Bronco (1961)

As Bronco moved through the second half of Season 3 and the beginning of Season 4 in 1961, nothing really changed from the previous year--former Confederate soldier Bronco Layne continued to drift about the west, often called by an old friend to help deal with a difficult situation ("The Invaders," January 23, 1961 and "Guns of the Lawless," May 8, 1961), assigned by a territorial government to escort a detainee to prison ("The Buckbrier Trail," February 20, 1961), or summoned to help bring in a fugitive who happens to be an old army commander of his ("Manitoba Manhunt," April 3, 1961). Sometimes we find him already working as a buffalo hunter ("Yankee Tornado," March 13, 1961), as the sheriff of Silver City ("The Cousin From Atlanta," October 16, 1961), or as a deputy ("The Harrigan," December 25, 1961). And then occasionally he just wanders into trouble, as in "Stage to the Sky" (April 24, 1961) when he rides up just in time to stop a lynching but then becomes the target of various attempted assaults for defending the intended lynching victim. One thing remains constant, however--Bronco will never have the same job from week to week or settle down anywhere for any length of time, though he contemplates marriage and a ranching life in "One Came Back" (November 27, 1961) only to have his bride-to-be take a bullet to save him from her criminal former boyfriend, a fate as predictable as all the other plots in the typical Warner Brothers recycling factory.

As we mentioned in our post on the 1960 episodes, it seems as if Warner was aware of how mundane their plots were because they kept introducing historical figures into them in an attempt to spur interest, a tactic that became terribly predictable itself, particularly since they continued to recycle the same historical figures, sometimes with the same actors playing the roles, such as the case of Peter Breck playing a pre-presidential Teddy Roosevelt in "Yankee Tornado." Warner had already used Breck to play Roosevelt in the 1960 Sugarfoot episode "Man From Medora," and as if to cement the repetition Will Hutchins appears as Tom Brewster in "Yankee Tornado" as well. Also predictably they twist historical facts for the sake of the story, and in this case a cliched story at that. In this episode Roosevelt travels to the Badlands of Montana to hunt and to take up cattle ranching. He encounters Bronco, working as a buffalo hunter to supply meat to a crew building a railroad across the territory, when they both claim to have shot the same mountain goat. It's curious why Bronco would shoot a mountain goat when he is being paid to hunt buffalo, but the two men keep bumping into each other until Roosevelt helps uncover that the railroad mogul for whom Bronco is working is actually killing many more buffalo than he needs because his real ambition is to drive out the Native Americans and take over the entire territory for his own personal profit. Had they made his ultimate goal to take over the world it would not have been much more far-fetched. Roosevelt shows his conservationist principles by opposing the unnecessary slaughter of the buffalo and wins over Bronco's support at the expense of his job, and the two eventually expose the mogul's evil scheme and defeat him. In real life Roosevelt traveled to Montana in 1883 to hunt bison himself but found that they had already been almost wiped out by commercial hunters. He decided to instead get into cattle ranching because it was beginning to boom with herds being driven north from Texas to take advantage of the now nearly empty grasslands, only this, too, became oversaturated and Roosevelt eventually felt that the cattle business in Montana had become unsustainable because the overabundance of cattle overgrazed the grasslands. His investment in the cattle business was eventually wiped out by the harsh winter of 1886-87 wherein some 80% of the cattle population died from the cold. His time in Montana, spent during legislative breaks over the course of a few years, did inspire his later push for nature conservation measures, but he didn't foil the machinations of any prospective despots. Another painful anachronism in this episode is when Roosevelt tells Bronco while drinking in a saloon that he needs to remember his motto "Walk softly and carry a big stick." Roosevelt did not publicly acknowledge his fondness for the South African expression "Speak softly and carry a big stick" until 1900, some 17 years after the events depicted in "Yankee Tornado."

Another favorite historical figure, not only in Warner Brothers westerns but other western series as well, is actor Edwin Booth, older brother of Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth, who is the central character in "Prince of Darkness" (November 6, 1961) and is played by Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., star of Warner's most popular series at the time 77 Sunset Strip. Warner's had already mined the Edwin Booth story in a 1959 episode of Colt .45 whose star character is assigned to protect Booth from a death threat. In 1960 the non-Warner Brothers series Death Valley Days featured Booth in the episode "His Brother's Keeper" in which Booth is touring the west giving performances and is threatened to be run out of Downeyville, California by a bully. The real-life Booth did tour California as part of his father's troupe in 1852, but any performances out west immediately following his brother's assassination of President Lincoln appear to be fabrications because Booth was so stricken by his brother's act in 1865 that he abandoned acting until a return to the stage in January 1866 at the Winter Garden Theatre in Manhattan. Booth appears to have spent most of his time over the next 8 years in New York not only performing but also running his own theatre beginning in 1869. After being forced into bankruptcy in 1874, Booth resumed touring the world to rebuild his fortune. In the Bronco episode "Prince of Darkness" Booth is recruited at the request of President Ulysses S. Grant to infiltrate and help bring to justice an insurrectionist Confederate gang plotting to overthrow the U.S. government from their headquarters in Virginia City, Nevada. Bronco is also recruited to serve as Booth's bodyguard and sympathizer when he expresses anti-government sentiments in an attempt to invite contact from the insurrectionists. His past as a soldier in the Confederate army supposedly will make him more believable as a Confederate ally. As it turns out, Booth was tangentially involved in a Confederate terrorist plot, but it took place in New York on November 25, 1864 before his brother killed Lincoln. While Edwin Booth, John Wilkes Booth, and their brother Junius Brutus Booth, Jr. were performing on stage together for the first time in a production of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar to raise money for erecting a statue of Shakespeare in Central Park, a group of Confederates who had snuck into the North via Canada initially to disrupt the November 8 presidential election. When this failed, two and a half weeks later they set fires in 19 hotels, a theatre, and the P.T. Barnum Museum to cause panic and as revenge for Sherman's burning of the South. When the fire alarms went off in the theater during the performance due to one of the fires being set in the Lafarge House Hotel next door, Edwin Booth reassured the audience from the stage that a small fire had broken out at the hotel but was already contained, thereby preventing a panic stampede that could have been disastrous for the crowd of 2000. The performance resumed without incident, and it was only later that the crowd learned of the attack that had been squelched, though Edwin and John Wilkes got into an argument two days later at Edwin's house when John Wilkes defended the attacks. Edwin ordered John Wilkes to leave his house, but the younger brother had the last word less than 5 months later. The actual events in this story would have made a more compelling episode than the grandiose plot in "Prince of Darkness," but it would have required some sort of implausible angle to place Bronco in New York City before the Civil War.

