Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 38

September 19, 2024: The Twilight Zone rewatch continues with season 3, episodes 29-32!

Season 3, Episode 29, “Four O’Clock”

This episode first aired April 6, 1962.

This episode was based on a short story by author Price Day that was originally published in the April 1958 issue of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and, later, collected in the hardcover anthology “Alfred Hitchcock Presents: My Favorites in Suspense”. The latter was sent to the production offices by Random House who were pitching Rod Serling on a similar Twilight Zone-themed collection. While perusing the anthology, Serling took a shine to Day’s story and had the production make him an offer on the television rights.

Actor Theodore Bikel, who played Oliver Crangle, built a career playing villains onscreen. He received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in The Defiant Ones (1958) and received two Tony nominations for his work on Broadway. Bikel helped created the role of Captain Von Trapp as part of the original Broadway cast of “The Sound of Music”. Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote the song “Edelweiss” specifically for him to perform.

Reflecting back on his Twilight Zone experience, Bikel stated: “As you may rightly assume, my portrayal of Oliver Crangle stayed in my memory much longer than the many parts I have played on TV and elsewhere. It was a superbly written episode and a wonderful character to get my teeth into. Crangle was, of course, politically the very opposite of where my own convictions lie, then and now. To portray a ring wing nut gave me a great pleasure.”

Moyna MacGill, who played Mrs. Williams, was the mother of Angela Lansbury.

Serling’s ability to deliver message episodes ranges from accomplished to bungled and this clunker falls in the latter category. Lots of talk-talk as Crangle plots to shrink his victims down in size, presumably so that they’ll be easier to identify. How, exactly, does he plan to do this remains a mystery. The ending is predictable, but could have been saved if he had been eaten by his parrot but, alas, we didn’t even get that.

Season 3, Episode 30, “Hocus Pocus and Frisby”

This episode first aired April 13, 1962.

This episode was based on an idea by Frederic Louis Fox who also provided the idea for “Showdown with Rance McGrew”. In the original pitch, the main character, Henry Tibbs, is a spinner of tall tales whose outlandish lies are picked up on alien radio. He is offered the opportunity to travel to Mars to pick up residuals owed him but chooses instead to take a around trip around the world via flying saucer. When he returns home, he discovers that, while away, he was awarded first price in the Burlington Liars Contest. Realizing no one will believe his story, he simply doesn’t tell them about his alien encounter. After receiving the story proposal, Rod Serling wrote back: “Mr. Tibbs is a delight. If we go back into production for ten more films, I’ll have one of our people contact your agent. Hang on and don’t lose the faith.”

The flying saucer featured in this episode was from Forbidden Planet (1956). The ship’s inner console, also from the same movie, was reused in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964) and was previously seen in season 1’s “Third From the Sun”.

Actor Andy Devine, who played Somerset Frisby, was a comic actor who owed his career to his trademark raspy voice, the result of a childhood incident that purportedly involved him tripping and falling and having a curtain rod rammed through the roof of his mouth. He co-starred as Jingles P. Jones opposite Guy Madison in Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (1951) and later hosted the children’s show Andy’s Gang (1955).

Howard McNear, who played Mitchell, portrayed Lloyd the Barber on The Andy Griffith Show (1960). After suffering a stroke that made it difficult for him to use his arms and legs, he returned to the show where the production continued to feature him in close-ups or scenes in which his character was seated. According to fellow actor Don Knotts, McNear was not that different from the colorful character he played on the show.

Dabbs Greer, who played Scanlan, was Reverend Alden on Little House on the Prairie (1974). He was also a series regular on Gunsmoke (1955), Hank (1965), and Picket Fences (1992). His final appearance was in the The Green Mile.

So why exactly was this episode called Hocus Pocus and Frisby? Hocus Pocus suggests magic, yet there was no spellcasting to be had. While I thought Andy Devine terrific and the comedic elements not egregiously cringey, my main gripe with the episode is the rather convenient method by which Frisby escapes his captors. The harmonica felt like a contrived, quick-fix solution to his problem.

All in all, I found this one just so-so.

Season 3, Episode 31, “The Trade-Ins”

This episode first aired April 20, 1962.

This episode was inspired by O’Henry’s 1905 short story “The Gift of the Magi”.

