Love American Style: Love and the Mad Scientist

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One of Jesse Merlin’s few non-Morlock roles during the period between "The Ghost of Professor Morlock" and the series reboot was an installment of “Love American Style” titled “Love and the Mad Scientist.”

Because of Merlin's close friendship with Arnold Margolin, producer of the anthology series, he was cast as a mad scientist whose laboratory is visited by a woman who needs directions (Barbara Feldon). He drugs her and chains her to the wall of his torture chamber with the intention of cutting her arms and legs off but falls in love with her instead. In an hilarious twist ending, she winds up cutting off HIS arms and legs.

The episode was a huge success and Merlin was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for it (losing to Nipsy Russell for a guest shot on "Sanford and Son"). But he was still shackled to his long-term studio contract and since executives remained angry about his walking out of "The Testament of Professor Morlock," they blocked any opportunities which came from Merlin's appearance. “

Love and the Mad Scientist” is included on the special features of the DVD of “The Bride of Professor Morlock.”