Kolchak: The Night Stalker/The Devil's Platform

From The TV IV

The Devil's Platform

Season 1, Episode 7
Airdate	November 15, 1974
Production Number
Writer(s)	David Chase, Donn Mullally, Rudolph Borchert, Larry Markes, Norm Liebmann Story: Tim Maschler
Director(s)	Allen Baron
← 1x06 Fire Fall	1x08 → Bad Medicine
Kolchak: The Night Stalker — Season One

1 Plot Overview
2 Notes
3 Arc Advancement
4 Trivia
5 Quotes
6 Reviews

The Devil's Platform is the seventh episode of the first season of Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and the seventh episode overall.

Guest Stars: Jack Grinnage (Ron Updyke), Tom Skerritt (Sen. Robert W. Palmer), Ellen Weston (Lorraine Palmer), Stanley Adams (Louis the Bartender), Jeanne Cooper (Dr. Kline), Julie Gregg (Susan Driscoll), John Myhers (Senator James Talbot), Keith Walker (TV Reporter), John Dennis (Second Maintenance Engineer), Robert DoQui (Park Policeman), Sam Edwards (Mailman), Ike Jones (First Maintenance Engineer), William Mims (Officer Hale), Bruce Powers (First Policeman), Ross Sherman (Second Policeman), Bill Welsh (TV Announcer), Ruth McDevitt (Emily Cowels)

[edit] Plot Overview

Bob Palmer, a candidate for Illinois state senator, listens to his campaign manager, Stephan Wald, as they walk down an office corridor. Wald threatens to blow the whistle on Palmer. He has evidence. Plamer and Wald both get on the elevator. The doors close and shortly thereafter there is an accident: the elevator car plummets down the shaft, killing Wald. Plamer is nowhere to be found.

Kolchak -- always the one to photograph such things -- takes a photo of Wald in the wreckage. He also photographs an out-of-place dog. He also picks up a small pentagram pendant. He begins to follow the dog, and for a while the dog seems to be following him as well.

Later that night Bob Palmer is a no-show for his debate with Senator Talbot. Kolchak attributes it to a conspiracy. Meanwhile Miss Emily has just returned from Italy. She brought Kolchak a hat. She got some holy water for herself.

When Kolchak has the pictures of the dog developed, there is no dog -- it has disappeared from the pictures. When he tries to interview Mrs. Palmer, he is attacked by the same dog. It knocks him down, takes the pentagram pendant, and runs away.

Later Palmer's secretary, Susan Driscoll, blackmails him, threatening to reveal damaging facts if he doesn't do as she asks. She saw him and Wald get on the elevator together. Later, when Susan is taking a walk in the park, Palmer turns into a dog (the same dog) and attacks her, very nearly killing her. Later as she lies helpless in the hospital, Palmer turns into the dog again and finishes the job.

Shortly after another of Palmer's rivals, Senator Talbot, is killed in a head-on crash, Kolchak gets a packet of incriminating Palmer photos in the mail. In a darkroom blowup of one of the photos, Kolchak sees that Palmer is wearing the very same pentagram pendant that the dog took from him when he was attacked. Kolchak puts two and two together and researches satanism and how to combat it. He also takes Emily's holy water.

Kolchak breaks into Palmer's house through the wine cellar. Palmer is waiting for him. His powers come from a deal with the devil. He tries to tempt Kolchak into working with him, saying he could have a Pullitzer Prize, if that's what he wants. Of course Kolchak refuses the offer, and then very wisely turns and runs. He doesn't get far though before encountering the dog. In desperation he throws the bottle of holy water at it, but misses, smashing the bottle on the floor.

Thinking quickly, he takes the pentagram pendant and throws it into the puddle of holy water, destroying the dog and Palmer.

[edit] Notes

[edit] Arc Advancement

[edit] Happenings

[edit] Characters

[edit] Referbacks

[edit] Trivia

[edit] The Show

[edit] Behind the Scenes

[edit] Allusions and References

Kolchak compares the Plamer estate to a house in Gone with the Wind.

[edit] Memorable Moments

When Kolchak breaks into Palmer's wine cellar, Palmer chooses that moment to come down and get wine. Kolchak waits in the shadows until he leaves. When Kolchak attempts to follow him, the very same door that Palmer used seconds earlier, leads only to an empty closet!