But the most far-fetched episode featuring historical figures is "The Equalizer" (December 18, 1961) in which Bronco is recruited by U.S. Marshal John Heyes to ensure that a truce between outlaws Butch Cassidy and Bill Doolin is kept in order that Cassidy's niece can marry Doolin's younger brother Bob, played by a young Jack Nicholson. Other than the fact that they both led gangs dubbed "The Wild Bunch," there is no historical connection between these two men. In fact, Doolin formed his Wild Bunch with Emmet Dalton in 1892, while Cassidy formed his gang after release from prison in 1896, the same year Doolin would be shot to death on August 24. There is no record that the men ever met, much less joined their families by marriage. But then tall tales are the backbone of the myth of the Old West whose believability is about as convincing as the outdoor sets on the Warner Brothers backlot.

All four seasons have been released on DVD by Warner Archive.

The Actors

For the biography of Ty Hardin, see the 1960 post on Bronco.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 3, Episode 4, "Ordeal at Dead Tree": Frank Ferguson (shown on the near left, played Gus Broeberg on My Friend Flicka, Eli Carson on Peyton Place, and Dr. Barton Stuart on Petticoat Junction) plays Tres Cruces, New Mexico Marshal Bob Harrod. Dorothy Neumann (Miss Mittleman on Hank) plays his wife Prudence. Merry Anders (shown on the far left, played Joyce Erwin on The Stu Erwin Show, Val Marlowe on It's Always Jan, Mike McCall on How to Marry a Millionaire, and Policewoman Dorothy Miller on Dragnet 1967) plays their helper Lucy Follett. Richard Reeves (Mr. Murphy on Date With the Angels) plays outlaw Jake Welty. Stephen Joyce (Bubba Wadsworth on Texas and Admiral Walter Strichen on Wiseguy) plays his brother Phil. Norman Alden (Grundy on Not for Hire, Johnny Ringo on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Captain Horton on Rango, Tom Williams on My Three Sons, Coach Leroy Fedders on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, and Al Cassidy on Fay) plays his brother Shad. Alfred Shelly (Ed Carney on The D.A.'s Man) plays his brother Burt.

Season 3, Episode 5, "The Invaders": Walter Sande (appeared in To Have and Have Not, A Place in the Sun, and Bad Day at Black Rock and played Capt. Horatio Bullwinkle on The Adventures of Tugboat Annie and Papa Holstrum on The Farmer's Daughter) plays Peaceful, Arizona Marshal Steve Durrock. Shirley Knight (starred in Ice Palace, The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, Sweet Bird of Youth, Dutchman, and As Good as It Gets and played Mrs. Newcomb on Buckskin, Estelle Winters on Maggie Winters, and Phyllis Van De Kamp on Desperate Housewives) plays his daughter Molly. Gary Vinson (Chris Higbee on The Roaring '20's, George Christopher on McHale's Navy, and Sheriff Harold Skiles on Pistols 'n' Petticoats) plays Molly's boyfriend Clay Dawson. Gerald Mohr (narrator on 19 episodes of The Lone Ranger, Christopher Storm on Foreign Intrigue, and voice of Mr. Fantastic and Reed Richards on Fantastic 4) plays gold thief Mace Tilsey. Max Baer, Jr. (Jethro and Jethrine Bodine on The Beverly Hillbillies) plays one of Tilsey's gang members. Joan Marshall (Sailor Duval on Bold Venture) plays saloon owner Lucille Masters. Robert Colbert (shown on the right, see the biography section for the 1961 post on Maverick) plays her fiance Capt. Jamison. Jimmy Lydon (starred in Tom Brown's School Days, Little Men, Joan of Arc, and 9 Henry Aldrich features and played Biff Cardoza on Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, Andy Boone on So This Is Hollywood, and Richard on Love That Jill) plays telegraph operator Shorty Dolan.

Season 3, Episode 6, "The Buckbrier Trail": Paul Birch (Erle Stanley Gardner on The Court of Last Resort, Mike Malone on Cannonball, and Capt. Carpenter on The Fugitive) plays Marshal Pete Kilgore. Ray Danton (shown on the left, starred in Chief Crazy Horse, Onionhead, The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond, The George Raft Story, and Portrait of a Mobster and played Nifty Cronin on The Alaskans) plays undercover agent Fred Larkin. Denver Pyle (Ben Thompson on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Grandpa Tarleton on Tammy, Briscoe Darling on The Andy Griffith Show, Buck Webb on The Doris Day Show, Mad Jack on The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, and Uncle Jesse on The Dukes of Hazzard) plays rancher Norton Gillespie. Mike Road (Marshal Tom Sellers on Buckskin, Lt. Joe Switolski on The Roaring 20's, and provided the voice for Race Bannon on Johnny Quest and Ugh on Space Ghost) plays imposter Lt. Blyden. Charles Seel (Otis the Bartender on Tombstone Territory, Mr. Krinkie on Dennis the Menace, and Tom Pride on The Road West) plays a hotel clerk. George Selk (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Gunsmoke) plays livery man Eddie.

Season 3, Episode 7, "Yankee Tornado": Peter Breck (shown on the right, played Clay Culhane on Black Saddle, Doc Holliday on Maverick, and Nick Barkley on The Big Valley) plays a pre-presidential Theodore Roosevelt. Tom London (starred in Six-Shootin' Sheriff, Song of the Buckaroo, and Riders in the Sky) plays his guide Rowdy O'Brien. Tristram Coffin (Lt. Doyle on The Files of Jeffrey Jones and Capt. Tom Rynning on 26 Men) plays land-grabber George Mayfield. Don Haggerty (Jeffrey Jones on The Files of Jeffrey Jones, Eddie Drake on The Cases of Eddie Drake, Sheriff Dan Elder on State Trooper, and Marsh Murdock on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays his second-in-command Henry Paddock. Lee Van Cleef (starred in High Noon, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly) plays railroad foreman Shanghai Williams. Whitney Blake (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Hazel) plays saloon owner Julie. Will Hutchins (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Sugarfoot) plays Bronco's friend Tom Brewster. Henry Hunter (Doctor Summerfield on Hazel) plays the Montana governor.

