I had almost forgot to watch some more of the 4th season of The Twilight Zone. I'd been busy with other things and a big glut of stuff from the library. The shows are the hour long ones and there are three on each disc.
Jesse Belle February 14 1963
Written by Earl Hamner Jr and directed by Buzz Kulik. James Best is a farmer named Billy-Ben who plans to marry Ellwyn but Jesse-Belle has her own plans for him. Anne Francis plays Jesse-Belle and Ellwyn is played by Laura Devon whom I had seen recently in Chamber Of Horrors. Jesse-Belle goes to see the local witch and gets a love potion. The witch tells her the potion will turn her into a leopard all night and she drinks it anyway. What Granny Hart didn't tell her was that the potion will also turn Jesse-Belle into a witch. She steals James away form Ellwyn but things don't go so well and that serves to remind that people shouldn't have any truck with witches. I hadn't seen this one for a long long time and I sort of remembered the plot. The story is ok and there are good performances from all the actors. According to Buzz Kulik the leopard was the problem. He wasn't very good at following direction. I was sad to read that James Best passed away last month. Extras are good interviews with Earl Hamner Jr, Buzz Kulik and Anne Francis, an isolated score by Nathan Van Cleave and a nice video interview with Anne Francis.
Miniature February 21 1963
Written by Charles Beaumont and directed by Walter Grauman. Robert Duvall is a rather distant guy who spends his lunch hours at a museum for the 60 cent lunch. The cafeteria is closed one day and he wanders into a room with a miniature doll house. He sees the wooden figure move when it's not supposed to. Soon after he gets fired from his job for being a square peg who doesn't fit in. The next day he sees more movement in the doll house but strangely doesn't go see a doctor. Rather than take a job with his brother-in-law he visits the doll house again and again. The guard asks him why he's there for 5 hours and his sister, played by Barbara Barrie, follows him. She sees him at the doll house and later sets him up with a girl. He's only got eyes for the gal in the doll house. He breaks down at the museum and they send him to a shrink who's played by William Windom. Robert acts cured and he gets to come home. Soon as he gets a chance he runs off to the museum. His family call William and they all go to the museum. They can't find him but the security guard sees a male figure in the doll house. He doesn't say anything. I didn't remember this one at all and it's one that I thought could be better as a half hour episode. Extras include an audio commentary with William Windom, an isolated score by Fred Steiner and color scenes from the syndicated version.
Printer's Devil February 28 1963
Written by Charles Beaumont, adapted from his story The Devil, You Say, and directed by Ralph Senensky. A small town newspaper is fading because of a bigger paper muscling them aside. Robert Serling plays the editor and Pat Crowley plays his girlfriend. The paper is heavily in debt, things are grim, then his linotype operator quits. Despondent, Robert plans to jump off the local bridge but he's interrupted by the arrival of Burgess Meredith looking for a light. He turns out to be a linotype operator and reporter. He's got some ready cash to help get the paper get rolling again. He comes up with some big stories that scoop the new paper. Burgess offers Robert more newspaper power in exchange for his soul. Never something good to do but Robert signs. Things start to go bad and Robert has to think his way out of the problem. I sort of remembered this story and enjoyed it quite a bit. Nice interesting characters with good actors making the most of a pretty good script. Extras include a short but good interview with Burgess Meredith and an isolated score.
I keep thinking of hitting these disc more often and I might have the chance with the library choking on some shows I want. I must have 8 things sitting with a good long wait before they hit my hands. That's the way that goes.
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