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Run For Your Life
Starring Ben Gazzara
Episode:
Night Train from Chicago
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To contact us, click Homepage link above
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Synopsis: Paul becomes involved with the mob when he meets Elizabeth (Louise Sorel) on a train, a woman in nun's garb, who suddenly disappears. With Brock Peters as Lieutenant Wallace, Chris Alcaide as First Man, Val Avery as the Second Man, Dale Johnson as the Officer, Bobby Johnson as the Porter, S. John Launer as the Conductor, Nicky Blair as the Cab Driver 235, John Francis as Cab Driver 480, Robert Osterloh as Frank Nemo, John McCann as the Policeman, Don Kennedy as First Homicide Man, Clark Howat as Second Homicide Man, Ollie O'Toole as the Hotel Clerk, Don Dillaway as the Doctor, Phil Arnold as Jerry, Anthony Brand as the Guitarist, Cosmo Sardo as the Steward, Jack Krupnick as the Photographer, Diana Muldaur as Rita (uncredited)
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Episode 27
First broadcast on
April 11, 1966
Teleplay by Robert Bloch
Story by John Thomas James
(Roy Huggins)
Directed by Richard Benedict
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SEE INDIVIDUAL PHOTOS OF ENTIRE CAST AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE

Creative Team
Producer
Jo Swerling Jr.
Associate Producer
Paul Freeman
Music
Pete Rugolo
Director of Photography
John L. Russell A.S.C.
Art Director
Howard E. Johnson
Film Editor
Robert Watts A.C.E.
Unit Manager
Willard Sheldon
Assistant Director
Les Berke
Set Decorators
John McCartey &
Robert C. Bradfield
Sound
Frank K. Wilkinson
Color Coordinator
Robert Brower
Color by Technicolor
Editorial Dept. Head
David J. O'Connell
Musical Supervisor
Stanley Wilson
Costume by Burton
Makeup
Bud Westmore
Hair Stylist
Larry Germain
Links to Other Episodes
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Paul meets Sister Veronica in the dining car
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The Plot:
Over breakfast on a train from Chicago to Los Angeles Paul meets a nun calling herself Sister Veronica.
In the middle of their conversation, she suddenly gets up from the table and departs, leaving behind her a rosary of genuine pearls. Paul makes an attempt to return the beads to her without success, then gets the conductor to check her compartment. When it is opened, all her belongings are gone along with the woman, the train never having stopped.
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Paul sees the same woman outside the station
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Looking for a cab at the station in Los Angeles, Paul spots the “nun,” now wearing a green suit. He approaches her about returning the rosary, but she claims never to have met him, and gets into a taxi. Paul manages to get to the hotel where she has gone, and after bribing the desk clerk, knocks on her door. She denies knowing him again, and tells him to get out. He presents the rosary, and says that, if she's in any trouble, he would like to help. She tells him that her name is Mary Carter, and he can leave the rosary, but just then, Paul is struck from behind, and falls to the floor.
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Lt. Wallace tells Paul about Charlie Sant
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When he comes to, Paul finds the woman in the green suit dead.
Homicide Lieutenant Wallace interviews Paul about the incident, questioning why he made such a point of pursuing the woman he met on the train. What is a mystery is that the body found dead in the hotel room was not the woman who let him in, even though she was dressed in the same green suit. The interrogation is interrupted by a colleague who reminds the Lieutenant that he wants to listen to the broadcast of a top mafia boss giving voluntary testimony before a Senate hearing.
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Paul rings Wallace as Nemo watches from mezzanine
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But instead of telling all, Charlie Sant takes the Fifth Amendment. Wallace explains that Sant was thought to be a bachelor, but it turned out that he had a daughter who'd been hidden. It was when she died that he volunteered to testify about mafia crimes.
Then Lt. Wallace suddenly gets an idea, and makes a phone call. “His daughter was a nun,” he tells Paul. A colleague states that the deceased daughter was called Sister Veronica, and Lt. Wallace calls the homicide division in Chicago to confirm that she is really dead.
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 The men from the train wait to attack Paule
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On departing Paul says that he'll be in neighboring Riverside County for a motor race, and Lt. Wallace asks him to stay in touch and be back for the inquest. Out for a drink, Paul notes a man to be watching him, and phones Lt. Wallace to ask why he is being followed. Wallace declares he isn't tailing Paul, and gives him instructions to leave the bar when he hears a page. Hearing the call some minutes later, Paul goes out, and so does the man watching him. When he steps into the street, the man, identifying himself as Frank Nemo, is stopped by a policeman, and asked to accompany the officer to the station.
