Season three also offers only one story per episode. Mercifully, the comedic bumpers— producer Jack Laird’s so-called “blackouts”—are gone, save for two forgettable relapses. Returning directors included Jeannot Szwarc, John Badham, Jeff Corey, and Gene Kearney. Notably, Star Trek’s Leonard Nimoy made his directorial debut with season three’s “Death on a Barge,” a fan favorite featuring Lesley Ann Warren as a lonely woman living on an anchored boat who falls in love with a local fishmonger, not realizing she’s a vampire.
Other memorable episodes include the season premiere, “The Return of the Sorcerer” brings back Vincent Price as a sorcerer who hires a scholar of medieval Arabic (Bill Bixby) to translate a passage from the Necronomicon. For me, having Vincent Price around is always a plus. He is aided by a strong script that offers up a lot of black humor. Known for the milquetoast television sitcom Ozzie and Harriet, Ozzie and Harriet Nelson guest star in “You Can Come Up Now, Mrs. Millikan.” Ozzie plays an inventor who tries out his immortality experiment on his wife. Its fun to see these two television icons playing against type. In a personal favorite, “Spectre in Tap-Shoes” features 1950’s movie star Sandra Dee in dual roles. The story itself is middling but is boosted by her excellent performance. Such is the case with “Something in the Woodwork” starring legendary actress Geraldine Page as a scorned alcoholic who chews the scenery with glee.
In its third season, Night Gallery continued to attract big names. Guest stars include: Vincent Price, Bill Bixby, James Farentino, John Astin, Mickey Rooney, Sandra Dee, Ozzie Nelson, Harriet Nelson, Michael Lerner, Lindsay Wagner, Burl Ives, Jeff Corey, Stuart Whitman, Alan Napier, Burgess Meredith, Cameron Mitchell, Leonard Nimoy, Lorraine Gary, Joan Van Ark, Chuck Connors, Geraldine Page, Leif Erickson, Brooke Bundy, Dean Stockwell, and Sally Field among others.
Spread over two discs, like previous seasons, the results are impressive. Presented in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio, the 2K restoration of these episodes looks great. Colors pop off the screen. Blacks are deep and inky. Delineation offers a nice level of fine detail throughout. Grain levels are pleasing. There are no real image imperfections. Viewers should be pleased with the results.
The Master Audio mono mixes are clean and surprisingly full, effectively conveying the chilly environs. Dialogue is clean and clear throughout. The musical scores by Gil Mellé and others, are livelier than ever before. The score sounds clear and even.
English SDH subtitles are included.
Like previous seasons, Kino has included at least one audio commentary with each episode, done by the likes of horror experts Jim Benson and Scott Skelton, film historians Tim Lucas, Amanda Reyes, Kim Newman and others. The Syndication Conundrum Part Three features film historian Craig Beam details the decision to include episodes from an unrelated TV show, The Sixth Sense starring Gary Collins, into the Night Gallery syndication package. Beam includes footage of every introduction that Rod Serling recorded for these episodes, never available before. A booklet containing an episode guide is also included.
