Four Star Playhouse (1952–1956)

1. S01E01My Wife GeraldineSeptember 25, 1952—Man invents a wife, then accused of murdering her.
2. S01E02Dante's InfernoOctober 2, 1952—Willie Dante owns a bar and gambling house called Dante's Inferno. One night, the wife of an acquaintance tells Willie that her husband has
3. S01E03The Lost Silk HatOctober 23, 1952—Englishman must retrieve his hat after visiting his love.
4. S01E04BackstageNovember 6, 1952—An actor named Paul is out on an evening stroll when he sees a young woman attempting to jump off a bridge. After a struggle, he discovers h
5. S01E05Welcome HomeNovember 20, 1952—A notorious criminal returns to his home town after 15 years away, and a young man wants to join him in notoriety and, probably, death at th
6. S01E06The IslandDecember 4, 1952—Rebellious physician on an island in the South Pacific.
7. S01E07The Officer and the LadyDecember 18, 1952—A reformed pickpocket in Paris obtains the purse of an attractive woman. He reads a letter telling about her dying son, and he decides to gr
8. S01E08KnockoutJanuary 1, 1953—Middleweight boxer finds his big bout has been fixed.
9. S01E09Man on a TrainJanuary 15, 1953—William encounters an old acquaintance, John Dwerrihouse, on a train with 75,000 pounds. Only later did William learn that Dwerrihouse had d
10. S01E10Trail's EndJanuary 29, 1953—A famous marshal of Dodge City sets out in search of the murderous Sonoma Kid and runs into a tragedy of the desert.
11. S01E11Sound Off, My LoveFebruary 12, 1953—Woman buys hearing aid and hears husband plot her murder.
12. S01E12The Man in the BoxFebruary 26, 1953—Boyer plays four roles in story of a director and his woes.
13. S01E13No IdentityMarch 12, 1953—Young boy fights to win his foster mother's love.
14. S01E14The Man Who Walked Out On HimselfMarch 26, 1953—After separating from his wife, a wealthy clubman is about to marry a much young woman -- whereupon his mirror image walks out on him in dis
15. S01E15The Last VoyageApril 23, 1953—Sea captain discovers a time bomb is planted on his ship.
16. S01E16Night RideMay 7, 1953—Five people, one a murderer, are trapped on subway.
17. S01E17The Ladies On His MindMay 21, 1953—A psychiatrist listens to his female patients go on about their troubles. As they talk, he imagines himself within each of their stories.
18. S01E18To Whom It May ConcernJune 4, 1953—A bank employee mails a letter to his boss confessing to stealing $7000 and includes the stocks he bought with the money. As he puts a gun t
19. S01E19ShadowedJune 18, 1953—Past haunts politician running for Senator.

Season 1 ranked & reviewed

1. S02E01FinaleSeptember 24, 1953—Steve Carlyle is an actor who can't find work because his famous nearly identical cousin Roger takes measures to keep him from getting any p
2. S02E02The SqueezeOctober 1, 1953—Another of the great Willie Dante stories. Stan, the son of the DA, is a secret gambler. He loses big in Willie's joint and pays by check. S
3. S02E03A Place Of His OwnOctober 8, 1953—The Commander, a mildly brain injured war hero, lives with his greedy family. All he wants is his own house, while all they want is to prese
4. S02E04Love At SeaOctober 15, 1953—A journalist's wife who, while alone on a sea voyage, becomes the center of male attention.
5. S02E05The WitnessOctober 22, 1953—A suave attorney is hired to defend a man on trial for robbery and murder. The attorney finds the real culprit and solves the mystery in th
6. S02E06A Matter Of AdviceOctober 29, 1953—Weary Dr. Gentry gets no rest from his irritating patients. The pediatrician deals with ill-mannered kids and parents who can't make a move
7. S02E07Search in the NightNovember 5, 1953—A newspaper reporter is intrigued as to why a woman hired a dive team to retrieve her purse from the Chicago River.
