'Green Fingers'. Teleplay by Serling himself, based on a tale by R.C. Cook. Directed by John Badham. Cameron Mitchell plays Saunders, a stereotypically greedy developer who keeps trying to bribe an old woman (Elsa Lanchester) to leave her property; her land is essential to his plans. He's not above paying a goon (George Keymas) to throw a scare into her. But things go bad - in a very interesting way. The effects are good, and things do get fairly violent. Both Mitchell and Lanchester are very, very good here, especially her, as she plays this eccentric but endearing old biddy with an obvious talent for growing things; her garden is truly a wonder. This segment has the best twist ending of this episode.
'The Funeral'. Comic hijinks, courtesy of Richard Matheson, who adapted his own story. Directed by John Meredyth Lucas. A strange man named Asper (Werner Klemperer) goes to a funeral home to arrange a service; the proprietor (Joe Flynn) is happy to accommodate him, but is thrown for a loop when Aspers' big secret comes to light. Things get particularly wacky when the service takes place, and all of Aspers' ghoulish acquaintances attend. Needless to say, the house practically comes down. This is all pretty goofy, and silly, but it IS amusing, and hard to truly dislike. 'Night Gallery' series producer Jack Laird appears on screen here as Igor.
'The Tune in Dan's Cafe'. Teleplay by Gerald Sanford and Garrie Bateson, based on a story by Shamus Frazer. Directed by David Rawlins. Pernell Roberts and Susan Oliver play a couple going through a rough patch. Late one night they stop at a roadside cafe where only one annoying country love song ever plays on the juke box. In conversing with the owner (James Nusser), Roberts learns why this might be the case: it has to do with a doomed romance between a young man and woman (James Davidson, Brooke Mills). This segment eventually consists of quick cuts wherein we get just enough story to put the pieces together. Overall, the segment isn't *bad*, but it's resolved in a fairly unsatisfying way. Good atmosphere, in any event.
Seven out of 10.