The episode that scared me was with Roddy McDow looking at a painting of a graveyard, looks away, then the coffin out of the grave. The again looks away from painting. Later he looks at it again, a dead person walking out from the coffin. Away he looks. Comes back to the painting, the corps getting closer and closer to the house, then a knocking at the door. That was my scariest episode.
Likely a reworking of the M.R. James ghost story, "The Mezzotint" (1904). A variation was also done in the fantasy movie, "The Witches". (1990). I like all three.
this episode has stuck with me all this time. thanks for mentioning it! I wanted to search for it, but didn't know how to describe it to google. of all the episodes, i only remeber this one.
Yes that episode was very scary and cringy. I was paranoid about bugs getting into my ears. The only thing that rivaled this episode was the ceti eel scene from star trek 2 the wrath of Khan.
@@matthewparker8607 That's the only other example of a movie exploiting that particular fear. Both of them did it justice. Anyone who got water in their ear as a kid will sympathize.
@@JohnInTheShelter Yes I know what you mean. A friend of mine's nephew somehow someway had a bee crawl into his ear when he was on a camping trip in the woods. I am quite sure he wouldn't appreciate this topic for it didn't sting him it was just the fact that it happened.
As a kid I think the one that gave me the most nightmares was the one where Artie Lang was a DJ that got transferred by his bosses to a station in an abandoned town. The weird records, the chanting, etc. it definitely kept me awake for some nights.
I always thought that ep was creepy as hell--still do! The direction really catches that 'dead of night' tone. The original casting was for Mickey Rooney, but he quit. Artie Johnson (Artie Lang would be weird but interesting in the part) isn't much of an actor but he does come off as appropriately phony.
No defense required. When I got the DVD and rewatched it my first thought was, "Wait--Artie Johnson?" My mind had completely erased the lead character. :P
I knew which one it was before it started because it's the episode I want to forget but I can't. Gee thanks for the reminder. Lol... And I'm watching right before bedtime. Thanks again John. Lol.
Laurence Harvey knew he had cancer when he did this episode, and actually went off his meds when they filmed the scene where he was suffering the movement of the earwig. He was REALLY feeling the pain during that scene. Harvey's not much of an actor, IMO, but this was one of his finest performances - second only to The Manchurian Candidate. The Tom Wright painting is not only one of his best, he admitted it was his favorite of the Night Gallery paintings, and he made sure to claim it after filming was complete.
In both cases--this ep and MANCHURIAN--he was perfectly cast. He always looked psychologically PAINED, like he was always wracked by some great anxiety.
@@JohnInTheShelter And it worked for these characters. But I felt he looked laughable when stepping outside this straitjacket. That said, he also did a fairly good Columbo episode, The Most Dangerous Match, which may actually have been his final performance. My take: I don't think he was as good as some of the classic Columbo villains like Jack Cassidy. I didn't think he had a good relationship with Peter Falk, and that's important to develop the give and take. Weird thing: Laurence Harvey had a daughter, Domino, who was a bounty hunter. Somehow, that doesn't mesh very well with her father's persona, does it? /snerk
She had to have been very young when he died. She died young, too. One of my brothers is the biggest Columbo fan I know (I'm surprised how many people who weren't even born in the early seventies love the show). He indeed looked like hell in that ep. Jack Cassidy, Robert Culp and Patrick McGoohan are his favorite Columbo villains, but I think Lee Grant set the mold for the best villains: they're smart, and tho they don't LIKE Columbo, in the end they RESPECT that they were outwitted by him.
I just learned the Blu-rays have commentary tracks on most episodes, I'm a sucker for that behind the scenes stuff, so I may have to double dip. One of the few shows from when I was a kid that hold up, because it's not about the effects, but the acting and direction. Thanks for the comment.
That was one of the segments in the pilot film. I like all three, and McDowell was great as a total creep. I wondered why a guy from the deep south had an English accent.
was around 4 or 5 when i saw this episode (the 1st night gallery for me). i'm 56 now and have never forgotten the earwig, along with roddy mcdowal and john carradine's episodes, the mermaid and the growing broach
One of my fav eps. And the ending? Wow!!!!!! The story has stuck with me when I was a teen even until now @ 62. I just today found out abt the actor had cancer and went off his meds when he did "the scene" No wonder it was top-notch because the pain he was feeling was real. I agree, this is an episode that is top notch and highly scary. Not with jump cuts but the mental/psychological horror.
Harvey looked a lot healthier just a year or two earlier, but he always looked emaciated to me. That they didn't need gimmicks, just his agonized performance, is a tribute to his skill. I can still recall the snap of seeing the ending for the first time.
Universal had no many talented people working there. I’m sure you’ve read Scott Skelton’s fine book on the series. So many interesting behind the scenes stories on this much loved series
I remember the story and terror from when I was a kid but didn't realize it was a Night Gallery until recently. it truly is a terrifying scenario with an insect eating your brain and killing you slowly. I think I saw a post on the guy that did most of the paintings - that was super interesting! Best from Colorado.
I remember seeing the reruns of Night Gallery on late Saturday night early Sunday morning on my local Fox affiliate WHNS 21 during the late 80s early 90s along with Freddy's Nightmares, Friday the 13th The Series, and The New Twilight Zone. It was their version of "Saturday Nightmares" back then and a great time to stay up late and be scared on Saturday nights. especially when you watch Fox 21.
