starring José Ferrer, Michael Ontkean
directed by Michael Tuchner
Carlos (José Ferrer) and Tommy (Michael Ontkean) meet by chance in Jamaica. Carlos likes to gamble. He suggests that he is willing to gamble his Jaguar in exchange for the little finger on Tommy's left hand. All Tommy has to do to win the bet is light his lighter 10 consecutive times without fail.
If Tommy successfully completes the bet then he gets the Jaguar but if on any of the ten attempts he fails to light the lighter then Carlos will chop off the little finger on his left hand. Carlos ties down Tommy's left hand on a table with the little finger extended. Tommy uses his right hand to light the lighter.
I know Michael Ontkean best from Twin Peaks. He played Sheriff Harry S. Truman on Twin Peaks. José Ferrer has been in two movies that I have seen in the past year-and-a-half: The Caine Mutiny (1954) and Lawrence of Arabia (1962). This is the first of two episodes of Tales of the Unexpected that director Michael Tuchner made. Katy Jurado, whom I saw earlier this year in One-Eyed Jacks (1961), shows up towards the end of the episode and interferes with the wager.
Two onlookers try to talk Tommy out of accepting the best and going through with it but he cannot be swayed. He wants that car.
This was a decent but not spectacular episode. I liked the way the tension was built up but the ending was a bit odd and anticlimactic.
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