PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Did you know children’s author Roald Dahl hosted a horror anthology series? That’s right! In fact, he actually hosted more than one. However, today we’re looking back at Roald Dahl’s short-lived-yet-neat series, Way Out, from 1961. Wikipedia is not wrong when it says,
“Dahl, his face projected in a disconcerting hall of mirrors effect, [could be seen] dryly delivering a brief introductory monologue, expounding on such unusual subjects as undertakers or frogs or murdering a romantic rival with ground tiger’s whiskers.”
The show was produced by talk show host David Susskind and Jacqueline Babbin and broadcast on CBS.
It was originally proposed as a network series to replace Jackie Gleason’s canceled game show, You’re in the Picture. Gleason’s show had failed so spectacularly that it was canceled after 2 episodes, with Gleason commenting on episode 2: “Last week we did a show that laid the biggest bomb — it would make the H-bomb look like a two-inch salute.” In other words, the network was scrambling to fix its reputation.
So, oddly enough, they turned to Roald Dahl for a sci-fi/horror anthology series, with Dahl sometimes writing and doing the wraparound segments — often which humorously had little relation to the actual episode. It was quirky enough to work. Even though Way Out only lasted for 14 episodes, it wasn’t as big of a bomb as You’re in the Picture, and you might think it’s the bomb if you watch it today… see what I did there?
So How Far Out is Way Out?
Fortunately, most of the episodes are preserved on YouTube and possibly on other nether-regions of the internet. I was able to watch a fair amount of episodes of Way Out. Still, it’s a bit sad that I couldn’t find a few of them, including the episode, “Soft Focus.” Apparently, though, you can watch the entire series through the Paley Center for Media in either New York City or Los Angeles, if the internet is to be believed.
Here is my favorite episode that I have seen thus far, featuring Barbara Baxley, Kevin McCarthy, Martin Balsam, Leon Stevens, Helen Stenborg. As the YouTube synopsis states: A woman wakes up to discover that she is in a strange room with a man who is not her husband.
Way Out is a mixed bag as one might expect. Some episodes center on a gruesome crime or an insane criminal, usually seen through the eyes of the victim. Others deal with unusual magical practices or matters of the supernatural. A few of the tales feature horrifying monsters or bizarre creatures, but mostly it’s about quirky situations. “The Croaker” features a man (John McGiver) who’s a little too obsessed with frogs, and also has Richard Thomas as a boy named Jeremy. You might recognize Thomas from the 1990 TV mini-series version of Stephen King’s It, or from TV’s The Waltons. This episode’s more silly than scary, however.
As far as genuine horror goes, a few episodes actually deliver pretty well. I like that these stories are a little mean-spirited at times, too. In “Dissolve to Black.” an actress (Kathleen Widdoes) gets cast in a minor role as a murder victim, but things start to get too real. “Death Wish” has a mortician (Heywood Hale Broun) offering a man (Don Keefer) professional assistance to kill his annoying wife (Charlotte Rae). I love it! She’s so yappy and one could easily want the character to die. However, does that imply the viewer is complicit in her potential murder? Years later, George A. Romero’s Creepshow would elicit similar feelings.
Dahl’s story, “William and Mary,” features an ailing and ornery philosophy professor, William (Henry Jones), who opts to keep his brain alive in a basin, where he will (supposedly) have only an eye, with no ear, no mouth, and no pains or desires to distract from thoughts. How will this impact Mary, his wife (Mildred Dunnock)? What about the doctor (Barnard Hughes) performing the strange surgery? Is he a mad scientist? That’s somewhat open to interpretation… perhaps. The brain of William can communicate only through an electroencephalographic pulse, and it might not like Mary’s newfound sense of freedom from his constant putdowns.
Roald Dahl as Host and the Small Legacy of Way Out
I already mentioned Dahl’s hosting a bit, but it seems I haven’t quite said enough about it. Frankly, it’s tough to describe. He doesn’t quite seem like a sinister salesman. In a way, he comes across as himself rather than some strange character. Fortunately, he still seems like a strange, mad-up character. It makes sense that he’d be a little strange, being the creator of such odd tales as James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, and The Witches.
Even if you are not impressed with Dahl’s hosting skills or horrified by these episodes, you might appreciate that he came up with some of the show’s unique story concepts and helped pave the way for other horror anthology series in the following years. Though the CBS series only lasted 1 season, Roald Dahl went on to create Tales of the Unexpected on British television beginning in 1979 and ending in 1988.
What are your thoughts on Way Out? Let us know in the comments!
