Shadows at Noon

Yes, a gloomy story, dealing with mental health issues and who belongs in and who belongs out of an institution. The strange twist is Harry and his client (Diana Ewing) both wind up in a sanitarium.

It all begins with a desperate, young woman called Marilyn (Ewing) who somehow broke out of a mental hospital and begs Harry for help. She claims she was committed against her well, but Harry has his doubts, and you can't blame him. I agree with the last reviewer, Harry shows a fatherly, compassionate side when Marilyn gets locked back up, realizing he may have made a huge mistake. Diana Ewing turns in a believable performance, a popular actress in the 60s and 70s.

The story takes on a SNAKE PIT slant when Harry cleverly aranges to have himself committed to the hospital, a move to get more info from Marilyn concerning a concealed murder. The slick folks behind it now have Harry behind the Eight Ball The moral of the story is don't play with fire; not easy to get committed, and twice as difficult to get the powers that be to release you. Some CUCKOOS NEST parallels in motion also.

A standout mystery written by Robert Dozier, who wrote 22 episodes for the show, son of William Dozier who created tv's BATMAN. Guy Stockwell, brother of actor Dean Stockwell (DOBIE GILLIS) plays Arthur. The guy ya' sometimes don't trust, Michael Strong, plays Dr. Mirakian. Keep your eye on him. The biggest question is how did Dozier come up with that name?

I SPY and INVADERS veteran, Paul Wendkos directed, and doing an expert job. Again, applause for Diana Ewing.

SEASON 1 EPISODE 7 Warner Brothers dvd box set. 6 dvds. Released 2012 with a beautiful blue box cover. Both season 1 and 2 boxes are collectors items. Thanks to METV for bringing this series back.

This episode starts off well but descends into gloom quickly. Harry arrives home from shopping one day to find his front door locked and a woman in his home. Marilyn has escaped from Los Robles Sanitarium. She protests that she's sane and was committed against her will, but she gets picked up and is sent back there. Harry feels guilty about it so he checks it out with her family and with her doctor. Harry proposes getting temporarily committed to the hospital so that he can talk to Marilyn. However, once inside, Harry can't get out.

The acting is good. Diana Ewing shows quite a bit of vulnerability and sweetness as Marilyn. Harry's first interaction with her, when he finds her trespassing in his home, is gentle. She's heartbreakingly, desperately alone and afraid. "Won't you just take me on faith?" she asks hopefully, when Harry asks her name. Though seemingly gruff, Harry is compassionate, caring, and soft-spoken. This is a unique episode, albeit the writing is very downbeat. There's a pervasive feeling of sadness throughout.

No mention of the similarity between this episode of Harry O and One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. Even the first scene of Harry inside the mental institution shows a room with a window in the background with a nurse and orderly looking out on the patients--exactly like Nurse Rached's ever-vigilent eye on McMurphy. Interesting parallel with very similar depiction of the affected inmates.

I am a fan of both Harry O and Cuckoo's Nest. Some cross pollination is obvious. I can only assume that the writer was a fan of the movie. At any rate, it is a good episode and well worth watching for fans of David Jenssen.

This brilliant episode succinctly illustrates psychiatrys attitude towards the mentally ill.

Once you're labelled as being mentally ill then no matter how much you recover, the system will always see you as being mentally ill.

The more you say you aren't mentally ill they more ill they insist you are and the more they will drug you up.

Harry Orwell finds this out the hard way.

A sadly accurate and chilling episode as things and psychiattic stereotypes still haven't changed or been modified almost 50 years later.

Harry O is one of those rare series that tactfully challenges social stereotypes. Maybe that was the problem.

Sledgehammer has always been more understood and popular than tact and subtlety.