In The
Steps Of A Dead Man
(ITC Movie title "In The Steps Of A Dead Man")
Original UK transmission: 22nd June 1974
Original US transmission: 27th May 1974
WRITTEN BY: Brian Clemens and Luanshya Greer
DIRECTED BY: Shaun O'Riordan
PRODUCED BY: John Sichel
MAIN CAST: John Nolan (Marty Fuller), Richard Vernon (George
Cornfield), Faith Brook (Betty Cornfield), Denise Buckley (Sheila
Howes), Skye Aubrey (Grace Worth), Derek Anders (Sgt. O'Hara),
Christopher Benjamin (Medical Officer), Anne Robson (Mrs Howes),
John Garvin (Mr Howes)
Teaser
Sequence
The camera pans down onto a
leafy outer suburb, where a young girl is running towards a house
with a letter in her hand. Inside, an elderly man is
demonstrating to his wife a tv "freeze frame" device he
has made for his son Tommy. The girl, Sheila, rushes in and says
excitedly that Tommy is coming home from the war and wants to go
ahead and set a date for their wedding. Congratulations are made,
and then Sheila notices the stop action device and asks what it
is. The father begins to demonstrate it by switching between
various tv channels and freezing the picture; suddenly to their
horror they see Tommy, lying prostrate on a battlefield. The
mother walks in and screams as she rushes towards the tv screen,
her son's face contorted in agony in the still frame.
Plot
Summary
When George and Betty
Cornfield's only son Tommy is killed in combat, their lives are
badly affected and the father falls into a deep depression. Out
of the blue however, a soldier named Marty turns up on the
doorstep claiming to be Tommy's best friend, and re-assures the
two grieving parents about their boy's last moments. Marty is so
like Tommy in every way that he quickly becomes like their own
son, and is even introduced to Tommy's fiancée Sheila. It soon
looks as though marriage is inevitable, but Sheila's friend Grace
begins to suspect Marty's motives and realises that he is clearly
not who he claims to be. As the soldier ingratiates himself
deeper and deeper into the Cornfield's lives, Grace becomes ever
more alarmed at the possibility that Marty could be genuinely
dangerous. For far from being the late boy's best friend, Marty
is in reality a deserter with a far more cunning agenda than
anyone could have imagined.
Comments
A superb episode with first class performances from John Nolan
and veteran Richard Vernon. Indeed, Vernon's warm-hearted
portrayal of George Cornfield almost steals the show, so likeable
and convincing is his character. The real kudos, though, go to
Nolan for his portrayal of the charming yet incredibly devious
Marty. Watching him ruthlessly worm his way into the Cornfield's
affections is indeed terrible to watch. The inspired addition of
the nosey Grace Worth however, tends to off balance this and one
ends up almost cheering him on as he continually sidesteps her
interference. Not to be missed.
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