Death in the Family/The Merciful/Class of '99/Witches' Feast
- Episode aired Sep 22, 1971
- TV-PG
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
418
YOUR RATING
Fleeing thief Doran hides in the funeral home of odd Mr Soames. / A wife uses bricks and mortar to help her ill husband. / A college professor administers a chilling oral exam with a dystopi... Read allFleeing thief Doran hides in the funeral home of odd Mr Soames. / A wife uses bricks and mortar to help her ill husband. / A college professor administers a chilling oral exam with a dystopian twist. / Witches prepare a vile dish.Fleeing thief Doran hides in the funeral home of odd Mr Soames. / A wife uses bricks and mortar to help her ill husband. / A college professor administers a chilling oral exam with a dystopian twist. / Witches prepare a vile dish.
Photos
Brandon De Wilde
- Johnson (segment "Class of '99")
- (as Brandon de Wilde)
James Sikking
- State Trooper (segment "Death in the Family")
- (as James B. Sikking)
William Elliott
- 3rd Trooper (segment "Death in the Family")
- (as Bill Elliott)
- Directors
- Jerrold Freedman
- Jeannot Szwarc(segments Death in the Family, The Merciful, Class of '99)
- Writers
- Rod Serling(segment Death in the Family)
- Miriam Allen DeFord(segment Death in the Family)
- Jack Laird(segment The Merciful)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaOriginally, "Witches' Feast" was the final segment, which aired September 22, 1971. In a repeat broadcast, the segment was replaced by Satisfaction Guaranteed (1972), which aired March 22, 1972. In addition, the Season 2 DVD release of "Night Gallery" has the repeat broadcast of the episode, not the original.
- GoofsIn the final scene of "Death In the Family" at the dinner table, the supposedly "dead" wife moves one of her fingers.
- Alternate versionsWhen NBC reran this episode the following spring, the segment "Witches' Feast" was replaced with the previously unaired _"Night Gallery" (1970) {Satisfaction Guaranteed (#2.23)}_.
Featured review
Vincent Price and Victor Buono are always great value.
To start with, this viewer must say that he watched this episode on DVD, where the final 'Witches Feast' segment was replaced with another story entirely, 'Satisfaction Guaranteed'. He cannot comment on the episode as it originally aired back in '71.
As for the rest:
'Death in the Family'. The wonderful E.G. Marshall (whom horror fans know as Upson Pratt in "Creepshow") is Mr. Soames, a funeral home director accosted in his place of business by young murderer Doran (Desi Arnaz, Jr.). Doran is in for a surprise when he sees that he sees that there is actually no safe haven here. Mr. Soames, you see, is an eccentric who has certain ideas about what to do with dead individuals. Scripted by Rod Serling, based on Miriam Allen DeFords' story, this is pretty good, but delivers no earthshaking revelations. Some good atmosphere, in any event.
'The Merciful'. An "original" by series producer Jack Laird (this is obviously inspired by Edgar Allan Poe), this has a loving wife (Imogene Coca) walling up her husband (King Donovan) for supposedly compassionate reasons. The revelation is amusing, if not a great one, and this at least represents something of an improvement over a previous Laird-scripted comic vignette, 'Miss Lovecraft Sent Me'). Ms. Coca is a delight.
'Class of '99'. This is far and away the standout segment of this episode, and is a Serling original, showing off his great ear for dialogue and talent for intelligent rumination on the idea of human nature. Vincent Price is an officious professor, presiding over the final exam for his students. Brandon de Wilde, the young boy from "Shane" all grown up, is one of them. It's worth it all just for Serling's delicious reveal, which may actually catch the viewer by surprise. The episode really cooks once we get to a confrontation between two students, one white and one black, and we think about instinctual reactions to being provoked.
Finally, 'Satisfaction Guaranteed'. Another original by Laird. Victor Buono plays a pompous schlub who wants a young woman for some unknown purpose, while an employment agency proprietress (Cathleen Cordell) parades some efficient young ladies before him. Once a certain character comes through the door, and Buono's eyes light up, you see what he's really going for. Overall, this short segment is amusing, and shows that Laird was showing some (very mild) improvement in terms of his writing. But Buono is the real reason to watch.
Look for various familiar faces turning up throughout: James B. Sikking, Hunter von Leer, Randolph Mantooth, Soon-Tek Oh, etc.
The *real* twist here is that all four of these segments were directed by the same man for once, Jeannot Szwarc ("Jaws 2", "Somewhere in Time"), who worked on 19 episodes of the series in total.
Seven out of 10.
As for the rest:
'Death in the Family'. The wonderful E.G. Marshall (whom horror fans know as Upson Pratt in "Creepshow") is Mr. Soames, a funeral home director accosted in his place of business by young murderer Doran (Desi Arnaz, Jr.). Doran is in for a surprise when he sees that he sees that there is actually no safe haven here. Mr. Soames, you see, is an eccentric who has certain ideas about what to do with dead individuals. Scripted by Rod Serling, based on Miriam Allen DeFords' story, this is pretty good, but delivers no earthshaking revelations. Some good atmosphere, in any event.
'The Merciful'. An "original" by series producer Jack Laird (this is obviously inspired by Edgar Allan Poe), this has a loving wife (Imogene Coca) walling up her husband (King Donovan) for supposedly compassionate reasons. The revelation is amusing, if not a great one, and this at least represents something of an improvement over a previous Laird-scripted comic vignette, 'Miss Lovecraft Sent Me'). Ms. Coca is a delight.
'Class of '99'. This is far and away the standout segment of this episode, and is a Serling original, showing off his great ear for dialogue and talent for intelligent rumination on the idea of human nature. Vincent Price is an officious professor, presiding over the final exam for his students. Brandon de Wilde, the young boy from "Shane" all grown up, is one of them. It's worth it all just for Serling's delicious reveal, which may actually catch the viewer by surprise. The episode really cooks once we get to a confrontation between two students, one white and one black, and we think about instinctual reactions to being provoked.
Finally, 'Satisfaction Guaranteed'. Another original by Laird. Victor Buono plays a pompous schlub who wants a young woman for some unknown purpose, while an employment agency proprietress (Cathleen Cordell) parades some efficient young ladies before him. Once a certain character comes through the door, and Buono's eyes light up, you see what he's really going for. Overall, this short segment is amusing, and shows that Laird was showing some (very mild) improvement in terms of his writing. But Buono is the real reason to watch.
Look for various familiar faces turning up throughout: James B. Sikking, Hunter von Leer, Randolph Mantooth, Soon-Tek Oh, etc.
The *real* twist here is that all four of these segments were directed by the same man for once, Jeannot Szwarc ("Jaws 2", "Somewhere in Time"), who worked on 19 episodes of the series in total.
Seven out of 10.
helpful•00
- Hey_Sweden
- Apr 7, 2020
Details
- Release date
- Language
- Filming locations
- Colonial Street, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA('Death in the Family' segment - Colonial Mansion as "Soames Funeral Home")
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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