In the Steps of a Dead Man - Series 3 Episode 4 (Saturday 22nd June 1974)

The story...

George and Betty Cornfield are devastated when they discover that their son Tommy has been killed on army service. Their mood is lifted a little though when a soldier called Marty Fuller arrives at their home. He says he was an army friend of Tommy who helped him in his final moments. The Cornfields and Marty build a close bond and Marty also develops a close friendship with Tommy's fiancee Sheila, helping her to cope with her loss. 

The only person who doesn't seem won over by Marty is Sheila's American student friend Grace Worth. She finds it strange that Tommy never mentioned his supposed close friend Marty. She checks Tommy's diary and notices some alarming entries about his relationship with "M" who she presumes is Marty. Soon after further tragedy strikes and these terrible events drive the Cornfields even closer to Marty but maybe that is something they will regret...

Review

While opinions are mixed on the quality of the previous week's Death To Sister Mary there is no difference of opinion on this episode which is widely considered one of the Thriller greats, certainly up there with both A Coffin for the Bride and I'm the Girl He Wants to kill at the start of Series 3 which are also considered among the best in the show's history.. 

The story is a captivating one. Tommy's parents and Sheila suffer a terrible tragedy which turns their happy lives upside down. They all struggle to cope - most of all George, his father. However along comes Marty to seemingly give them hope. He talks so warmly about Tommy and brings happiness and purpose back into their lives. In fact he seems to be a new Tommy who can take his place as the son and partner they have lost.

However the viewers are all too clear that Marty is not what he seems although the exact nature of his relationship to Tommy and his motivations take time to be revealed. Marty shows a reluctance to be reminded of Tommy that should have got some alarm bells ringing. Grace - maybe with the benefit of being an outsider - astutely sees that there is something amiss with Marty and his supposed friendship with Tommy but the family are oblivious. She tries to warn Sheila but the ultimate consequences are dreadful and culminate in one of the most terrifying scenes in Thriller with Denise Buckley's acting especially impressive.

Sheila (right) finds Grace's allegations about Marty hard to take

The battle of wits between Grace and Marty is great viewing. There are echoes of the relationship between Mark Walker and Stella in A Coffin for the Bride as an attractive, charming man aims to embark on a relationship with an attractive young woman while he goes about his "business". Grace proves hard to get but with the Cornfields still on his side Marty is able to move closer to his ultimate goal - unless Grace and other forces can stop him.

Matters take a remarkable twist late on. This ending is one of the most memorable in Thriller and certainly one of the most morally provocative. "Natural" or poetic justice may seem to be very much at work but the moral quandary remains. 

This is a close to flawless episode with so much in its favour. The characters are top class. The Cornfields are a loving, devoted couple and Sheila cut from a similar cloth. However it is Marty and Grace who make the greatest impressions. He is another highly complex villain. His actions seem appallingly vindictive, not only towards Tommy but maybe even more so to the trusting, vulnerable family. He is a master of deception and manipulation. It is clear though that he has a very troubled mind, maybe destabilised by warfare, possibly by a rather more unpleasant side to Tommy than is imagined. Maybe his own lack of family lies behind such destructive behaviour - he cannot cope with the happiness of others. Grace wins admiration for her perceptiveness, persistence and ultimately bravery in pursuing such a dangerous man. It is possible, as he suggests, that she is attracted to him. It certainly appears so by her reaction on first seeing him but she resists temptation and soon gets suspicious. Of the ancillary characters the steely Sergeant O'Hara is clearly not a man to be messed with. Throughout the episode he is thwarted in his attempts to find Marty but a chance meeting may well lead to the outcome he desires.

There are many great performances. Richard Vernon, Faith Brook, John Nolan, Skye Aubrey and Derek Anders (O'Hara) are all excellent. Denise Buckley particularly comes into her own as the doubts about Marty kick in and her anguish and mixed emotions are expertly handled. Fine direction assists and even some military-themed incidental music by Laurie Johnson heightens the atmosphere but the exceptional script is the key. Remarkably the brilliant third series still had another exceptional episode to follow.

Notes

Some listings for this episode referred to Tommy Cornfield having been killed in action in Northern Ireland. No reference is made to this on-screen although it may have been referenced in script background or publicity material.

TV Movie title-watch

Perhaps it seems fitting that one of Thriller's finest episodes should also have new movie titles and music that are also well above the norm. The TVM version was the the only one available for many years and the titles start with an excellent, chilling scene of an apparently stricken soldier rising up from the dead accompanied by suitably military-styled music and battle sounds, then leading to a more eerie score as "Marty" makes his plans.

Death To Sister Mary - Series 3 Episode 3, Saturday 15th June 1974 (ITC movie title "Murder Is a One Act Play")

The story...

Penny Stacy is an actress playing "Sister Mary" in a soap opera set in a convent. She has a devoted fan called Charles Rook. Too devoted because at the start of the episode rook assaults one of Penny's co-actors - Mark Fields - telling him to "stay away from Sister Mary". Rook escapes detection for this offence and later sneaks into the studio to visit Penny, telling her he wants to set up a fan club. She is surprised but also quite flattered by his attentions and agrees. She is also surprised that he insists on calling her "Sister Mary" rather than her real name but thinks little of it.

Over time a number of other assaults and "accidents" occur involving others close to Penny, one of them fatal. Penny's on-screen father who had treated "Sister Mary" harshly is slashed badly and ends up in a coma. Meanwhile Rook's fan club plans are coming to fruition. He invites Penny to open the club which even includes a mock-up of the convent set. However he has chilling plans in store for her.. 

Review

For me and some other fans this maintains the excellent start to Series 3. I was therefore surprised to discover that it is one of the five lowest-rated episodes on the Internet Movie Database which draws upon a very wide sample of viewers. We all come to our own conclusions about every episode and I could certainly not say that those more sceptical viewers are "wrong" or that my views on it are "right". However I can outline why this is around the top ten of my favourite Thriller instalments.

Like A Coffin for the Bride there is absolutely no mystery about the identity of the villain. From the teaser onwards it is clear that Charles Rook is trouble but it does not diminish the viewing experience at all. Robert Powell returned in his second villainous role after his appearance in Lady Killer, just as Michael Jayston had made a villainous return in Coffin. Interestingly in all four episodes their roles as villains are evident from the start but the satisfaction is in seeing what they do and how they will be caught. The part of Rook is dramatically different from that of Paul Tanner in Lady Killer however. While Tanner was an attractive, outgoing and charming man Rook is quiet, obsessive but deceptively unthreatening. Both men are killers but Rook may be even more dangerous as he is prepared to eliminate anyone who in his eyes fails to treat "Sister Mary" properly. At the end of this episode Rook has caused death and injury on a scale that makes Paul Tanner seem small fry.