Season 3, Episode 8, "Manitoba Manhunt": Richard Garland (Clay Horton on Lassie) plays fugitive bank robber Dana Powell. Jacqueline Beer (shown on the left, appeared in Pillow Talk, The Prize, and Made in Paris and played Suzanna Fabry on 77 Sunset Strip) plays his wife Celeste. Judson Pratt (Billy Kinkaid on Union Pacific) plays bank examiner Marlow. John Baer (Terry Lee on Terry and the Pirates) plays his partner Coil. Patrick Whyte (Colonel Standish on Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers and Theodore Dowell on Peyton Place) plays Mountie Insp. Fraser. Jackie Searl (began as a child actor, appearing in Tom Sawyer (1930), Huckleberry Finn (1931), Alice in Wonderland (1933), Great Expectations(1934), and Little Lord Fauntleroy) plays trapper Joe Spaulding.

Season 3, Episode 9, "Stage to the Sky": Kent Taylor (Carlos Murietta on Zorro and Capt. Jim Flagg on The Rough Riders) plays preacher Billy Rawlins. Joan Marshall (see "The Invaders" above) plays his wife Molly. Bing Russell (shown on the right, father of Kurt Russell, played Deputy Clem Foster on Bonanza) plays his brother Johnny. Richard Reeves (see "Ordeal at Dead Tree" above) plays Johnny's sidekick Riley. Denver Pyle (see "The Buckbrier Trail" above) plays saloon owner Nelson. Gail Bonney (Goodwife Martin on Space Patrol and Madeline Schweitzer on December Bride) plays Raven citizen Mrs. Johnson.

Season 3, Episode 10, "Guns of the Lawless": Morris Ankrum (starred in Rocketship X-M, Invaders From Mars, Earth vs. The Flying Saucers, and The Giant Claw and played the judge 22 times on Perry Mason) plays ranch owner Gilbert Groves. Denver Pyle (shown on the left, see "The Buckbrier Trail" above) plays his former partner Petrie Munger. Olive Sturgess (Carol Henning on The Bob Cummings Show) plays Munger's daughter Virginia. Corey Allen (went on to direct multiple episodes of Dr. Kildare, Police Woman, Dallas, Hunter, and Star Trek: The Next Generation) plays Munger's foreman Judd Gander. John A. Alonso (cinematographer on Vanishing Point, Harold and Maude, Lady Sings the Blues, Chinatown, Scarface, Steel Magnolias, and Star Trek: Generations) plays Gander's sidekick Tony Gomez. Tom Fadden (Duffield on Broken Arrow, Silas Perry on Cimarron City, and Ben Miller on Green Acres and Petticoat Junction) plays old ranch hand Pop Kelly. Harry Harvey (Sheriff Tom Blodgett on The Roy Rogers Show, Mayor George Dixon on Man Without a Gun, and Houghton Stott on It's a Man's World) plays physician Doc Clement. Kenneth MacDonald (played the judge 32 times on Perry Mason, played Col. Parker on Colt .45, and appeared in several Three Stooges shorts) plays lawman Sheriff Lem Pritt.

Season 4, Episode 1, "The Cousin From Atlanta": Anne Helm (Molly Pierce on Run for Your Life) plays Bronco's cousin Amanda Layne. Joseph Gallison (Dr. Neil Curtis on Days of Our Lives) plays young gunman Tony Dancer. Stephen Mines (David Martin on Days of Our Lives and Dr. Paul Stewart on As the World Turns) plays suitor George Ardmore. Billy M. Greene (Skrag on Captain Video and His Video Rangers) plays prospector Shad. John Beradino (shown on the right, former major league baseball player, played Special Agent Steve Daniels on I Led 3 Lives, Sgt. Vince Cavelli on The New Breed, and Dr. Steve Hardy on General Hospital) plays Dancer's partner Ross Kincaid. Emory Parnell (Hawkins on The Life of Riley and Hank the bartender on Lawman) plays Swedish farmer Olaf Jorgeson. Gary Vinson (see "The Invaders" above) plays his son Johansen. Richard Benedict (appeared in A Walk in the Sun, Crossfire, and Ace in the Hole and directed multiple episodes of Hawaiian Eye, Run for Your Life, Ironside, Medical Center, Police Story, and Hawaii Five-O) plays saloon owner Logan.

Season 4, Episode 2, "Prince of Darkness": Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. (shown on the left, played Dandy Jim Buckley on Maverick, Stuart Bailey on 77 Sunset Strip, Insp. Lewis Erskine on The F.B.I., Daniel Chalmers on Remington Steele, Charles Cabot on Hotel, and Don Alejandro de la Vega on Zorro) plays actor Edwin Booth. Byron Keith (Lt. Gilmore on 77 Sunset Strip and Mayor Linseed on Batman) plays soldier Col. Bart Traver. John Howard (Dr. Wayne Hudson on Dr. Hudson's Secret Journal, Commander John "Pliny" Hawk on Adventures of the Sea Hawk, Dave Welch on My Three Sons, and Cliff Patterson on Days of Our Lives) plays insurrectionist Andrew Millard. Denver Pyle (see "The Buckbrier Trail" above) plays prominent citizen William Mason. Jason Evers (starred in The Brain That Wouldn't Die, House of Women, The Green Berets, and Escape From the Planet of the Apes and played Pitcairn on Wrangler, Prof. Joseph Howe on Channing, and Jim Sonnett on The Guns of Will Sonnett) plays guilt-ridden soldier Sgt. Henry Riley. Larry J. Blake (played the unnamed jailer on Yancy Derringer and Tom Parnell on Saints and Sinners) plays newspaper editorialist Tom Lafferty. Clark Howat (Dr. John Petrie on The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu and the police dispatcher on Harbor Command) plays Millard co-conspirator Sheriff Penrose.

Season 4, Episode 3, "One Came Back": Robert McQueeney (Conley Wright on The Gallant Men) plays bank robber Jeremy Clay. Karen Steele (starred in Marty, Westbound, and The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond) plays his girlfriend Vicky Norton. Kenneth MacDonald (see "Guns of the Lawless" above) plays Angel City Sheriff Elliott. William Bryant (McCall on Combat!, President Ulysses S. Grant on Branded, Col. Crook on Hondo, Lt. Shilton on Switch, and the Director on The Fall Guy) plays Pinkerton agent Sgt. Willoughby. Francis de Sales (shown on the right, played Lt. Bill Weigand on Mr. & Mrs. North, Ralph Dobson on The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, Sheriff Maddox on Two Faces West, and Rusty Lincoln on Days of Our Lives) plays Smithfield Sheriff Massey. Paul Keast (Nathaniel Carter on Casey Jones) plays banker Mr. Anderson. Slim Pickens (starred in The Story of Will Rogers, Dr. Strangelove, Blazing Saddles, The Apple Dumpling Gang, Beyond the Poseidon Adventure, and The Howling and played Slim on Outlaws, Slim Walker on The Wide Country, California Joe Milner on Custer, and Sgt. Beauregard Wiley on B.J. & the Bear) plays a stagecoach driver.

