August 12, 2024: The Twilight Zone rewatch continues with season 2, episodes 9-12!

Season 2, Episode 9, “The Trouble with Templeton“

This episode originally aired December 9, 1960.

This episode went through two previous titles, “What Do You Hear” and “The Strange Debut”, before settling on “The Trouble with Templeton”.

This was the first pitch from an outsider (besides Charles Beaumont) that the show purchased. Despite welcoming unsolicited submissions, it never purchased a single script. According to Rod Serling in a March of 1960 interview with The New York Sunday News: “I read every new script submitted to me,”he said in a March of 1960 interview with The New York Sunday News.  “So far I’ve waded through 200 and here’s what I found: some 90 percent were poorly written by non-pros, most of the others were sent in by pros and sized up merely as smooth hack work  Still, I continue my reading.”

According to this episode’s writer, Jack Neuman: “I had often toyed with the notion of “You can’t go home again,” and it should have been “You shouldn’t go home again, ever” which is what I was trying to say here.”

Brian Aherne, who played Booth Templeton, started out as a child actor. He studied architecture before returning to the stage. On Feburary 8, 1980, he was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Pippa Scott, who played Laura Templeton, was one of the founding of Lorimar Productions, the Emmy-award company behind such shows as Dallas and The Waltons, and such movies as Being There and A Fish Called Wanda. Later in life, she shifted her focus on humanitarian causes, founding The International Monitor Insisitute, a non-profit organization dedicated to the prosecution of war crimes, and Linden Productions, a company focused on producing human rights documentaries.

A young Sydney Pollack played the part of hotshot director Arthur Willis. Pollack, an Academy Award winning director in real life, won two Oscars (Best Direction and Best Picture) for Out of Africa. He was also an actor, writer, and producer in addition to being an accomplished jazz pianist. In 2000, he was presented with the John Huston Award from the Directors Guild of America as a “defender of artists’ rights.”

The episode gets off to a strong start (Brian Aherne is marvelous as the perfectly wistful Templeton) but I initially bumped on the way his wife treated him when he is reunited with her as her behavior seemed random given his memories of her. But then, with the (albeit clunky script discovery) twist, it all made much more sense and I really came around to appreciating what this episode accomplished. Also, much respect for director Buzz Kulik who does a wonderful job directing here, delivering once of the show’s most haunting shots-to-date with the fade to dark on the revelers after Templeton exits the speakeasy. Beautiful.

Season 2, Episode 10, “A Most Unusual Camera”

This episode originally aired December 16, 1960.

Rod Serling had written an opening scene in which the husband and wife owners of the targeted antique shop discuss the robbery with a police officer, but given the amount of pressure the production was receiving from the network to keep costs down, the decision was made to scrap it.

The series was beginning to feel the pinch in season 2 and, occasionally, it was reflected in the quality of some of the episodes produced. According to Serling: “A series can be sustained with top quality writing and acting, but suffers when filmed from economics.  It’s rare that a show can shoot in more than three days and it is this too-brief shooting schedule that is reflected in the lack of consistency in film shows.  This is particularly true in anthologies.  When The Twlight Zome came up with a rock on occasion, this was occasionally the net result of sloppy writing, but more often it reflected a lack of time to polish the show propertly.”

This episode is similar to season 1’s “Elegy” in that all of the characters end up dying.

Actor Fred Clark, who played the scheming Chester Dietrich, was a pre-med student when he caught the acting bug and ended up changing career paths. He worked on stage, film, and television and is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Harry Morton on the George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. After appearing in 75 episodes, he left the show following a salary dispute. Clark apparently met Serling at a restaurant which resulted in him being cast in this episode.

In simlar fashion, actress Jean Carson who played the part of Paula Dietrich, met Serling at a party. He informed her that he was working on a script with a character she would be perfect for, but was having trouble getting the network to approve the script because they wanted a better comeuppance for the episode’s baddies. Finally, after two years, the script was approved and Serling reached out. As for that ending, accoridng to Carson: “I do believe, and it’s not for me to say this beause Rod knew it all, but I kind of felt that it was an arbitrary ending…But it was a delightful show.”

