Thanks a lot MBF for the clarification on the story. Learning that the murder of his wife was part of his fantasizing was very interesting, even if that's not what we see at the end. That would have made the movie much more fascinating to watch! To be honest, I'm not really sure what we see at the very end of what was put together as the film.
I know folks have commented on, at times, Mr. Culp's own personality sometimes getting him in trouble on productions, and perhaps having a somewhat negative impact on his career at times, but on the other hand, it does seem like some bad luck has also continually plagued him throughout the years with various productions: Sheldon Leonard precipitiously cancelling I Spy, the money running out/shysters of "The Grove, Peckinpah's studio break thus ending "Summer Soldiers" possibilities, and so on. To be honest, that makes me feel sad for this amazingly talented man. It seems rather unfair this type of stuff happened all too often in his career, potentially blocking it from being the blockbuster affair it SHOULD have been.
As for the middle part of "Name For Evil" where we, er, see the middle parts, I really have no problem with that aspect of the flick at all.
Mona