National Twilight Zone Day

My Facebook friend, Bill, shared that today is National Twilight Zone Day!

He says,

Twilight Zone Day is mysterious, weird, surreal and perhaps a little scary. I can think of many other adjectives, but I think you get the picture. Every once in a while, you have a day like this. And, May 11th is designed to be that day.

The television show The Twilight Zone, was created, written and narrated by the late Rod Serling. It premiered on October 1, 1959. The episodes were wildly popular, stretched the imagination, and captivated viewers. The show aired from 1959-1964 and is available on DVD.

My friend Max has been reviewing each episode of the series weekly. While I wish I had time to do that, I thought for today, I would give a run down of my 20 favorites (I’m sure there are more than 20, but I jotted down the ones I like from memory and there are 20).

What I have always loved about this show is the “twist” endings. It reminds me of so many of the great old radio shows of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s!

Time Enough At Last

By far, my favorite episode of the series. Burgess Meredith is fantastic in this episode! I wrote about it in detail in another blog, which you can read here:

Some Favorite TV Episodes…

This is the eighth episode of the first season.

Quick Synopsis: A henpecked book lover finds himself blissfully alone with his books after a nuclear war.

Escape Clause

Outside of his over the top portrayal of The Mad Hatter on Batman, this is a great performance by David Wayne.

This is the sixth episode of the first season.

Quick Synopsis: A hypochondriac man sells his soul to the devil, exchanging it for several thousand years of immortality.

A Game of Pool

This episode features two amazing performances by Jonathan Winters and Jack Klugman. Like many of the Twilight Zone episodes, it has the “Be careful what you wish for” lesson …

This is the fifth episode of the third season.

Quick Synopsis: A frustrated pool champ has beaten everyone. Everyone except one man; the legend, Fats Brown. Brown is dead, and the champ can only curse his name. But guess who just walked in.

Nightmare at 20,000 Feet

A classic episode with William Shatner. This was redone in the Twilight Zone movie years later. Shatner’s performance is just frantic! His overacting only makes the character more insane!

This is the third episode from the fifth, and final season.

Quick Synopsis: A man, newly recovered from a nervous breakdown, becomes convinced that a monster only he sees is damaging the plane he’s flying in.

The Masks

Little known fact: This episode was directed by actress, Ida Lupino (who starred in a season 1 episode I will mention next).

Greed and vengeance are the central theme in this episode. The ending remains one of my favorite twists.

This is the 25th episode of the fifth and final season.

Quick Synopsis: Wealthy Jason Foster is dying and he invites his greedy heirs to a Mardi Gras party where they must wear the masks he specially had made for them or else be cut off from their inheritance.

The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine

Ida Lupino and Martin Balsam star in this episode. While I wouldn’t call this a time travel episode, it does focus on living in your past.

This is the fourth episode of the first season.

Quick Synopsis: Barbara Jean Trenton is a faded film star who lives in the past by constantly re-watching her old movies instead of moving on with her life, so her associates try to lure her out of her self-imposed isolation.

Back There

Since I mentioned time travel, this is one of my favorite time travel episodes. Russell Johnson (the Professor on Gilligan’s Island) is the time traveler in this episode.

This is the thirteenth episode of the second season.

Quick Synopsis: At a prominent club in Washington, D.C., a socialite argues about whether it would be possible to change history by traveling back in time. When he leaves the club he finds himself in 1865, on the night that President Lincoln will be shot.

The Odyssey of Flight 33

Ok, sort of another time travel story. The captain is played by John Anderson. Always thought he had a great voice!

This is the eighteenth episode of the second season.

Quick Synopsis: Passing through the sound barrier, a commercial airliner inadvertently travels back in time.

Living Doll

Great performance by Telly Savalas. I’m not going to lie, this episode is one that creeped me out!

This is the sixth episode of the fifth and final season.

Quick Synopsis: A frustrated father does battle with his stepdaughter’s talking doll, whose vocabulary includes such phrases as “I hate you” and “I’m going to kill you”.

Eye of the Beholder

The beautiful Donna Douglas appears from under the bandages in this awesome story. I guess I just gave away the ending …..