Harvey was suffering from stomach cancer at the time and stopped taking his meds to be convincing in the role. Yeah, this one scared all of us kids when this show was on!
I've heard that about him, and it seems accurate. He looks like he's in Hell, and it really sells the horror. It's been interesting for me to see these NIGHT GALLERY episodes many years later, and compare my memories with the actual eps. It has its share of weak segments, but some of them hold up. There are some that are more 'chilling' or 'eerie' than scary, but that's good, too--an example would be "Cool Air."
I generally don't like doll horror but that's an exception. I love how John Williams has no real affection for the girl but he tries, and A doll could have been the beginning of some affection between the two. The damned doll is creepy looking.
I wish all the paintings from the show were available in an actual gallery to look at. Anyway, I think a centipede crawling into yr ear would be a lot creepier.
If you're not averse to black and white. the series THRILLER hosted by Boris Karloff adapted stories from some of the same magazines. Some very cool episodes.
It was pretty scary but The Dead Man was also quite frighting and The Sin Eater, well John Boy Walton, i,e, Richard Thomas played his role with such pathos and pain he deserved an Oscar.
"The Sin Eater" - that was my next choice after "The Caterpillar." Icky AF, and Richard Thomas was actually really good in a role that had to stretch him outside of his comfort zone.
One of my favorites was the one with Carl Betz and Louise Sorel, hope I spelled it right. It dealt with a experiment that involved a live man under scientific control through Betz that could die, wake up from death by a simple series of knocks. However when Betz found out his wife was fooling around with the subject Betz whether purposely or not made a wrong selection of knocks. The subject didn't awake from death. The experiment failed. That was after months that he made the wrong selection of knocks. The wife in a mad frenzy found the code and ran madly to the family crypt where the body of her withered corpse lover stood. She banged the coffin lid with the proper selection. The final scene is one of the most terrifying ever filmed . At least my opinion. I've enjoyed Night Gallery. One of the best supernatural shows ever created.
It was between "Caterpillar" and "The Sins of the Fathers" for me, and "Caterpillar" won on scares, but "Sins" wins on atmosphere. Thomas going into his 'fake' agony was crazy. They managed to make Barbara Steele look like a spinster. Geraldine Page looked like a lunatic.
This is also one of my all-time favorite episodes of TNG, including "The Camera Obscura". The T.V. show "House" has a bizarre two part episode called "Euphoria ", in which you can find somewhat similar to the "Caterpillar" episode in creep factor.
Our den was more creepy than the episode. Wonder if Star Trek II gave this a nod? Poor Laurence. He was drained from the Columbo episode he was on. Awesome critique bro.
Night Gallery is a truly fantastic series, it's well put together and well executed, albeit there are some episodes that are better than others. I strongly encourage you to see it if you haven't seen it already. One Step Beyond is another very good series, albeit thats from a good bit earlier than Night Gallery.
This episode was one of a very few that got under my skin (pun intended), and NEVER left. I watched the series when it was first aired. The show was a brilliant concept after Serling’s Twilight Zone. That is, until they screwed with it and ruined it.
The story of WHY Serling had no control over the series is kinda sad, actually; he figured they wanted him to RUN the show, and wouldn't have signed the contract if he knew they just wanted him to write and host, while Jack Laird had control. I blame Serling's agent or lawyer who didn't explain what he was signing.
@@JohnInTheShelter - I knew something about Serling's trouble with Night Gallery, but not much. What a damn shame. I knew that's why the show suddenly turned into some sort of silly psychic detective show, which is when I stopped watching it. Serling was one of the best and most creative minds in television, and was treated like crap. I still miss him being in the world.
She's mesmerizing. The third season of NIGHT GALLERY was really bad--Serling had next to nothing to do with it, his name isn't even in the title anymore--but she starred in the only really good sp that year, "The GIrl with the Hungry Eyes."
Great(?) memories for you there -- very creepy stuff for sure. As far as I know, "Night Gallery" didn't make it across the Atlantic, unfortunately, so it was "Tales of the Unexpected" for me in the UK back in the 1970s and early 80s. My favourite episode was "Skin": In post-war Paris Drioli, an elderly down-and-out, sees a painting for sale by his old friend Soutine, who is now a best-selling artist. Thirty years earlier Soutine tattooed a portrait of Drioli's wife onto his back and it has become extremely valuable. But it is on his back and therefore worthless...
We got that over here in the late 70s, too. I was a little baffled because some eps were horror, some crime stories. Did you get THRILLER? It had great potential but only lasted 2 seasons for the same reason--it couldn't decide if it was mystery crime anthology or horror anthology, so it tried to be both. See them if you can; it was older so in black and white, but terrific production values and actors, and many good stories. I'm surprised GALLERY didn't make it in the UK. Did you get TWILIGHT ZONE? Both shows reflect the hit-and-miss qualities of any anthology show, but it's not like shows with continuing casts don't have their own lame eps. I might have to so a couple eps of ...UNEXPECTED. I liked some of them very much, and only later learned they were mostly eps based on Dahl stories. One episode of GHOST STORY, a one-season show, had a great ep starring Dahl's wife, Patricia Neal; she got an Emmy nomination for best actress for that ep. I have only lately started hunting for horror anthology shows, because I've gotten back into short horror stories. (Have yet to watch BLACK MIRROR.)
