Thriller: Murder Motel (ITV 24 May 1975 with Ralph Bates and Edward Judd)

UK / ITV – ATV – ITC / 1×75 minute episode / Broadcast ITV 24 May 1975

Writer: Brian Clemens / Production Design: Roger Allan / Director: Malcolm Taylor

Series: Thriller/ Season 5 Episode 7

Visitors to the Woodheath Motel have a strange habit of going missing. When Michael Spencer disappears after spending the night there, his girlfriend Kathy investigates but could very well be next on the list.

One of the slightly stranger, shall we say, entries in the anthology series. It does pack a few tense moments in but you know what is going on really almost from the opening scenes and it definitely would have been good to see more of the wonderful Ralph Bates in this (he is only in the opening ten minutes). Michael and his sister Helen are initially planning a con job to take twenty thousand pounds from Michael’s employer but that soon goes by the wayside. The whole thing is lacking in believability.

This was the final episode of the fifth season.

cast
DEREK FRANCIS as Sam
ROBYN MILLAN as Kathy
RALPH BATES as Michael Spencer
EDWARD JUDD as Charles Burns
PATRICK JORDAN as Inspector Turner
PAUL HUMPOLETZ as Osgood
PATRICK TULL as Terry
KEITH ANDERSON as Auditor
ALLAN McCLELLAND as Lee
JOHN HALLAM as Roscoe
ANNE RUTTER as Helen Spencer
JUNE WATSON as Petra
GILLIAN McCUTCHEON as Janice Freeman
LYN MILLER and ADRIAN SHERGOLD as Young Couple
PETER MacKRIEL as Mr Taylor