8. S02E08MooringsNovember 12, 1953—A sickly aging shipping magnate falls in love with a blind mother.
9. S02E09The Hard WayNovember 19, 1953—Vic breaks the bank at Willie's gambling hall, and Willie unknowingly pays him off with counterfeit money. When Vic threatens him, Willie co
10. S02E10For Art`s SakeNovember 26, 1953—Ted Parker enlists his friend Addy, a famous art expert, into an elaborate ruse to portray his budding love interest as a break-out artist,
11. S02E11The Girl On The Park BenchDecember 3, 1953—A beautiful, intelligent, and politically savvy young woman takes up residency in the city park to protest the Mayor's decision to end rent
12. S02E12The RoomDecember 10, 1953—A doctor encounters suspicion and a dark secret when he rents a house in Cuba.
13. S02E13A Man Of The WorldDecember 17, 1953—Predictable Andy Bush is taking a train to his annual three week vacation without his wife. A young woman in trouble approaches him and asks
14. S02E14The GiftDecember 24, 1953—Businessman Carl Baxter is a good boss for 364 days a year, but his memories of his estrangement with his son causes his mood to change at C
15. S02E15House For SaleDecember 31, 1953—A woman visits an isolated house expecting to meet with the realtor. Instead, she encounters a murderer who's escaped from a mental hospital
16. S02E16The TestJanuary 7, 1954—A test pilot learns that it's possible that his sick daughter could have polio, just before he tests a new military plane.
17. S02E17The Bad StreakJanuary 14, 1954—An honest professional casino owner runs into bad luck with impending insolvency or sale of his property. He also runs into his ""long-lost"
18. S02E18A String of BeadsJanuary 21, 1954—Joan Robinson works as a governess for a wealthy family. She attends a party thrown by her employer and, although she is an attractive young
19. S02E19Indian TakerJanuary 28, 1954—A comedy of errors about an insurance executive’s wife. At a party, the impulse suddenly comes over her and she proceeds to steal the jewels
20. S02E20Second DawnFebruary 4, 1954—A blind man has a chance for surgery to restore his sight, but it may last for just a few minutes.
21. S02E21The GunFebruary 11, 1954—A police detective returns home to his family one morning only to have his meal interrupted by a constant stream of people: the milkman, his
22. S02E22The BombFebruary 18, 1954—An engaged couple and the woman's former suitor take shelter in an abandoned house, too late to notice an unexploded bomb. Their retreat is
23. S02E23Meet McGraw: Long CountFebruary 25, 1954—McGraw, a private eye, is hired by Lila Lamont to protect her from her threatening husband Louis.
24. S02E24Detective`s HolidayMarch 4, 1954—A detective (Dick Powell) takes a trip to a cabin in the woods to get away from it all. A man, his wife, and his two kids entertain him. Whe
25. S02E25Operation In MoneyMarch 11, 1954—The chief teller of a bank openly embezzles a large sum of money to extort a pay raise from the bank's board of directors.
26. S02E26Lady of the OrchidsMarch 18, 1954—An architect's wife endangers his career when she is involved in a car accident. While on a ride to a roadhouse, she accidentally spills br
27. S02E27The BookApril 1, 1954—A stranger tussles with John over a library book and is struck and killed by a passing car. John discovers a message in the book and follows
28. S02E28A Study In PanicApril 8, 1954—Wise-guy newspaperman Fred Jordan writes a column making fun of "normal" men who panic during a fire. Soon afterward he gets a letter from a
29. S02E29MasqueradeApril 15, 1954—A costume ball during the New Orleans Mardi Gras turns sour when the family hosting the festivities discovers that their cousin has esca
30. S02E30Village In The CityApril 22, 1954—An artist turns detective to find out who murdered his favorite model and left the body in his studio.
31. S02E31The Doctor and the CountessApril 29, 1954—A famous plastic surgeon is recruited to severely disfigure the face of a beautiful countess, in order to relate to her husband, who was bur

Season 2 ranked & reviewed

1. S03E01Man in the CellarSeptember 30, 1954—A little girl who regularly talks to imaginary friends grows frustrated when her parents refuse to believe that there is a real man in the c
2. S03E02Never ExplainOctober 7, 1954—A novice social worker is dispatched to the home of a widower who refuses to send his children to school.
3. S03E03InterludeOctober 14, 1954—A young woman from a wealthy family is graduating from an exclusive school with neither her parents nor close friends attending. In her lon
4. S03E04The WalletOctober 21, 1954—A French waiter with more pride than money will not stand for his sickly wife to be admitted to a free public hospital. When a wealthy custo
5. S03E05The AdolescentOctober 28, 1954—A school teacher on the disciplinery board, finds herself investigating her nephew's misconduct.
