It Crawled Out of the Woodwork

Infobox Television episode
Title = It Crawled Out of the Woodwork
Series = The Outer Limits


Caption =
Season = 1
Episode = 11
Airdate = December 9, 1963
Production = 18
Writer = Joseph Stefano
Director = Gerd Oswald
Photographer = Conrad Hall
Guests = Scott Marlowe
Kent Smith
Barbara Luna
Michael Forest
Joan Camden
Edward Asner
Episode list = List of "The Outer Limits" episodes
Prev = Nightmare
Next = The Borderland

"It Crawled Out Of The Woodwork" is an episode of the original "The Outer Limits" television show. It first aired on 9 December, 1963, during the first season.

Introduction

A cleaning lady attempts to vacuum up what appears to be a dust-bunny, but as soon it is in the vacuum cleaner it explodes into a bizarre energy entity.

Opening narration

Plot

A security guard at the gates of NORCO, a physics research center, is brusque when the Peters brothers drive up, even though Stuart is taking a job with the company. Oddly, the guard slips them a matchbook on which he has scrawled, "NORCO is doomed." When the brothers leave a monstrous explosion of energy appears and the guard disintegrates.

The next day at NORCO Stuart meets his boss, head scientist Dr. Block, and mentions the note, which Block dismisses. Block leaves Stuart in the laboratory with a coworker, Dr. Stephanie Linden. Linden directs Stuart into an adjacent corridor then locks him in, releasing the grotesque energy entity.

Days pass, and when Stuart does not return his brother Jory grows worried, confining his concerns to his girlfriend, Gaby. However when Stuart reappears the two men fight, and Stuart falls in the bathtub where he is electrocuted. It proves that Stuart was wearing a pacemaker that he did not have when the brothers arrived.

The police investigate and Sgt. Siroleo confronts Block at NORCO. However it is Linden who reveals the truth: an entity composed entirely of energy has been accidentally created. It can consume anyone with a mere touch, and is so threatening that those who encounter it at close range inevitably die of fright. Dr. Block found a way to control the entity and is keeping it contained while he tries to uncover "the mystery of it." When the other scientists demanded its destruction, Block had the horror frighten them to death, then restored them to life with pacemakers, which will cease to function if Block directs his creature to draw the power from them.

Dr. Block reappears with a gun, and, holding Siroleo and Linden at bay, releases the entity. Siroleo, however, wrests away the gun and shoots Block. Now he, Linden, and Peters must face the uncontrollable energy monster.

Closing narration

Cast

* Scott Marlowe – as Jory Peters
* Michael Forest – as Stuart Peters
* Barbara Luna – as Gaby Christian
* Kent Smith – as Dr. Block
* Edward Asner – as Sgt. Siroleo
* Joan Camden – as Dr. Stephanie Linden
* Tom Palmer – as Coroner
* Ted de Corsia – as New Sentry
* Gene Darfler – as Warren Edgar Morley
* Lea Marmer – as Cleaning Lady
* Robert Johnson – as NORCO Intercom Voice

External links

* [http://membres.lycos.fr/tmcr/daystar/tol_s1/tol_eps11.shtml Detailed episode guide] by 'Monsieur Vincent'
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