P.S. The UNEXPECTED ep that really grabbed me was one that couldn't get made here (maybe not there, either), a real chiller about a guy following a young girl. Yikes for real.
@@JohnInTheShelter Supposedly, Thriller got cancelled because Alfred Hitchcock didn't like having a show so close to his concept on HIS network, and he used his influence to cancel the show. Maybe he was jealous of Karloff? I read that one of the reasons he pushed to make his show an hour long was due to Thriller. I never really got into Thriller - it was one of those anthologies where I found myself watching the intro (it's Karloff, after all), then moved on to something else. I got it on DVD mostly to rip the isolated scores out of it (it's Pete Rugolo and Jerry Goldsmith, after all). Anyway, I'm a big original Twilight Zone fan, so that's going to take precedence over all. Shame Karloff never appeared on the Zone.
Great to see another Goldsmith freak in our little community. (My first Goldsmith vinyl was LOGAN'S RUN, yes I'm that old.) The THRILLER box set is a model for how to do it. Almost all of the scores are isolated (I think JG got his first Emmy nomination from THRILLER). I enjoyed Hitchcock's show, because I love film noir and crime movies, too, but the crime eps of THRILLER don't hold up for me. THRILLER did Gothic horror, mostly non-Lovecraft WEIRD TALES adaptations, and wish they'd focused on supernatural horror exclusively. I know it's an acquired taste and hard to execute on TV but really enjoy the best of them. It's also fun to hear Goldsmith as he was starting out; you can hear the roots of some of his stylistic tools in those scores.
No, the most frightning music theme ever created for a television show is the original 80s Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack episodes. That song, STILL creeps me out and makes me feel really uncomfortable if not downright terrified and I'm 45.
I wish they would. But part of the attraction of the old ones is they didn't have much to work with, effects-wise--THRILLER's horror episodes were even more into suggestive darkness. Thanks for commenting.
Those bugs were a plague in the 70s and did you know that she was good friends with Sharon Tate and I believe she had lunch with her a short time before the murders 🌹
Still remember this episode, but will always remember the one where the husband hypnotized his wife's boyfriend he was dead then couldn't remember how to wake him up.
Dammit! I remember this now. Thanks a lot! HA! Biden. Okay we earwigs here in Oklahoma, and those pinchers don't feel to good. When we get rainy weather coming in they get really bad as they try getting in.
Harvey may have made couple mistakes. Even if he got the woman of his dreams, maybe after couple months she might be a nightmare. Really naggy and unloving. Second her husband and her are in partnership with the earwig guy; taking out life insurance on all their guests from England. 😂😂😂
He didn't think ahead, which is the common flaw among people who kill their romantic rivals with ear bugs. Besides, all she did all day was knit. The place is already boring enough, what's the attraction here?
I LOVE that one, but what irked me on rewatching was the score--it's played like a fantasy, where I remembered it as a HORROR story--ex. the monster coming into the house. "Brenda" is the ep title. I wanna strip the score out and replace it with something scary.
Loved this show as a kid but the scariest tv theme music belongs to "Suspense Theater" hands down! Once you hear it all the over 60s folks are gonna go "Yep, True" Lol!!
Channel 56??? WLVI???? Boston area channel... watched a ton of that myself in the day! & I loved this Ep! (My ear actually started to ich while watching your review!
56 had the best reruns, like LOVE AMERICAN STYLE and THE OUTER LIMITS, while 38 had Bruins. I was scratching my damn head while editing this thing. Looks like I won't be making a video of DELIVERENCE (Ned Beatty RIP).
I think you mean "Trilogy of Terror"? I did a video of that that's in the shop for repairs. CIRCLE OF FEAR had a couple of good eps. As sometimes happens they cancelled it before it could get its bearings.
Stephen King must have never had a *goddamn headache!!!* Lol. Nerves don't "feel" pain, they simply conduct it. Conduct where? To the organ that actually can feel it: the brain! If the problem is alredy in there, what does it matter that it bypassed the conducters?
I am old, and had no memory when I was young, so every video will have at least one massive error. I will award prizes to those who collect the most. We'll call them I don't know Johnisms or something equally original.
You mentioned the movie where an alien bursts out of a man's stomach. That scene has stuck in my memory for a long time. In fact, last year I was having complications of auto-immune disease where my stomach was highly inflamed & when I talked to the doctor I referenced that movie to describe the severe pressure that I was feeling. Doctor fully understood what I was trying to say. Thankfully, I recovered from the exacerbation. But I will "never" forget the feeling.
Dan O'Bannon, who wrote ALIEN, was inpsired from his own suffering from Crohn's disease, which is related to the immune system. He described the pain involved, and how writing the scene exorcised some of his feelings.
@@JohnInTheShelter That's most interesting info. I hear people w Crohn's has a lot of suffering. And yes you are correct it is related to the immune system. Thanks
This was based on an Oscar Cooke story. I don't think I've ever seen an ep of TALES OF MYSTERY... but I remember a Kipling short story about a guy who gets revenge on a prince or king using...a snake, maybe? I'll check it out, thanks for the comment.
