User Reviews

"Four Star Playhouse" was a 1950s show that alternated four top stars in the lead in this weekly anthology series. Unfortunately, the original four star lineup changed quite a bit (especially the ladies) and it really could be called "Many More Than Four Star Playhouse"! However, despite this, the episodes I've seen were all quite good thanks to excellent acting and writing.

"The Man on the Train" begins with William Langford (David Niven) taking a train ride. An old casual acquaintance, John Dwerrihouse (Alan Napier) soon enters his compartment and they begin talking. During this conversation, Dwerrihouse behaves rather oddly--but it's difficult to put your finger on exactly what is going on with him. Obviously Langford feels the same way and when Dwerrihouse leaves the train, Langford tries to follow--but Dwerrihouse seems to have just vanished.

Later, when Langford mentions to some people about having seen Dwerrihouse on the train, they become indignant--he couldn't have seen him, as Dwerrihouse has been missing for some time. Plus, while Dwerrihouse told Langford many important details that would indicate the two HAD met on the train, some other details didn't match. What's going on?! Langford insists he's not making this up and he isn't crazy and the only thing that might explain all this is that Dwerrihouse was a ghost.

The biggest plus in this show is the acting. Such fine British actors as Niven, Napier and Rhys Williams certainly make the show exceptional. But fortunately, there's more than that--the writing and direction are also quite fine and make the show seem more like a short movie than just some TV show. Well worth seeing. And, if you want to see it, it's available for free download at archive.org.

I first saw this segment of "Four Star Playhouse" when I was about nine years old. I had a slight fever and was watching it while lying on the living room couch while my mom, dad, and grandma sat in chairs beside me. "The Man on the Train" (NOT "Man on a Train")scared the willies out of me at the time, and each time I think of it, I STILL get the willies.

David Niven plays a London businessman who has an extremely eerie encounter with a stranger on a train (with apologies to Alfred Hitchcock.) No blood, no gore, just chills galore.

Daniel Cohen, in his superb book "Railway Ghosts and Highway Horrors" masterfully retells this story. Whether Cohen meant his tale to be taken as a true tale of terror, or one of fiction is a matter of conjecture, but whichever way it is taken, as a tale, a re-telling of a real incident, or a superb TV show, "The Man on the Train" has to be one the greatest ghost stories of all time.

The TV version is available on budget DVD, under the title "Four Star Playhouse, Volume One."