Climax!

American anthology TV series

Climax!

Dennis O'Keefe, Phyllis Kirk, and Lloyd Bridges in "Edge of Terror", 1955.

Also known as| Climax Mystery Theater
Genre| Anthology
Directed by| John Frankenheimer
Ida Lupino
Arthur Hiller
Allen Reisner
Ralph Nelson
Buzz Kulik
Paul Nickell
William H. Brown Jr.
David Swift
Jack Smight
Don Medford
Anthony Barr
Presented by| William Lundigan (1954-1958)
Mary Costa (1956-1958)
Theme music composer| Leith Stevens
Composers| Jerry Goldsmith
Bernard Herrmann
Alex North
Country of origin| United States
Original language| English
No. of seasons| 4
No. of episodes| 166
Production
Executive producer| Albert R. Broccoli[citation needed]
Producers| Martin Manulis
Bretaigne Windust
Camera setup| Television Film
Running time| 47-50 minutes
Original release
Network| CBS
Release| October 7, 1954 (1954-10-07) –
June 26, 1958 (1958-06-26)

Climax! (later known as Climax Mystery Theater) is an American television anthology series that aired on CBS from 1954 to 1958. The series was hosted by William Lundigan and later co-hosted by Mary Costa. It was one of the few CBS programs of that era to be broadcast in color, using the massive TK-40A color cameras pioneered and manufactured by RCA, and used primarily by CBS's rival network, NBC (the broadcasting division of RCA). Many of the episodes were performed and broadcast live, but, although the series was transmitted in color, only black-and-white kinescope copies of some episodes survive to the present day. The series finished at #22 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1955–1956 season and #26 for 1956–1957.[1]

## Production

[edit]

In February 1955, Martin Manulis became the producer, replacing Bretaigne Windust. The trade publication Variety reported that the change in producers would be accompanied by a change in format. It said, "The sponsor, Chrysler, has been discontent with the restrictive suspense-horror formula," and that future episodes would be "designed to accent adventure and emotional climaxes rather than stark melodrama".[2]

## Notable episodes

[edit]

In 1954, the Climax! episode "Casino Royale" featured secret agent James Bond in a television adaptation of Ian Fleming's novel Casino Royale. It starred Barry Nelson as American secret agent "Jimmy Bond" and Peter Lorre as the villain Le Chiffre. It was the first screen adaptation of a James Bond novel, made before Eon Productions acquired the Bond film rights. Eon would later obtain the rights to Casino Royale in the late 1990s. This adaptation is available on DVD as a bonus feature on the MGM DVD release of the 1967 film adaptation of the novel.

The only other episode of Climax! available on DVD is Gore Vidal's adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, retitled on Climax! as "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde".[3] It stars Michael Rennie, Sir Cedric Hardwicke and Lowell Gilmore. It is available in the DVD box set Classic Sci-Fi TV—150 Episodes from Mill Creek Entertainment.[citation needed]

In an earlier episode of Climax!, an adaptation of Raymond Chandler's The Long Goodbye, actor Tristram Coffin, playing a dead body, arose in-shot and walked offstage. The event was widely covered in the media of the day, later becoming an urban legend that was attributed to Peter Lorre and the aforementioned adaptation of Casino Royale.[4]

In addition, a small number of episodes from the series can be found on YouTube.[5]

## Episodes

[edit]

### Series overview

[edit]

Season| Episodes| Originally released

|
|

First released| Last released
1| 38| October 7, 1954 (1954-10-07)| August 25, 1955 (1955-08-25)
2| 44| September 1, 1955 (1955-09-01)| August 30, 1956 (1956-08-30)
3| 45| September 6, 1956 (1956-09-06)| August 29, 1957 (1957-08-29)
4| 37| September 5, 1957 (1957-09-05)| June 26, 1958 (1958-06-26)

### Season 1 (1954–55)

[edit]

