By Melissa Antoinette Garza
What a find this is! EVENING PRIMROSE was an episode of the anthology series ABC STAGE 67. Though it originally aired in color, the only existing copies are from a found print in black-and-white. Upon locating the gem, it was released on DVD in 2010. Currently, it’s on AMAZON at a very fair price and streaming on YOUTUBE for free.
I love Anthony Perkins so much. Here, he stars as Charles Snell (Anthony Perkins). Snell is a writer that stays in a department store after closing. He intends to live there and find inspiration for his work. He sings a wonderful song explaining his intentions of saying goodbye to all those he knew before. He is trading it his old life for one of writing poems among all the beautiful items being sold. He indulges himself on the products and celebrates his genius for thinking of such a marvelous idea.
When a security guard hears him singing and comes looking, Snell hides with the mannequins. I’m glad I wasn’t the security guard. I would have started making out with the Anthony Perkins mannequin and things would have gotten awkward when he turned out to be real. Then again, I’d look the other way while he robbed the store, so he might give me some action, after all. He’s dapper and all sorts of yummy.
The guard leaves and Charles is shocked to find that the mannequin next to him is also a real dude. His name is Roscoe Potts (Larry Gates) and he’s not alone. That security guard has to be dumber than a box of rocks for falling for that!
Roscoe shows him how nearly all the mannequins in the store are real people who live there. The group of mall dwellers are ruled by Mrs. Monday (Dorothy Stickney) who has lived there for decades. She tells Charles that if he wishes to stay he must pledge to be there forever. He is told that if he tries to leave the dark men will come for him. They all fear the dark men.
Charles is taken by one of the gals. Ella Harkins (Charmian Carr) is a pretty young woman who is ostracized by the rest of the group. She’s forced to stay, but doesn’t want to. She’s looked down upon because of her eyes, appearance and manner of speak.
When Charles makes a move on Ella, Roscoe catches them. He tells Ella she’ll be punished and sends her away. Roscoe tells Snell to steer clear of her because she’s like those on the outside. Mrs. Monday doesn’t allow anyone to speak with her. If he does, he’ll be taken away by the Dark Men.
He risks it and goes to see her. He finds Ella with a makeshift voodoo doll of Monday. Charles lets it slide and the two grow close. She reveals she has been a maid to Monday since age 6 when she fell asleep at the store while her mother was trying on hats. Roscoe and crew were going to let her go, but Monday insist she stay and care for her needs. Mrs. Monday needs a beat down.
Charles is fully smitten, but Ella warns him away. She tells him that the dark men emerge from the mortuary and take away those who Mrs. Monday says to. They then turn them into real mannequins. This inspires Snell more than scares him. He writes a little poem about the dark men and stays with Ella while she sings a lovey song.
Charles goes in for a kiss and Ella loves it. She’s never been touched by a man before. All the dudes she knows are senior citizens and now this sexy gent is all about her and she falls hard. She tries to protect him and warn him against doing anything foolish, but Charles gives zero fucks. He swears he’s going to take Ella away. When he finds out she can’t read or write, he wants to teach her. He wants to show her the world.
Ella is scared and Charles is trying to be careful, but can’t wait to be with her. The duo have difficulty hiding their affections. Just kill that old biddy and do it already!
They sneak around to outdoor sports where the mall dwellers never venture. They are able to see each other quite often there. They have picnics, they heat up the tents and ravish each other on hammocks. (well, actually they just do homework and read poetry, but my imagination fills in the rest).
Ella learns how to read and begins understanding basic math. The two are head-over-heels for one another. Soon though, she grows restless. She needs to leave the mall. She wants to see everything outside, but Charles is afraid of the real world. As much as he hates Mrs. Monday, he’s scared to go back to everything he left. His fears are justified. He’s afraid of being homeless, hungry and out of work, but Ella has wings and that girl has to fly! She’s been held captive too long. Charles doesn’t want to be a captor, but he tries to insist that he’s older and wiser. He is insistent about staying, but she has him wrapped around her finger. She questions his love and he relents immediately. He promises to get them out during a gala celebration for Mrs. Monday.
Everyone ends up hearing them sing about leaving as unbeknownst to the duo they intercom was on. At the party, Ella can tell that something is off. She is sure they know and have summoned the dark men. She begs Charles to leave. Against the dangers of the dark men and Mrs. Monday’s wrath, Charles and Ella attempt their escape. I want them to win. I so want them to win! They’re not gonna win are they?
I love this. The music is beautiful and the story is hauntingly romantic. It’s so unique and different than anything else. It’s somewhere in-between A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1993) and THE TWILIGHT ZONE (1960) episode After Hours.
Charmian Carr is wonderful in the lead. She conveys such pure innocence in Ella. There is a genuine and earnest kindness that flows thru making it impossible not to root for her. It is her loveliness that makes the hatred for Mrs. Monday fester and grow so quickly.
And then there’s Anthony Perkins. He was perfect. I can fan-girl about Perkins all day long. He has this gentle strength that is so desirable. He was a fem boy with edge and he wore it so well. There was nothing ever superficial about him. I would gladly trade places with him and hang on his cloud for awhile if it meant the world would be blessed with his beauty again. I adore few others to that extent.
I love this. I’m so happy they found this print and that it has been preserved for future generations to enjoy. I highly recommend it. Enjoy it before the copyright cops take it down from YOUTUBE or just pony up the $8.00 and buy it.
Scared Stiff Rating: 8.5/10
