FOUR STAR PLAYHOUSE –Dark Meeting -1956
This is an episode from "Four Star Playhouse". This anthology series ran for 130 episodes between 1952 and 1956. The series was produced by, Dick Powell, David Niven, Ida Lupino and Charles Boyer. It was a popular series that drew many well-known Hollywood types as guest stars. This is the 101st episode of the series.
This particular episode stars Ida Lupino as the owner operator of a small bowling alley. She is making enough to keep the place open and pay the single employee, pin sitter and janitor, Nolan Leary. This state of events change when Leary decides to quit and move to live with his sister.
Lupino puts an ad in the local paper asking for a replacement for Leary. Her best friend, Elliott Reid, runs the hot dog stand next to the bowling alley. The two have known each other since they were kids. Every night they close up and Reid walks her home through the park. She mentions that Leary has quit and that she placed an ad.
The next day, Warren Stevens shows up looking for the job. He seems a bit off to Lupino, but is willing to work for the less than stellar wage Lupino can pay. While Stevens seems to be working out OK, Lupino finds his constant asking of questions about her walks with Reid, a bit creepy. Plus he always seems to looking at her.
One evening Lupino is having a problem with a drunken customer, Frank J. Scannell. Stevens steps up and damn near kills Scannell. Lupino manages to stop Stevens in time and gives him his walking papers. That night, Reid is looking through a paper and what does he see. A picture of Stevens and a story of an escaped nut-bar from the mental hospital. Stevens is a killer and is highly dangerous.
Reid dashes over to check on Lupino. Lupino tells him that he fired the man and told him never to come back. The picture and story in the paper explains the creepy vibe Stevens had given Lupino.
Several nights later, just at closing, Stevens returns to the bowling alley. He wishes to have a "talk" with Lupino. Lupino plays it cool and tells Stevens she is happy to see him. "Would you walk me home?" Lupino asks Stevens. Stevens is somewhat taken aback by this, but agrees. "We can "talk" later."
As Lupino locks up, she waves at Reid at his hot dog stand. "My friend and I are going for a walk in the park." Lupino says. Reid likewise plays it cool and waits till Lupino and Stevens cross the street to the park. He then grabs the phone and calls the boys in blue about Stevens.
Inside the park, Lupino has parked Stevens and herself on a bench. Stevens is telling Lupino that he is glad that Lupino called him a friend. He does not like it when people are not nice to him.
Behind Stevens, the viewer can see a number of Police slowly advancing towards Stevens.
Decent suspense episode with old pro, Lupino making it look simple. The whole thing is a take on Lupino's 1952 film, BEWARE MY LOVELY.
The look of the episode is excellent, with veteran film noir cinematographer George Diskant, using a nice selection of blacks and grey to heighten the tension. DESPERATE, PORT OF NEW YORK, THEY LIVE BY NIGHT, THE RACKET, ON DANGEROUS GROUND, NARROW MARGIN and KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL are some examples of his big screen work.
This is an episode from "Four Star Playhouse". This anthology series ran for 130 episodes between 1952 and 1956. The series was produced by, Dick Powell, David Niven, Ida Lupino and Charles Boyer. It was a popular series that drew many well-known Hollywood types as guest stars. This is the 101st episode of the series.
This particular episode stars Ida Lupino as the owner operator of a small bowling alley. She is making enough to keep the place open and pay the single employee, pin sitter and janitor, Nolan Leary. This state of events change when Leary decides to quit and move to live with his sister.
Lupino puts an ad in the local paper asking for a replacement for Leary. Her best friend, Elliott Reid, runs the hot dog stand next to the bowling alley. The two have known each other since they were kids. Every night they close up and Reid walks her home through the park. She mentions that Leary has quit and that she placed an ad.
The next day, Warren Stevens shows up looking for the job. He seems a bit off to Lupino, but is willing to work for the less than stellar wage Lupino can pay. While Stevens seems to be working out OK, Lupino finds his constant asking of questions about her walks with Reid, a bit creepy. Plus he always seems to looking at her.
One evening Lupino is having a problem with a drunken customer, Frank J. Scannell. Stevens steps up and damn near kills Scannell. Lupino manages to stop Stevens in time and gives him his walking papers. That night, Reid is looking through a paper and what does he see. A picture of Stevens and a story of an escaped nut-bar from the mental hospital. Stevens is a killer and is highly dangerous.
Reid dashes over to check on Lupino. Lupino tells him that he fired the man and told him never to come back. The picture and story in the paper explains the creepy vibe Stevens had given Lupino.
Several nights later, just at closing, Stevens returns to the bowling alley. He wishes to have a "talk" with Lupino. Lupino plays it cool and tells Stevens she is happy to see him. "Would you walk me home?" Lupino asks Stevens. Stevens is somewhat taken aback by this, but agrees. "We can "talk" later."
As Lupino locks up, she waves at Reid at his hot dog stand. "My friend and I are going for a walk in the park." Lupino says. Reid likewise plays it cool and waits till Lupino and Stevens cross the street to the park. He then grabs the phone and calls the boys in blue about Stevens.
Inside the park, Lupino has parked Stevens and herself on a bench. Stevens is telling Lupino that he is glad that Lupino called him a friend. He does not like it when people are not nice to him.
Behind Stevens, the viewer can see a number of Police slowly advancing towards Stevens.
Decent suspense episode with old pro, Lupino making it look simple. The whole thing is a take on Lupino's 1952 film, BEWARE MY LOVELY.
The look of the episode is excellent, with veteran film noir cinematographer George Diskant, using a nice selection of blacks and grey to heighten the tension. DESPERATE, PORT OF NEW YORK, THEY LIVE BY NIGHT, THE RACKET, ON DANGEROUS GROUND, NARROW MARGIN and KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL are some examples of his big screen work.
