WITCHCRAFT / The Doll In Brambles - 1961

Here's the first episode of the failed TV series that was supposed to compete with THE TWILIGHT ZONE, but, it could not compare to the classic show and was cancelled posthaste. Our story is about Madame Tirelou, a witch who will not allow her granddaughter, Marie, to marry her true love, Louis. Louis enlists the help of his old friend Fred to break the witch's spell. After she puts a curse on Louis after meeting Marie in the woods, Fred must figure out a way to save them for the mean old witch!

Here's your host, Franchot Tone, as he introduces the episode... Franchot had a healthy 112 acting credits from 1932-68 and was even in an episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE!

An American, Fred, played by Dungeon great Darren McGavin, visits his friend Louis in France, he is supposed to be best man at his wedding. But, Louis explains that his beloved Marie is forbidden by her grandmother to even see him!

Fred goes to visit Madame Tirelou and meets Marie, he hands her a note from Louis.

Love this shot of the grandmother, Madame Tirelou, she looks like a witch! After talking to Fred, she realizes that he is a friend of Louis and screams at him to leave her house!

The note tells Marie to meet him in the woods, which she does. Unknown to both of them, Madame Tirelou is watching the scene from a distance. Not good!

She goes back to her place and goes to her special room in the basement. She pulls out her wooden doll of Louis and wraps it in bramble branches while cackling!

Immediately though, Louis loses the use of his legs as he walks through the brambles on his way back home...

Fred goes to the witch's house to confront her, but, she is not there. Marie agrees to show him her hex room and he takes the wooden figure!

Later, after Fred is gone, the witch comes home and confronts Marie with a fireplace poker about what had happened while she was away...

Louis is found helpless where he had fallen and taken back to his home to recover, but, he has no use of his legs. The doctor thinks it is all in his mind...

The basement is also used to torture Marie when she misbehaves, Madame Tirelou has a bat ready to scare the Hell out of Marie when Fred and Louis arrive! Fred has told Louis that Marie is in extreme danger, jogging his mind to overcome his mental illness!

The witch goes crazy, putting hex after hex on Fred, but, he's not affected in an way. She keeps backing up and finally falls through the old balcony, falling to her death on the rocks below!.. YAY!!

They wait until the end to show the title card, kinda cool... Eegah!! is back tomorrow with more Cool Dungeon Cargo fur uns!