I've enjoyed the complete Night Gallery television series many times over the years. I watched it's original run plus enjoying it for many many years in re-runs. This episode was one of many that freaked me out 100% more than others. It's a dark creepy episode and the ending of the episode is classic horror. Loved watching this UA-cam video. Thank you! 🤗
Thanks so much for the kind words. Yeah, for all its supposed and real flaws, this series has a place in my heart. It manages to be comfortable i.e. 'cozy,' but the horror material stays with me. It was a pleasant thrill to watch this episode again to make the video, and I found the ep just as scary as when I first saw it.
@john in the shelter Actually, *every* episode of Night Gallery was terrifying. I LOVED, ( I *STILL* love ), Night Gallery. Night Gallery was a BETTER show than Twilight Zone, no matter what any troll says / disagrees with me. 😒
@@JohnInTheShelter Honestly I don't remember the funny comments at the of the videos. 😬 Anyways, I'm so glad someone LOVED Night Gallery just as much as I did ! ! ! ! ! 🤗
Your explanation of this episode meandered off at the end and became a little incoherent. Try re-editing this and being a little bit more focused. But that’s just my opinion.
I get your point, but I try to never discuss the endings, so I kind of wrap things up with final thoughts. I want to be as vague as possible while being informative and fun. I know that doesn't work for everyone. Thanks for the feedback, it's always helpful to hear other opinions. Keep watching and (when necessary) criticizing, I reall appreciate it.
You didn’t really need to inject your political views in here. Although you could compare Trump to an earwig and wouldn’t be too far off the mark. Actually he’s more like the Lawrence Harvey character. A scoundrel to the core.
"You didn’t really need to inject your political views in here." Immediately injects his own political views. On someone else's page. I think I'll do whatever I please on my own channel, thanks.
Hilarious! "Political Views"? A picture of Biden? Dementia would be similar to having ones brain "eaten away" so I would think the picture quite appropriate in a symbolic way.
The episode that scared me was with Roddy McDow looking at a painting of a graveyard, looks away, then the coffin out of the grave. The again looks away from painting. Later he looks at it again, a dead person walking out from the coffin. Away he looks. Comes back to the painting, the corps getting closer and closer to the house, then a knocking at the door.
That was my scariest episode.
Likely a reworking of the M.R. James ghost story, "The Mezzotint" (1904). A variation was also done in the fantasy movie, "The Witches". (1990). I like all three.
That was the first segment of the pilot film. I love the third segment, also about a painting, "The Escape Route."
this episode has stuck with me all this time. thanks for mentioning it! I wanted to search for it, but didn't know how to describe it to google.
of all the episodes, i only remeber this one.
Yep. It was great story telling and very scary
Thanks for sticking up for this episode. My sister slept with cotton in her ears for two months after seeing this.
Your sister has great taste in nightmares.
So did I ‼️
Yes that episode was very scary and cringy. I was paranoid about bugs getting into my ears. The only thing that rivaled this episode was the ceti eel scene from star trek 2 the wrath of Khan.
@@matthewparker8607 That's the only other example of a movie exploiting that particular fear. Both of them did it justice. Anyone who got water in their ear as a kid will sympathize.
@@JohnInTheShelter Yes I know what you mean. A friend of mine's nephew somehow someway had a bee crawl into his ear when he was on a camping trip in the woods. I am quite sure he wouldn't appreciate this topic for it didn't sting him it was just the fact that it happened.
As a kid I think the one that gave me the most nightmares was the one where Artie Lang was a DJ that got transferred by his bosses to a station in an abandoned town. The weird records, the chanting, etc. it definitely kept me awake for some nights.
I always thought that ep was creepy as hell--still do! The direction really catches that 'dead of night' tone.
The original casting was for Mickey Rooney, but he quit. Artie Johnson (Artie Lang would be weird but interesting in the part) isn't much of an actor but he does come off as appropriately phony.
Artie JOHNSON, d’oh! In my defense, it’s close to fifty years since I saw it. And it has stayed with me.
No defense required. When I got the DVD and rewatched it my first thought was, "Wait--Artie Johnson?" My mind had completely erased the lead character. :P
I knew which one it was before it started because it's the episode I want to forget but I can't. Gee thanks for the reminder. Lol... And I'm watching right before bedtime. Thanks again John. Lol.
My telepathy must be broken. :( In return, stand by, I'm doing a 58-video series on Thomas the Tank Engine.
Laurence Harvey knew he had cancer when he did this episode, and actually went off his meds when they filmed the scene where he was suffering the movement of the earwig. He was REALLY feeling the pain during that scene.
Harvey's not much of an actor, IMO, but this was one of his finest performances - second only to The Manchurian Candidate. The Tom Wright painting is not only one of his best, he admitted it was his favorite of the Night Gallery paintings, and he made sure to claim it after filming was complete.
In both cases--this ep and MANCHURIAN--he was perfectly cast. He always looked psychologically PAINED, like he was always wracked by some great anxiety.
@@JohnInTheShelter And it worked for these characters. But I felt he looked laughable when stepping outside this straitjacket.
That said, he also did a fairly good Columbo episode, The Most Dangerous Match, which may actually have been his final performance. My take: I don't think he was as good as some of the classic Columbo villains like Jack Cassidy. I didn't think he had a good relationship with Peter Falk, and that's important to develop the give and take.