Season 4, Episode 4, "The Equalizer": Steve Brodie (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays notorious outlaw Butch Cassidy. Sheldon Allman (Norm Miller on Harris Against the World) plays his sworn enemy Billy Doolin. Jack Nicholson (shownon the near left with actress Toby Michaels, starred in Five Easy Pieces, Easy Rider, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Chinatown, The Shining, and Terms of Endearment and played Jaime Angel on Dr. Kildare) plays Doolin's younger brother Bob. Frank Albertson (starred in Alice Adams, Man Made Monster, and It's a Wonderful Life and played Mr. Cooper on Bringing Up Buddy) plays Painted Rock Sheriff Steve Gage. Harry Lauter (Ranger Clay Morgan on Tales of the Texas Rangers, Atlasande on Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, and Jim Herrick on Waterfront) plays businessman Jim Morgan. Marie Windsor (starred in Outpost in Morocco, Dakota Lil, Cat-Women of the Moon, Swamp Women, and The Day Mars Invaded Earth) plays saloon owner Belle Logan. Jack Elam (Deputy J.D. Smith on The Dakotas, George Taggart on Temple Houston, Zack Wheeler on The Texas Wheelers, and Uncle Alvin Stevenson on Easy Street) plays troublemaker Toothy Thompson. James Seay (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays U.S. Marshal John Heyes. Donald "Red" Barry (played Red Ryder in the movie serial The Adventures of Red Ryder, and played Lt. Snedigar on Surfside 6, The Grand Vizier and Tarantula on Batman, Capt. Red Barnes on Police Woman, and Jud Larabee on Little House on the Prairie) plays Cassidy gunman Luke Mace. Johnny Seven (Lt. Carl Reese on Ironside) plays Doolin gunman Dave Ward.

Season 4, Episode 5, "The Harrigan": Sean McClory (Jack McGivern on The Californians and Myles Delaney on Bring 'Em Back Alive) plays Clanton Pass deputy Terrance Harrigan. Ken Lynch (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Checkmate) plays Clanton Pass Sheriff Wallace. Jack Cassidy (Tony Award-winning father of David and Shaun Cassidy and husband of Shirley Jones, played Oscar North on He & She) plays Black Hills Gang leader Edward Miller. Wright King (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Wanted Dead or Alive) plays his brother Allen. Kathie Browne (Angie Dow on Hondo and was Darren McGavin's second wife) plays their sister Heather. Jack Hogan (starred in The Bonnie Parker Story, Paratroop Command, and The Cat Burglar and played Kirby on Combat!, Sgt. Jerry Miller on Adam-12, Chief Ranger Jack Moore on Sierra, and Judge Smithwood on Jake and the Fatman) plays Miller's informant Gambler. George O'Hanlon (shown on the right, played Joe McDoakes in dozens of shorts with titles that begin with So You Want or So You Think, played Calvin Dudley on The Life of Riley, Artie Burns on The Reporter, and was the voice of George Jetson on The Jetsons) plays piano player Albany Ames. Clyde Howdy (Hank Whitfield on Lassie) plays a Black Hills gang gunman.

One Step Beyond (1961)

As we mentioned in our post on the 1960 episodes for One Step Beyond, creator Merwin Gerard and host/director John Newland felt that despite the show's popularity there were only so many story variations on paranormal phenomena and that the series had pretty much run its course by Season 3. This feeling is particularly evident in the 1961 episodes, the last 22 of the series' 96, which found the series traveling to Mexico for its most remarkable episode, "The Sacred Mushroom" (January 24, 1961), and to England, where 13 of the final 15 episodes were filmed and produced with British actors, beginning with "The Stranger" (February 28, 1961). In his 2011 interview with John Kenneth Muir, Newland says that the move to England was his idea to give the show "a little boost," though he also says that the program won its timeslot all three seasons on the air. Though the stories themselves didn't vary much from the American-produced episodes, the trip to Great Britain allowed Newland and his crew to work with the likes of Christopher Lee in "The Sorceror" (May 23, 1961), Donald Pleasence in "The Confession" (April 11, 1961), and Lois Maxwell, soon to become Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond film franchise, in "The Room Upstairs" (March 21, 1961). Though most of the English-produced stories are based in Europe, the series' final episode "Eyewitness" (July 4, 1961) is based in Boston but uses London-based actors.

A number of the 1961 episodes are set during war time, an environment perhaps prone to experiencing extraordinary perceptions given the stress and physical strain that soldiers and civilians feel while under "the fog of war." "The Executioner" (January 3, 1961) is a Civil War tale about a Union supply depot commander who uses the capture of a Confederate soldier as an opportunity to clear his name by framing the Confederate as a spy who had been leaking shipment information from the depot to his cohorts, resulting in raids for which the commander has been blamed. But when he shoots the Confederate soldier's dog for howling all night at being separated from his master who is locked up, the commander seals his own fate, and his own subordinates swear that he died from having his throat torn open as if by a dog that no one ever saw. While centering on the story of American boxer Yank Dawson, "The Last Round" is set during the London blitzkrieg days of World War II when Dawson and several associates all see long-dead fighter Paddy Taroun, who reportedly haunts the arena where Dawson is scheduled to fight and whose appearance signals the impending death of those who see him. "Night of Decision" (February 21, 1961) tells the tale of General George Washington during the bitter winter at Valley Forge when he is considering surrender just to save his men from further misery but then gets a visit from long-dead former adversary Chief Otumcas, which helps give him new resolve.

After the series shifts to England, the war stories continue with "Signal Received" (April 4, 1961), again set during World War II when three sailors on leave in London all get some sort of premonition that their ship will be sunk with no survivors, only one of them is spared when he is reassigned to officer training just before he is to board the vessel. "The Avengers" (April 25, 1961) shows the fate of a cruel Nazi occupation officer in France who decides to taunt villagers he plans to send to work camps by reenacting a French Revolution-era party at the wealthy estate where he is living only to meet the same fate as the estate's last inhabitant from the 18th century. "The Prisoner" (May 2, 1961) is a post-World War II tale but involves a dead Nazi officer who once tormented a concentration camp survivor but then appears to her at a refugee hospital to urge her to tell his wife where his remains can be found. And "The Sorceror" (May 23, 1961) has another Nazi officer visit a rural farmer believed to have magical powers, enabling the officer to be transported back to the city to catch his girlfriend being unfaithful, after which he shoots her but is cleared by a military judge because he was known to have been out in the country at the time of the killing. Though Newland typically concludes each of these stories with eyewitness accounts of their veracity, the fact that the witnesses were under the stress of war makes those accounts perhaps a little shakier.

