Episode Spotlight: "Living Doll" (11/01/1963)

Season 5, Episode 6 (126 overall)

Originally aired 11/01/2013

Cayuga Production # 2621

Fifty years ago tonight, a mean ol’ sumbitch matched wits with a doll… and lost miserably. Jeez, wotta wuss.

Erich Streator is your average everyday wicked stepfather. Overbearing and cruel, he makes life miserable for his wife Annabelle and stepdaughter Christie on a daily basis. When Annabelle buys Christie a new Talky Tina doll, Erich is clearly perturbed because, well, nobody in his house should ever enjoy anything. Kinda reminds me of my stepdad when I was a kid.

Hi Daddy! Meet your adorable new nemesis!

“My name is Talky Tina, and I love you very much,” coos Tina whenever her string is pulled. But whenever she’s alone with Erich, she says other, more interesting phrases: they start with “I don’t think I like you” and quickly escalate to “I’m going to kill you.” The aforementioned battle of wits escalates from there and, to borrow a catchphrase from Highlander: there can be only one.

ZICREE RAPED MY CHILDHOOD!

I was pretty new to the series when I first read Marc Scott Zicree’s The Twilight Zone Companion in 1982, and there were many episodes that I hadn't seen yet, one of which was “Living Doll.” Zicree’s comments on the episodes are as follows:

“Erich Streator is trying desperately not to alienate his wife and her young daughter. When the child brings home a doll that makes clear its murderous intentions --- but only when it's alone with him --- Erich is in one hell of a bind. If he tries to tell his wife of it, he sounds like a lunatic, and if he tries to protect himself by attempting (unsuccessfully) to destroy the doll, his actions seem those of a twisted mind striking out resentfully to hurt a helpless little girl. Poor Erich; it is clear early on that he hasn't much of a chance against this ruthless doll.” 

Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Zicree?

This was all I knew about “Living Doll” until I finally saw it a few years later. I was expecting to see a basically decent guy get decimated unfairly by an evil doll; imagine my surprise to discover that said “decent guy” was actually the villain of the piece! Did Zicree even watch the episode before writing about it? He couldn't have possibly sympathized with Erich Streator AT ALL if he had; however, the excessive praise he heaps on it would seem to imply that not only had he seen it, but had deemed it absolute top tier Zone: “Masterfully written and superbly directed, acted, photographed and scored, it is an episode that can stand with the best of any season.”  It was at this point, at the tender of age of 13, that I had the sobering realization that Zicree was perhaps not the be-all-end-all Twilight Zone expert that I’d assumed he was. I mean, he’d written a goddamned book about it; how the hell could he have been so incredibly wrong?

I think, in describing this dark event in my TZ-formative years, I've figured out why I’m so hostile toward Zicree. Serling was my new idol (after outgrowing such childhood heroes as Spiderman and Luke Skywalker), but he died before I ever heard his name, so Zicree, having chronicled Serling’s wonderful TV series, was the closest I could get to him. And the son of a bitch let me down by being so blatantly wrong about something so obvious. Erich Streator was a bad guy; he deserved what he got. This was the cosmic justice that lay at the very heart of The Twilight Zone, which even I understood at that early age. If Zicree didn't understand that, then who was he to write the book in the first place?

Ahem. I think I might just have exorcised a serious demon here. Maybe now I can move on with my life. Maybe I can even forgive Mr. Zicree his egregious trespasses against my inner child. Maybe.

Okay, therapy session over. Let’s move on.

“Living Doll” has a great concept (which is unfortunately pretty clichéd nowadays; I’m looking at you, Child’s Play franchise) which, coupled with Telly Savalas’s fantastic bad-guy-you-love-to-hate performance, makes for a highly entertaining half-hour (except for the last thirty seconds; see below). Unfortunately, it’s pretty flat on a visual level, the exception being when the action moves to Erich’s garage, where he attempts to dispose of Tina in a number of ways (she’s definitely more menacing in semi-darkness). Still, these scenes offer nothing on the level of, say, season three’s “The Dummy” (which features a menacing ventriloquist’s dummy framed by complex camera work with marvelous lighting).  And the final shot of the episode, in which slow-motion is abruptly employed for no apparent reason, does nothing to advance the mood (and was likely done to stretch out the ending to accommodate Serling’s closing narration, which suggests poor planning during filming).  

