Noirsville - the film noir: Noirsville Bonus - The Outer Limits (TV Series (1963-65)) The Noir Episodes (Part 2)

"There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can change the focus to a soft blur, or sharpen it to crystal clarity. For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to... The Outer Limits."

THE NOIR EPISODES (Part 2)

Season 1 Episode 7 ∙ aired Mon, Nov 4, 1963

O.B.I.T.

Directed by Gerd Oswald (A Kiss Before Dying, Crime of Passion, Screaming Mimi). Written by Meyer Dolinsky. Cinematography by Conrad L. Hall (Wild Seed, Harper, In Cold Blood, and Neo Noirs Fat City, Electraglide In Blue, Black Widow).

The episode stars Peter Breck (I Want To Live, Shock Corridor) as Senator Orville, Jeff Corey (Classic Noir Vet - Somewhere In The Night, The Killers, Brute Force, The Flame, Once A Thief, Mickey One, Seconds, In Cold Blood) as Byron Lomax / creature, Harry Townes (Screaming Mimi, The Twilight Zone TV Series, ) as Dr. Clifford Scott, Joanne Gilbert as Barbara Scott, Alan Baxter (The Set-Up) as Col. Grover, Sammy Reese as Clyde Wyatt, Jason Wingreen as Fred Severn, C. Lindsay Workman as Dr. Anderson, Konstantin Shayne (The Stranger, Cry Of The City, Vertigo) as Phil Fletcher and Robert Beneveds as James Harrison.

The opening teaser shows a man wearing glasses at the controls of a secret surveillance device. We hear beeping and other weird electronic noises. We get a closeup of his hand manipulating buttons. It has a noticeable scar or birthmark.

The device sort of resembles the general shape of those old timey radios. The early ones that you saw in cartoons that had a wooden cabinet for a base (for the tubes, a facia for tuning nobs and dial, while out of the top was attached a big curved tinhorn speaker. Only in our scene, the cabinet is metal with a myriad of lights, buttons, switches, and instead of a speaker horn it sprouts a circular video screen. Beside it is another control cabinet with a reel to reel tape deck.

When the man looks up into the screen we cut to his POV and see a strange humanoid figure approaching.

We fade out to the shorter opening Control Voice inro. "There is nothing wrong with your television set...."

The sequence ends with the episodes title O.B.I.T. We get an overhead shot of a control room and an opening V.O. narration

V.O.: In this room, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, security personnel at the Defense Department's Cypress Hills Research Center keep constant watch on its scientists through O.B.I.T., a mysterious electronic device whose very existence was carefully kept from the public at large. And so it would have remained but for the facts you are about to witness…

The surveillance is on all the personnel at the facility. We watch as an operative is surveilling one of the scientists.

When the operative hears the scientist make a disparaging remark about a superior it is logged on tape and added to the scientists incidence total.

The O.B.I.T. devices screen begins to pick up a strange looking creature. The Op, Capt. Harris fiddles around with the controls and again sees the creature however the view is suddenly replaced with his own image.

We cut back to Harris and see behind him a shadow approaching on the wall. We watch as the creature comes up behind where he is seated ion the screen. Harris turns and at first he smiles as if relieves but his expression changes to terror.

The thing puts his hands around Harris' neck and strangles him leaving his body draped over the consol/

We cut to an establishing shot of Cypress Hills Research Center (above & below) and then are introduced to Senator Orville who is arriving there with his team to investigate the recent murder of the Op. The project manager is Byron Lomax. They hold their investigation in the room where Capt. Harris was strangled.

Peter Breck as Senator Orville

Jeff Corey as Byron Lomax

Outside the room where the investigation is being conducted is a waiting area. We observe Byrom Lomax consulting with one of the witnesses Barbara Scott, that have been called before Orville's team.

He's acting a bit too familiar with her.

As Orville digs deeper into the murder inquiry he is met with evasive answers, paranoia, and secrecy. It all becomes increasingly evident that the top secret Outer Band Individuated Teletracer aka O.B.I.T, surveillance device seems to be the root cause of bad moral, intimidation, alcoholism, metal breakdowns, and paranoia. Each human has a unique wavelength that the teletracer can pick up.

Konstantin Shayne as Phil Fletcher

It goes Noirsville once Orville locates the missing scientist Dr. Clifford Scott holed up in a hotel room, who reveals what he knows.

Noirsville

Alan Baxter as Col. Grover

Harry Townes as Dr. Clifford Scott

Closing narration

V.O.: Agents of the Justice Department are rounding up the machines now. But these machines, these inventions of another planet, have been cunningly conceived to prey on our most mortal weakness. In the last analysis, dear friends, whether O.B.I.T. lives up to its name or not will depend on you.

A nice episode with some very good Noir Stylistic cinematography.

