User Reviews

The first hint that something eerie is at work in 'The Dark Boy' occurs when Miss Timm (Elizabeth Hartmann) states to the Moore Sisters (Gale Sondergaard, Hope Summers) that there are seventeen kids in her school room, and they insist that it can't be, there are only sixteen. It doesn't take long for the perceptive viewer to figure out that the young boy Joel Robb (Michael Laird) is an apparition, but the interesting twist to the story is that he'll become the go-between for his Dad (Michael Baseleon) and Miss Timm to get together as a couple. It's one ghost story that's somewhat touching and doesn't rely on a creep factor to fulfill it's mission.

'Keep in Touch - We'll Think of Something' has Joanna Pettet making her second Night Gallery appearance (see the first season episode 'The House'), which would be followed by two more in the series third season. The story has her capitalizing on a police line-up encounter with Erik Sutton (Alex Cord), who made out a false report to get the local cops involved in tracking her down! You had to wonder why the officer in charge didn't book him for filing the incident, but that probably would have derailed the story. Anyway, as the two get together to discuss the situation, Claire Foster (Pettet) hatches a scheme to get rid of her abusive husband. I won't give it away here, but the resolution resides in one of Claire's dreams, which she acts upon to create a whole new reality.

Judith, the widowed schoolteacher, begins encountering the spirit of Joel, the dark-haired son of Tom, a widowed farmer, from her first day of replacing Miss Mason, her predecessor. She mentions the first incident to Abigail and Lettie, the 2 sisters with whom she boards, which upsets them, and each time after that in which she sees Joel outside the schoolhouse while grading her students' work each evening after class, she makes an effort to reach out to him, but he runs away. She then connects Joel to his father, Tom, who initially responds with hostility to her inquiries about his son, but eventually admits that he, too, has seen Joel, ever since Joel died of a fall from the schoolhouse ladder 2 years ago, and like when Joel never speaks to or approaches Judith when he appears outside the window of the schoolhouse each evening, neither does Joel speak to or approach his father when he appears to him. He simply haunts both. Judith then realizes that she, of all the people in the community, is the only one who might be able to reach Joel. Both Judith and Tom, united by their common loneliness and growing affection for one another, resolve to face the boy together, and that evening Joel and Judith are reading together from a book, at which point Tom and Judith ask Joel to join them on the trek home. Joel indeed does this, maintaining a pace that isn't too close, yet never falls behind. Upon reaching the woods, though, Joel's spirit vanishes. Tom and Judith stand on the porch, hand in hand, and Tom whistles to Joel with the call of the whippoorwill, and Joel's spirit responds in kind with the same call. The dark boy finally came home, having united 2 lonely people. I thought that this story was very well told since it dealt with the theme of loneliness. Spoiler Alert: Michael Laird, producer Jack Laird's son, is one of the students in this story. paulbehrer22173 December 11, 2008

It's been 50 years since I have seen both of these. They both still stand out: The Dark Boy encompasses compassion and love between a boy's spirit bringing his father and his school teacher together. Well directed by John Astin it leaves little doubt that he will succeed in allowing his father's closure over his tragic death.

Keep in Touch - We'll Think of Something Unusual story about a man and his obsession with a woman --- stunningly portrayed by Joanna Pettiet - and his desire to have her at any cost. She keys in on this and devises a plan to rid of her husband, and lures him in with the intention of seducing him for accomplish that goal. Good episode.

'The Dark Boy'. Scripted by Halsted Welles, based on the short story by August Derleth. A radiant Elizabeth Hartman plays Judith Timm, a schoolteacher in 19th century Montana who encounters a young dark-haired boy who is actually an unhappy spirit. But cast and crew, led by director John Astin, don't go for shocks, suspense, or creepiness here. They go for something far more poignant and emotional, making the case for the need for closure. It's a story of love, loss, and loneliness. It's wonderfully scored (by Ed Sauter), has some excellent rustic settings, and the acting is all on point. Co-starring Gale Sondergaard, Michael Baseleon, and Hope Summers. The title character is played by Michael Laird, who made two more appearances on the series; one must assume he was related to series producer Jack Laird.

'Keep in Touch - We'll Think of Something'. Written and directed by series veteran Gene R. Kearney. Less satisfying overall than the first segment, this stars Alex Cord as pianist Erik Sutton, a man who goes to some pretty far-fetched means of finding the woman of his dreams. She is played by the lovely Joanna Pettet, so you can see why Erik lusts after her. If nothing else, this is an interesting and fairly unpredictable segment about obsession and the way that some of us build things up in our minds. It's also a tale of two unhappy lovers that may very well be destined to be together, even if there are big obstacles in the way. Cord and Pettet are good (as is segment co-star Richard O'Brien as a police sergeant), but this just doesn't have a lot of "kick" to it, or much material to really fire the viewers' imagination.

Seven out of 10.

I prefer the episodes of Night Gallery with fewer stories, as it allows each tale time to stretch out and capture you. Sadly, this episode only has host Rod Serling appear as the host; the first segment "The Dark Boy" is directed by John Astin and written by Harland Welles from an August Derleth story and "Keep in Touch - We'll Think of Something" is directed and written by Gene R. Kearney.