Other evidence that One Step Beyond was struggling to keep itself going during 1961 are two episodes that perhaps shouldn't have aired. "Blood Flower" (May 16, 1961) is the one episode Newland cites in his interview with Muir as his least favorite of the entire series: "It was a dumb, silly concept. The pits." The story is about American professor Gavin Carroll teaching at a South American university as part of an exchange program. Carroll is against violent revolution but then touches an unusual flower from a plant that sprung up on the spot where a revolutionary was executed. Suddenly Carroll becomes the agent of the revolutionary's mother and winds up assassinating the dictator her son had tried to kill years ago before being caught. The fact that this episode is the lone One Step Beyond original American-produced episode aired in the midst of the 13 British-produced episodes suggests that it may have been rejected at the time that it was filmed but was finally run because the producers were desperate to finish out the final season. The same rationale could explain why they chose to air the episode "Midnight" (June 13, 1961), also in the midst of the British episodes, which is not even a One Step Beyond production: as one reviewer on imdb.com has noted, this episode actually first aired in 1951 on a series called Stars Over Hollywood. There is no introduction or conclusion by Newland, as with every other episode on One Step Beyond; it's simply a repackaged rerun to fill a weekly timeslot for which they had no other new material.

As out of character and subpar as "Midnight" may be, 1961 also saw the series' most popular and well-remembered episode of the entire series, the aforementioned "Sacred Mushroom," which is actually more documentary than scripted drama. In this episode Newland and his crew visit a remote mountain village in Oaxaca, Mexico, along with an entourage of university professors and spiritual advisors, to investigate the reported ESP-enhancing qualities of a rare mushroom. The outsiders at first have a hard time getting the locals to admit to the existence or use of the mushrooms, but after Dr. Andrija Puharich decides to open a free medical clinic for the villagers, some of them are willing to provide him with connections to the brujos, or shaman, who perform the mushroom ceremonies. Newland and crew document how these brujos are able to recount childhood experiences from Indiana from one of the entourage members and to locate a stolen donkey and identify the perpetrators after imbibing the sacred mushroom. Newland relates in his Muir interview that when the show's sponsor Alcoa first saw the footage of their encounters in Mexico, they thought it was too strange to air on television. So Newland decided to have Puharich perform experiments on himself in his California lab to test out whether the mushrooms did indeed enhance his ESP capabilities. The addition of the Newland segment apparently convinced Alcoa that the show could be aired, but it is still hard to imagine such an episode airing today, let alone in 1961, given that it seems to promote and demonstrate the benefits of a hallucinogenic substance. But it's also worth remembering that this was the same time during which Dr. Timothy Leary was beginning his experiments with LSD as a member of the faculty at Harvard. Leary decided to study LSD after sampling hallucinogenic mushrooms used in religious ceremonies while visiting Mexico, and LSD was not made illegal until 5 years later in 1966. Of all the bizarre tales told on One Step Beyond over the course of its three seasons, perhaps the strangest was the time they were allowed to show the host getting high on mushrooms.

Since our post on the 1960 episodes, Film Chest Media released in 2015 a 6-DVD set containing 70 of the series' 96 episodes. However, this set contains only 7 of the 22 episodes that aired in 1961, and the video and audio quality is no better than previous DVD sets or videos found on youtube.com. As of this writing the 15 episodes from 1961 not included in the Film Chest set are all available on youtube, though usually in the truncated, syndicated version. 

The Actors

For the biography of John Newland, see the 1960 post on One Step Beyond.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 3, Episode 15, "The Executioner": Crahan Denton (appeared in The Parent Trap, Birdman of Alcatraz, and To Kill a Mockingbird) plays Union Army supply depot commander Col. Martin. Jeremy Slate (starred in The Sons of Katie Elder, The Devil's Brigade, and True Grit and played Larry Lahr on The Aquanauts) plays subordinate Capt. Adams.

Season 3, Episode 16, "The Last Round": Charles Bronson (shown on the left, starred in The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen, Once Upon a Time in the West, The Valachi Papers, and four Death Wish movies and played Mike Kovac on Man With a Camera, Paul Moreno on Empire, and Linc Murdock on The Travels of Jamie McPheeters) plays American boxer Yank Dawson. John Indrisano (real-life professional boxer and referee, played John the Chauffeur on O.K. Crackerby!) plays the boxing referee.

Season 3, Episode 17, "Dead Man's Tale": Lonny Chapman (shown on the right, appeared in East of Eden, Baby Doll, The Birds, and The Reivers and played Frank Malloy on For the People) plays former newspaper writer Phillip Werris. Jean Engstrom (mother of actress Jena Engstrom) plays his wife Jan. Charles Seel (Otis the Bartender on Tombstone Territory, Mr. Krinkie on Dennis the Menace, and Tom Pride on The Road West) plays the Riverton general store owner.

Season 3, Episode 19, "The Gift": Betty Garde (shown on the left, appeared in Call Northside 777, Caged!, and The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm and played Mattie Lane on The Edge of Night and Miss Tyler on As the World Turns) plays fortune teller Lola Monteil. Scott Marlowe (Nick Koslo on Executive Suite, Eric Brady on Days of Our Lives, and Michael Burke on Valley of the Dolls) plays her son Mario. Mary Sinclair (Sylvia Rockwell on Woman With a Past) plays wealthy widow Maude Gillespie. Arthur Gould-Porter (Ravenswood on The Beverly Hillbillies) plays a policeman.

Season 3, Episode 20, "Person Unknown": Jay Novello (shown on the right, played Juan Greco on Zorro and Mayor Mario Lugatto on McHale's Navy) plays monastery porter Carlos Gonzalez. Danny Bravo (voice of Hadji on Jonny Quest) plays his son Jorge. Robert Carricart (Pepe Cordoza on T.H.E. Cat) plays Mexican army officer Capt. Alvarez. Rodolfo Acosta (Vaquero on The High Chaparral) plays his superior Col. Ferrero. Rodolfo Hoyos, Jr. (Luis Valdez on Viva Valdez) plays sculptor Gomez.

