Joan Crawford in Night Gallery "Eyes" 1969 (Part 3)

[Deepdesert]

joan crawford is just amazing in this

[lilsept77]

She was so focusing on the sun that she didn't had the sense to look around in her house to see her furniture for the first time. She should of had company spending the light at her.

[starchflamingo]

actually it's not too much of a stretch that the blackout happens as soon as she takes the bandage off. blackouts happen in a split second, so fast you're not always sure what's happened at first. i was once struggling to pull a turtle neck skivvy over my head and when i finally got my head through BAM! EVERYTHING WAS BLACK i though i HAD gone blind for a few moments ...it was a blackout. perfect timing. and that particular blackout lasted, in fact, for days in some areas of our town.

[Turrican60]

Truly excellent stuff indeed. Unfortunately, it is NOT without flaw. Take note of what Joan Crawford says when she sees the sun for the very first time in her life: "It's a golden yellow". Okay, it's reasonable to assume that she would have been taught that the sun appears yellow to sighted persons. However, how could she possibly describe this yellow as being 'GOLDEN' when she's had no previous experience of colour in her life in order to make such a statement? Think about it. I rest my case.

[Jvizzlezz]

@Turrican60 The same thing you previously said; she could've simply just been TAUGHT that it was a "golden yellow" color.

[Turrican60]

@Jvizzlezz The sun appears in many colours due to the time of day, the prevailing weather conditions, the current season and the world location of the viewer. That's a big selection. In order to give two colours ("golden" + "yellow"), one needs a reference point, especially in the case of blind person born that way. Yellow may be the 'taught' colour of the sun, but to describe it as "golden" is to accredit a shade or hue. She couldn't possibly know that given the myriad of options I mentioned.

[cuzitsnecessary]

Wow that was one of the most amazing things ive seen joan do. Thx for posting.

[windstorm1000]

wonderful camera movement by Spiegelberg---very psycological, appropraitely nightmarish, inventive and Bizantine--one wishes he would go back to this in his movies....Crawford, once again, shows why she was a star--terrific actress

[Indiaexpress]

so she didnt have a electricty generator or something?

[tall32guy]

This Night Gallery movie was the only Night Gallery that freaked me out, and only the first two. The last one about the Nazi guy was interesting though. :) None of the rest of the Night Gallery episodes thereafter did much for me. Not like TZ did. :)

[LaSerpentaCanta]

You people are babbling fools, always looking for something to pick on, well I'm sorry to say but the script to this story is perfect.

[ProfessorCosmic]

spielberg, crawford and SERLING -- greatest TV writer ever. This one really knocked my eyes out. At 1:20 I am reminded a bit of Eye of the Beholder. The four-eye sequence in the surgery scene is awesome as is the final sequence here with the falling glass. The city blackout at just the moment she takes off the bandages is a bit of a stretch, and then doesn't seem necessary to the plot. It's when the sun goes out that brings her demise.

[LaSerpentaCanta]

@ProfessorCosmic Why isn't the blackout necessary to the plot? It's the most important thing, it is her punishment for her hubris at taking another man's eyesight, it's poetic justice, without it the story is nothing. 

[0garythebloke0]

Even though she was a cow.I kinda felt sorry for her,must stink being blind.Wasnt Joan Crawford a complete cow in real life too?

[capie44]

@0garythebloke0 No. She was a pin-up girl in WWII that was in barracks and on ships across the world. Right along with Betty Grable.

[NorthEast81]

This was back when Steven Spielberg was interested in making films that were actually creative, artistic, and interesting!

[fromthesidelines]

In Rod's original story (published in "The Season to Be Wary"), this incident took place on the night of the "Great Blackout"- November 9, 1965.

[TheRichcraft]

DC Comics ripped off this storyline in their Unexpected magazine. But they did change the plot for the better. The donor only gave away one eye so he wouldn't be totally blind, and the millionaire started down the stairs after he gained his sight. Then the blackout occurred, he tripped, and he broke his neck.

[starquant]

Quote: Joan Crawford to Pepsi Cola " Don't Fuck with me Fellas!". God, I wish there were more women like her. Thanks for showing this..... AWESOME.

[MyGward]

sorry but thats really good acting from joanie and speillberg is innovative and brilliant as always

[fingerone2010]

Rod Serling disliked this series and the fact they butchered his scripts!

[capie44]

4:57 Those aren't the Twin Towers (WTC) under construction, are they?

[machomovieman]

@capie44 Looks more like Columbus Circle in height/design.

[capie44]

@machomovieman Ah. Thank you. I haven't got a clue :-)

[jeffeastwood15]

"The used lightbulbs of Miss Menlo's life. When they cease lighting her way, out they go!"

One of Joan's greatest lines ever!