Carson got her start on broadway and became a television mainstay in the 50’s and 60’s, often playing supporting roles. She was realistic about her inability to land leading roles: “With my crazy voice I could never be a leading lady, so why should I kill myself trying?  Besides, as a second tomato I have the reward of always being busy.  I don’t have to sit around for months, waiting for the few big jobs that exist.  I know stars who absolutely go out of their minds from inactivity.”

Actor Adam Williams, who played Paula’s dimwitted brother Woodward, may look familiar. He appeared in season 1’s “The Hitch-Hiker”, playing a sailor who gets a ride from the doomed Nan Adams. Williams is probably best known for his portrayal of Valerian in North by Northwest (1959).

Actor Marvel Hillaire, who played the part of Pierre the waiter, enjoyed a 40-year career playing French policemen, criminals, and waiters.

This episode includes a racetrack cameo by actor Art Lewis who played the drunk in season 1’s “The Fever”.

Yet another “funny” episode that could have benefited from a more serious treatment. I found the impossibly contrived ending pretty disappointing.

Season 2, Episode 11, “The Night of the Meek”

This episode originally aired (appropriately enough, it being a Christmas story) December 23, 1960.

“The Night of the Meek” was one of six episodes shot on tape and then transferred to 16mm film for broadcast. All six of those episodes combined saved CBS a whopping $30k. Rod Serling was disappointed with the result. In an interview shortly after the episode’s airing, Serling stated: “The Christmas show instead of being the sheer delight I had hoped it would be, turned out to be an inconsequential nothing and I rather think it’ll be a terrible disappointment to you. […]  An abomination and looks for all the world like a rough dress rehearsal that is a couple days from coming around. “ Despite Serling’s feelings about the episode, it is well-liked by fandom. In later years, Serling would come around and sit down to watch the episode with his family every holiday season.

Serling, on his inspiration for this episode: “I got the idea for this watching a Santa Claus parade with my two kids a year ago and noticed that on the Santa Claus float the worthy gentleman chosen for the role must have been a last-minute and at least a third-string replacement.  He weighed just a few pounds more than Slim Summerville and his Santa Claus suit must have been dredged out of a canal someplace.  It suddenly came to me that perhaps there’s a story lurking somewhere in the whole concept of these guys who play Santa Claus for a living.  And then I started to conceive of a tale of what would happen to an ersatz Kris Kiringle if he suddenly found that he was Santa Claus.”

The production borrowed much of the set dec for this episode including the toys, decorations, reindeer (from Santa’s Village) and train set (from The Lionel Corporation that saw brisk sales following its airing).

According to producer Buck Houghton: “Once in a while, Rod would have an enthusiasm. He’d say to himself or to Carol or to me or whomever, that he particularly liked somebody. There was a Christmas show that we did just because he wanted to see Art Carney play Santa Claus.”

Art Carney, who played Henry Corwin in this episode, enjoyed a lengthy career on stage and in film and television. He is perhaps best known as municipal sewer worker Ed Norton on The Honeymooners (1955). In an interview, series star Jackie Gleeson once attributed much of the show’s success to Carney. Carney suffered a nervous breakdown following the end of his 25-year marriage. This, coupled with drug and alcohol abuse led to a six month stay at a sanitarium. Opportunities dried up but, in the early 70’s Carney quit drinking and mounted a career combeack in 1974’s Harry and Tonto, a performance for which he won an Academy Award. Shortly thereafter, he reconciled with his ex-wife and they remarried.

Actor John Fielder, who played the role of Mr. Dundee, was a successful character whose voice was, perhaps, more recognizable than his face. He guested on many t.v. shows and animated features, but is best known for voicing the role of Piglet in the Winnie the Pooh animated stories – 23 different productions over 37 years.

Actor Val Avery, who plays the bartender in this episode, played a bartender in three other episodes of The Twilight Zone.

