Kraft Suspense Theatre (TV Series) My Enemy, This Town (1964) User Reviews

Very good up until the ending...which made little sense.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 6 October 2015]

It's a real shame that this episode of "Kraft Suspense Theatre" ended so unconvincingly--up until then, it had been excellent. When the story begins, Johnny (Scott Marlowe) has just been paroled from prison. It seems he spent seven years of his life there as a result of a rape conviction* and, oddly, he's chosen to return to his home town--the same town where he lived when he was convicted. Throughout his time at home, he keeps reiterating that he was innocent--and several townspeople (including the Deputy) are harassing him. Later, when he meets his alleged victim, you learn that it's true--he really did not assault her and she's been too much of a coward to tell the truth. Soon after, some of the folks want to guarantee that he'll never return, as they set up a phony sexual assault--and the cops soon arrest him and charge him with this.

The show did a great job of getting you to feel badly for Johnny-- and I appreciate that very much. Unfortunately, the ending was interesting to watch but made no sense whatsoever. After all, if Johnny sat in prison seven years and the woman never recanted, why would she suddenly do so when he's again facing a rape charge?!

*The word rape isn't used, but it's clear he was convicted of sexual assault. That was VERY surprising to be the plot of a TV show at the time--a time when folks just never talked about rape. Very bold, that's for sure.

Barbara Nichols

[twilliams2978 · 6/10 · 10 October 2010]

Barbara Nichols is the woman near the end of the episode that attempts to set Johnny (Scott Marlowe) up for rape again.

Diane McBain is the woman who lied and sent Johnny to prison for seven years before he returned to his hometown of Santa Marta.

Marlowe is a good actor. McBain just average, in my opinion. Nichols was stereotyped as a ditsy, blonde years before this show.

If you are interested in obtaining 48 episodes of "Suspense Theater", Google Thomas Film Classics.com

In some markets, Retro TV network is airing "Suspense Theater", or "Crisis" as it is sometimes titled.

Most are aired on low-powered, digital TV stations.

Tony

Tony Lyndell Williams

Johnny's back in town

[sol-kay · 6/10 · 11 November 2011]

***SPOILERS*** After serving seven of a ten years sentence for assault with intent to rape Johnny Baroja, Scott Marlowe, is now back in Santa Marta to start a new life as a world famous artist. Behind bars Johnny learned that he can paint and paint well and now his paintings, selling from $300.00 to $500.00 apiece, have now gotten him enough money where he doesn't have to worry about getting a job to support himself with the ex-con or mark of Cain label hanging over his head. What Johnny is really after is to get the person who accused him of assaulting her rich socialite Mary Jorgenson, Diane McBain, to admit that she framed him because he refused, in her being only 17 at the time, to marry her.

You can see right away that Mary isn't at all afraid of her accused and convicted attempted rapist Johnny Baroja in the way she interact with him every time he approaches her. Even when her husband Ben, Adam Williams,is with her. It's when Johnny starts to overstay his welcome in town, which in fact he never had, it's Ben and a couple of local thugs he hired that start to make trouble for him. In fact things get so out of hand that Johnny himself is just about to check out of town when Mary by meeting Johnny in secret at the towns exclusive golf course finally breaks down and tells him the truth in that he wasn't at all responsible in attacking her seven years ago when she just was a minor. It's later that day when Ben together with sheriff deputy Raynor, William Smith, got this bimbo, Ann Hilts, to frame Johnny in another attempted rape charge that he completely lost it and finally came to his senses and confronted his accusers in open court. Never backing off for a moment in claiming his innocence, in attacking and trying to rape the woman, things looked bad for Jonny in that he was already convicted on an assault charge against Mary Jorgenson seven years ago.

***SPOILERS*** Just when it looked like curtains for Johnny who was now, in being a possible two time loser,facing as much as 15 to 20 years behind bars that non other then Mary Jorgenson whom he was convicted of raping seven years ago came to his rescue! It was Mary who not only got Johnny off in this trial for attempt rape but the trial he was convicted for his attempt to rape her, by Mary admitting that she lied, as well!

As for Ben Jorgenson and deputy sheriff Raynor they ended up in the clink,together with the bimbo they hired, in falsifying evidence in order to put an innocent man behind bars. With Johnny now a free man with no criminal record he can really start a new life, as an artist, in his home town of Santa Marta without worrying about people like Ben Jogenson and deputy sheriff Raynor making his life there a living hell!

Hackwork 101

[lor_ · 2 March 2024]

Starting with the dumb title -you take a 100% corny script, hire a hack director (Richard L. Bare, whose 1972 gimmick movie "Wicked, Wicked" which I saw at a drive-in is the only one I enjoyed) and the result is a total bore. If this had been Kraft's pilot for "Suspense Theatre", there wouldn't have been a series.

Usually Kraft featured three top names in a cast, not movie superstars, but very talented, solid names. This time the casting is way below weak, starting with Scott Marlowe, who is on screen nearly nonstop. I saw him many, many times back in the day, and he seemed to be always unsympathetic, an instant turnoff. Playing a mistreated, bitter guy returning to the hometown that turned against him, sort of a rebel with an ill-thought-out cause, he is utterly unconvincing when the phony happy ending occurs on cue.

Diane McBain is a very attractive TV star from the WB stable, but her acting is unimpressive here, and there is no third star, just Philip Carey listed third in the opening credits, in a strictly functional role.

(Kraft) Suspense Theater on RTN!!

[toledohamradio · 8/10 · 6 September 2008]

If you have RTN (shown as an HD.2 or HD.3 channel on many HDTV's now) then this episode just aired on September 7th. Hopefully more of the old Kraft theater shows will air on RTN (at midnight Eastern time). It was interesting to watch a show from 1964 - constant smoking, drinking, and driving around great cars. In addition, most women wore hats and gloves, and of course, most of the men all wore sport coats and ties! A great way to look back. This episode has held-up pretty well for being 44 years old! The music is by none other than (Star Wars') Johnny Williams, and it reminds me of "Lost in Space" music too. Possible spoiler question: Was actress Barbara Nichols the girl that originally sent him to jail for 7 years, or was she the girl at the end that tried to send him up the river for the second time?

Example of Fine Anthology

[carolynpaetow · 8/10 · 4 February 2007]

Hopefully, the day will dawn when would-be viewers have to actually worry about the avoidance of spoilers in reviews of Kraft Suspense Theater. For, as it stands, this great television anthology has yet to be reproduced on video. But, for those old enough to have seen the series, there is almost certainly at least some recall of a favorite episode or two. My Enemy, This Town has lingered in my own memory for two primary reasons: it stars good-looking Scott Marlowe and has a surprising ending. I managed to track down the particular title because I remembered that Diane McBain is also featured as a woman who has Marlowe sent to prison for rape. If I recall correctly, when he is released from custody and returns to confront her, she admits that she unjustly accused him, and--lo and behold--the two actually fall in love! Now, how likely is it that such a plot would appear on present-day television? I merely wish that good anthologies such as this would return....