Usually The Dick Van Dyke show revolved around comic takes to ordinary situations - Sally trying to snag a husband, Buddy's problems with his income tax, or Laura (Oh Rob!) putting a dent in the new car and trying to hide it.
This episode was one of a handful that was completely different. The Petries, Buddy, and Sally have been invited to the Catskills to work on a new idea for a show that their boss Alan Brady has. But they get to the motel and there have been no rooms reserved in their names. Apparently Mel forgot to make the reservations. However there is one cabin by the lake that is available, with the problem being that it has a reputation of being haunted. It seems that the guest staying there disappeared one night and the cabin has been haunted ever since.
Rob and Buddy agree not to tell the girls, and Rob himself dismisses the idea of there being any such thing as ghosts. However soon all four begin to see strange things - a fire in the fireplace starts and stops spontaneously, doors open and close by themselves, lights turn on and off, and a scary mustached man keeps appearing in the mirror. And then, one by one, members of the group disappear into thin air until only Rob is left.
When I was a kid I thought that this might be a bad dream that one of the four was having, but I will tell you it turns out to be something other than that. It's a fine example of ensemble comedy and shows that you don't need excessive blood and gore to be scary, even in 1964 as the production code is unraveling.
This episode was one of a handful that was completely different. The Petries, Buddy, and Sally have been invited to the Catskills to work on a new idea for a show that their boss Alan Brady has. But they get to the motel and there have been no rooms reserved in their names. Apparently Mel forgot to make the reservations. However there is one cabin by the lake that is available, with the problem being that it has a reputation of being haunted. It seems that the guest staying there disappeared one night and the cabin has been haunted ever since.
Rob and Buddy agree not to tell the girls, and Rob himself dismisses the idea of there being any such thing as ghosts. However soon all four begin to see strange things - a fire in the fireplace starts and stops spontaneously, doors open and close by themselves, lights turn on and off, and a scary mustached man keeps appearing in the mirror. And then, one by one, members of the group disappear into thin air until only Rob is left.
When I was a kid I thought that this might be a bad dream that one of the four was having, but I will tell you it turns out to be something other than that. It's a fine example of ensemble comedy and shows that you don't need excessive blood and gore to be scary, even in 1964 as the production code is unraveling.