This is the sixth episode of the second season.

Quick Synopsis: A young woman lying in a hospital bed, her head wrapped in bandages, awaits the outcome of a surgical procedure performed by the State in a last-ditch attempt to make her look “normal.”

The Fever

I always loved Everett Sloane as an actor. He is great as the angry gambler in this episode. How can you not freak out at the fact that the slot machine has followed him to his room?

This is the seventeenth episode of the first season.

Quick Synopsis: A middle-aged man catches gambling fever from a slot machine that he believes is calling his name.

To Serve Man

The great Richard Kiel is featured as Kanamit in this episode with the great twist ending.

This is the twenty-fourth episode of the third season.

Quick Synopsis: An alien race comes to Earth, promising peace and sharing technology. A linguist and his team set out to translate the aliens’ language, using a book whose title they deduce is “To Serve Man.”

Quality of Mercy

A MUST watch! How things would be different if we looked at it from the other side. Dean Stockwell is great in this episode.

This is the fifteenth episode of the third season.

Quick Synopsis: Hot-shot new Lieutenant Katell tries to make his mark on the last day of World War II in the Pacific and gets a unique perspective on his actions.

Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?

Great cast in this one! Jack Elam, John Hoyt, Bill Erwin, Jean Willes, and John Archer all star in this episode which cashes in on the Martian craze.

This is the twenty-eighth episode of the second season.

Quick Synopsis: Following a frantic phone call about a crashed spaceship, two policeman try and determine who among the passengers of a bus at a snowed-in roadside diner is from another world.

A Nice Place to Visit

Another classic twist ending. Sebastian Cabot (Mr. French of Family Affair) is Mr. Pip. Little known fact: Cabot was reluctant to dye his brunette hair and beard blonde, since the peroxide used for it ensured that the color would remain for about six months.

Great story and again, a be careful what you wish for…

This is the twenty-eighth episode of the first season.

Quick Synopsis: When bad guy Henry Francis Valentine dies in a shootout with police, he wakes up in the next world where his every wish is granted forever, and ever.

Nothing in the Dark

This episode stars a young Robert Redford. I saw the ending coming a mile away, but it is still a good one to watch.

This is the sixteenth episode of the third season.

Quick Synopsis: An old woman has fought with death a thousand times and has always won. But now she finds herself afraid to let a wounded policeman in her door for fear he is Mr. Death. Is he?

Nick of Time

Another over the top performance by a frazzled William Shatner! Good stuff. Watch for Batman’s Chief O’Hara (Stafford Repp) as the mechanic in this episode.

This is the seventh episode of the second season.

Quick Synopsis: A pair of newlyweds stopping in a small town are trapped by their own superstition when playing a fortune telling machine in a local diner.

Deaths-Head Revisited

Powerful episode here. Great performances by Oscar Beregi Jr. and Joseph Schildkraut!

This is the ninth episode of the third season.

Quick Synopsis: A former German SS captain returns to Dachau concentration camp and begins reminiscing on the power he enjoyed there, until he finds himself on trial by those who died at his hands.

One For the Angels

Ed Wynn was known as a comedian, but he gives a marvelous dramatic performance here! Murray Hamilton is great as Mr. Death.

This is the second episode of the first season.

Quick Synopsis: A pitchman is visited by Mr. Death and is forced to get his priorities in order.

Night of the Meek

A wonderful, feel-good episode to wrap up my twenty favorites. Art Carney is just brilliant in this episode. The episode looks weird because it was one of only a few episodes that were shot on video tape in hopes of cutting production costs. Don’t let the quality take away from a wonderful episode!

This is the eleventh episode of the second season.

Quick Synopsis: After a derelict Santa Claus is fired on Christmas Eve, he finds a mysterious bag that gives out presents. With this bag he sets out to fulfill his one wish – to see the less fortunate inherit the bounties of Christmas.

Did I miss your favorite?

Tell me your favorite episodes in the comments! Happy International Twilight Zone Day!!

Holy Batman Day!

