By the time of this episode, WWW was moving farther and farther away from the conventional western, and more into science fiction and fantasy. The stark set on a dark soundstage with spotlights gives the episode an eerie quality that shows such as The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone had explored.
6 Reviews
A surrealist offer, it goes beyond of the borderline of reality!!
elo-equipamentos29 November 2023
This weirdo episode is going beyond of reality concerning the customary patten, get ready to see, on The Night of the Puppeteer, when a supposedly died convict is back to revenge his death against members of US supreme court, every single Judge has been killed, meanwhile Jim and Artemus enter in the game to find out a clue to take into the perpetrators, soon stumble into Zachariah Skull (Lloyd Bochner), many puppeteers coming over in the plot imposing a higher surreal look, ours friends now are dealing with odd characters as never seen before.
The eye-candy girls also appear as usually Janis Hansen at tavern and Imelda De Martin as Vivid enchant us in plenty way, also a surrealistic soundstage is the highlight of the offering, it sounds as Salvador Dali's mindset, overall a fantastic world of WWW shining through.
Thanks for reading.
Resume: First watch: 2023 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.5.
The eye-candy girls also appear as usually Janis Hansen at tavern and Imelda De Martin as Vivid enchant us in plenty way, also a surrealistic soundstage is the highlight of the offering, it sounds as Salvador Dali's mindset, overall a fantastic world of WWW shining through.
Thanks for reading.
Resume: First watch: 2023 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.5.
Trapped in Lloyd's lair!
ShadeGrenade24 May 2011
Warning: Spoilers
A marvellous episode from Season 1.
Jim West ( Robert Conrad ) is at the home of Justice Vincent Chayne ( John Hoyt ) when he sees children enjoying a puppet show. Without warning, a marionette fires real bullets at first Chayne, then West himself. West peers behind the curtain but there is no-one there. A clue takes him to Triton's, a seedy seaside tavern. Following a brawl with some customers, he escapes into the deeper recesses of the building, becomes trapped in an elevator, and taken to the underground lair of Zachariah Skull ( Lloyd Bochner ), a deranged puppeteer seeking revenge on the Supreme Court that convicted him. West is menaced by one life-sized puppet after another. Skull has harnessed the power of steam to make the puppets do as he wishes...
Even by this show's standards, this is an offbeat episode. Henry Sharp, the writer, had written for 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E', but I think his talents were better employed on this show. Though only puppets, what makes Skull's creations chilling is that they can actually kill. The late Lloyd Bochner seems to have played smooth-talking villains in almost every American adventure series at one time or other - you'll find him in 'Mission: Impossible', 'Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea' and the original 'Battlestar Galactica'. He makes Skull a better-than average baddie. Later we learn that he himself is also a puppet, and that the real Skull ( badly deformed from injuries ) is hiding in the rafters at the centre of what looks like a giant spider's web. The pretty Imelda De Martin plays 'Vivid', Skull's daughter.
Whereas 'U.N.C.L.E.' had the same producer ( Sam Rolfe ) for its first season, 'Wild Wild West' went through several, including Fred Freiburger ( reviled by fantasy fans for his work on 'Star Trek' and 'Space:1999 ), Gene L.Coon ( a guiding light in 'Star Trek's early days ) and John Mantley ( who created 'Gunsmoke' and brought 'Buck Rogers' crashing to Earth in 1980 ). Despite the changes in personnel at the top, the shows are generally consistent in quality.
The unique look of Skull's base recalls those German expressionist films of the '30's, consisting as it does of a bare room with few props and stark lighting. According to Conrad, this was the idea of Irving J.Moore, the director. It certainly contributes to what is already a very entertaining episode.
Jim West ( Robert Conrad ) is at the home of Justice Vincent Chayne ( John Hoyt ) when he sees children enjoying a puppet show. Without warning, a marionette fires real bullets at first Chayne, then West himself. West peers behind the curtain but there is no-one there. A clue takes him to Triton's, a seedy seaside tavern. Following a brawl with some customers, he escapes into the deeper recesses of the building, becomes trapped in an elevator, and taken to the underground lair of Zachariah Skull ( Lloyd Bochner ), a deranged puppeteer seeking revenge on the Supreme Court that convicted him. West is menaced by one life-sized puppet after another. Skull has harnessed the power of steam to make the puppets do as he wishes...
Even by this show's standards, this is an offbeat episode. Henry Sharp, the writer, had written for 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E', but I think his talents were better employed on this show. Though only puppets, what makes Skull's creations chilling is that they can actually kill. The late Lloyd Bochner seems to have played smooth-talking villains in almost every American adventure series at one time or other - you'll find him in 'Mission: Impossible', 'Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea' and the original 'Battlestar Galactica'. He makes Skull a better-than average baddie. Later we learn that he himself is also a puppet, and that the real Skull ( badly deformed from injuries ) is hiding in the rafters at the centre of what looks like a giant spider's web. The pretty Imelda De Martin plays 'Vivid', Skull's daughter.
Whereas 'U.N.C.L.E.' had the same producer ( Sam Rolfe ) for its first season, 'Wild Wild West' went through several, including Fred Freiburger ( reviled by fantasy fans for his work on 'Star Trek' and 'Space:1999 ), Gene L.Coon ( a guiding light in 'Star Trek's early days ) and John Mantley ( who created 'Gunsmoke' and brought 'Buck Rogers' crashing to Earth in 1980 ). Despite the changes in personnel at the top, the shows are generally consistent in quality.
The unique look of Skull's base recalls those German expressionist films of the '30's, consisting as it does of a bare room with few props and stark lighting. According to Conrad, this was the idea of Irving J.Moore, the director. It certainly contributes to what is already a very entertaining episode.
Best of the "West"
bill-wilson-116 January 2017
While I have a sincere affection for every episode of this series featuring Michael Dunn as Dr. Miguelito Loveless, "The Night of the Puppeteer" is hands-down my favorite episode, for a variety of reasons. The story is intriguing, as is the concept. The stage design, lighting and sound is exceptional; this episode has a different look from every other installment of the series. There's poetry in the writing, and a villain, marvelously portrayed by Lloyd Bochner, who is urbane, smooth and ruthless. Add to that an amazingly gentle, flowing score from the great Dave Grusin, a terrific disguise for Ross Martin, and a surprisingly nuanced performance by Robert Conrad, and you have an exceptional visit to "The Wild Wild West."
Top Notch Entry In The Series
Mark_The_TV_Geek29 September 2020
the craziest Wild Wild West episode
happytrigger-64-39051711 February 2020
Nasty week for movie fans : first Kirk Douglas' death ("20000 leagues under the sea" was my first movie seen in a theatre in the beginning of the 70's) and just after Robert Conrad (our weekly punchy secret agent with Ross Martin again in the beginning of the 70's on tv). So I had to watch again my favorite episode of Wild Wild West, this fabulous "Night of the Puppeteer" : not an ordinary episode, very fantastic, with weird settings and lightnings, a very frightening bad man (Lloyd Bochner) playing close to George Sanders and Vincent Price, Robert Conrad is playing stronger than usual in that face to face with that weirdo baddie and an atmosphere between Franju (yes) and "the Prisoner". No need to say more, it's a jewel to see again and again.
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