Weird thing: Laurence Harvey had a daughter, Domino, who was a bounty hunter. Somehow, that doesn't mesh very well with her father's persona, does it? /snerk
She had to have been very young when he died. She died young, too.
One of my brothers is the biggest Columbo fan I know (I'm surprised how many people who weren't even born in the early seventies love the show). He indeed looked like hell in that ep. Jack Cassidy, Robert Culp and Patrick McGoohan are his favorite Columbo villains, but I think Lee Grant set the mold for the best villains: they're smart, and tho they don't LIKE Columbo, in the end they RESPECT that they were outwitted by him.
As a child growing up night gallery was very scary to me especially that creepy music
Agreed! Gil Melle's theme was brilliant. The credit sequence really worked well with it.
@@JohnInTheShelter To this day, that wonderful opening and theme creeps me out. Love it!
I Remember watching this series as a kid. Got older and found them on DVD . Memories.
I just learned the Blu-rays have commentary tracks on most episodes, I'm a sucker for that behind the scenes stuff, so I may have to double dip. One of the few shows from when I was a kid that hold up, because it's not about the effects, but the acting and direction. Thanks for the comment.
That is the one episode that freaked me out! I would check my bedding every night after watching that one episode. I was like 12 yrs old haha
Best was in Made For TV with Roddy McDowell as the entitled ungrateful heir to an old rich man's fortune. Mystical painting brings downfall
That was one of the segments in the pilot film. I like all three, and McDowell was great as a total creep. I wondered why a guy from the deep south had an English accent.
My favorite!!
The cemetery is a classic episode 🔥🔥🔥
Does anyone know for sure if this pilot film is included in the DVD box sets of Night Gallery offered on Amazon right now. I've been wondering.
OMG, when I was a kid I couldn’t sleep the night I watched this because I didn’t want to lay my head on the pillow
Something happening inside the viewer's own body sure is freaky.
was around 4 or 5 when i saw this episode (the 1st night gallery for me). i'm 56 now and have never forgotten the earwig, along with roddy mcdowal and john carradine's episodes, the mermaid and the growing broach
There are a bunch of good ones. It's a miracle there were that many, considering the battles with the network.
Those were all really disturbing episodes.
The episode that blew my mind as a little kid was Green fingers. I still think about the episode sometimes.
Cool Air, Green Fingers, Certain Shadows on the Wall, The Caterpillar, Clean Kills and Other Trophies. These are the top five.
My sister-in-law is so creeped out by "Green Fingers" that she doesn't even want to talk about it.
Can't argue with that list. I LOVE Certain Shadows--not 'scary' but MOODY, like an M.R. James story.
The episode that caught me entirely off guard was the shocker, "A Feast of Blood", starring Sondra Locke, Clint Eastwood's then girlfriend.
yeah, that's a creepy one, too.
That thing with the long nose. Blech!
The Caterpillar was my favorite episode but Feast of Blood is right up there, it stayed w me!
Totally agree. This episode was always the one that sticks in my memory…
One of my fav eps. And the ending? Wow!!!!!! The story has stuck with me when I was a teen even until now @ 62. I just today found out abt the actor had cancer and went off his meds when he did "the scene" No wonder it was top-notch because the pain he was feeling was real. I agree, this is an episode that is top notch and highly scary. Not with jump cuts but the mental/psychological horror.
Harvey looked a lot healthier just a year or two earlier, but he always looked emaciated to me. That they didn't need gimmicks, just his agonized performance, is a tribute to his skill. I can still recall the snap of seeing the ending for the first time.
The production design for this episode was truly incredible.
Joe Alves (who went on to design JAWS and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS was a genius. He was the Rembrandt of dry ice.
Universal had no many talented people working there. I’m sure you’ve read Scott Skelton’s fine book on the series. So many interesting behind the scenes stories on this much loved series
@@jcollins1305 Scott has a scary last name, brrrrrrr.....
I remember the story and terror from when I was a kid but didn't realize it was a Night Gallery until recently. it truly is a terrifying scenario with an insect eating your brain and killing you slowly. I think I saw a post on the guy that did most of the paintings - that was super interesting! Best from Colorado.
I remember seeing the reruns of Night Gallery on late Saturday night early Sunday morning on my local Fox affiliate WHNS 21 during the late 80s early 90s along with Freddy's Nightmares, Friday the 13th The Series, and The New Twilight Zone. It was their version of "Saturday Nightmares" back then and a great time to stay up late and be scared on Saturday nights. especially when you watch Fox 21.
Anthology shows were good because it didn't matter if you ever saw the show before. Bite-sized good times.
Harvey was suffering from stomach cancer at the time and stopped taking his meds to be convincing in the role. Yeah, this one scared all of us kids when this show was on!
I've heard that about him, and it seems accurate. He looks like he's in Hell, and it really sells the horror.
It's been interesting for me to see these NIGHT GALLERY episodes many years later, and compare my memories with the actual eps. It has its share of weak segments, but some of them hold up. There are some that are more 'chilling' or 'eerie' than scary, but that's good, too--an example would be "Cool Air."
Great episode but for me it was The Doll.
I generally don't like doll horror but that's an exception. I love how John Williams has no real affection for the girl but he tries, and A doll could have been the beginning of some affection between the two. The damned doll is creepy looking.