Joseph Schildkraut, who played John Holt in this episode, previously appeared as Alfred Becker in “Deaths-Head Revisited”. His second wife of twenty-nine years passed away during filming but, rather than disrupt production, he insisted on completing work on the final two days.

According to Schildkraut: “I know this might have been mentioned briefly, but to get the reaction on my face when I looked at Alma Platt and realized she was hurting inside, the director wanted to shut off the sound in the studio and then shoot a gun in the background so my look of shock and surprise is real.” Kind of silly, but I’ve been on productions where directors have resorted to cheap tricks like this to get a “better” performance for their actors.

Ted Marcuse, who played Farraday, appeared as Citizen Gregori in “To Serve Man”.

The elderly couple trading in their old bodies for new reminded me of John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War which hinges on a very similar technology. I wonder if he drew inspiration from this episode? It’s a great idea.

I loved the poker scene where Farraday shows sympathy for Holt by allowing him to win that final hand. I did not, however, buy the ending. Didn’t buy that Holt would excitedly tell his wife all of the amazing things they would be able to do given the fact she was still elderly. Didn’t buy his wife’s over-the-top horrified reaction to what he was saying (which was, apparently, supposed to be quite subtle). Didn’t buy his decision to switch back to his original body when he could have just shut up about the holiday plans and got to work earning money for her procedure. Didn’t buy his “A little pain is worth it” excuse when, the scene earlier, the pain was so bad he felt he had no choice but to undergo the procedure. Didn’t buy the “happy ending” given that, in reality, it would be a shortlived, pain-ridden conclusion that could well have been avoided. Did not love.

Season 3, Episode 32, “The Gift”

This episode first aired April 27, 1962.

“The Gift” was originally written as the possible series pilot but the wise decision was made to go with “Where is Everybody?”. Not to be dissuaded, Rod Serling pitched the idea of doing a Twilight Zone movie back in the 60’s and rewrote the script for this episode into a feature screenplay – that ultimate, thankfully, went nowhere.

This episode was previously titled “The Guest” and then “The Visitor”.

This episode, with its clearly religious overtones, aired the week after Easter.

Actor Geoffrey Horne, who played Williams, lost out on the lead role in Ben Hur to Charlton Heston.

Nico Minardos, who played the doctor, reflected back on this episode: “I did some thirty movies over the years and a number of television and of all of those, The Twilight Zone is the one I get more mail about. I’m getting fan mail from Switzerlaned, Ireland, Germany, as well as the United States. In those years we used to rehearse a couple days, and then film for three days. Rod wanted me to do the show and what I remember most was the exctiement we all had of the show We knew it was an allegory to Jesus Christ, which was the premise, and everyone was trying to remain calm for the crowd sequence.”

In 1966, while shooting a scene on the Huallaga River in Peru for a TV movie called “High Jungle”, the canoe Minardos and fellow actor Eric Fleming were in tipped over. Minardos managed to swim back to shore, but Fleming drowned.

In 1986, Minardos was indicted on charges of conspiracy to illegally ship arms to Iran. The indictment was eventually tossed, but the charges nevertheless forced him into bankruptcy and ended his career.

Henry Corden, who played Sanchez, was the second voice of Fred Flinstone, replacing the iconic Alan Reed after he passed.

Vitto Scotti, who played Rudolfo, was last seen in “Mr. Bevis” as a street peddler with a monkey.

Well, here we are. The most boring episode of The Twilight Zone capped with a Christian allegory that doesn’t so much hit you over the head as it punches you repeatedly in the face. Throw in some embarrassingly wooden performances and a smattering of atrocious Mexican accents, and you have the recipe for what is, without a doubt, one of this show’s very worst entries.

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Septembrer 18, 2024: Amazing Covers!

A few that caught my eye this week…

Avengers #18 – cover art by Ryan Meinerding

Spider-Man: Black Suit & Blood #2 – cover art by Mitsuhiro Arita

The Incredible Hulk #17 – cover art by Ryan Meinerding

Batman/Elmerr Fudd Special #1 – cover art by Lee Weeks

Catwoman #68 – cover art by Nicola Scott

Nightwing #118 – cover art by Nicola Scott

Wonder Woman #13 – cover art by Phil Jimenez

So, which were YOUR favorites?

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September 17, 2024: Advice for mom!

