"Lizard's Leg and Owlet's Wing" served as the third season's Halloween broadcast on October 26, 1962, ushering in a screen revival for both Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney while providing one of Peter Lorre's last TV appearances (all three play themselves). We first see the 56 year old Chaney in his father's guise of the Hunchback, later wrapped up as The Mummy before going out in style as his own Wolf Man, just as Karloff dons his signature makeup one final time as Frankenstein's Monster (at age 74!). Martin Milner as Tod and George Maharis as Buz now find themselves working at the O'Hare Inn outside Chicago, where Buz is in his element ogling the pretty girls (among them Jeannine Riley and Betsy Jones-Moreland), while Tod is assigned as liaison for the trio of Hollywood stars and their attempt to prove that they still have the ability to scare the new generation. Lon is adamant that what worked before remains effective, Boris a bit more skeptical, Lorre (garbed only in a cape) delivering a priceless retort when being compared to 'Peter Lorre': "that's pretty insulting, isn't it?" The frightened reactions of the girls prove an absolute delight for our classic monsters, Chaney in particular rejoicing up and down the hotel hallways before bidding farewell with one last snarl. Brief turns from Conrad Nagel and Martita Hunt can't steal the thunder from the terror-ble trio, the whole thing rather slight yet pure nostalgia for long time chiller fans. Karloff would soon return to films in "The Raven," Chaney doing the same in "The Haunted Palace," both for AIP opposite current horror star Vincent Price (this was the second of Lon's three ROUTE 66 episodes, preceded by "The Mud Nest" and followed by "Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are!").
Review of Lizard's Leg and Owlet's Wing