No.
overall| No. in
season| Title| Original release date

|
|
|

1| 1| "The Long Goodbye"| October 7, 1954 (1954-10-07)
2| 2| "The Thirteenth Chair"| October 14, 1954 (1954-10-14)
3| 3| "Casino Royale"| October 21, 1954 (1954-10-21)
4| 4| "Sorry, Wrong Number"| November 4, 1954 (1954-11-04)
5| 5| "The Gioconda Smile"| November 11, 1954 (1954-11-11)
6| 6| "The After House"| November 25, 1954 (1954-11-25)
7| 7| "An Error in Chemistry"| December 2, 1954 (1954-12-02)
8| 8| "Epitaph for a Spy"| December 9, 1954 (1954-12-09)
9| 9| "The White Carnation"| December 16, 1954 (1954-12-16)
10| 10| "Nightmare in Copenhagen"| December 30, 1954 (1954-12-30)
11| 11| "The Bigger They Come"| January 6, 1955 (1955-01-06)
12| 12| "Escape from Fear"| January 13, 1955 (1955-01-13)
13| 13| "The Mojave Kid"| January 27, 1955 (1955-01-27)
14| 14| "The Leaf Out of the Book"| February 3, 1955 (1955-02-03)
15| 15| "The Valiant Men"| February 10, 1955 (1955-02-10)
16| 16| "The Box of Chocolates"| February 24, 1955 (1955-02-24)
17| 17| "South of the Sun"| March 3, 1955 (1955-03-03)
18| 18| "The Great Impersonation"| March 10, 1955 (1955-03-10)
19| 19| "The Darkest Hour"| March 24, 1955 (1955-03-24)
20| 20| "The Champion"| March 31, 1955 (1955-03-31)
21| 21| "Private Worlds"| April 7, 1955 (1955-04-07)
22| 22| "Flight 951"| April 21, 1955 (1955-04-21)
23| 23| "The First and the Last"| April 28, 1955 (1955-04-28)
24| 24| "The Deliverance of Sister Cecilia"| May 5, 1955 (1955-05-05)
25| 25| "No Stone Unturned"| May 19, 1955 (1955-05-19)
26| 26| "A Farewell to Arms"| May 26, 1955 (1955-05-26)
27| 27| "The Unimportant Man"| June 2, 1955 (1955-06-02)
28| 28| "The Dark Fleece"| June 16, 1955 (1955-06-16)
29| 29| "To Wake at Midnight"| June 23, 1955 (1955-06-23)
30| 30| "The Dance"| June 30, 1955 (1955-06-30)
31| 31| "Wild Stallion"| July 7, 1955 (1955-07-07)
32| 32| "The Escape of Mendes-France"| July 14, 1955 (1955-07-14)
33| 33| "The Healer"| July 21, 1955 (1955-07-21)
34| 34| "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"| July 28, 1955 (1955-07-28)
35| 35| "One Night Stand"| August 4, 1955 (1955-08-04)
36| 36| "Edge of Terror"| August 11, 1955 (1955-08-11)
37| 37| "Fear Strikes Out"| August 18, 1955 (1955-08-18)
38| 38| "Deal a Blow"| August 25, 1955 (1955-08-25)

### Season 2 (1955–56)

[edit]

No.
overall| No. in
season| Title| Original release date

|
|
|

39| 1| "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"| September 1, 1955 (1955-09-01)
40| 2| "Public Pigeon #1"| September 8, 1955 (1955-09-08)
41| 3| "Silent Decision"| September 15, 1955 (1955-09-15)
42| 4| "Night of Execution"| September 22, 1955 (1955-09-22)
43| 5| "Sailor on Horseback"| September 29, 1955 (1955-09-29)
44| 6| "Thin Air"| October 13, 1955 (1955-10-13)
45| 7| "House of Shadows"| October 20, 1955 (1955-10-20)
46| 8| "The Pink Cloud"| October 27, 1955 (1955-10-27)
47| 9| "Schedule to Defraud"| November 10, 1955 (1955-11-10)
48| 10| "A Promise to Murder"| November 17, 1955 (1955-11-17)
49| 11| "Portrait in Celluloid"| November 24, 1955 (1955-11-24)
50| 12| "A Man of Taste"| December 1, 1955 (1955-12-01)
51| 13| "The Passport"| December 8, 1955 (1955-12-08)
52| 14| "The Day They Gave the Babies Away"| December 22, 1955 (1955-12-22)

With Mary Treen.