After a few serious blogs, I decided I needed to write about something a little bit less … deep. This is about a silly and campy a topic as I can come up with.

Depending on the source, either September 15 or September 21 was National Batman Day. Either way, I missed it. It was to celebrate 80 years of the Caped Crusader. Batman first appeared in the comics in 1939 and has been keeping the folks of fictional Gotham City safe from the onset.

Yes, there have been many different versions of Batman throughout the years, but for me, the version that will always remain my favorite was created in 1966.

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I was not yet born when it first aired on TV, but I watched it faithfully with my brother in reruns. To be honest, as a kid watching this show, I had no idea just what the show did to pop culture in 1966. It was HUGE! Radio stations used the infamous Neal Hefti theme song for their jingles. People were using onomatopoeias in every day conversations, along with “Holy” catchphrases! Batman was everywhere!

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The phrase “Same Bat Time. Same Bat Channel.” were used in everyday language. It was a reference to the fact that the first episode would end with our heroes caught in a trap. Certain death awaited the Dynamic Duo. The cliffhanger episodes ended telling veiwers to tune in tomorrow to see IF they can escape (which they always did!).

The 1966 Batman was quite different than what had been seen on screen or in the comics. The producers of the show did it with a campiness that was at times, just plain silly. One has to wonder if the cast had been different, would it have worked?

Adam West played Batman (and Bruce Wayne) and Burt Ward was Robin (and Dick Grayson).

batman and robin

The Commissioner Gordon of 1966 is SO unlike the Gordon of Fox’s Gotham. He is played by the great Neil Hamilton. Chief O’Hara is played like the stereotypical Irish cop from so many movies and radio shows by character actor Stafford Repp.

Batman_'66_-_Gordon_and_O'Hara

In the comics, Bruce Wayne’s butler, Alfred, had been killed off before the show began. Needless to say, his death was reversed. He is played to perfection by Alan Napier.

alfred

Aunt Harriet Cooper was played by Madge Blake, who many will remember from Leave it to Beaver. Blake fell ill during the show and appeared less and less.

madge

In season 3, the two day back to back episode format was abandoned and the character of Batgirl (who was really Barbara Gordon, daughter of the Commissioner) was introduced. She was played by the amazing Yvonne Craig.

Yvonne_Craig_as_Batgirl_insert_courtesy_Craig

Outside of the campiness of the show, I think what made it such a hit was the villains. Batman in the comics introduced readers to many of the Batman “staple” villains and so they were known to Bat-fans already. Personally, I need to give kudos to whoever did the casting of the villains for the TV show! In all honesty, it is hard for me to imagine anyone else playing these characters (although some have done quite well).

When you watch the show, you will notice that when a villain is on screen, the camera always shoots them at an angle. The reason is that it was to convey that the villains were a bit off kilter or “crooked”. By the end of the first season, Batman was such a big hit that celebrities were lining up to be villains. Many stars just wanted to be ON the show (which explains some of the cameos). While there are many villains, here are some of my favorites:

Cesar Romero – The Joker. Romero was known for playing romantic Latin lovers in many movies. When asked to play the Joker, he refused to shave off his trademark mustache. The cast him anyway and they painted the makeup over his mustache! Look at the picture below and it is clearly visible. His over-the-top performance as the Joker and his amazing laugh made the character so much fun to watch!!

Caesar_Romero_Joker

Frank Gorshin – The Riddler. Gorshin had starred in over 20 films by the time he was cast in Batman as the Riddler. Those included That Darn Cat, Where the Boys Are, and The George Raft Story. He was popular in night clubs and on TV and was an amazing impressionist (He did one of the BEST impressions of Burt Lancaster!). As the Riddler, he was like a cat high on catnip! He was all over the place! His laugh was perfect for the role. The laugh was supposedly inspired by Richard Widmark’s character in 1947’s Kiss of Death.