Mom was out for dim sum with sis ther other day.  An increasingly rare outing for my mother who has been struggling with back-related issue that have seen her laid up for much of the past few months, a quadefecta of severe arthritis, spinal stenosis, sciatica and three bulging discs.  She’s been in quite a bit of pain and has had trouble getting around.  She’s been given painkillers (likely not strong enough in my opinion) and exercises to do (which she likely doesn’t), and it’s been a very frustrating while.  Yesterday, Akemi was looking up exercises for the bulding discs and showed me one that actually helped me make a quick recover from a rotator cuff injury, but I really can’t see 90-year-old mother hanging off a horizontal high bar for any extended period of time.

Any of you, or someone you know, dealt with any of the aforementioned conditions?  What steps were taken to address the issues and did any of them yield positive results?

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September 16, 2024: Our Twilight Zone rewatch continues with season 3, episodes 25-28!

Season 3, Episode 25, “The Fugitive”

This episode first aired March 9, 1962.

Actress Susan Gordon, who played Jenny, got her start in acting when the young actress playing a Girl Scout in Attack of the Puppet People (1958) fell ill. She was drafted by the director, her father, and her performance ended up landing her an agent.

Three days into shooting this episode Gordon herself fell ill and was sent home. Production was shut down for four days while she recovered. Gordon recalled: “It was during the outdoors scenes that I was taken ill – perhaps it was a touch of sunstroke? And in the middle of the last scene of the day I could barely make it through my lines without fainting. When the director yelled “Cut!”, I walked off the set and collapsed. They carried me off the set on a stretcher as Rod Serling walked in to do his bit. I came “That close” to meeting Mr. Serling!”

J. Pat O’Malley, who played Old Ben, made over 100 t.v. guest appearances over the course of his three decade long career. Prior to acting, he recorded over 400 songs in England as a vocalist with Jack Hylton’s orchestra.

Nancy Kulp, who played Agnes Gann, was a successful character actress best known for her portrayals of the bird-loving Pamela Livingstone on The Bob Cummings Show (1955) and Miss Jane Hathaway on The Beverly Hillbillies (1962).

Episode synopsis: A weird old man kidnaps a girl so he can marry her. Really. This one was odd for all sorts of reasons. While the Ben’s friendship with the little girl may have seemed sweet, the coda that reveals she eventually became his Queen is a little…disquieting. Perhaps realizing this, Serling added that little bit at the end where he reveals Old Ben left a photo of his true appearance under the pillow for the aunt to find. But he’s still a grown man whisking off a kid who appears to be about six! Also, how does leaving the photo behind even make sense. Will the aunt find the photo under the pillow and automatically think: “Aha! This photo of a young stranger proves that old man was an alien shape-shifter and, I guess, that’s better than her ending up with a super old guy!”

Some other unintentionally funny moments. When Old Ben asks Jenny to describe the two men who came looking for him, she replies something to the effect of: “One was tall and the other had dark hair.” and Ben’s response is: “Oh, that’s them alright.”. I mean, come on. Then, later, the doctor confides in Agnes, informing her Jenny’s heartbeat is low and she is near death…but there’s nothing he can do for her! How about sending her to the hospital?!!

All in all, not good, not good at all. Although, judging by some of the reviews I’ve read, I may be in the minority here.

Season 3, Episode 26, “Little Girl Lost”

This episode first aired March 16, 1962.

According to writer Richard Matheson, the idea for this episode came to him as a result of an alarming incident involving his own daughter: “She cried out one night and I went to where she was and couldn’t find her anywhere. I couldn’t find her on the bed, I couldn’t find her on the ground. She had fallen off and rolled all the way under the bed against the wall. At first, even when I felt under the bed, I couldn’t reach her. It was bizarre, and that’s where I got the idea.”

Matheson named the mother and daughter in this episode, Ruth and Tina, after his own wife and daughter.

This episode may have served as inspiration for the 1982 movie Poltergeist. According to Matheson: “Yeah, I know, but if I’d sued, I would’ve been clobbered – too much money on the other side. Spielberg asked me if he could see a cassette of Little Girl Lost, and I sent him one, he looked at it, then sent it back, and I never heard until some one said “Hey, I see they made your Twilight Zone into a a movie.” Of course, there was a lot more to the movie but, cetainly, that was part of it. I’ve said it before, I think maybe Spielberg knows this, and always came to me with some kind of offer that would compensate, to repay me, like writing the script for Twilight Zone: The Movie, or having me as a consultant on Amazing Stories.”

