Uncle Henry’s Rosebush
Starring: Agnes Moorehead
Originally aired: 29 June 1943
Plot synopsis: A young woman takes her husband to visit her aunt and uncle on their farm, only to discover that the uncle is mysteriously absent.
Favourite line: 'I'll never forget, and I know I'll not awake and find it all a dream - it's real, and for the rest of my life I shall know it's real.'
Review: This is an episode that promises more than it ultimately delivers. The opening act is fine, and the slow build of suspense intriguing. Yet the ending is disappointing, with a fairly standard (for such stories) resolution - without revealing what exactly has become of the eponymous uncle, it can be noted that the story falls back on a very clichéd explanation, one that is over-used in Suspense stories to account for characters' strange behaviour. This is one instance when a more unusual, even outlandish, conclusion might have been welcome: say, Uncle Henry had become a vampire and his wife had been keeping him hidden away in the cellar! Also, Agnes Moorehead's presence amounts to little more than a cameo, which is a shame, as her dissolute-seeming aunt is the most interesting character in the episode.
Rating: * * *