Season 1 Episode 8 aired Mon, Nov 11, 1963

The Human Factor

Directed by Abner Biberman. Written by David Duncan. Cinematography by Conrad L. Hall, Music by Dominic Frontiere.

The Episode stars Gary Merrill (Where The Sidewalk Ends, Phone Call from a Stranger, A Blueprint for Murder, The Human Jungle, The Savage Eye, Transitional Noir The Incident) as Dr. James Hamilton, Harry Guardino (The Big Tip Off, Hold Back Tomorrow, Johnny Staccato (TV Series, Madigan, Dirty Harry) as Maj. Roger Brothers, Sally Kellerman (M.A.S.H.) as Ingrid Larkin, Ivan Dixon (Nothing But a Man) as Harold Giles, Joe De Santis as Colonel Bill Campbell, John Newton as Peterson, Shirley O'Hara as Dr. Soldini, James Sikking, as Orderly, and Jane Langley as Nurse.

The teaser clip shows a cornice of ice crumble right into our faces, as we hear a great rumbling sound. We cut to a laboratory.

Two men face each other. over a consol. We hear the same rumbling. The cabinets behind them start to wobble and shake. A huge electric arc flashes and throws both men to the floor.

We get the shorter series opening narration..

The episode has its own Voice Over narration...

We see establishing shots of northern Greenland.

V.O.: In northern Greenland, the mountains stand like a wall along Victoria Channel, whose straight course marks the line of the great Baffin Fault. Until recently, not even the Eskimos ventured into this arctic waste; but, today, as in other lonely places of the world, the land is dominated by those instruments of detection which stand as a grim reminder of Man's fear of Man.

V.O.: This is Point TABU, a name given this predominantly underground base by a young officer who explained that the letters in TABU stood for 'Total Abandonment of Better Understanding'. Some two hundred men and a few women make this their permanent residence. Their task is to maintain a constant alert against enemy attack, and be prepared to respond to it, devastatingly.

Point TABU

Point TABU - DEW line radar

Point TABU, Greenland

Surface Structures

Our view cuts to what looks like a twin engine Douglas DC3 supply plane flying overhead. We cut to early evening. Its snowing. Two men enter the frame pulling a sled with a covered load. A third man is pushing it from the rear. It's reminiscent of opening shot from The Thing From Another World.

These radar bases were primarily manned by Air Force personnel with Army Engineers and Army Transportation Corps to handle unloading operations, or Navy personnel with the Military Sea Transport Service

They pull the sled to the entrance at the top of an elevator shaft. Two guards there open the outer doors.

This sequence also serves as the credit sequence.

We cut to a subterranean shot of base level. We see Maj. Roger Brothers sitting on a dock above the main floor. Behind him the elevator opens. The three men manning the sled pull it out of the elevator and then carry its contents up to the dock level.

Major Harold Giles explains to Colonel Campbell the workings of what turns out to be an atomic bomb. He removes the lead cover shielding on the triggering device, and explains the workings to the others.

Ivan Dixon as Major Harold Giles rt. and Joe De Santis as Colonel William Campbell

Giles points out the bombs features,explaining that there is no way to activate the bomb unless the bar holing the contacts apart is removed. And that bar is locked in place.

When Giles finishes his spiel, he states that he has the only key for the bar, Maj. Roger Brothers immediately demand that as project manager, he must have the key.

Let me pause here to say that Harry Guardino really plays bat shit crazy really well, he's very entertaining.

Major Brothers sticks out his hand for the key, but at that moment an earthquake hits the base.

The men are shook around and Major Brothers going wild eyed, declares that it's too late and that they are already here. He runs down to the elevator and eventually, once at the surface, begins to head out into the snow, but he is stopped in his tracks by an apparition, a figure a man.

Before - look at this mug...

After....

Meanwhile, we cut to a sign announcing the bases Human Factors Section. Sort of a Personnel or H.R., Human Resources office with a psychiatric bend. Here we meet Dr. James Hamilton, and his devoted assistant Ingrid Larkin.

Dr. Hamilton has invented a device that can capture and amplify brain waves into pulses that can connect two brains enabling each person connected to read the others thoughts.

Dr. Hamilton and Ingrid place their electrode caps upon their heads and Dr. Hamilton turns on his dizmo. lights flash, electrical sounds are heard along with what sounds like a heartbeat.

On a screen we see two separate skull shapes with electrical flashes representing thoughts. As the two skulls begin to merge, the heartbeats sound faster and faster until they are one.

Here we get a nice sequence between Dr. Hamilton and Janet. Its all visual subtext using the facial expressions of Hamilton and Ingrid. Ingrid obviously has a crush on Dr. Hamilton, her facial expression leaves no doubt, and clueless Dr. Hamilton's look of complete surprise when he reads her thoughts and realizes she's in love with him.