According to producer Buck Houghton, the show’s Art Director came to him concerning the location, “Interior. Limbo”, slugged in the script and asked him what he was supposed to do. Houghton told him: “It’s up to you.” According to Houghton: “He broke his neck to make a limbo set. That’s challenge and response. That’s what the scripts were full of. From the asssistant prop man to the cameraman, they worked their ass off. They wanted to do the scripts justice, and that made a lot of difference in how the episodes looked. The crew was absolutely thrilled to see how the shows were going to come off.”

In the lead up to “Little GIrl Lost”, however, Matheson was very concerned about how some of his previous episodes had turned out, complaining to Serling about the direction in episodes like “The Invaders” and “Once Upon a Time”. Serling wrote back, sympathizing with Matheson: “There’s no question but that both the Keaton thing and the Agnes Moorehead thing were damaged rather than helped by the director.” Still, he stood up for the directors, arguing that their overall work was solid. Perhaps as a result of Matheson’s complaint, former actor Paul Stewart assumed the directing reins for this episode.

Actor Charles Aidman, who played Bill, would later serve as the narrator for the first two seasons of the 1985 relaunch of The Twilight Zone.

Tracy Stratford, who played young Tina, later appeared in “Living Doll” (1963), about a doll named Talky Tina. Three years later, she would provide the voice of Lucy in A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965).

Rhoda Williams was actually the voice of young Tina in this episode. She played the part of Betty, Robert Young’s oldest daughter, on the Father Knows Best radio show.

Mags, the family dog, was actually named Rags.

Another episode where I loved the idea but really didn’t think much of the execution. A lot of these early shows lack nuance and have characters react in preposterous ways as shortcuts to serve the plot. Case in point, the parents calling their buddy, the physicist, instead of the police. And, in turn, the physicist hitting on his hypothesis with really all not that much to go on. If this episode had been written today, the writer would surely have done a better job of rolling this out in a more logical manner. This episode kind of reminded me of Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves which is an absolutely wild book if you’re up for an unusual reading experience.

Overall, just a meh for me on this one.

Season 3, Episode 27, “Person or Persons Unknown”

This episode first aired March 23, 1962.

This was one of the first television episodes in which a husband and wife are depicted sharing a bed. At the time, T.V. Standards and Practices required married couples to sleep in separate beds. In “Person or Person’s Unknown” and season 5’s “Stopover in a Quiet Town”, a husband and wife are seen sleeping in the same bed – although, in both cases, the husband is fully clothed, sleeping on top of the covers, and is still wearing his shoes, suggesting he conked out after a night of drinking.

In an early draft of the script, Dr. Kolensko followed David Gurney to the photo shop where it is reveaeled David’s wife is no longer in the picture. A distraught David leaps off a balcony. But, when Kolensko hurries downstairs, there is no sign of David. Confused, the good doctor returns to his sanitorium only to discover…nobody remembers him!

The uncredited mental patient who imagines himself to be Winston Churchill was actually episode director John Brahm.

Actor Richard Lang, who played David Gurney, was one of the first Hollywood actors to be drafted into the Korean War. His Rex Randolph character’s transition from Bourbon Street Beat to 77 Sunset Strip in 1960 marked the first time a t.v. character moved between shows.

Plagued by heart trouble as a result of damage he sustained from a childhood bout with pneumonia, Lang suffered multiple heart attacks and died at the all-too-young age of 47.

Frank Silvera, who played Dr. Koslenko, was active in the Civil Rights movements of the 50’s and 60’s. He received a Tony Award nomination in 1963 as Best Featured Actor in a Play for his portrayal of M. Duval in “The Lady of the Camellias.” He died after being electrocuted while attempting to fix a home garbage disposal unit.

Another episode that tackles the familiar theme of loss of identity, but it does so in compelling and credible fashion. No wild leaps in logic here. Instead, the character’s building anxiety and increasing desperation really grounds the episode despite its out-there premise. The ending was ambiguous but, for me, not necessarily in a good way. Is the final scene intended to suggest his wife is in the same place he was at the beginning of the episode? If so, why does he recognize her? Or is it a completely different situation where, for example, he has almost made it back to his reality, ending up in an alternate world where the people surrounding him are different but playing similar roles? Close enough? I preferred Matheson’s original twist ending.