The character of Rook is fascinating. TV fans do have their share of obsessives, especially soap operas like Saints And Sinners. One hears of fans unable to distinguish between character and actor and yet this is a rare example of a drama focusing on this phenomenon. Most of the time such confused viewers are ultimately harmless and well-meaning but there are instances of actors being attacked by irate viewers mixing them up with their characters and Rook simply takes that sort of mindset to a disturbing conclusion. Rook seems incapable of seeing Penny as anything other than "Sister Mary". He prefers her in her "real clothes" (i.e. nun's habit), cannot see how a nun can have a fiancé and is amazed when she is reluctant to accept a Bible as a gift. All these things are harmless enough but his attacks on those he thinks treat her badly or block his route to her are anything but. Throughout all this Rook sees himself sincerely as a protector of Sister Mary - a dangerous protector. 

Robert Powell gives an excellent performance as this most distinctive villain. It is hard not to feel some sympathy for Rook who clearly has serious psychological problems but these are buried beneath the surface of an odd, maybe irritating but ostensibly innocuous persona. It can be argued that all the same Rook's intrusive behaviour, visiting Penny not only at the studio but at her home, may have aroused some concern. Penny herself admits though that actors can find such appreciation, even if it is a little over-enthusiastic, too flattering to reject. 

Maybe more surprising is that the cast and the police don't dig deeper into the series of accidents which seem to have coincided with his arrival on the scene and this apparent lack of realism seems to lie at the heart of negative reviews from other viewers. Very probably in real life the pieces would have been put together much earlier and Rook prevented from his worst offences. However Thriller and indeed most TV drama - especially murder-mysteries - is not intended to be so realistic. Sometimes realism makes for dull drama and often even the best productions play fast and loose with realism for the sake of a great story and great drama. Indeed some of the most popular episodes in Thriller have elements that are unrealistic or at least highly unlikely. Often it's not the lack of realism that lies at the root of the negative reviews but a more general lack of engagement with a particular production. If the viewer doesn't like the episode in general lack of realism tends to be less tolerated but where an episode has won the viewer over they are much more forgiving. In this case I see the rather unlikely overlooking of Rook's involvement as a small price to pay for such a great story. I would also say that we are judging these oversights by contemporary standards in which there is far more awareness of stalking and the potential dangers posed by obsessive fans (or indeed trolls). Almost fifty years these phenomena were much less prominent or understood. There are also the elements of how actors and other subjects of admiration can let down their guard in the face of flattery, especially when it comes from someone so polite and apparently benign as Charles Rook. There is also the genuine difficulty they can face in seeming to reject an admirer, both the disappointment - even distress - that they may cause to often vulnerable obsessive fans, but also maybe a fear that rejection might lead that admirer to retaliate. For all these reasons the scenario is not as outlandish as it might seem. . .

The setting of the story within a TV show is an unusual but very successful one. It allows for the blurring of identities which acts as a trap for the likes of Rook. Actors love playing at being actors and writers and producers enjoy exposing the televisual process and this is very evident here. The scenes of bickering between the pompous Tony Barton - who very much sees himself as "the star" - and the Mother Superior are very funny. The camp director is also splendid fun. Anthony Newlands, Joan Haythorne and Gerry Cowan are fine in these parts. Penny Stacy is a much more conventional character who goes through great trauma as well as having to manage the infatuation of Rook and Jennie Linden gives a good account in the central role.

"Sister Mary" aka Penny Stacy (Jennie Linden)

George Maharis gives one of the best displays of American guest stars as Mark Fields. Mark is a character of great dignity, supportiveness and insight. In another realistic showbusiness touch the character has had a battle with alcoholism and is struggling to shake off that reputation among his peers but he is not angry or bitter. 

Moore, played by Windsor Davies just prior to him hitting small screen comedy fame, is one of the more interesting Thriller policeman - not generally one of the show's stronger points. In typical Thriller tradition he certainly has his limitations, notably ineptitude at crosswords, but is an engaging presence on screen. Quite a number of police in the show had a comic edge of this sort but Moore gets his act together when it matters.

The final minutes are very strong. Rook's plan and motivations are quite bizarre and macabre but make sense to his twisted mind and the scenario is is very well delivered on screen by Robert Powell and Jennie Linden. The climax is dramatic and also a somewhat poignant one and it is testimony to the strength of the third series that it had many more delights in store.        

Notes

For the second successive week an episode features a switchboard operator, in this case at "CJS Television", the makers of "Saints and Sinners".

The rock music instrumental heard at the party is also playing at Max Burns' flat in The Double Kill in Series 5.

I'm the Girl He Wants To Kill - Series 3 Episode 2 (Saturday 8th June 1974)

The story....

A young woman returning home from a party is surprised to discover a silent, anxious-looking man by her doorway. Moments later he stabs and kills her. Some time later Ann Rogers - an American secretary working in London - is also returning home and sees the same man on the stairs leading to her flat. When opening her front door she sees the dead body of another young woman lying in the entrance to a neighbouring flat and feels the man may have been the killer. 

She goes to the police and is interviewed by detective Mark Tanner. The enquiries aren't successful and the killer remains at loose but the meeting between Ann and Mark does lead to a relationship. One day she is looking in the window of a jewellers and is horrified to see the man working in the shop. He also spots her and although she runs off he pursues her. She reaches her office building but does not feel entirely safe, even when Mark tells her the killer has been apprehended. Unfortunately the arrested man turns out to be a crank. The real killer has been able to enter the building and after the rest of the staff leave at the end of the day he sees his chance to eliminate the woman who can testify against him.

Review

One of the best-remembered and most popular of episodes. Again there is no mystery about who is the villain but that makes his appearances all the more unnerving. Clearly the outing has the qualities needed to make a real impact and there are certainly remarkable things in store here.

The teaser sets the tone with the appearance of Robert Lang's "The Man". Prior to the murder he makes no sound but actually seems scared - or at the least edgy. The killing is another in the non-realist style of Thriller violence as the woman falls with not a mark on her.  The second murder we do not see - only the body of the victim in her doorway as Ann enters her flat. This is an excellent scene, better for its lack of violence. The sight of the woman lying on the floor, visible to the viewers but out of Ann's immediate eye-line is shocking enough but becomes even more powerful as Ann spots her and takes in the horror. This warrants more appreciation, as does Ann's encounter with the man beforehand as he leaves the house as she enters. Once again his demeanour is utterly disconcerting but it is only later that the full realisation that he has just killed her neighbour emerges.

That ushers in Ann's involvement with the police and Mark Tanner in particular. Ann is naturally shocked and frightened, not just in the immediate aftermath but sometime thereafter. Mark's later involvement with her certainly raises the issue of professional distance, if not misconduct. However we are used, even in the modern day, of screen detectives having these dubious personal involvements with victims, witnesses and even suspects. It is a forgiveable story device that does lend another dimension to the story although it could easily have been rewritten without them being romantically attached at all.

However the story really hits home and achieves its classic status from the moment Ann spots the man purely by chance while looking through a jewellers' window. As they make eye-contact both make a terrifying discovery that will have drastic consequences: he knows he can now be exposed; she knows he is aware she has seen him and she is now at terrible risk. The first chase ensues but the real drama takes place within the apparent safety of the Parker building.  

