The Phantom Farmhouse/Silent Snow, Secret Snow

This "Night Gallery" episode from 1971 is well done and good as the first one features the legendary Orson Wells as a narrator in a tale about a boy going away to a different kind of place and different kind of school. And then a tale that features a man in hell where nothing is to appear or what it seems to be. Then to finish out the last tale with David Carradine as a man housed on a prison like farm who all of a sudden has a little secret a house that is around only this house has a history a curse it turns out that it's a land of werewolves! Really a pretty good entry from the series one to watch for it's suspense and imagination and drama like twist.

Since season two of "Night Gallery" is not available yet. I find that I must rely on my memory. From what I remember this is one of the most beautifully disturbing programs that I have ever seen. A young boy's decent into autism. Or maybe not. As narrated by Orson Wells, this become some of the most captivating television ever shown. Season Two of "Night Gallery" was Television at it's finest in the early 70's. Why isn't season two available on DVD yet? Let's hope that when it is released that they take a little more care in the transfers. How season one was presented was a joke. How can we convince the powers that be at NBC, that we the people want and need this? Thank you.

This is one of those episodes that I liked better after watching it the 2nd time, as I felt the story was fairly original, and there are several familiar faces. Some of these faces include a pre-Kung Fu David Carradine, David McCallum, Ford Rainey, and Bill Quinn. As you should by now, there are no actual "werewolves" in this segment, although I think the term was mentioned a few times, although I forget who said it. Let me also add that the attacks/chases by the "wolves", or perhaps just big dogs, was filmed rather well and convincing for 1971, as CGI wasn't around quite yet. The scene were the one wolf/big dog fends off the other 2 to help protect Dr. Winter(McCallum) was spot on, and probably my favorite scene of this episode. I also enjoyed the scene with Dr. Winter, Dr. Tom(Quinn), and Betty(Trina Parks), as they all discussed the murders going on at the asylum. Watch out for that forefinger too! That was pretty creepy looking, and it didn't look that fake either. I've never heard this finger mythology regarding the evil creatures, but kudos on it being original.

Phantom farmhouse was everything you could think it to be except the ending was really spiritual and unlike the show to appeal to religious beliefs. The beautiful blonde is the werewolf and she has eaten many men but when she meets a straight arrow the audience wonders if she has to succumb to eating a man that she likes or will he escape in time? The series is a horror show but the episode is of a different nature and that is love. Could a werewolf in love find a way out of eating her mate? From the standpoint of the viewer there is no way for her to overcome and if he is to survive he has to escape her right? It's like two trains running at the same time and you expect them to run into each other interesting. I would give the entire episode a 10 out of 10 but the short episode of the boy thinking its snowing was best as a commercial not an episode there really is no time for any character development and the entire short felt like a flop but since the phantom farmhouse was there to carry the entire show it worked in the end.

This episode of Night Gallery is a double-dose of baffling hippie-era claptrap.

First up is The Phantom Farmhouse, in which David McCallum plays the director of a funny farm; David Carradine is guitar-strumming patient Gideon, who is also a warlock, sending victims into the woods to be attacked and killed by ghostly werewolves. It makes zero sense and is told in such a spaced-out fashion you'll think you're tripping. The three wolves look suspiciously like two alsatians and a golden retriever.

Orson Welles is narrator for the second tale, rambling incoherently about snow and a young boy named Paul (Radames Pera), who retreats into an imaginary world where the white stuff falls all year round. I found this one to be a real snooze-fest, Welles incomprehensible gibberish gently lulling me to sleep, but others seem to like it -- go figure.