'The Devil's Platform' by David Chase, Donn Mullally, Rudolph Borchert, Larry Markes and Norm Liebmann

It is election time in Chicago; however, politicians are inexplicably dropping dead, while senatorial candidate Robert Palmer has appeared from nowhere and his career taken off like a rocket. But when Palmer’s campaign manager, Stephan Wald discovers that Palmer has been using bribery and extortion to ensure his success, he decides to take evidence to the district attorney. He and Palmer argue as they enter lift at the fortieth floor, but it suddenly goes out of control and plummets down the lift shaft. Kolchak arrives at Palmer’s building to conduct an interview with the popular candidate, only to see the lift smash into the ground; everyone inside is killed - except for Palmer, who has disappeared, and a ferocious black dog, which runs away from the wreckage. Kolchak is able to snatch the canine’s collar, which is marked with a pentagram, but then fails to notice that the dog follows him around for the rest of the day. After Kolchak writes up the story of the lift crash he is surprised when the dog fails to appear on any of the photographs that he took. Unable to find Palmer, Kolchak visits the candidate’s wife; but on leaving the house, the black dog attacks him and makes off with its collar. Seconds later Palmer appears, remarking that he has been in hiding. Palmer’s former secretary, Susan Driscoll, finds Wald's briefcase; reading the incriminating material inside, she decides to blackmail Palmer, but she is later attacked by the black dog. After she is rushed to hospital, the doctors believe that she will make a recovery; but that night, Palmer enters Susan’s room and kills her. Kolchak starts digging for information on the black dog, unaware that Palmer has literally made a deal with the devil, enabling him to transform into the ferocious dog so that he can dispose of the competition - and that he has now decided the snooping reporter is to be his next victim…

Darren McGavin (Carl Kolchak), Simon Oakland (Tony Vincenzo), Jack Grinnage (Ron Updyke), Ruth Mc Devitt (Emily Cowles), Tom Skerritt (Senator Robert W. Palmer), Ellen Weston (Lorraine Palmer), Julie Gregg (Susan Driscoll), John Myhers (James Talbot), Jeanne Cooper (Doctor Kline), William Mimms (Officer Hale), Robert Do Qui (Bank Policeman), Dick Patterson (Stephan Wald), Stanley Adams (Louis the Bartender), Bill Welsh (T.V. Announcer)
Directed by Allen Baron

TX (US): 15th November, 1974

Notes:
*Featuring Carl Kolchak and Tony Vincenzo