The whole action within the building is superb. Ann remains extremely scared although she does not tell her colleagues. Unbeknown to her the man has slipped into the building. The scenes of stalking and chasing are justly acclaimed and provide some of the tensest in Thriller. They take place with no dialogue, except for one brief sequence, It's easy to overlook the physical demands made upon actors Julie Sommars and Robert Lang in these sequences of running, chasing, hiding and occasional skirmishes. Excellent use is made of camera work - particularly shots from Ann's perspective running down the corridors and of darkness. Director Shaun O'Riordan and the production crew alongside the actors make these some scenes some of the best in the show's history. The arrival of the police adds to the drama and the final minutes - if not as frantic as the chase sequences - are still tense and powerfully done. 

Julie Sommars gives one of the best acting displays in the whole of Thriller as Ann. The other Thriller heroines have very demanding roles in emotional terms but hers requires a great deal of physical action as well which she handles in exceptional style. Robert Lang though may be even better as "the man". There is no role like this at all in Thriller - or very few other productions. The character only delivers a couple of lines in the whole episode so the emphasis is heavily on gestures and facial expressions but it is conveyed superbly. The man is both frightening and, it appears, frightened, maybe due to a terrible conflict over what he is doing or fear of being caught. So many screen-villains are talkative, giving away all their motives and plans and toying with their victims - indeed it becomes something of a cliche - so it is marvellous to have one who creates so much mystery. Mark and Keston conjecture, with some plausibility, that his motive is at least in part sexual but we never know. One of the great Thriller villains.

Robert Lang as "the man"

There are other attractions as well. It is great to see comic actor Ken Jones in a straight part as the security guard Sam and he gives a fine account of a very sympathetic figure. Indeed the humour comes more from his colleague Freddy whose fear of missing a date with his wife leads to a fateful swapping of shifts. The presence of a crank claiming to be the killer, something that frequently plagues the police, is a welcome and highly realistic touch.

The episode isn't perfect and Mark Tanner's "trendy copper" look is thoroughly 1970s and his permed hair a real fashion faux-pas. Some of the dialogue could have been better (with Mark the victim of most of the bad lines) and perhaps the actual climax could have been a little less formulaic. However these scarcely detract from a very fine and justly renowned story.

TV Movie title-watch

The titles appear to be indebted to Psycho as well as including a gratuitous scene of the victim undressing. They appear to contradict the action in the ATV version. The killing in the US titles is clearly not one of those seen in the original. It therefore depicts an extra murder although the ATV dialogue makes clear that the killer has only killed two women.

A Coffin for the Bride - Series 3 Episode 1, Saturday 1st June 1974 (ITC movie title "Kiss, Kiss, Kill, Kill)

The story...

Mark Walker is an attractive, charming young man who marries two older women - and then kills them. He is very clever because he disguises their deaths as tragic accidents - drowning in the bath. His only problem is the solicitor acting for the first woman who suspects him of murder but cannot convince the police.

While visiting a health club he meets Stella, a very attractive young woman whom he pursues simply for pleasure. However he very soon is attracted by an extremely rich older widow called Angie. Everything seems to be going to Mark's plan and it looks as if he will soon be a wealthy widower for the third time but maybe he isn't going to have things all his own way this time...

Has the widow Stella waded in too deep with Mark Walker (Michael Jayston)?

Review

The favourite episode of Brian Clemens, this was one of the four stories he selected for release on the ITC videos in 1993. However it is not just Brian who held it in high esteem. It is probably the best-known and most acclaimed Thriller outing among the wider viewing public. Perhaps some might wonder if this is the "Helen Mirren Halo" at work but its acclaim is justIy deserved. It is an excellent effort, and just about impossible to fault.

Once again we see that a story does not have to be a whodunit to really pack a punch. From the teaser onwards we know that Mark Walker is a murderer and that he is motivated by money. However the contrived accidents show that this is a slippery villain, as do the shifting identities. Solicitor Oliver Mason may suspect him but Walker seems to have avoided all police suspicion. The pre-occupations with fitness and water provide more twists. Michael Jayston had given an excellent display as the vindictive killer Roger Masters in Ring Once for Death. This time though, both the character and the performance are even better. Walker is just as deadly but has far more charm than Masters. On the other hand he is harbouring a troubled mind. A traumatic experience while in the merchant navy still bothers him and may somehow lie behind his current activities. Interestingly like Masters he therefore seems to have risen from fairly humble origins, maybe on the back of the money inherited after his murders, but his insecurities do not make him bitter or aggressive. Once again Brian Clemens avoids creating a two-dimensional "evil" villain, producing a much more complex character.

We get to see Mark set his sights on a genuine romance with Stella with whom he is able to confide some of those insecurities. However "business" soon rears its head again in the remarkably tempting form of the plain but lively wealthy widow Angie. The only real problem for him seems to be how to juggle romances with the two without being discovered. However appearances are deceptive...

Of course with this being Thriller and not a whodunit the questions are how far he will go and how he will meet his comeuppance - there would never be any question that he might ultimately get away with his crimes. How he meets his downfall is brilliantly done but he is also the victim of some "rough justice" along the way which wins him at least a grudging sympathy. It does have to be said that some of the ways in which the table are turned on him would be exceptionally unlikely in real life but they are remarkably satisfying plot devices. "Rough justice" can also be "poetic justice" and the final scene in particular is one of the very best in the history of Thriller. Sometimes realism has to be sacrificed on the altar of great drama - superb writing, performance and direction, particularly at the climax which contends for the very best ending in the show. 

Acting performances are excellent. Helen Mirren is in extraordinary form but almost as good is Michael Jayston as Mark Walker: one can see why the producers were keen to get him back so quickly and he does not disappoint in any way. Michael Gwynne gives a first-class performance as the brave solicitor Oliver Mason, bringing great dignity to the role. There is a very fine "straight" performance by Arthur English as the affable barman Freddy. Given his comic background one might have expected Arthur to be cast in an instalment more focused on humour such as K Is for Killing but he showed here that he could more than handle a serious part. However all the actors had great characters and a marvellous story to work with and those elements are so important as even the best actors can look adrift in a weak storyline with unpromising characters. 

Solicitor Oliver Mason makes his suspicions clear to "Mr Jameson" (aka Mark Walker) but no-one else seems to be listening

The detectives are seen briefly but are among the better ones in Thriller. Quilly nicely demonstrates both the inevitable scepticism needed by detectives but also the danger that pride can encourage them to stick to decisions in the face of contrary evidence. Those seen later on are a different matter and things would have been very different had Walker encountered them earlier (although that would not have made for a much shorter and less captivating episode!)

This was the last episode not to feature any American characters. There is no doubt that Americans added much to the show but there were occasions when it seemed they were being shoe-horned into a story simply to create an American dimension. That would definitely have been the case here where there would have been no natural role for an American character - maybe only the Mark Walker role of the major parts could have been re-cast, and that would have been a mistake. Astutely the producers resisted the temptation to include an American on this occasion and it helps the episode to work so well. One wishes they had followed suit on a few occasions thereafter (and before), using Americans only when they comfortably fitted into the story.

