The Veil

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The Veil is the title of an American horror/suspense anthology television series produced in 1958 by Hal Roach Studios.

The series was hosted by Boris Karloff, who also acted in every episode, and was allegedly based upon real-life reports of supernatural happenings and the unexplained. Each episode would begin and end with Karloff standing in front of a sinister-looking, roaring fireplace, inviting viewers to find out what lies behind "the veil."

Hailed by critics as "the greatest television series never seen" (according to DVD release publicity) The Veil was never broadcast. Troubles within the studio resulted in production being cancelled after only 12 episodes and this was considered too few to justify sales to a network or to syndication. In the late 1960s, footage from several episodes was combined to make films that aired on late night television. 10 of the 12 episodes were released to the public in their entirety for the first time in the 1990s and have subsequently been released on DVD. In 1999, "Lifting the Veil of Mystery," a Tom Weaver article on the making of the series (complete with episode guide), appeared in issue #29 of "Cult Movies" magazine.

[edit] Trivia

Television episodes have been screened at the annual Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention in Aberdeen, Maryland.

A number of reference guides claim only 12 episodes were produced. The fact is, only 10 were filmed. The two extra titles are "alterantive titles" cited by collectors in VHS and DVD catalogs.