WEBVTT 1 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:11.839 You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension, 2 00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:17.960 a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. 3 00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:23.480 You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance of things and ideas. 4 00:00:23.559 --> 00:00:38.159 You've just crossed over into the twilight zone. If you were a child 5 00:00:38.280 --> 00:00:43.640 in nineteen fifty nine America, there was a distinct possibility that you might wake 6 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:51.280 up on Christmas morning to find underneath your Christmas tree a doll called Riquette from 7 00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:55.920 the Vogue Doll Company. Standing at twenty two inches tall, with green eyes 8 00:00:55.960 --> 00:01:00.119 and orange hair, Riquette would have made scores of children happy until she was 9 00:01:00.159 --> 00:01:07.319 discontinued in nineteen sixty one. Well, perhaps for the child who wanted a 10 00:01:07.359 --> 00:01:11.959 bit more life in their doll. The Chatty Cathy doll from Mattel was also 11 00:01:12.079 --> 00:01:19.120 manufactured in nineteen fifty nine. But this doll had a string in its back, 12 00:01:19.599 --> 00:01:23.200 and when you pulled it, Kathy would say one of eleven phrases. 13 00:01:25.400 --> 00:01:30.159 But you do get a new doll? All Chatty Cathy asked? First, 14 00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:34.959 sure, because a dog can talk or something? How do you brush my 15 00:01:34.040 --> 00:01:41.519 hair? Okay, Daddy, Well I told you she could talk. I 16 00:01:41.640 --> 00:01:46.640 get pulled this wing and she said eleven different things make her say that again? 17 00:01:47.159 --> 00:01:52.680 Maybe she walked part of the funniest She never not chatty, Cathy l 18 00:01:52.760 --> 00:01:57.879 play net? Will you play with me? This skin is so soft? 19 00:01:59.200 --> 00:02:07.439 Hey, he feels real. I love you, ah so tonight in a 20 00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:13.199 sense, we're going to merge these two popular dolls and add a touch of 21 00:02:13.280 --> 00:02:17.840 Twilight Zone magic to bring to life one of the most iconic creations that the 22 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:23.719 show ever produced. And we'll meet her in a moment. But first of 23 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:29.000 all, let's meet the street Or family parents, Eric and Annabelle and their 24 00:02:29.120 --> 00:02:35.319 daughter Christie. She's alive, daddy, and her name is Tackie Kina. 25 00:02:35.639 --> 00:02:38.680 For heaven's sake, annabou a doll like that would cost? I put it 26 00:02:38.680 --> 00:02:43.680 on the account. Tina does everything she moves, and she can talk, 27 00:02:43.960 --> 00:02:49.240 and I just love her already. My name is Kakie Kina, and I 28 00:02:49.280 --> 00:02:53.479 love you very much. All Right, how much did the cost? I 29 00:02:53.599 --> 00:02:57.120 told you? I know you charged it, but how much did it cost? 30 00:02:57.759 --> 00:03:00.879 Right? That's enough? How much did it cost? Donna? Eric? 31 00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:05.080 I don't think it's the price of the doll that's upsetting you. Now 32 00:03:05.080 --> 00:03:07.039 we'll get some more of that freudy and gibberish you've been getting from a doctor. 33 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:13.840 It isn't doctor Lubin's fault. She feels rejected. My name is Ka 34 00:03:13.919 --> 00:03:17.520 Kietina, and I love you very much. Will you shut that thing up? 35 00:03:19.800 --> 00:03:23.879 But Talkietina hasn't arrived in a happy home, and she's definitely got something 36 00:03:23.960 --> 00:03:30.840 to say about it. So tonight we pull the string on living doll. 37 00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:42.879 My name is Ka Quietina, and I don't think I like you Talkietina, 38 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:49.199 the doll that does everything, A lifelike creation of plastic and springs and painted 39 00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:54.319 smile. To Eric Straighter, she is a most unwelcome addition to his household. 40 00:03:54.879 --> 00:04:03.159 But without her, he'd never enter The Twilights Face broadcast on November Face, 41 00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:08.560 nineteen sixty three, written by Charles Beaumont, but more on that in 42 00:04:08.560 --> 00:04:14.560 a moment, and directed by Richard C. Serafian. So as opening narrations 43 00:04:14.639 --> 00:04:17.560 go, this has to be one of the briefest in Twilight Zone history. 44 00:04:17.600 --> 00:04:23.160 I think, not a great deal to say about a standard Twilight Zone whippan 45 00:04:23.639 --> 00:04:28.639 and then just this very brief intro from sailing. So while I said that 46 00:04:28.680 --> 00:04:32.560 the writer was Charles Beaumont, because he is the credited writer. This seems 47 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:36.959 to be well and truly an episode written by Jerry Saul. Now we have 48 00:04:38.120 --> 00:04:41.879 dug into this topic before, but for any new listeners, just briefly, 49 00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:46.439 at this point in the Twilight Zone, one of its major writers, Charles 50 00:04:46.439 --> 00:04:50.560 Beaumont, was sadly succumbing to the illness that would end up taking his life 51 00:04:50.600 --> 00:04:56.399 for too young, and because of this, he was struggling to meet deadlines 52 00:04:56.720 --> 00:05:01.759 and struggling to get Wake done. So another Jerry Saul, ghost wrote some 53 00:05:01.959 --> 00:05:08.399 of Charles Beaumont's episodes at this stage in the show, and Martin Graham's junior 54 00:05:08.439 --> 00:05:13.720 documents in Unlocking the Door to a television classic that Saul said, I think 55 00:05:13.800 --> 00:05:16.759 Chuck Beaumont and I were walking along and saying, suppose we had a doll 56 00:05:16.879 --> 00:05:23.079 that talked and could answer our questions and reprimand us. Just think of all 57 00:05:23.079 --> 00:05:27.920 the things that doll could do, not anything animal or carnival, but in 58 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:31.519 speaking. So we got on that track. It was no problem at all. 59 00:05:32.120 --> 00:05:35.839 Once we had worked out the idea. A couple of months passed and 60 00:05:35.920 --> 00:05:40.959 I said, gee, it's about time I did living doll. Because Beaumont 61 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:45.560 was in no condition to do it. I usually wrote most of Beaumont's stuff 62 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:48.399 at that stage of the game. Now, if you are a new listener, 63 00:05:48.439 --> 00:05:55.079 I do go into this a bit deeper in past episodes. Tonight's director 64 00:05:55.319 --> 00:06:00.639 is another newcomer for season five, Richard C. Seraffian. He was born 65 00:06:00.680 --> 00:06:03.959 in New York in nineteen thirty, so would have been in his early theaties 66 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:09.560 at this point. But his show business career is quite an unusual one, 67 00:06:09.959 --> 00:06:13.639 and I think we can see why when we look at his younger life. 68 00:06:14.680 --> 00:06:18.040 As a student, he studied law and medicine at university, but he was 69 00:06:18.079 --> 00:06:24.240 a poor student apparently until he switched over to film studies, and when he 70 00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:28.199 did that, he excelled at it. So it's a classic case of when 71 00:06:28.279 --> 00:06:31.560 you get that chance to work on something you love, you do become betterar 72 00:06:32.519 --> 00:06:38.319 But after university he joined the army and became a reporter for the Army News 73 00:06:38.360 --> 00:06:43.680 