"Journey To The Unknown" (1973)Character: HostessDuration: 86 minutes
Filmed: August 29th, 1972 (Joan's hostess scenes)
Premiered: 1973 (Earliest found date is February 11th, 1973)
Synopsis:
Joan serves as the hostess in this made for television film, which is composed of two prior episodes from the series' first season. Joan opens the film with a short narration and introduction of "Matakitas Is Coming" (Starring Vera Miles), then an introduction to "The Last Visitor" (Starring Patty Duke), with a final summation from Joan of the stories.
Synopsis of "Matakitas Is Coming":
Mystery writer June Wiley (Vera Miles) is researching the 1927 murder of a young librarian which occurred in the same library where she is conducting her research, and exactly 41 years to the hour that the murder occurred. June becomes so interested in studying the case that she doesn't hear the closing bell and becomes locked in the building. While trying to locate someone to help, June finds a young librarian named Tracy who claims to not know an alternate way out of the library. June soon begins hearing loud, heavy footsteps echoing throughout the building and the young librarian keeps disappearing and reappearing. June attempts to use the telephone to call for help and realizes that she has somehow been transported back to that September night in 1927. Later, June discovers that Tracy is the young library who died in 1927 and the plan is to sacrifice June to the devil.
Synopsis of "The Last Visitor":
Barbara King (Patty Duke) is recovering from a broken love affair and nervous breakdown, and goes on vacation alone to the English Coast, and becomes the last guest of the season at a seaside hotel. One night she is awakened to find a man standing over her bed. Barbara runs for help and soon leads other residents to her room to investigate. Barbara suspects it is one of the tenants staying next door, and her room is broken into again the following day while he is gone.
The hotel's owner, Joan Walker (Kay Walsh), admits to Barbara that it is her former husband coming into her room, that he has mental troubles and had to be committed. Barbara helps Mrs. Walker replace the hotel locks to keep her ex husband from entering, however, they later find a smoking pipe left in a room and realize he has came back, even after the locks were changed. One night while in bed, Barbara sees the figure in her bedroom again, and throws a lamp at them. When she turns on the light, she finds it's Mrs. Walker dressed as her husband. It's revealed later that Mrs. Walker's husband had died years prior and that she had been dressing up as him and pretending he was ill as a means of coping with his absence.
Cast & Crew:
Director: Michael Lindsay-Hogg ("Matakitas Is Coming"
Written by: Robert Heverly (Episode: "Matakitas Is Coming"), Alfred Shaughnessy (Episode: "The Last Visitor")
Producer: Hammer Films Production LTD (United Kingdom)
Joan Crawford - "Hostess"
Vera Miles "June Wiley" (Segment: "Matakitas Is Coming")
Leon Lisses - "Andros Matakitas" (Segment: "Matakitas Is Coming")
Lynn Pinkney - "Tracy"
Patty Duke - "Barbara King" (Segment: "The Last Visitor")
Kay Walsh - "Joan Walker" (Segment: "The Last Visitor")
Sally James - "Peggy" (Segment: "The Last Visitor")
Production:
This television film was produced by Hammer Films in the United Kingdom. According to documentation in Joan's account with The William Morris Agency, Joan recorded her appearance for this project on August 29th, 1972 at the WOR-TV Recording Studios in Manhattan, New York. Therefore, this project would technically be Joan's last professional assignment for a television show or film. "The Sixth Sense" had been filmed in July 1972.
Joan was paid $5,000 for her services on "Journey To The Unknown."