This episode of the television program, The Sixth Sense was a departure from the standard format of the show. Instead of taking part in the action, Gary Collins acted as host for the episode, interviewing Joan before and after the story. Joan Fairchild (Crawford) has an automobile accident at night outside an imposing old house. The people gathered there are kind enough to give her shelter until her car can be rescued and fixed, however, they have ulterior motives when they sense that Joan is psychically receptive. They intend to use her as a guinea pig for their experiments in extra sensory torture. Will she be able to resist the messages they send to torment her?
This was Joan Crawford's last role, and though subdued, she gives a good performance. The episode was cut down to 26 minutes or so for syndication (in Rod Serling's Night Gallery), which left a lot unexplained, but the version above is the original 52 minute version. It was uploaded to YouTube by SixthSense1972.
Obscurity factor: 9 (not on DVD, available on YouTube, largely forgotten)
The Sixth Sense? I -- sort of -- remember this show tied in with Night Gallery, which I just discovered it was, in syndication. But I'm more interested in that it's yet another example of the ESP, etc. vibe that was floating around in that period, much as I think the 1990s in retrospect was all about angels, the other side, etc. (the heavenly take on paranormal activity). I can't wait to watch this episode this weekend.
ReplyDeleteYes, it was lumped in with Night Gallery in syndication. That's an astute comment about ESP and Angels and their respective decades...
ReplyDeleteIt's a fun episode if you take it with a grain of salt.
I found this comment on IMBd, and it clarified some of my confusion, regarding the two series:
ReplyDeleteSixth Sense was a 1-hour show (90-minute pilot movie followed by 25 1-hour eps), and it was an excellent series. However, later on, after Night Gallery went off the air, someone at the network got the "brilliant" idea to edit some of the Sixth Sense eps down to 30-minutes (actually 22, if you discount the commercial time) and use them as filler, to make Night Gallery's episode count higher for purposes of selling the series into syndication. These "extra" Night Gallery eps, due to being chopped to pieces, are virtually unwatchable. Don't let that deter you, though, from eventually enjoying the original, uncut series, should you get the opportunity.
To add to the confusion, there was the concurrently running series, "Circle of Fear." And IT was originally titled "Ghost Story." All in all, a great time for scary TV shows, when I was a kid. (No wonder that I had nightmares on a regular basis...)
ReplyDeleteGreat find. I enjoyed Joan's understated performance and the post-interview is TV gold (she has premonitions about her dog falling but not her daughter writing a book..?) Ahem.
ReplyDeleteThat's funny! I guess second sight is selective...
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm, loved Crawford. But, seriously, that was very lame. The post interview could not have been more awkward.
ReplyDeleteI liked it :) Wiki says it came out in 1975, but not everything is correct on Wikipedia...
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