Escape into Black (17 Nov. 1964)

A stove blows up in the fugitive's face, causing temporary amnesia, when Dr. Kimball closes in, near his hometown, on the one-armed man. Inquiring about his prey at a diner, a stove catches... See full summary »

Director:

Jerry Hopper

Writers:

Larry Cohen, Roy Huggins (creator)

Stars:

David Janssen, Betty Garrett, Ivan Dixon

Cast

Episode cast overview:
David Janssen	...	Dr. Richard Kimble
Betty Garrett	...	Margaret Ruskin
Ivan Dixon	...	Dr. Towne
Barry Morse	...	Lt. Philip Gerard
Maxine Stuart	...	Nurse Proctor
Bernard Kates	...	Lasco
Don 'Red' Barry	...	The Checker (as Donald Barry)
Tom Troupe	...	Dr. Bloch
Herb Vigran	...	Marty (as Herb Vigran)
Paul Birch	...	Captain Carpenter
Bill Raisch	...	Fred Johnson, the One-Armed Man

Storyline

A stove blows up in the fugitive's face, causing temporary amnesia, when Dr. Kimball closes in, near his hometown, on the one-armed man. Inquiring about his prey at a diner, a stove catches fire, and when Kimball runs to help the cook, the blast fells both. In the hospital, Kimball is treated like a ping-pong ball: in a heated match between a social worker whose acts of mercy are quashed, and a icy psychiatrist using Kimball as a case to build his reputation.

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Genres:

Adventure | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Details

Release Date:

17 November 1964 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

United Artists Television

Technical Specs

Color:

Black and White

Did You Know?

Trivia

The photo showing Kimball in the hospital bed is the same one from Season 1 episode "Nightmare at Northoak."

User Reviews

Plot summary

Kimble arrives at a restaurant announcing he is looking for his one-armed friend who he heard works at a local restaurant. Kimble is injured in an explosion and loses his memory.

At the hospital, Dr. Towne (actor Ivan Dixon), a neuropsychiatrist, tries to treat Kimble's amnesia. Meanwhile, social worker Margaret Ruskin (actress Betty Garrett, in an outstanding performance) tries to figure out who Kimble is, his identification proving to be false. Dr. Towne is intelligent, clinical and uncaring, while Ruskin cares deeply about everyone.

Ruskin travels the town showing Kimble's photo to one-armed men, one of whom turns out to be Fred Johnson, the real murderer of Mrs. Kimble. Though she does not know which of the one-armed men is the killer, she knows it must be one of them, because the police get an anonymous call advising them Kimble is at the hospital.

When police inform Dr. Towne who Kimble is, and say they are on the way to make an arrest, Ruskin has to convince Kimble he is a convicted murderer who must escape to save his life. Kimble, fighting to regain his memory, goes to the public library to read old newspapers to learn about his wife's death and the trial, but this is inadequate to restore his memory. Kimble faces severe danger when, in his confused state, he phones Lieutenant Gerard and says he is taking a train to Stafford to turn himself in.