NBC's MATINEE THEATRE was an hour long live broadcast airing five times a week at 3:00PM, designed to advertise color programming and provide stage plays for housewives during the afternoons. John Carradine appeared in five different episodes over a two year period, by far the most famous being Robert Esson's adaptation of "Dracula," directed by Lamont Johnson on Nov 23 1956, three months after the passing of Bela Lugosi. Not only has this entry not survived, not even a single photograph has ever surfaced to show what Carradine looked like in reprising the vampire count he last portrayed in 1945's HOUSE OF DRACULA. Even sadder is the fact that it was definitely shot in color, the only other known cast member being Lisa Daniels as Lucy Weston. Hosted by John Conte, the series lasted an amazing three years despite its expensive color production, but of the surviving episodes none feature John Carradine, whose next performance as the vampire count would be 1965's BILLY THE KID VERSUS DRACULA.