service. But it was during the Korean War that he met the future director, 74 00:06:44.160 --> 00:06:47.720 Robert Altman, and the two of them became friends, not just friends, 75 00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:55.120 but family because Sir Raffian married Altman's sister, and they also became colleagues 76 00:06:55.120 --> 00:07:00.199 because Sir Raffian acted in a play that Altman directed and worked as Alt's assistant 77 00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:05.160 as his career began to take off, and the first thing that Saraffian turned 78 00:07:05.160 --> 00:07:11.639 his hand to apart from being Altman's assistant, was writing. In nineteen fifty 79 00:07:11.639 --> 00:07:16.399 four, he translated into English the script of an Italian co production of Attila 80 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:21.480 the Horn, but then in nineteen fifty eight wrote three very cool sound in 81 00:07:21.480 --> 00:07:27.920 crime films, The Notorious Mister Monks, The Cool and the Crazy and The 82 00:07:27.959 --> 00:07:30.959 Man Who Died Twice. And he did go on to write a little more 83 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:35.879 through the rest of his career, but the sixties mainly saw him follow his 84 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:42.680 friends Robert Altman into directing, and he did at least an episode or two 85 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:46.519 of a lot of the popular shows at a time, like seventy seven Sunset 86 00:07:46.560 --> 00:07:51.600 Strip, Bonanza, and Batman. And like Altman, Sir Raffian also made 87 00:07:51.639 --> 00:07:57.240 the jump from the small screen to the big screen, and one of his 88 00:07:57.319 --> 00:08:03.879 biggest successes is the influence chill car movie Vanishing Point, that boasts some of 89 00:08:03.879 --> 00:08:07.519 the best car chases ever put on screen. But it seems that his directing 90 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:11.879 career was destined to go back to the small screen. And he kept directing 91 00:08:13.000 --> 00:08:18.319 until nineteen ninety with a number of television episodes and TV movies. But nineteen 92 00:08:18.399 --> 00:08:24.040 ninety wasn't the end of his showbiz career, because throughout the seventies and eighties 93 00:08:24.079 --> 00:08:28.800 he had been peppering in the occasional acting job, and this is something that 94 00:08:28.839 --> 00:08:33.000 he kept up until two thousand and seven. He was in the Johnny Depp 95 00:08:33.080 --> 00:08:37.440 movie Don Juan DeMarco, he was in the Wachowski's movie Bound prior to their 96 00:08:37.519 --> 00:08:43.440 massive success with The Matrix, and he even voiced a beaver in the Eddie 97 00:08:43.480 --> 00:08:48.240 Murphy movie Doctor Doolittle. And sadly, Saraffian died at the age of eighty 98 00:08:48.320 --> 00:08:56.159 three in twenty thirteen from complications from pneumonia after he was recovering from a broken 99 00:08:56.200 --> 00:09:01.960 back. So mister Saraffian had quite the career, spanning decades different areas of 100 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:07.480 the business, and while he may have only directed one Twilight Zone, he 101 00:09:07.639 --> 00:09:11.440 certainly directed an iconic one. Eric, I don't know how much more of 102 00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:15.639 this I can take, exactly. What is it you're taking Annabelle, You're 103 00:09:15.720 --> 00:09:20.360 anger towards Christie. I know you're having a difficult time adjusting to her but 104 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:22.559 I can't let you treat her this way. She's my daughter, Eric, 105 00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:26.919 I love her. I love her, but I don't love her. I'm 106 00:09:26.919 --> 00:09:31.639 only her stepfather, and I'm incapable of loving children because we can't have any 107 00:09:31.679 --> 00:09:35.919 of our own. Isn't that what you're saying, Annabelle? Oh no, 108 00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:39.799 Eric, believe me, it's not. You could love Christie. I know 109 00:09:39.879 --> 00:09:45.080 you could, if you'd only give yourself half a chance. Good. I'm 110 00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:48.279 glad I'm not the cold cruel over that mommy and daughter think. I may 111 00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:52.559 appreciate all the faith. Yeah me, Eric, please give us a chance. 112 00:09:52.799 --> 00:09:56.080 Christie and me. I know you got more than you bargained for when 113 00:09:56.080 --> 00:10:00.360 you married me. Two for the price of one, wasn't it. But 114 00:10:00.480 --> 00:10:09.879 we'll do anything to make you happy, both of us. Dye. I'm 115 00:10:09.919 --> 00:10:15.159 sorry, Daddy if I need you mad, It's all right, Christy, 116 00:10:15.440 --> 00:10:24.759 it's all Daddy's thought. Okay. So Bobby, you dear. My name 117 00:10:24.840 --> 00:10:30.399 is Kaki Kina, and I love you very much. Now, if you 118 00:10:30.480 --> 00:10:35.240 ask someone what this episode is about, they might tell you it's about to 119 00:10:35.320 --> 00:10:39.080 kill a doll. But I think, really, this is what it's about. 120 00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:43.519 And I like how the episode waste no time in Plunging goes into it. 121 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:48.519 It's about the struggles that this family is having, and as we find 122 00:10:48.559 --> 00:10:54.360 out, Eric isn't Christie's natural father, and it seems that him and his 123 00:10:54.480 --> 00:10:58.879 wife can't conceive to have a child themselves. Now, I don't want to 124 00:10:58.879 --> 00:11:01.720 get into those relationship ships too much yet, but we will definitely come back 125 00:11:01.720 --> 00:11:07.279 to it. But this is an episode with four cast members. Now, 126 00:11:07.360 --> 00:11:11.039 normally I don't like to put too many bios into the podcast, maybe two 127 00:11:11.080 --> 00:11:15.840 paer episodes three if I have to, But in this case, I just 128 00:11:15.879 --> 00:11:20.080 think all four of them are legitimately equally as important to the episode, and 129 00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:26.120 it just wouldn't be fair to leave anyone out. So while Eric and Annabel's 130 00:11:26.159 --> 00:11:31.240 squabble, let's meet our leading man. I think you know the drill by 131 00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:35.679 now for what happens when we meet a future big star like Robert Redford or 132 00:11:35.759 --> 00:11:41.440 Charles Bronson or indeed Telly Savalis in the Twilight Zone. There's probably not much 133 00:11:41.480 --> 00:11:46.279 point seeing where they went because we all kind of know that story. But 134 00:11:46.360 --> 00:11:48.799 I find it more interesting to see where they are at this point in their 135 00:11:48.840 --> 00:11:54.600 careers, because for the most part, when they are in the twilight zone. 136 00:11:54.039 --> 00:11:58.279 It's usually when they are still hard working actors of the day on the 137 00:11:58.399 --> 00:12:03.519 cusp of playing a part that will send them to the next level, and 138 00:12:03.639 --> 00:12:09.960 Telly Savalis is no exception. Now. Telly is short for Aristotellus and he 139 00:12:09.080 --> 00:12:13.360 was born in New York in nineteen twenty two to Greek parents, and in 140 00:12:13.480 --> 00:12:18.480 nineteen forty one he was drafted into the military, serving in the Medical Corps 141 00:12:18.960 --> 00:12:22.639 for he was discharged after being in a car accident which gave him a broken 142 00:12:22.679 --> 00:12:28.759 pelvis and he spent a year in hospital recuperating. After that, he attended 143 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:35.679 the Armed Forces Institute, where he studied radio and television production. And while 144 00:12:35.720 --> 00:12:39.759 he was being educated prepping