6. S03E06The ContestNovember 4, 1954—The head of detectives runs into problems when he suspect his fiancé has committed murder.
7. S03E07Vote Of ConfidenceNovember 11, 1954—A con man, recently released from prison, attempts to recoup his fortunes by convincing an heiress' secretary that he needs funds to run an
8. S03E08My Own Dear DragonNovember 18, 1954—A successful playwright does his best to avoid reading the script written by his young new wife. She can't understand why he refuses to enco
9. S03E09Marked DownNovember 25, 1954—A woman who works at a fancy dress shop is determined to meet and marry the millionaire whose office is next door. Once she is asked out, sh
10. S03E10Meet A Lonely ManDecember 2, 1954—An attractive young lady mistakes a lonely hotel desk clerk for a Texas oil millionaire she'd once met. Loving the attention she's lavishing
11. S03E11Bourbon StreetDecember 9, 1954—A musician returns to New Orleans after breaking into the bigtime. Though his ex-wife deserted him, he is bent on revenge after receiving a
12. S03E12A Championship AffairDecember 16, 1954—A renowned professional bridge champion (Boyer) returns to (openly) woo his long lost, but married, love (Miles). In circuitous fashion, his
13. S03E13The AnswerDecember 23, 1954—A cynical Hollywood writer returns to his hometown. At a bar he meets a drunken, disillusioned playwright. The writer challenges the playw
14. S03E14Go Ahead And JumpDecember 30, 1954—Eddie, a cab driver, picks up a sad looking fare and brings him to a hotel where he witnesses the man being humiliated by his ex-wife. When
15. S03E15A Bag Of OrangesJanuary 6, 1955—Believing her husband innocent of the crime he is to be executed for, his wife takes up a vigil the night of the scheduled execution at a ne
16. S03E16Stuffed ShirtJanuary 11, 1955—A seemingly cuckolded working-class husband (Boyer), in tropical setting, must resort to a life-risking ruse (in court) to rid himself of hi
17. S03E17Breakfast in BedJanuary 20, 1955—An artist is enticed away from his lucrative commercial advertising contracts by a young model who shows obvious disappointment that he is n
18. S03E18The Good SisterJanuary 27, 1955—A nun in German orphanage during World War II will is determined to marry her oldest orphan to an American serviceman in order to secure a f
19. S03E19A Kiss for Mr. LincolnFebruary 3, 1955—A young woman teaches her timid husband some things about love when he tries to show her the importance of supporting Abraham Lincoln for th
20. S03E20Fair TrialFebruary 10, 1955—Chicago television newsman Dave Sheridan (Dick Powell) arrives in a small Ohio town, Hadenville, where Richard Fulton has just been lynched.
21. S03E21The Wild BunchFebruary 17, 1955—After a charmer sweeps a pretty widow off her feet and marries her in haste, she confesses that she has money and three children. He has no
22. S03E22TusitalaFebruary 24, 1955—The true story of Robert Louis Stevenson's stay on the island of Tahiti. The islanders have come to revere him as Tusitala-Teller of Tales.
23. S03E23The ReturningMarch 3, 1955—An American professor in Japan falls in love with a half-breed former student in 1941. He is fired for violating school policy, so he return
24. S03E24Eddie`s PlaceMarch 10, 1955—Ellen is released from a punitive work farm without means, but Eddie befriends her and gives her a job at his restaurant. She wants to go st
25. S03E25Henry And The Psychopathic HorseMarch 17, 1955—After falling for a medical student, a New York City psychiatrist travels to her family ranch to announce their engagement. Her father hates
26. S03E26Night At Lark CottageMarch 24, 1955—A woman with no companion other than her young daughter knows that an escaped convict is on his way to kill her.
27. S03E27The Girl On The BridgeMarch 31, 1955—After drawing and painting an unknown young woman he met on a bridge near his vacation retreat, an artist (Dick Powell) is desperate to find
28. S03E28The CollarApril 7, 1955—The night before the military plans to massacre a warring tribe of Blackfoot Indians, an imprisoned and tortured priest comes out from the t
29. S03E29Madeira, MadeiraApril 14, 1955—The untimely death of his artist friend causes a failing writer to visit the widow to pay his condolences and pursue suspicions about her.
