My Enemy, This Town

Starting with the dumb title -you take a 100% corny script, hire a hack director (Richard L. Bare, whose 1972 gimmick movie "Wicked, Wicked" which I saw at a drive-in is the only one I enjoyed) and the result is a total bore. If this had been Kraft's pilot for "Suspense Theatre", there wouldn't have been a series.

Usually Kraft featured three top names in a cast, not movie superstars, but very talented, solid names. This time the casting is way below weak, starting with Scott Marlowe, who is on screen nearly nonstop. I saw him many, many times back in the day, and he seemed to be always unsympathetic, an instant turnoff. Playing a mistreated, bitter guy returning to the hometown that turned against him, sort of a rebel with an ill-thought-out cause, he is utterly unconvincing when the phony happy ending occurs on cue.

Diane McBain is a very attractive TV star from the WB stable, but her acting is unimpressive here, and there is no third star, just Philip Carey listed third in the opening credits, in a strictly functional role.

It's a real shame that this episode of "Kraft Suspense Theatre" ended so unconvincingly--up until then, it had been excellent. When the story begins, Johnny (Scott Marlowe) has just been paroled from prison. It seems he spent seven years of his life there as a result of a rape conviction* and, oddly, he's chosen to return to his home town--the same town where he lived when he was convicted. Throughout his time at home, he keeps reiterating that he was innocent--and several townspeople (including the Deputy) are harassing him. Later, when he meets his alleged victim, you learn that it's true--he really did not assault her and she's been too much of a coward to tell the truth. Soon after, some of the folks want to guarantee that he'll never return, as they set up a phony sexual assault--and the cops soon arrest him and charge him with this.

The show did a great job of getting you to feel badly for Johnny-- and I appreciate that very much. Unfortunately, the ending was interesting to watch but made no sense whatsoever. After all, if Johnny sat in prison seven years and the woman never recanted, why would she suddenly do so when he's again facing a rape charge?!

*The word rape isn't used, but it's clear he was convicted of sexual assault. That was VERY surprising to be the plot of a TV show at the time--a time when folks just never talked about rape. Very bold, that's for sure.