Writer: Rudolph Borchert
Director: Don McDougall
Actors:
Cathy Lee Crosby as Helen of Troy / Dwayne Hickman Sergeant J. Orkin / George Savalas as Kaz Kazantarkis / Kathleen Freeman as Bella Sarkof / Eddie Firestone as Obnoxious Conventioneer / James Murtaugh as Landlord / Michael Richardson as Lance Mervin (aka Irvin) / Penny Stanton as Lance's Mother / James Ingersoll as First Young Man / Reb Brown as Second Young Man / John Fiedler as Gordy "The Ghoul" Spangler / Joss White as Secretary / Unknown, uncredited actors as William Cubby, Cynthia Tibbs and Rene Michelle.
Memorable Line:
Kolchak: "I love flukes! I've written some of my best stories about flukes"
Story:
Young, dating service patrons begin dying of old age.
Carl takes on Greek Gods and meets up with Helen of Troy in this weakish satire on our youth and beauty-geared culture.
The scenes that highlight the rapid aging of the vibrant victims, is effective and chilling. But overall the story lacks punch. Probably because the villain played by Cathy Lee Crosby, doesn't have a commanding or threatening presence. She has some impressive backing from up on high, but Helen herself is a whispery shell (and seriously, she couldn't tell one of her sacrifices had a glass eye?)
Good casting otherwise: Dewayne Hicks (Dobie Gillis) plays a fresh new Captain who quickly learns why everyone gets so annoyed with Carl (Then again, why not check the prints, wouldn't hurt?). George Savalas (Credited as Demothenes) is the cabby who schools Carl on Greek myths, and there was Reb Brown (Captain America, MST3Ks "Space Mutiny") in an early, small role.
On the comedic side of it, big laughs came from Vincenzo and Kolchak, both inadvertently offending Miss Emily.
I don’t hate anything from this show. There’s always something to enjoy even in a lesser episode, even in this lesser episode... like the cool idea of the rings marking those who are doomed -- and that Carl puts on one and can't get it off. Though I wonder if the Gods were angry about the glass eye screw up, or that Helen was going to offer them a 'not so perfect' physical specimen named Carl Kolchak.
Grade: C-
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