riddler

Burgess Meredith – The Penguin. Burgess was called “one of the most accomplished actors of the century” and I would tend to agree. There is very little that I have seen him in where he is not amazing to watch! He and Cesar Romero are tied for the most appearances on Batman. As the Penguin, he is just marvelous! Penguin trivia: Burgess had stopped smoking prior to taking the role. He developed the “quack”ing to hide the fact that he wanted to cough because of the smoke. Word is that he was so popular on the show, the producers ALWAYS had a Penguin script waiting for him.

burgess penguin

Catwoman – Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt. Hands down, Julie Newmar is my favorite! Her sultry voice fits the character. The way she flirts with Batman, you can tell there is something there, but it can never be because one is good and one is evil. Julie was a star on Broadway (and Tony Award winner) before Batman. She did many guest appearances on TV too (F-Troop, Route 66, Columbo, and more). Her Catwoman costume is in the Smithsonian!

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Eartha Kitt makes my list because her take on Catwoman is SO different from Julie’s. Her growl and the way she rolls her “r’s” is reason enough for her to be mentioned.

eartha

Notice: Julie raised the belt on the costume a bit – so it enhanced her figure.

David Wayne – The Mad Hatter. I always liked David Wayne as an actor. He appears in one of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes and was in many movies by the time Batman cast him. He appeared in four films with Marilyn Monroe and also appeared with Frank Sinatra in The Tender Trap. Like the other villains, Wayne is over-the-top is his portrayal of the Mad Hatter. His exact pronunciations of words with such great diction makes his performance that much more believable. How can you not dig his crazy hat with the eyes that pop up to hypnotize his victims to steal their hats?!

mad hatter

Vincent Price – Egghead. Vincent Price was a star! He was the Saint on radio, he had appeared in who knows how many movies, and narrated Michael Jackson’s Thriller! Egghead was a villain that must have been created for the show, as I don’t know that he ever appeared in a comic book. He was a super intelligent villain, maybe the smartest. His language consisted of “eggy” puns. He was just fun to watch.

egg

Rudy Vallee – Lord Marmaduke Ffogg and Glynis Johns Lady Penelope Peasoup. I really don’t know why these two make my list. They only appear in Season Three of the show and it does not take place in Gotham City. The episodes take place in the fictional town of Londinium. The entire Gotham crew, including Batgirl, are there (yet no one connects the fact that Batman shows up at the same time Bruce Wayne is visiting!). I remember these episodes for a couple things – the fact that his pipe can fog up an entire town (or so it seems) and Robin is almost stung by this huge, and obviously fake, bee. Watching Vallee in this role, you can see (like almost all villains) that he is having a lot of fun with the character.

foggs

Shelley Winters – Ma Parker. Here is another example of an actor/actress who just is amazing in anything she plays (check her out in Night of the Hunter). Shelley Winters is brilliant as Ma Parker (an obvious parody of the real Ma Barker and her crime family). She’s crazy and shows a wide range of emotions throughout her stint on Batman. I really wish they had brought her back for more!

ma and gang

Honorable Mentions – Mr. Freeze was played by three different actors – all very differently. George Sanders, Otto Preminger, and Eli Wallach all took turns in the role. mr freeze

Milton Berle – Louie The Lilac – Uncle Miltie as a bad guy? Yep.

louie

Victor Buono – King Tut. Talk about an over-the-top performance! Victor is said to have loved playing this role. He said it gave him the ability to have fun and just be silly.

king tut

Ethel Merman – Lola Lasagna. What?! Ethel Merman!? Yep. Bonus – she’s in an episode with the Penguin.

lola

Liberace – Chandell and Harry. This one is just silly, which is why I love it! Chandell is a criminal (known as “Fingers”), but only a criminal because he is being blackmailed by is evil twin brother Harry. Liberace alone is enough, but Liberace playing a dual role – LOL!!!

liberace

There were many other celebrities who played villains on the show – Art Carney, Cliff Robertson, Van Johnson, Carolyn Jones, Joan Collins, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Roddy McDowell, Ida Lupino, and SO many more! All were great, but really only good for one stint. The villains really made the show fun to watch.

The wait was long for the show to finally make it to DVD/Blu-Ray, and when it was released, I ran out and bought it! As silly as it is, I still will watch it and love every minute of silliness! Happy Belated Batman Day!

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