Although the late 1960's and early 70's were a turbulent political time, Night Gallery infrequently tackled significant social issues -- "Little Girl Lost" is an exception.
Stanford Whitmore's powerful drama continues a pattern of writing established early in his career, probing the emotional underpinnings of men in war. Born in 1925, Whitmore began writing seriously in the decade of the 50's, highlighted by his biography of Jazz pianist Virgil Jones (Solo), and his O. Henry Award winning short story "Lost Soldier" in 1954.
Whitmore's greatest strength as a writer is his ability to pierce the human psyche -- particularly one that is struggling with the horrors and amorality of warfare and its weaponry. In War Hunt (1962), the writer explored the emerging insanity of a Korean War soldier who begins to enjoy killing the enemy, and the resulting psychological effects this aberration has on his comrades-in-arms. This film received numerous honors, including the Outstanding Film of the Year award at both the 1962 London and Australia film festivals.
In "Little Girl Lost," Whitmore masterfully adapts E.C. Tubb's dark tale of a brilliant physicist working on a top-secret nuclear project, whose battlefield is the province of his own mind, brought forth by the delusion that his late daughter is still alive -- a psychosis actively cultivated by a military-industrial complex more concerned with science, than a man's sanity. Unlike War Hunt, this story examines an individual's rage not only against personal injustice, but the madness and exploitation he sees in the world around him, both real and imagined. Whitmore's adaptation is a cautionary tale for the human race -- the ultimate consequence of sacrificing humanity in the pursuit of technological superiority.
Paired with "The Caterpillar" on March 1, 1972 and a classic in its own right -- "Little Girl Lost."
(NOTE: For the purpose of maintaining the integrity of the original source material, all typographical errors made in this script have been left intact.)
- NIGHT GALLERY #34322
LITTLE GIRL LOST
Air Date: March 1, 1972
Teleplay by Stanford Whitmore
Based on the Short Story by E.C. Tubb
Directed by Timothy Galfas
Music: Eddie Sauter
Director of Photography: Gerald Perry Finnerman
Time: 16:38
Cast: - Tom Burke: Ed Nelson
Professor Putman: William Windom
Dr. Cottrell: Ivor Francis
Colonel Hawes: John Lasell
Irate Man: Sandy Ward
Waiter: Nelson Cuevas