It has taken me a while to get back to season reviews of The Twilight Zone, mostly because I was reluctant to start season four knowing that this is when the series switched from 30-minute to 60-minute shows. It is not a coincidence that this is its least heralded season, so even with just 18 episodes I anticipated a difficult slog.
Thankfully, the journey was not as arduous as I expected. Yes, the story padding is sometimes evident, and some of the show’s themes are becoming repetitive (longing for the past, deals with the devil, etc.). But overall, this was a season that, like its predecessors, delivered more good than bad stories, and even some of the lesser entries were redeemed by one or more memorable performances.
Just as a refresher: the reason I’m doing these reviews is that, familiar as I’ve been with The Twilight Zone, I’ve never owned the series or experienced all the episodes in order in their entirety. Since the hour-long shows have been rarely syndicated, all these episodes were new to me.
The Three Best
The Thirty Fathom Grave
This was my clear favorite. A US Navy destroyer in the South Pacific detects the remains of a World War II-era submarine at the bottom of the ocean. Which wouldn’t be all that strange were it not for the sound of hammering against metal coming from within. What could be the cause? And could it be connected to one of the ship’s officers having a sudden nervous breakdown?
“The Thirty Fathom Grave” plays like one of those classic little ‘B’ movies you might stumble across on TCM late at night, that pulls you in to see where it goes.
Valley of the Shadow
The Twilight Zone was of two minds when it came to quiet little towns. In the episodes written by Rod Serling they provide sanctuary from a cruel modern world. Other writers like Charles Beaumont had more in common with David Lynch, viewing these idyllic hamlets as places that may hide the most strange and sinister of secrets.
Peaceful Valley, visited by reporter Philip Redfield (Ed Nelson), belongs to the latter camp.
Stopping to ask for directions, Philip sees a little girl point a device at his dog, causing the dog to disappear. He’s eventually found again, but Philip’s reporter instinct kicks in. He starts investigating and will soon discover that leaving town is not an option no matter how hard he tries.
Jess-Belle
It was a toss-up for the final ‘Best’ spot between this and the atmospheric “Passage on the Lady Anne.” I’m giving this one the edge because it plays like a tragic tale from American folklore passed down through generations. It even comes with its own song:
Fair was Elly Glover
Dark was Jess-Belle
Both, they loved the same man
And both they loved him well
Two Twilight Zone vets, Anne Francis and James Best, play Jess-Belle and Billy-Ben. She loves him, and he kind of likes her but then falls for the beautiful Elly (Laura Devon). A jealous Jess-Belle asks the local witch to make Billy-Ben love her again, but that spell comes with a shocking side effect.
Jess-Belle
It was a toss-up for the final ‘Best’ spot between this and the atmospheric “Passage on the Lady Anne.” I’m giving this one the edge because it plays like a tragic tale from American folklore passed down through generations. It even comes with its own song:
Fair was Elly Glover
Dark was Jess-Belle
Both, they loved the same man
And both they loved him well
Two Twilight Zone vets, Anne Francis and James Best, play Jess-Belle and Billy-Ben. She loves him, and he kind of likes her but then falls for the beautiful Elly (Laura Devon). A jealous Jess-Belle asks the local witch to make Billy-Ben love her again, but that spell comes with a shocking side effect.
I was not a fan of writer Earl Hamner Jr.’s previous TZ scripts, making this effort an even more pleasant surprise.
Among the honorable mentions: “Printer’s Devil,” with the always-reliable Burgess Meredith helping an editor save his small-town newspaper at the cost of his soul and “He’s Alive,” with Dennis Hopper giving a chilling performance as a neo-nazi leader getting lessons from Hitler and how to spread hatred.
World War II-vet Rod Serling was often at his most eloquent when condemning the kind of bigotry he once fought against. His closing narration still packs a punch:
“Where will he go next, this phantom of another time, this resurrected ghost of a previous nightmare? Any place, every place, where there’s hate, where’s there’s prejudice, where there’s bigotry, he’s alive. Remember that when he comes to your town. Remember it when you hear his voice speaking out through others. Remember it when you hear a name called, a minority attacked, any blind, unreasoning assault on a people or any human being. He’s alive because through these things we keep him alive.”
And I can’t omit “Of Late I Think of Cliffordsville,” despite it featuring Albert Salmi, an actor I take an instant dislike to every time I see him. It’s worth watching just for Julie Newmar as the devil tempting him into an unholy bargain. Outside of Catwoman it’s the best performance I’ve ever seen from her.
“Where will he go next, this phantom of another time, this resurrected ghost of a previous nightmare? Any place, every place, where there’s hate, where’s there’s prejudice, where there’s bigotry, he’s alive. Remember that when he comes to your town. Remember it when you hear his voice speaking out through others. Remember it when you hear a name called, a minority attacked, any blind, unreasoning assault on a people or any human being. He’s alive because through these things we keep him alive.”
And I can’t omit “Of Late I Think of Cliffordsville,” despite it featuring Albert Salmi, an actor I take an instant dislike to every time I see him. It’s worth watching just for Julie Newmar as the devil tempting him into an unholy bargain. Outside of Catwoman it’s the best performance I’ve ever seen from her.
The Three Worst
The Incredible World of Horace Ford
Here it is – the single most annoying performance in the distinguished history of this iconic series. Pat Hingle plays toy designer Horace Ford, an exasperating man-child who never got over being 12 years old – so that’s still how he acts. Ten minutes in and I wanted to jump through the screen and give him a wedgie. Most shocking is that this awful episode was written by Reginald Rose, who wrote 12 Angry Men and created The Defenders.
I Dream of Genie
Another reminder of how poorly TZ handled comedy. George Hanley (Howard Morris) is granted one wish by a genie and doesn’t know what to do with it.
No Time Like the Past
We’ve seen this story before – man becomes disillusioned with the present day and yearns to escape into the past. “A Stop at Willoughby” set the standard for such storylines, which were also used in “Walking Distance” and others. This time it just doesn’t work. Paul Driscoll (Dana Andrews) is more ambitious than his fellow time-travelers – he first attempts to kill Adolf Hitler and warn the Japanese about an incoming atom bomb. When that fails, he settles for a quiet life in Homeville, Indiana, circa 1881. But once again his hopes for a better life are dashed.
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