The Outer Limits (1963) 1.26

The Guests

starring Geoffrey Horne, Nellie Burt, Vaughn Taylor

written by Donald S. Sanford

directed by Paul Stanley

Wade Norton (Geoffrey Horne) finds an old man on the side of the road. He goes for help and winds up trapped in an old house with an alien and four other people. The alien refers to itself as the Host. It compels Wade to talk to him. It is convinced that he holds the key to completing the equation that will enable it to understand humans.

The other four residents are like him trapped in the house and seem to have resigned themselves to living there, possibly forever. Ethel Latimer (Nellie Burt) and her husband Randall (Vaughn Taylor) warn Wade about the alien. Silent screen star Florinda Patten longs to get back to her career in Hollywood. Theresa Ames, daughter of the man that Wade found on the side of the road, urges him to leave the house. She shows him a way out but refuses to go with him despite his passionate feelings for her.

Thoughts

I feel as though I've read or seen this story before. The alien is kind of gross looking as are most aliens in episodes of this show. The people in the house are older than they seem. If they leave then they will age up and very probably die, that's what happened to Dr. Ames, Theresa's father.

I can't say that I was very taken by this episode. There is something here but the writing and the pacing leave a lot to be desired. I didn't like that Wade forced himself on Theresa. There is very little that felt compelling to me about this episode. 

Notes

This is the only episode of this show in which Geoffrey Horne appeared. He appeared in one episode each of The Twilight Zone (1959) and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. I've also seen him in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957).

This is the second of two episodes of this show in which Nellie Burt appeared. The first was 1.17 Don't Open Until Doomsday. She appeared in one episode of The Invaders, 1.07 Nightmare. 

This is the first of two episodes of this show in which Vaughn Taylor appeared. He appeared in five episodes of The Twilight Zone (1959), the first of which was 1.08 Time Enough at Last. He appeared in one episode of The Invaders, 1.01 Beachhead. He was in at least three movies I have seen.

Luana Anders played the part of Theresa Ames. This is the only episode of this show in which she appeared. She was also in at least two movies that I have watched.

Gloria Grahame played the part of actress Florinda Patten. This is the only episode of the this show in which she appeared. She appeared in at least five movies that I have watched, including It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and Odds Against Tomorrow (1959). She also appeared in two episode of Tales of the Unexpected.

Burt Mustin played the part of Dr. Ames, Theresa's father. This is the only episode of this show in which he appeared. He also appeared in episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955), The Twilight Zone (1959), and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.

This is the only episode of this show that was written by Donald S/ Sandord. This is the second of three episodes of this show that Paul Stanley directed. The first was 1.23 Second Chance.