With this episode, the bar had been set VERY high indeed for "Thriller". It's amazing to see how a series which had until recently been churning out "Big Blackout" and "Man in the Middle" could turn around and unleash this one on an unsuspecting public.
I love Karloff's entrance onscreen, as the camera pans away from Henry Daniell's horror-stricken face, with Boris then appearing as if walking through a field of blackness. Wonderful structure to the teleplay and an excellent production in every way.
I am always intrigued by the actual HOUSE that was selected for the Van Prynn residence; it's hardly a typical haunted mansion, and one wonders how the Act 4 action could have taken place in such a small-ish, mundane looking structure. But that's perhaps part of the mystique of the show.
Harry Townes does an excellent job in a pivotal role. Townes could chew the scenery with the best of 'em, but here he stops just short, creating a portrait of an eccentric, pompous and very driven man. And let's not forget the always impressive Dayton Lummis as Clarence, who does a nice job of taking a gigantic knitting needle through the heart. Ouch! And, of course, the great Henry Daniell makes the first of his five appearances in the series; what a stroke of brilliance to hire this greatest (and my favorite) of old-time Hollywood villains.
A terrific introduction to "Thriller" for the uninitiated; it really typifies what this show could accomplish when everything and everyone was functioning at peak level, starting with Robert Bloch's deliciously wicked script.
The true glory period of "Thriller" still lay some months ahead, but "The Cheaters" set the standard. A true classic. LR
I love Karloff's entrance onscreen, as the camera pans away from Henry Daniell's horror-stricken face, with Boris then appearing as if walking through a field of blackness. Wonderful structure to the teleplay and an excellent production in every way.
I am always intrigued by the actual HOUSE that was selected for the Van Prynn residence; it's hardly a typical haunted mansion, and one wonders how the Act 4 action could have taken place in such a small-ish, mundane looking structure. But that's perhaps part of the mystique of the show.
Harry Townes does an excellent job in a pivotal role. Townes could chew the scenery with the best of 'em, but here he stops just short, creating a portrait of an eccentric, pompous and very driven man. And let's not forget the always impressive Dayton Lummis as Clarence, who does a nice job of taking a gigantic knitting needle through the heart. Ouch! And, of course, the great Henry Daniell makes the first of his five appearances in the series; what a stroke of brilliance to hire this greatest (and my favorite) of old-time Hollywood villains.
A terrific introduction to "Thriller" for the uninitiated; it really typifies what this show could accomplish when everything and everyone was functioning at peak level, starting with Robert Bloch's deliciously wicked script.
The true glory period of "Thriller" still lay some months ahead, but "The Cheaters" set the standard. A true classic. LR