All in all, however, probably good enough to end up in my season 3 Top 10. But we’ll see.

Season 3, Episode 28, “The Little People”

This episode first aired March 30, 1962.

This episode was shot on MGM’s Stage 5. The costumes were reuses from Forbidden Planet (1956).

The rocket launch featured was actually a test flight of the Mercury-Atlas booster. A month prior to this episode airing, John Glenn became the first astronaut to attain Earth orbit in this type of rocket.

In the original cut, Peter makes a run for it, trips and falls. He turns around as an ominous shadow looms over him and screams. For some reason, this ending was reshot and the run excised.

Both Claude Adkins and Joe Maross made previous Twilight Zone appearances, Adkins in “The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” and Maross in “Third From the Sun”.

This episode inspired segments in The Simpsons and Futurama and, it is suspected, The Outer Limits’ “Sandkings” episode.

This one is apparently a somewhat divisive episode in the Twilight Zone fandom with many finding it a subpar episode while others argue it is an underappreciated classic. While I think the premise is unarguably a classic, I would side with the former group as I wasn’t all that impressed with this one. My biggest gripe was the fluctating size of the miniature community. Overall, I rate this one solidly okay.

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September 15, 2024: Sharky Sunday!

Out and About for pasta…

Peekaboo Boy!

The struggle is real…

Refusing to move…

Loves his massages…

Oh yeah!

 

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September 14, 2024: Stargate, Japanese McDonalds, and a famiy excursion!

Two more Stargate trivia questions…

And…

Who you got?

Good ole Japanese McDonalds…

Slogan: “McDonalds: Always There”

Once a week, we take a “Family Trip” with Sharky (usually to a neighborhood a bus ride away).  Yesterday, we headed up Bathurst where we checked out the Tiny Market Pasta Shop and enjoyed a delicious lunch:

Followed by a visit to Emily Rose Cafe for mocha and a brown butter chocolate chip cookie (and a single shot soy cappuccino for Akemi)

Who knows what adventure awaits this week!

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September 13, 2024: Recent Yes/No’s – Best and Worst!

Uni Donuts?

BEST: Melted Matcha Ice Cream Latte

WORST: Ranch Mac ‘n Cheese

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September 12, 2024: Stargate memories!

Awww.  Someone sent me this picture (I think it appeared in an article back in the day) of me and the old gang in the SGC gate room.

Speaking of Stargate…

This was, if I remember correctly, my first week on the show.  Not sure how much of the sandwich she ate.

And a follow-up Stargate trivia question –

Who you got?

Usually it’s youtube food videos for Akemi and I when we turn in for the night, but I introduced her to The Office (U.S. version) and that’s what we’ve been watching the past few nights.  She loves it, though I think it’ll be very tough to beat her all-time favorite show, Flight of the Conchords.

Tomorrow, I take a break from the zoom calls and meetings to go on one of our weekly family outings with Akemi and Sharky.  We’ll be checking out a couple of new-to-us spots: a pasta restaurant and a coffee shop.  Akemi will, of course, document it all for Sharky’s instagram account.

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September 11, 2024: Amazing Covers!

A few that caught my eye this week…

Wolverine #1 – cover art by John Tyler Christopher

From the DC Vault: Death in the Family – Robin Lives! #3 – cover art by Inhyuk Lee

Space Ghost #5 – cover art by Michael Cho

The Agent – cover art by Fernando Dagnino

X-Force #1 – cover art by Tony S. Daniel

So, which were YOUR favorites?

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September 10, 2024: The Twilight Zone rewatch continues with season 3, episodes 21-24!

Season 3, Episode 21, “Kick the Can”

This episode first aired February 9, 1962.

This episode was one of three remade for the underwhelming Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983). Writer George Clayton Johnson, reflecting back on his experience with the abysmal Spielberg reimagining, appreciated the fact he got paid anway: “So all in all I came away from the epxerience really satsfied, except for my real disappointment that Spielberg didn’t have a clearer idea of stories.”

Director Lamont Johnson had a comparatively more positive experience working on the original segment. According to him: “The older actors got so imbued with the idea, the became playful, like kids themselves.

Actor Ernest Truex, who portrayed Charles Whitley, got to act opposite his real-life son, Barry, who played the part of his onscreen son in this episode. Over the course of his seventy year career, Truex excelled at playing meek but lovable characters. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Benny Goodman in The Benny Goodman Story (1956).

