Kraft Suspense Theatre (TV Series) Doesn't Anyone Know Who I Am? (1964) User Reviews

While the use of amnesia is a bit of cliché, it is a good episode.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 13 October 2015]

When the episode begins, a well to do executive (Cornel Wilde) is going on a business trip. However, he's beaten and mugged and never arrives at his destination. He cannot remember who he is and soon settles into a new life in a new town and marries. Here he becomes happy and is ready to create a whole new life. However, he suddenly remembers who he is and rushes back home. But he LIKES his new life as a mechanic and when he tells his wife he wants to make some changes, she is much more concerned about maintaining her class status and it looks like she's ready to change husbands!

The idea of amnesia has really been overused in films. It's a relatively rare phenomenon and often doesn't last long at all. So, with so many amnesia plots, I felt the whole idea was a bit stale. Fortunately, the stale idea was given some new life in this one as there are a few twists that keep it interesting. Worth seeing--so stick with this even with its amnesia theme.

Intriguing if clichéd

[ctomvelu1 · 6/10 · 11 March 2013]

Cornell Wilde is a middle-aged junior sales executive with a bleeding ulcer, high blood pressure and a flashy society wife (Martha Hyer) and two grown children (who are not seen). On a business trip, he's waylaid and left for dead by some bad guys, and wakes up to find he has amnesia. He hitches a ride to the next nearest town and does his best to settle in. He finds he's handy with all sorts of motors and takes a job as a mechanic. He also seeks help from from both a country doctor and a psychiatrist, and ends up falling in love with a young diner waitress (Kathryn Grant). Once his memory returns, he heads for home. But will he stay? Amnesia is a favorite Hollywood subject, and this cast plays it to the hilt. The episode reminded me of an old Twilight Zone episode, "Welcome to Willoughby." Not bad, even if the topic is clichéd as all hell.

It's my husband George the mechanic

[kapelusznik18 · 6/10 · 27 April 2016]

****SPOILERS**** It took a near tragedy to in the end save businessman Eric Blain's, Cornel Wilde, life who was a step away from a fatal heart attack due to the high pressure dog eat dog businessman work he's been doing for the last 10 years. This all happened when he was waylaid or bopped on the head on the road to Seattle and left without his car money or memory of who he is. Finding his way into the small town of Houmbolt Eric using the name of George Press starts up a relationship with birthday girl, she was celebrating her birthday at the local diner, he ended up in looking for a bite Annie Smith, Kathryn Grant, and it's love at first bite or sight.

The problem for George/Eric is that he's already married to battle-ax Helen Blain, Martha Hyer, and has two teenage sons back home.It's while on the lamb in Hombolt that George finds out that he loves to work as a mechanic and starts to tinker with his new found talent that he soon becomes very good at. Now with his memory back he feels that he's in the wrong job, as a businessman, and marriage and that's all to change. He wants to stay in Hombolt and marry Ann as well as get a job as a mechanic at a local car garage. Even if he has to leave his wife Helen as well as his kids back home!

****SPOILERS**** Touching story of a man who finally finds himself and in the process saves his life by starting over again.It's in a way sad that George/Eric had to leave his wife and kids but it was either a choice of life and death on his part and his life back home wasn't all that great to begin with anyway. Now with a new job-mechanic-that he loves as well as a woman who's kind and loving to him the future looks very bright for George/Eric who's future before he lost him memory was nothing but a dead end.

Gimmicks detract from an offbeat amnesia tale

[lor_ · 31 March 2024]

Cornel Wilde's natural appeal almost carries this Kraft Suspense episode, but I found it way too contrived to work as drama or that old-fashioned "finding oneself" tale.

First off, thanks to IMDb I have a big problem with the story's origins. The database informs us that it's a remake of the 1949 Brian Donlevy film noir "Impact", based on an original Jay Dratler story. I've seen that film (long ago) and don't remember it, but the IMDb synopsis reveals the spine of the story and many details closely resemble this Cornel Wilde TV segment, but with all the key crime and murder and deception issues eliminated. It's as if Mario Puzo's "The Godfather" was remade for The Hallmark Channel (unauthorized, of course) as a heart-warming story of an import-export Olive Oil magnate who's son back from the army finds a happy life by breaking away from the pull of his good-natured but too traditional Italian family and marries a modern, non-Italian woman -no crime story at all.

The Kraft show has fake names for both story and scriptwriting credits, so it all smacks of deceptive plagiarism.

Usually I would reject the "remake" notion, as whenever two stories have similarities, people tend to jump to the conclusion that something is a ripoff. But in this case, key items like Cornel getting a job as an auto mechanic, as well as the fiery fatal car accident imply that Kraft's creative team liked the old movie, and changed it radically to try and escape detection, leaving key elements unchanged enough to give away their ruse.

In any event, the result doesn't ring true at all, and whether original or just a radical adaptation it needed quite a few more careful rewrites to hold water.

Back when the story mattered

[Filmlaundrymat · 10/10 · 13 August 2021]

This episode was done very well, Cornel Wilde, Martha Hyer, Malachi Throne, to start with, an excellent cast of "believable" actors. The character actors of 60's had very little to draw upon other than there own experiences in thier lives. Each person came to the stage with thier own unique personality, a character. This was in the early 60's so the idea of the loss of memory and identity hadn't been beaten like a dead horse. Doc Pierson Paul Newlan the local GP in town stated something pretty profound; "Most of us really dont know who we are, it can take a life time for that". Its a great story if we can see these episodes available to watch it would be worth it.