to go to medical school, he was also dipping 145 00:12:39.759 --> 00:12:46.360 into the broadcasting world, mainly as a radio presenter, and in nineteen fifty 146 00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:50.919 he presented a show called The Coffee House in New York City. But when 147 00:12:50.919 --> 00:12:56.480 he started to wake in television, it was in the field of producing sports 148 00:12:56.519 --> 00:13:01.639 broadcasting shows, so he never really consider himself an actor. But when a 149 00:13:01.679 --> 00:13:05.960 friend dropped out of an audition for an episode of armstrong Sacle Theater, Savalas 150 00:13:07.000 --> 00:13:11.960 stepped in and got the part and then he got the acting bug from there 151 00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:16.039 on in, and thankfully the business seemed to get the bug for him, 152 00:13:16.519 --> 00:13:20.879 because he became a very much in demand TV guest star and quickly made his 153 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:26.960 jump to the big screen in the nineteen sixty one movie Matt Dog McCall alongside 154 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:31.519 Beer at Lancaster, and a year later he got a Golden Globe and an 155 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:37.399 Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in The Birdman of Alcatraz. So by the 156 00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:41.799 time he hit the twilight Zone, Savalis had already had a decent amount of 157 00:13:41.840 --> 00:13:46.840 success, and this was a period where he was jumping back and forth between 158 00:13:46.879 --> 00:13:50.159 the big and small screens all the time. For example, in nineteen sixty 159 00:13:50.200 --> 00:13:56.039 seven he appeared in TV hits like The Man from Uncle, but also big 160 00:13:56.080 --> 00:14:01.159 screen hits like The Date He Dozen't. So this is just a small taste 161 00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:05.080 of a career that was able to spann TV shows, TV movies and big 162 00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:11.559 screen movies without missing a beat. And that's not to mention his singing career 163 00:14:11.799 --> 00:14:16.480 or something that we remember him dearly for in the UK his work for the 164 00:14:16.600 --> 00:14:22.039 UK Taurus Board. I spent hours in the beautiful one hundred and fifty year 165 00:14:22.080 --> 00:14:26.799 old botanical gardens and there are ten acres of it sat ed Burghers and the 166 00:14:26.799 --> 00:14:31.039 old grammar school. It's like looking into the past, and it's hard to 167 00:14:31.080 --> 00:14:35.200 realize that all this is so near to the hustle and bustle of a really 168 00:14:35.200 --> 00:14:41.639 great metropolis. I can't sing it like again, but I can assure you 169 00:14:41.200 --> 00:14:52.000 this is my kind of town. I was told to get there before it 170 00:14:52.039 --> 00:15:01.279 all blew away. It was spectacular cherry blossom time in Birmingham's Bourneville, writing 171 00:15:01.320 --> 00:15:05.399 the express elevator to the tap of one of the cities highest buildings. This 172 00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:15.799 is the view that nearly took my breath away. Sadly, Savalis died at 173 00:15:15.879 --> 00:15:20.480 the hotel where he lived in Universal City after suffering with cancer. And he'd 174 00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:24.879 actually lived at the hotel for twenty years and had become such a fixture in 175 00:15:24.919 --> 00:15:31.840 the bar that when he passed away they renamed it Telly's. So how is 176 00:15:31.879 --> 00:15:35.440 he in this? I think Telly Savalie screen presence was such that he could 177 00:15:35.480 --> 00:15:41.600 go toe to toe with any movie tough guy and not back down. So 178 00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:45.759 when you're seeing him use that presence where he has all of this the stain 179 00:15:45.879 --> 00:15:50.039 and aggressive energy towards his wife and daughter. I think you really feel that. 180 00:15:50.480 --> 00:15:54.960 So he fits very well into this role as a kind of abusive spouse. 181 00:15:56.559 --> 00:16:00.279 And we'll talk a bit more about that topic a bit more before we're 182 00:16:00.360 --> 00:16:06.240 dawn. But I also think Telly Savalas brings different lays to it, which 183 00:16:06.279 --> 00:16:11.519 I'll come to as well later on. My name is Talkie Tina can I'm 184 00:16:11.559 --> 00:16:30.360 beginning to hate you. My name is Zerath Straighter, and I'm going to 185 00:16:30.440 --> 00:16:40.720 get rid of you. You wouldn't Dare, wouldn't be Yennada. I would 186 00:16:40.799 --> 00:16:48.440 hate you, Christie would hate you, and I would hate you. To 187 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:56.120 see how it works, So while Eric sees how it works, let's do 188 00:16:56.240 --> 00:16:59.879 the same. As I said at the beginning of the episode. Talkie Tea 189 00:17:00.320 --> 00:17:04.599 is a kind of amalgam of two dolls from the time, but mainly it's 190 00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:08.960 that Briquette doll from the Vogue Doll Company which was put on the markers in 191 00:17:10.039 --> 00:17:15.039 nineteen fifty nine. Now, the original doll looks quite different to Torquie Tina, 192 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:19.359 and Martin Graham's junior says in Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic. 193 00:17:21.119 --> 00:17:26.799 After contacting the manufacturing company Cayuga Production, secured permission proposing that the doll be 194 00:17:26.880 --> 00:17:33.519 altered with a different dress and equipped to talk when wound up. Naturally, 195 00:17:33.559 --> 00:17:37.359 the voice of the doll was looped in after production, so the gimmick doll 196 00:17:37.400 --> 00:17:42.440 on the show contained a fake wind up key in the back. So the 197 00:17:42.519 --> 00:17:48.119 second aspect of Torquie Tina is of course that she can talk now. The 198 00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:52.079 briquette doll couldn't talk, but another doll at the time, Chatty Cathy could, 199 00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:57.880 and Chatty Cathy was voiced by the legendary voice actress June for A, 200 00:17:59.559 --> 00:18:04.480 who also voiced Talkie Tina in this very episode. I think it's safe to 201 00:18:04.519 --> 00:18:10.440 say that we will have all hair June for Ray's voice numerous times in numerous 202 00:18:10.440 --> 00:18:14.599 things over the years, even if we didn't know it now. She was 203 00:18:14.640 --> 00:18:18.839 born in nineteen seventeen and we only lost her in twenty seventeen at the age 204 00:18:18.880 --> 00:18:23.039 of ninety nine, and from a young age she had a talent for voices, 205 00:18:23.079 --> 00:18:26.759 and at twelve years old she had a knack for putting on the voice 206 00:18:27.119 --> 00:18:32.319 of an old lady. Now Lucky for Hair, one of her teachers was 207 00:18:32.440 --> 00:18:37.200 part of a radio show in Springfield, Massachusetts, and they added June to 208 00:18:37.240 --> 00:18:41.480 the cast, and by the age of fifteen, Hair and her family had 209 00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:45.359 moved to Los Angeles, where she continued to work in radio and she even 210 00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:51.640 wrote her own show for children called Lady Make Believe. And from then on 211 00:18:51.720 --> 00:18:56.920 her talent for voices and accents took her into the world of animation, where 212 00:18:56.960 --> 00:19:03.200 she became hugely prolific. She played Lucifer the Cat in Walt Disney Cinderella in 213 00:19:03.319 --> 00:19:08.240 nineteen fifty and one of her most famous credits is voicing Rocky the Flying Squirrel 214 00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:14.559 in The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, as well as one of the villain's Natasha 215 00:19:14.599 --> 00:19:18.240 Fatal and with a massive three hundred and eighty seven credits to her name, 216 00:19:18.519 --> 00:19:23.519 probably more, June Faray was definitely a hard working actor for the Ages and 217 00:19:23.960 --> 00:19:30.000 her contribution to voice work cannot be overstated. And we'll come to June Faray 218 00:19:30.079 --> 00:19:34.480 again when we cover the final episode of the Twilight Tone, The Bewitching Pool, 219 00:19:34.960 --> 00:19:41.480 because controversially she ended up revoicing one of the child actors in that episode. 