PANIC! – Hear no Evil - 1958
This is episode 20 of the 1957-1958 suspense series, PANIC! Each episode was a story about a person involved in an incident of stress and panic. The series ran for a total of 31 episodes. Each episode starts with narrator saying, "You are about to witness a moment of panic in the life of a man". (or woman)
This particular episode is headlined by two time nominated, and one time Oscar winner, Mercedes McCambridge. McCambridge plays a woman who lost her hearing, and the ability to speak, after an automobile crash in which her young son was killed. In the years since, she has been seeing quite a few therapists etc to regain these senses. She has learned to read lips and uses pen and paper to communicate with people.
Finally a surgeon has helped her regain her hearing with a small device implanted behind her ear. The happy as pie woman now intends to go home and surprise her husband, Fletcher Markle, and her sister, Whitney Blake with the news. The three are going out that night to a club to celebrate Markle and McCambridges wedding anniversary. McCambridge intends to spring the news at the club. McCambridge reaches home and is greeted by her sister and husband. She of course says nothing about her regained hearing.
Boy is she in for a surprise herself. McCambridge hears Markle and Blake plotting to bump off McCambridge that night after the club date. They are going to fake a car accident with McCambridge as the victim. McCambridge has no idea what to do.
She is more or less in shock as she is rushed to the car and they drive to the club. Markle and Whitney have fallen in love and McCambridge is an annoying impediment to closing the deal. They plan on drugging MCCambridge 's wine at the club. Then, when she is groggy, they are going to drive the car to an out of the way railway crossing. There, they will park the on the crossing and let the 11:15 nightly train do the rest. Markle and Blake will claim that the car stalled, and they could not get the out like a light McCambridge out of the car before the train was upon them.
McCambridge has now gathered herself together and does not intend to go quietly into the night. She writes a note to the bartender, Dick Elliot, to call the Police. Elliot does not look at the note but uses it instead to wipe up a spilled drink. McCambridge manages to avoid any wine pretending to have a headache. Dear sister Blake however manages to get a few drops into her glass of water. It starts to have the desired effect. Markle and Blake make a big deal for the witness types, of the groggy McCambridge needing help to the car.
Off they drive for the meeting with the train. They reach the dark railway crossing with several minutes to spare. Markle and Blake prop up McCambridge and then walk a bit up the road. They really do not want to watch the woman being crushed by the oncoming train. A train whistle blows from just up the track. Only a minute or two and their "problem" will be removed.
McCambridge, however, because of the small dose of drug in the water she drank, regains consciousness. She looks up the track and sees the train coming full bore at her. There is an enormous crash as the train and car greet each other. Markle and Blake now rush to the scene of the impact. Half an hour later, the two are explaining to the Police and fire people how they tried to save the unconscious McCambridge.
Their eyes open wide, when a rather dishevelled looking McCambridge walks up to the Police. McCambride had barely managed to escape the car by throwing herself into the ditch beside the track. Markle and Blake make like they are glad she survived. McCambride pushes them away with a dirty look. She then grabs the cop's notepad and starts writing.
A pretty good episode if you are asking me. I've seen several different takes on this same hearing loss plot, but this one is the best.
Of note here is that McCambridge and Markle were husband and wife in real life.
Writer, producer, actor and director Markle was a big wheel in the early days of television. He started in the medium in 1948 with the STUDIO ONE series. He also directed this particular episode. McCambridge won her Oscar for 1949's, ALL THE KINGS MEN. She also won a Golden Globe for the same performance.
This is episode 20 of the 1957-1958 suspense series, PANIC! Each episode was a story about a person involved in an incident of stress and panic. The series ran for a total of 31 episodes. Each episode starts with narrator saying, "You are about to witness a moment of panic in the life of a man". (or woman)
This particular episode is headlined by two time nominated, and one time Oscar winner, Mercedes McCambridge. McCambridge plays a woman who lost her hearing, and the ability to speak, after an automobile crash in which her young son was killed. In the years since, she has been seeing quite a few therapists etc to regain these senses. She has learned to read lips and uses pen and paper to communicate with people.
Finally a surgeon has helped her regain her hearing with a small device implanted behind her ear. The happy as pie woman now intends to go home and surprise her husband, Fletcher Markle, and her sister, Whitney Blake with the news. The three are going out that night to a club to celebrate Markle and McCambridges wedding anniversary. McCambridge intends to spring the news at the club. McCambridge reaches home and is greeted by her sister and husband. She of course says nothing about her regained hearing.
Boy is she in for a surprise herself. McCambridge hears Markle and Blake plotting to bump off McCambridge that night after the club date. They are going to fake a car accident with McCambridge as the victim. McCambridge has no idea what to do.
She is more or less in shock as she is rushed to the car and they drive to the club. Markle and Whitney have fallen in love and McCambridge is an annoying impediment to closing the deal. They plan on drugging MCCambridge 's wine at the club. Then, when she is groggy, they are going to drive the car to an out of the way railway crossing. There, they will park the on the crossing and let the 11:15 nightly train do the rest. Markle and Blake will claim that the car stalled, and they could not get the out like a light McCambridge out of the car before the train was upon them.
McCambridge has now gathered herself together and does not intend to go quietly into the night. She writes a note to the bartender, Dick Elliot, to call the Police. Elliot does not look at the note but uses it instead to wipe up a spilled drink. McCambridge manages to avoid any wine pretending to have a headache. Dear sister Blake however manages to get a few drops into her glass of water. It starts to have the desired effect. Markle and Blake make a big deal for the witness types, of the groggy McCambridge needing help to the car.
Off they drive for the meeting with the train. They reach the dark railway crossing with several minutes to spare. Markle and Blake prop up McCambridge and then walk a bit up the road. They really do not want to watch the woman being crushed by the oncoming train. A train whistle blows from just up the track. Only a minute or two and their "problem" will be removed.
McCambridge, however, because of the small dose of drug in the water she drank, regains consciousness. She looks up the track and sees the train coming full bore at her. There is an enormous crash as the train and car greet each other. Markle and Blake now rush to the scene of the impact. Half an hour later, the two are explaining to the Police and fire people how they tried to save the unconscious McCambridge.
Their eyes open wide, when a rather dishevelled looking McCambridge walks up to the Police. McCambride had barely managed to escape the car by throwing herself into the ditch beside the track. Markle and Blake make like they are glad she survived. McCambride pushes them away with a dirty look. She then grabs the cop's notepad and starts writing.
A pretty good episode if you are asking me. I've seen several different takes on this same hearing loss plot, but this one is the best.
Of note here is that McCambridge and Markle were husband and wife in real life.
Writer, producer, actor and director Markle was a big wheel in the early days of television. He started in the medium in 1948 with the STUDIO ONE series. He also directed this particular episode. McCambridge won her Oscar for 1949's, ALL THE KINGS MEN. She also won a Golden Globe for the same performance.