In fact, the ending is disappointing in general, since having Tina murder Erich is the easiest possible conclusion. Why not have Erich scared straight, so to speak, and forced to treat his family better under Tina’s ongoing supervision? Further, why the hell does Tina threaten Annabelle (Christie’s one and only champion) after Erich is dispatched? Up until this point, the episode was operating under the cosmic justice approach (discussed in detail last week) but, in the final moment, gears are abruptly switched over to something more akin to chaos theory. It seems Tina is just an all-around evil doll (yawn) instead of a protective shield for a mistreated child (infinitely more satisfying) after all.

One minor bid of weirdness. Annabelle says to Erich that “I know you got more than you bargained for when you married me; two for the price of one, wasn’t it?” Um… surely he was aware that she had a kid, right…? If he wasn’t, then I’m almost willing to cut him some slack for being such an asshole. On that note, surely she was aware that he was a profoundly mean bastard, so why the hell did she marry him in the first place? 

Jerry Sohl and Charles Beaumont

“Living Doll” is the first of three episodes credited to writer Charles Beaumont this season. Unfortunately, he didn't actually write any of them, as by this time his health was rapidly deteriorating (he passed away in 1967). In this particular case, Beaumont mapped out the plot with Jerry Sohl, who ghostwrote the script.

THE MUSIC

“Living Doll” features another great score from Bernard Herrmann. As a fan(atic) of his work, I find it fascinating to compare his Twilight Zone work with the film scores he composed around the same time (for example, his score for 1959’s Journey to the Center of the Earth shares similar instrumentation with TZ’s “The Lonely” from that same year). His sole film score in 1963 was Jason and the Argonauts which, now that I think about it, doesn’t really sound like “Living Doll” at all.  Here, Herrmann employs a very small ensemble (two harps, celesta and bass clarinet) to create moody, suspenseful cues that perfectly underline the escalating psychological warfare between Erich and Talky Tina. The original Herrmann recordings have never been properly released; however, they can be obtained via the isolated music tracks present on both the DVD and blu-ray sets of season five (from Image Entertainment).  

Additionally, Joel McNeely recorded all seven of Herrmann’s Twilight Zone scores in 1999 for a 2-CD set released by Varese Sarabande Records (which was the only game in town for 4/7ths of Herrmann’s TZ output before Image came along). I do have some issues with some of McNeely’s interpretations (some cues are too fast while others are too slow; further, much of “Where Is Everybody?” just sounds off to my ears); however, his take on “Living Doll” is quite good (though it’s no match for the original recording).

FAMILIAR FACES

Telly Savalas, who has a long history of imposing and often malevolent characters on his resume, is perfect as Erich Streator.  This is his only TZ appearance, but he does have another connection to the series: he appeared in 1962’s Cape Fear, which was scored by Bernard Herrmann (and co-starred TZ vets Martin Balsam, Edward Platt and Paul Comi). Savalas also played super villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, one of my favorite James Bond films.

Mary La Roche (Annabelle Streator) previously entered The Twilight Zone as Mary, Gregory West’s mistress, in season one’s “A World of His Own.” Here she plays an unhappy wife, so I guess she got to play both sides of the extramarital fence (though I guess Erich isn't depicted as an adulterer; but honestly, would we be surprised?).

Tracy Stratford is convincingly sad and under-loved as Christie (she was also Tina in season three’s “Little Girl Lost,” which was also scored by Bernard Herrmann. Wait, so first she played Tina, then she had a doll named Tina… is it possible that Talky Tina came from the fourth dimension?). Additionally, Stratford provided the voice of Lucy Van Pelt in the 1960s Charlie Brown TV specials. So when Annabelle tells Erich to see a psychiatrist, I wonder if she meant….

Good grief! Uh, I mean... who loves ya, baby???

And hey, Telly Savalas and Charlie Brown are both bald. Coincidence?  I dunno… maybe Charles Schulz was a Twilight Zone fan…?

June Foray, probably the hardest working voice actor in Hollywood, provides the unforgettable voice of Talky Tina. She’ll also do some (slightly controversial) dubbing later this season in “The Bewitchin’ Pool,” but she has another less-obvious TZ connection as well.  80’s kids like me will have no trouble remembering the 1985 film Weird Science, but do you remember the TV spin-off, which lasted five seasons (1994-1998) on the USA Network? In the episode “Sci-Fi Zoned,” the main characters are trapped inside black and white episodes of their favorite TV show (a thinly-veiled TZ knockoff called The Sci-Fi Zone), one of which involves a murderous doll named “Talking Tammy,” who is voiced by…. yup, you guessed it, June Foray (she also voices a sentient candy bar named “Baby Ruth” in the same episode).

