October 3, 2024: The Twilight Zone rewatch continues with season 4, episodes 5-8!

Season 4, Episode 5, “Mute”

This episode was first broadcast January 31, 1963.

Richard Matheson adapted his original short story for this episode. One of the more notable changes from the source material was swapping the gender of the young telepathic child from a boy (in the story) to a girl (in the episode). Presumably, the production felt a young girl would prove more sympathetic to viewers (and I think they made the right call here).

The main street Ilsa runs across was located on the MGM backlot in Culver City. It was called “New England Street” and was last glimpsed in “I Sing the Body Electric”. The Wheeler home was the “Philadelphia Story” house last seen in “A World of Difference”.

Actress Barbara Baxley, who played Cora Wheeler, was a Tony nominated Broadway performer who had a close friendship with fellow actress Tallulah Bankhead. She apparently loved cats and had one named Tulah. She (Barbara, not the cat) is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Sally Field’s mother in Norman Rae (1979).

Irene Daily, who played Miss Frank, enjoyed a successful career on Broadway and the London stage, but is best known as the scheming Liz Matthews on Another World (1964), a role that earned her a Daytime Emmy in 1979.

Anne Jillian, who played young Ilse, is best known for her role as Cassie Cranston on the 1980s sitcom It’s a Living (1980). She is a three-time Emmy nominee and won the Golden Globe for Best Actress for The Anne Jillian Story (1989).

Oscar Berengi Jr., who played Karl Werner, previously appeared in “The Rip Van Winkle Caper” and “Deaths-Head Revisited”.

I had mixed feelings about this one. The longer runtime didn’t really bother me and I found the story compelling enough, mostly thanks to a young Anne Jillian’s terrific performance. I felt sympathy for her – unlike any of the other characters. Her adoptive father was cold while her adoptive mother was an absolute loon. Her birth parents were, by all accounts, too busy with their research to give her the affection she needed. Also, when all is said and done, I’m not sure what message we’re supposed to take away from this episode? That conformity is good?

Season 4, Episode 6, “Death Ship”

This episode was first broadcast February 7, 1963.

The spaceship saucer was originally used in Forbidden Planet (1956) as were the ship’s external set and stairs as well as the crew uniforms.

After being disappointed with the results of some of the third season scripts he penned, Richard Matheson wrote Rod Serling to tell him how pleased he was with how “Death Ship” turned out. Serling wrote back: “I really thought it a beautiful job of writing and a marvelous job of production. The garland goes out to Old Man Matheson for doing it again. And speaking of doing it again – it appears we might go back to a half-hour form. Can we count on you?”

People have pointed out the similarities between this story and Ray Bradbury’s “Mars in Heaven” which, ironically enough, Richard Matheson ended up adapting to the small screen for the 1980 The Martian Chronicles miniseries.

Don Medford previously directed Jack Klugman in season 1’s “A Passage for Trumpet”. Also appearing in that episode was Mary Webster who played Ruth here. Ross Martin returns for his third Twilight Zone appearance.

Ross Elliott, who played Kramer, was a regular on General Hospital until he angrily quit the show. The production found another actor to play the role of Lee Baldwin, a character who lasted several decades. Reflecting back, Elliott once stated: “I’ll be honest with you. I made some wrong turns. I made some career decision and did some dumb things that cost me and sent me off-track…There were a few wrong turns, and there was a wrong turn or two that I won’t go into. If I hadn’t made them, my career would have had more lasting up-turns.”

Tammy Marihugh, who played Jeannie, left acting to become an exotic dancer in the 1970’s. She ended up marrying bodybuilder Rodney Larson who wound up physically abusing her. In 1996, she shot him in the back, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and, in 1997 was found guilty but given probation.

“Death Ship” is my favorite episode of season four so far. A great sci-fi concept that builds nicely to a terrific climax. I really loved the ambiguity we were seemingly left with. Is it time travel? Alien mind control? Or are they dead? Well, Serling’s closing narration effectively answers that question for us which I found kind of weird and a little disappointing.

Season 4, Episode 7, “Jess-Belle”

This episode was first broadcast on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1963.

When a planned script fell through, the production reached out to Earl Hammer Jr. to find out if he had any finished scripts lying around. Hammer told them he would turn one around in record time for them – and he did, completing an act a day.

Actor James Best, who played Billy Ben Turner, previously played a similar character in another Hammer episode, season 3’s “The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtleback”. Reflecting back on his career, Best once said: “I got killed a lot and very seldom got a beautiful lady to work with until I did a Twilight Zone with Anne Francis. And then as my career progressed, I did The Dukes of Hazzard, and I was stuck with a dog and a hog.”

