THE PLOT THICKENS - "Pilot Episode" (1963)

Tonight I've got a real Saturday the 13th Special for you. It's the pilot for a crazy TV show called "The Plot Thickens" made in 1963, that never aired, and after I explain the concept, you'll probably understand why!

 

Let me see if I can explain this! "The Plot Thickens" was a game show with a panel of celebrities competing for $500.00 cash! The panel watches a special ten minute murder movie that was made specifically for the show, and afterwards, the suspects are brought into the studio and questioned. After a series of questions, the panel makes their choices of who they think the murderer is.

The wonderful Warrene (The Phantom Planet, Black Zoo, Rat Fink) Ott is the hostess/bailiff for the show. That's the black cat mascot of the show there with her!

The host of the show was Jack Linkletter, the son of the great Art Linkletter. Jack also hosted the great folk music show on TV called "Hootenanny" in 1963-1964.

The panel from left to right was Richard Halley who was an actual private detective, then Stanley Ralph Ross, Jan Sterling, and the always charming Groucho Marx.

Part of the deal was that if one of the panelists gets it right and the detective doesn't, then the prize money is doubled to a thousand dollars.

 

If you don't remember who Jan Sterling is, maybe this shot from "Women's Prison" will jog your memory!
 

The live audience seems to be enjoying the show!

Warrene wheels out the big screen TV so the panel can watch the ten minute production titled "Murder In The Crystal Ball."

This phony swami, his wife and his buddy have been ripping off a whole lot of people, and the swami is ready to call it quits, and get on out of town and retire, but his wife wants to do just one more seance for some high dollar big shots, so he begrudgingly agrees. His lovely wife Lois is played by Linda (Naked Flame) Bennett, and his pal Arnold is played by James T. Callahan, who was also in a "Twilight Zone" episode, "Ninety Years Without Slumbering."

The swami named Kazam was played by the remarkable Arthur Batanides, a staple of 60's and 70's TV. Besides shows like "Star Trek" and "Mission Impossible," Arthur was in two "Twilight Zone" episodes, "Mr. Denton On Doomsday," and "The Mirror," and also the "Outer Limits" episode called "Specimen: Unknown."

By the time the participants all get there, kazoom Kazam is already in a deep trance!

The floating trumpet blasts squeaky notes ala Ed Wood style..............

...............And freaks out one of the members of the group, the guy who brought a gun to the seance, Jay Adler as Mr. Lowe. Jay Adler was in "The Big Combo," "The Killing," and also two "Twilight Zone" episodes, "The Jungle," and "He's Alive."

Before the seance gets a chance to be over, Kazam is shot, and now it's time to figure out whodunnit!

Luckily there was a detective hiding in a closet who heard and saw the whole thing, now we just have to see if the panelists can figure it out!

Pretty much all Groucho can focus on is how beautiful both Linda and Warrene are! Everything else is just a moot point to him!

The actors try their darndest to stay in character, but it's difficult when Groucho Marx is asking you questions!

Panelist Stanley Ralph Ross gets an extra shout out here for his accomplishments in pop culture. Stanley. The big man who did it all stood 6'6" and wrote many episodes of "Batman," "The Man Fron U.N.C.L.E.," and "The Monkees," etc. He also is credited with the ultimate sports comment "The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat."

When's the last time you saw anybody smoking a cigarette on a TV game show? Stanley Ralph Ross died from lung cancer at the age of 64!

Groucho's the only one who correctly figures out who the murderer was, and wins the thousand dollars, but it's not exactly the prize he was seeking!

Personally, I think everybody should see this krazy show, it is truly one of a kind!

Here's a couple more nails in the coffin of why this had the potential to be a great show, the story was written by Robert (PSYCHO) Bloch..........

 

..........And it was a creation of Dungeon Superhero, and gimmick master supreme,

Mr. William Castle. I rest my case!

LIGHTS OUT / "Cat's Cradle" - 1951

Well, here we go... In today's dark tale, former local football star (shades of THE BRUTE MAN) George Logan shows up one night at the country home of Bob and Phyllis, former friends of his. George is down on his luck and is obsessed with having never fit in, and holds a grudge against the world. But he does have one talent, weaving a cat's cradle from the string he carries with him at all times, and claims that he can cast spells with it, even ones to commit murder if anyone gets in his way. This one goes downhill fast! 

