The Boy Who Predicted Earthquakes/Miss Lovecraft Sent Me/The Hand of Borgus Weems/Phantom of What Opera?

I've always liked this episode. I thought the young Clint Howard was wonderful in it. I especially liked the eerie way they showed several views of him when he gives his big prediction. The strange music they played as well as the several camera shots of his head added a real dimension of fear to the proceedings. The look on Bernie Kopell's face as he listens to Herbie's odd prediction still makes my palms sweat. It's as if Kopell's character is thinking "What the **** IS he talking about?" The ending is startling and jarring to me even after several viewings. I wish some sort of good anthology like "Night Gallery" would return to television, but I guess it's from a bygone era. This is a good story, well directed and acted.

'The Boy Who Predicted Earthquakes' - Clint Howard plays Herbie Bittman, a young boy who can predict future events, so long as there is a future to predict... Highly effective story with a knockout ending.

'Miss Lovecraft Sent Me' - Foolish waste of time, and not funny either.

'The Hand Of Borgus Weems' - A man believes that his hand is no longer his own, and will go to extreme lengths to get rid of it... Unoriginal but interesting tale has a good cast(like Ray Milland) at least.

'Phantom Of What Opera?' - Leslie Nielsen plays the phantom carrying off his reluctant love who has a secret herself... Hilarious segment may be the only one of its kind to work, but Nielsen's heavy mask breathing and surprise reveal make it a treat.

Clint Howard has made a career out of playing oddball characters; even as a kid, there was something strange about the way he looked, which made him perfect for the Night Gallery. In the first story of this episode, he plays Herbie Bittman, a young lad who has the ability to predict the future, a talent that makes him a television sensation. But Herbie's gift isn't always a blessing.

The fact that young Herbie is so unsettling makes me wonder whether Serling intended to suggest that the child is somehow making his predictions come true, albeit subconsciously, a bit like that kid in Twilight Zone classic It's a Good Life.

The second segment is just a couple of minutes long, a silly bit of kitsch that is pure filler. A babysitter arrives at a home where the father is a vampire and the child is a monster.

The third tale is the best. The story might not be all that original -- the right hand of Peter Lacland (George Maharis) becomes possessed by the vengeful spirit of a murder victim -- but Ray Milland is excellent as Dr. Ravadon, the man who surgically removes Lacland's right hand, and who finally realises, to his horror, that his patient isn't as crazy as he sounds.

The last story is another inconsequential piece of nonsense, Leslie Nielsen playing The Phantom of the Opera, who unexpectedly finds his soulmate. It's not quite as bad as the vampire story, but it still feels like its only purpose is to pad out the run time.

"The Boy Who Predicted Earthquakes" finds young Clint Howard (that's right, Opie's little brother) playing little boy who has a gift. Once he becomes knowledgeable in a subject, he can see into the near future and predict what will happen. Soon he is exploited, having his own television show where over a hundred things he says comes true. One day he hesitates and asks to go home. If we all could have his compassion. A nice little episode with the usual network bad guys.

"The Hand of Borgus Weems" (Serling liked these odd names) features the handsome George Maharis as a man who has lost control of his right hand. It acts in such murderous ways that he asks it be amputated. Ray Milland, a surgeon, wants to call in a psychiatrist and Maharis insists he is sane. Finally, in desperation, he picks up a heavy statuette and crushes his hand, requiring it be taken off. Somehow the people he has chosen to assault have something in common and that is the gist of the story.

"Miss Lovecraft Sent Me" is not worth the two minutes it takes. A baby sitter, played by Sue Lyon (Lolita) chews gum and vapidly looks around a mansion, run be an obvious vampire. Unfortunately, nothing worthwhile happens. I know who H. P. Lovecraft was. What does the name have to do with anything.

"Phantom of What Opera" is equally lacking in anything fresh. We've seen this a hundred times. I guess the regular episodes just didn't fill up the whole hour.

Season 2 has these silly little 4 minute sketches. From what I've read Rod Serling hated these because they don't fit the tone of the show at all but he was told to include them. I'm with Serling on this one. They're terrible.

The other two stories are both well performed, well executed and the production is top notch as always on Night Gallery. But they are also very predictable. I'm not saying I could predict every detail of them but it was obvious where, more or less, these stories were going to end. In both cases I never had any doubt and in both cases I was right.

Still worth seeing. Every episode has been worth seeing so far.