Writer: Rudoph Borchert
Director: Allen Baron
Story: Dennis Clark
Actors:
James Gregory as Captain Quill / Dick Van Patten as Alfred Brindel / Mary Wickes as Dr. Bess Winestock / Maureen Arthur as Woman Speaker / Rudy Challenger as Stanley Wedemeyer / Fritz Feld as Waiter / Phil Leeds as Howard Gough / Len Lesser as Crowley / Dennis McCarthy as Security Guard Riley / Gary Glanz as Peter Leeds / Tony Rizzo as Leon Van Heusen / Carol Ann Susi as Monique Marmelstein / John Fiedler as Gordy "The Ghoul" Spangler / Dick Enberg as radio announcer
Memorable Line:
Kolchak: "...what could use, two tons of lead?"
Monique: "God's pencil?"
Story:
An alien stops by and throws up. Uhh, yup - that about covers it.
The invisible monster stories are my least favorite in this series - and while this one outdoes "The Energy Eater" in demonstrating its power (by blowing out brick walls and tossing cops through the air like wads of paper). the episode lacks the later eps humor and colorful characters.
Not to say it's devoid of either. Carl interrupting Vencenzo's dinner with a few nasty details of the case is a hoot. Mary Wickes is solid as a doctor at the Zoo, and James Gregory does his weary cop thing well. It's just not in the same league as "Energy" in this area.
While the writers try to put some thought behind their theories, and there are eerie elements to the story (the bone marrow thing). In the end, Carl's mundane explanation for the visit had me wondering, "Why even bother telling such a tale"? It's about as compelling as spending an hour watching paint dry. Hey I know, next week Frankenstein reads the Yellow Pages!
Another point against it is the cheesy elements: Like the cheap and silly-looking flying saucer. Or the contrivance of having the alien presence being bothered by Kolchak's camera. Both helped undercut the being's menace and the overall fear factor.
All told, while not terrible, it's not a real grabber either.
Grade: C
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