Thrills And Chills In Martin Landau Play

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32361, 29 July 1970, Page 3

Thrills And Chills In Martin Landau Play

Watching Monday night’s play was rather like going to one of the old midnight movies. No Dracula, no Frankenstein, to be sure, but a weird story, “The Ghost of Sierra Del Cobre” which was different and, at times, distinctly chilling. This sort of fare has pretty much gone out of date, but it was well enough done to make it worth waiting for the late news. There was more than a hint of Hitchcock in it at times, and all the trappings for a supernatural whodunit were there: the long shots of the great, gaunt house in the dusk, the wind

which whistled about day and night, the creaking doors, the' psychic phenomena. And Dame Judith Anderson flitting about the place, looking as sombre and sinister as she did as Mrs Danvers in “Rebecca” those many years ago. There was plenty of scope for eerie, scary adventure, for the story began with a rich but blind young man who was haunted by telephone calls from his dead mother, whose will had ordained that She should have a telephone within reach of her remains in her crypt just in case anyone had made a grave mistake. She didn't speak, just sobbed in a most distressing fashion. Diane Baker was a charming but tragic figure as the wife of the blind man, and Martin Landau it was who( left the "Mission: Impossible” team to play, in own particularly impassive fashion, the various ghosts. This sort of I stuff is all right for a change, but only for a change. * * * “Bewitched,” which also screened on Monday, does not depend on ghosts, but on good, old-fashioned witchcraft. If one is in the mood, it can be fun; but it seems incredible that this performance was only the ninth in the present series. It seems to have been going on for a very long time. There will probably be a good few more before the charming Samantha wiggles her nose for the last time. The intricacies of purchasing policy are a mystery to us, but “Bewitched” and some other programmes might be all the better if served in smaller helpings. ' Samantha and her goggleleyed husband are an agreeI able couple, but enough is enough. j * 1 We thought the Sherlock Holmes story a better one ithan usual. The mystery this time was an intriguing one. Holmes confessed to a failure |in an earlier case and said ihe “was only human,” Grant ’Taylor played the amorous millionaire extremely well, 'and it was pleasant meeting 'another personable member of the talented Mills family. I * * * ' The controversy over the timing of the day’s main news 'bulletin may end now. It was ’announced that an N.Z.B.C. I survey had shown that 56 per cent of viewers favoured the present hour of 7 p.m. It was certainly not a sweeping 'majority. But this is the (nation’s answer, and it will, one hopes, be accepted. # ♦ ♦ ■ “Grandstand" on Monday night may have startled others, as it did us. It began with Shakespeare, and ended with Phoenix and the ashes. Mr Allard had in mind the Rugby test in Pretoria. The 'gentlemen of our acquaintance were not, to a man. iabed; and they certainly did not think themselves accurs'd they were not there. What ammunition does “Grandstand” have in reserve should the All Blacks win the second test?—PANDORA.