Age of Peril (1952) User Reviews (4)

Dennis Patrick Looks for Liars

[wes-connors · 5/10 · 7 January 2011]

In the future year of 1965, U.S. Bureau of Scientific Investigation officer Dennis Patrick (as Larry Calhoun) is sent to investigate the leaking of national security secrets from a San Jose, California plant. Mr. Patrick is assisted by scientist John McGovern (as Dr. Chappell), who has developed an infallible lie detector testing machine. The doctor's pretty daughter Phyllis Kirk (as Irene) adds feminine beauty to the cast. Assured that the criminal activity is an inside job, Patrick is startled when everyone at the plant passes Mr. McGovern's lie detector test. Well, everyone except security officer Don Briggs (as Herbert Rand) who refuses to take the test, on principle. As Patrick prepares to force Mr. Briggs to take the test, another suspect becomes known...

But, when the man is finally caught, he passes the test, and is freed!

Back in Washington, Patrick learns a rash of otherwise clearly guilty suspects are being released, after passing lie detector tests. If he can't solve the mystery, we will enter a dangerous new "Age of Peril"… Although this interesting drama did not accurately predict the future regarding lie detector tests, it foresaw problems with them. The episode's medium may be crude but the mystery is fairly played, and not that easy to solve. Despite the billing, the star is Dennis Harrison, aka Dennis Patrick after dropping the Harrison. Mr. Patrick is probably best known for his appearances on the supernatural serial "Dark Shadows" (1967-1970).

***** Age of Peril (2/15/52) Don Medford ~ Dennis Patrick, Phyllis Kirk, Donald Briggs, John McGovern

Rather weak....where is the exciting twist?

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 12 September 2012]

From a technical standpoint, this episode of "Tales of Tomorrow" isn't great. Especially in the opening sequence, there are plenty of flubbed lines--so many that I assumed it was filmed live or the show was so sloppily done that they ignored the mistakes and aired it anyway.

The show is about the work of Mr. Calhoun--a government investigator who is trying to get the bottom of some espionage happening in a plant in California. However, using a fantastic new lie detecting device, he learns nothing--nothing other than somehow people are now able to cheat the system.

There are two main problems with this episode. First, the surprise twist isn't all that interesting nor strange. I actually saw it coming. Second, the show never really did resolve the espionage problem--and they forgot about it completely! All in all, one of the weaker episodes of an otherwise interesting anthology series.

Far-fetched and illogical

[jamesrupert2014 · 5/10 · 30 December 2021]

Taking place in the distant year of 1965, a government agent (Donald Briggs) uses a flawless lie-detector to try to find out who is stealing top-secret missile data but soon realizes that either the supposedly completely reliable test can be beaten or the spy is the head of security, the only person who refuses to be tested. The 'surprise' ending doesn't make much sense both from a psychological and a jurisprudence perspective but the episode is a relatively imaginative and moderately entertaining entry in the old sci-fi series. That the show was broadcast live is obvious: the actors make, and awkwardly correct, several errors when saying their lines.

Did Anyone Question These Scripts?

[Hitchcoc · 3/10 · 1 August 2013]

It is 14 years into the future, 1965. A perfect lie detector has been developed and accepted by the law community. There is, apparently, a one in one hundred thousand chance the thing will make a mistake. Some breech of security has taken place involving a guided missile project. A man is hired to question over 500 plant employees. They are all asked three questions: What is your name? What do you do? and Have you ever been in this room before. They are all cleared. One day, they suspect their phone is being bugged because of a clicking sound and they set up an audio trap to catch the bad guy. While trying to break into a safe, supposedly containing secrets, a man has his picture taken. They bring him in and soon the thing gets about as stupid as can be. Apparently, it doesn't matter if you murder someone in broad daylight in front of witnesses. If the machine says you didn't do it, you didn't do it. This thing is so full of holes, it could be mistaken for a woolen mill filled with moths. The conclusion is beyond belief.