Boris Karloff's Thriller TV Series
Episode: Dark Legacy
Aired on May 30, 1961
Your host, Boris Karloff introduced this episode this way. He stated that if you received a good book it would be a good legacy but if you received a very evil one it might be a dark legacy which is the title of the episode for tonight.
The cast included:
Harry Townes as Mario Asparos/ Rodan Asparos
Ilka Windish as Monika Asparos
Henry Silva as Toby Wolfe
Alan Napier as Attorney Pinchot
Richard Hale as Lars Eisenhart
Doris Lloyd as Mrs. Edith Pringle
Ned Glass as Vince Fennaday
Milton Parsons as The Butler
The episode opens showing the evil warlock Rodan preparing to die. He must leave his evil book of magic to one of his heirs. He proceeds through black magic to find the appointed heir. He then goes and gets into his coffin and dies.
Mario Asparos and his wife are working as a magician act. Vince who has hired him for his club claims that he need work up new stuff and that he does not even have a second rate act. Mario says that he will do better.
In the meantime Mario is called to come to Rodan's home since the evil warlock has died and there will be a reading of the will. The attorney does not specifically state who the book will go to but it will be determined shortly.
There is a bad storm outside and Mario's wife at home becomes frightened but especially when a large book appears out of nowhere. She calls for Mario to come home immediately.
Mario comes home and along with the couple's friend Toby Wolfe ( who use to date Mario's wife) and they examine the book and come up with nothing.
Monika is terribly afraid of the book and wants Mario to get rid of it. She says that Rodan was the only truly evil person that she knew and that he was run out of many countries in Europe.
After Toby leaves and Monika retires to bed Mario plays around with some of the spells in the book. The couple's dog Peter will not come in the room since he knows that the book is evil.
After setting up his circle according to the book, Mario invokes one of the spells and he conjures up Asteroth, a demon from the underworld. The room becomes smoky and there is a large pair of eyes roaming about which belong to the demon. Unfortunately this action kills Peter the dog and Mario tells Monika that he has run away when she misses him.
With Rodan's magic ,Mario and Monika become very successful with their magic act. Mario then wants to perform the act where he shoots a bullet through glass ( which does not shatter) and lands between Monika's teeth.
Toby warns Mario that this is one of the most dangerous magic acts and not to do it. Mario goes ahead and bullet act works out successfully. He become a top hit in Vince's club. But Mario now tells Vince that he is quitting and is taking his act to Las Vegas. This really hurts Vince since he said that if it were not for him supporting him until his acts got better Mario would not be where he is today.
Toby Wolf visits backstage and Mario tells him to come home with him. He says he has this ability to conjure up demons from the underworld. He states that Toby and Monika never had any faith in him. He also tells Monika that Peter was killed by the demon and did not run away.
While setting up for the spell Toby and Monika beg Mario not to perform it. But Mario claims that neither one of them ever had any faith in him. He sees them together and says that where they belong.
Mario conjures up Asteroth and the room becomes very smoke filled and the large pair of eyes float around the room. Toby realizing what evil Mario has conjured up throws the evil book into the fire where it burns. Asteroth takes out his anger and strikes Mario dead.
Monika is terribly upset with Mario's death. Both agree that they saw something but really could not say for sure what it was or what actually happened.
Thus Mario in the end truly received his "dark legacy".
To me this is one of the top 5 episodes in the Thriller series. The IMDB rates it 7.6 out of 10, which is a very good rating.
The series lasted for two seasons and it was the supernatural episodes that raised it's ratings. Unfortunately not enough to keep it on the air longer.
It was a series ahead of it's time and has become a cult classic. For awhile it was not shown much on TV but now since it has been reissued in it's entirety, you can own it and play it at will. I do!
The Thriller series is available on DVD complete and has been out for some time. Since it first come out the price has dropped quite a bit and many times you can get it on sales from sources on the internet. Amazon.com usually has this series at a reasonable price.
If I were on a desert island and I could have only one TV series, the Boris Karloff Thriller series would be it.
Louie The Movie Buff