Night Gallery | |
---|---|
Genre |
|
Written by | Rod Serling |
Directed by | |
Presented by | Rod Serling |
Starring | |
Music by | William Goldenberg |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Producer | William Sackheim |
Cinematography | Robert Batcheller William Margulies |
Editor | Edward Abroms |
Running time | 95 minutes |
Production company | Universal Television |
Original release | |
Network | NBC |
Release | November 8, 1969 |
Related | |
Night Gallery |
Night Gallery is a 1969 American made-for-television anthology supernatural horror film starring Joan Crawford, Roddy McDowall and Richard Kiley. Directed by Boris Sagal, Steven Spielberg and Barry Shear, the film consists of three supernatural tales that served as the pilot for the anthology television series of the same name, written and hosted by Rod Serling. Serling garnered the Edgar Award for Best TV Episode for this effort. The film premiered on NBC on November 8, 1969. [1]
Serling appeared in an art gallery setting as the curator and introduced a trilogy of supernatural tales by unveiling paintings (by artist Jaroslav "Jerry" Gebr) that depicted the stories. The pilot theme and background music was composed by William Goldenberg. [2]
The first segment is directed by Boris Sagal with the opening narration by Serling:
Good evening, and welcome to a private showing of three paintings, displayed here for the first time. Each is a collector's item in its own way—not because of any special artistic quality, but because each captures on a canvas, suspends in time and space, a frozen moment of a nightmare. Our initial offering: a small gothic item in blacks and grays. A piece of the past known as the family crypt. This one we call simply "The Cemetery." Offered to you now, six feet of earth and all that it contains. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Night Gallery.
Jeremy Evans is a despicable selfish young man who murders his wealthy uncle in order to inherit his estate, both much to the detriment of his uncle's loyal butler, Osmond Portifoy. Shortly afterwards, Jeremy notices that a painting of the family graveyard has changed – a fresh, empty grave appears in it and soon after a coffin standing upright appears in the grave. Little by little, the painting depicts the return of his uncle from his burial site, moving closer and closer – or so it seems to Jeremy. Eventually, as someone pounds on the door, he goes mad, grabs the painting of his uncle as he protests that "You're dead!" and tumbles down the stairs to his death. The door opens to reveal Osmond, who - as is later revealed - orchestrated the whole thing. An artist friend of his created all the paintings. Osmond also reveals that a clause in his employer's will states that if there are no living heirs, he gets everything. Finally, as he looks at the painting of his boss and tells him to "rest in peace" he notices the same painting of the family cemetery. Just as before, a fresh grave appears, then a coffin, then Jeremy is seen in it, and finally comes the same pounding to the door. As he collapses in fear on the floor, the door swings open, and the screen fades to black.
The second segment is directed by Steven Spielberg with the opening narration:
Objet d'art number two: a portrait. Its subject, Miss Claudia Menlo, a blind queen who reigns in a carpeted penthouse on Fifth Avenue. An imperious, predatory dowager who will soon find a darkness blacker than blindness. This is her story.
Claudia Menlo is a heartless wealthy blind woman who desperately wants to be able to see. A hapless gambler owing money to loan sharks agrees to donate his eyes to her for the grand sum of $9,000 (approximately $74,500 in 2024 dollars). Her doctor, whom she blackmails into performing the illegal surgery, warns her that her vision will only last for about eleven hours. After the surgery, Claudia sits in her penthouse apartment with all her art and special possessions gathered around her so she can see them the moment her sight is restored. She removes the bandages from her eyes, and by a quirk of fate, there is a blackout seconds later. Thinking Dr. Heatherton has betrayed her, she stumbles down the long flights of stairs to the ground floor, cursing him with every step, and then collapses in an alley. The camera swings above a fence to show people on a nearby street, and a cop explains about the power failure. She awakens the next day, somehow back in her apartment, and sees the sunrise, but panics when her sight quickly begins to fade. Beating on the window, the glass cracks, and the scene cuts to black.
The third and final segment is directed by Barry Shear with the opening narration:
And now, the final painting. The last of our exhibit has to do with one Joseph Strobe, a Nazi war criminal hiding in South America—a monster who wanted to be a fisherman. This is his story.
