Night Gallery - The Hand of Borgus Weems

The Hand of Borgus Weems is quite a morbid little slice of macabre right out of the “Hands of Orlac” theme. Except the hand that wants George Maharis to kill wasn’t taken from a killer and surgically applied to his body…he just arrives at the former estate of Borgus Weems, murdered after his right hand was hacked off, leading to his death out a window of his apartment, and his hand demands for revenge! Those involved in his murder—niece, Susan (Joan Huntington), and her boyfriend, Brock (William Mims)—and the lawyer that got them off—Everett Winterreich (Robert Hoy)—are marked for death! Maharis badly wants to get his hand cut off and goes to surgeon, Dr. Archibald Ravadon (the great Ray Milland), for help. After nearly running over Everett during a harrowing battle of wills with his hand (and we soon learn his foot as the hand seems to be gaining influence over all of Maharis’ body), he wants relief but Ravadon obviously considers him a nutjob in need of psychiatric help. That twist involving Ravadon, though, is a doozy. The episode functions as a “recounting of events” as Maharis explains how the hand sent him to the wrong apartment, meeting Susan for whom he falls in love. The hand forces Maharis to purchase a gun and attempt to shoot her. The hand forces Maharis to contact Brock, compelling him to the apartment where he sent Borgus to his death…the hand grabs a letter opener and nearly forces Maharis to stab him. Then the car incident as seen early in the story. Ravadon had a psychiatrist named Innokenti (Patricia Donahue) listen to Maharis’ back story. She clearly doesn’t buy a word he said. Ravadon, however, will know all too well how true Maharis’ story really is! Good “hand work” by Maharis to emphasize it having a life all its own and he communicates well the torment of not having control. Milland is a legacy casting, certainly good name value for the show.