It ran only from 1963 to 1965, but Kraft Suspense Theater (later titled Crisis) had some of the underpinnings of a great anthology show, much like Twilight Zone: name actors, accomplished directors, color in an era of black and white, a full hour-long slot, generous budgets, and the massive Universal lot to work with.
For anyone who loves Hitchcock or Twilight Zones–and has seen them all and is hungry for more–you’d think that you’ve stumbled on a treasure trove of lost films and episodes when you first see Kraft.
But, somehow, most of the shows fail. That somehow can be traced to the weak writing. Weak writing is only further weakened when it has to fill an hour-long slot–a problem that plagued even writers of Twilight Zone.
One episode that works, though, is The Gun. It’s sinister in so many ways. Start with the actors.
Veteran actor Eddie Albert plays a dentist who’s a kind, concerned father. This is difficult because his son, played by Peter Lazer, is genuinely disturbed. With a husky man-voice paired with the body of a teenager, not to mention an oddly misshapen head and swollen mouth, actor Lazer simply looks creepy.
After the family house is robbed and Albert fails to shoot the robber at the behest of wife Dina Merrill, Merrill develops a fascination with guns that she passes onto Lazer.
At the same time, Lazer and a friend torment a neighbor old lady, whose shaky mental health is exacerbated when jets from the nearby air force base fly overhead.
The torment even extends to Lazer and friend anonymously supplying the lady with a bolt and ammunition for her WWI-era rifle that’s been missing a bolt.
Why does he do this? Lazer later says to help her protect herself. But as a viewer, it feels that Lazer helps her complete her rifle only as an act of further bullying.
The only wrong note in The Gun is the very ending. But it’s so freakishly wrong that it almost feels surreal and perfect.
