The Bride Possessed

Prior to the legendary run of 'The Twilight Zone', if people wanted to satisfy their taste for the unusual, one good way to do so was to tune into 'One Step Beyond'.

Here, host John Newland (who also directed this episode) doesn't quite have as memorable a presence as Rod Serling, but that doesn't mean he does a bad job. Not at all.

His tale here is about a newlywed woman from Louisiana (Virginia Leith, "A Kiss Before Dying") who starts behaving strangely - speaking with no accent, for one thing - and treating her husband (Skip Homeier, "The Tall T") like a stranger.

This tale of "justice from beyond the grave" plays out with no real surprises, and DOES have a rather abrupt conclusion. But it's still a pretty entertaining tale, well told and well acted, especially by Ms. Leith.

Also starring Harry Townes ("Operation Manhunt") as a concerned psychiatrist.

Seven out of 10.

Matt Conroy ( first time I see Skip Homier not toting a six-gun!) is startled when on their honeymoon his wide-eyed, Louisiana-drawling wife Sally suddenly becomes a determined and demanding woman with no accent who denies even knowing him.

A watchable chiller about a murdered woman possessing a newly-married wife. It has some creepy atmosphere and good acting, especially from Virginia Leith, who is very convincing. The episode ends on a nigh, with the murderer confessing his crime but via the narrator.

Matt and Sally Conroy celebrate their wedding day, but as soon as the couple set off on their honeymoon, Sally starts behaving strangely, believing she is someone else, a woman who was murdered.

It worth considering when this was made, all the way back in 1959, and for that I'll give this episode some real credit, it you're a fan of the likes of Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, I think you'll enjoy this.

I'm not sure this is the best from the series, I've been told it gets better, but it's certainly an interesting debut episode, and a sign of things to come.

I thought it was competently acted and quite well produced, it held my attention.

An interesting start.

6/10.

The first episode of "One Step Beyond" starts as newlywed couple Matt (Skip Homeier) and Sally (Virginia Leigh, who sports a rather silly southern accent and would go on to star in the cult b movie classic "The Brain That Wouldn't Die" three years later) when on there honeymoon, Sally begins to behave strangely, running off and not even recognizing who Matt is. He manages to track her to a house with the help of a police officer, and Sally begins explaining that she is someone else. She is taken to the local hospital where, the doctor (the great Harry Townes) reveals to Matt that she isn't his wife anymore. Is Sally crazy or is she really a bride possessed?.

Overall, I though this was a pretty good way to start the series off, the acting is pretty solid and John Newland is great in the opening and closing segments in his Rod Serling-esq role, the ending however is my only real problem it seems rather forced and abrupt, but still a solid first entry.

As the rest of this very long fantasy and anthology show from America, this story strongly reminds me two of Lewis Allen's films from the late forties: THE UNINVITED and THE UNSEEN. A mix-up between horror, thriller, mystery and fantasy. Gripping, riveting, what could we expect more? Skip Homeier is good in this non villain role, for once. This won't be the first episode to present such plot, there will be similar stories, more or less the same. But let's forget it and focus on this one. Just avoid to watch the ONE STEP BEYOND TV show episodes in a row. You could be puzzled and confound all those fantasy and sometimes disturbing plots.