220 00:19:42.319 --> 00:19:47.559 But how is she in this? I think Fay does an amazing job 221 00:19:47.720 --> 00:19:52.839 of putting menace behind the sweet voice of Torquie Tina. She doesn't take the 222 00:19:52.920 --> 00:19:59.079 easy root of simply giving the doll an evil voice, like say Chucky from 223 00:19:59.079 --> 00:20:03.160 the Child's Play movie These Tina still has this very sweet tone to her voice, 224 00:20:03.640 --> 00:20:08.160 but the menace and the threat is laced throughout what she's saying. And 225 00:20:08.240 --> 00:20:14.519 I think it's a wonderful portrayal and talkie Tina has become an icon for good 226 00:20:14.559 --> 00:20:21.119 reason. Ask Daddy, I wouldn't know you had her, Daddy. I'm 227 00:20:21.119 --> 00:20:25.720 gonna go ask your mother. She's already asked me, hm, and what 228 00:20:25.839 --> 00:20:29.440 did you tell her that? I don't know where she is? Do you? 229 00:20:29.680 --> 00:20:33.240 Eric? Where is she? Daddy? Well, now, if your 230 00:20:33.240 --> 00:20:37.680 mother can't tell you, then neither can I. Tina must be somewhere about 231 00:20:37.720 --> 00:20:55.960 Christy. Let's see if we can find her. Yes, hello, Hello, 232 00:20:56.359 --> 00:21:06.079 my name time pointing too, So let's tick another buy off the list, 233 00:21:06.160 --> 00:21:08.440 because, as regular listeners may know, it's always a point of interest 234 00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:14.640 to me to see where the child actors of the Twilight Zone go next after 235 00:21:14.680 --> 00:21:18.319 the appear on the show. Now, Christi is played by Tracy Stratford, 236 00:21:18.359 --> 00:21:22.519 and she was born in nineteen fifty five, so would have been about eight 237 00:21:22.599 --> 00:21:26.359 years old at this point, and there isn't a great deal out there about 238 00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:30.720 her, perhaps because her acting career was actually quite short. Her face credits 239 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:36.240 is a film called The Miracle of the Hills in nineteen fifty nine, and 240 00:21:36.400 --> 00:21:40.880 her last credit is ten years later in the comedy show My Three Sons, 241 00:21:41.519 --> 00:21:45.680 So it seems that by the time she reached about fourteen years old, she'd 242 00:21:45.720 --> 00:21:49.160 moved on from acting. But in her short career she clocked up a few 243 00:21:49.240 --> 00:21:55.519 notable credits. She had a recurring role in the Loretta Young Show, she 244 00:21:55.680 --> 00:22:00.480 was in the Hammer horror movie The Evil of Frankenstein, and she voiced Lucy 245 00:22:00.680 --> 00:22:04.720 in a Charlie Brown Christmas But of note to Twilight Zone fans, we have 246 00:22:04.839 --> 00:22:11.000 already seen her in the Twilight Zone in the episode Little Girl Lost, and 247 00:22:11.119 --> 00:22:15.599 you'll remember that the Miller family lost their daughter Tina Miller, when she slipped 248 00:22:15.640 --> 00:22:21.440 through a dimensional portal underneath her bed and as she wandered around that other dimension. 249 00:22:22.079 --> 00:22:26.839 Adult voice actress Rhoda Williams provided the voice for the young Tina, but 250 00:22:26.920 --> 00:22:34.039 it was Tracy Stratford who played the part physically. Where is she? She's 251 00:22:34.079 --> 00:22:37.519 still looking? I don't mean Christie, we haven't found the doll. That's 252 00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:41.279 what you mean. That's exactly what I mean. You know, I put 253 00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:45.359 her in the trash can? What she's not there? Now, Harry Cow, 254 00:22:45.440 --> 00:22:48.559 could you listen. I've had another the snack said about as a joke. 255 00:22:48.599 --> 00:22:52.480 It's a joke, but I carried it too far me you and Christie 256 00:22:53.119 --> 00:22:56.559 the two years stime. So while Eric looks for the doll, let's just 257 00:22:56.640 --> 00:23:02.680 ponder for a moment what all this is about. I think seems like the 258 00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:06.799 one we've just seen work to put a certain amount of ambiguity in there, 259 00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:12.119 that perhaps Eric is imagining this, that his resentment of Christie has taken form 260 00:23:12.160 --> 00:23:18.079 in his mind, the form of the voice from this doll when nobody is 261 00:23:18.119 --> 00:23:23.279 around, Because Eric sees Annabelle and Christie as this kind of united front against 262 00:23:23.359 --> 00:23:30.279 him, and one theory is that Tina is a representation of that. Another 263 00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:34.599 is that Tina is a kind of representation of Christie. That when annabel is 264 00:23:34.640 --> 00:23:38.480 around, Christie is all sweetness and light, but when she isn't, then 265 00:23:38.599 --> 00:23:44.279 Christie is a lot meaner to Eric, which is what's breeding this resentment in 266 00:23:44.400 --> 00:23:48.440 him, and Tina is a kind of representation of that. Now, I 267 00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:52.960 don't personally subscribe to that one, but it is an interesting conversation I think. 268 00:23:53.079 --> 00:23:57.440 Personally, I take this one pretty much on face value. The episode 269 00:23:59.079 --> 00:24:03.759 is slipping in a bit of ambiguity about whether he is imagining this, but 270 00:24:03.880 --> 00:24:10.240 I tend to think while Tina is definitely suggestive of this animosity that he feels 271 00:24:10.359 --> 00:24:15.200 is coming his way from Christie, this is actually happening. Whatever Tina is, 272 00:24:15.880 --> 00:24:22.359 she is doing these things now. Mark Zcrete in The Twilight Zone Companion 273 00:24:22.519 --> 00:24:26.039 has a slightly odds take on this one. He's very complimentary of it, 274 00:24:26.640 --> 00:24:32.440 but what he seems to get from it is probably the exact opposite of what 275 00:24:32.559 --> 00:24:37.160 I'm getting, And he says, based on an idea by Charles Beaumont and 276 00:24:37.279 --> 00:24:41.519 written in One Day by Jerry Saul, living doll set up a diabolical situation. 277 00:24:42.319 --> 00:24:48.000 Eric street Or is trying desperately not to alienate his wife and her young 278 00:24:48.160 --> 00:24:53.519 daughter when the child brings home a doll that makes clear it's madorous intentions, 279 00:24:53.559 --> 00:24:57.160 but only when it's alone with him. Eric is in one hell of a 280 00:24:57.240 --> 00:25:00.920 bind. If he tries to tell his wife of it, he sounds like 281 00:25:00.960 --> 00:25:06.480 a lunatic. And if he tries to protect himself by attempting to destroy the 282 00:25:06.559 --> 00:25:11.839 doll. His actions seem those of a twisted mind, striking out resentfully to 283 00:25:11.000 --> 00:25:15.960 her to helpless little girl. Poor Eric, it is clear early on that 284 00:25:17.000 --> 00:25:22.279 he hasn't much of a chance against this ruthless doll. So Zichary seems to 285 00:25:22.359 --> 00:25:29.079 be putting Eric as the kind of sympathetic character in this But do we sympathize 286 00:25:29.079 --> 00:25:33.000 with him? Well? I think early on in the scene where Christie comes 287 00:25:33.039 --> 00:25:37.480 to apologize to him, Tellys of Alice does a good job of putting some 288 00:25:37.759 --> 00:25:41.640 humanity into Eric. He's not just an out and out