It Came From The Tube: SATAN’S TRIANGLE (1975)

No, this title doesn’t refer to being the last one to arrive in music class and getting stuck with the lamest of instruments to play. Satan’s Triangle (1975) is a creepy, seafaring TV tale of supernatural mystery with an ending that absolutely kills. You may think the title tells all, and the journey can’t quite supplant the destination, but oh boy, what a destination. You’re going to need your sea legs for this finale.

For those not familiar with The Bermuda Triangle, aka The Devil’s Triangle, it is an area of water loosely configured between Bermuda, Puerto Rico, and Florida that was privy to many disappearances – boats, planes, and people. And back in the ‘70s, long before the internet, the only information to go on about this and other phenomena (Hey Bigfoot!) was provided by speculative quasidocumentaries, scientific journals dispelling the myths, and TV fodder such as Satan’s Triangle. And while some believed that UFO’s were responsible (as they were for about 80% of all things unexplained), and others sanely put their trust in unusual magnetic pulls and weather conditions due to location, others liked to sprinkle a little brimstone on the proceedings.

Satan’s Triangle originally aired as the ABC Tuesday Movie of the Week on January 14^th, going up against M*A*S*H and Hawaii Five-O on CBS, and NBC’s World Premiere Movie. I’m assuming CBS won (damn you, Hawkeye), but ABC usually ruled the roost for horror lovers.

Let’s check out our faux TV GUIDE and see what we’re in for:

SATAN’S TRIANGLE (Tuesday, 8:30 PM, ABC)

An SOS sends the Coast Guard to the Bermuda Triangle, where a now stranded rescuer stays with the lone survivor of a fishing vessel and listens as she recounts her harrowing ordeal, as they both wait through the night for help to return. Doug McClure, Kim Novak star.

Our teleplay starts with Pagnolini (Michael Conrad – Hill St. Blues) and Haig (Doug McClure – Humanoids from the Deep) as the Coast Guard workers getting the distress call. It’s quickly established that Haig is the laid back ladies man, and Pagnolini is the God fearing no nonsense leader. Off they go in their helicopter and arrive at a fishing vessel that appears deserted, were it not for the dead person dangling from the mast, and another impaled on the helm. Quickly descending, Haig boards the vessel to find Eva (Kim Novak – Bell Book and Candle) cowering below, the only apparent survivor. As they attempt to re board the helicopter, the line breaks, leaving Eva and Haig no choice but to stay on the vessel, while they await for Pagnolini to return with reinforcements. (I don’t suppose he could have called those in on his way back. No sir.) Through flashbacks, Eva recounts the previous day’s events.

Prickly Hal (Jim Davis – Dallas), Eva’s companion, has hired a fishing vessel, manned by Captain Strickland (Ed Lauter – Magic), in the hopes of landing a big marlin. Instead, they come upon a priest (Alejandro Rey – The Swarm), Father Martin, floating in the waters. As soon as they bring him aboard, the waters start to turn ugly, and storm clouds brew. This leads the rest of the crew to abandon ship – they say the priest is giving off bad vibes. This leaves only Hal, Eva, Strickland, Father Martin and one other aboard to fend off the storm – and of course, catch that damn fish. (How else do you get them all on deck in the middle of a storm?) Soon, death comes knocking, vicious and swift, leaving Eva alone. Haig tries to rationalize the tale to Eva, mansplaining how each and every death was not supernatural, but could be explained logically. Relieved, they make love before Pagnolini and the rescue team arrives. But who really needs to be rescued?

The ‘70s was big on cross pollination, and Satan’s Triangle is no exception. Quite surprisingly, Satanism rippled through many a TV movie at the time; especially since viewing choices were a lot narrower, and anything broadcast did so in plain sight. So here we have the Underworld mingling with the Unexplained, and it’s a giddy mixture. Credit director Sutton Roley, a TV veteran, who keeps the action moving fast and lithe, considering it’s confined to essentially one setting. He and cinematographer Leonard J. South (Family Plot) try to break free of the TV playbook, offering interesting close ups and angles, giving Satan’s Triangle as close to a theatrical feel as possible. William Read Woodfield’s script is more concerned with plot versus character; which is fine as the actors have more than enough personality to move the story along. It should be noted that sin (original and otherwise) plays a part, so dust off your Bible. (Or borrow Grandma’s.)

The whole cast is solid, but Novak is terrific here, imbuing Eva with sensuality and ambiguity, the audience uncertain what if any part she may play in the end game. McClure has always been one of my favorite B movie actors, his stocky frame belying a soft center, ideal for bigger than life heroics, taking on everything from webbed mermen to possibly the Devil himself.

The ending of Satan’s Triangle will remind you of a certain film from the past 15 years; I won’t say which one, but you’ll know. Often in TV horror, those final images were the ones remembered, before the channel was changed and Carson started his monologue. Trust me – this ending was haunting dreams long into the night, after the programming ended and the test patterns wailed.