Season 3, Episode 21, "Night of Decision": Robert Douglas (shown on the left, appeared in The Fountainhead, Kim, Ivanhoe, and The Prisoner of Zenda and directed multiple episodes of 77 Sunset Strip, 12 O'Clock High, The F.B.I., and Baretta amongst many others) plays Gen. George Washington. Richard Carlyle (Casey on Crime Photographer) plays his subordinate Col. Danforth. Ken Drake (Bragan on Not for Hire) plays another subordinate Maj. Warren. Richard Hale (starred in Abilene Town, Kim, San Antone, Red Garters, and To Kill a Mockingbird) plays Washington's one-time adversary Chief Otumcas. Steve Franken (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis) plays a delirious soldier.

Season 3, Episode 22, "The Stranger": Peter Dyneley (shown on the right, played Henry Carmichael on Portrait of Alison, Joe Francis on Golden Girl, Cmdr. Charles Hastings on The Mask of Janus and The Spies, and voiced Jeff Tracy on Thunderbirds) plays disaster worker Tom Hadley. Graham Stark (appeared in A Shot in the Dark, Alfie, The Wrong Box, Casino Royale, and The Return of the Pink Panther and played Scratcher on Adventures Beyond Belief, and Freddie the Fireman on Tickle on the Tum) plays his colleague Peter. Bill Nagy (Gregg Flint on Coronation Street) plays incarcerated killer Jerome Cole. Patrick McAlinney (Tickler Murphy on Coronation Street, Paddy on Orlando, Brother Patrick on Oh Brother!, Peters on Kizzy, Father O'Leary on The Liver Birds, and Dr. Daley on Bless Me Father) plays the prison warden. Harold Kasket (Dr. Dietrich Sterne on General Hospital) plays a rescued teacher.

Season 3, Episode 23, "Justice": Clifford Evans (shown on the left, starred in Stryker of the Yard, The Curse of the Werewolf, and The Kiss of the Vampire and played Steven Prador on A Chance of Thunder, Chief Inspector Robert Stryker on Stryker of the Yard, Caswell Bligh on The Power Game, and Sir Iain Dalzell on Codename) plays Police Constable Joshua Jones. Barbara Mullen (Janet MacPherson on Dr. Finlay's Casebook) plays his wife. Edward Evans (Bob Grove on The Grove Family, Assistant Commissioner on Garry Halliday, Geoffrey Gray on Compact, and Lionel Petty on Coronation Street) plays his superior Inspector Pugh. Meredith Edwards (Emlyn Powell on A Matter of Degree, Inspector Taff Evans on Sexton Blake, Sir Tom on Hawkmoor, and Richard Lloyd on The Life and Times of David Lloyd George) plays accused murderer Wyndham Roberts. Martin Benson (appeared in The King and I, Exodus, Cleopatra, A Shot in the Dark, Goldfinger, and The Omen and played Duke de Medici on Sword of Freedom) plays minister Dr. Evans. Jack Melford (Mr. Tibbett on Dear Dotty, Det. Sgt. Miller on Educated Evans, Mr. Quelch on Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School, and Dr. Rospin on Emergency-Ward 10) plays parishioner Mr. Owen. Ewan Roberts (appeared in The Crimson Pirate, Curse of the Demon, and Invasion of the Triffids and played Inspector Ames on Colonel March of Scotland Yard, Mr. Bentley on Emergency-Ward 10, and Parkinson on Bognor) plays police Superintendent Rees.

Season 3, Episode 24, "The Face": Sean Kelly (appeared in Idol on Parade, Gang War, and 633 Squadron) plays nightmare victim Stephen Bolt. Victor Platt (El Muerte on Paradise Island, Mr. Pumfrey on Whirligig, Ted Sinker on Emergency-Ward 10, Mr. Anderson on The Corner Shop, John Harmer on Strange Concealments, and Charlie Penrose on The Newcomers) plays his father Isiah. Paula Byrne (Frances Whitney on Emergency-Ward 10) plays his mother Sara. John Bown (George Goodfellow on Poison Island, Det. Insp. Tom Masefield on The Big Spender, Commander Neil Stafford on Doomwatch, and Nicholas Phelps on Emmerdale) plays his older brother Mark. Penelope Horner (shown on the right, played Celia Winteron on Emmerdale, Sarah Hallam on Triangle, and Maudie Mountjoy on Hell's Bells) plays Mark's fiance Rosemary Hogan. Robert Cawdron (Rico on The Count of Monte Cristo, Det. Supt. Tallerton on Golden Girl, PC Hugh on The Massingham Affair, Stuart Long on 199 Park Lane, Det. Insp. Cherry on Dixon of Dock Green, Sgt. LeDuc on The Saint, and Uncle Bert Quigley on From a Bird's Eye View) plays Rosemary's father. Roger Delgado (Athos on The Three Musketeers, Speidel on Huntingtower, Don Jose on Queen's Champion, Mendoza on Sir Francis Drake, M. Fouquot on The Man in the Iron Mask, and The Master on Doctor Who) plays ship commander Capt. Santoro. Michael Peake (Conrad de Monferrat on Richard the Lionheart) plays the ship's bosun. Leon Cortez (Oppy Harris on Dixon of Dock Green) plays a shanghai'd Englishman. Erik Chitty (Gubbins on The Great Detective, Stevens on If the Crown Fits, Ignatius Small on Emergency-Ward 10, Mr. Smith on Please Sir!, and Gabriel Towzer on Midnight Is a Place) plays a tattoo artist.

Season 3, Episode 25, "The Room Upstairs": David Knight (Christopher March on A Mask for Alexis and James Neal on The Newcomers) plays American engineer Will Hollis. Lois Maxwell (shown on the left, appeared in That Hagen Girl, Aida, and Lolita and played Miss Moneypenny in 14 James Bond films) plays his wife Esther. Carl Bernard (Milton on Big Guns, Alfred Lammle on Our Mutual Friend, and Ferguson on Pretenders) plays a psychiatrist. Anthony Oliver (Iorworth Pritchard on Emergency-Ward 10) plays realtor Hudson. David Markham (John Bold on The Warden, The Rector on Barbie, Professor Wedgwood on Target Luna, Silas Marner on Silas Marner, Colin Bryant on Couples, David Annersley on Emmerdale, and Herbert Henry Asquith on The Life and Times of David Lloyd George) plays rental house owner Mr. Morrison. Jane Hylton (Queen Guinevere on The Adventures of Sir Lancelot and Margaret Harley on Emergency-Ward 10) plays his wife Joan.

