Warning!  Warning!  Marta Kristen sighting!

Never thought about it as a kid, but how did Mrs. Robinson manage to crank out a blonde, a brunette, and a red-head? ^[2]

Once again, I am reminded that Hollywood knows nothing; they just get lucky once in a while.  How is it possible I have never seen Marta Kristen in anything else other than Lost in Space . . . ever?  At the very least, she should have been a Bond Girl.  No, a Triple-A Bond Girl!

As the beautiful Marjorie, she provocatively descends the staircase, oozing sexuality . . . oh wait, it is the steps of her High School, and she was 15 when this was made.  Er . . . consider future remarks to be about her Lost in Space days when she was a respectable 20 and fully dressed in Reynolds Wrap (although, with the shiny side out, the tart!).

Her friend Susan tells her to go ahead and walk home without her, that she is sticking around for a while.  We quickly see that she is hanging back to wait for high school hunk Tom.  Despite Susan being portrayed by a too-pretty actress, Tom casually dismisses her and heads straight for Marjorie.

After being mocked by less-attractive classmates, Susan takes the walk-of-shame home, unwisely taking the shortcut-of-shame through the woods.  She stops at a small lake and looks at her reflection (which would be impossible from her position, BTW).  After hearing voices telling her she is a nothing, she throws rocks at her reflection (actually, it would be the reflection of the camerman.  Acting!).  Voices tell her to make herself important.  She tears a few pieces of her clothing and goes running, screaming out of the park.

The police, not yet defunded, go to her home and question her.  Since a Democrat is not suspected, the press arrive to ask a lot of questions.  Strangely, they are very jovial and try to get Susan to smile after her assault.  The cops take her downtown to pick the assailant out of a line-up.

After her story appears in the newspaper, she is suddenly very popular.  Even Tom elbows Marjorie aside to walk home with Susan.

Just to be clear, that is Marta on the right.  She is too beautiful even for distortion to ruin her picture.

Her fame is short-lived, however.  The next day, Susan has a tragic bit of luck as 2 students are killed in a climbing accident.  They knock her right off the front page, and Tom goes back to Marjorie.  

BTW, the actor playing Tom is 9 years old than Marta.  I understand that there is a standard 9 – 10 year minimum age gap in TV couples, but how early does that start?  What if she was 12 — Yikes! ^[3]

That night, Susan calls Marjorie who, conveniently, lives on the next street over.  They meet in the alley where Susan kills her friend.

Susan goes back to the lake, holding today’s newspaper.  As she is confessing to the cameraman’s reflection, an actual strangler, matching her fabricated description, comes up behind her and strangles her.  

Kind of a lackluster outing despite Marta Kristen.  Problem #1 was that Susan, though crazy, was very attractive.  Mostly, though, the story does not hold up.  What has she really gained by killing Marjorie?  Susan craved notoriety, but this is just going to make Marjorie more famous.  I guess she did remove the competition for Tom, and validate her police report, but those were really secondary issues.   

Her death did complete the circuit and issue a good dose of trademark AHP comeuppance, but it seemed a little simple.  I expect more from writer Robert Bloch.

Other Stuff:

• [1]  Not to be confused with MSNBC last Monday night.
• [2]  Same as that tramp Kate Bradley over at the Shady Rest.  Guess that was early 1960s DEI.
• [3]  Accordingly, Marta was scouted as an early candidate to play Lolita.  
• Susan Harrison (Susan) was the ballerina in TZ’s Five Characters in Search of an Exit.  She looks like someone current, but I can’t figure out who.
• Creative naming conventions on this episode:  Tom plays Tom, Susan plays Susan, Eve plays Eve, and Marta plays Marjorie.  I guess Marta was too ethnic for 1961 TV.  There is an Eve (reporter) and an Eva (student).  Why why why???
• But more about Marta:  This all-American beauty was born in Norway to a Finn and a German.  Only in America!
• For more critical info (i.e. pictures of Marjorie and Susan), check out Jack’s write-up at bare*bones.  Also, more info on Marta at her website.
• The next post would be Science Fiction Theatre, but thank Gott, I finished that series.  I need a new one, preferably 30 minutes, and old enough so that most everyone involved is dead.