Arch Johnson and Read Morgan play two strong-armed brothers who have brought peace and stability to a small western mining town that was once the scene of riotous, violent and drunken behavior. Just when it looks like this little town will live forever in peace and happiness and "brotherly love," a strange little man dressed in black (Norman Lloyd) shows up at the local saloon and puts a damper on the whole scenario. He immediately convinces the bartender (old Robert Armstrong from "King Kong" fame) that he has supernatural powers. It doesn't take long for him to put an evil spell on the two brothers either. He challenges each of them to a fight and easily subdues them with an "invisible wall" for his defense and a flick of the wrist for his offense. The baffled and bewildered boys end up incapacitated on the tavern floor and thoroughly humiliated. And now the truth is told: the little man is the DEVIL himself. Before leaving in a cloud of hellish smoke, the man in black takes everyone's money (he even knows where the bartender keeps the weekly profits stashed) and then exits in dramatic fashion. Of course, the real "truth" of this supernatural tale is told just before the credits roll. The whole thing has been a swindle and con from the start as the three men (Lloyd, Johnson and Morgan) are all in cahoots together. As the episode ends, they're off to another town ripe for the picking. Host Hitchcock informs the audience at the end that the three fellows "road show" soon came to a screeching halt when one barroom customer happened to see a repeat viewing. Theirs was an "act" that could only be performed one time.
Review of The Little Man Who Was There
