Saturday, June 19, 2021

YouTube Theatre: Nightmare in Chicago (1964)

 Originally presented as an episode of Kraft Suspense Theatre under the title, "Once Upon a Savage Night", Universal reissued it as a feature film under the title, "Nightmare in Chicago", which is how I first came across it in the 70's as a youth. If you listen close, some portions of John Williams' series theme from that first season are incorporated into the film's soundtrack.

A serial killer (Philip Abbott, later of The F. B. I.) is tracked by detectives as he leaves a trail from Indiana to Chicago. Ted Knight, Charles McGraw, & Robert Ridgely co-star.


Universal added about an extra half hour of footage originally edited out for release to theatres. Producer/director Robert Altman would become a respected filmmaker with hits like "M*A*S*H" and "Nashville" after beginning his career in television, paving the way for other cinematic icons like Steven Spielberg.

Rating: A.

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