He rips off the headset and breaks the "mind meld." Ingrid is a bit off put by his reaction and hurries to leave. The phone rings and Ingrid picks up. It's Colonel Campbell for Dr. Hamilton. Ingrid hands the phone to Hamilton then heads to anteroom where her office desk sits.

We cut back and forth from Hamilton to Campbell during this sequence. Campbell asks Hamilton if he can see Major Roger Brothers. Hamilton replies brief me on the problem. Campbell goes into his anteroom and asks Brothers if he would be willing to talk to Dr, Hamilton and explain to him what he's found.

Campbell goes into his anteroom and asks Brothers if he would be willing to talk to Dr, Hamilton and explain to him what he's found.

Brothers starts loudly announcing that it's too late that they have already infiltrated the base. Campbell retreats to his desk, picks the phone back up, and tells Hamilton that he thinks aliens have taken over the base. Basically Brothers has gone section 8.

Hamilton hangs up and follows after Ingrid. Who is herself speaking on another line. She is stating the required qualification skills for her replacement to the bases Personnel Staff Officer.

Hamilton hears the end of her statement. Ingrid hangs up and puts on her coat and expresses to Dr. Hamilton her feelings about how she was in love with his mind only to find there was no spark of emotion. She splits. .

Dr. Hamilton, trying to digest it all, sticks a but in his face as we fade to black.

Out in a passageway, Ingrid meets Major Brothers and his escort. She greets him and she picks up immediately on his his agitated state. She gets a very negative vibe.

A Negative Vibe

When Brothers is brought before Hamilton, Hamilton to calm Major Brothers down, dismisses the escort. Hamilton offers Brothers coffee, he replies that he has no vices except sunflower seeds.

Brothers assumes that Hamilton wants to test him.

This again gives Guardino as Brothers, another couple of shots at chewing the scenery. Brothers starts repeating a tongue twister faster and faster until Hamilton tells him there's nothing wrong with his speech.

Hamilton grabs a note book, and sits at his desk. He writes down some observations.

He begins to question Brothers, asks about him hitting his head earlier. Brothers goes into his rant them wanting him section 8 ed about how they don't believe about "their being here" already, and if he would have been able to detonate the isthmus when he was supposed to everything would be alright. At this point he's grabbed both of Hamilton's lapels. He goes on to relate that the earthquakes collapsed their blasting tunnels.

When Brothers asks if Hamilton believes him, Hamilton says yes. That calms down Brothers.

Hamilton asks Brothers if he would like to take a test. Brother's replies with a question. "a lie detector?" Hamilton replies that "its much more than that."

Thought bubble (this guy is nuts)

It starts tipping Noirsville when Hamilton and Brothers are doing a mind meld and another earthquake hits. The room shakes the electrical cabinets wobble, and a big arc of electrical power sends both men out of their chairs to the floor.

We see Dr, Hamilton awaken first, get to his feet and he spots Brothers unconscious on the floor. However he does a curious action, he touches his own face first, and then approaches Brothers.

He lifts him a bit for a closer look before going back to his desk where he sees his reflection on the glass door of a cabinet.

He goes back to his mind meld machine and examines one of the headsets. When he clanks it down on the console Major Brothers begins to come to.

Major Brothers: Major Brothers?

Dr. Hamilton: I'm here Dr. Hamilton.

As Brothers starts to get up he notices Dr. Hamilton.

Major Brothers: Incredible. I am Dr, Hamilton. My mind my memories, but I have your body. And you're Major Brothers with mine. Alright, we'll sit back in the chair and we'll try to undo it.

(Dr. Hamilton's mind has been swapped out with that of Major Brothers)

It goes full blown Noirsville when at that moment, Major Brothers in Dr. Hamilton's body runs to the door of his lab and calls back the escort guards.

Dr. Hamilton [In Major Brothers' body, being taken away by guards] : Now I can prove I am Dr. Hamilton! Now just LISTEN to me. I was born in Billings, Montana. I went to the University of Chicago. I served my internship at the Menninger Clinic. Now I can prove everything I say. Now listen, this man is trying to destroy everyone on this base!

The guards take Major Brothers away.

Major Roger Brothers [In Dr. Hamilton's body]: I'll call and order a strong sedative.

He Closes his door.

Major Roger Brothers: I was born in Billings, Montana, and I went to the University of Chicago.

[long pause] And I'm going to destroy everyone on this base.

Noirsville

Some nice Noir Stylistic cinematography with Loretta Swift becoming the de facto detective.

Season 1 Episode 9 ∙ aired Mon, Nov 18, 1963

Corpus Earthling

Directed by Gerd Oswald (A Kiss Before Dying, Crime of Passion, Screaming Mimi). Written by Orin Borsten and based on a story by Louis Charbonneau.

