Journey to Midnight

Two episodes of the UK television serial "Journey to the Unknown", with Sebastian Cabot as our host (Joan Crawford's aid as co-hostess was either edited from the original telecast or has simply been deleted from the syndicated version). "Poor Butterfly" has Chad Everett being invited to a costume party where he knows no one but everyone knows him; it's an anticlimactic story mounted with such leisurely precision that it's enough to drive one batty. Episode 2, "The Indian Spirit Guide", is much better, with Julie Harris hoping to contact her dead husband, turning to impossibly handsome, impossibly masculine detective Tom Adams, who exposes fake mediums with alarming regularity; the short story is well-written and acted and has a twist or two. Neither presentation is particularly memorable, but the cynical edge in both is an amusing sign-of-the-times (these days, TV-movies have to establish their tone right from the start, driving all points home in the first act). Cabot, who later played host in the 1972 series "Ghost Story" (a.k.a. "Circle of Fear"), is a charming trickster himself, with a touch of playful foreboding in his delivery.

This is one of the 'best' mystery series I've ever watched! I saw it once way back in the seventies and have looked for it ever since. Chad Everett is very convincing in his role in this film. The film has an air of romance as well as mystery and suspense. I've searched movie books and TV Guide issues for years attempting to find this movie again but to no avail until I was able to locate it online. Since the film is British that would explain why I've had such trouble finding it since I live in America. Now I just have to see if I can still buy it somehow because I long to watch it again after all these years. Maybe I can find it somehow.

This film consists of a couple episodes from the British TV series "Journey to the Unknown" (1968)--'Poor Butterfly' (episode 1.6) and 'The Indian Spirit Guide' (episode 1.11). I have no idea if the rest of the episodes were any good, but the two used to make this full-length film were pretty good.

'Poor Butterfly' is the first segment and like the other it's introduced by Sebastian Cabot. It's probably the better of the two and, interestingly, stars an American (Chad Everett) living in the UK. Out of the blue, he receives an invitation to a posh society party--though he has never met the host. Despite this, he attends this costume party--and very weird things happen.

'The Indian Spirit Guide' is about a woman (Julie Harris--another American) whose husband died and she's trying to contact him through various psychics. However, again and again, her male friend exposes the psychics as frauds. But how he knows they are fake and why he delights in exposing them is something you'll have to learn about yourself--suffice to say, he gets his in the end! Both episodes are spooky and involve nice twists. While neither is brilliant, both are good and make for decent viewing. Well acted, written and directed by Hammer Films--the same folks responsible for a bazillion horror movies of the era.

Probably thanks to "The Twilight Zone," there were a few of this kind of show around in the '60s and '70s, including the British series "Thriller," which, like this British series, used American actors as the stars.

"Journey to Midnight" is hosted by Sebastian Cabot (I understand Joan Crawford also hosted but was cut out of this edit) and contains two episodes from the show: "Poor Butterfly" and "The Indian Spirit Guide." The first one, "Poor Butterfly" stars Chad Everett and is fairly easy to figure out. A young man is invited to a costume party taking place on an estate, but he doesn't know the host. While there, he meets a woman in a butterfly costume; some of the other guests think he is trying to steal her from her fiancé, who is not present. When he wants to leave, she begs him to take her to London, but she is warned that she can't go.

The second one, "The Indian Spirit Guide" is far superior, with a couple of neat twists. Julie Harris stars as Leona Gillings, a widow anxious to communicate with her late husband as he wanted her to do. She hires a detective Jerry Crown (Tom Adams) whom she has been told by her secretary (his girlfriend) is an expert in routing out fake mediums. At one point, to his girlfriend's surprise and anger, Jerry decides that rather than go for the easy money for a few weeks, it would be better if he married Leona. Then Leona is approached by a medium who says she has a message from her husband.

I basically gave a 7 to this combo because of "The Indian Spirit Guide" because it should really make you gasp at the end. Enjoy.