53| 15| "Bailout at 43,000 Feet"| December 29, 1955 (1955-12-29)
54| 16| "The Prowler"| January 5, 1956 (1956-01-05)
55| 17| "The Hanging Judge"| January 12, 1956 (1956-01-12)
56| 18| "The Secret of River Lane"| January 26, 1956 (1956-01-26)

Starring Gigi Perreau[6]

57| 19| "Gamble on a Thief"| February 2, 1956 (1956-02-02)
58| 20| "The Fifth Wheel"| February 9, 1956 (1956-02-09)
59| 21| "Nightmare by Day"| February 23, 1956 (1956-02-23)
60| 22| "The Sound of Silence"| March 1, 1956 (1956-03-01)
61| 23| "The Louella Parsons Story"| March 8, 1956 (1956-03-08)
62| 24| "Pale Horse, Pale Rider"| March 22, 1956 (1956-03-22)
63| 25| "An Episode of Sparrows"| March 29, 1956 (1956-03-29)
64| 26| "Spin Into Darkness"| April 5, 1956 (1956-04-05)
65| 27| "The Lou Gehrig Story"| April 19, 1956 (1956-04-19)
66| 28| "Sit Down with Death"| April 26, 1956 (1956-04-26)
67| 29| "The Empty Room Blues"| May 3, 1956 (1956-05-03)
68| 30| "Flame-Out in T-6"| May 17, 1956 (1956-05-17)
69| 31| "The Shadow of Evil"| May 24, 1956 (1956-05-24)
70| 32| "Figures in Clay"| May 31, 1956 (1956-05-31)
71| 33| "Faceless Adversary"| June 7, 1956 (1956-06-07)
72| 34| "To Scream at Midnight"| June 14, 1956 (1956-06-14)
73| 35| "The Circular Staircase"| June 21, 1956 (1956-06-21)
74| 36| "A Trophy for Howard Davenport"| June 28, 1956 (1956-06-28)
75| 37| "Phone Call for Matthew Quade"| July 5, 1956 (1956-07-05)
76| 38| "Fear Is the Hunter"| July 12, 1956 (1956-07-12)
77| 39| "Fury at Dawn"| July 19, 1956 (1956-07-19)
78| 40| "The Man Who Lost His Head"| July 26, 1956 (1956-07-26)
79| 41| "Child of the Wind / Throw Away the Cane"| August 2, 1956 (1956-08-02)
80| 42| "No Right to Kill"| August 9, 1956 (1956-08-09)
81| 43| "The 78th Floor"| August 16, 1956 (1956-08-16)
82| 44| "Dark Wall"| August 30, 1956 (1956-08-30)

### Season 3 (1956–57)

[edit]

