starring Donald Pleasance, Joseph O'Conor
directed by Alan Gibson, Orson Welles
Mullet (Joseph O'Conor), owner of the Golden Key, is recognized by Cawser (Donald Pleasance), a man who once sailed with the innkeeper, when he was known as Captain Rogers. Cawser knows that there's a price on Mullet's head and uses that as leverage to impose his will on the innkeeper.
Mullet makes it clear that he doesn't want Cawser around. Cawser makes is clear that he will notify the authorities if Mullet doesn't humor him. Mullet bows under the pressure and Cawser makes himself at home at the Golden Key. He pushes the staff around, including Joan, Mullet's daughter. Cawser's attitude changes for the worse when Mullet becomes ill.
Cawser drops his guard and Mullet strikes from his "death bed" and strangles Cawser.
This episode is based on a story of the same name by W. W. Jacobs. There are some minor differences between the story and the episode. Cawser is named Gunn in the story.
I'm not wild about this story. I was hoping for something a little more involved or with a bit more of a twist in the end. I wasn't too surprised to discover that Mullet was playing possum, waiting for his moment to strike.
Notes
I saw Donald Pleasance fairly recently in an episode of Outer Limits (1963), 1.04 The Man with the Power. I don't recall seeing Joseph O'Conor before but he has been in a few things I have seen but nothing in which he played a leading role and nothing that I've seen very recently.
Orson Welles is credited as a director on this episode as he is on every episode of this show. My guess is that means that he directed the intro and outro which star him.
This is the first of seven episodes of this show that Alan Gibson directed. He also directed 10 episodes of Tales of the Unexpected.
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