Joanna Pettet was wonderful in many films/tv shows...
She was very good in THE EVIL as Richard Crenna's wife. I think it's her biggest role in a horror movie, based on screen time.
She was also awesomely beautiful!
I wish all the paintings from the show were available in an actual gallery to look at. Anyway, I think a centipede crawling into yr ear would be a lot creepier.
Scared the hell out of me. Refuse to ever watch it again!!!!!
It absolutely freaked me out when I first saw it, and it's still potent.
Night gallery had intriguing and scary stories. I miss this show.
If you're not averse to black and white. the series THRILLER hosted by Boris Karloff adapted stories from some of the same magazines. Some very cool episodes.
It was pretty scary but The Dead Man was also quite frighting and The Sin Eater, well John Boy Walton, i,e, Richard Thomas played his role with such pathos and pain he deserved an Oscar.
"The Sin Eater" - that was my next choice after "The Caterpillar." Icky AF, and Richard Thomas was actually really good in a role that had to stretch him outside of his comfort zone.
One of my favorites was the one with Carl Betz and Louise Sorel, hope I spelled it right. It dealt with a experiment that involved a live man under scientific control through Betz that could die, wake up from death by a simple series of knocks. However when Betz found out his wife was fooling around with the subject Betz whether purposely or not made a wrong selection of knocks. The subject didn't awake from death. The experiment failed. That was after months that he made the wrong selection of knocks. The wife in a mad frenzy found the code and ran madly to the family crypt where the body of her withered corpse lover stood. She banged the coffin lid with the proper selection. The final scene is one of the most terrifying ever filmed . At least my opinion. I've enjoyed Night Gallery. One of the best supernatural shows ever created.
Tv programs don't receive Oscars.
@@michaeldavidfigures9842 Ok, well then a Grammy or an Emmey or whatever trophy t,v, people win.
It was between "Caterpillar" and "The Sins of the Fathers" for me, and "Caterpillar" won on scares, but "Sins" wins on atmosphere. Thomas going into his 'fake' agony was crazy. They managed to make Barbara Steele look like a spinster. Geraldine Page looked like a lunatic.
This is also one of my all-time favorite episodes of TNG, including "The Camera Obscura".
The T.V. show "House" has a bizarre two part episode called "Euphoria ", in which you can find somewhat similar to the "Caterpillar" episode in creep factor.
Thanks, will look for it. "Camera Obscura" is a real nightmare--especially that green/foggy look to everything in the other world.
Our den was more creepy than the episode. Wonder if Star Trek II gave this a nod? Poor Laurence. He was drained from the Columbo episode he was on. Awesome critique bro.
In the Columbo ep he looked worse than when he had a bug in his brain. Columbo could do that to a guy.
Night Gallery is a truly fantastic series, it's well put together and well executed, albeit there are some episodes that are better than others. I strongly encourage you to see it if you haven't seen it already. One Step Beyond is another very good series, albeit thats from a good bit earlier than Night Gallery.
I second ONE STEP BEYOND recommendation. Also, THRILLER, which is even earlier.
This episode was one of a very few that got under my skin (pun intended), and NEVER left. I watched the series when it was first aired. The show was a brilliant concept after Serling’s Twilight Zone. That is, until they screwed with it and ruined it.
The story of WHY Serling had no control over the series is kinda sad, actually; he figured they wanted him to RUN the show, and wouldn't have signed the contract if he knew they just wanted him to write and host, while Jack Laird had control. I blame Serling's agent or lawyer who didn't explain what he was signing.
@@JohnInTheShelter - I knew something about Serling's trouble with Night Gallery, but not much. What a damn shame. I knew that's why the show suddenly turned into some sort of silly psychic detective show, which is when I stopped watching it. Serling was one of the best and most creative minds in television, and was treated like crap. I still miss him being in the world.
So very good, John ! Evokes great memories for me, too. Pettit was a real beauty, as was Harvey..
She's mesmerizing. The third season of NIGHT GALLERY was really bad--Serling had next to nothing to do with it, his name isn't even in the title anymore--but she starred in the only really good sp that year, "The GIrl with the Hungry Eyes."
Chanel 56! I grew up in Little Compton RI and always watched this!
They had the best reruns--Night Gallery, Outer Limits, Star Trek.
Great(?) memories for you there -- very creepy stuff for sure. As far as I know, "Night Gallery" didn't make it across the Atlantic, unfortunately, so it was "Tales of the Unexpected" for me in the UK back in the 1970s and early 80s. My favourite episode was "Skin": In post-war Paris Drioli, an elderly down-and-out, sees a painting for sale by his old friend Soutine, who is now a best-selling artist. Thirty years earlier Soutine tattooed a portrait of Drioli's wife onto his back and it has become extremely valuable. But it is on his back and therefore worthless...
We got that over here in the late 70s, too. I was a little baffled because some eps were horror, some crime stories. Did you get THRILLER? It had great potential but only lasted 2 seasons for the same reason--it couldn't decide if it was mystery crime anthology or horror anthology, so it tried to be both. See them if you can; it was older so in black and white, but terrific production values and actors, and many good stories.
