Pickman's Model (1971 short)

"Pickman's Model" segment of Night Gallery (1970 series)

Summary

The "Pickman's Model" segment of the Night Gallery (1970 series), a fairly faithful adaptation of Lovecraft's story "Pickman's Model (fiction)", about the disturbing paintings of Richard Upton Pickman, and how they were created....

Details

Release Date: 1971
Country/Language: USA, English
Genres/Technical: Horror, Fantasy
Runtime: 30 min
Starring: Bradford Dillman, Louise Sorel, Donald Moffat, Jock Livingston, Joan Tompkins, Rod Serling
Director: Jeff Corey, Jack Laird
Writer: H.P. Lovecraft (original story), Alvin Sapinsley (teleplay)
Producer/Production Co: Jack Laird, Rod Serling
View Film: (link)

Ratings

MPAA Ratings

Rated: (none) (equivalent to "G" or perhaps "PG" for 1970s TV horror)

This is probably going to be kid-friendly for all but the most sensitive children; the ghoul even looks more cute than terrifying....

Tentacle Ratings

A rough measure of how "Lovecraftian" the work is:

SSSS_ (Four Tentacles: remarkably Lovecraftian)

It's a mostly faithful adaptation of Lovecraft's story, except that a (tastefully handled) romantic subplot was inserted and the protagonist is played by a young woman; the changes work well in this case, since it helps explain the protagonist's fascination with Pickman better than the apparently platonic hero-worship alone of Lovecraft's original character.

Note: This rating is not intended as a measure of quality, merely of how closely related to Lovecraftian "Weird" fiction the work is.

Reviews

Review Links:

TheLurker.com: (link) - "...In many ways the screenplay is better crafted than the story. It has more dimensions and more substance. Unfortunately, it is dated in a way the story will never be...."

Synopsis

The "Pickman's Model" segment of the Night Gallery (1970 series), a fairly faithful adaptation of Lovecraft's story "Pickman's Model (fiction)", about the disturbing paintings of Richard Upton Pickman, and how they were created....

Notes

Comments, Trivia, Dedication

Associated Mythos Elements