Lindemann's Catch/A Feast of Blood/The Late Mr. Peddington (12 Jan. 1972)
"Night Gallery" Lindemann's Catch/A Feast of Blood/The Late Mr. Peddington (original title)

A fisherman catches a mermaid and wishes for her to be human. / Sheila Grey's homely suitor Henry Mallory gives her a brooch that seems almost alive. / Impoverished Cora Peddington shops for a cheap funeral for her husband.

Director:

Jeannot Szwarc

Writers:

Dulcie Gray (short story "The Fur Brooch"), Jack Laird (teleplay),

Stars:

Sondra Locke, Harry Morgan, Stuart Whitman

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Sondra Locke	...	Sheila Gray (segment "A Feast of Blood")
Harry Morgan	...	Thaddeus Conway
Stuart Whitman	...	Capt. Hendrick Lindemann
Jack Aranson	...	Dr. Mordecai Nichols
Kim Hunter	...	Cora Peddington
Norman Lloyd	...	Henry Mallory (segment "A Feast of Blood")
John Alderson	...	Granger
Hermione Baddeley	...	Mrs. Gray (segment "A Feast of Blood")
Randy Quaid	...	John
Pat O'Hara	...	Frankie (segment "A Feast of Blood") (as Patrick O'Hara)
Rod Serling	...	Himself - Host
Harry Townes	...	Abner Suggs
Barry Bernard	...	Gippo (segment "A Feast of Blood")
Jim Boles	...	Bennett
Ed Bakey	...	Ollie

Storyline

A fisherman catches a mermaid and wishes for her to be human. / Sheila Grey's homely suitor Henry Mallory gives her a brooch that seems almost alive. / Impoverished Cora Peddington shops for a cheap funeral for her husband.

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Plot Keywords:

brooch | character name in title

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 January 1972 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal TV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sondra Locke's TV debut.

User Reviews

Well-Written and Acted Segment

Among Rod Serling's strongest attributes as a writer was his ability (when he wanted to) to take an otherwise unlikeable character, and give him the prospect for redemption. Many's the time he accomplished the feat in "The Twilight Zone", and "Lindemann's Catch" is one of his best examples in "Night Gallery." The fishing boat of hard-hearted sea captain Hendrik Lindemann hauls aboard a mermaid. While his cohorts seek to put the creature on display, Barnum-style, Lindemann is not so sure. While Lindemann contemplates her fate, his hard heart begins to soften toward the creature, seeking a way to keep her with him, while at the same time keeping her alive and safe. Finally, he takes a desperate step to keep her alive, with a somewhat predictable -- but still emotionally affecting -- result.

What makes this story work is the sensitivity of the writing, giving the Lindemann character the necessary depth to make the premise work, along with a fine lead performance by Stuart Whitman as Lindemann. Whitman is one of those actors who was all too easily wasted in film and television, but who was truly capable of finely textured performances (e.g., his superb, Oscar-nominated performance in "The Mark"). In this episode, he shows us the gruff sea captain, who does not suffer fools lightly, and yet who still is desperate to keep the mermaid alive because it fills a void in his life.

The episode also contains two other fine performances -- Harry Townes (always an underrated character actor) as the sleazy, would-be mystic Suggs, and Jack Aronson as the sympathetic, yet practical doctor. Also to be commended is the production design, which establishes the feel of a nineteenth century fishing village well. The only downside to the episode is some over-the-top directorial touches, namely the shooting of Lindemann's reaction to what his wish has wrought -- unfortunately, this problem was all too endemic to the series.

Fortunately, those touches are not enough to undermine the strength of the script and Whitman's fine lead performance. A fine episode in a series that had fewer than it deserved.