30. S03E30With All My HeartApril 21, 1955—An overweight woman watches her doctor boyfriend marry someone else.
31. S03E31The House Always WinsApril 28, 1955—Willie Dante, the tough but suave owner of a nightclub and illegal back room casino. One evening, Willie sees an old flame with a man and an
32. S03E32Uncle Fred Flits ByMay 5, 1955—Uncle Fred descends upon a suburban home, completely disrupts the lives of the family by his eccentric behaviour, and brings two young lover
33. S03E33Alias Mr. HeppMay 12, 1955—Frank Hepp has made his career charming rich, unhappy women out of their fortunes. His parole officer orders him avoid all women, but he can
34. S03E34TrudyMay 26, 1955—A young woman is planning her wedding to a groom whom no one believes exists outside her own wishful dreams.
35. S03E35Broken JourneyJune 2, 1955—Two cops transporting prisoner Cookie decide on a layover in the city of Westover, temporarily placing Cookie in the local jail while they f
36. S03E36The ExecutionerJune 9, 1955—A complex web of deception is revealed during the investigation of the assassination of a police official. In a foreign country during the C
37. S03E37The Frightened WomanJune 23, 1955—A woman's loneliness leads her to re-experience her long repressed (20-year old) pain-associated memories (albeit benign themselves). The my
38. S03E38AwardJune 30, 1955—Valerie is a world famous movie actress who just bombed on her first attempt at live acting on Broadway. She goes to Ben, renowned acting in

Season 3 ranked & reviewed

1. S04E01The Firing SquadOctober 6, 1955—A WWII captain must oversee an execution he doesn't want to happen.
2. S04E02The Face of DangerOctober 13, 1955—A 100-year-old woman who recalls her romance with a desperado during the days of the old West.
3. S04E03Let the Chips FallOctober 20, 1955—A reformed card sharp is recruited to unmask a suspected poker cheat among a group of wealthy gamblers. He finds it difficult to be impartia
4. S04E04Full CircleOctober 27, 1955—A particularly bad review causes a Broadway actress to scheme to humiliate the drama critic.
5. S04E05A Spray of BulletsNovember 3, 1955—A former sheriff, Will Sonnett, known for his fast draw shows up in Mesa to see an optometrist; he's become nearsighted and badly needs glas
6. S04E06The Devil to PayNovember 10, 1955—In Hell, the administrating office is hopelessly out of date and incompetent, so Satan enlists the help of an exceptionally aggressive and h
7. S04E07Here Comes the SuitNovember 17, 1955—A milquetoast employee at a novelty company is overlooked by everyone from his boss to the woman he crushes on. But after being suckered by
8. S04E08Looking Glass HouseNovember 24, 1955—A woman is surprised when her fiancé turns out to have been married before.
9. S04E09Something Very SpecialDecember 1, 1955—Alan moves to America when his wife dies, leaving his young daughter with her grandmother in Paris. When he returns after five years, his da
10. S04E10A Place Full of StrangersDecember 8, 1955—Industrialist Fleet Mason, a workaholic who doesn't realize how many lives he effects with his stressed-out working habits. When he thinks h
11. S04E11One Way OutDecember 15, 1955—A wealthy woman separates from her fortune-hunting husband. She rents a swanky New York penthouse in a building so new that she is the only
12. S04E12Dark MeetingJanuary 5, 1956—When her long-time pin-boy retires, bowling proprietress hires the one guy who answers her want-ad right away. He turns out to be an escaped
13. S04E13Magic NightJanuary 12, 1956—Upset that his 25 years of service for the company are unappreciated, Henri treats himself to an expensive night on the town, on the company
14. S04E14Tunnel of FearJanuary 19, 1956—While traveling alone in a train compartment, an elderly, wealthy, wheelchair-bound man (Cedric Hardwicke) is confronted by a younger man (D
15. S04E15High StakesJanuary 26, 1956—An employee catches attractive Mrs. Raymond making a pass at Willie, then Mr. Raymond comes to the club with a gun to get even. Willie shoot
16. S04E16The ListenerFebruary 2, 1956—Sheila and her brother engineer a gas leak to kill her husband so they can split the insurance money. Overhearing the plot is the husband's
17. S04E17Safe KeepingFebruary 9, 1956—The chancellor of a foreign university gives newspaperman Frank Carstairs a document to smuggle out of the country. He anticipates being cha
18. S04E18No LimitFebruary 16, 1956—Suave restaurateur-gambler Willie Dante rebuffs the attempt of racketeers to cash in on his gambling activities. He appears to change his mi
19. S04E19CommandFebruary 23, 1956—The first mate on a merchant ship has been waiting for years to take command of the ship. When the elderly captain makes a mistake at a time
20. S04E20Once to Every WomanMarch 1, 1956—At a particularly vulnerable time in her life, Carol is wooed by charming David. They fall in love, but Carol then learns that David is marr
21. S04E21Red WineMarch 8, 1956—A police detective travels to Borneo looking for an American who murdered his wife for a huge insurance payoff. There are only three America
22. S04E22To Die at MidnightMarch 15, 1956—The conflict of a prison warden who discovers exculpatory evidence on the eve of an execution.