John Marley, who played Superintendent Cox, got his start in acting after being drafted from the audience to replace an actor who had fallen ill. He received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for his work on Love Story (1970), but is perhaps best known as the movie mogul who discovers a severed horse’s head in his bed in The Godfather (1972).

Hank Patterson, who played Freitag, portrayed the same character, Fred Ziffel, in three different shows: The Beverly Hillbillies (1962), Petticoat Junction (1963) and Green Acres (1965).

It takes a while to get going but, once it does, this episode reall delivers. It’s an elegant, heartfelt story that really hits hardest when the Ben Conroy characters calls out to his friends to wait up and they leave him behind because he was foolish not to believe in the ravings of his seemingly mentally-addled friend. Good stuff.

Season 3, Episode 22, “A Piano in the House”

This episode first aired February 16, 1962.

The inner personality of the individual exposed to the music is, coincidentally, reflected in the choice of song. The cantankerous shopkeeper’s sentimentality is revealed through “I’m in the Mood for Love”. Marvin, the morose butler, reveals his light-hearted nature as “Smiles” plays. “Sabre Dance” rattles the level-headed Esther into betraying her true feelings for her husband. The guarded playwright Greg reveals his passion for Esther while listening to “These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)”. “Clair de la Lune” awakens the self-deprecating Marge’s dreams of romance. Finally, “Lullaby” reveal Jerry’s immature and childish nature.

Barry Morse, who played Fitzgerland Fortune, got his start on the London stage before moving to Canada in the 1950’s. He is perhaps best known for his portrayals of Lt. Philip Gerard in The Fugitive (1963) and Professor Victor Bergman in Space: 1999 (1975). Over the course of his eight decade career, Morse is said to have played more than 3,000 roles on stage, screen, and radio.

Joan Hackett, who played Esther Fortune, started as a teen model before graduating to the stage and, eventually, film and television. She was battling cancer when she checked herself out of the hospital so she could host Carrie Fisher’s wedding to Paul Simon at her Beverly Hills home. She returned to the hospital days later where she eventually passed away.

Handsome Don Durant, who played playqwright Gregory Walker, toured as lead vocalist with Tommy Dorsey and Frankie Carle before turning to acting. His plum career role was as Johnny Ringo (1959) in the series of the same name. Eventually disillusioned with the roles he was being offered, he quit the business in favor of a lucrative real estate career.

Cyril Deleanti, who played the morose butler Marvin, previously appeared as LJ Smithers in “A Penny for Your Thoguhts” and Franklin in “The Silence”. He makes one final TZ appearance in season 4’s “Passenger on the Lady Anne”.

Muriel Landers, who played Marge Moore, began her career as a concert singer before shifting to acting. She built a career in comedies on film and television.

I liked this episode, but bumped on a couple of narrative elements that ultimately prevent it from entering my top ten. My biggest gripe is the inconsistency in which the piano operates. At first, I assumed it was simply a matter of whatever music plays awakens the hidden side of the listener. But it’s more targeted than that, of course, because even though multiple people listen to the song, only one person is affected. Why? When Clair de la Lune plays, why is it only Marge whose dreams surface? Why none of the other guests? Is it because hers were the biggest dreams of all? I doubt it. While I can somewhat see the logic of the bespoke music selections targeting certain victims, I didn’t understand how the shopkeer and the butler ended up syncing with just the right song to reveal their hidden personalities. It was simply a huge coincidence.

Finally, I realize it was the 60’s and it was a small moment and we’ve certainly come a long way, but it really irked me when all the other guests burst into laughter while Marge was dancing. Her dancing wasn’t weird or comical. It just felt like a really cheap manufactured moment.

Season 3, Episode 23, “The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank”

This episode first aired February 23, 1962.

A mailbox on one of the streets has the name “M. Pittman” which is a nod to the writer/director of this episode, Montgomery Pittman.

The cabin used for the opening funeral scene served as home for the Simpsons in “The Hunt”.

Actor James Best, who played Jeff Myrtlebank, was a former roommate of fellow actor Adam West. He built a career appearing in westerns, but is perhaps best known for playing Sheriff Rosco Coltrane on The Dukes of Hazzard (1979). He was set to star alongside Mickey Rooney and Hugh O’Brian in the movie “Old Soldiers”, but all three died while the movie was in prep.

