'The Youth Killer' by Rudolph Borchert

An aging but beautiful woman prays to her goddess; elsewhere, young jogger William Cubby suddenly ages to death. The next day, Vincenzo is in a bad mood not only because no-one has noticed that he has lost five pounds in weight, but also because Kolchak is more interested in the recent murder than with writing his article on ‘swinging singles’. He makes Kolchak head off to a dating service to interview the owner, Della Sarkof, but the woman just wants to get the reporter fixed up with one of her clients; however, she does mention a computer dating service called ‘Max-Match’, which prides itself on dealing only with perfect patrons. That night, the aging woman watches as Cynthia Tibbs exercises. But the girl too begins to age, before she stumbles over her balcony and falls to her death. Kolchak follows the police to the scene, and is amazed to find that Sergeant Orkin actually believes in helping the press. The reporter goes to the morgue and, after bribing ‘Gordy the Ghoul’ with the promise of a new television, is able to search Cubby’s body. After finding a key stamped with a number, Kolchak traces it to the jogger’s home address and discovers that Cubby was a member of ‘Max-Match’. When another young man is found dead of old age Kolchak realises that "viral swingers" are being targeted, although Orkin ignores his claims, now believing Kolchak to be a troublemaking flake. Kolchak visits the offices of Max-Match and meets the woman in charge, Helen Curtis - the same beautiful, aged woman, but who is now young and vital. Helen avoids answering Kolchak’s questions, even when he puts one of her agency’s rings on to impress her. His interest piqued, Kolchak returns after dark and sneaks into ‘Max-Match’; here he finds Helen inside a Greek temple, praying to her goddess Hecate. Kolchak discovers that she is actually Helen of Troy, and has lived for hundreds of years by draining the youth from her victims using the special rings that she gives to each of the perfect members of her dating agency. With horror Kolchak realises that the ring he put on is now stuck on his finger - marking him as Helen’s next victim...

Darren McGavin (Carl Kolchak), Simon Oakland (Tony Vincenzo), Jack Grinnage (Ron Updyke), Ruth Mc Devitt (Emily Cowles), Cathy Lee Crosby (Helen), Dwayne Hickman (Sergeant Orkin), John Felder (Gordon ‘the Ghoul’ Spangler), Kathleen Freeman (Della Sarkof), Eddie Firestone (Conventioneer), Michael Richardson (Lance Mervin), Penny Santon (Lance’s Mother), Demosthenes (Cab Driver), James Ingersoll (First Young Man [William Cubby]), Reb Brownas (Second Young Man), Joss White (Secretary)
Directed by Don McDougall

TX (US): 14th March, 1975

Notes:
*Featuring Carl Kolchak and Tony Vincenzo