Another interesting aspect is the "classic" look of the characters and sets on view. Some episodes such as I'm the Girl He Wants To Kill which follows have distinctly Seventies fashions but the look here is much more timeless. This would certainly help with contemporary viewers who would then have less opportunity to poke fun at dated fashions. The presence of a young Helen Mirren would be another reason to choose this as an introduction for newcomers.

There are no weak spots or lulls here. Other very impressive Thriller episodes might have the odd character, performance, scene or story aspect that didn't entirely work but the quality on display is extraordinary and it is one of those rare cases where everything just clicks. Whether it is the very best is open to debate but it certainly sets a remarkably high standard. The third series which it heralded would have even more delights in store - the peak of the show.

Sign It Death - Series 2 Episode 7 (Saturday 9th March 1974)

Story

A tranquil rural setting is followed by a genteel dinner scene but that is the prelude for probably the most dramatic Thriller teaser. Tracy Conway emerges from behind a curtain where she has been hiding and then stabs to death Mr and Mrs Carter and their daughter - and then cleans and tidies up. The murder remains unsolved and some time later Tracy takes a job as a temp working for businessman Richard Main. it turns out she is obsessed with romance and "getting her man" and will kill anyone who tries to stop her - the Carters were such victims and now she has Richard Main in her sights. She sees the first obstacle to her romantic fantasy as Main's secretary Prue whom she follows home and then kills. Tracy seems to captivate so many around her - especially the men - but can she win over Richard and who will she target along the way? 

Review

One of the most popular episodes of Series 2 with plenty of talking points. My views have fluctuated on it but overall it is a very fine if sometimes flawed affair which deserves its impressive reputation.

The teaser is easily the most violent and dramatic. Indeed its level of violence makes it a little untypical of the show's approach - there are more murders in a couple of minutes than in the whole of many episodes. For a long time it was only available in edited format in the ITC version and lost a little of its impact but thankfully it is now fully available. Striking features such as the fine shot of Tracy hiding behind a curtain and Miss Carter struggling to open the door - apparently an inconsequential piece of humour at the time but tragically ironic later when she cannot open it to escape attack - are now restored. There are questions about the plausibility of this assault, as a young woman kills three people with very little trouble - Mr and Mrs Carter in particular seem to be frozen with fear - but it's still quite effective. Probably there was a place for one or two teasers in the series to adopt a more graphic style.

The most surprising thing in the teaser, and a typically Thriller twist, is when Tracy starts to clean up after the murders, not in the sense of removing evidence and "covering her tracks" but to make the scene neat and tidy. Evidently this is not a conventional killer! Tracy is one of the most memorable Thriller villains with a marvellous performance by Francesca Annis. Her immense charm is evident with almost all male characters captivated by her. However charm also has the potential to rub some people - maybe jealous but sometimes able to see beyond appearances - up the wrong way as we see with secretarial assistant Sally. Bill Lewis does not like her at all either but his reasons are more legitimate. There is something amiss with Tracy, and it makes him very uneasy. This darker and more troubled side to her is very well outlined and makes the character so riveting. Her obsessiveness marks her out from many other villains and prevents her being a simple psychopath. Behind the happy exterior - and the ruthless attitude to those who get in her way - is a sense of insecurity. Behind the efficiency is a fantasist who allows her romantic ideals to get out of control. Richard Main and many others fail to see these things but Bill and Sally are more than aware. The froideur between these two and Tracy is superbly documented and makes for some great scenes.

Tracy Conway (Francesca Annis) - romantic but dangerous

Tracy's feminine charm is a key part of the episode's preoccupation with gender. Those viewers with less traditional views are likely to raise eyebrows at much on-screen here. The vision of the sexes presented is far from progressive to contemporary eyes. Tracy is obsessed with romance and pleasing men. In her spare time she reads romantic magazines and sews a wedding trousseau. She even attacks her victims with her sewing scissors! The direction often lingers on her legs and may seem voyeuristic. The men - with the exception of Bill - are more than happy to play up to her. The irony is that Bill is an ardent womaniser but something about Tracy makes him uneasy.

"Girlfinders", the employment agency, is especially anachronistic - it wouldn't even be legal these days. However it's the behaviour of the men running Girlfinders that might most alarm some viewers as they fawn over Tracy while Mr. Seddon even makes a play for her, which she rejects in literally cutting fashion. In another scene even Richard slaps the backside of his secretary Prue, behaviour that would now be construed as harassment although he otherwise conducts himself professionally. Adult women are routinely described as "girls", including by the police officers. It can seem somewhat patronising.

Extra evidence for the "prosecution" might be the feather-headed Sally. Not only is Sally rather dizzy but she falls to pieces around Richard. On the other hand Sally shows much more resilience and sense in opposition to the duplicitous Tracy. The other two female characters though offer some challenge to the stereotypes. Prue, before her brutal demise, is a very able employee who shows no romantic interest in her boss or anyone else. Richard's wife Janice is perceptive and rational.

Sally resents the newcomer Tracy but maybe she sees things others overlook

However it is best to see such depiction in context. The early 1970's were not particularly progressive and this is a reflection - albeit exaggerated - of those sexist times. Nor should we be under any illusion that attitudes have completely changed and even now some viewers with watch and see nothing untoward on-screen. It may be that the writing and direction were being rather playful and tongue-in-cheek on the subject of gender. It is wise to realise that attitudes change and at the time of broadcast this would not have struck most viewers as especially contentious or controversial. No doubt a contemporary version of the story would be less stereotypical but what we see here is a depiction of gender of fifty years ago and even those viewers of today who dislike those stereotypes can appreciate it as a reflection of its time; all works reflect the eras and attitudes when they were produced and it is unfair to judge them by the standards of today. 

Leaving aside these wider issues, there is so much to commend here. The story is a very fine one with many highlights, aided by skilful direction by Shaun O'Riordan. The encounter between Prue and Tracy is very well done and in contrast to the teaser the violence is kept off-screen. The office politics between Bill, Sally and Tracy are a real highlight as well. Bill is a funny character although one could imagine he might be less fun to actually work for - especially for a woman. His womanising is hard to take seriously but his suspicions of Tracy are excellently conveyed - a fine performance by Edward Judd. Generally there is an undercurrent of humour that is well-handled. The two junior detectives supply some of it before the much sharper Barnes takes control. Overall the police characters are stronger than usual here. Leaving aside gender issues the only aberration occurs in the form of Mrs. Vinkel - housekeeper to the Carters - where a combination of poor writing (including references to courgettes!), bad costume, bad hair-dressing and awful acting produce possibly the most cringe-worthy scene in the whole of Thriller. Fortunately she is soon gone and the episode thereafter maintains quality and momentum 

The climax of the episode is a fascinating finale and rounded-off with a brilliant final line.  All considered this is one of the most distinctive outings of Thriller, both highly entertaining but provocative in its style. It may not be one of the very best but it makes a lasting and powerful impression.