Former SS-Gruppenführer (lieutenant general) Joseph Strobe is a Nazi fugitive constantly on the run from the authorities and his nightmares about the past. One day, while fleeing from imaginary pursuers, he finds himself in a museum where he meets Bleum, a survivor of the same concentration camp where Strobe made the decisions about who would live or die. Bleum does not initially recognize him, but points out a painting that depicts a man being crucified in a concentration camp and states that a friend of his died that way. Strobe turns away; he is drawn to a painting of a fisherman, and imagines himself in the painting. He finds happiness and peace there, fishing and gently drifting along the river. When Strobe returns to the art gallery the next day, Bleum recognizes him as a Nazi, and later, Strobe kills him to ensure his own anonymity. Once again, Strobe must hide from authorities. When caught, he tries to bargain for his freedom by offering knowledge on other war criminals (namely Martin Bormann and Heinrich Müller). He manages to break free of the police, and in a state of desperation he returns to the museum and prays to be allowed into the painting. The corner where the painting hangs is dark, he hears chanting and cries out in fear, and disappears. The police arrive and search, but can't find him. One steps up to the corner with a man from the museum and asks about the fisherman painting. The man explains that it was taken down that day and replaced with the one they're looking at: the crucified man! They move away, yet hear moans of pain, but can't figure out where they're coming from. Joseph has received his final judgment.
Since its original broadcast and later re-airings, "Eyes" has remained the most popular segment among the three Night Gallery entries, most notably because it was the directorial debut of 22-year-old Steven Spielberg, as well as one of the last acting performances by screen legend Joan Crawford. Upon learning that the young Spielberg would be directing her, Crawford reportedly called up Sid Sheinberg, then vice president of production for Universal Television, to demand that he be replaced by someone more experienced. Sheinberg talked Crawford into giving Spielberg a chance and she agreed. [3]
Prior to production, Crawford met with Spielberg at her Los Angeles apartment. Upon arrival, Spielberg was greeted by the star wearing a mask over her eyes as she was demonstrating that she'd been practicing maneuvering around a room like a blind person. The "Eyes" segment was filmed in nine days (February 3–12, 1969) at Universal Studios in Universal City, California and, despite her early reservations, Crawford and Spielberg got along famously, even so far as keeping in touch until her death in 1977.
During the filming, Crawford and her co-star Barry Sullivan had difficulty reciting their lines mainly due to the verbosity of the dialogue, and Spielberg eventually placed cue-cards around the set to meet the tight shooting schedule. The actress later recalled her experience on Night Gallery to a reporter saying that although she adored Rod Serling and his writing, "his dialogue was the hardest to memorize. There's a rhythm to his words and if you change one of them, the rhythm is off and you can't remember". [4]
On November 23, 2021, KL Studio Classics (under license from Universal) released the pilot film as part of Night Gallery: The Complete First Season on high-def Blu-ray for the first time.
On August 24, 2004, Universal released the pilot film as part of Night Gallery: The Complete First Season on DVD in Region 1.
The pilot film was released on VHS in 1985 by MCA Home Video and re-released again in 1992 as part of Universal's The Premiere Collection.
Steven Allan Spielberg is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is the most commercially successful director in film history. He is the recipient of many accolades, including three Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards as well as the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1995, the Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 2001, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2006, the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2009 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. Seven of his films have been inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".
The Twilight Zone is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described as entering "the Twilight Zone". The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, supernatural drama, black comedy, and psychological thriller, frequently concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist, and usually with a moral. A popular and critical success, it introduced many Americans to common science fiction and fantasy tropes. The first series, shot entirely in black-and-white, ran on CBS for five seasons from 1959 to 1964.
Night Gallery is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, The Twilight Zone, served both as the on-air host of Night Gallery and as a major contributor of scripts, although he did not have the same control of content and tone as he had on The Twilight Zone. Serling viewed Night Gallery as a logical extension of The Twilight Zone, but while both series shared an interest in thought-provoking dark fantasy, more of Zone's offerings were science fiction while Night Gallery focused on horrors of the supernatural.
Rodman Edward Serling was an American screenwriter and television producer best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his anthology television series The Twilight Zone. Serling was active in politics, both on and off the screen, and helped form television industry standards. He was known as the "angry young man" of Hollywood, clashing with television executives and sponsors over a wide range of issues, including censorship, racism, and war.
"Where Is Everybody?" is the first episode of the American anthology television series The Twilight Zone and was originally broadcast on October 2, 1959, on CBS. It is one of the most realistic Twilight Zone episodes, as it features no supernatural elements and is based on fairly straightforward extrapolation of science.
Courage Under Fire is a 1996 American war drama film directed by Edward Zwick, and starring Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan. It is the second collaboration between Washington and director Zwick. The film was released in the United States on July 12, 1996, to positive reviews and grossed $100 million worldwide.
