The Devil's Platform 

Kolchak discovers that a promising young politician on the rise has made a deal with the Devil to gain the ability to turn himself into a Rottweiler from Hell and murder off his competition in ways made to look like freak accidents.

Director:

Allen Baron

Writers:

Jeffrey Grant Rice (created by) (as Jeff Rice), Donn Mullally (teleplay)

Stars:

Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland, Tom Skerritt

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Darren McGavin	...	Carl Kolchak
Simon Oakland	...	Tony Vincenzo
Tom Skerritt	...	Robert W. Palmer
Julie Gregg	...	Susan Driscoll
Ellen Weston	...	Lorraine Palmer
Jack Grinnage	...	Ron Updyke
Ruth McDevitt	...	Emily Cowles
John Myhers	...	Senator James Talbot
Jeanne Cooper	...	Dr. Kline
William Mims	...	Officer Hale (as Bill Mims)
Robert DoQui	...	Park Policeman (as Robert Do Qui)
Dick Patterson	...	Stephan Wald
Stanley Adams	...	Bartender
Bill Welsh	...	T.V. Announcer

Storyline

An aspiring politician is surrounded by a series of deadly "accidents" that obliterate any opposition to his career, and Kolchak discovers a bizarre supernatural element to his campaign: a deal with the devil that affords him protection and allows him to change form into that of an ominous dog. Soon it's up to Kolchak to get him off the campaign trail once and for all.

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Plot Keywords:

dog attack | bar | political campaign | car accident | turned into an animal | 

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 November 1974 (USA)

Filming Locations:

N Franklin St and W Chicago Ave, Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Francy Productions,Universal Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

52 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Kolchak looks at the wrecked car and is told the driver survived, he replies "Lee Petty couldn't survive a crash like that!" Darren McGavin played Lee Petty in 43: The Richard Petty Story.

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Goofs

When Kolchak is viewing the two cars involved in the wreck, there is old rust visible on the damaged areas. The cars were obviously damaged longer than actually implied.

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Quotes

Tony Vincenzo: You know, I had once planned to enter the priesthood.
Carl Kolchak: And then the Inquisition ended, and all the fun went out of it for you.

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Connections

Remade as Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell (1978)

User Reviews

Satan makes a deal for a State Senator

The prince of darkness himself has made a deal with a rising politician in Illinois played by Tom Skerritt. Some very fatal things happen to people that get in his way and a campaign for State Senator in one seat of the Illinois Legislature gets strewn with death.

Now you know that the old Scratch is not interested in an obscure State Senator. He's got bigger things of course which is what Skerritt alludes to when he and Darren McGavin finally meet. Interesting also is the portrayal of Ellen Weston as Skerritt's frightened missus. Voters like their electeds married which I think is all that's keeping her alive, but scared of whatever her husband's involved in.

The ending is classic and poetic.