It stars Martha Scott as Phyllis, Murvyn Vye as George, Larry Kerr as Bob and Klock Ryder as Mr. Woodley. Martha was a popular actress in the forties, then did mainly TV after that, appearing in THE TEN COMMANDMENTS and BEN-HUR in the fifties. Murvyn was another very popular actor and appeared on ONE STEP BEYOND and THRILLER. Larry appeared on SCIENCE FICTION THEATRE,  and in THE COLOSSUS OF NEW YORK and THE LOST MISSILE. Klock (love that name!) only had five acting credits.

Let's get this road on the show!!.. First, Frank Gallop tries to creep us out with his diatribe. And after his (logical/illogical) intro, we can yell... Hey! Who turned the lights out?!!

It all starts with a bang, we hear a crash and Bob runs to help Mr. Woodley out of his truck and into his yard. The old man says that after he nearly ran over a man minutes earlier, and as he was driving away, he felt an invisible wire around his neck and was choking, and that's what caused the accident. Bob and Phyllis don't really know what to make of the claim, and Mr. Woodley leaves saying it's true.

Then old friend George Logan shows up out of nowhere. Bob and Phyllis are a little shocked at his appearance at first but invite him inside.

Bob and Phyllis are happy to see him but he seems detached, because of his feelings of not fitting in. After he's asked what he's been up to...

He pulls out his cat's cradle and starts showing them what he learned in India (I think) and tells them of all the meanings of the patterns.

George gets a little too happy as the more complex patterns become kinda evil in their significance. Bob, who's getting angry at George for his claims, shuts him down and then goes outside for some fresh air...

Outside, Bob sees the newspaper George dropped before he came in and sees the dead owl Phyllis is always complaining about because of its hooting at night.

So, Bob goes back into the house and confronts George about the bird. George says he killed the bird with the cat's cradle for Phyllis, which opens up a whole new can of worms!

After they find out that George has been watching and listening to them through the open windows at night (and saying how much he envied them and that's why he killed the owl for Phyllis), a heated conversation breaks out. Both Bob and Phyllis tell George to get the Hell out, and don't come back!!! EVER!

Well, of course George didn't take kindly to their words and grabs a chair for offense after pulling the table cloth off, along with dinner.

George snaps, he says that he's going to watch Bob die and starts weaving his patterns with the cat's cradle...

OMG!!! The knucklehead wove the wrong freaking pattern by mistake, I guess the one for suicide?!.. Go figure!

And what else?.. Frank plays with our minds one more time just before The Dungeon Janitor turns the lights out on him!

THE GREEN HORNET STRIKES AGAIN! - "Flaming Havoc" (1940)

A couple of weeks ago, it was "The Green Hornet," and tonight's Wild Wednesday offering is the rest of the story, or "The Green Hornet Strikes Again!"

 

It's basically the same thing all over again, but for this series, there would be fifteen chapters instead of thirteen! But there is one major difference....................

............................Three of the main characters, Kato, Lenore Case, and Michael Axford as played by Keye Luke, Anne Nagel, and Wade Boteler remain the same, but The Green Hornet/Britt Reid is now played by Warren Hull instead of Gordon Jones.

Britt Reid is just trying to take off a little time to relax in Hawaii after those last thirteen harrowing episodes, but as fate would have it...........

......................everything is going to Hell while he's away, and the guy he left in charge is also the guy behind it all!

He needs to get back as soon as possible!

I don't think I've ever seen a fight scene before that included seven guys in one car!

 

As much as I love black and white films, I have to admit a beautiful Hawaiian sunset does lose some of it's luster.

Britt Reid and Kato are able to escape from the thugs that captured them, and now it's time to get back to the mainland! 

Warren Hull's real name was John Warren Hull, and he had three sons who were named

John, George, and Paul! Now how's that for a fact?

 

Once they get on the ship to go back home, everything should be all right!!

But of course it's not, and the ship is quickly becoming engulfed in flames!

It's now one big freak and panic show!

Talk about your "Flaming Havoc!" I guess so!

And it's also time to abandon ship! Damn! Is nothing simple and easy?

All those kids left on the edge of their seats, will just have to wait a week, and come back and pay again if they want to know how it will be possible that "The Green Hornet" and Kato can escape this deadly death trap! Gee Whiz, I even want to know!