No.
overall| No. in
season| Title| Original release date

|
|
|

83| 1| "Bury Me Later"| September 6, 1956 (1956-09-06)
84| 2| "Burst of Violence"| September 13, 1956 (1956-09-13)
85| 3| "The Garsten Case"| September 20, 1956 (1956-09-20)
86| 4| "The Fog"| September 27, 1956 (1956-09-27)
87| 5| "Island in the City"| October 4, 1956 (1956-10-04)
88| 6| "Journey Into Fear"| October 11, 1956 (1956-10-11)
89| 7| "The Midas Touch"| October 18, 1956 (1956-10-18)
90| 8| "Night of the Heat Wave"| October 25, 1956 (1956-10-25)
91| 9| "Flight to Tomorrow"| November 8, 1956 (1956-11-08)
92| 10| "Night Shriek"| November 15, 1956 (1956-11-15)
93| 11| "The Chinese Game"| November 22, 1956 (1956-11-22)
94| 12| "The Secret Thread"| November 29, 1956 (1956-11-29)
95| 13| "Savage Portrait"| December 6, 1956 (1956-12-06)
96| 14| "Strange Hostage"| December 20, 1956 (1956-12-20)
97| 15| "Ten Minutes to Curfew"| December 27, 1956 (1956-12-27)
98| 16| "Carnival at Midnight"| January 3, 1957 (1957-01-03)
99| 17| "The Gold Dress"| January 17, 1957 (1957-01-17)
100| 18| "Circle of Destruction"| January 24, 1957 (1957-01-24)
101| 19| "The Trouble at Number 5"| January 31, 1957 (1957-01-31)
102| 20| "The Stalker"| February 7, 1957 (1957-02-07)
103| 21| "Stain of Honor"| February 14, 1957 (1957-02-14)
104| 22| "The Long Count"| February 21, 1957 (1957-02-21)
105| 23| "And Don't Ever Come Back"| February 28, 1957 (1957-02-28)
106| 24| "Night of a Rebel"| March 7, 1957 (1957-03-07)
107| 25| "Let It Be Me"| March 21, 1957 (1957-03-21)
108| 26| "Strange Sanctuary"| March 28, 1957 (1957-03-28)
109| 27| "Don't Touch Me"| April 4, 1957 (1957-04-04)
110| 28| "The Mad Bomber"| April 18, 1957 (1957-04-18)
111| 29| "Avalanche at Devil's Pass"| April 25, 1957 (1957-04-25)
112| 30| "The Strange Deaths at Burnleigh"| May 2, 1957 (1957-05-02)
113| 31| "Bait for the Tiger"| May 16, 1957 (1957-05-16)
114| 32| "The Hand of Evil"| May 23, 1957 (1957-05-23)
115| 33| "The Disappearance of Amanda Hale"| May 30, 1957 (1957-05-30)
116| 34| "Mr. Runyon of Broadway"| June 6, 1957 (1957-06-06)
117| 35| "The Man Who Stole the Bible"| June 13, 1957 (1957-06-13)
118| 36| "A Taste for Crime"| June 20, 1957 (1957-06-20)
119| 37| "The Trial of Captain Wirz"| June 27, 1957 (1957-06-27)
120| 38| "Locked in Fear"
"False Witness"| July 4, 1957 (1957-07-04)
121| 39| "Payment for Judas"| July 11, 1957 (1957-07-11)
122| 40| "Walk a Tightrope"| July 18, 1957 (1957-07-18)
123| 41| "The High Jungle"| July 25, 1957 (1957-07-25)
124| 42| "The Giant Killer"| August 1, 1957 (1957-08-01)
125| 43| "Trail of Terror"| August 8, 1957 (1957-08-08)
126| 43| "Murder Is a Witch"| August 15, 1957 (1957-08-15)
127| 44| "The Stranger Within"| August 22, 1957 (1957-08-22)
128| 45| "Deadly Climate"| August 29, 1957 (1957-08-29)

### Season 4 (1957–58)

[edit]

