"Ghost Story" (1972) TV series 1972-1973

Writer:

Stanley Elkin (writer)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

15 September 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Plot:

An anthology of suspense dramas concentrating on individuals confronted with supernatural occurrences.

Plot Keywords:

Anthology | Supernatural Power

Cast

 (Series Cast Summary - 1 of 7)

Sebastian Cabot

...

Winston Essex / ... (14 episodes, 1972)

Also Known As:

Circle of Fear (USA) (new title)

Runtime:

60 min (23 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

William Castle Productions

Movie Connections:

Featured in Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story (2007)

Still scares me thinking about it after 30 years

SPOILERS.

I don't remember it ever being called Ghost Story, so maybe I missed the first few episodes. We called it Circle of Fear. At the beginning they had some mesmerizing circles spinning around. You knew when it was coming on.

There was only one episode that didn't scare me. They were in a twelve-story building and all of a sudden people were headed to the 13th floor. This was Hell. It didn't make much sense, but then I was 8.

I think the first one I saw was the one with the little walnut headed monsters. They made weird noises for communication and didn't like light. Just as the hero was about to save the girl, it was already too late. The walnut heads dragged her into a hole and apparently ate her. The end. Now, time to go to sleep. I couldn't sleep after that! Too freaky.

I remember the Susan Dey episode. That was my favorite, so I'll spoil it for you. Mind you, most of what I remember is pictures, so the plot might not be 100% accurate. Here goes. She inherits a mansion from her grandfather. She stays there all alone, of course, and it was a warm summer day outside. But then she's upstairs by that one odd door and hears noises inside. She opens it. Empty room. She starts to leave. Hears more noises. Opens it again. Instead of a room, it leads outside, and it's snowing. There's a crazy old man near a tree with an axe, a shovel, and a big sack he's burying. I think the crazy old man was her dead grandfather. He looks at her. She freaks and slams the door. It keeps alternating between an empty room and a snowy outdoors throughout the episode and the crazy old man gets closer every time. I don't know why she kept opening the door each time. I wouldn't have. Obviously time didn't work right inside that one door. At the end (ooh, I'm getting goosebumps) the man is gone and she gets the courage to go out and see what he buried by the tree. There's nothing there. Then she sees him come out the same door, lock it, and come at her with an empty sack and an axe. So that means earlier, she was watching him bury her own body after he had already killed her with the axe. That one scared the crap out of me. I think they ended it with a picture of the mansion and a 'For Sale' sign in front. Still got the goosebumps.

I want the whole series on DVD.