American Playhouse: Under the Biltmore Clock

April 07, 2025

American Playhouse: Under the Biltmore Clock

Airdate

April 22nd, 1985

Directed by

Neal Miller

Written by

F. Scott Fitzgerald

(based on the short story Myra Meets His Family)

Teleplay by

Irene Cooper

Neal Miller

Starring

Lenny Von Dohlen

Sean Young

Bernard Hughes

Trivia

Actress Bonnie Hunt appears in an uncredited role. She will later appear with Mr. Von Dohlen in the TV series Grand.

◊

Myra Harper (Sean Young) is a young socialite who finds herself unfashionably attending the same events she attended five years earlier. When she begins to hear remarks about her age, Myra doesn't waste time selecting one of the wealthiest young men in the area, Knowleton Whitney (Lenny Von Dohlen), for her husband. Myra does her best to cast her spell on the young man during their whirlwind romance. Bewitched, Knowleton proposes, and after some time of fearful avoidance, Myra is invited to meet his parents.

Myra finds that not only are the servants of the Whitney mansion rude and quick to disappear, and Mr. Whitney is an eccentric, but Knowleton remains elusive. When Myra is introduced to Mrs. Whitney, she appears like a centerpiece surrounded by white poodles. She is judgmental of her potential daughter-in-law and informs her she will not be leaving her room during her stay. Myra later learns that if she marries Knowleton, she'll be forced to live with his parents. The father swears he will disinherit Knowleton if he and Myra move into an apartment of their own.

Myra begins to hear strange sounds from the upper floor, a wailing, which Knowleton will not acknowledge. There are odd occurrences, things said that do not make sense, and Knowleton is often aloof. In a house of strangers, Myra doesn't know how to respond. At a party, Mr. Whitney forces Myra onstage without warning, forcing her to sing and dance before a crowd, only to be met by silence, adding to her already broken spirit.

When Myra wakes the next morning, she will overhear a conversation that changes everything.

◊

Under the Biltmore Clock is available on VHS, Laserdisc and DVD and to view free of cost on YouTube and via a library card through Hoopla.

The Film