No.
overall| No. in
season| Title| Original release date

|
|
|

129| 1| "Trial by Fire"| September 5, 1957 (1957-09-05)
130| 2| "The Secret of the Red Room"| September 12, 1957 (1957-09-12)
131| 3| "Necessary Evil"| September 19, 1957 (1957-09-19)
132| 4| "Along Came a Spider"| September 26, 1957 (1957-09-26)
133| 5| "Jacob and the Angels"| October 3, 1957 (1957-10-03)
134| 6| "Mask for the Devil"| October 10, 1957 (1957-10-10)
135| 7| "The Largest City in Captivity"| October 17, 1957 (1957-10-17)
136| 8| "Tunnel of Fear"| October 24, 1957 (1957-10-24)
137| 9| "Keep Me in Mind"| November 7, 1957 (1957-11-07)
138| 10| "Two Tests for Tuesday"| November 14, 1957 (1957-11-14)
139| 11| "A Matter of Life and Death"| November 21, 1957 (1957-11-21)
140| 12| "Murder Has a Deadline"| November 28, 1957 (1957-11-28)
141| 13| "The Devil's Brood"| December 5, 1957 (1957-12-05)
142| 14| "Hurricane Diane"| December 12, 1957 (1957-12-12)
143| 15| "To Walk the Night"| December 19, 1957 (1957-12-19)
144| 16| "Shadow of a Memory"| December 26, 1957 (1957-12-26)
145| 17| "Scream in Silence"| January 2, 1958 (1958-01-02)
146| 18| "Thieves over Tokyo"| January 16, 1958 (1958-01-16)
147| 19| "Sound of the Moon"| January 23, 1958 (1958-01-23)
148| 20| "Burst of Fire"| January 30, 1958 (1958-01-30)
149| 21| "Four Hours in White"| February 6, 1958 (1958-02-06)
150| 22| "The Secret Love of Johnny Spain"| February 20, 1958 (1958-02-20)
151| 23| "Albert Anastasia—His Life and Death"| February 27, 1958 (1958-02-27)
152| 24| "The Thief with the Big Blue Eyes"| March 6, 1958 (1958-03-06)
153| 25| "So Deadly My Love"| March 13, 1958 (1958-03-13)
154| 26| "The Great World and Timothy Colt"| March 27, 1958 (1958-03-27)
155| 27| "On the Take"| April 3, 1958 (1958-04-03)
156| 28| "The Volcano Seat"| April 10, 1958 (1958-04-10)
157| 29| "Shooting for the Moon"| April 24, 1958 (1958-04-24)
158| 30| "The Deadly Tattoo"| May 1, 1958 (1958-05-01)
159| 31| "The Big Success"| May 8, 1958 (1958-05-08)
160| 32| "The Disappearance of Daphne"| May 15, 1958 (1958-05-15)
161| 33| "Time of the Hanging"| May 22, 1958 (1958-05-22)
162| 34| "The Push-Button Giant"| May 29, 1958 (1958-05-29)
163| 35| "Spider Web"| June 5, 1958 (1958-06-05)
164| 36| "House of Doubt"| June 19, 1958 (1958-06-19)
165| 37| "Cabin B-13"| June 26, 1958 (1958-06-26)

## Guest stars

[edit]

Joan Tetzel and Sir Cedric Hardwicke in "Strange Death at Burnleigh" (1957)

(In alphabetical order)

* Julie Adams
* Anna Maria Alberghetti
* Eddie Albert
* Don Ameche
* Edward Arnold
* Mary Astor
* Anne Bancroft
* Ethel Barrymore
* Ralph Bellamy
* Joan Bennett
* Jack Benny
* Ward Bond
* Richard Boone
* Lloyd Bridges
* Terry Burnham[7]
* Raymond Burr
* Rory Calhoun
* Art Carney
* John Carradine
* Jack Carson
* John Cassavetes
* Lon Chaney Jr
* Linda Christian
* Steve Cochran
* Claudette Colbert
* Wendell Corey
* Hume Cronyn
* Mary Costa
* Linda Darnell
* Jane Darwell
* Laraine Day
* Brandon deWilde
* Paul Douglas
* Tom Drake
* Joanne Dru
* James Dunn
* Geraldine Fitzgerald
* Nina Foch
* John Forsythe
* Anne Francis
* Betty Furness
* Eva Gabor
* Zsa Zsa Gabor
* Farley Granger
* Bonita Granville
* Coleen Gray
* Peter Graves
* Jean Hagen
* Sir Cedric Hardwicke
* Charlton Heston
* Paul Henreid
* Celeste Holm
* Jeffrey Hunter
* Kim Hunter
* Tab Hunter
* Ruth Hussey
* Vivi Janiss
* Louis Jourdan
* Katy Jurado
* Boris Karloff
* Phyllis Kirk
* Jack Klugman
* Angela Lansbury
* Peter Lawford
* Cloris Leachman
* June Lockhart
* Marjorie Lord
* Peter Lorre
* Tina Louise[8]
* Barton MacLane
* Walter Matthau
* Raymond Massey
* Lee Marvin
* Mercedes McCambridge
* Dorothy McGuire
* Steve McQueen
* Patricia Medina
* Ralph Meeker[8]
* Vera Miles
* Sal Mineo
* Thomas Mitchell
* Robert Mitchum
* Elizabeth Montgomery
* Agnes Moorehead
* Rita Moreno
* Barry Nelson
* Edmond O'Brien
* Margaret O'Brien
* Pat O'Brien
* Dennis O'Keefe
* Susan Oliver
* Maureen O'Sullivan
* Betsy Palmer[8]
* Dick Powell
* Robert Preston
* Vincent Price
* Dale Robertson
* Edward G. Robinson
* Cesar Romero
* Ann Rutherford
* Sylvia Sidney
* William Shatner
* Red Skelton
* Dean Stockwell
* Elaine Stritch
* Yma Sumac
* Joan Tetzel
* Franchot Tone
* Claire Trevor
* Lana Turner
* Eli Wallach
* Ethel Waters
* John Wayne
* James Whitmore
* Shelley Winters
* Joanne Woodward
* Teresa Wright

