TV Terrors: Ghost Story/Circle of Fear

Ghost Story, a.k.a. Circle of Fear, was a horror anthology television show, produced by William Castle, which ran for two seasons, beginning in 1972. The first season, under the name Ghost Story, was hosted by Sebastian Cabot. For the second season, the name was changed to Circle of Fear, and the wrap around segment featuring Cabot was canned. It's a charming show, if a bit dated. Below I discuss two of my favorite episodes.

Touch of Madness (Season 1)

Touch of Madness begins with Janet arriving at the house she has just inherited from her mother, who died while staying in a mental institution. There she meets her eccentric aunt and uncle, played by Geraldine Page and an aged-up Rip Torn (!!!) and convinces them to allow her to help fix up the house, which she has been informed, to her surprise, is in danger of being condemned.

While Janet is at first completely in the dark, the audience knows early on that something is not quite as it seems with the house and the seemingly kind aunt and uncle. The two elderly relatives appear to be a few crayons short of a full box and are hiding at least one secret from their niece. Also, though the mansion appears to Janet to be in a condition of stately elegance, we're privy to the fact that it is, in reality, falling apart around her. One, probably unintentionally hilarious scene, initially shows Janet cuddling with a cat, only for her to suddenly see the house as it really is and realize to her horror that she has actually been snuggling with a rather large rat.

The why's and how's of Janet's illusions are never really explained, and the story ends a bit abruptly. However, the mansion is wonderfully gothic and creepy, and the episode oozes atmosphere. Page and Torn are also excellent as the sinister pensioners, both turning in delightfully batty performances.

Doorway to Death (Season 2)
Two children (including a very young Leif Garrett) move with their father and older sister into a new apartment following their mother's death. The spacious apartment in a beautiful old building seems at first to be a dream come true for the family, but when the children make friends with a man they see in an upstairs window, things begin to go south. Turns out the man doesn't exactly live in the upstairs apartment, but actually in what appears to be an alternate universe only reachable through that apartment's closet. He also might be a murderer looking to replace his dead wife with the kids' older sister.

Genre fans will be excited to see Barry Nelson (the manager of the Overlook from The Shining) as the children's weary widower father and Henry Jones (Leroy from The Bad Seed) as the apartment building's concerned landlord. Easily the best episode of the second season, Doorway to Death is a fun atmospheric ride, with a few genuinely chilling moments.