"The Mind Reader" features one of the finest casts assembled for one episode, headed by John Carradine, in the second of his two appearances. Billy Mathis (Michael Landon) is arrested for the murder of his girlfriend's father, who was shot with Billy's gun after purchasing ammunition for an unknown purpose. Arriving in North Fork is the self proclaimed "greatest mentalist in the world," James Barrow McBride (a bearded Carradine), putting on a show where the murder comes up, unable to shed any light on the culprit's identity, but clearly showing a familiarity with the town and its problems. Lucas learns that the town drunk (Vic Perrin, from STAR TREK's "Mirror,Mirror") may be able to help solve the case, but not before Billy's girl allows him to escape, believing him to be innocent. The marvelous cast includes William Schallert, John Harmon, Charles Seel, and Steven Ritch, the star of 1956's Columbia feature "The Werewolf," whose all too brief career ended by 1962 (he died in 1995).
3 Reviews
An enjoyable star-stuffed episode.
kfo949416 August 2014
This episode has one of the better cast in the entire series as we get a tale of a mysterious killing of John Hallager in North Fork that no one seems to know the exact details. But when a strange mind-reader (John Carradine) performs at the town's motel, he seems to know the details of the murder. The Marshal and Lucas believe that the mind-reader has been informed by one of the citizens that witnessed the murder.
In the mean time, Billy Mathis (Michael Landon), which has been dating the dead man's daughter named Lucy (Sue Randall), in in jail for the murder that he claims that he did not commit. Lucy is so much in love with the young Mathis that she helps him escape from the cell in the Marshal's office.
It will come down to Lucas asking the town drunk about the murder that things start to become clear. A pocket of change will break the case wide-open.
With some of the better actors in the business this episode was bound for enjoyment. Even though it ended rather abruptly, this story held up and made for a entertaining show. Good watch.
In the mean time, Billy Mathis (Michael Landon), which has been dating the dead man's daughter named Lucy (Sue Randall), in in jail for the murder that he claims that he did not commit. Lucy is so much in love with the young Mathis that she helps him escape from the cell in the Marshal's office.
It will come down to Lucas asking the town drunk about the murder that things start to become clear. A pocket of change will break the case wide-open.
With some of the better actors in the business this episode was bound for enjoyment. Even though it ended rather abruptly, this story held up and made for a entertaining show. Good watch.
The biggest stars in North Fork
frank41229 September 2020
Chuck Connors and Johnny Crawford host the best whodunit in TV history and Michael Landon and John Carradine round out the best cast. The question is, "Who killed John Hallager?" The plot ratchets up wonderfully in this perplexing mystery. The one and only Paul Fix arrests Landon as he is the only one with the motivation. William Schallert is just a knife salesman passing through, or is he? Does the town drunk (Vic Perrin) have a missing piece of the puzzle? The sheriff and Landon's girl friend (Lucy Hallager) are depending on Connors to sort it all out. Look for a great segment with Carradine stunning the town folk with with his spectacular mentalist skills.
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