The Premature Burial (2 Oct. 1961)

An aging millionaire survives being buried alive, but his devilish fiancée plans to take advantage of his next cataleptic seizure, by marrying him and then making sure he stays in his grave... See full summary »

Director:

Douglas Heyes

Writers:

William D. Gordon (adaptation), Douglas Heyes (adaptation),

Stars:

Boris Karloff, Sidney Blackmer, Scott Marlowe

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Boris Karloff	...	Himself - Host / Dr. Thorne
Sidney Blackmer	...	Edward Stapleton
Scott Marlowe	...	Julian Boucher
Patricia Medina	...	Victorine Lafourcade
William D. Gordon	...	Doctor March
Richard Flato	...	The Friar
Lillian O'Malley	...	The Housekeeper
J. Pat O'Malley	...	The Butler

Storyline

An aging millionaire survives being buried alive, but his devilish fiancée plans to take advantage of his next cataleptic seizure, by marrying him and then making sure he stays in his grave. Then the gorgeous Victorine will inherit his estate, and run off with her young lover, a painter. But the cataleptic millionaire and his loyal physician Dr. Thorn take every possible measure to allow him to survive another mistaken entombment.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 October 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

User Reviews

second episode to feature a rare acting turn for Karloff(no. 40)

Boris Karloff himself stars in this effective update of the Poe tale,featuring Sidney Blackmer as the terrified Edward Stapleton,a cataleptic who has survived the trauma of being buried alive and takes precautions to avoid a second mistake.It is Stapleton's caring physician,Doctor Thorne(Karloff),whose inquisitiveness leads to the not-yet-dead man's revival,aiding his quest to install a bell in his casket in the family vault.Stapleton marries a young bride,Victorine Lafourcade(Patricia Medina,previously seen in 29 "The Devil's Ticket"),who intends to let the poor man die so she can share his fortune with her impoverished lover(Scott Marlowe).Once Victorine sees the shrouded apparition of her late husband patrolling the grounds,she believes it is the doctor trying to ferret out her guilt.While Karloff gives a solid performance that keeps the viewers guessing,there are two actors listed on screen seemingly not in evidence at all: Lillian O'Malley as the housekeeper and J.Pat O'Malley as the butler.Sidney Blackmer's most memorable TV role(or roles)were in the second episode of 1963's "THE OUTER LIMITS," titled "The Hundred Days of the Dragon," in which he played a Presidential hopeful who is replaced by a Communist impostor using a serum that remolds his face into an exact duplicate of the candidate.