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "ClassicTVguide.com: TV Ratings". classictvguide.com. Retrieved 2018-03-14.
2. ^ "Chrysler's 'Lay Off The Scary Stuff' Cues 'Climax' Story Switch". Variety. February 16, 1955. p. 21. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
3. ^ Reisner, Allen (1955-07-28), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Michael Rennie, Cedric Hardwicke, Mary Sinclair, retrieved 2018-03-14
4. ^ "Death Takes a Powder". Snopes. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
5. ^ "Climax • TV Series (Classic TV Channel/ComedyMX)". YouTube.com. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
6. ^ "Programs, Personalities". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. January 22, 1956. p. 5 H. Retrieved January 25, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ "Pig-Tailed Blonde Has Role as Lana Turner's Daughter". Long Beach Independent-Press-Telegram. March 1, 1959. p. A11. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
8. ^ a b c "Project 20 Gives Record of America". The Salina Journal. November 21, 1957. p. 16. Retrieved January 26, 2025 - via Newspapers.com.

## External links

[edit]

* Climax! at IMDb
* Climax! at CVTA with episode list
* Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive

* v
* t
* e

Gore Vidal

Plays|

* Visit to a Small Planet (1957)
* The Best Man (1960)
* Romulus
* On the March to the Sea
* Weekend (1968)
* An Evening with Richard Nixon (1972)

Novels|

* Williwaw (1946)
* In a Yellow Wood
* The City and the Pillar (1948)
* The Season of Comfort
* A Search for the King
* Dark Green, Bright Red (1950)
* The Judgment of Paris
* Messiah (1954)
* Julian (1964)
* Washington, D.C. (1967)
* Myra Breckinridge (1968)
* Two Sisters (1970)
* Burr (1973)
* Myron (1974)
* 1876 (1976)
* Kalki (1978)
* Creation (1981)
* Duluth (1983)
* Lincoln (1984)
* Empire (1987)
* Hollywood (1990)
* Live from Golgotha: The Gospel According to Gore Vidal (1992)
* The Smithsonian Institution (1998)
* The Golden Age (2000)

Screenplays|

* The Catered Affair (1956)
* I Accuse! (1958)
* The Left Handed Gun (1958)
* The Scapegoat (1959)
* Ben Hur (1959) (uncredited)
* Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
* The Best Man (1964)
* Is Paris Burning? (1966)
* Last of the Mobile Hot Shots (1970)
* Caligula (1979)
* Dress Gray (1986)
* The Sicilian (1987) (uncredited)
* Billy the Kid (1989)
* The Palermo Connection (1989)

Teleplays|

* The Telltale Clue
* Danger
* Climax!
* Suspense
* The Best of Broadway
* Goodyear Television Playhouse
* Studio One
* NBC Matinee Theater
* General Electric Theater
* NBC Sunday Showcase
* Ford Startime

People|

* Eugene Luther Vidal (father)
* Nina Auchincloss Straight (half-sister)
* Burr Steers (nephew)
* Hugh Auchincloss Steers (nephew)

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