Night Gallery extra episode review: Die Now, Pay Later/Room for One Less/Witches’ Feast

Original air date: Sometime in 1973 (syndication only)

I can’t figure out when “Witches’ Feast” was aired. I mean, obviously it was originally part of season 2 but in syndication fell out from that, so maybe it was just aired as its own episode. But at any rate, I’m including it here. Considering the first two segments together only make for about 15 minutes of viewing, it’s possible “Witches’ Feast” came with it.

Die Now, Pay Later

Director: Timothy Galfas
Writer: Jack Laird (story by Mary Linn Roby)

Funeral parlor owner Walt Peckinpah (Will Greer) is holding a clearance sale, and the town’s deaths have gone through the roof. Sheriff Ned Harlow (Slim Pickens) suspects there’s a connection, and confronts him.

Peckinpah isn’t suspected of murdre himself, but since a lot of the people who have died have been largely hated by the community, Sheriff Harlow feels like people may have been encouraged to murder. He also shares how his wife says that Peckinpah is a descendant of the witches of Salem, and that if things continue, that rumor could spread and end up with Peckinpah killed.

The phone rings and it’s Harlow’s wife, calling to scold him for seeing Peckinpah. After hanging up, he says that he thinks the sale could go on for another day.

There’s already a far better Night Gallery segment where the twist is that someone wants to kill their wife, so this one just really doesn’t work.

Room for One Less

Director: Jack Laird
Writer: Jack Laird

Okay, this one sucks. It’s our second comedic segment to take place on an elevator, and it’s worse than the other one.

A crowded elevator has to reject some people, and when a monster appears, the elevator operator points him to the sign that says no more than ten people. The monster pulls out a finger or something, and zaps him to death. It’s as simple (and as dumb) as that.

It’s actually a solid monster costume, and I’d have liked to see it in something other than this dumb one-minute segment that exists for a cheap laugh.

Witches’ Feast

Director: Jerrold Freedman
Writer: Gene Kearney

Agnes Moorehead plays the head of a coven of four witches, who work on some kind of potion or something. The first three throw in their wacky ingredients, and the fourth arrives with a paper bag, only to reveal a sandwich, asking “who had ham on rye.”

It’s nothing special, but it’s easily the best of the three. The look of the segment is pretty fun — the makeup, costumes, everything. It’s not great, but it’s serviceable.
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Rating: 3/10