SCIENCE FICTION THEATRE / ZIV TV - Hour Of Nightmare - 1955

It's Flying Saucer Friday with Tabonga, here at The Dungeon!.. Here's an episode from this early science based TV series, ZIV TV produced 2,153 programs during it's inception in the early fifties to 1965 and includes THE CISCO KID, BOSTON BLACKIE, THE UNEXPECTED, I LED 3 LIVES, HIGHWAY PATROL, A MAN CALLED X, SEA HUNT, DIAL 999, MEN INTO SPACE, THE AQUANAUTS, RIPCORD and more!

This episode of SCIENCE FICTION THEATRE holds a special place in my brain because I saw it in 1955 at age 7 and it scared the Hell out of me! Although the first two seasons (of three) were filmed in color, we only had a lowly black and white TV set. I recently bought the complete series on DVD, looking mainly for this standout episode. I totally enjoyed watching all 78 episodes with stars like Warren Stevens, Marshall Thompson, Arthur Franz and Kenneth Toby!

Eegah!! sent over a sound clip from this episode for our approval, sooooo, you can push the big red 'GO' button over by our lil' atomic UFO, NOW, Rufus The Gnat!.. Here's a little taste of... HOUR OF NIGHTMARE!

Here's our host Truman Bradley setting up the story for us, as heard in the sound clip.

The story's about a married couple who are photographers working for a magazine, the boss wants them to go to Mexico to investigate sightings of flying saucers! It's also rumored that some of the natives may have disappeared. William (DEVIL SHIP) Bishop and Lynn (THE AMAZING MISTER X) Bari play Mel and Verda Wingate.

Bronson Canyon got a lot of action from ZIV during the filming of this series. I showed this photo of Mel and Verda in their classic 1955 Dodge convertible traversing the terrain, supposedly in Mexico.

They seek out Ramon to guide them through the mountains. After a little coaxing, he agrees.

It's not long before they catch a glimpse of a real UFO! Unfortunately, they didn't have their cameras ready and were unable to get a shot of it...

That evening, the dang flying disc shows up again! It buzzes them and they snap a few shots.

Ramon finds the damaged rifle of his brother and wants to go back, but...

Mel talks him into continuing on as they also take photos of the wildlife for their magazine.

Later, the UFO returns and shines a bright light on them in the dark!

Then, Mel finds this glowing clocklike object, another thing I vividly remember from the show!

In trying to protect Mel and Verda from harm, Ramon takes the object at gunpoint and goes over to his horse, then, BOOM!!! The light from the UFO causes the object to explode!

Back at their hotel, Mel tells his boss that if he ever sees a spaceship, don't try to photograph it because the radiation will ruin the film!

Eegah!! is back tomorrow with more from The Dungeon, be there!