Another Country

The spectacular beauty of Yvonne de Carlo brings this "Lights Out" ghost story to life, ironically since she is clearly playing a most romantic version of a ghost in a rather classical story.

It unfolds not unlike a circa 1930 early talkie, not an inevitable result of having been from the early years of TV, but still a sort of throwback of a throwback, a bit difficult to relate to. One has to accommodate a different, antiquated form of entertainment, analogous to watching a foreign film without subtitles or a vintage Silent Era movie, both of which frequently occupied my time when I was moving away from TV addiction be becoming a true film fanatic during the 1960s.

She appears out of nowhere to listen (and briefly enchant eith her beaty) a musical trio playing Beethoven's Opus 70 ('the Ghost trio'). The group's pianist/composer (played rather blandly by Tom Avera -an actor with top stage credits but nothing of interest on screen) falls for her immediately and his fate is sealed.

This artifact features Patricia Remick in a key role, and it is worthwhile to watch Lee Remick's mom.

The TV drama here amounts to little, it seems to self-destruct/float away as surely as the lovers turn transparent and disappear at the end. Most interesting credit (apart from Remick's) for me to discover was settings by Richard Sylbert, among his earliest screen credits before designing so many truly classic movies.

What a wonderful surprise for me to see in this old TV show the gorgeous Yvonne de Carlo, a sort of Maria Montez who brought her colourful presence in so many adventure and western yarns. Here she plays the mysterious intruder who brings evil influences in a house where a dedicated musician lives. I thought of PANDORA AND THE FLYING DUTCHMAN scheme here. And Yvonne de Carlo was certainly no less beautiful and charming than Ava Gardner. I would say that romance and drama is more important here than the science fiction scheme, or horror one. But I don't regret to have watched it. A rare little gem worth seeing for gem diggers like I am. I still have many episodes of LIGHTS OUT to watch and many of them are certainly not commented yet. I will have many work for my computer.