An iconic episode like this is almost guaranteed to spawn a parody somewhere along the line. Like “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” a few weeks back, “Living Doll” got the Simpsons treatment in 1992’s “Treehouse of Horror III,” in which a Krusty the Klown doll menaces Homer Simpson (“Clown without Pity”). Also of interest to genre fans is the framing device employed in this episode, which is patterned after TV’s Alfred Hitchcock Presents and features the rotund Homer standing in for Hitch.

Good morn--- D'oh!

Bif Bang Pow! has immortalized Talky Tina in every conceivable form (a talking bobblehead, action figure, and a fully-functioning life-sized replica). The bobblehead seems to be sold out but, as of this writing, the action figure and life-size replica are still available through Entertainment Earth (but, as with any collectible, they won’t be around forever). I can’t comment on the life-sized replica since I don't own it (c'mon, how could I possibly justify buying a fucking doll? For over a hundred bucks, no less!), but I've reviewed the other two (see here and here).

Questionable ending aside, “Living Doll” is great fun and a definite highlight of The Twilight Zone’s fifth and final season. Other than the misfire “A Kind of a Stopwatch” two weeks ago, season five’s offerings have ranged from good to excellent… unfortunately, the quality is about to start dipping in a big way.  Stay tuned, but temper your expectations from here on out.

Next week: Hoo boy. Where’s Charles Bronson and Elizabeth Montgomery when you need ‘em? 

Episode Spotlight: "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" (10/11/1963)

Season 5, episode 3 (123 overall)

Originally aired 10/11/1963

Cayuga Production # 2605

50 years ago tonight, a nervous air traveler came face to face with an impossible enemy: an otherworldly creature out on the wing, who apparently is determined to sabotage the plane and endanger everyone on board.

Richard Matheson’s “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” is probably one of The Twilight Zone’s most recognizable episodes. It’s been spoofed repeatedly over the years (more on this below), and it had the (dubious) honor of being remade in 1983’s Twilight Zone: The Movie. After Captain Kirk, it’s probably William Shatner’s most famous screen role (well, maybe it’s a tie with T.J. Hooker), and well-deservedly so: he’s straight-up brilliant here, his characterization nuanced and complex. He’s completely convincing as a man struggling with two demons: the one out on the wing, and his own precarious grip on reality.

Bob Wilson has just spent six months in a sanitarium after experiencing a nervous breakdown on an airplane (the specifics aren’t given; did he see something on the wing that time too?). Evidently he’s recovered and, as a final breakthrough, he’s going home on a plane (is it just me, or is this approach kinda sorta asking for trouble?). Of course he’s got a window seat, and of course his seat just happens to be right next to an emergency hatch.

Oh, there’s also a wicked storm directly in the plane’s flight path, promising a rough ride. Jesus, this guy can’t catch a break.

Most of the episode is spent having Bob see the Gremlin, but only when nobody else is there to see it. We wonder if it’s all in his head (this argument seems pretty valid until the very end of the episode). His wife, the stewardess, and finally the pilot interact with him in a placating but skeptical manner, but wouldn’t we do the same? Even if there were a man (or whatever) out on the wing, he (or it) would’ve been blown off immediately upon takeoff... right? The fact that this Man Crying Wolf was very recently crazy (pardon my political incorrectness there) doesn’t help his case.

My only real gripe (other than the gigantic one directly below) is the fact that Bob easily (too damned easily) manages to get his hands on a nearby air marshal’s .38. I won’t spoil it, but trust me when I say it’s contrived and awkward, not to mention completely unbelievable. In Matheson’s original story, Bob is in the midst of experiencing a nervous breakdown and is contemplating suicide, so he has his own pistol in his carryon bag (wow, things are sure different now). Of course you couldn’t do suicide on TV at that time, so Matheson went this route. I’m not sure I could’ve thought of something better, but I still don’t like it.