I'm surprised GALLERY didn't make it in the UK. Did you get TWILIGHT ZONE? Both shows reflect the hit-and-miss qualities of any anthology show, but it's not like shows with continuing casts don't have their own lame eps.
I might have to so a couple eps of ...UNEXPECTED. I liked some of them very much, and only later learned they were mostly eps based on Dahl stories. One episode of GHOST STORY, a one-season show, had a great ep starring Dahl's wife, Patricia Neal; she got an Emmy nomination for best actress for that ep.
I have only lately started hunting for horror anthology shows, because I've gotten back into short horror stories. (Have yet to watch BLACK MIRROR.)
P.S. The UNEXPECTED ep that really grabbed me was one that couldn't get made here (maybe not there, either), a real chiller about a guy following a young girl. Yikes for real.
@@JohnInTheShelter Supposedly, Thriller got cancelled because Alfred Hitchcock didn't like having a show so close to his concept on HIS network, and he used his influence to cancel the show. Maybe he was jealous of Karloff?
I read that one of the reasons he pushed to make his show an hour long was due to Thriller.
I never really got into Thriller - it was one of those anthologies where I found myself watching the intro (it's Karloff, after all), then moved on to something else. I got it on DVD mostly to rip the isolated scores out of it (it's Pete Rugolo and Jerry Goldsmith, after all). Anyway, I'm a big original Twilight Zone fan, so that's going to take precedence over all. Shame Karloff never appeared on the Zone.
Great to see another Goldsmith freak in our little community. (My first Goldsmith vinyl was LOGAN'S RUN, yes I'm that old.) The THRILLER box set is a model for how to do it. Almost all of the scores are isolated (I think JG got his first Emmy nomination from THRILLER). I enjoyed Hitchcock's show, because I love film noir and crime movies, too, but the crime eps of THRILLER don't hold up for me. THRILLER did Gothic horror, mostly non-Lovecraft WEIRD TALES adaptations, and wish they'd focused on supernatural horror exclusively. I know it's an acquired taste and hard to execute on TV but really enjoy the best of them. It's also fun to hear Goldsmith as he was starting out; you can hear the roots of some of his stylistic tools in those scores.
No, the most frightning music theme ever created for a television show is the original 80s Unsolved Mysteries with Robert Stack episodes. That song, STILL creeps me out and makes me feel really uncomfortable if not downright terrified and I'm 45.
I'll go look for it, thank you. I love love LOVE scary music.
They should make a new Night Gallery. Some of those shows were great even without big budget special effects.
I wish they would. But part of the attraction of the old ones is they didn't have much to work with, effects-wise--THRILLER's horror episodes were even more into suggestive darkness. Thanks for commenting.
Those bugs were a plague in the 70s and did you know that she was good friends with Sharon Tate and I believe she had lunch with her a short time before the murders 🌹
She and Tate have similar looks. Weren't they both in VALLEY OF THE DOLLS?
Still remember this episode, but will always remember the one where the husband hypnotized his wife's boyfriend he was dead then couldn't remember how to wake him up.
That one had a good ending. But the gimmick about waking him up was kinda weak--I caught the mistake the first time he did it.
Dammit! I remember this now. Thanks a lot! HA! Biden. Okay we earwigs here in Oklahoma, and those pinchers don't feel to good. When we get rainy weather coming in they get really bad as they try getting in.
I have a friend in Oklahoma who I haven't seen in a long time. Guess I won't be seeing her anytime soon...(Yuck)
Harvey may have made couple mistakes. Even if he got the woman of his dreams, maybe after couple months she might be a nightmare. Really naggy and unloving. Second her husband and her are in partnership with the earwig guy; taking out life insurance on all their guests from England. 😂😂😂
He didn't think ahead, which is the common flaw among people who kill their romantic rivals with ear bugs. Besides, all she did all day was knit. The place is already boring enough, what's the attraction here?
I was little when these aired. The Doll episode and the earwig episode were terrifying to me. I only remember these 2!!
They both seem to be the ones that stick with people. My personal #2 is "The Sins of the Fathers," but most people don't seem to like that one.
Used to love this show...
Ditto. As a kid it was Space:1999. Night Gallery, Outer Limits and Kolchak reruns that made up my late night viewing.
My fave was one with a girl on a island that befriends a swamp thing like creature
I LOVE that one, but what irked me on rewatching was the score--it's played like a fantasy, where I remembered it as a HORROR story--ex. the monster coming into the house. "Brenda" is the ep title. I wanna strip the score out and replace it with something scary.
Loved this show as a kid but the scariest tv theme music belongs to "Suspense Theater"
hands down! Once you hear it all the over 60s folks are gonna go "Yep, True" Lol!!
Channel 56??? WLVI???? Boston area channel... watched a ton of that myself in the day! & I loved this Ep! (My ear actually started to ich while watching your review!
56 had the best reruns, like LOVE AMERICAN STYLE and THE OUTER LIMITS, while 38 had Bruins.
I was scratching my damn head while editing this thing. Looks like I won't be making a video of DELIVERENCE (Ned Beatty RIP).
My most scariest episode from the painting to the storyline would have to be "Spectre in tap shoes".
I have it on DVD but have never watched it, will check it out.
This is right up there with "Circle of Fear", with the little warrior doll.
I think you mean "Trilogy of Terror"? I did a video of that that's in the shop for repairs.