Thomas Edward Bosley was an American actor, television personality and entertainer. Bosley is best known for portraying Howard Cunningham on the ABC sitcom Happy Days (1974–1984) for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series nomination. Bosley also did a variety of voiceover work such as playing the lead character in the animated series Wait Till Your Father Gets Home, and the narrator of the syndicated film history documentary series That's Hollywood. He was also known for his role as Sheriff Amos Tupper in the Angela Lansbury lead CBS mystery series Murder, She Wrote (1984–1988), and as the title character in the NBC/ABC series Father Dowling Mysteries (1989–1991).
Jaws: The Revenge is a 1987 American horror film produced and directed by Joseph Sargent. The fourth and final film in the Jaws franchise, it stars Lorraine Gary, who came out of retirement to reprise her role from the first two films, along with new cast members Lance Guest, Mario Van Peebles, Karen Young and Michael Caine. Acting as a sequel to Jaws 2, the film focuses on a now-widowed Ellen Brody (Gary) and her conviction that a great white shark is seeking revenge on her family, particularly when it kills her youngest son, and follows her to the Bahamas.
Twilight Zone: The Movie is a 1983 American sci-fi horror anthology film produced by Steven Spielberg and John Landis. Based on Rod Serling's 1959–1964 television series of the same name, the film features four stories directed by Landis, Spielberg, Joe Dante, and George Miller. Landis' segment is an original story created for the film, while the segments by Spielberg, Dante, and Miller are remakes of episodes from the original series. The film's cast includes Dan Aykroyd, Albert Brooks, Scatman Crothers, John Lithgow, Vic Morrow, and Kathleen Quinlan. Original series cast members Burgess Meredith, Patricia Barry, Peter Brocco, Murray Matheson, Kevin McCarthy, Bill Mumy, and William Schallert also appear in the film, with Meredith assuming Serling's role as narrator.
"Treehouse of Horror IV" is the fifth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons and the fourth episode in the Treehouse of Horror series of Halloween specials. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 28, 1993, and features three short stories called "The Devil and Homer Simpson", "Terror at 5+1⁄2 Feet", and "Bart Simpson's Dracula".
Lorraine Gottfried, better known by her stage name Lorraine Gary, is a retired American actress, best known for her role as Ellen Brody in the Jaws film series. She also appeared in 1941 and Car Wash.
Night Skies is an unproduced science fiction horror film that was in development in the late 1970s. Steven Spielberg conceived the idea after Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Instead, material developed at the time was used in Poltergeist,E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Gremlins.
Sidney Jay Sheinberg was an American businessman, lawyer and entertainment executive. He served as president and CEO of MCA Inc. and Universal Studios for over 40 years.
Amblin' is a 1968 American short film written and directed by Steven Spielberg. It was Spielberg's first completed film shot on 35 mm. The film is a short love story set during the hippy era of the late 1960s about a young man and woman who meet in the desert, attempt to hitchhike, become friends, then lovers, make their way to a beach, and part ways. It later became the namesake for Spielberg's production company, Amblin Entertainment.
Twilight Zone: Rod Serling's Lost Classics is a 1994 American made-for-television fantasy supernatural horror film consisting of two stories by Rod Serling. The film was co-produced by Serling's widow Carol Serling. Reportedly, she found the two pieces in a trunk in the family's garage.
Love Story is a 1944 British black-and-white romance film directed by Leslie Arliss and starring Margaret Lockwood, Stewart Granger, and Patricia Roc. Based on a short story by J. W. Drawbell, the film is about a concert pianist who, after learning that she is dying of heart failure, decides to spend her last days in Cornwall. While there, she meets a former RAF pilot who is going blind, and soon a romantic attraction forms. Released in the United States as A Lady Surrenders, this wartime melodrama produced by Gainsborough Pictures was filmed on location at the Minack Theatre in Porthcurno in Cornwall, England.
The Night Walker is a 1964 American psychological horror film directed and produced by William Castle, written by Robert Bloch, and starring Robert Taylor, Judith Meredith, Lloyd Bochner and Barbara Stanwyck in her final theatrical film role. It follows the wife of a wealthy inventor who is plagued by increasingly disturbing nightmares, which escalate after her husband's death. It was the final black and white film made by Universal Pictures.
Savage is a 1973 American thriller-drama television pilot directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Martin Landau. It was not picked up as a series and has been referred to as a standalone made-for-television film.
"Senza Fine" is a song written by Italian singer-songwriter Gino Paoli, inspired by collaboration partner Ornella Vanoni. Vanoni was the first person to record the song which was released as a single in September 1961. The song version sung by Paoli went on to chart at No. 7 on the Italian Top 50.