The Ordeal of Dr. Cordell (7 Mar. 1961)

In a lab mishap, chemist Dr. Frank Cordell is exposed to an experimental gas that causes him to turn into a homicidal maniac when he hears the sound of ringing bells.

Director:

Laslo Benedek

Writer:

Donald S. Sanford

Stars:

Boris Karloff, Robert Vaughn, Kathleen Crowley

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Boris Karloff	...	Himself
Robert Vaughn	...	Dr. Frank Cordell
Kathleen Crowley	...	Dr. Lois Walker
Robert Ellenstein	...	Dr. Brauner
Russ Conway	...	Lt. Boutaric
Marlo Thomas	...	Susan Baker
Helen Brown	...	Mrs. Heath
Lorrie Richards	...	Secretary
Aron Kincaid	...	Speaker at Pep Rally (as Norm Williams)

Storyline

In a lab mishap, chemist Dr. Frank Cordell is exposed to an experimental gas that causes him to turn into a homicidal maniac when he hears the sound of ringing bells.

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Plot Keywords:

character name in title

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 March 1961 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Revue Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hubbell Robinson Productions, National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Three cast members celebrate birthdays on successive days: Marlo Thomas was born on November 21, Robert Vaughn on Nov. 22, and Boris Karloff on Nov. 23.

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Goofs

In the climactic scene with the chapel bell, the peals of the bell don't always match the movements of the clapper.

User Reviews

"It's all a matter of chemistry..., brain chemistry."

One of my favorite things about these old TV series is seeing who turns up in them. By the time this episode of 'Thriller' aired, Robert Vaughn had a slew of TV guest spots spanning his early career, on his way to a star turn as Napoleon Solo in 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.'. Perhaps a bigger surprise in this story was catching Marlo Thomas in one of her earliest guest appearances as the student who got lost on her way to the library. Too bad for her character, but at least her demise was done off screen.

This one had an interesting premise. A college lab scientist (Vaughn) accidentally discovers a new kind of gas and is overcome by it's fumes during a failed experiment. Afterwards, the effects of the fumes cause him to have a violent reaction to the sound of bells, from the little tinkly kind to the huge one in the bell tower on campus. The visual effects of Dr. Cordell's contorted face as he goes berserk over the bell sounds is actually quite well done and kind of unique for the era. I don't recall anything similar coming out of the same period.

I wouldn't be surprised if the story was inspired in part by Hitchcock's "Vertigo" with the final scene where Lois Walker (Kathleen Crowley) tries to help Dr. Cordell. Taking place at the top of the bell tower, Vaughn's character fails to stop the huge chime from tolling out his own death knell. Personally, I wondered why he didn't run the other way, instead he winds up a real dead ringer.