1x04 "The 16mm Pinky Ring"

This week, host Craig digs up the dirt Hollywood Confidential-style on two booze-soaked Twilight Zone classics, “The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine” and “A World of Difference,” episodes featuring real-life spouses Ida Lupino and Howard Duff. Keep an ear out for an earnest exploration of the historical significance of the pinky ring, not to mention the thrilling return of Dr. Reba Wissner. And speaking of spouses, Teresa pipes in with her usual wifely crunchiness. There’s a pretty heavy film noir vibe going on up in here, so tread lightly and trust no one. 

https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/journals/journal-of-film-music/

https://www.amazon.com/Partners-suspense-Critical-Herrmann-Hitchcock/dp/0719095867

Opening theme: “Neither Here nor There” by Twin Loops
Closing music: “Hooray for Hollywood” by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra (from the film Hollywood Hotel, copyright 1937 by Warner Bros.)

“Smokey Sax” by Hollywood Trailer Music Orchestra (from the album Film Noir: Vintage Cinema Classics, copyright 2015 by Megatrax Music)

“Le Freak” by Chic (from the album C’est Chic, copyright 1978 by Atlantic Recording Corporation)

Between Light and a Shadow: A Twilight Zone Podcast is a nonprofit podcast. Music clips and dialogue excerpts used herein are the property of their respective copyright owners; we claim no ownership of these materials. Their use is strictly for illustrative purposes and should be considered Fair Use as stated in the Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. section 107. 

TZ Promo: “Showdown with Rance McGrew” (2/02/1962)

Season 3, Episode 20 (#85 overall)
Cayuga Production # 4812

50 years ago tonight, The Twilight Zone continued its descent into mediocrity with yet another attempt by Rod Serling to be funny. Yawn.


“Showdown with Rance McGrew” is an approximate inverse of season one’s “A World of Difference”: there, a man discovers that the self he knows is merely a movie character, and he’s the actor playing him; here, McGrew is the actor whose TV set surroundings become real, and he is forced to inhabit his role (and all that that implies). It’s unfortunate that the resultant episode is so lame, because it’s a pretty good concept. In going the comedic route, Serling sabotages yet another intriguing idea. The whole thing is just limp. See if you’re not checking your watch after about five minutes. Treated as straight drama, this could’ve been good, maybe even great.


Larry Blyden stars as the unfortunately-named (and unfortunate in general) Rance McGrew, arrogant TV western star who comes face to face with Jesse James, who doesn’t appreciate how he (and his fellow western outlaw legends) is being depicted. We last saw Blyden in season one’s “A Nice Place to Visit,” which is admittedly second-tier Zone, but is light years ahead of this week’s offering. “Showdown with Rance McGrew” is just another example that the show has slipped quite dramatically from those wonderful early days. But you know what? It’s not awful enough to make me angry. It’s just… well, damn it, I just don’t care. Your mileage may vary, but the episode just feels like a giant waste of time to me.


“Showdown with Rance McGrew” is one of six season three episodes adapted into short story form by Rod Serling, which were collected as New Stories from The Twilight Zone in 1962 (the third and final in a series of such collections). Since I bought all three books shortly after discovering the show, I actually read the story long before I ever saw the episode. I thought maybe I’d revisit the story as part of my 50th anniversary… um, celebration sounds wrong… acknowledgment of this episode’s premiere, but I didn’t bother. Again, I’m having a hard time caring here. In all fairness, this isn’t another “Mr. Bevis” or “Mr. Dingle, the Strong” fiasco. It’s just… blah.



1999's Galaxy Quest uses the same core concept: the aging cast of a Star Trek-like TV series find themselves battling space monsters for real. It's both a great development of the concept and a wry parody of Trek. Definitely worth seeking out.

One nice touch: the stock-scoring used is made up of cues by Fred Steiner from his work on Gunsmoke. A nice touch. I wonder if anybody who tuned in late in 1962 was confused.


Oh, and the sight of McGrew’s convertible cruising down the center of the old western town is cute. And the horse braying at him when he shows up…. yeah, that’s cute too. And I recall Arch Johnson was pretty good as Jesse James… so I guess perhaps it’s not a total loss. You know, I write these promos before I watch each episode, so I operate largely from memory. Trouble is, I haven’t seen some of these episodes in a long time (20+ years, in some cases), and my memory ain’t what it used to be. So who knows? Maybe I’ll have a different view of it when I watch it tonight. Remember, that happened for “The Passersby”…..

Next week: the old get younger and Bernard Herrmann’s “Walking Distance” score gets some replay value.

And hey, next time your stash is running low, pick up a pack of Chesterfields. Try 'em, they satisfy.

TZ Promo: "A World of Difference" (3/11/1960)

"You're looking at a tableau of reality..."

Tonight's episode, celebrating its 50th anniversary, is a true gem of the series (it's in my top 40, but not in my top 10.... Hmmm.... that might change after tonight's viewing).  One of the recurring themes of The Twilight Zone is the question of identity, and our relative place in what we believe to be reality.  "A World of Difference," written by Richard Matheson and directed by Ted Post, features one of the greatest shock moments in the entire series (hell, in the history of television).

Arthur Curtis (well played by Howard Duff, one-time husband of TZ alum Ida Lupino) is a businessman about to embark on a vacation with his wife.  Just a few last-minute items to take care of at the office... when a voice suddenly yells "Cut!" and turns his world (quite literally) upside-down.  His office has inexplicably become a movie set.  His identity --- his name, his memories, his life --- is actually that of a fictional character that he's playing in a movie!

What's truly amazing is that the transition from fantasy to reality is handled with an uninterrupted shot, accomplished with a moving wall built on rails.  It's visually perfect, and goes a long way toward sustaining the suspension of disbelief.

The whole thing is ultra-high concept, even for a series notorious for being high-concept.  Imagine yourself in this poor bastard's shoes.  You can immediately identify with his plight, as impossible as it seems.  You aren't who you think you are.  You're an actor PLAYING who you think you are.  Wait, you mean you actually believe that you're that guy?  What are you, crazy?

That's a question we hear frequently on The Twilight Zone, isn't it?  What are you, crazy?

Mention must be made of the wonderful score by Nathan Van Cleave.  It's reminiscent of his score for the earlier "Perchance To Dream," and achieves a similar dizzying effect (only this time without the Theramin).  The protagonist's roller-coaster ride through an existential hell is imbibed with considerably more weight thanks to the music.  I've been a Bernard Herrmann fanatic for at least 20 years, but as I revisit each episode of The Twilight Zone, I'm finding that Van Cleave's contributions to the aural personality of the show are every bit as meaningful.

"Please don't leave me here."

On a side note, I REALLY like Arthur Curtis' office (real or fake).  If I could work in an office like that (instead of a tiny soul-crushing cubicle), I'd probably enjoy my job a lot more.


Next week:  Well, speaking of favorites!  My favorite episode of all time celebrates its 50th anniversary.  It involves another high concept:  immortality, though not in the comedic fashion we saw in "Escape Clause."  No, this is something deeper, darker, more tragic.  Not to be missed.