# Great Ghost Tales

Great Ghost Tales is an American horror television series that aired Live from July 6 until September 21, 1961. The program was the summer replacement for The Ford Show.

## Premise

An anthology of scary stories. Authors whose works were presented included William Fryer Harvey.

## Cast

Actors featured in the series included Judith Evelyn, Richard Thomas, Robert Duvall, Joanne Linville, Laurie Main, Lee Grant, Arthur Hill, Lois Nettleton, Salome Jens, Ruth White, Mildred Dunnock, R. G. Armstrong, Janet Ward, Edmon Ryan, David J. Stewart, Collin Wilcox, James Broderick, Vincent Gardenia, Virginia Leith, Herbert Voland, John Abbott Blanche Yurka, Clifford David, Ann Williams, Eric Berry, William Redfield, Diana Van Der Vlis, Walter Matthau, and Kevin McCarthy.

## Episodes

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
| 1 | "William Wilson" | Daniel Petrie | James Lee | July 6, 1961 (1961-07-06) |
| The lookalike of a drifter keeps following him everywhere. (Based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe.) |||||
| 2 | "Lucy" | Allen Reisner | Joel Davenport | July 13, 1961 (1961-07-13) |
| Lucy gets her wish when she wishes that the director of her play would die. |||||
| 3 | "The Monkey's Paw" | Unknown | Audrey Maas | July 20, 1961 (1961-07-20) |
| The holder of a monkey's paw gets three wishes. (Based on the short story by W. W. Jacobs.) |||||
| 4 | "Bye Bye Baby" | Unknown | Elliott Baker | July 27, 1961 (1961-07-27) |
| A hypnotist promises Ralph that he will be a young man again if he follows his instructions. |||||
| 5 | "August Heat" | Ron Winston | Robert Thom | August 3, 1961 (1961-08-03) |
| An artist keeps sketching a face he sees in his imagination. (Based on the short story by William Fryer Harvey.) |||||
| 6 | "Summer Rental" | William A. Graham | Nicholas Pryor | August 10, 1961 (1961-08-10) |
| A villainous couple, who have recently committed a murder rent out a cottage in Devon, however strange happenings begin to occur. |||||
| 7 | "Mr. Arcularis" | Karl Genus | Audrey Maas | August 17, 1961 (1961-08-17) |
| Mr. Arcularis has nightmares about a coffin on a cruise ship. (Based on the short story by Conrad Aiken; Aiken had also adapted the story in dramatic form, though whether the teleplay is based on his play is not certain.) |||||
| 8 | "Sredni Vashtar" | Ronald Winston | Irving Gaynor Neiman | August 24, 1961 (1961-08-24) |
| A young boy uses his strange pet to get revenge on his overprotective guardians. (Based on the short story by "Saki", the pseudonym of H. H. Munro.) |||||
| 9 | "A Phantom of Delight" | Seymour Robbie | Douglas Taylor | August 31, 1961 (1961-08-31) |
| Danny Walton feels compelled to follow the sound of a young girl singing. |||||
| 10 | "Room 13" | Lewis Freedman | Philip H. Reisman Jr. | September 7, 1961 (1961-09-07) |
| A theological researcher rents a room where a 12th-century bishop made a pact with the devil. Based on the story, No 13, by M.R. James |||||
| 11 | "The Wendigo" | Lewis Freedman | Gordon Russell | September 14, 1961 (1961-09-14) |
| Canadian hunters track a legendary monster. Based on the story by Algernon Blackwood |||||
| 12 | "Who's the Fairest One of All" | Unknown | Unknown | September 21, 1961 (1961-09-21) |
| A young schoolteacher looks into an antique mirror, but the reflection it throws back is a different version of herself. |||||

## Production

The series was broadcast in color, with each episode produced live in New York. It was on Thursday nights from 9:30 to 10 p.m. Eastern Time. Directors included Daniel Petrie. Writers included James Lee. Talent Associates — Paramount Limited produced the series, and Ford sponsored it. It was replaced by Hazel.

## Critical response

A review of the premiere episode in The New York Times called the episode "an encouraging send-off for the new venture." The review complimented the presentation and the "skill and sensitivity" of the actors.