"The Dark Boy" has a widowed schoolteacher named Judith Timm (Elizabeth Hartman) coming to a small town in Montana to take over the one room schoolhouse. She rents a room from sisters Abigail (Gale Sondergaard, the original Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz who was replaced because the makeup team could not make her into a suitably ugly witch; she's also in The Spider Woman Strikes Back) and Lettie Moore (Hope Summers, Mrs. Gilmore from Rosemary's Baby).

Judith claims she has seventeen students, but one can't be found in the list of her pupils. It's the same issue the last teacher dealt with, a dark haired boy of mystery. It turns out that it's Joel Robb, a child who died two years before who has been haunting the entire neighborhood and everyone in it. She begins to get to know the boy's father and understand the grief that the man has been living.

"The Dark Boy" is a strong episode and Astin shows some skill as a director.

"Keep In Touch - We'll Think of Something" is all about a piano player named (Alex Cord) and his obsession with a woman named Claire Foster (Joanna Pettet; she was married to Cord at the time). He dreams of her every night, while her husband dreams of a man with a scarred hand trying to murder him. Strangely, when he finds her - using the police to track her down, claiming that she stole his car - she isn't nervous about this strange man. She also knows they are destined to be together.

It's a decent story but struggles following the first story in this episode. Still, two serious stories in one Night Gallery? That's how it should be.

"The Dark Boy" - New school teacher Judith Timm (a fine and appealing performance by Elizabeth Hoffman) befriends the ghost of deceased fourth grader Joel Robb (an effective mute portrayal by Michael Laird). Director John Astin ably crafts a strong rural atmosphere along with a flavorsome evocation of the 19th century period setting. This tale further benefits from sturdy acting by Michael Baseleon as hard-nosed farmer Tom and Gale Sondergaard as strict school board member Abigail Moore. The climax makes a poignant point about the basic human need for closure and companionship.

"Keep In Touch - We'll Think of Something" - Musician Erik Sutton (well played by Alex Cord) enlists the assistance of the police to find the beautiful Claire Foster (the stunningly gorgeous Joanna Pettet), who's been haunting Sutton's dreams. This interesting exploration of obsession boasts a chilling twist ending and makes the most out of Pettet's striking beauty.

This is a review of the first segment only, titled "The Dark Boy". As the other reviewers have described, this is a "western", the story of a widowed young teacher named Judith Timm, who arrives for a new job in a rural area (19th century Montana) to start a new job in a one room schoolhouse. There is an "extra" student in the class, a silent dark-haired boy that seemingly nobody else but she can see. It turns out that this boy is a ghost, having been killed in the school two years prior when he fell off a ladder and hit his head. He shows up in class, and then, when Judith is working in the evenings, he peers into the window at her, craving attention and affection, and eager to continue his education, even as a ghost. Later, we discover that one other person can see the boy-ghost: the boy's grieving father, Tom Robb (himself a widower, living alone on a homestead with his younger, surviving, son). Judith gets to know Tom, and realizes that behind his tough exterior is a sensitive man who loved his late son so much that he can't stop grieving and is repeatedly tortured by seeing his dead son's ghost. A romance then blossoms between Judith and Tom, and she helps him to finally attain closure by inviting him to follow them home. The final scene, where the boy (now unseen, but present in the distance through the trees) responds to the father's whipporwill calls with his own (something they used to do when he was alive)... that scene actually make me cry. As a big 48 year guy, I'd almost never cried at movies or films... but this ending made me sob. Maybe it's because I currently have a son that age and I can't imagine the grief of losing him. The Dark Boy is absolutely the most beautifully rendered episode that I've seen in Night Gallery. The cinematography, the music, the rural setting, and the very fine acting... in the end, it packs an emotional wallop. There are wonderful performances by old time character actresses Hope Summers and Gale Sondergaard... but it's the two central performances which really shine and deserve the most praise. Played with such emotional depth, subtlety, and sensitivity by two lesser known actors - Elizabeth Hartman and Michael Baseleon - their characters are grieving and lonely and we find ourselves emotionally invested and feeling their pain. This is definitely an episode that I'll never forget. It's a supernatural tale, but thematically it's very realistic because it hits upon the core of what it means to be human: to love and be loved. And the price of love - whether it's romantic, for family, friends, or a child - is to experience grief upon their passing that will never truly go away.

I viewed this segment several times, and I have to admit that there's one of 2 points of view that those who view the segment can decide to take: 1. Claire was using Erik as a deniable accessory to the murder of her wealthy husband, and by that I mean that Claire has Erik kill her spouse by strangling him in his sleep, then she disavows any knowledge of Erik's deed in order to gain access to her late spouse's wealth. 2. Claire's husband, though wealthy, happens to be a tyrannical, abusive creep, and she's looking to Erik to end the abuse that her husband visits upon her, and live happily ever after with Erik as a result. I choose the latter point of view, because at the time that the story was made, spousal abuse was then a largely undiscussed subject, either in print, in cinema or on TV. There are no spoilers present within this comment, just to make sure you're aware of the fact.