Notes

This is one of the few Thriller episodes with no American actor or character (and the last but one to do so). However Francesca Annis does play Tracy with something of a transatlantic accent with her character having worked in the Bahamas. There are also favourable references to American employers and qualities in general and some uses of American English e.g. references to a "misrouted call" and "attorney" rather than lawyer. With no American on-screen these touches may have given the episode more of a connection to US audiences.

K Is for Killing - Series 2 Episode 6, Saturday 2nd March 1974 (ITC movie title "Color Him Dead")

The story...

Tycoon David Garrick narrowly escapes an assassination attempt. He is fairly unruffled by this but his playboy son, Sunny, is very concerned. He recruits unconventional private detectives Arden and Suzy Buckley to investigate. David Garrick is pretty unpopular so there is no shortage of suspects. It becomes evident that the prospective killer has hired professionals to do the job who will ruthlessly eliminate those who frustrate their plans. Who wants David Garrick dead - and why?

Review

The most atypical Thriller episode and among the general fan community the least popular. It's fair to say that this comedy-drama instalment centred on a husband-and-wife, wisecracking, cavalier private detective duo is disliked by most who've seen it but I am in the small minority who has always really enjoyed it. Therefore my very positive review comes with a prominent health warning!

Thriller used humour sparingly. This was a deliberate choice as Brian Clemens had shown via The Avengers a talent for combining drama and humour. Thriller did have occasional funny lines or characters like Hans in One Deadly Owner whose dry humour made them amusing. There were also characters of great wit like Matthew Earp (An Echo of Theresa and The Next Scream You Hear) and Hillary Vance (Night Is the Time for Killing). There is also black humour in episodes such as Murder Motel. However nowhere else is there a comedic style as experienced in this outing. The story premise is certainly not comedic - a wealthy businessman is the target of death threats, but from whom? It could easily have been played as an entirely serious whodunit story and it would have been fascinating to see the results. However Brian Clemens (with assistance from Terry Nation with the concept) wrote it as a comedy-drama.

It's fair to say it is the comedy that draws the hackles of most viewers who feel it just doesn't come off. For me on the other hand it works beautifully and is extremely funny. Maybe the problem for some is context. It carries the Thriller brand and viewers expect it to be in similarly intense vein. Maybe viewers seeing the movie version "Color Him Dead" with no knowledge of a link to Thriller might appreciate it more on its own merits. Of course some of them may not rate it even without the Thriller association. The Thriller formula is an elastic one and could stretch to a more humorous style - as an anthology series it did not have to worry about regular characters acting against type and could explore different styles more readily. The key issue is whether that attempt is made successfully.

On a comedic level it works great for me. Arden and Suzy Buckley are a fine pairing, with so many funny lines and a refreshing sense of abandon. They are also though good at their job, thwarting the attempts on Garrick and ultimately catching the killer. Stephen Rea and Gayle Hunnicutt play these entertaining characters with very good chemistry. Sunny is played with great devilish charm by Christopher Cazenove while his father David is appropriately irascible. The criminal broker Shelby Grafton is splendidly handled by Derek Francis - there is general agreement even among sceptics that he is one of the highlights of the episode. The hapless informer Charley White is played almost wholly for laughs and is nicely conveyed by Arthur White. It does say something for the light-hearted style that even Charley's murder is the subject of wisecracking rather than horror. David Garrick's unfaithful girlfriend Mrs. Gale (perhaps a nod to The Avengers and played by Honor Blackman-lookalike Frances Bennett) is another delight, as is the northern hitman who polishes off Charley. It's notable that many of the actors used in this episode were very comfortable with comic and lighter roles which suits the style here but if a more serious version had been attempted quite a few roles may have been recast.

Unconventional private detectives Arden & Suzy Buckley (Stephen Rea and Gayle Hunnicutt)

For all this the drama is not overlooked. The unhappy relationship between Garrick and Sunny is all too real. Garrick has given his son little but money but Sunny has squandered so many advantages - a scenario that exists in many families. The character of Mrs. Garrick though offers the greatest drama. She has mentally collapsed and switches between childish innocence and fearsome bouts of anger - and then back again. Maybe if more use of her role had been made some of the critics might have been appeased. Either way it is a tremendous performance by Jean Kent.

The drama does not go on too long here with the production generally trying to keep matters light. This means for example that even the killing of certain characters or threats to their lives are met quite flippantly in a way that some viewers may feel is hard to take but works for some. As a lighter episode it's not too surprising that it ends on a light-hearted upbeat scene which is a little sickly but okay in this context whereas some attempts to lighten the tone at end of more serious stories (e.g. Kiss Me and Die) jarred rather more. 

There was no return to a production quite like this again. Maybe Brian Clemens and the producers felt it hadn't really worked, or perhaps they were happy with it but believed one such story was enough. Murder Motel at the end of Series 5 saw the return of Derek Francis and had some comic elements but in a more subdued - and rather ineffective - style. Whatever one's opinions on this episode it does at least provide plenty of talking points and hopefully there are others out there who enjoy it.

ITC movie title-watch

The end montage wrongly shows Suzy riding the scooter on which Arden hitches a lift. The new title "Color Him Dead" (using the American spelling of "colour") perhaps unsurprisingly was assumed to be a spelling mistake by many British newspapers and was "corrected" to "Colour Him Dead". The new title is also one I have to take a few moments to connect it to this episode as it is a very generic title that could refer to various episodes while the American slang use of "color" might be lost on many viewers outside the USA. Better movie titles would have some link to the storyline, e.g. "Death in Small Doses" (the new title for Ring Once for Death) does suggest the villain's mode of killing.

Ring Once for Death - Series 2 Episode 5, Saturday 23rd February 1974 (ITC movie title "Death in Small Doses")

The story...

Roger Masters (Michael Jayston) is a butler employed by widow Laura Vallance (Nyree Dawn Porter). Unknown to her he has already poisoned his last employer. Immediately he is at odds with the existing maid Betty (Clare Sutcliffe) so he frames her for a theft to get her fired, then brings in his girlfriend Lisa (Janet Key) as her more accommodating replacement. The pair slowly poison Laura, aided by a disgraced doctor (Thorley Walters).

Over time Laura becomes sicker and suspicious as Masters cuts her off from outside contact, particularly with her American friend displomat Hugo Fane (Barry Nelson). He also becomes worried by Masters' refusal to let him see her. Masters starts to realise that he is under pressure and the stage is set for some very fateful decisions...

Laura Vallance (Nyree Dawn Porter) tries to get help

Review

This was the first of two appearances in very quick succession by Michael Jayston. No need for whodunits in either case as he is clearly playing a villain from the outset, and both times he is in excellent form. Masters is a great character and an intriguing villain. Behind the very correct exterior lies a truly vindictive and dangerous man. While he is outwardly obedient and concerned about appearances he exudes no genuine warmth at all. Quite how many victims he has chalked up is unclear but without question Laura Vallance is now his target. The motives for his murders may be more complex than they seem. Money seems the obvious motivation but Masters has humble origins and bitterness towards those who squander their advantages. It's possible that behind his outward concern with deference he harbours a hatred of the rich - maybe to the point of psychological damage. This is a rare insight in the show into class tension and would also have been welcome elsewhere.

