The Veil is an American horror/suspense anthology television series produced in 1958 by Hal Roach Studios.
The series was hosted by Boris Karloff, who also acts in every episode but one ("Jack the Ripper" which was produced by another studio and acquired by Hal Roach Studios). Episode plots allegedly were based upon real-life reports of supernatural happenings and the unexplained. Ten of the 12 episodes begin and end with Karloff standing in front of a roaring fireplace and inviting viewers to find out what lies "behind the veil".
The series was never broadcast. Financial problems within the the studio resulted in production being cancelled after only 10 episodes were made and the number of episodes was considered to be too small to justify sale to a network or to syndication. In the late 1960s, footage from several episodes was combined to make Compilation Movies which were shown late night television. The series was not released in in its entirety until 1990.
Tropes Beyond the Veil:
- Backdoor Pilot: "The Vestris" was a backdoor pilot for The Veil that aired as a 1958 episode of the anthology series Telephone Time.
- Beware of Hitchhiking Ghosts: In the "Girl on the Road", a motorist aids a girl stranded on the highway. After she vanishes, he searches for her, eventually discovering she had died years before in a wreck on the stretch of road where he met her.
- Dinner and a Show: In "Food on the Table", after a long sea voyage Captain John Elwood's celebration at a 19th century Mariner's Club is cut short when his wife jealously yanks the food off the banquet table. After he murders her, the Captain pays another visit to the Mariner's Club only to find that the Vengeful Ghost of his wife once again plays havoc with a banquet in his honor.
- Psychic Glimpse of Death: In "Vision of Crime", George Bosworth, aboard a ship 150 miles away, "sees" the murder of his brother Hart in a vision that swirls around in a bowl of water and knows that Albert most definitely isn't the killer.
- Suck Out the Poison: In "Food on the Table", Captain Elwood sucks out the venom after his wife is bitten on the arm by a snake that was hiding in his luggage.
- Tampering with Food and Drink: In "Food on the Table", Captain John Elwood takes his wife with him on a long voyage under the pretext of patching up their marriage and uses the opportunity to slowly poison her.
- Title Drop: Ten of the 12 episodes begin and end with Karloff standing in front of a roaring fireplace and inviting viewers to find out what lies "behind the veil".
- Unable to Support a Wife: In "Vision of Crime", this is the reason why the young pharmacist has kept his fiancée hanging on for several years. She decides to take matters into her own hands by ensuring that he comes into his inheritance early so they can be married.
- Vengeful Ghost: In "Food on the Table", Captain Elwood murders his wife via slow poisoning so he can marry a wealthy widow, but his wife's spirit returns to wreak vengeance on him.