villain. This is 289 00:25:41.680 --> 00:25:45.799 clearly a family who have some issues going on, and they are getting worse 290 00:25:45.960 --> 00:25:51.759 and worse. So is he acting out in a way that he doesn't particularly 291 00:25:51.759 --> 00:25:56.440 like himself. I don't know, because all that seems to go away quite 292 00:25:56.519 --> 00:26:02.240 quickly, and in other scenes he seems to take a perverse pleasure in causing 293 00:26:02.319 --> 00:26:06.880 distress to Annabel, especially. This is a woman who said to him, 294 00:26:07.240 --> 00:26:11.440 will do whatever it takes to make it work, but he just doesn't seem 295 00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:15.359 to want to budge on anything. Now, one of our friends over in 296 00:26:15.400 --> 00:26:18.359 the after hours club, whose comment I will read later on said that they 297 00:26:18.400 --> 00:26:25.039 couldn't understand why Annabel was with Eric in the first place, because he is 298 00:26:25.119 --> 00:26:30.920 such a detestable character. And I wonder whether the revelation that he and Annabel 299 00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:36.559 couldn't have kids is the thing that turned this relationship sour. That in the 300 00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:40.960 beginning, he was willing to take on Christie when he thought that down the 301 00:26:41.000 --> 00:26:45.799 line he would have a child or children of his own with Annabel, But 302 00:26:45.920 --> 00:26:51.759 when that didn't happen, he started to resent Christie, and that's when he 303 00:26:51.839 --> 00:26:56.599 started to see Annabel and Christie as working against him. But whether that's the 304 00:26:56.680 --> 00:27:02.000 thing that soured the relationship or not, I think for a nineteen sixties TV 305 00:27:02.119 --> 00:27:07.920 show, it's not a bad representation of a domestic abuse situation, because relationships 306 00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:15.079 with an abusive partner never appear that way in the beginning. In the beginning, 307 00:27:15.279 --> 00:27:19.319 everything is usually fine, which is why bonds grow stronger, lives become 308 00:27:19.400 --> 00:27:23.119 more and more entwined, people moving in with each other, and so on. 309 00:27:23.759 --> 00:27:29.440 But then usually one of two things happen. Either there is an event, 310 00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:34.000 perhaps an instance of violence during an argument, and then the abusive partner 311 00:27:34.039 --> 00:27:40.519 apologizes, I'm so sorry, I've never done that before it won't happen again, 312 00:27:41.200 --> 00:27:45.480 but it does and it becomes more usual, or there is a gradual 313 00:27:45.599 --> 00:27:51.759 changing of mood, often including elements of control. And I think this is 314 00:27:51.799 --> 00:27:56.839 what we're seeing here with Eric. Everyone can sympathize that sometimes taken on someone 315 00:27:56.880 --> 00:28:00.880 else's child can be difficult, and it's the standardle that Eric could be stuck 316 00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:07.039 in her rut because of that, But he is exhibiting that controlling behavior. 317 00:28:07.920 --> 00:28:11.880 Annabelle and Christie walk on eggshells around him because they don't know whether the next 318 00:28:11.920 --> 00:28:19.799 interaction will result in an explosion of temper. Annabelle especially is over nicer times, 319 00:28:21.400 --> 00:28:25.240 trying to make sure that the next interaction is a good one. So 320 00:28:25.400 --> 00:28:30.920 the control has waked you end up with a scared and docile partner. And 321 00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:36.640 in this case, that partner is played by Mary Laroche. And we've already 322 00:28:36.640 --> 00:28:41.119 come across here in the season one episode A World of his Own. And 323 00:28:41.240 --> 00:28:45.400 she was born in nineteen twenty and as a child trained at the Eastman School 324 00:28:45.400 --> 00:28:49.759 of Music in Rochester, New York. Like her co star June for a 325 00:28:51.599 --> 00:28:56.680 Mary was acting in radio plays at a very young age, and then by 326 00:28:56.680 --> 00:29:00.119 the time she was eighteen she was singing and acting on and off Broadway. 327 00:29:02.240 --> 00:29:04.680 Then the fifties saw her career move on to the big and small screen, 328 00:29:06.359 --> 00:29:11.759 usually as a guest player on shows like Mike Hammer or The Detectives, and 329 00:29:11.920 --> 00:29:17.119 one of her most famous roles is in the Sandra d movie Gidget in nineteen 330 00:29:17.200 --> 00:29:21.000 fifty nine. So she was very much an actress who had turned up in 331 00:29:21.000 --> 00:29:23.160 a show for one or two episodes here and there, and then move on 332 00:29:23.200 --> 00:29:27.759 to the next thing. And this was the way until she seemingly retired from 333 00:29:27.799 --> 00:29:33.400 screen acting in nineteen seventy seven. But how is she in this? You 334 00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:37.400 know? I think she does a fine job portraying what is essentially a woman 335 00:29:37.480 --> 00:29:45.279 who is the victim of this kind of controlling, abusive behavior. Eric Street 336 00:29:45.440 --> 00:29:48.039 may not put his hands on her that we know of, but that's not 337 00:29:48.079 --> 00:29:55.079 the only way that these abusive situations can manifest. This is a case where 338 00:29:55.119 --> 00:30:00.039 words and control are Eric's weapons, and Annabelle is constantly walking on eggshells around 339 00:30:00.119 --> 00:30:06.160 him, wondering whether each interaction will be a good one or a bad one. 340 00:30:06.480 --> 00:30:14.720 And I think Laroach does a fine job here. I told you you'd 341 00:30:14.759 --> 00:30:23.759 be sorry. Christie, Christie Wake up, Christie, go back my tall. 342 00:30:23.799 --> 00:30:30.480 I'm going to borrow tinful world. What's happening? But that was in 343 00:30:30.559 --> 00:30:33.440 her bed. She's the one who's been doing it. Daddy, Daddy, 344 00:30:33.440 --> 00:30:56.559 please, I'm not yet, daddy. So now Eric takes Tina to the 345 00:30:56.599 --> 00:31:03.519 basement to try to destroy your Tina is made of tougher stuff. Now, 346 00:31:03.519 --> 00:31:08.319 if Tina isn't some delusion by Eric, if she is indeed alive, then 347 00:31:08.480 --> 00:31:14.680 what exactly is she? I tend to just go with the usual explanation the 348 00:31:14.799 --> 00:31:18.920 Twilight Zone. The Twilight Zone has seen fit to put her here for some 349 00:31:19.000 --> 00:31:23.200 reason. Now you could say that this is because this is a family in 350 00:31:23.240 --> 00:31:30.240 need of intervention, because of Eric and how this situation is building. She 351 00:31:30.400 --> 00:31:34.799 seems to be possibly a protector for Christie and Rod. Sailing even mentions this 352 00:31:34.920 --> 00:31:41.559 in his closing narration, But then later on after the conclusion, after Eric 353 00:31:41.640 --> 00:31:45.319 meets his fate, we see that Tina might not limit her aggression to Eric. 354 00:31:47.160 --> 00:31:51.359 Perhaps he was just a faced in line, an easy person to hate 355 00:31:51.920 --> 00:31:56.519 because he is so hateful. Or maybe she will protect Christie and sees everyone 356 00:31:56.559 --> 00:32:00.519 as a threat to her, even a mother. So I'm not quite sure, 357 00:32:00.640 --> 00:32:15.480 but it's certainly an interesting conversation Fina and I don't forgive you. So, 358 00:32:15.599 --> 00:32:21.160 after being unable to destroy Tina, Eric gives her back to Christie. 