The Captain's Guests

An architect Andrew Courtney (Robert Webber) and his wife decide to rent a house in the New England coastline.

The estate agent in the small town is uneasy and reluctant to rent the house with them. Despite the high rental, Andrew taks the house.

The house has a portrait of the former owner, crusty Captain Crawson. His own crew once mutinied and keelhauled him.

Clawson was deranged and soon Andrew seems to be possessed by Clawson's portrait. He limps, starts talking in the local accent and then suspects his wife of having an affair with his business partner.

It is a bit of an old chestnut, a man being possessed in an old haunted house. I was surprised that the business partner just walked out of the house leaving Andrew's wife at her husband mercy, violent temper and gun.

Webber gives a good performance. Not sure I was onside with John Newland's explanation.

A sadistic sea captain from the nineteenth century haunts a New England home and poisons the lives of a married couple (Robert Webber and Nancy Hadley) after taking possession of the husband's mind.

These haunted house stories require a deft touch to prevent them from being ludicrous; and a deft touch is just what this episode lacks. Charles Beaumont's script seems workable enough; and the actors seem competent. But little things here and there provoke eye-rolling and laughter instead of chills. Robert Webber launches too quickly into his gruff captain voice. Nancy Hadley finds a diary in the attic and awkwardly reads out loud from it. Little things betray the producers' lack of time and money. The couple is introduced in a long shot and it takes at least a minute before we get a good look at them.

You can't blame this show's faults on age. "The Twilight Zone" is still fresh and original long after its elements have become over familiar. I think part of the blame lies with this series' serious attempts to argue for the paranormal, which "Twilight Zone" never did. This shackles the writers to pseudo-realism and prevents their imaginations from taking flight.

Andrew and Ellen Courtney believe they've found their forever home on The East Coast, after moving from The City. A house the locals believe is haunted, by former sea Captain Clausen. Soon after moving in Andrew's behaviour changes.

It's a good old fashioned ghost story, a chilling tale of possession, and cruelty. Early on we see a couple of glimpses into the mental decline of Andrew, as it develops we see him spiral.

It's well paced, it moves along at pace, and is suitably atmospheric. It's an exciting conclusion, it builds and builds, until the fiery final segment.

Robert Webber is excellent as the husband who fell foul of the vengeful Captain.

7/10.

In The Captain's Guests (ep. 1-19) We have an overworked older man who takes his wife on a vacation trip. They stay in a house which was built by a sea captain, whose portrait hangs in the house.

After a time, the husband begins to accuse his wife of infidelity, but strangely, he insists on calling her by a different name. As time passes he begins acting more and more strangely. Is he possessed? Director John Newland calls to our attention that this is a true story. The transfer quality of this public domain work is better than average but still could be a lot better. A pity the original copyright holder dropped the ball on renewing their claim. The efforts by the public domain market monkeys have not done much for the quality of the transfer. (Big sigh).

Robert Webber & Nancy Hadley play Andy & Ellen Courtney, a married couple who move into a reputedly haunted home on the coast of New England. They don't believe such tales, but the locals do, who are unsurprised when it does indeed appear the home is haunted by its former owner, a bitter old sea captain named Clausen who seems to be gaining possession of Andy, and is changing his personality to his own, endangering their lives when the captain's murderous ways threaten to return... Nicely atmospheric episode has a fine setting and story, with good local flavor, although some inadequate makeup at the fiery climax almost ruins things!