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The Veil Volume 1 [VHS]

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"The Veil" was a rare made-for-television series which never aired, and was hosted by the great Boris Karloff. "The Veil" actually preceded Karloff's "Thriller" show and the format was quite typical for similar shows of the period - Karloff would be the host who introduced the story, and then the actual story was shown (with Karloff making an appearance in the story itself). Karloff would also appear at the end with some commentary on the story. I did a bit of research about this series and found that the show was created and produced by Frank Bibas, who also had a keen interest in the supernatural. All of the stories presented in "The Veil" are based on supposedly true accounts. Unfortunately, Roach Studios which financed the show ran into financial difficulties, and the show never got aired. However, in the vein of shows like Tales from the Crypt etc, the episodes were edited and made available for television in the form of feature length movies like "Jack the Ripper", etc.

This particular DVD set, "The Veil: Volume 1" (1958) contains 4 episodes:

"Summer Heat" - An unassuming man, Edward Page, witnesses a brutal murder in the apartment across the street from his kitchen window. Strangely, when the police investigate, there is no evidence of a crime. Edward undergoes some therapy (the psychiatrist is played by Karloff), and when he next arrives home, he discovers that the murder has just recently taken place. So did Edward witness a crime before it actually took place? Interesting, and well-acted.

"Destination Nightmare" - a young man is under pressure by his successful father (played by Karloff) to take on more responsibilities in the family business. Whilst flying one day, the young pilot sees a menacing apparition that almost causes him to crash the plane. Turns out the apparition has to do with a secret connected to his father.

"Vision of Crime" - George Bosworth dreams of his brother's murder only to awaken and realize his nightmare was manifested in reality.

"Girl on the Road" - John Prescott comes to the aid of an attractive lady by the roadside and finds she is attempting to flee a strange man. he is unable to forget her, despite warnings to do so, and makes a horrific discovery.

The total running time of the DVD is 105 minutes, and all the episodes are in B&W. The audio quality is clear, with no static/background noise, and the picture quality is average (actually it's not bad - considering some other movies of this time period which can appear grainy). Recommended for fans of the classic horror genre and those who like collecting obscure TV shows/movies.

The Veil was an excellent TV series many years ago. It ranks with "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "The Twilight Zone" for its stories and quality. The stories are a half-hour each and can easily be enjoyed between other things. Karloff is tremendous, as always. Great classic television suspense.