Season 3, Episode 26, "Signal Received": Mark Eden (shown on the right, played Marco Polo on Doctor Who, Johnny Rich on Catch Hand, Jeremy Crowe on The Newcomers, Ray Saxon on Crime Buster, Det. Insp. Parker on Cloud of Witness, Spencer on The Top Secret Life of Edgar Briggs, Jack Rufus on London Belongs to Me, Supt. Wilf Penfield on The Detective, and Alan Bradley on Coronation Street) plays World War II British sailor Johnny Watson. Richard Gale (John Farrance on The River Flows East and Miles Osborne on The Flaxton Boys) plays fellow sailor Robin Hughes. Jennifer Daniel (Dolly Varden on Barnaby Rudge, Anne Romilly on The Sleeper, Carol Vyner on A Man Called Harry Brent, Janet Smith on General Hospital, Judy Wishart on Rooms, Eunice Godbeer on People Like Us, and Helen Langley on The Collectors) plays Watson's girlfriend Sheila. Patrick McLoughlin (Richard Trevelyan on Sir Francis Drake) plays her Uncle Bill. Viola Keats (Joyce Schuler on The Grove Family) plays fellow sailor's mother Mrs. Breed. Charles Lamb (Thomas on Family Solicitor, Bert Vincent on Weavers Green, Jorkins on River Rivals, Ted Atkinson on The Newcomers, Wally on Backs to the Land, and Old Bailey on Can We Get on Now, Please?) plays her husband. Susan Richards (Mrs. Allen on The Doctors) plays a seller of heather.

Season 3, Episode 27, "The Confession": Donald Pleasence (shown on the left, starred in Look Back in Anger, Dr. Crippen, The Great Escape, Fantastic Voyage, You Only Live Twice, THX 1138, The Eagle Has Landed, and 5 of the first 6 Halloween films and played Det. Insp. Harry Yates on The Scarf) plays former lawyer Harvey Laurence. Raymond Rollett (Squire Trelawney on Treasure Island and Don Miguel Perrera y Quiva on Potts in Perovia) plays his superior the King's Counsel. Gerald James (Charlie Caldwell on Hadleigh, Uncle Barnabus on A Traveller in Time, and George Tully on Sapphire & Steel) plays Laurence's colleague Wilson. Adrienne Corri (appeared in Bunny Lake Is Missing, Doctor Zhivago, and A Clockwork Orange and played Angelica Verdi on Sword of Freedom) plays supposed murder victim Sarah Malone. Brenad Dunrich (Polly Sutherland on The Cabin in the Clearing) plays Laurence's cleaning woman. Julian Orchard (Oliver Pettigrew on Whack-O!) plays his tailor. Douglas Ives (Potter on Emergency-Ward 10) plays his flat building's porter.

Season 3, Episode 28, "The Avengers": Andre Morell (appeared in The Man Who Never Was, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Ben-Hur, The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), and The Plague of the Zombies) plays Nazi Gen. Guenther Hautmann. Lisa Gastoni (shown on the right, appeared in The Truth About Women, Prescription for Murder, Wrong Number, Passport to China, and The Wild, Wild Planet and played Dorothy Berridge on The Odd Man and Zia Clo Clo on Sposami) plays his mistress Marianne. Carl Jaffe (Mr. Rimmer on Strictly Personal, Mr. Emmanuel on Magnolia Street, and Kassell on The Big Spender) plays the army doctor. Walter Gotell (Col. Schmidt on Potts in Parovia, Chief Constable Cullen on Softly Softly: Task Force, and Sir Michael Gunther on County Hall) plays subordinate Sgt. Franz Dietrich. Carl Duering (Von Stalhein on Biggles) plays a member of the regimental band. Steve Plytas (Armide Poropoulos on Parbottle Speaking) plays the estate gardener.

Season 3, Episode 29, "The Prisoner": Catherine Feller (Janella on The Black Brigand and Peppone's wife on The Little World of Don Camillo) plays Nazi concentration camp refugee Ruth Goldman. Sandor Eles (Albert de Morcef on The Count of Monte Cristo, Capt. Gottfried on Timeslip, and Ramon on Down to Earth) plays fellow refugee Samuel. Faith Brook (shown on the left, played Janet Turner on Golden Girl, Countess Rostova on War & Peace, Heather Windrup on Angels, Lady Knox on The Irish R.M., and Eleanor Beaufort on Gentlemen and Players) plays a refugee hospital nurse. Anton Diffring (appeared in I Am a Camera, The Blue Max, Fahrenheit 451, and Where Eagles Dare and played Pandorus on Scobie in September and Insp. Hoffman on Assignment: Vienna) plays Nazi officer Wilhelm Hessler. Annette Carrell (Alice Heydinger on Love and Mr. Lewisham) plays his wife Frieda. Gerhard Heinz (Karl Peters on Double Cross and Pereira on Scobie in September) plays the hospital doctor.

Season 3, Episode 30, "Blood Flower": Larry Gates (shown on the right, starred in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Some Came Running, and The Young Savages and played H.B. Lewis on Guiding Light) plays American exchange Prof. Gavin Carroll. Penny Santon (Madame Fatime in Don't Call Me Charlie, Madam Delacort on Roll Out, Mama Rosa Novelli on Matt Houston, Muriel Lacey on Cagney and Lacey, and Teresa Giordano on Life Goes On) plays his landlady Senora Madrera. Renata Vanni (appeared in Pay or Die!, A Patch of Blue, and Fatso and played Rose Brentano on That Girl) plays dead revolutionary's mother Mrs. Fuentes.

Season 3, Episode 31, "The Sorceror": Christopher Lee (shown on the left, starred in The Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula, The Mummy(1959), She, The Face of Fu Manchu, Dracula: Prince of Darkness, The Three Musketeers(1973), Airport '77, and The Lord of the Rings franchise and played Sam Rees on The Tomorrow People, Nick Dupont on Street Gear, and Olwyn on The New Adventures of Robin Hood) plays Nazi officer Wilhelm Reitlinger. Martin Benson (see "Justice" above) plays farmer Klaus Karnak. Alfred Burke (Frank Marker on Public Eye, Oberst Richter on Enemy at the Door, Mr. Blandy on A Question of Guilt, and Mr. Critchlow on Sophia and Constance) plays Reitlinger's subordinate Scholl. Peter Swanwick (The Supervisor on The Prisoner) plays a bartender. Gabrielle Licudi (appeared in You Must Be Joking!, The Liquidator, and Casino Royale) plays Reitlinger's girlfriend Elsa Bruck. Frederick Jaeger (Adolphus Crosbie on The Small House at Allington, Will Booth on Amelia, Chris Larsen on Compact, David Stimpson on Strange Concealments, Gregor Sanders & Beaumont Sutton on The Man in the Mirror, Leo Pettit on Girl in a Black Bikini, Dr. James Austen on The Inside Man, Joachim on Pretenders, Cmdr. Fletcher on Special Branch, Cmdr. Vallance on The Doombolt Chase, Cogg-Willoughby on One Upmanship, Max Langemann on High Road, Max van der Rheede on The Onedin Line, and Maj. Selwyn Davis on The Chief) plays Nazi soldier Johann. Joseph Furst (Maj. Heinrich Wolf on Counter-Attack!, King Alexander on The Midnight Men, the storekeeper on Luke's Kingdom, and Carlo Lenzi on Number 96) plays a military judge. George Pravda (Prof. Bhaer on Good Wives and Jo's Boys, Tannikov on Curtain of Fear, and Nicholas Cheverski on The Man in the Mirror) plays a military psychiatrist. Edwin Richfield (Crewman Armando on The Buccaneers, Insp. Mornay on Interpol Calling, Steve Gardiner on The Odd Man, Mr. Pomeroy on R3, Ben Graham on 199 Park Lane, D'Artagnan on The Man in the Iron Mask, Frank Chapman on Harriet's Back in Town, and Capt. Hart on Doctor Who) plays one of Reitlinger's subordinates.

