Escape Clause
starring David Wayne, Thomas Gomez
directed by Mitchell Leisen
Walter Bedeker (David Wayne) sells his soul to the Devil (Thomas Gomez), in return for immortality. He tests the terms of the deal and tries killing himself but quickly finds that the Devil wasn't lying. He can't die. His condition leaves him bored.
Walter goes to the roof of the building he lives in with the intention of jumping. His wife doesn't believe he is truly immortal. She follows him up there, trying to convince him not to do it but she trips and falls from the roof. He isn't disturbed by her death. He instead sees it as an opportunity. He calls the police and tells them that he killed his wife.
Walter hopes that he will get the electric chair. Things don't exactly goes as he hoped they would when he goes to trial and instead of getting the electric he sent to prison for life.
Thoughts
The title of this episode is a reference to part of the deal that Walter makes with the Devil.
This is good. I like it but I don't love it. David Wayne is great but there's something about the way it ends that left me feeling a bit cheated. I thought it was a lot of fun up to that point.
Notes
This is the only episode of this show in which David Wayne appeared. He was in one episode each of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955), The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, and Night Gallery. He plated the Mad Hatter in four episodes of Batman (1966). He was in one movie I have seen, The Front Page (1974).
This is the first of two episodes of this show in which Thomas Gomez appeared. I have also seen him in recent years in Key Largo (1948) and Phantom Lady (1944).
This is the second of three episodes that Mitchell Leisen. The first was 1.04 The Sixteen Millimeter Shrine.
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