Tonight's Saturday Night Special is a 70's TV show produced by the amazing William Castle called "Ghost Story."
I'm still not sure why they changed the title to "Circle Of Fear," because it sure didn't make it any more popular!
The great Sebastian Cabot is the host! An elegant man like Orson Welles or Alfred Hitchcock, you just feel comfortable about Sebastian even if he is in a house of ghosts!
As host, he was referred to as Winston Essex! When they stupidly changed the name of the show to "Circle Of Fear" in the beginning of 1973, Sebastians's services were deemed to be no longer needed!
Sebastian was the narrator in many a "Winnie The Pooh" tale, and was also in the "Twilight Zone" episode titled "Mr. Pip."
Here's a happy couple John and Eileen Travis as played by David (Officer Frank Serpico) Birney and Barbara Parkins! She's pregnant, and they've had a beautiful new house built in the country. There's one small problem, it's severely haunted because it's a location on a hill where they used to hang people years and years earlier!
Why do these guys look like military instead of policemen!
If I brought this hideous statue home, it would be an immediate reason to get a divorce!
I still haven't figured out how a German guy can seemingly know more about American film culture than me, but I'm not here to complain! He's really helped keep this site in tune like a fine running Porsche! Please do yourself a favor and check out his radio show, I guaran-darn-tee you'll like it!
Barbara Parkins has long been considered one of the most beautiful women of the 20th century. Her last acting gig was in 1998, but she's still around, thank goodness! Barbara was Betty Anderson Harrington who was one of the main characters in "Peyton Place," and even though she wasn't in every episode, she does get credits on every episode!
As a Father of three, I have to say being around a pregnant woman is tough enough without the house you're living in being haunted too!
One of those hanged was an innocent young spitfire of a woman, and as it turns out, she's still hanging around in more ways than one!
She can feel the noose tightening around her neck!
One of the other big films Barbara was in was "Valley Of The Dolls" with co-stars Patty Duke, and Sharon Tate! Close friends, Barbara was even the Maid of Honor in the marriage of Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski!
So even though this is a TV show, it was still produced by the Master of Macabre, which I think makes it a lot more special. These two shots just remind me of the dead old lady on rollers in "House On Haunted Hill," except Caitlin's a lot better looking!
Why do we think William Castle is so great? Here's 13 reasons: MACABRE, HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, THE TINGLER, 13 GHOSTS, HOMICIDAL, MR. SARDONICUS, ZOTZ!, 13 FRIGHTENED GIRLS, THE OLD DARK HOUSE, STRAIT-JACKET, THE NIGHT WALKER, THE SPIRIT IS WILLING, and ROSEMARY'S BABY, and Sebastian Cabot's not too bad himself! I'm looking forward to watching some more episodes of this show for sure!
This series was a favorite of mine and has some genuinely creepy episodes. Unlike Night Gallery it always played its horrors straight and never dealt in comedy. Even without the name change it might not have lasted longer, but I really wish they'd kept the whole Winston Essex thing going.
ReplyDeleteCool! Makes me want to see the rest of the episodes even more!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Castle was great.
ReplyDeleteI loved all of his movies growing up.