TV.com

Night Gallery Season 3 Episode 1

The Return of the Sorcerer

Favorite

Watched It I've Watched This 2

Next
Episode Previous
Episode

8.3

User Rating

48 votes

Your Rating: 10
Your Rating: 9.5
Your Rating: 9
Your Rating: 8.5
Your Rating: 8
Your Rating: 7.5
Your Rating: 7
Your Rating: 6.5
Your Rating: 6
Your Rating: 5.5
Your Rating: 5
Your Rating: 4.5
Your Rating: 4
Your Rating: 3.5
Your Rating: 3
Your Rating: 2.5
Your Rating: 2
Your Rating: 1.5
Your Rating: 1

Rate Now

EPISODE REVIEWS
By TV.com Users

Write A Review

Episode Summary

EDIT

Hulu

Free

AIRED: 9/24/72

A sorcerer hires a translator to divine the meaning of an ancient Arabic manuscript that has some grisly connection with his twin brother's death.

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (1)

A story about a sorcerer is really more about the ramblings of a crazy man.

5.2

By marvelfan89, Feb 17, 2011

A disappointing episode that fails to deliver any thrills or surprises.

The story had potential but the delivery was terrible. Bill Bixby plays a translator sent into decipher a famous textbook for a man, John Carnby, who seems to be a sorcerer in disguise.

Despite that, however, this episode features almost no effects, except for a couple of hands walking on the floor (that are crudely done). This episode seems to resemble more a story about a madman losing touch with reality (something Price did with regularity in his movies). Unfortunately, the story isn't done very well and seems to be done more for laughs.

Like for example one scene that has Carnby talking to a goat and calling it his father is absolutely ridiculous. Then the twist with Noel having an affair with the man's

mistress is also predictable.

The ending itself is really silly. When it seems that Noel has figured out the matter of whether the man is a sorcerer or not, he declines to pursue the matter more.

This episode is just below average. It's kinda sad considering they had two great stars here. There's just not a real scary payoff here.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
1 2

Flag
Share Hide

See All Fan Reviews

Cast & Crew: STARS

EDIT

Rod Serling

Host

See All Cast & Crew

Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

EDIT

Vincent Price	John Carnby	Guest Star
Tisha Sterling	Fern	Guest Star
Bill Bixby	Noel Evans	Guest Star

See All Cast & Crew

Watch Online

Hulu

Free

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

FILTER BY TYPE

TRIVIA (0)
ADD TRIVIA
- ADD TRIVIA from this episode.
QUOTES (2)
ADD QUOTES
- Host: Good evening. We're delighted that all of you could make it this evening because we have something special on tap. In the area of the occult, it's customary to preoccupy ourselves with witches, and too infrequently we dabble on the male side of that time-honored profession, the sorcerer. On display here is a painting showing the natural habitat of this species of black art practitioner. Dark alley, murky light, a few sundry skulls, and the gentleman himself on the right of the picture with the upraised hand and the funny little goat horns. Yes indeed, this is a sorcerer, and for those of you who disbelieve his existence, we invite you to check this out for a little while. Our painting is called The Return of the Sorcerer, and where better place for him to return than right here... in the Night Gallery
  EDIT SHARE
- Noel: Uh, no, I--I can't kiss you with that frog.
  Fern: But it's beauty. I like beauty. Kiss the toad.
  Noel: Some other time, maybe.
  EDIT SHARE
NOTES (3)
ADD NOTES
- Bill Bixby is credited as Special Guest Star.
  EDIT SHARE
- The third season main title design changes, now featuring revised credits of gallery paintings of previous and future episodes moving toward the camera. Gil Mille's theme music is replaced with a more strident musical number, and the "Tonight's Guest Stars" appear within the frame of a painting on a wall.
  EDIT SHARE
- This episode is based on the short story "The Return of the Sorcerer" by Clark Ashton Smith. This story was first published in Strange Tales of Mystery and Terror (September, 1931).
  EDIT SHARE
ALLUSIONS (1)
ADD ALLUSIONS
- Necronomicon: This is the title of the book Noel Evans (Bill Bixby) was hired to translate. It was the creation of H.P. Lovecraft and formed one of the centerpieces of his Cthulhu Mythos stories. "Written" by the "mad Arab" Abdul Alhazred, it is described as a "terrible and forbidden" volume.
  
  A number of Lovecraft's colleagues, proteges and successors, with his approval, borrowed from and expanded upon elements of his works, including the Necronomicon. Among these are August Derleth (manager of Lovecraft's literary estate), Robert Bloch (author of Psycho and Clark Ashton Smith, the author of the story from which this episode was adapted.
  
  The book also featured prominently in director Sam Raimi's Evil Dead series of films.
  EDIT SHARE