Premiering on Tuesday 28 November 1950, this CBS late-night suspense anthology series of supernatural yarns was hosted by James Monks and a cat called Thanatopsis. Each 30-minute episode featured two 15-minute stories.
“Another Road” told the story of a 20th-century doctor who lost his way while driving at night, while “Reprieve” featured a woman who hired a man to kill her within 48 hours.
The series was sponsored by the Ford Dealers of New York. The final episode (“The Generals Coat” and “Of Thee I Love”) aired on Tuesday 29 May 1951.
The concept and title was reused for a new series in 1952 with Bob Dalton as the host.
In real life, the original Thanatopsis was owned by a J Walter Thompson agency employee and initially earned $10 a week for her efforts (later increased to $15 and then $20).
When she gave birth to a litter of kittens, she was replaced on-camera by one of her own daughters (from a previous litter).
Host
James Monks Thanatopsis
Herself
Episodes
Germelshausen/The Pardoner’s Tale | Heartbeat/The Vampire | Jungle Terror/Screams in the Night | Reprieve/Another Road | Confession/Checkmate | Out on the River/Vain Glory | Imp in the Bottle/The Bat | 4:15 Express/Night Owl | Double Jeopardy/The Shot | Rendezvous/The Assassin | Smooth Fingers/Just Three Words | The Wall/Anniversary | The Room/The Devil’s Due | Sealed Orders/Mardi Gras | The Vampire/Stagecoach Driver McLean | Charlotte Corday/Jungle Terror | Solange/The Spy | Magic Skin/Threshold | Troubled Harbor/Paganini | Bandit, Banker and Blonde/A Cowboy’s Lament | He’s Gone Away/The Golden Ball | Like Money in the Bank/Battle Scene | The Human Touch/A Bed by the Window | The Gambler/Epilogue | The General’s Coat/Of Thee I Love
The series was sponsored by the Ford Dealers of New York. The final episode (“The Generals Coat” and “Of Thee I Love”) aired on Tuesday 29 May 1951.