23. S04E23Desert EncounterMarch 22, 1956—A famous author gets embroiled in an unusual situation when he offers to drive a young Mexican girl to her ranch.
24. S04E24The Case of Emily CameronMarch 29, 1956—Emily is an invalid who needs a caretaker. Her husband leaves her home alone one day, and she begins to stew over the low regard that he has
25. S04E25The Rites of SpringApril 5, 1956—An older husband tests the marital fidelity of his amorous young wife by anonymously sending her flowers from "a secret admirer".
26. S04E26Autumn CarouselApril 12, 1956—A TV writer finds inspiration from a little girl travelling to Los Angeles.
27. S04E27Wall of BambooApril 19, 1956—An undercover agent is dispatched to the anti-communist underground to search for an important contact. But when he's caught by the red Chin
28. S04E28Touch and GoApril 26, 1956—Ted attacks old enemy Walter in a fit of rage. Stunned at the realization that Walter is dead, he hears a woman on the phone who overheard t
29. S04E29A Long Way From TexasMay 3, 1956—Two con men target a naive young oilman from Texas. They visit Willie's gambling hall, and the con men threaten Willie. He decides to get re
30. S04E30That WomanMay 10, 1956—A young widow, who is in denial that her husband has died, moves in with her brother-in-law's family down on the farm. Her city ways and man
31. S04E31The Other RoomMay 17, 1956—A teacher wanting to leave his unfulfilling job needs money to write the book he's dreamed of. A stranger enters and makes an unusual offer:
32. S04E32One Forty-TwoMay 24, 1956—Ruthless dictator Mendoza summons a priest when 300,000 people in his country announce that they will pray for him to die at 1:42 that day.
33. S04E33Beneath the SurfaceMay 31, 1956—In an effort to escape her past, a woman takes a job in a plant.
34. S04E34Watch the SunsetJune 7, 1956—Philip Benton is entertaining thoughts of moving on from his wife, who has been in a sanitarium for five years. Just as he is starting a new
35. S04E35Second ChanceJune 14, 1956—An experienced writer is in the middle of a professional slump when he is inspired by the story of an old long lost friend. While his career
36. S04E36Woman AfraidJune 21, 1956—While her husband is laid up in a farm house with a broken leg, Nina sees a prowling burglar. She calls for help, but the hired hand that sh
37. S04E37The Stacked DeckJune 28, 1956—Fresh out of prison, blackmailer Gus Anderson intends to use Willie's casino to launder his victims' money. To insure his cooperation, Gus'
38. S04E38Distinguished ServiceJuly 5, 1956—More interested in his career than in his duty as a physician, a noted doctor intentionally misdiagnoses a patient in an Asian city so he co
39. S04E39YellowbellyJuly 12, 1956—A military hero becomes circumspect as his wife expects their first child. In battle, he jumps into a protective hole instead of forging to
40. S04E40The Stand-InJuly 19, 1956—An aspiring actress has spent 20 years in Hollywood, not gaining fame as she had hoped, but as a stand-in for a well-known actress. Her ambi
41. S04E41Success StoryJuly 26, 1956—A man is assigned to force a small-town newspaper out of existence.

Season 4 ranked & reviewed