Season 3, Episode 32, "The Villa": David Horne (appeared in The Mill on the Floss, The Wicked Lady, Caravan, and Lust for Life and played Dr. Nesbitt on More Than Robbery and Lord de Guest on The Small House at Allington) plays industrialist Richard Hudson. Michael Crawford (starred in The Knack...And How to Get It, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, How I Won the War, and Hello, Dolly! and played Frank Nugent on Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School, John Drake on Sir Francis Drake, Byron on Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life, Dave Finn on Chalk and Cheese, and Frank Spencer on Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em) plays his son Tony. Kenneth Cope (F.D. Whittaker on Whack-O!, Jed Stone on Coronation Street, Marty Hopkirk on My Partner the Ghost, Bert on Levkas Man, Stubs on Truckers, and Ray Hilton on Brookside) plays Tony's friend Lionel. Geoffrey Toone (appeared in The King and I, Johnny Tremain, Zero Hour!, and Dr. Who and the Daleks and played Steve Gardiner on The Odd Man, Sgt. Baines on 199 Park Lane, and Von Gleb on Freewheelers) plays Hudson's employee Jim Low. Elizabeth Sellars (shown on the right, starred in The Gentle Gunman, The Long Memory, Forbidden Cargo, The Barefoot Contessa, and The Mummy's Shroud and played Dr. May Howard on R3) plays Low's wife Mary. Marla Landi (starred in First Man Into Space, The Hound of the Baskervilles(1959), The Pirates of Blood River, and The Murder Game) plays Low's mistress Stella. Robert Rietty (Quico on Hurricane) plays realtor Bertollini. Gertan Klauber (Black Dog on The Adventures of Ben Gunn and Gustav on Room Service) plays a hotel porter.

Season 3, Episode 33, "Midnight": Gloria Saunders (the Dragon Lady on Terry and the Pirates) plays midnight temptress Lilith.

Season 3, Episode 34, "The Tiger": Pauline Challoner (Valerie Benson on The Doctors) plays wealthy daughter Pamela Weldon. Pamela Brown (appeared in Lust for Life, Cleopatra, and Becket) plays her new governess Miss Cartwright. Elspeth March (appeared in Quo Vadis, The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone, and Goodbye, Mr. Chips and played Mother on Let There Be Love) plays her nanny Mrs. Murphy. Edward Underdown (appeared in Beat the Devil, The Day the Earth Caught Fire, and Thunderball) plays family solicitor Mr. Hayes. Patsy Smart (shown on the left, played Mrs. Yardley on Emergency-Ward 10, Mary Grange on The Newcomers, Mrs. Burton on Spy Trap, Roberts on Upstairs/Downstairs, May Beswick on The Practice, and Miss Dingle on Terry and June) plays housekeeper Ethel. Michael Collins (Harry on Treasure Island, Insp. Franks on Garry Halliday, and Jeff Langley on The Newcomers) plays a police inspector.

Season 3, Episode 35, "Nightmare": Peter Wyngarde (shown on the right, played John Silver on The Adventures of Ben Gunn, Rupert of Hentzau on Rupert of Hentzau, and Jason King on Department S and Jason King) plays French painter Paul Roland. Mary Peach (Kathy Webb on Inside Story and Tricia Roland on Couples) plays his fiance Jill Barrington. Ferdy Mayne (appeared in Our Man in Havana, The Fearless Vampire Killers, Where Eagles Dare, The Magic Christian, and Barry Lyndon and played Mr. Saunders on Emergency-Ward 10, Vladek Gora on Quest of Eagles, and Count Dracula on Frankenstein's Aunt) plays art dealer Geoffrey Heathcote. Ambrosine Phillpotts (Lady Helen Hadleigh on Hadleigh) plays portrait subject Lady Diana Metcalf. Richard Caldicot (Maynard Withering on Reggie Little at Large, Capt. Turvey on HMS Paradise, Mr. Potter on Pet Pals, Sir Charles Barker on Mrs. Thursday, John Faversham on The Beverly Hillbillies, and Justice Rider on Crown Court) plays psychiatrist Horace Stapleton. Patrick Holt (George Verney on Emmerdale) plays a Cornish doctor.

Season 3, Episode 36, "Eyewitness": John Meillon (shown on the left, appeared in On the Beach, The Sundowners, 633 Squadron, Crocodile Dundee, and Crocodile Dundee II and played Martin on A Chance of Thunder, Wally Stiller on My Name's McGooley, What's Yours? and Rita and Wally, Ray Dunlop on Lane End, and Cyril Kirby on Over There) plays Boston Star night editor Henry Soames. John Phillips (Col. Zapt on Rupert of Hentzau, Elzevir Block on Smuggler's Bay, Professor Bell on Alexander Graham Bell, Lt.-Col. Whitley on Frontier, Maitre Lacan on Crime of Passion, Jack Frazer on The Onedin Line, and Det. Chief Supt. Robins on Z Cars) plays newspaper publisher Frank Kinsman. Anton Rodgers (Lt. Gilmore on The Sky Larks, Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge on Ukridge, Peter Frame on The Organization, David Gradley on Zodiac. Det. Insp. Purbright on Murder Most English: A Flaxborough Chronicle, William on Fresh Fields and French Fields, Alec Callender on May to December, and Noah Kirby on Noah's Ark) plays Kinsman's son Mark. J.G. Devlin (Herbert Button on The Newcomers and Father Dooley on Bread) plays restaurant proprietor Leo. Robert Ayres (Stephen Inch on The Inch Man and Walter Allen on The Cheaters) plays seismographer Richards.