"Pickman's Model." Night Gallery. NBC, 1 Dec. 1971
And here we have the first proper adaptation of a Lovecraft story for the series, albeit with a few minor tweaks to the overall frame.
We open to the then present day of 1971. Eliot Blackman (Joshua Bryant) has recently picked up a painting at auction, which he believes is the work of the infamous Boston artist Richard Upton Pickman. He's so convinced of this he even buys a crumbling old brownstone that the painter allegdly used as a studio. His friend Larry (Josh Livingston) isn't so convinced; both at Eliot's passion or of the purchases.
We flash back to the 19th Century. Pickman (Bradford Dillman) is an artist, but hardly one of reputation. In fact he seems to spend most of his time either drinking alone or teaching drawing to upper class ladies. We see the painting Eliot bought being used as an example for the class.
That last point is the cause for some tension, as Pickman's latest work and indeed nearly his entire portfollio seems to be of nothing but grotesque figures. Well drawn and vividly detailed, but ghoulish things all the same. The owners of the school come down hard on him. Basically if he wishes to remain employed than start drawing some bowels of fruit or else. Pickman goes for the 'or else' part and leaves.
The only student who doesn't freak out is Mavis (Louise Sorel), who is rather taken not only with the work but with Pickman himself. He seems flustered at this and leaves, leaving behind his latest painting.
Tracking him down, Mavis quickly finds that maybe Pickman doesn't poessess a great imagination, but rather a good eye for copying living details...
Better than the last entry, although the romance angle feels forced.
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