every witch way

“Since Aunt Ada Came to Stay” (NIGHT GALLERY, originally broadcast September 29, 1971)

In this episode of Night Gallery, we’re introduced to a most unusual, resourceful old woman, one miss Ada Burn Quigley (Jeanette Nolan).  Miss Quigley has recently moved in with her young, married great-niece, Joanna (Michele Lee), and her husband, Craig Lowell (James Farentino), a professor at the nearby university. 

From the opening moments, it’s clear that the arrangement is less than harmonious as the 90 year old Aunt Ada tends towards eccentricity, while Craig prefers things very structured and ordinary.  Ever since she’s moved in, Craig senses something not-quite-right about the woman, something he can’t quite pin down.  And yet being a professor of Logic and Scientific Method, he’s naturally averse to implausible speculation.

But when things start happening that defy explanation, the steady, reasoned professor must begin to consider other possibilities.

In all my discussions and research regarding Night Gallery, a few episodes seem to garner far more attention than the rest--this one, "The Doll" and "The Caterpillar".  I think the reasons are fairly obvious.  While Night Gallery was a horror/fantasy anthology show that emphasized frights (under the tutelage of executive producer Jack Laird), it rarely ever truly achieved them.  This episode is one of the few exceptions, as Aunt Ada seems to have left an indelible impression on many--resulting in many a sleepless night.  

Soon after we're introduced to the young married couple and the newest addition to their household, a strange game of cat and mouse begins transpiring. Ada knows Craig is of a particular breed of rational thinking men, one whose beliefs and philosophy are so deeply rooted in a seemingly infallible sense of logic that he'd never even consider the possibility of the supernatural.  And so she begins toying with him, even at the risk of compromising her ominous plans for his wife, Joanna.

Besides revealing just enough to keep Craig's head spinning, Aunt Ada has been giving Joanna herbal concoctions to drink daily, passing them off as vitamins during the day and, "herbs, dear...herbs to help her sleep", at night.

When Craig swipes a sample of the herbs to have analyzed, he finds out it’s a sea weed called Hydrodendon Barelia, without any pharmacological use, though his colleague in the lab mentions in passing that in the realm of folklore it is referred to as “the sinister witch's weed of antiquity”.  He then jestingly refers Craig to the university’s resident occult expert, the peculiar Professor Porteus (Jonathan Harris, wonderfully flamboyant as ever), whom Craig naturally views as  some kind of anathema.  

"Disbelieve if you will, but do not forget..."

Alerting Craig to the weed's use in witchcraft as a means to replace an old, dying body with that of a younger woman's, Porteus issues a stern warning to the still-skeptical younger professor, who scoffs incredulously, though not without some ambivalence.  

Following a paper trail leading to the grave of a woman buried several months back, Craig becomes convinced that "Aunt Ada" is of no relation at all to his wife, and so begins to take Porteus’ advice to heart...but is it too late?

Though Jeanette Nolan’s storied career had spanned several decades in film and television, and even saw her cast as Lady Macbeth opposite the great Orson Welles (in his 1948 film adaptation), her hair-raising portrayal of Aunt Ada might well have left the most lasting impression.  

"Don't fret, little fox-foot.  It won't be much longer."

I first saw this episode on TV about 20 years ago and, no longer a boy, I was surprised to find myself...let’s just say I was a bit more susceptible to Aunt Ada's wiles than I would like to admit--and horror, for better or worse, is in my blood. 

Speaking of which, it’s October 1^st, which means I’m breaking out the horns for a month-long blog-stravaganza of things that go bump in the night.  I know, how original...  

Like I said, it's in the blood.