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Lt. Wallace calls on Paul to view a body in the morgu
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The whole scene watched by Paul and two men in a car, both of whom were on the train from Chicago. The police car departs, and Paul continues down the street, only to be attacked by the two men who'd been observing the situation. Paul fights back, but as the assailants get the upper hand, a woman sees the scene and begins screaming hysterically, causing them to go back to their car and speed away. When Paul returns to his hotel, one of Wallace's men takes him to the morgue to view the body of Charlie Sant's cousin, Nicolo Calabraise who ran a mafia front organization.
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Paul senses he's being followed
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He was badly beaten and killed, and had Paul's name on his desk. Paul remains puzzled at this, and also learns that the body he found in the green suit was the hotel maid. Paul participates in the Riverside motor race, and at the track, receives a call from the woman he met on the train, identifying herself as Elizabeth Brentano. She says that she needs his help, and asks him to meet her at a motel in the San Fernando Valley. As he makes the drive to Van Nuys Paul observes that he is being followed, and sensing his awareness, the pursuers call in a back up, pulling off the road and replaced by others
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Paul refers to being hit on the head the last time they met
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Elizabeth tells Paul that she saw his picture in the paper about being in the race, and that's how she contacted him.
He asks her about the incident when he was knocked out at the hotel, and she says that two men had grabbed her, and when the maid walked in, they hit the woman over the head, and having torn Elizabeth's suit, they exchanged their clothes to be able to get her out of the room.
When an opportunity presented itself moments later, she escaped from the hoods.
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Paul tells her that Calabraise is dead
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When Paul says that she might have been killed, Elizabeth replies that she would probably be no good to them dead. She tells him that Sister Veronica was her sister, and that she too is Charlie Sant's daughter, but the girls only found out about their parentage when the aunt who raised them was dying, some three years ago, a fact which caused her sister to become a nun.
Charlie Sant communicated with his daughters through a lawyer who informed Elizabeth that their father was going to testify before the Senate committee
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Paul tells her that she must identify herself
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She was informed that the mafia might know about her. So she put on her sister's habit, and went to see a man the lawyer had given her to contact. She rang him, and told him everything, but he never called her back, so she got in touch with Paul.
When he asks, she confirms the man's name was Calabraise, Paul tells her he was killed when the mob tried to find her whereabouts.
Elizabeth asks Paul to hide her, but he says that it's important her father knows she's alive so he can testify.
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The thug gets into the room
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He tells her that she must call the FBI and identify herself. She is horrified over the idea of making her identity public, letting people know that she is the daughter of a mafia boss. But just as he is about to convince her of the right thing to do, Paul senses someone is outside the room. He bundles Elizabeth into the bathroom, and stands behind the door with his gun. When the first man comes in, Paul shoots him in self defense, but the second knocks Paul down and fires at him. With Paul wounded on the floor, the man goes to the bathroom where Elizabeth is cowering behind the shower curtain.
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Wounded, Paul still can't believe he was followed
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Just as he is about to grab her, Paul shoots at him.
Paul brings a traumatized Elizabeth back into the room, and she recovers her presence of mind to inquire about his wounds.He tells her that only his feelings are hurt as she binds his arm and calls a doctor.
Then, as Paul looks at her with support, she picks up the phone again and rings the FBI to say there has been a shooting, and identifies herself by her father's name.
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  Notes & Comments: Plenty of twists and turns make this an intriguing episode.
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Louise Sorel
as Elizabeth
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Brock Peters as
Lieutenant Wallace
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Chris Alcaide as
the First Man
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Val Avery as
the Second Man
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Dale Johnson
as the Officer
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Bobby Johnson
as the Porter
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S. John Launer as the Conductor
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Nicky Blair as
Cab Driver 235
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John Francis as
Cab Driver 480
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Robert Osterloh
as Frank Nemo
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John McCann as
the Policeman
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Don Kennedy as
First Homicide Man
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Clark Howat as
2nd Homicide Man
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Ollie O'Toole as
the Hotel Clerk
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Don Dillaway as
the Doctor
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Phil Arnold
as Jerry
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Anthony Brand as
the Guitarist
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Cosmo Sardo
as the Steward
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Diana Muldaur
as Rita
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