359 00:32:21.720 --> 00:32:24.839 But then that night, after hearing some noise on the landing, Eric goes 360 00:32:24.880 --> 00:32:30.519 to check and ends up stumbling over Tina, falling down the stairs to his 361 00:32:30.680 --> 00:32:37.400 death. Now, when I was polling this episode over in the Afterhours Club, 362 00:32:37.440 --> 00:32:39.920 which I'll come to in a moment, I said to the members there 363 00:32:39.960 --> 00:32:45.359 that I found it a bit one note, and yes it was a bit 364 00:32:45.400 --> 00:32:49.240 of a hot take, but I put it in the mid tier. But 365 00:32:49.319 --> 00:32:52.279 after working through it and viewing it multiple times as I put this together, 366 00:32:53.160 --> 00:32:58.960 I think I've warmed to it a lot more. Tina is a great creation, 367 00:32:59.079 --> 00:33:01.160 but she's the icing on the cake to what is really going on here. 368 00:33:01.839 --> 00:33:07.200 It's the characters, the interactions. That's what it's really about. It's 369 00:33:07.240 --> 00:33:13.359 one of those times that the show really nails a truthful, if unfortunate family 370 00:33:13.440 --> 00:33:19.039 situation, the difficulty of taken on someone else's child, the resentment that can 371 00:33:19.119 --> 00:33:23.160 build, throw in an obviously very flawed man whose only way of dealing with 372 00:33:23.200 --> 00:33:29.519 it is to become abusive and tellis of Alice, especially brings all of these 373 00:33:29.599 --> 00:33:34.359 layers to Eric. I still leave the episode thinking he's generally a bad guy, 374 00:33:34.960 --> 00:33:37.599 but you can at least see some conflict in him, even if his 375 00:33:37.720 --> 00:33:45.200 waste tendencies pretty much always win out. So I will retract my mid tier 376 00:33:45.279 --> 00:33:50.240 grading and gently push this one into the top tier, because, of course 377 00:33:50.839 --> 00:34:01.680 there's a certain someone who I'd better be nice to. You'd better be nat 378 00:34:07.720 --> 00:34:10.639 of course, we all know dolls can't really talk, and they certainly can't 379 00:34:10.639 --> 00:34:15.679 commit murder, But to a child caught in the middle of trum will and 380 00:34:15.760 --> 00:34:21.000 conflict, a doll can become many things, friend, defender, guardian, 381 00:34:21.719 --> 00:34:25.679 especially a doll like talkie Tina, who did talk and did commit murder in 382 00:34:25.719 --> 00:34:31.880 the Mystery region of the Twilight Zone. So that was living doll. So 383 00:34:31.960 --> 00:34:37.199 let's go to our after hours club pole to see how the members graded this 384 00:34:37.280 --> 00:34:42.440 one. So in our vote, seventy seven percent put it in the top 385 00:34:42.480 --> 00:34:46.119 tier, twenty one percent in the middle tier, and two percent in the 386 00:34:46.159 --> 00:34:50.159 bottom tier. Now, there's a lot of comments on this one, which 387 00:34:50.199 --> 00:34:53.039 I think is wonderful, but it means that I can't read the more, 388 00:34:53.119 --> 00:34:57.920 but I will. I'll read a few so at first I said, I 389 00:34:57.960 --> 00:35:00.320 thought it was a bit of a mid tier one note episode. I think 390 00:35:00.320 --> 00:35:05.480 I've worn to it a bit more as I said in the episode. But 391 00:35:05.840 --> 00:35:07.800 our friend Chad says, it is one note, but when that note has 392 00:35:07.800 --> 00:35:13.400 played really well, you sometimes don't need another one, and that's a fair 393 00:35:13.440 --> 00:35:16.360 point. Our friend uncommon Nasa says, tell he plays it so straight that 394 00:35:16.440 --> 00:35:20.719 there is a dark humor to this. This isn't what I come to the 395 00:35:20.760 --> 00:35:23.840 TZ four, but it's still a classic to me. After watching a few 396 00:35:23.880 --> 00:35:29.000 dozen times, I started to pick up its subtle tones of critique against bad 397 00:35:29.039 --> 00:35:32.480 stepfathers. There's a lot said about his past actions, that build out of 398 00:35:32.519 --> 00:35:37.199 the world that these three people live in, and why they needed this daughter 399 00:35:37.360 --> 00:35:42.079 come along. Pretty remarkable for an episode staged in one location. Yeah. 400 00:35:42.079 --> 00:35:45.320 Absolutely. Our friend Jen said this episode is top tier for me, but 401 00:35:45.440 --> 00:35:49.679 likely because I grew up with it. My family quotes it to this day. 402 00:35:50.079 --> 00:35:53.440 It also instilled to meet a fascination with vintage dolls. I'm not coming 403 00:35:53.440 --> 00:35:58.199 around to your house, then, Jen, my co host over there in 404 00:35:58.239 --> 00:36:00.880 the Afterhours Club, Emi says, I'm with you on this one. Tom. 405 00:36:00.920 --> 00:36:04.360 I watched it and had read so many opinions on how it was people's 406 00:36:04.400 --> 00:36:07.039 favorites that I was a little disappointed. It's still a very good episode, 407 00:36:07.360 --> 00:36:12.519 but absolutely mid tier for me. I like the concept, but never really 408 00:36:12.559 --> 00:36:15.800 felt it was truly menacing. So I wonder whether you will warm to it 409 00:36:15.880 --> 00:36:21.199 like I did. Emmy. That'd be interesting to see. Our friend Jordan 410 00:36:21.280 --> 00:36:23.480 says, I'm sure I'll send in some comments later, but this is possibly 411 00:36:23.519 --> 00:36:28.440 my favorite episode. It's a little hard to say it's emblematic of Twilight Zone, 412 00:36:28.480 --> 00:36:31.719 though, since it's so heavily wasted towards the horror end of the spectrum. 413 00:36:31.960 --> 00:36:36.480 Maxwell says, it's really interesting as one goes through the whole span of 414 00:36:36.519 --> 00:36:42.000 TZ to realize how the famous episodes don't reflect what your average t Z episode 415 00:36:42.000 --> 00:36:45.039 tends to be like, and so the public's perception of the show, shaped 416 00:36:45.079 --> 00:36:50.480 by the popular ones, ends up looking somewhat different than a fan who has 417 00:36:50.519 --> 00:36:53.880 seen every episode. To Save Man, It's a Good Life and this one 418 00:36:53.960 --> 00:36:59.199 are synonymous with the t Z and pop culture, yet they're each very different 419 00:36:59.280 --> 00:37:05.480 from an actual standard Teasy episode narratively automatically. I think that's a great point. 420 00:37:05.519 --> 00:37:08.639 Absolutely. Now this is the comment that I was referencing before, Michael 421 00:37:08.639 --> 00:37:12.800 says, I guess when a face RANI packed a punch, especially when we 422 00:37:12.840 --> 00:37:16.199 find out the doll didn't just kill the bad stepdad who wanted to get rid 423 00:37:16.239 --> 00:37:21.079 of her, but also threatens a good mom at the end. I know 424 00:37:21.159 --> 00:37:23.280 there are marriagers and second marriagers like this in real life, but it's hard 425 00:37:23.320 --> 00:37:28.079 for me to get past why unearthed this woman is married to such a nasty 426 00:37:28.119 --> 00:37:31.400 guy and puts her daughter in that situation. Don't want to read too much 427 00:37:31.400 --> 00:37:35.679 into it, and I'm sure there are many factors why that can happen. 428 00:37:36.000 --> 00:37:38.039 And maybe he was nice at some point in the beginning of the relationship. 429 00:37:38.639 --> 00:37:43.320 Maybe it's even referenced in the show, but I don't recall the moment, 430 00:37:43.719 --> 00:37:46.079 So for me middle tier, I don't need to see it again these days. 431 00:37:46.119 --> 00:37:50.039 But I can see why it's well regarded. Well, you know, 432 00:37:50.119 --> 00:37:52.639 we talked about that point for a little bit there, Michael, so thank 433 00:37:52.679 --> 00:37:55.840 you for bringing that up. And then finally Joe says, we see that 434 00:37:57.000 --> 00:38:00.559 Eric Street or has obviously not bought into that I got married than a kid 435 00:38:00.559 --> 00:38:05.800 came with its scenario. Young Christie senses this and is fearful when Eric is 436 00:38:05.840 --> 00:38:08.760 around, so much of that when she receives a new doll, This doll 437 00:38:08.920 --> 00:38:15.400 channels Christie's inner feelings and becomes protective of Christie and her voice. We also 438 00:38:15.480 --> 00:38:19.119 noticed that at the end of the episode, following Eric's death, Talkie Tina 439 00:38:19.199 --> 00:38:22.840 reminds the mother of a future fate that you'd better be nice to me now. 440 00:38:22.880 --> 00:38:28.159 Could this mean that Christie is channeling thoughts that a mother could turn against 441 00:38:28.159 --> 00:38:31.800 her because of Eric's death, and Tina is now the vehicle to keep Christie 442 00:38:31.880 --> 00:38:37.199 safe and well protected. I think there's a lot to digest here. Why 443 00:38:37.239 --> 00:38:40.159 does this doll come to life? Why does the Twilight Zone provide assistance to 444 00:38:40.280 --> 00:38:45.239 Christie? Is cosmic justice saved here? I think, yes, you know, 445 00:38:45.960 --> 00:38:49.440 it's all good talking points. I think, you know, there is 446 00:38:49.840 --> 00:38:53.679 this possibility that Christie is sort of unknowingly channel and this. You know, 447 00:38:53.800 --> 00:39:00.920 I've read some supernatural stuff about poultergeists and things, and we all have different 448 00:39:00.280 --> 00:39:04.599 thoughts on whether we believe that stuff or not. But one school of thought 449 00:39:04.760 --> 00:39:08.119 is that when there is like a poltergeist in the house, it's usually in 450 00:39:08.119 --> 00:39:14.960 a house with quite often a teenage girl and this is thought to be some 451 00:39:15.000 --> 00:39:19.400 sort of phenomenon brought on by there in a tamoil. You know. I 452 00:39:19.440 --> 00:39:22.679 guess everyone's got different mileage on that, or you can kind of apply that 453 00:39:22.800 --> 00:39:28.000 here possibly as well. So all good talking points over there in the after 454 00:39:28.079 --> 00:39:32.440 hours club. Now we've had some good news that the statue of Rod Sailing 455 00:39:34.159 --> 00:39:38.440 to be put up in Binghamton was funded on Kickstarter, which is amazing news, 456 00:39:39.159 --> 00:39:43.880 and it's not going to be put up this year, but it is 457 00:39:43.880 --> 00:39:45.760 going to be put up next year. There isn't a date for that yet. 458 00:39:46.039 --> 00:39:51.440 Now there will be a sailing fast this year, I have heard that 459 00:39:51.679 --> 00:39:55.960 from the foundation. I think they're just getting things finalized and then they will 460 00:39:57.039 --> 00:40:00.280 make an announcement when that is. Now I would dearly love to go. 461 00:40:01.119 --> 00:40:07.119 My only problem is that I think last year, possibly it was put on 462 00:40:07.199 --> 00:40:09.760 the last weekend in August, and that is a date that I will never 463 00:40:10.639 --> 00:40:15.039 usually be able to make. So it's very unfortunate because if it was a 464 00:40:15.039 --> 00:40:17.800 week later, I'd have no problem, or even a week earlier sometimes, 465 00:40:17.840 --> 00:40:22.079 but if it is on that weekend, and unfortunately, that means I can't 466 00:40:22.119 --> 00:40:28.119 go, and it's not something I can really change which I'm very sad about 467 00:40:28.159 --> 00:40:31.920 because I haven't been there since twenty nineteen and I really am dying to get 468 00:40:31.920 --> 00:40:36.880 back. Hopefully, if I can't make it this year, then when that 469 00:40:36.960 --> 00:40:39.119 statue goes up, I really want to be there. I absolutely do. 470 00:40:40.199 --> 00:40:45.559 So. Hopefully that won't be that weekend in August next year. Hopefully they 471 00:40:45.559 --> 00:40:51.039 will bring it forward a bit and maybe I can be there for that statue 472 00:40:51.079 --> 00:40:53.320 unveiling, because you know, that's a once in a lifetime thing, isn't 473 00:40:53.320 --> 00:40:57.880 it, And I really want to be at that. So fingers crossed. 474 00:40:58.079 --> 00:41:02.719 Fingers crossed. So have a couple of pieces of audio feedback from people talking 475 00:41:02.800 --> 00:41:07.039 about both Living Doll and Last Night of a Jockey, And if you want 476 00:41:07.039 --> 00:41:09.800 to get your thoughts onto the show, then send me a clip of about 477 00:41:09.800 --> 00:41:15.360 five minutes or less to Tom at the Twilight Zone podcast dot com. So 478 00:41:15.400 --> 00:41:17.760 I will play those for you now and then we'll go over to Rod Sailing 479 00:41:17.840 --> 00:41:27.719 to find out what's coming up next. Hi Tom gus here, it's been 480 00:41:27.760 --> 00:41:30.719 a while, but I would like to offer up a defense for Last Night 481 00:41:30.719 --> 00:41:34.360 of a Jockey. Eight years ago, I wrote into your show in response 482 00:41:34.400 --> 00:41:37.079 to a nervous man in a four dollar Room, and I made the case 483 00:41:37.159 --> 00:41:42.079 that of these two similar installments, nervous Man was the superior of the two. 484 00:41:42.519 --> 00:41:45.039 Now, I'm not going to retract that assessment, but I would like 485 00:41:45.079 --> 00:41:47.840 to make a new case for Jockey, because, frankly, I just keep 486 00:41:47.880 --> 00:41:52.679 coming back to it, and the reason is Mickey Rooney. Now, obviously, 487 00:41:52.800 --> 00:41:54.480 Rooney's a legend, as you've pointed out, and he's great here, 488 00:41:54.840 --> 00:41:58.559 but the thing that keeps me coming back to this one time and time again 489 00:41:59.079 --> 00:42:01.719 is the fact that he's nailing not just one, but two performances. The 490 00:42:01.840 --> 00:42:06.360 character in the Mirror is just as engrossing as the dirty man in the Cheap 491 00:42:06.440 --> 00:42:09.400 Room, and the older I get, the more I deeply appreciate those great 492 00:42:09.400 --> 00:42:13.800 performers of the past. As you know, I even started my own podcast 493 00:42:13.840 --> 00:42:17.079 devoted to Jeremy Brett's brilliant portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, a podcast, by the 494 00:42:17.079 --> 00:42:21.760 way, which owes a sincere dead of inspiration to your show, Tom. 495 00:42:22.079 --> 00:42:25.559 But I digress. The Twilight Zone clearly had a ton of unforgettable actors purchased 496 00:42:25.559 --> 00:42:30.880 Meredith, Jack Klugman, too many to name, but to me, Mickey 497 00:42:30.960 --> 00:42:32.639 Rooney is just in a league of his own, and even though all the 498 00:42:32.679 --> 00:42:37.760 elements of Nervous Man are superb, when it comes to acting, Rooney is 499 00:42:37.199 --> 00:42:42.280 simply a force of nature. Last time I mentioned The Comedian, which was 500 00:42:42.280 --> 00:42:45.800 Serling's third Playhouse ninety and how Rooney's performance and it just blew me against the 501 00:42:45.800 --> 00:42:50.280 wall. It actually might be my favorite Rod Serling creation of them all, 502 00:42:50.320 --> 00:42:52.760 which, by the way, if any of your listeners haven't seen it, 503 00:42:52.199 --> 00:42:57.920 it's got a wonderful script, a mind blowing cast Edmund O'Brien, Kim Hunter, 504 00:42:58.000 --> 00:43:01.880 Meltourmet, It's directed by John Frankenheimer, it's live television. It's just 505 00:43:01.920 --> 00:43:06.920 astounding, and you can watch it on archive dot org or in the Criterion 506 00:43:07.000 --> 00:43:09.519 Golden Age of TV box set if you want to see it. However, 507 00:43:09.559 --> 00:43:12.920 it is worth saying that if you didn't like Mickey Rooney and Last Night of 508 00:43:12.920 --> 00:43:15.199 a Jockey, you're probably not gonna like him in The Comedian either. He's 509 00:43:15.239 --> 00:43:20.719 even more brash, more over the top, loud, hateful. But I 510 00:43:20.760 --> 00:43:22.880 just don't I don't think there was ever a part better written for him, 511 00:43:23.320 --> 00:43:28.559 and the screenplay won Serling his third Emmy, So it just can't recommend it 512 00:43:28.639 --> 00:43:31.360 highly enough. But coming back to jockey. Even with the performances aside, 513 00:43:31.800 --> 00:43:37.119 I'm a sucker for twisted tales of dark fate, and I do think Grady's 514 00:43:37.159 --> 00:43:40.320 desserts here are just in a very short amount of time, we really do 515 00:43:40.440 --> 00:43:44.679 get to know this little man, and I think it's just twenty three minutes 516 00:43:44.679 --> 00:43:49.599 he manages to treat four people like complete garbage. He really is a little 517 00:43:49.679 --> 00:43:53.360 runt, But to me, the very best part is how happy he actually 518 00:43:53.400 --> 00:43:58.239 is when he gets his wish. Serling could have turned the tables moments after 519 00:43:58.280 --> 00:44:02.400 his transformation, but he gives Grady six whole minutes of reveling in his newfound 520 00:44:02.480 --> 00:44:07.559 bigness before pulling the rug out from under him, which just really lands the 521 00:44:07.599 --> 00:44:10.760 gut punch of this twist. Yeah, you can see it coming a mile 522 00:44:10.800 --> 00:44:15.519 away, but it doesn't matter because the impact is just so real, and 523 00:44:15.639 --> 00:44:21.000 Rooney completely sells it to me. Perhaps in eight more years I'll change my 524 00:44:21.039 --> 00:44:22.960 mind again. But that's the great thing about The Twilight Zone. You can 525 00:44:23.000 --> 00:44:27.920 watch it over and over and constantly find new things to love and new ways 526 00:44:27.960 --> 00:44:30.880 to view it. And I will always take Surling's words over just about anything 527 00:44:30.880 --> 00:44:35.679 that's coming out of television in the past fifty years. I'm so glad you've 528 00:44:35.679 --> 00:44:37.320 stuck with it, Tom. The end is in sight, my friend. 