The Iron Maiden (1964) User Reviews (6)

Kimble's stuck in a cave-in and Girard is just waiting for him to show himself.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 14 April 2017]

The story begins with Congresswoman Snell making an inspection of a mining project. Things seem to be going just fine, though later an unexpected accident causes an explosion...and several people, including the Congresswoman and Kimble, are stuck underground and might not survive. While this sucks, what also sucks is that Girard finds out that Kimble is there and he waits above...just biding him time until he shows himself. In the meantime, Kimble is invaluable in saving the other people and risks his life to bring them life-giving air. Can these people allow Kimble to do this and then just be ushered off to prison?

An enjoyable change of pace, this one is a pretty good episode and kept my interest.

Plot summary

[ynot-16 · 9/10 · 13 November 2006]

Kimble is working on a construction project, the digging of an underground facility for the launching of missiles. Congresswoman Snell, played by actress Nan Martin, comes to investigate for her committee. She had previously investigated another project run by Jack Glennon (actor Stephen McNally), leading to his ruination. On the comeback now, he greatly fears what the congresswoman will do to him.

In the underground shaft, the congresswoman injures her ankle, leading to treatment by Kimble, and an unfortunate photograph. After an explosion and partial collapse of the tunnel, Gerard arrives to get his man. Meanwhile, down below, Snell comes to admire Glennon, in part because of the easy camaraderie between him and his men, where Snell's only friendships are cold and business-oriented. She also comes to admire Kimble, but notices his reaction to learning that his "friend" Mr. Gerard is up top waiting for him.

Kimble confesses to the people below about his problems, and they arrange an ingenious escape for him.

The doc is an especially tight spot

[jsinger-58969 · 8/10 · 1 February 2023]

Off topic, but Iron Maiden had a song entitled The Fugitive. But, that has nothing to do with this week's episode, which finds Dick trapped in a caved in missle silo, with Gerard waiting for him in the event he survives. Kimble is the greatest escape artist since Houdini, but how is he getting out of this? To set the scene, Dick is working for a civilian crew digging the silo for the government. The background check wasn't too stringent apparently. A congresswoman is there to write a report, and she has history with the construction company owner. Not good history, as she blamed him for another job that went wrong, which he says wasn't his fault. And there's this photographer who takes a picture of her and Kimble at the bottom of the silo. Col. Len Taft the third tells him not to use the pic and he promises not to do so. He breaks his promise, and even worse, clumsily knocks a can of gasoline down the silo, which lands on a blow torch! So this is a real problem. The photog, a real weasel, is happy his pic gets published and has absolutely no guilt about the disaster he's caused. Of course, the pic gets back to Gerard, and here he comes. Meanwhile, Dick heroically saves everyone by tapping on a pipe and having air sent in before everyone suffocates. So he's a hero to all of those trapped, even the unlovable congresswoman. So, here we are. Is it a spoiler to say he gets away? Well, it's not the finale, so there's that. And Gerard is there, and the brilliant lawman never gets his man, so there's that, too. In the end, the congresswoman and the construction company owner just might be starting a beautiful relationship. Richard Kimble, bringing people together since 1963. Richard Kimble.....fugitive.

12/15/64 "The Iron Maiden"

[schappe1 · 15 May 2015]

Another delicious situation for Kimble to get out of, (arguably his closest call before "The Judgment"), although the credibility factor is pretty low. He's working for a private contractor building a missile silo for the government, (even though he's not a government employee, Kimble would be subject to a level of scrutiny he'd wish to avoid). Nan Martin plays a visiting Congress woman who takes a dim view of things because she takes a dim view of everything. She's had a previous run-in with the company's owner, (Steven McNally). She demands a tour of the silo, (basically just a hole in the ground, although there are some a joining rooms). A nosy photographer takes a picture of her. The flash startles her and she twists an ankle. The same guy then takes a picture of her ankle being taped- by Richard Kimble! Then after leaving the silo, the photographer causes an accident that produces a fire and a cave-in that traps Kimble, the Congresswoman, McNally and a couple of his other employees in the rooms. The photographer then completes the set-up by publishing the picture with Kimble in it, which brings Gerard, who will be waiting when they clear the mess and pull the people back up.

Richard Anderson, who will return as Kimble's brother–in-law in "The Judgement", here plays a no-nonsense military Colonel who jousts with Gerard. An interesting side-story is that of Martin's apparently loyal assistant, played by Christine White, who immediately sells her story of the cave in to the newspapers. This causes the cynical Congresswoman to realize that her cynicism has caused cynical people to flock to her and maybe she should reassess her view of the world and her behavior in it. Martin has a combination of sunken eyes but a reptilian smile that is perfect for her role. And the metal case they use to lower and raise the people from the silo resembles the medieval torture devise of the title.

A Riveting Episode

[tavasiloff · 10/10 · 27 October 2020]

Haven't seen this one in years. Watching it again kept me on the edge of my seat. Excellent casting and a strong story line. You will enjoy it!

Rescued by the brotherhood

[MissClassicTV · 7/10 · 3 July 2018]

At the start, we meet Dr. Kimble as he's working and joking with his fellow crewman on a Nevada construction site. No one is yet in pursuit and Kimble has a stable job. He even puts his medical training to use as the crew's first aid man. Throughout the episode, we see that the men work well together and are able to count on each other, including Kimble in their fraternity.

The explosions and heavy construction look great. Trapped underground, inhabiting a small space, heroic Kimble saves them all by crawling through rubble to reach an air vent. It has the makings of a gripping story. But it's all spoiled by Nan Martin, who plays a one-dimensional congresswoman. She's nasty, totally unlikeable, and charmless, wielding an almost casual abuse of power. But the wonderful Christine White, as the secretary to the congresswoman, has an interesting supporting role and was pivotal to Kimble's crisis and eventual escape. It's because of her that Dr. Kimble realizes that Lt. Gerard is on the scene. And later, the congresswoman, who had earlier said, "She's like my own sister," realizes that her secretary isn't really her friend. White's a good actress and provides a little spark in each of her scenes. Who could blame her for her moment of disloyalty to her employer?

This episode would have fared better with someone other than Martin playing the congresswoman, or if the character had been written a little differently. Unfortunately, it wasn't unusual to have career women portrayed negatively on TV and film in the 1960s. But not all is lost.