On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio''. Oxford University Press. . Pp. 1 ...

, Robert Dryden,

Elliott Reid Edgeworth Blair "Elliott" Reid (January 16, 1920 – June 21, 2013) was an American actor. Early life Reid was born in Manhattan, the son of artist Christine Challenger Reid and banker Blair Reid. He attended the Professional Children's S ...

Court Benson A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordanc ...

Cliff Carpenter Clifford A. Carpenter (March 2, 1915 – January 9, 2014) was an American actor who appeared in radio, television and films. Career In 1937, Carpenter began his professional career on the radio serial '' Terry and the Pirates''. The show was ad ...

, and

Bryna Raeburn ''Polyommatus'' is a genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae. Its species are found in the Palearctic realm. Taxonomy Recent molecular studies have demonstrated that ''Cyaniris'', ''Lysandra'', and ''Neolysandra'' are different genera fro ...

. The show's 1965 run featured several well-known actors, including an early role for

James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, television, and theater, and "one of the greatest actors in America ...

(''Incident on US 1''), a pre-''

M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. The ...

Alan Alda Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor, screenwriter, and director. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce in the war co ...

(''A Bad Day's Work''), and

Ed Begley Edward James Begley Sr. (March 25, 1901 – April 28, 1970) was an American actor of theatre, radio, film, and television. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film ''Sweet Bird of Youth'' (1962) an ...

(''The Pigeon'') three years after his Academy Award win. Another Theatre-Five actor was

Romeo Muller Romeo Earl Muller, Jr. (August 7, 1928 – December 30, 1992) was an American screenwriter and actor most remembered for his screenplays for the Rankin/Bass holiday specials including ''Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Little Drummer Boy ...

, who also wrote stories for the series but who became best known for his work with

Rankin/Bass Productions Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment (founded and formerly known as Videocraft International, Ltd. and Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc.) was an American production company located in New York City, and known for its seasonal television specials, usual ...

such as

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV special) ''Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'' is a 1964 Christmas stop motion animated television special produced by Videocraft International, Ltd. (later known as Rankin/Bass Productions) and currently distributed by NBCUniversal Television Distributio ...

. The ABC Radio Network Advance Program Schedule for January 1965 indicates Theatre 5 was fed to subscribing affiliates from 2:30 to 2:54 PM EST and again from 10:29 to 10:54 PM EST Monday through Friday.

Sources

''Theatre Five (Theatre 5)'' Radio Program
*ABC Radio Network Advance Program Schedule, January, 1965

References

External links

- plot summaries and reviews.
''Theater Five single episodes''
1960s American radio programs 1964 radio programme debuts 1965 radio programme endings ABC radio programs American radio dramas Anthology radio series {{US-radio-show-stub