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Run For Your Life
Starring Ben Gazzara
Episode:
The Night of the Terror
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To contact us, click Homepage link above
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Synopsis: When Harry Blunt (Donnelly Rhodes) invites Paul and Jenny (Sharon Farrell) to his house, they find out how seriously disturbed he and his brother Christopher (Charles Aidman) really are. With Maggie Thrett as Brenda, Nancy Marshall as Sue
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Episode 18
First broadcast on
January 24, 1966
Teleplay by John Thomas James (Roy Huggins)
Based on a Script by Gerald Vaughn-Hughes
Directed by Alexander Singer
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SEE INDIVIDUAL PHOTOS OF ENTIRE CAST AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE

Creative Team
Producer
Gordon Hessler
Associate Producer
Paul Freeman
Music
Pete Rugolo
Director of Photography
John L. Russell A.S.C.
Art Director
Howard E. Johnson
Film Editor
Carl Pingitore
Unit Manager
Willard Sheldon
Assistant Director
George Bisk
Set Decorators
John McCartey &
Perry Murdoch
Sound
Melvin N. Metcalfe, Sr.
Color Coordinator
Robert Brower
Color by Pathe
Editorial Dept. Head
David J. O'Connell
Musical Supervisor
Stanley Wilson
Costumes Supervisor
Vincent Dee
Makeup
Bud Westmore
Hair Stylist
Larry Germain
Links to Other Episodes
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Harry proposes a visit to his haunted house
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The Plot:
Paul is at a crowded party, and when kissing Jenny in a corner, is interrupted by Harry Blunt with an overdramatic speech.
By the end of the evening there are only five people left, one being Harry talking about spirits, and irritating the two girls he's known for some while. Then he starts speaking about a haunted house an hour or so away, as well as the grisly story of the owner who hanged himself after being persecuted by neighbors.
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 Harry's scary talk makes Jenny want to leave
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Only Jenny is interested and she prepares to leave with Harry, but Sue, once involved with Harry, tells Paul to go with them. Harry welcomes him, saying a man who thinks life is rational might get a shock when he finds it isn't. When they are at the house Harry makes frequent references to his strict and cruel father, and points out the hook from which he hanged himself. He does everything to make things seem spooky, with references of terror to come. Eventually, Jenny becomes frightened, and asks to leave. Though Paul remains somewhat intrigued, he feels it best to take her home.
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Harry upsets Judy with talk of pouncing
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But Harry says that he hid the key to the car, and it will be almost impossible for them to find their way back to the main road, especially in the dark, heavy rain and lightening. Paul hits Harry in hopes of getting the key, and when Jenny says this has restored her equilibrium,Paul goes out to see if he can hot-wire Harry's car. When they are alone, Harry continues to taunt the somewhat restored Jenny. But she breaks down again quickly when he talks about pouncing on her, kisses her against her will, and ominously advises that this is nothing compared with what is to come.
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Jenny is pursued by something coming in the window
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Unsuccessful, Paul returns, and after more menacing talk, Harry slips from the room. When Jenny says Paul isn't worried, Paul replies that he is, but doesn't think Harry is violent. Then comes the loud sound of drums and maniacal laughter from above that Harry had been speaking of at the party.
When they go upstairs to investigate, they find a teddy bear hanging from a noose on a door. Going in, they find another corridor, and when Paul goes back to track a sound, a headless thing comes running at Jenny from the other direction.
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Harry tells his brother that he must educate him
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Paul takes the terrified Jenny her back downstairs. When she implies Paul might be enjoying what is going on, he replies that he would be if Harry weren't so obviously mentally sick.Jenny speaks of her bad dreams, and Paul says he wants to find out why Harry is acting as he does, theorizing that Harry is being assisted in the theatre by his brother.
In the attic, Harry is drinking again, and is approached by the sub-serviant and nervous Christopher who says that Harry has not paid him money which is owed.
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Harry calls his laugh the sound of chaos
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Christopher says that he doesn't have enough to eat properly, and will tell all to the people downstairs if Harry doesn't pay him. His brother adds that Harry may think he's stupid, but he knows Harry will get both of them in trouble with his actions.
Harry replies, “what you learn from atrocities, disasters and meaningless deprivations, you can learn on a modest scale by a well-conducted practical joke.” He then puts on the tape of drums and laughter and breaks out himself in a maniacal laugh, calling it the sound of chaos.
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Paul shouts that they're going to trash Harry's car
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Paul believes Harry to be in the attic, and he and Jenny go upstairs. Then Paul shouts upwards that he and Jenny are departing in five minutes, and that they're going to leave Harry's car in a complete wreck before they go.
Hearing this above, Harry removes the car key from his shoe, and tells his brother to go down and drive it to a location where it can't be found, and to wait there.
After taking further insults, Christopher proceeds downstairs, only to be grabbed and trapped by Paul
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Christopher tells Paul about Harry's plans
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Paul shouts at him angrily. Christopher is submissive and frightened, and says that he wanted to talk to them, and was only going to drive the car away for Harry. Paul demands and receives the car key. Christopher then describes his situation - the house empty since his father's death, his living in a nearby cottage, collecting rents for Harry from land tenants, but not getting due pay. He says Harry's intention is to “pounce” them, a term used by their sadistic father when he was out to beat Harry mercilessly with his riding crop. Paul asks if that means to frighten them, but Christopher says it's much more.
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Christopher tells about the brothers' awful lives
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Christopher confirms that their father hanged himself - just before he would have gone to jail for assault and other charges. He speaks of the terrible beatings inflicted on Harry, and how his brother would never cry. To Paul's question about whether Harry changed after his father's death, Christopher says it was like two different people, that Harry was seldom home, but nice to him when he was. When Christopher found his father dead, he phoned Harry to come, and thus he too discovered his father hanging when he walked in. “Father finally pounced Harry good,”
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Christopher beats a drum to draw Harry
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Christopher adds, to Jenny's growing horror as she listens, “now Harry likes to pounce people. He's like father now.”
Paul says that he wants to get Harry out of the attic, and asks what Harry might do if he went up there. Christopher says that's not a good idea, but he has a solution, and brings out a drum which he begins tapping on. From the attic comes drumming in answer.
Christopher goes into a virtual frenzy, saying that he's pouncing Harry, who will come down quietly, but Jenny is almost hysterical at the sound, so Paul interrupts.
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Paul takes down the hanging figure
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He goes out in the hall, and shouts at Harry to come down.
They then respond to a shout of horror, and go to investigate. When Jenny sees the scene, she gives a piercing shriek as Harry says to a hanging figure that he'll never turn him into a Christopher, then repeating again and again, “I've got a soul.”
He'd hung up the dummy there to “pounce” on Jenny and Paul, the drumming being the same that Christopher did when he let Harry find his dead father.
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  Review: Run For Your Life is now getting into the character-based episodes the series was most noted for.
All that went wrong was the title which left the audience expecting something far more scary and much less intellectual. A real shame as this gave off false signals for what was really a psychological drama, not the tale of a haunted house.
Fine performances all round, building suspense and thoroughly sympathetic characters made this a solid, if not tasty episode.
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Donnelly Rhodes
as Harry Blunt
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Charles Aidman
as Christopher
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Sharon Farrell
as Jenny
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Maggie Thrett
as Brenda
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Nancy Marshall
as Sue
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