Wonderful Westerns: ‘Night Gallery: The Waiting Room’
(The second part of my Twilight Zone article will be published soon enough; in the meantime, though, I’d like to spotlight an episode from Rod Serling’s other series, Night Gallery.)
First off, a brief history of the show: Night Gallery was an anthology series that aired on NBC between 1970 to 1973 — very similar to Serling’s previous series, The Twilight Zone.While Twilight Zone was focused on science fiction with some sprinklings of horror here and there, it wasn’t until Night Gallery that Serling decided to focus strictly on horror. Each segment begins with Serling greeting the audience and welcoming them to the Night Gallery; he then proceeds to introduce a painting that is tied in with the segment.
Unfortunately, Serling didn’t have as much control over Night Gallery as he did with The Twilight Zone — and it showed through things like inserts of comedic sketches that clashed horribly with the show’s intention.
But that doesn’t mean that all of the episodes were terrible; the show had its moments that made watching worth the viewer’s while. Night Gallery had two segments directed by pre-Duel Steven Spielberg, including the pilot episode.
After watching all of the second season, I can safely say that there are some episodes to check out: “The Flip-Side of Satan,” “A Question of Fear,” “Midnight Never Ends,” “Pickman’s Model,” “Cool Air,” and “You Can’t Get Help Like That Anymore” are some good ones to watch, each featuring a stellar cast.
In particular, the episode I want to highlight is, of course, Western-themed (that should be pretty obvious at this point). That episode is “The Waiting Room.”
In this episode, we see a desperado named Sam Dichter (Steve Forrest) who finds himself in a mysterious and rather somber saloon. In this establishment are a collection of tough-looking customers — but there is something off-putting about this place that Dichter can’t quite put his finger on. Everything seems normal: people are playing poker, the bartender is making drinks, and everything is as you’d expect.
The only things that seem to make significant noise are a chiming grandfather clock in the saloon and gun shots that ring out when a patron steps out of the bar.
If you’re sitting there wondering what is exactly happening to these men, you’re not alone, as Dichter is confused right along with you. You’re right along with him as he walks into the unsettling bar and as he witnesses each person (minus the bartender) walk out and meet a mysterious end, almost intentionally.
The build up and suspense in this episode is exactly what you’d expect from a top notch script from Rod Serling. The moody atmosphere also adds to the story; the dark shadows and minimal lighting are more than perfect for the foreboding feeling of this episode.
“The Waiting Room” features a top-notch cast of characters who have appeared in many Westerns themselves. There’s Forrest along with Jim Davis, Albert Salmi, and Buddy Ebsen (who, in my opinion, steals the show). Ebsen plays a sort of the den master in the macabre club named ‘Doc’ Soames, and he has, without a doubt, the most tragic and brutal story amongst this rogue crew.
While this episode probably won’t make many people’s top Night Gallery episodes, to me it is worth a watch. If you have Hulu or the Night Gallery DVDs, then by all means, check out this intriguing piece of television.