He recalled a harrowing moment while shooting this episode however: “They had the panther on the roof and I had to come out and light my pipe. And I see the trainer out in front of me, which the camera can’t see and he suppposedly had control of the animal. So I come out and I hear the trainer say “Don’t move.” And I thought “What the hell is he giving me directions for? He’s not the director!” Again, I hear “Don’t move.” And I thought “Holy poo-poo.” And I backed up and they said cut and I said “What’s wrong’ And he said “We don’t have the animal fastened on well enough, and he likes to jump on anybody that’s below him.” I said “Can you get a long chain and get on that anmal because I don’t want to come out on that porch again.””

Anne Francis, who played Jess-Belle, made her stage debut at age 11. She delivered memorable performances in movies Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), Blackboard Jnngle (1955), Forbidden Planet (1956), and received a Golden Globe (and Emmy nomination) for her portrayal of the titular character in Honey West (1965).

Jeanette Nolan, who played Granny Hart, appeared in over 300 television shows. In this episode, she plays a witch who gives Jess-Belle a love potion so that someone will fall hopeless in love with her. Her husband, actor John McIntire, played a demon who gave another character a love potion so that someone would fall hopelessly in love with him in season 1’s “The Chaser”.

I went in with low expectations but found the episode enjoyable enough. There were a few lingering questions. Like why, when she transformed, her clothes disappeared but not her engagement ring. Also, not sure why everyone assumed Jess-Belle was dead if there was no body. All in all, I actually felt sorry for Jess-Belle and thought she could have done much better than Billy Ben. She was absolutely smokin’!

Season 4, Episode 8, “Miniature”

This episode first aired February 21, 1963.

Due to a plagiarism suit, this episode was not aired in syndication and it wasn’t until the 1984 Twilight Zone 25th Anniversary special that it eventually re-aired. Although the show had faced similar charges in the past, this one went the distance, going to court where the suit was dimissed only to be appealed in 1967 and, once again, denied. The individual who sued the production had sent in a story idea years earlier that was rejected. In the story, an elderly night watchman at a department store befriends the mannequins which come alive for him at night. The old man’s daughter and son-in-law begin to worry about him and the watchman anxiously confides in his mannequin friends. He suffers a fatal heart attack and dies. The following day, his grieving daughter and son-in-law are shocked to witness the delivery of a new mannequin to the store, a mannequin that bears a striking resemblance to the recently deceased watchman. It’s no wonder the suit was thrown out. Twice.

When the episode was finally re-aired, the doll house sequences were colorized.

Although the episode is credited to Charles Beaumont, his Alzheimers had progressed to the point where he was no longer able to write so it is assumed one of his friends and fellow authors, William F. Nolan or Jerry Sohl, ghost wrote the scripts so that Beaumont could continue to maintain his health coverage.

Robert Duvall, who played Charley Parkes, was the first actor to play Lt. Frank Burns in M.A.S.H. (1970). Following his appearance in The Godfather (1972), a contract dispute resulted in his being replaced by George Hamilton in Godfather II. Other notable performances included his roles in The Great Santini (1979), Apocalypse Now (1979), and Tender Mercies (1983), but the role Duvall was most proud of was that of former Texas Ranger Augustus McCrae in the miniseries Lonesome Dove (1989).

Claire Grisworld, who played The Doll, was the wife of Oscar-winning director Sidney Pollack.

Pert Kelton, who played Mrs. Parkes, was the first actress to play Alice Kramden on The Honeymooners only to be recast after her husband, Ralph Bell, was blacklisted by the industry.

William Window, who played Dr. Wallman, was last seen as The Major in “Five Characters in Search of an Exit”.

Lennie Weinrib, who played Buddy Russell, was the original voice of Scrappy Doo but was replaced after a single season following a contract dispute.

John McLiam, who played The Guard, previously appeared in the episodes “The Shelter” and “The Midnight Sun”.

Barney Phillips, who played The Boss, makes yet another TZ appearance, this one close on the heels of “Death Ship”, leading me to assume his character DID finally make it off that planet after all!

Chet Stratton, who played The Guide, previously appeared as Roger in “The Mind and the Matter”.

I quite liked this one. Duvall does a great job conveying his lonely introvert’s quiet desperation. The episode is nicely paced and delivers a signature Twilight Zone ending. My favorite moment, however, is when the security guard glimpses Charley in the doll house but, rather than panic, he smiles because he realizes it’s a happy ending for him. Definitely a Top 5 contendor for me.

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