Masters has no compunction about bullying and manipulating those around him. He is prepared to kill not just his intended victims but also those who get in his way. Even his girlfriend and accomplice Lisa feels his wrath at times and it is unclear how willingly she is involved. 

Nyree Dawn Porter was the big name in this story and gives a strong performance as the unfortunate Laura. She generates great affection for the character who is tricked by Masters. Ultimately she realises the danger but by that time is imprisoned and grievously sick. Her descent into illness echoes that of Tony Mansell in Terence Feely's earlier script for Spell of Evil, albeit this time the cause is rather more prosaic than witchcraft. In both instances the suffering of the victim is a little painful to watch. 

The other British characters are good value. Betty the feisty maid deserves much sympathy for her treatment at the hands of Masters but avoids being a simple victim. She has a neat turn of phrase as well and in the hands of Clare Sutcliffe - who regularly played feisty young woman who push at the boundaries - has a comic, entertaining but also steely edge. Janet Key is very good as Lisa, aptly conveying a character who is in two minds about her activities and seems uncomfortable with the misery she is inflicting. Thorley Walters is highly impressive as Ledworth. Although the doctor is an accessory to murder he is a pathetic character, a shambling, unemployable alcoholic who has no one else to turn to but the ruthless Masters, Rainer displays some sharp wit,  and although it is a fairly small part, he is one of the better Thriller detectives, well conveyed by Victor Winding.

Even Masters' girlfriend Lisa is not safe from his ruthlessness

The American characters probably set the episode back. Barry Nelson (the oldest US guest star seen in the show) gives a decent account as the supportive Hugo Fane but the character is rather bland and sometimes tiresome in his preoccupation with Laura. The reference to his speech on "Arab affairs" is a rare intrusion of politics, although cleverly what side of the fence Hugo was on is never made clear although it is something that Masters is able to use to his advantage. 

Even less effective is his son Piers. The performance of Richard Oldfield as Piers has certainly attracted some criticism. Although that may be a touch excessive it is true that is a rather unconvincing part and the character doesn't really work. Although the principal US actors in Thriller were generally impressive the secondary ones were often less successful. Maybe this part could have been rewritten or recast for better effect.

The climax is impressive, with Masters and Rainer in great form. Just a few months later Michael Jayston was back in the superior A Coffin For the Bride. Maybe this might have met the same standards if, like the later story, it had reserved itself to British characters although the presence of the Americans was key to an American sale as well as giving the show more international appeal. Perhaps the casting of these parts was where things sometimes went awry.

One Deadly Owner - Series 2 Episode 4 (Saturday 16th February 1974)

The story...

Model Helen Cook is on the way up but her impulsive decision to buy a white Rolls Royce she can barely afford seems peculiar but she felt she "had to have it". Soon after buying it though strange things start to happen. She hears a scream from inside the car and the car drives itself to a remote location far from her intended destination. This and other evidence lead to her to believe the car is somehow connected with a murder but her photographer and boyfriend Peter believes it's all in her imagination and that overwork is leading her to a nervous breakdown. She does investigate with the previous owner - a tycoon called J.P. Jacey. Mr Jacey is rather world-weary and unsettled after his wife disappeared three months earlier. Despite this he hasn't called the police, apparently because she may have left him for another man but maybe there is a more worrying reason for her departure.

Helen Cook (Donna Mills) starts to notice something is very wrong with her car

Review

This is one of those instalments that sharply divides viewers - a huge favourite of some, one of the worst for others. I am very much one of its supporters and it is a contender for my favourite episode, and has been since I first saw it in 1994 on the second ITC video released. Thanks to that video release this will be a contender alongside Someone at the Top of the Stairs for the episode I have seen the most.

One of the oddities was that this was the only outing released on video in its movie format. This was entirely a mistake as the ATV version was available and indeed was broadcast by Bravo in 1996. Some viewers like myself skipped the Bravo repeat assuming the same version would be shown and therefore missed seeing the ATV original until it was released on DVD, Dolphin did quite a decent job on the new titles, with some astute use of clips. The new music ("Gear Shift" by Dave Richmond) was good and worked well. The original teaser, making clear that Mrs. Jacey had been murdered and her body transported in the boot of the Rolls Royce, though was completely excised - the only instance of a whole teaser being removed in the ITC versions. These sorts of cuts are never popular and the teaser was a strong one. Fans feel unhappy about the American producers adding their own "scenes" or animation but cutting from the original, which should be preserved intact, is a step too far. However one consolation of its disappearance, and maybe the logic of Dolphin, is that it created extra mystery about the fate of Mrs. Jacey until the final minutes, although the viewer would always suspect she had been killed. The DVD release though now means that viewers can see both openings.

The story is suitably unsettling and mysterious. Donna Mills became the first star to return to the show and deserves great credit for her performance - a classic Thriller heroine display. Her character generates a lot of affection. The interplay with Jeremy Brett as her partner and arch-sceptic Peter is very impressive. Again the sceptic role is a commonplace one, especially in the supernatural tales, but it is brought off extremely well. The exact nature of the relationship between him and Helen is never wholly clear. They are definitely professionally involved and probably romantically so as well but there is tension. Although much of this resolves around Helen's preoccupation with the car there are also arguments over her desire for independence and this friction creates another dimension to the story. 

This becomes one of the Thriller whodunits with various characters having had previous relationships with Mrs Jacey and seeming to have a motive for killing her. Writing and direction work well to pour suspicion on these figures but they are fine characters in any regard. J.P. Jacey's relationship with his wife leaves many questions unanswered and he appears to be a man with much going on under a very reserved exterior - including maybe a fancy for Helen. Freddy appears to have been another lover of the missing Mrs Jacey and while he seems to be helpful towards Helen can he really be trusted? His open-mindedness provides a neat balance between Helen's suspicions and Peter's scepticism, as does his warmth with Jacey's reserve. He is another of the Thriller charmers with an obvious attraction for Helen but it's suitably reined in on this occasion. Even Hawkins, the very proper butler, looks as if there might be more to him than meets the eye. However it is Hans who steals the show. He is a funny character but in the best style of the show he also exhibits menace and mystery (another former lover of Mrs Jacey as well as a business rival of her husband), and one never feels he is merely a comic diversion. There are a number of fine acting displays but Eric Lander in this role is excellent. 

The final fifteen minutes of the show are tremendous. Great use is made of darkness, contrasted with light from the car or a torch, to create a very creepy atmosphere. The pieces start to come together and the suspects start to move in. The final shot, of Helen's car back up for sale - with the viewer left to speculate on whether its "possession" has now been purged - is a fine resolution to this memorable outing.

