There's not much wrong with the episode, and John Bolger and Louise Robey both give decent performances. It's just that like most of the show's romances, their sudden infatuation for each other--particularly Micki's--seems awfully rushed. Writer Bruce Martin gaslights Pratt/Amory being obsessed with the actress who Micki just happens to look like. But what's Micki's excuse?
Also, Micki gets swept up as a movie actress at Pratt's insistence in record time. Okay, I can buy Pratt spotlighting her. But the rest of the crew applauding her performance--which is hardly applaud-worthy--is a bit much.
Hopefully we get the last of Ryan's jealous pining over his distant cousin Micki. It's not any better than it was in earlier episodes.
There's also the weird use by Amory of the name "William Pratt". Doesn't everyone know that it was Boris Karloff's real name? It's even gaslit in the episode, twice, by Geary and then by Jack at the end in case the audience didn't get the message.
Bolger gives a good portrayal of the tormented actor, Pratt. And I like his little comment to the case about how it's "making him" kill people to maintain his looks. It makes him much more sympathetic then many of the villains of the week who cheerfully kill for temporary gain. (Hi, "Cupid's Quiver"!). The only problem is that originally, "Master of Disguise" aired a week after "Symphony in B #", which has much the same premise of a talented performer who kills to regain his talent. In Janos' case, his hands, while in Pratt's case, his movie-star good looks.
In both cases, one of the main characters falls in love in record time. Micki's romance with Pratt is a little more realistic than Ryan's with Leslie's, so there's that.
Overall, "Master" continues the trend of sympathetic villains and decent cursed items that are more than just murder weapons. In this case, the makeup case doesn't help Pratt kill anyone. It just gives him good looks when he does. Overall, it's an above-average episode.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?
Also, Micki gets swept up as a movie actress at Pratt's insistence in record time. Okay, I can buy Pratt spotlighting her. But the rest of the crew applauding her performance--which is hardly applaud-worthy--is a bit much.
Hopefully we get the last of Ryan's jealous pining over his distant cousin Micki. It's not any better than it was in earlier episodes.
There's also the weird use by Amory of the name "William Pratt". Doesn't everyone know that it was Boris Karloff's real name? It's even gaslit in the episode, twice, by Geary and then by Jack at the end in case the audience didn't get the message.
Bolger gives a good portrayal of the tormented actor, Pratt. And I like his little comment to the case about how it's "making him" kill people to maintain his looks. It makes him much more sympathetic then many of the villains of the week who cheerfully kill for temporary gain. (Hi, "Cupid's Quiver"!). The only problem is that originally, "Master of Disguise" aired a week after "Symphony in B #", which has much the same premise of a talented performer who kills to regain his talent. In Janos' case, his hands, while in Pratt's case, his movie-star good looks.
In both cases, one of the main characters falls in love in record time. Micki's romance with Pratt is a little more realistic than Ryan's with Leslie's, so there's that.
Overall, "Master" continues the trend of sympathetic villains and decent cursed items that are more than just murder weapons. In this case, the makeup case doesn't help Pratt kill anyone. It just gives him good looks when he does. Overall, it's an above-average episode.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?