529 00:44:37.840 --> 00:44:43.840 Thanks for so many years of entertainment, education and inspiration. Take care of 530 00:44:43.840 --> 00:44:52.599 me, Hi, Tom, I'd like to share some thoughts about Living Dull. 531 00:44:53.760 --> 00:44:57.880 I grew up exposed to a whole lot of twilights and episodes, and 532 00:44:57.960 --> 00:45:00.639 some of them had a notable effect on me. When that stuck with me 533 00:45:00.719 --> 00:45:06.280 the most was Living Doll. Living Doll is one of the only street horror 534 00:45:06.280 --> 00:45:10.199 episodes of Twilight Zone, along with a few of the classic ones like Nightmare 535 00:45:10.239 --> 00:45:16.760 at twenty Thousand Feet, Hitchhiker, After Hours twenty two, and It's a 536 00:45:16.760 --> 00:45:22.599 Good Life. To its credit, Living Doll has aged really well. A 537 00:45:22.599 --> 00:45:27.239 big part of this is that creepy dolls are just as creepy as they always 538 00:45:27.239 --> 00:45:31.719 were. Mostly, my impression of the episode has changed over time. When 539 00:45:31.760 --> 00:45:37.719 I was younger, the creepiness of Takie Tina was the focus, and I 540 00:45:37.800 --> 00:45:43.559 was just focused between the father and Takie Tina. But as I grew over 541 00:45:43.679 --> 00:45:50.039 olier, I became more focused on Telly Savalis's performance and the relationship between him 542 00:45:50.559 --> 00:45:53.960 and the rest of the family, and that relationship is what made the episode 543 00:45:54.039 --> 00:46:00.760 age so well. The conflict between them is timeless. Tina's just catalyst that 544 00:46:00.840 --> 00:46:06.719 serves as the breaking point. Twilin Zone has a lot of really cruel characters, 545 00:46:06.719 --> 00:46:09.880 like the ones in Piano in the House or the Little People, but 546 00:46:10.119 --> 00:46:16.840 usually the cruel people in Twiled Zone are kind of childish and they are written 547 00:46:17.000 --> 00:46:22.719 to be kind of caricatures. A great example of that is actually in the 548 00:46:22.800 --> 00:46:29.119 upcoming episode Uncle Simon, but tell usvals, please this part with this real 549 00:46:29.159 --> 00:46:34.039 brutality. What might come across as a little silly to some people, please 550 00:46:34.760 --> 00:46:38.440 really scary reality to others. The episode doesn't really treat him with any sense 551 00:46:38.480 --> 00:46:45.519 of pity either. After he realizes that his approach to things might have cost 552 00:46:45.599 --> 00:46:50.599 him his relationship with both his wife and daughter, he tries to apologize. 553 00:46:51.159 --> 00:46:54.039 Tina doesn't forgive him, and it's really hard to think that the audience would 554 00:46:54.199 --> 00:47:00.880 either. The episode has one real failing, and it's right at the very 555 00:47:00.000 --> 00:47:07.199 end. Tina's line is that you'd better be nice to me. I don't 556 00:47:07.239 --> 00:47:12.920 think that Tina should be there to threaten the entire family, and I think 557 00:47:12.960 --> 00:47:16.559 she's intended to be more of a protector to the daughter. Her threat really 558 00:47:16.599 --> 00:47:21.039 doesn't seem right. I think that the line would have been better if it 559 00:47:21.119 --> 00:47:27.000 was just you'd better be nice the implication that she will punish cruel people. 560 00:47:28.000 --> 00:47:31.440 Another thing though the episode has going for it is just how accessible it is. 561 00:47:31.639 --> 00:47:37.440 It's really straightforward, moves really quickly, and it grabs and holds your 562 00:47:37.440 --> 00:47:42.119 attention. It's a great entry point for anyone who's completely new to the Twilight 563 00:47:42.199 --> 00:47:46.199 Zone. Keep up the good work, Tom, you're a hard working podcaster 564 00:47:46.320 --> 00:47:52.280 of the day. Rod Serling, creator of the Twilights on We'll tell you 565 00:47:52.400 --> 00:48:07.239 about next week's story after this message. This month in the after Hours club 566 00:48:07.159 --> 00:48:13.199 discussions on the eighties and two thousand's twilight Zone kind of gives you a bit 567 00:48:13.239 --> 00:48:15.280 of backstrough between, you know, the relationship between him and the doctor as 568 00:48:15.320 --> 00:48:20.960 well, which I think was kind of helpful too. So I think maybe 569 00:48:20.960 --> 00:48:24.079 we could have used a bit of that, because I think once the disease 570 00:48:24.159 --> 00:48:29.880 starts to spread, it is a bit just like people running around, you 571 00:48:29.960 --> 00:48:32.760 know, and people passing out and oh look I've got it now, And 572 00:48:34.039 --> 00:48:38.280 I do think it gets a little bit chaotic. Discussions on rods Sailing's night 573 00:48:38.320 --> 00:48:43.079 gallery. Eventually she throws the doll in the fireplace, doesn't she, and 574 00:48:43.159 --> 00:48:46.960 it begins to you think it's beginning to burn. And he's screaming in pain. 575 00:48:47.079 --> 00:48:51.679 It's quite horrifying actually that. Yeah, they don't pull their punches. 576 00:48:51.920 --> 00:48:54.039 Yeah, they don't pull their punches. You hear this man screaming in pain. 577 00:48:54.199 --> 00:49:00.199 And and even then she does have I guess, just a little bit 578 00:49:00.679 --> 00:49:05.199 of empathy where she's like, just die. She doesn't want him to suffer, 579 00:49:05.280 --> 00:49:08.440 she just wants him to go. An audio commentary on a previously covered 580 00:49:08.480 --> 00:49:15.199 Twilight Zone episode. Then she starts to act so weird that even this kind 581 00:49:15.199 --> 00:49:20.559 of horny sailor, it's just like, Okay, no, that's not for 582 00:49:20.679 --> 00:49:23.159 me. I'll see you later. And at the Board of Directors level, 583 00:49:23.280 --> 00:49:29.079 I introduce a newcomer to the Twilight Zone to an episode of the show. 584 00:49:29.679 --> 00:49:31.239 I think it's a great episode. I've got nothing to complain about here. 585 00:49:32.320 --> 00:49:37.159 I thought it was really effective in portraying the tension of what it would be 586 00:49:37.239 --> 00:49:42.559 like to be in that scenario where you sort of realize that the world as 587 00:49:42.559 --> 00:49:44.880 you know it is coming to an end and there's nothing you can do. 588 00:49:44.920 --> 00:49:47.760 About it, the hopelessness of it. For these episodes and a back catalog 589 00:49:47.880 --> 00:49:53.880 of over one hundred bonus podcasts, go to Patreon dot com slash twilight Zone 590 00:49:53.920 --> 00:50:23.079 podcast and become a member of the after hours club All Mister Serling. Next 591 00:50:23.199 --> 00:50:28.760 on Twilight Zone, A Journey into a future Moment, a nightmarish, frightening 592 00:50:28.840 --> 00:50:31.960 moment in time when man sits in his own rubble and surveys the legacy he's 593 00:50:32.039 --> 00:50:37.199 left to himself. James Colburn and John Anderson star in The Old Man in 594 00:50:37.239 --> 00:50:42.800 the Cave. Recommended viewing for the more imaginative amongst you. On the Twilight 595 00:50:42.920 --> 00:51:06.440 Zone b see see