Helen Cook finds herself in the spotlight in more ways than one

 

Kiss Me and Die - Series 2 Episode 3, Saturday 9th February 1974 (ITC movie title "The Savage Curse")

The story...

American Robert Stone comes to England searching for his brother who went missing shortly after arriving in a quaint village and meeting a beautiful young woman called Dominie. At the village pub he gets a warm welcome but when he visits Dominie's stately home he gets short shrift from the housekeeper. Fortunately for him Dominie is more welcoming.

An attraction develops between Robert and Dominie but it is uneasy. She has been hurt by what she sees as past rejections. It is also clear that her guardian, a German cum-English "gentleman", Jonathan Lanceford is not keen on the relationship at all. Robert gets the message from other quarters that his presence isn't wanted but he persists. He isn't frightened off even when Fred, a local rat-catcher who had given him some interesting information, dies in a mysterious accident. The signs are that Robert could be next...

Review

This has always been one of my least-favourite Thriller episodes but on my most recent viewing I was more impressed, largely due to a very impressive Part 3. The story premise is certainly promising but the first two parts are maybe somewhat ponderous and don't create as much engagement as hoped. There is an Edgar Allan Poe theme running throughout, with Jonathan Lanceford obsessed with the writer. Creator Brian Clemens suggested this was the closest Thriller came to Hammer Horror - for me that isn't necessarily a plus point although it maybe for some viewers. It's certainly more toned-down than a Hammer movie - not having either the budget or the same liberty for shocking scenes; that need not be a drawback but the earlier sections are perhaps too low-key. Maybe for many viewers this will be remembered as "the one with Jenny Agutter in it" rather than having broader appeal.

However there are virtues which raise this above the ordinary. Most notably the final part is almost wholly set against the background of a party at the Lanceford house and is very well-done, both visually and in terms of themes as the jollity of the colourful fancy dress celebrations contrasts with very dark (literally and metaphorical) events in the recesses of the building. All this leads up to a very dramatic climax and some good special effects, all well-directed by John Sichel. Impressively shot night-time scenes earlier on are another asset.

The performances are, for the most part unremarkable but quite competent. Although the episode is best-remembered for Jenny Agutter - and she gives a typically good account as the unhappy, lovelorn Dominie - it is American guest star George Chakiris as Robert Stone who has much the most to do, appearing in almost every scene. Anton Diffring is impressive as the disconcerting Jonathan Lanceford but his character is not one of the more memorable Thriller villains. Russell Hunter does a good job in a small but key role as the permanently drunk but revealing poacher Fred.

An irritating aspect is the use of unconvincing rural accents in the village pub. This is an echo of the yokel scenes in the village store in A Place To Die, an episode from the previous season, also written by Terence Feely. The viewer knows it is a rural community and the stereotypical accents are unnecessary. On a more positive if trivial note it is refreshing to see a pub full of working-class beer drinkers in a show otherwise dominated by privileged people downing wine and spirits. There is a neat exchange where Robert is asked how they deal with foxes in America. He dryly replies, "Well in our country the foxes shoot back"!

A moment of danger for Robert Stone (George Maharis) & Dominie (Jenny Agutter)

The final scene I find disappointing - although it has a narrative purpose it is lightweight and out of keeping with the very serious action beforehand, in particular detracting from the strong climax.

Overall then a mixed bag. I would recommend checking other instalments of Thriller first but this is still worthy of attention.

Notes

Jenny Agutter was the youngest lead actor in Thriller, aged just 20 when this episode was produced in October 1973. 

This episode features the only car-chase in Thriller although its explanation was more prosaic than in other shows - Jonathan Lanceford was trying to catch-up with Jim Stone to give him a party invitation!

There are some similarities with the later The Next Voice You See - also scripted by Terence Feely - in the way that the final part contrasts a lively party with sinister events elsewhere in the house and in particular the danger facing the hero of the story.

This was the last episode of Thriller broadcast in the UK on terrestrial television when its "movie" verson "The Savage Curse" aired on London Weekend Television at 12.30 am on 30th June 1984 (technically 1st July as it was after midnight). This movie version was also the only one to include a piece of music by Laurie Johnson ("Lonely Stranger") to accompany its new titles.

Once the Killing Starts - Series 2 Episode 2 (Saturday 2nd February 1974)

The story...

Oxford Professor Michael Lane is indulging in an affair with one of his young students, Stella. They want to be together, but how? Without Stella's knowledge Michael kills his wife, setting-up an elaborate scheme that makes it seem she has been killed by an intruder while he was meeting a colleague. He is delighted when the plan seems to work, with the police none the wiser.

However somebody knows his secret and he starts to receive disturbing blackmail notes, with the words cut-out of newspapers. His affair continues but he becomes more anxious and suspicious. These suspicions lead to another murder but the notes keep coming. Can he silence his accuser?

Review

This is an episode which is very important in my own Thriller history. It was the first episode I ever saw any part of. This was back in 1982 when I saw around the final ten minutes - it wasn't planned viewing, simply what was on TV when I entered the room. However I was feeling ill at the time and bizarrely saw the programme as an omen and avoided it thereafter! I must stress this was nothing to do with the contents of the episode (which I long remembered) but superstition.

Fast-forward twelve years and two articles by Ian Kerr about Thriller got me intrigued about the show. One of them in the magazine TV Zone featured a striking photograph from the episode featuring a blackmail letter sent to the Professor and I suppose I also found the title and the synopsis fascinating so putting all these elements together it was an instalment I very much wanted to see although in the end it was one of the last I got to view in 2002. This was in its movie version. There is no doubt that the movie versions with their new titles and music have often been panned but I felt those for Once the Killing Starts were wonderfully chilling and really set up the episode well. Perhaps all these factors have contributed to this being one of my top episodes. Objectively there are probably many better and many viewers rank it quite low but sometimes for all sorts of often random personal reasons an episode gets an unusually high or low rating...

This is a fine, very intriguing story. The small cast allows the few characters to be very well-drawn. There are interesting insights into religion rarely seen in Thriller, with the Professor a confirmed non-believer and his wife a devout Catholic. The themes of anxiety and suspicion are very well-developed. All the main cast give strong performances. Patrick O'Neal is very convincing as the Professor. Gerald Sim gives an excellent performance as Petersen who exudes gentlemanly decency, although that doesn't stop Michael suspecting him as well. Quite possibly the best display is by Gary Watson as the enigmatic Inspector Rush. Rush appears to suspect nothing but it is evident he knows much more than he lets-on. Angharad Rees and Michael Kitchen play Stella and George (another student) capably and later became very frequent television faces.

Just what does Inspector Rush (Gary Watson) know of Professor Lane's crimes?

Typically for "Thriller" the direction by John Scholz-Conway is fine but probably even better than normal. There are some very poignant shots of a photograph of the Professor and his wife. There is a "whodunit" element of sorts in the episode in the form of who is the blackmailer and skilful direction and performances give viewers the impression that certain characters are either the blackmailer or know what the Professor has been doing. The ending is absolutely extraordinary. For me it an absolute masterstroke but it is fair to say others have found it quite incredible. It certainly will get you thinking about the vagaries of the human mind! Could such things happen? Watch .. and judge for yourself...