CIRCLE OF FEAR had a couple of good eps. As sometimes happens they cancelled it before it could get its bearings.
@@JohnInTheShelter yes, I knew I was confusing two but a always had trouble with those names.
@@JohnInTheShelterGhost Story, which became Circle of Fear, had some good episodes too.
Channel 56! omg… 70’s tv had some interesting episodes.
LOL It was fun thinking about local TV and the crazy stuff they'd program.
@@JohnInTheShelter Saturday Creature Double Feature!
I can remember my disappointment when it changed to plain Creature Feature. It's like our generation's "Day the Music Died."
@@JohnInTheShelter true. Now, on the Pluto app, there is whole channel devoted to Godzilla movies…. Godzilla, whenever you want, it’s not the same
Too easy. Not the rare once-per-week treat we'd look forward to.
Stephen King must have never had a *goddamn headache!!!* Lol.
Nerves don't "feel" pain, they simply conduct it. Conduct where? To the organ that actually can feel it: the brain! If the problem is alredy in there, what does it matter that it bypassed the conducters?
Obviously Steve's brain responds to cocaine.
Showed Biden, saw what you did there.
What, who, ME?!?! Thanks for commenting.
Borneo? More like “Horny-O,” am I right? Seriously: The theme for this show was unsettling. Well done.
They really need some adult entertainment there, like BINGO or a book club, so sweaty guys won't go around sticking bugs in people's ears.
This was my favorite too
We are a secret society...ready to take over, using the power of bugs...
I Thought Fright Night was. Cousin Zackeryer.
YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!
I am old, and had no memory when I was young, so every video will have at least one massive error. I will award prizes to those who collect the most. We'll call them I don't know Johnisms or something equally original.
You mentioned the movie where an alien bursts out of a man's stomach. That scene has stuck in my memory for a long time. In fact, last year I was having complications of auto-immune disease where my stomach was highly inflamed & when I talked to the doctor I referenced that movie to describe the severe pressure that I was feeling. Doctor fully understood what I was trying to say. Thankfully, I recovered from the exacerbation. But I will "never" forget the feeling.
Dan O'Bannon, who wrote ALIEN, was inpsired from his own suffering from Crohn's disease, which is related to the immune system. He described the pain involved, and how writing the scene exorcised some of his feelings.
@@JohnInTheShelter That's most interesting info. I hear people w Crohn's has a lot of suffering. And yes you are correct it is related to the immune system. Thanks
Was this made as an ITV Tales of Mystery and Imagination episode based on a Rudyard Kipling or Roald Dahl story?
This was based on an Oscar Cooke story. I don't think I've ever seen an ep of TALES OF MYSTERY... but I remember a Kipling short story about a guy who gets revenge on a prince or king using...a snake, maybe? I'll check it out, thanks for the comment.
I've enjoyed the complete Night Gallery television series many times over the years. I watched it's original run plus enjoying it for many many years in re-runs. This episode was one of many that freaked me out 100% more than others. It's a dark creepy episode and the ending of the episode is classic horror. Loved watching this UA-cam video. Thank you! 🤗
Thanks so much for the kind words. Yeah, for all its supposed and real flaws, this series has a place in my heart. It manages to be comfortable i.e. 'cozy,' but the horror material stays with me. It was a pleasant thrill to watch this episode again to make the video, and I found the ep just as scary as when I first saw it.
I thought it would be "The Doll".
This story didn't scare me at all.
Horror is like humor, what you think is scary or funny won't bother me at all. Thanks for the comment.
The creepiest one for me was the caterpillar.
Me, too, but I hope you like this one. ;)
I feel this
This ep really left a mark. Thanks for commenting.
why not tell us the ending???im never going to see it and i wanna know
LOL Ask me again in a week. I hope you get driven to watch it. X)
@john in the shelter
Actually, *every* episode of Night Gallery was terrifying.
I LOVED, ( I *STILL* love ), Night Gallery.
Night Gallery was a BETTER show than Twilight Zone, no matter what any troll says / disagrees with me. 😒
I could do without the 'funny' bits at the end. tho. Thanks for commenting.
@@JohnInTheShelter
Honestly I don't remember the funny comments at the of the videos. 😬
Anyways, I'm so glad someone LOVED Night Gallery just as much as I did ! ! ! ! ! 🤗
SPEAK UP!
I try.
really?
Your explanation of this episode meandered off at the end and became a little incoherent. Try re-editing this and being a little bit more focused. But that’s just my opinion.
I get your point, but I try to never discuss the endings, so I kind of wrap things up with final thoughts. I want to be as vague as possible while being informative and fun. I know that doesn't work for everyone. Thanks for the feedback, it's always helpful to hear other opinions. Keep watching and (when necessary) criticizing, I reall appreciate it.
You didn’t really need to inject your political views in here. Although you could compare Trump to an earwig and wouldn’t be too far off the mark. Actually he’s more like the Lawrence Harvey character. A scoundrel to the core.
"You didn’t really need to inject your political views in here."
Immediately injects his own political views. On someone else's page.
I think I'll do whatever I please on my own channel, thanks.
Hilarious! "Political Views"? A picture of Biden? Dementia would be similar to having ones brain "eaten away" so I would think the picture quite appropriate in a symbolic way.