The Invaders 1.07

Nightmare

David Vincent arrives in Grady, KS. He tries talking to Ellen Woods, a school teacher who was attacked by a swarm of locusts. She doesn't have much to say and everyone tries to keep Vincent from talking to her. David gets beaten up by a trio of locals, led by Ed Gidney, Ellen's fiancee, when he stops for a cup of coffee at The Lunch Counter.

 

David Vincent wakes up in a jail cell. Constable Gabbard, the police chief, and one of his deputies drive David out of town. It doesn't look good when they start to pull over along a deserted stretch of road. Vincent escapes from the police. He meets up again with Ellen Woods who has escaped from Principal Ames, who was keeping an eye on her. They run to a building in a field when they are pursued by a swarm of locusts. There they find a lab of sorts with carnivorous insects.

David and Ellen leave the building and drive back into town. He goes back to The Lunch Counter. He tells her to go home and stay there until Ed Gidney, her fiance, comes to see her. David calls the state police. They call Constable Gabbard of the Grady PD and tell him where he can find David Vincent.

Vincent has to run from the police once again. David finds Ed and convinces him that Ellen's life is in danger. She is being taken to the Danielson farm by Principal Ames at that very moment. That's where she was attacked by locusts the first time. David and Ed head to the Danielson farm. They rescue Ellen. David wants her to go to the FBI but she refuses. She just wants to live a normal life.

Notes

Kathleen Widdoes played Ellen Woods. Her work on television goes back to 1958. She was on As the World Turns from 1985 to 2010. She was in 3 episodes of Oz where she played the part of Tobias Beecher's mother. She also appeared in an uncredited role on an episode of Mad Men.

Robert Emhardt played Principal Ames. His work in television and movies goes back to 1939. He appeared on lots of TV shows including Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Wild, Wild West, Kung Fu. 

James Callahan played Ed Gidney. This is his first of two appearances on The Invaders. He plays a different character in the other episode in which he appeared. He has over 160 screen credits according to IMBd including lots of guest appearances and a few shows in which he was part of the main cast.

William Bramley played Constable Gabbard. Two of his first screen credits were in episodes of season 4 of The Phil Silvers Show. He played Officer Krupke on Broadway and in the 1961 movie version of West Side Story. He also made appearances on Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Fugitive. He was also in an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series.

Thoughts

This was fun to watch. The situation with the locusts is a little unsettling. Watching it in the midst of the visit from the 17-year cicadas, aka Brood X, added to the atmosphere. It's a shame that the special effects for the locusts weren't that great.

Kathleen Widdoes was great in the role of Ellen. She came off as very convincing even if the situation seemed a bit over the top.

I enjoyed this episode on the whole even if I did want to yell at the screen a couple time when people did inexplicable things.