[maregeo6479]

It's interesting to see how many people caught on the many weak spots of this script. Many things don't make sense; particularly, why, if she would only get 12 hours of sight, wasn't the operation done earlier in the day so that she could only see during daylight (at night, how would she "drink in Central Park" as she planned?). Aside from that, it's a wonderful performance and directorial job.

[LaSerpentaCanta]

@maregeo6479 I don't see any weak spot, maybe they couldn't schedule the surgery for earlier.

[windstorm1000]

Joan is superb. And Spiegelburg caught the pyschosis of the title character in his awesome directorial debut.

[maicwand]

Also, how could she critique the portrait painting being done of her?



[judyrusso]

Yes, SanBudd I would agree that your comments would apply in real life, however, this is tv land..I'll add my 2 cents here also, in reality, a woman who's been blind all of her life wouldn't know what the sun looks like let alone what colours look like.

Overall, a great story, my personal favorite and a stand out performance by Joan C. It was a talented cast of actors.

[tyme4mike]

@judyrusso I thought the same thing, but I also had to assume that at some time during her life, whether through conversation or a story, she'd have heard the sun being referred to as "golden yellow" or bright or whatever else and she simply would apply the verbal description to the item. She'd also be able to recognize the sun due to those who worked around her describing it through the only window she sat in front of.

[SamBuddwing]

Having slammed the plot line, I'll gladly stipulate that Joan Crawford delivers a powerhouse performance, and that Steven Spielberg makes an auspicious TV directorial debut.

[SamBuddwing]

I don't mean to be a spoilsport (all right, maybe I do), but I have some problems with the storyline. I'm not convinced that a woman who's been blind her entire life (as the script implies) would be that anxious to see; I don't understand why Tom Bosley had to give up the sight of both eyes; and I doubt that a blind woman would become so easily disoriented and lost in her own home, especially when she's such a recluse.

[WonderGirl732]

@SamBuddwing

Don't forget that she had the statues and things rearranged so she could see them when she took the bandages off. If you did that to a blind person in their own home they'd be disoriented at best.

[LaSerpentaCanta]

@SamBuddwing The whole apartment had been re arranged so that she could see all her art and possesions in one shot, so when the lights went out the whole place was unfamiliar. Also, why would she not want to see?? And she wasn't going to conform with just one eye, she wanted the whole deal. In my opinion, the script is perfect and has no weak points or plot holes whatsoever.

[MercedesMerv]

Joan Crawford was a classic!

[maicwand]

wouldn't her building have an auxiliary generator to power emergency lights and the elevator?? Also, when she went to the street level, she would see the car head lights!

[WestVirginiaRebel]

@maicwand Hysterical blindness?

[906087]

you really can't help but pity her no matter how hard you try.

[demirus32]

What I love about the last minute of this clip is how you can really tell she came from that school of silent movie actors..the tilt of the head, placement of hands, tears forming at the exact moment when needed..just classic! Joan Rocks Always

[sbergman27]

Crawford had a talent for making you want to see her die horribly. Both on and off screen.

[MyGward]

the genius of speillberg and joan ..amazing

[richierichnumber1]

OMG its it not like we're writing a ten page essay here

[launwatch]

Serves her right.

[Thegreatwhiteghost1]

yeah, but he could have given them each one eyeball.

[je1rowe]

Wow, that was brilliant! Joan was fantastic! And Speilberg's direction seemed really good too! Great stuff! Thanks SO much for posting! =)

[KURISUCHRIS99]

they shouls have made this a full length films.

[leatherpvcskirt]

thanks to Steven Spielberg one of his earliest directing TV shows.

[CorrieKatczynski]

bravo! once again another brillian performance from joan crawford! thanks for the post!

[richierichnumber1]

Foe example she such an alcoholic she couldn't work

[IMPei100]

@richierichnumber1 great spelling and grammar! if you know anything about Miss Crawford you'de know that when she quit drinking she did it cold turkey. She probably had the cancer that killed her by the time she filmed this Night Gallery.

[richierichnumber1]

Christiana talked so bad about her mother but she did an exultant job here

[S1969C1969]

BETTER than Mildred? Sudden Fear, Posessed, etc.? Come- on! But she IS good+ Steven did a great job too - I' m sure when she saw it she changed her mind about him... GREAT post. Thanks again!

[PeterFormaini]

An amazing piece of writing, acting (all around) - and direction. This is Crawfor'd finest acting job in any non-film - ever.

[Mangano75]

This is Joan's best performance after Mildred Pierce - she's amazing in this - it may even be better than Mildred Pierce!

[951Alpha]

Tom Bosley R.I.P.

[judyrusso]

Genius story writing and directing.

[HisEminence16]

Simply fantastic.