Actress Meg Wyllie, who played Sister Florence, was Star Trek’s first vilain, playing the Talosian Keeper in the first Star Trek (1966) pilot “The Cage”.

Actor Burt Mustin, who played the Old Man Art Carney’s character nevertheless refers to as Burt, landed his first role at the age of 67. He appeared 14 times as Gus the fireman on Leave it to Beaver.

Actor Jimmy Garrett, who played the street kid, was a child actor who also played Lucy Carminchael’s young son on The Lucy Show.

Finally, Orangey the Cat went uncredited in this episode. The only feline double-winner of the Patsy Award, the animal kingdom’s equivalent of the Oscar, Orangey was sometimes billed as Rhubarb the Cat and played the role of Cat, the homelesss feline in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Orangey’s longest gig was a recurring role as Minerva the Cat in the television series Our Miss Brooks (1952).

To be honest, the downtick in visual quality wasn’t as noticeably egregious as in “The Lateness of the Hour” and I feel Serling was unduly harsh on this episode. Maybe I’m a sucker for Christmas-themed episodes, but I liked “The Night of the Meek”, partly because of the writing, but mostly for Art Carney’s heartfelt performance. And I loved the ending.

Season 2, Episode 12, “Dust”

This episode originally aired January 6, 1961.

Rod Serling had written an episode for Playhouse 90 that aired in 1958 titled “A Town Has Turned to Dust” about a public hanging. It contained main similairites to this episode including a conflicted sheriff but featured none of the supernatural elements hinted at in “Dust”.

Actor Thomas Gomez, who played the dupliciotous Peter Sykes, got his start in theater and made his film debut in the 1942 Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror. According to legend, while staying at the Roosevelt Hotel during filming, he would have that day’s newspaper brought up to his room and set upon a growing stack. When he was finally able to enjoy some downtime, he’d have a bellhop come up to his room and lift the stack so he could retrieve the paper on the bottom and methodically work his way up. Although most of his roles on film were of the supporting variety, he was a star on Broadway, headlining A Man for All Seasons. Gomez was also a reupted gourmand and a regular at some of L.A. and New York’s best restaurants. When asked how it felt to be always playing bad guys, Gomez replied: “I don’t understand these categories.  I just call myself a leading man and let it go at that.  If you ask one what I like best, I would say a comedy part with some rascality, warmth and dimension – and parts where Latin people are presented with sympathy, or at least with humanity.” He made his first Twilight Zone appearance in season 1’s “Escape Clause”.

Actor John Larch, who played Sheriff Koch, was a pro baseball player who became an actor, finding early success on radio as (Captain) Starr of Space (1953) and then building a career for himself on television in the 50’s and 60’s. He is perhaps best known as Harry Callahan’s Chief of Police in Dirty Harry (1971). Larch would later return in Twilight Zone’s third season to play the nervous Mr. Freemont, father of the dangerous young Anthony (Bill Mumy) in “It’s a Good Life”.

Actor John A. Alonzo who played the seemingly doomed Luis Gallegos became a cinematographer and worked on such Oscar nominees as Sounder, Chinatown, and Norma Rae.

The lanky Jon Lormer, credited as the Old Man in this episode, is the only credited actor to make an appearance in the first four seasons of The Twilight Zone. On Star Trek, he portrayed Tamar in “Return of the Archons” and an unnamed old man in “For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky” both characters, coincidentally, killed by computers after revealing crucial information to the Enterprise crew. He also portrayed Dr. Theodore Haskins in the unaired Star Trek pilot.

The part of Farm Boy was played by director Douglas Heyes’ son, Douglas Heyes Jr., who stepped into the role when his older brother got sick and had to bow out. Douglas Heyes Jr. became a screenwriter, scripting three episodes of Farscape.

Thomas Gomez’s performance as the scheming Sykes really elevates an otherwise drab episode. Slow, simplye and fairly straight-forward but still not as objectionable as early season 2 episodes like “The Man in the Bottle” and “The Lateness of the Hour”.

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