Cinematography by Conrad L. Hall (Wild Seed, Harper, In Cold Blood, and Neo Noirs Fat City, Electraglide In Blue, Black Widow).. Music by Dominic Frontiere

The episode stars Robert Culp (I, Spy TV Series, Hickey & Boggs) as Dr. Paul Cameron, Salome Jens (Seconds) as Laurie Cameron, Barry Atwater (Nightmare, The Night Stalker) as Dr. Jonas Temple, Ken Renard as the Caretaker.

Story

The teaser clip is of a man Dr. Paul Cameron coming back from shopping and finding his wife Laurie laying in bed, only when she doesn't answer, does he go to see what the matter is and finds a stranger in his wife's clothes.

It gives him the willies of course and he runs out of the hacienda in a panic.

We get the shorter familiar series opening narration.

Then we get the episodes V.O. over images of various rock formations.

V.O.: Rocks: silent, inanimate objects torn from the Earth's ancient crust. Yielding up to man over the long centuries all that is known of the planet on which we live withholding from man forever their veiled secrets of the nature of matter and cosmic catastrophe, the secrets of other worlds in the vastness of the universe, of other forms of life, of strange organisms beyond the imagination of man.

Story

We see into a geology lab. The head of the Geology Department Dr. Jonas Temple is peering into a petrographic microscope. One of his professors Laurie Cameron has brought in some curious specimens that one of her students collected.

Temple comments that he's never seen anything like it. He questions Laurie whether she knew where her student found them, and mentions that he like to know.

At about this time Laurie's husband Dr. Paul Cameron waltzes into the lab looking to take Laurie to lunch. She explains she wasn't paying attention to the time and after putting the two strange rock specimens on a shelf and runs off to freshen up.

Dr. Jonas Temple: Been in surgery all morning, Paul?

Paul Cameron: Yeah. It seems more like all day.

Dr. Jonas Temple: Tough operation, huh?

Paul Cameron: Had some bad moments, but the patient, thanks to his iron constitution, is still with us.

Dr. Jonas Temple: Yeah, but I think I'll stick to my rocks. They never get sick, and they never phone me in the middle of the night.

Meanwhile Temple has lit a gas-fired laboratory drying oven. He adjusts the flame and then himself heads to lunch.

After Temple has left the room, the drying oven's flame goes out and when Paul notices the flame out attempts use his lighter to restart it. Bad idea. A small explosion of flame sends Paul across the room into the wall with enough force that he loses consciousness.

Our view shifts to the two new specimen rocks which begin to pulsate and talk.

The voices of the rock speak with a curious scraping sound accompaniment to the words spoken.

Rock #1: The time is here.

Rock #2: We have come to the day.

Rock #1: It has been a long waiting.

Rock #2: A long waiting but over now, and time to invade the bodies of these things called human beings. Someone is present. Is it safe for us to communicate?

Rock #1: Only our own kind have the power to hear us.

Rock #2: Looking at him, I'm filled with apprehension. Can the fragile corpus of these Earthlings support our consuming energies?

Rock #1: Some will withstand body invasion. Others will deteriorate. We must choose the hardiest specimens.

[Paul is slowly reviving]

Rock #1: Not that one. There's something wrong with his head. He's defective.

Rock #2: Will we be able to manipulate the intelligence and the memory?

Rock #1: Once we inhabit the host, our control of the whole multicellular organism will be complete, and then we can begin to control their planet.

Of course Paul (who has a metal plate in his head from a war injury) says something along the lines of "What? Who's there?'

Rock #1: You listened, Earthling.

Rock #2: You heard us communicate. Listeners must be destroyed.

At about this point Laurie comes back into the room followed by Temple, and Paul explains what happened. He also mentions that he's hearing voices in his head.

When he asks if they hear them both Laurie and temple say no.

Then the rocks take control of Paul, and they instruct him to walk to the open window and climb up on the sill and as they tell him to jump Laurie and Temple pull him back into the lab.

Laurie then takes Paul in for some x-rays, which show that he has had no serious injuries, but Paul is not convinced.

Meanwhile Temple is again studying the two new specimens on a lab counter. He leaning over the rocks and staring off thinking, when suddenly one of the rocks pulses and then flattens into a tarry like blob which quickly shuffles over one of his hands and when Temple reacts in surprise the blob covers his face and he drops to the floor.

In the course of one week Paul has now become paranoid, wondering if he's crazy. He becomes alienated from his work, and obsessed with these voices he heard.

Paul sits in their dark apartment refusing to answer the ringing telephone. The caller is revealed to be the taken over Dr. Temple (below) who now looks a lot like Herk Harvey in Carnival of Souls, lol.

Paul wants to get away and Laurie agrees to leave that day for a belated honeymoon in Mexico.

It all goes Noirsville when Dr. Temple finds out that Laurie left details with Paul's office on where they could be reached and Dr. Temple shows up in Mexico.

Noirsville