Nobody Will Ever Know

***SPOILERS*** Always wanting to be his own man industrial chemical researcher Tom Benning, Tom Tryon, feels trapped in his job at Continental owned by his father-in-law R.Randolph Weirtherill, David Lewis. With his Elizabeth Taylor look-alike, but much prettier, wife Jan, Myrna Fahey, wanting him to get ahead in the business all Tom can see is that he'll be stuck at his job as a chemical researcher with the boss, old man Wertherill, having no confidence in his work at the plant. That's until sleazy Alan Parson,Liam Sullivan,comes on the scene and get's him to steal and sell all the secrets of Continental to a likewise chemical plant overseas. And for a cheap $10,000.00 payoff in return no less.

At first rejecting Parsons offer Tom later gives in and takes the pay-off money only to change his mind later after a heart to heart talk with Jan. Now facing not only the loss of his job but being indited for industrial espionage Tom is screwed either way he turns. By going to Mr.Wertherill and the police to report Parson or going along with him by getting deeper into the trouble then he's already in.

***SPOILERS*** It takes a lot of soul searching on Tom's part but in the end he does the right thing. That's by stringing Person and his thugs along and then lowering the boom on them when he gets enough evidence, the secret papers that he stole for them, to hang them with. Still Tom has his work cut out for him in trying to save Jan's life who was kidnapped and held as ransom by Person & co. Which set up the films exciting car chase climax that had Person & Co. end up getting caught by the highway patrol in their attempt to keep Tom from talking. As for his job Tom really doesn't need it now that he sees that he can make it on his own without the help of his father-in-law Mr. Wertherill with his daughter Jan finally sticking by her husband's-Tom Banning's-side.

P.S Sad to say the strikingly beautiful Myrna Fahey wouldn't live to go on to bigger and better roles on TV and in films dying of cancer in May 1973 at the age of 40.

Kraft Suspense Theatre prided itself on hiring top-notch stars from movies and TV with interesting storylines, but "Nobody Will Ever Know" has neither. It's a clunker all the way.

Tom Tryon was a wooden actor -he did better as the author of the best-selling horror novel "The Other". Here he plays a research scientist but the plot is about corruption, industrial espionage and the old-fashioned "corporate rat race" -competing for promotions and climbing the corporate ladder. All of it deadly dull.

I couldn't believe how unsympathetic Tryon's character was - a combination of his chip on both shoulders backstory and Tryon's non acting - just a great stone face throughout. His father-in-law owns the company and he can't seem to prove his own worth, while the role of his wife for Pippa Scott is underwritten, making her virtually a blank. Worse yet, instead of some great character actor, the heavy role of the creep who sucks him into crime is a dull walk-through by Liam Sullivan, dead weight on the screen (think Robert Webber on a bad day).

A forced, phony happy ending completes this disaster of a time-killer whose master tape should have been erased rather than ending up so many decades later on YouTube.

Actor/novelist Tom Tryon plays a research scientist coincidentally named Tom who yearns for a promotion that will never come, and is saddled with a gorgeous wife (Myrna Fahey) who wants him to succeed but also is the daughter of the man who owns the company Tom works for. And this father-daughter relationship is way too close for comfort. An opportunity for Tom arises in the form of an offer from some sinister agents for cold hard cash in exchange for company secrets. Tom, in a moment of weakness, complies. But it's only the beginning of trouble, and Tom and his wife soon find themselves in grave danger. The episode is badly dated in many ways, but as study of the human condition, it keeps the interest up today. Great finish, by he way, and some interesting camera angles to boot. Both stars died much too young, sad to say. Tryon, who did a fair amount of TV work, went on to become a best selling novelist with his first book, a tight little horror tome called "The Other," which was turned into a very successful movie. It was perhaps most notable for the casting of legendary actress and acting teacher Uta Hagen in a key role. Too bad Tryon didn't live longer. Who knows what else he might have had up his sleeve?

Tom (Tom Tryon) married the boss' daughter and is an executive with the company. The problem is that his wife is used to living well...and with his salary, it ain't easy. Additionally, he often feels resentful about his place in the company and his chances of promotion. So what's his solution--to sell company secrets! Not surprisingly, this comes back to bite him on the butt. After all, if it worked out swell, it wouldn't be an episode of "Kraft Suspense Theater"!

This is a decent episode, though making Tom so stupid and unlikable detract from the show a bit. Making him more understandable and like a decent man just in over his head would have worked better. Additionally, Tryon's acting is a bit robotic in this one. But the story is interesting and you could do a lot worse!

By the way, the second I saw the character Alan Parsons (Liam Sullivan) I KNEW he was an evil weasel! Sullivan OFTEN played awful characters with no moral center, such as when he guest starred in shows like "Dragnet" and "Star Trek". It's like seeing John Colicos or Anthony Zerbe or Simon Oakland...you just know what you're bound to see when these guys show up on a television program!