OVERLOOKED TELEVISION: THE DOW HOUR OF GREAT MYSTERIES (1960)

The Dow Hour of Great Mysteries was a series of seven NBC specials hosted by Joseph N. Welch in 1960.  As the name implies, the sponsor was Dow Chemical.  The series ended with Welch's death on October 6, 1960, at age 69.

The premise was simple:  present classic mystery stories in a one-hour format.  The episodes were:

• The Bat from Mary Robert Rinehart's novel, adapted by Avery Hopwood and Walter Kerr; directed by Paul Nickell  (aired March 31, 1960)  [The story was first presented as a play by Rinehart and Avery Hopwood and was based on Rinehart's 1908 mystery novel The Circular Staircase.  The play was novelized in 1926 and presented as written by Rinehart and Hopwood -- sometimes published as by Rinehart alone -- but was ghostwritten by Stephen Vincent Benet.]
• The Burning Court from John Dickson Carr's 1937 novel, adapted by William and Audrey Roos; directed by Paul Nickell (aired April 24, 1960)
• The Woman in White from Wilkie Collins' 1859 novel, adapted by Frank Ford; directed by Paul Nickell (aired May 23, 1960)
• The  Datchet Diamonds from the 1898 novel by Richard Marsh, adapted by Walter Kerr; directed by Gower Champion (aired September 20, 1960)
• The Cat and the Canary from the 1922 play by John Willard; directed by William A. Graham  (aired September 27, 1960)  [According to IMDb, this was based on an unspecified novel by J. Sheridan le Fanu; I have not been able to corroborate this.]
• The Inn of the Flying Dragon from the 1872 short novel by J. Sheridan le Fanu (aired October 16, 1960) [no further information available]  [my 2011 review of the book is here:  http://jerryshouseofeverything.blogspot.com/2011/07/forgotten-book-room-at-dragon-volant.html]
• The Great Impersonation from the 1920 novel by E. Phillips Oppenheim, adapted by William and Audrey Roos; directed by David Greene {aired November 15, 1960)

A number of these episodes appear to be lost to time, but The Bat is available on YouTube.

"A sinister criminal known only as 'The Bat' attempts to locate a fortune in stolen securities supposedly hidden in the ramb;ind mansion owned by Spinster Cordelia Van Gorder."

Starring Helen Hayes, Jason Robards, and Margaret Hamilton.

Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mClkknsvC4