One Step Beyond The Trap (1959–1961) Online

Dominic DiNovio (Mike Kellin) of Chicago is suddenly struck by a remarkable malady. He feels as if the world is closing in on him. He is unbelievably thirsty, and the heat is unbearable. He calls out in the night to a strange woman, Edna, and he writes despairing notes of goodbye to her. Dom's wife, Florence (Ruth Storey), is at her wit's end, thinking he may be tiring of her. As a last resort, she sends for Dt. Barnes (Alex Gerry), who commits Dom to the hospital.

In the hospital Dr. Barnes finds the critically ill Dominic to be dying of heat and dehydration. By now he is having hallucinations. The doctor tells Florence that the case is virtually hopeless. A team of specialists has been consulted, but none of them has an inkling what might be wrong with the dying man. Finally, a priest (Bert Remsen) is called to administer last rites.

SPOILER ALERT: While the priest is praying, Dom mumbles incoherently about hearing men on horses, he mentions Reno and a lawyer named Harkness. The priest reports these ramblings to Florence and the doctor who are nonplussed. On a hunch the doctor calls Reno, Nevada, trying to locate such a person.

Astonishingly, on a ranch outside Reno, Nevada, Sam Harkness (Francis De Sales) calls on his client and friend, Edna Gibbs (Jeanne Bates), whose husband Frederick has gone missing, to ask if Fred could have fallen into some sort of pit. Sam received an incredible telephone call from a doctor in Chicago, which they must take seriously.

Sam and Edna go to an abandoned mine on a remote part of the ranch and discover Frederick Gibbs (Mike Kellin) lying under some timbers, almost dead of heat and dehydration.

John Newland says that Dominic DiNovio and Frederick Gibbs were identical twins, and explains the many psychic phenomena shared by such siblings. The men were not aware of the other's existence until this event brought them together. Strangest of all, the notes that Dominic had written in his delirium were exactly like those written by Frederick while he was lying on the floor of the abandoned mine.

In Chicago, happily married Mike Kellin (as Dominic "Dom" DiNovio) startles wife Ruth Storey (as Florence) by suddenly sinking into an unexplained delirium. He drinks a lot of water, screams "Help me!" sweats profusely and calls out for a woman named "Edna". Mr. Kellin feels like he's blacked out and become another man. His personality begins to change to someone named "Fredrick Gibbs" from Reno, Nevada. For what it is, this episode is tightly plotted by Larry Marcus and the "One Step Beyond" team. The explanation of the events depicted make perfect sense… and no sense...

*** The Trap (11/15/60) John Newland ~ Mike Kellin, Ruth Storey, Alex Gerry, Jeanne Bates

Mike Kellin stars as a happily married man named Dominic, who is arriving back to his Chicago home with his wife Florence(played by Ruth Storey). While laying in bed, Dom is suddenly stricken with a most bizarre disorder, as he starts crying out in panic how he is trapped, and becomes dehydrated while calling out for a woman named Edna, whom neither of them know. She calls for a doctor, but he is unable to provide a reasonable explanation, but gradually the incredible truth comes out involving a most unexpected connection Dom has with a man he never even knew existed... Marginal episode is mostly obvious and predictable, but the two leads are most believable in their roles.

The summary for this episode posted here on the IMDb is entirely inaccurate. Dominic DeNovio (Mike Kellin) did not find himself in a parallel universe or experience a slightly altered version of himself. The other reviewers before me pretty much told the story of Dominic and his wife Florence (Ruth Storey) so I won't have to go there. I'll simply recap series host John Newland's theory of a psychic link between Dominic and the identical twin brother he never knew he had, who got trapped in a mine in Nevada. Apparently, the thoughts they shared were so strong that Dominic channeled Fred Gibbs' voice and hand writing with such accuracy that a Nevada attorney 'Fred' spoke of was able to close the circle on the mystery with the help of Fred's wife Edna (Jeanne Bates). Dominic and his brother were separated shortly after birth with Fred put up for adoption, given as the reason Dominic never had an inkling of his existence. Disbelievers will obviously shrug off the story as a Twilight Zone type of fantasy, however there have been other documented instances of siblings, usually identical twins, who have also exhibited this eerie psychic link. As with most of these stories, you'll have to make up your own mind.

***SPOILERS*** You just know that something shocking is about to happen when the show's, "One Step Beyond", host John Newland explains what your about to see in the next 30 or so minutes. Newland looking like he's in a state of shock tells those of us watching in the audience "There's nothing that I can possibly tell you about this psychic occurrence that can prepare you for its fantastic end"!

The psychic occurrence has to do with Chicago resident Dominic DiNovio, Mike Kellin, who after having a night out on the town with his old lady Florence, Ruth Story, suddenly developed a unquenchable thirst that despite gulping down gallons of water left him dehydrated! Going into convulsions and being near death to the point where a local priest, Bert Remsen, was called in to give the Catholic observant DiNovio the last rites. The doctor treating him at the hospital Dr. Barns, Alex Garry, in a "Hail Mary" like attempt to save DiNovio life got in touch with the person whom he's been screaming out in his delirium since in started to dry up and go berserk a Sam Harkness, Francis De Dales, in Reno Nevada.

***SPOILERS**** Getting in touch with Harkness, who's phone number he got from the Reno telephone operator, Dr. Berns is shocked to find out that what DiNovio was saying or ranting about was absolutely true! He was even right on target in the name of the women Edna Gibbs, Jenne Bates, whom he's been calling out for, at the annoyance of his wife Ruth, to come and help him!***MAJOR SPOILER*** DiNovio was in fact two people in two different places, some 1,000 miles apart, at the very same time! And it was Dinovio's other self Fredrick Gibbs, Edna's husband, who was desperately calling out for help in him being trapped in a mine shaft through his identical twin brother, whom he never knew he had, Dominic DiNovio to get Harkness and Edna to both find him and save his life!