It Crawled Out of the Woodwork

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“It Crawled Out of the Woodwork”
The Outer Limits episode
Episode no. Season 1
Episode 11
Written by Joseph Stefano
Directed by Gerd Oswald
Guest stars Scott Marlowe
Kent Smith
Barbara Luna
Michael Forest
Joan Camden
Edward Asner
Photographed by Conrad Hall
Production no. 18
Original airdate December 9, 1963
Episode chronology
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"Nightmare" "The Borderland"
List of The Outer Limits episodes

"It Crawled Out Of The Woodwork" is an episode of the original The Outer Limits television show. It first aired on 9 December 1963, during the first season.

Contents

[edit] Introduction

Two brothers have driven across the country to Southern California -the elder of them is taking a job with Norco, a mysterious research company.

[edit] Opening narration

His name is Warren Edgar Morley. For the past six months, he has guarded this gate from eight in the morning until six at night, at which time he is replaced by another just like himself. These are the last few moments of his life.

[edit] Plot

"Some people are a long time dying"
"Some people are a long time dying"

A grotesque and growling entity, composed entirely of energy, is accidentally created at the NORCO research company. The being is so threatening that those who encounter it inevitably die of fright - if it doesn't completely consume them with a mere touch. Dr. Block (Kent Smith), head scientist at NORCO, finds a way to control the creature and keep it bottled up while he tries to uncover "the mystery of it."

When the other scientists demand the entity's destruction, Block lets the horror frighten them to death and restores them to life with pacemakers, which only function as long as Block forbids his creature to draw the power from them. Block's sinister obsession is revealed only after the brother of one of his victims alerts the police. When he is wounded in a shootout, the dying Dr. Block unleashes the energy monster into the world.

[edit] Closing narration

"Every man… wants to solve one mystery… before he dies."
"Every man… wants to solve one mystery… before he dies."
The Conservation of Energy Law — a principle which states that energy can be changed in form but that it cannot be either created or destroyed. And this is true of all energy — the energy of genius, of madness, of the heart, of the atom. And so it must be lived with. It must be controlled, channeled for good, held isolated from evil… and somehow lived with, peaceably.

[edit] Cast

  • Scott Marlowe – as Jory Peters
  • Michael Forest – as Stuart Peters
  • Barbara Luna – as Gaby Christian
  • Kent Smith – as Dr. Block
  • Edward Asner – as Sgt. Siroleo
  • Joan Camden – as Dr. Stephanie Linden
  • Tom Palmer – as Coroner
  • Ted de Corsia – as New Sentry
  • Gene Darfler – as Warren Edgar Morley
  • Lea Marmer – as Cleaning Lady
  • Robert Johnson – as NORCO Intercom Voice

[edit] External links