Sign of the Zodiac

Jacques Tourneur directed this spooky segment of Barbara Stanwyck's show, and it's a very effective little thriller, combining supernatural and dark human nature. Another movie great, A. I. Bezzerides, penned the twisty storyline.

Great cast has Joan Blondell as Barb's friend who drags her along to see a fortune teller, smoothly played by Dan Duryea. Barb is more than skeptical -she's downright ornery listening to Dan go through the otherworldly shtick of a spiritualist, but eventually succumbs to his know-it-all spiel.

The issue is Barb's late husband, who was Blondell's older brother. Dan comes up with the nutty concept that the dead man lives on with the ticking of his pocket watch, which Barb inherited. Director Tourneur makes solid use not only of this quiet ticking but the sound of seagulls shrieking to create an eerie atmosphere. And for the characters, who is good and who is bad is cleverly left till the end to sort out.