I feel sure that I saw something of the sort on TV before 1965, alizarin, but I'll be darned if I can remember where. In all likelihood, it was an episode of something like Science Fiction Theater, and you're not looking for sf uses of the concept anyway.

Did they ever do things like that in soap operas?

Ah, the meek. Playing the long game.
Sneaky bastards.

--Denise Mina, Field of Blood