Reflecting back on this episode, Best revealed: “I’m not known to be claustorphobic, but when they closed that lid, I stuck a pencil or something small under the lid, and told them to leave it there. I didn’t get scared laying in there but that pencil did keep the box from getting a bit stuffy.”

He also had nothing but good things to say about his experience: “The director had class. The whole show had class. That is probably why, today, thirty..forty years later, the Twlight Zone is stil talked about.”

Sherry Jackson, who played Comfort, was the niece of director Montgomery Pittman. He had originally wanted to cast her in the season 3 opener, “Two”, but the producers felt she was too young for that role. She is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Terry Williams on The Danny Thomas Show (1953) and the android Andrea in the original Star Trek’s “What Are Little Girls Made Of?” (1966).

Producer Buck Houghton’s own son made an appearance in this episode. Jim Houghton played the character of Jerry.

Edgar Buchanan, who played Doc Bolton, was a dentist-turned-actor who played the same character (Uncle Joe Carson) on three different series: The Beverly Hillbillies (1962), Petticoat Junction (1963) and Green Acres (1965).

Lance Fuller, who played Orgram, battled personal demons throughout his career. They culminated in a parking lot attack on a police officer that resulted in Fuller being shot in the chest. He survived and made a full recovery.

Jon Lormer, who played Strauss, was the only credited actor to make appearances on all four seasons of The Twilight Zone.

This one had the potential to be a haunting entry but, instead, is annoyingly goofy. James Best’s terrific performance was wasted in what turned out to be a weakly scripted episode.

Season 3, Episode 24, “To Serve Man”

This episode first aired March 2, 1962.

The episode was based on a short story by author Damon Knight. In the original tale, the aliens resemble upright-walking hairy pigs.

All of the 9-foot aliens in this episode were played by the same actor, Richard Kiel.

The alien saucer scenes that appear in this episode were reuses from Forbidden Planet, Earth vs. The Flying Saucers, and The Day the Earth Stood Still.

This is the only episode in the entire season where somewhere other than Serling addresses the viewer.

In the beginning of the episode, Newark, New Jersey is announced as the location of the first alien landing – which, coincidentally, was where the aliens landed in Orson Welles’ infamous radio broadcast “War of the Worlds”.

Serling was NOT happy with the initial cut of this episode. He wrote Damon Knight to tell him: “To Serve Man turned out piss-poor, a combination of horrible direction, and a faithless script bit your back. We’re re-shooting some scenes and it’s my hope that we can at least come within a few hundred yards of our great story.” Scenes were re-shot, new ones added, stock footage included, and the alien’s dialogue was rewritten.

Serling went on vacation for five weeks and left the production in the hands of Buck Houghton, leaving his longtime producer the following message: “Just so long as you know, Buck, how deeply appreciative I am of all your back breaking labor, your tremendous loyalty, and your contributions which consistently and constantly made me look good.” It’s interesting to note that Houghton ended up parting ways with the production after resisting efforts to expand the show to the failed one-hour format for The Twilight Zone’s fourth season.

Toronto-born actor Lloyd Bochner, who played Michael Chambers, got his start as a voice actor before making the leap to the small and big screen. He played Blake Carrington’s wealthy rival (and Alexis Carrington ally) Cecil Colby on Dynasty (1981).

Richard Kiel, who played the alien, was 7″2 and scored his biggest role as metal-mouthed henchman Jaws in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979). He turned down the role of Chewbacca in Star Wars to play Jaws. He was also cast as the Incredible Hulk in the 1977 series but, after two months of filming, it was decided he wasn’t bulky enough so he was paid out and replaced by Lou Ferrigno.

Theodore Marcuse, who played Citizen Gregori, built a career for himself playing bald villains. He is probably best known to genre fans as Korob, the alien humanoid who captures several crew members of the Enterprise in the Star Trek (1966) episode “Catspaw”’.

Many shows have parodied this episode, but I think the best to do it was The Simpsons in their very first Treehouse of Horrors.

This one races to the very top of my season 3 rankings. What a terrific twist! And knowing it was coming, I absolutely loved the scene of the alien looking on and smiling as the passengers are weighed before boarding. I wonder how they prepared poor Chambers.

The post September 10, 2024: The Twilight Zone rewatch continues with season 3, episodes 21-24! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.