Notes - the Thriller answer (homage?) to Columbo?

There are some interesting parallels between this episode and the American detective series Columbo which was running at the time. There are some similarities in story format. There is a well-to-do villain whose villainy is transparent from the start - the American show rarely did "whodunits" and instead the focus was on what might the killer do next and how he would be caught (the latter far more prominent in Columbo). In both productions we also often see elaborate methods either to commit a murder or to cover it up. In both the detective only appears until fifteen or twenty minutes into the episode after we have seen the villain set-up the crime. This episode ends with a calm, very low-key arrest not unlike those seen  in Columbo and in sharp contrast to the often dramatic climaxes in other Thrillers. The lead actor Patrick O'Neal had even appeared as a villain in Columbo ("Blueprint for Murder" in 1972).

However the greater parallels are between the detectives. In this episode Inspector Rush is unfailingly polite in his enquiries, never giving any overt sign to Professor Lane that he was under suspicion (although little hints are dropped). He is though very persistent and gets under the skin of Lane before at the climax moving in to present the damning evidence. All these were hallmarks of Columbo. Rush also wears a mac at one point although it must be said his appearance is always much more dapper than the dishevelled Columbo!

Was there overt influence? TV writers (of that era anyway) often spoke of being influenced by films and sometimes by theatre, very rarely of being influenced by other TV shows or TV writers. Brian Clemens in particular was very open about the influence of Hitchcock on his work. Writers (and indeed actors and directors) of that era often gave the impression that they watched little or no television but it may still have had some influence. Columbo was a rare beast in the TV world in being both a big success with viewers and critics (who would often be very hard to please with TV shows and could give the impression the medium was beneath them). Therefore it would probably be one of those shows that those in the TV world would be more willing to make an exception for and possibly be influenced by. Of course resemblances between shows can occur for many reasons which are often coincidental, or some in the production may be "channelling" the spirit of a particular show while others are not. Whatever the reality it is fascinating to speculate on the links, actual or potential. Columbo had already done a rather mediocre episode set in the UK ("Dagger of the Mind" from 1972) and this with a little adaptation would have probably served rather better as a script, even running about the same screen length as most episodes of the American show.

Only a Scream Away - Series 2, Episode 1 (Saturday 26th January 1974)

The story...

Samantha and Robert Miller have just got married, the wedding only spoiled by an unpleasant prank in which someone splashed red paint on Samantha's dress, As they settle down to married life they are befriended by an American neighbour called Howard Heston, an amiable if slightly odd man who often talks fondly of childhood memories. Things take a dramatic turn for the worse when Robert is killed in a car crash and soon afterwards Sammie's aunt Liza dies in another accident of carbon monoxide poisoning. Sammie is unsurprisingly devastated and now it seems Howard is all she has....

Review

One of the most popular episodes and quite deservedly so. It is something of a mystery why a Times reviewer of the day argued with regard to it, "The series has already murdered itself"!

This was another Terence Feely script (based on a story by Brian Clemens as indeed was every Thriller script not written by him) and is one of his best - an excellent choice to premiere the second series in January 1974 in the UK. Maybe the story moves rather slowly, particularly in its first half, but that does serve to develop character and an atmosphere of unease. 

There are no great surprises in the story - the quality is in the execution. It is evident from his first appearance that Howard Heston is to be the villain, despite his great, deceptive charm. There is, as Aunt Liza says, something "odd" about him. However what intrigues the viewer is what exactly is his secret and what is he going to do? Lots of things come together to make Heston one of the best Thriller villains. Good writing is key, and the direction is splendid. However the performance of Gary Collins, making the first of his three appearances in the show, is decisive. Gary is in top form, especially in the final fifteen minutes. It would be easy for the character, with his obsession with childhood, to seem silly or incredible but the balance is just right. One ends up pitying such a man who has clearly lost touch with reality. All the same he is a dangerous and frightening figure. The scenes with him whistling "Mona Lisa" while playing cat's cradle are especially haunting. This echoed another sinister use of a popular tune in the case of "Greensleeves" in Possession.  The shot of him early on (viewed from the neck down) cutting up the photograph of Samantha is also very disturbing.

Hayley Mills was one of the best-known performers to figure in Thriller and is very good as the winsome Samantha. As a classic "English rose" Hayley was ideal for a British heroine. She has a demanding role, with difficult emotional scenes to play, but does not disappoint. Again she really comes into her own in the final part in the long scene at Heston's windmill. Joyce Carey, well-known at the time as the scatter-brained mother of Patrick Glover in the sitcom Father, Dear Father deserves commendation for her part as Aunt Liza. Unlike Samantha Liza does sense danger, something that Heston does not appreciate. 

The sight of David Warbeck as Robert is welcome after his two appearances in the second block of UFO as a Skydiver captain and he equips himself well in a more substantial role. The only character that doesn't wholly work is that of Tom (Jeremy Bulloch). Tom is rather annoying in the first part, particularly with his innuendoes, but as tragedy heaps on Samantha he adopts a more serious and effective guise.

Howard Heston (Gary Collins) unloads his anguish to Sammie (Hayley Mills)

The final minutes are extremely strong as more is understood of Sammie and Heston's childhood relationship, The use of the photographs of the pair as children is a superbly unnerving technique. Director Peter Jefferies cleverly flashes between shots of the photos and Samantha, as he also does with a card from Giles (Howard's real name) when she finally and realises his real identity. These rapid switches are very unsettling. The photos do though reveal an appreciable age gap between the two when they were children that makes their friendship surprising, although perhaps Giles / Howard's interest in a much younger child was already a signal that something was not quite right with him. This leads up to a dramatic climax which rounds off a great start to the second series.

Notes

Some synopses of the TV movie version repeats in the early 1980s referred to Howard Heston as a "former mental hospital inmate". This was never stated on screen but may have been referred to in script directions or information supplied to broadcasters. It is certainly a plausible background for him but probably wisely it wasn't mentioned on-screen as it could well have alerted other characters including Sammie and Robert that Heston was not all he seemed.

Gary Collins was along with Donna Mills the only American guest star to appear in three episodes of Thriller. While all her parts were as heroines (as was commonly the case with the US guests) he played transparent villains on all three occasions. These villainous parts though were all rather different: a mentally-disturbed fantasist in this episode; a hard-nosed, calculating man who wants his wife killed in The Double Kill; and a con-man in Dial a Deadly Number.

By coincidence this episode featured two actors born in New Zealand - David Warbeck and Jonathan Elsom - although both were playing British characters.

Ronald Mayer - playing a doctor on this occasion - was the first actor to reappear in Thriller.

ITC Movie version title-watch

The opening titles feature a ludicrous and tasteless sequence in which a doll is throttled and injected with a syringe. The end title artwork shows Howard Heston pointing a gun, although no gun was seen in the episode. A fine musical piece called "Mask of Fear" by Jack Trombey does offer some redemption.