However, the gun situation is negligible when you consider the true, fatal flaw of this episode. We must now discuss the elephant in the room. This particular subject has been touched on previously in the pages of this very blog, but it’s high time we tackle this beast head-on.  And as it turns out, “beast” is a pretty accurate descriptor. I’m of course referring to…

*Sigh* The Gremlin is, hands down, one of the stupidest creature designs I’ve ever seen, on The Twilight Zone or elsewhere. Matheson’s seminal short story describes it as follows: “It was a hideously malignant face, a face not human. Its skin was grimy, of a wide-pored coarseness; its nose a squat, discolored lump; its lips misshapen, cracked, forced apart by teeth of a grotesque size and crookedness; its eyes recessed and small --- unblinking. All framed by shaggy, tangled hair which sprouted, too, in furry tufts from the man’s ears and nose, in birdlike down across his cheeks.” Matheson was reportedly unhappy with its television incarnation, which is basically a giant teddy bear with a mongloidish face (crafted by William Tuttle and presumably cobbled together from leftover “Eye of the Beholder” prosthetics), and why wouldn’t he be? It looks utterly ridiculous, particularly when it swoops in and out of the frame on (hidden) wires. 

I fly through the air with the greatest of ease…

The Gremlin isn’t scary in the least, and severely undermines the tension that the episode is otherwise building quite successfully.  I’ll even go so far as to say that it pretty much ruins the episode. And look! Even the bottoms of its feet look dumb:

FAMILIAR FACES

This is William Shatner’s second TZ appearance. We saw him previously in season two’s “Nick of Time,” in which he played Don Carter, a somewhat-less neurotic slave to our old friend The Mystic Seer. I like to think of Don Carter and Bob Wilson as variations on the same basic character, and Bif Bang Pow! clearly agrees with me, as evidenced by their action figure of William Shatner, which comes with both characters’ outfits and accessories!

But Bif Bang Pow! didn’t stop there: they’ve released bobbleheads of both Bob Wilson and The Gremlin, a furry action figure of The Gremlin (which actually looks better than the “real” thing), and a diorama of the airplane with a li’l tiny Gremlin on the wing (my purchases of TZ collectibles have pretty much ground to a halt, but I must admit this last one’s kinda cool).

A 12-inch action figure of The Gremlin was released several years back by Sideshow Collectibles. Their work is usually superb, but something went horribly wrong here. I mean horribly. Just look at it. Just take a moment or two and gaze at its hideousness. What an utter piece of shit. It's a monstrosity (and not the good kind).

*Ahem* Back to the cast. Christine White is quite good as Ruth, Bob’s long-suffering wife (and fellow passenger on the plane).  She was also Ace Larson’s long-suffering girlfriend in season two’s “The Prime Mover,” so apparently she was quite adept at the whole long-suffering thing.  Ms. White passed away just two months ago, after which the NY Times wrote a very “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet”-centric story about her here. 

The stewardess is played by Asa Maynor, whose very first TV role was “Ginger Snap” on a 1960 episode of Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer. This is her only TZ appearance; however, she gets a special mention because she’s a bona fide TZ Babe.  Arrrrooooooogah!

The episode was remade in 1983 for Twilight Zone: The Movie (retitled “Nightmare at 35,000 Feet” to bring it up to modern aviation specs), this time featuring John Lithgow in the lead (though Shatner was certainly still young enough to reprise his role; I guess he was busy with the aforementioned T.J. Hooker at the time). The film’s Gremlin design is a gigantic improvement over its furry ancestor; however, the segment as a whole (directed by George Miller of Mad Max fame and, more recently, Happy Feet, which suggests a pretty bizarre career path) is much too frenetic to generate any true tension (many reviewers consider it the highlight of the film; I find it grating, personally, but I guess I kinda agree, which should give you an idea of my thoughts on the film as a whole).

Many of The Twilight Zone’s iconic, most widely-remembered episodes have been parodied by TV’s The Simpsons over the years, and “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” is no exception. The 1993 episode “Treehouse of Horror IV” includes “Terror at 5½ Feet,” which moves the action from an airplane to Bart Simpson’s school bus. Interestingly, the framework of this particular episode is patterned after Rod Serling’s Night Gallery, with Bart introducing each segment using gallery paintings.

The episode was more recently parodied on Saturday Night Live in 2010, with Bobby Moynihan playing the Gremlin and the brilliant Bill Hader standing in for Rod Serling. It’s a bit dumb, but very well done on a technical level. I was going to embed the video directly into this entry, but I can't seem to find it anywhere (including SNL's own website), so.... sorry, mates.

Splice the ’83 Gremlin (not the car, dammit) into the ’63 episode and give Bob Wilson his own pistol (as in Matheson’s short story) and you’d have an undeniable classic.  As it stands, however, “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” is still a classic… but not the masterpiece that it could’ve (and should’ve) been. That fucking Gremlin just wrecks it for me. Your air mileage may vary.

Coming up:

STOP everything and WATCH this. Ha, see what I did there?  No? Well, it’ll make more sense next week.