Twilight Zone Vol 40
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Description
"Cavender Is Coming"
Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling fashioned this episode as a pilot for a possible series about a guardian angel (jowly veteran Jesse White) who must earn his wings by aiding a hapless human. It is abundantly clear why this premise did not take flight, for this was one of Serling's typically lumpish flings at comedy. The only source of interest is Carol Burnett, cast as a klutz who can't keep a job. This one's a virtual remake of an earlier Zone episode, "Mr. Bevis." "Passage on the Lady Anne"
An hour-long episode from the fourth season, with Joyce Van Patten and Lee Philips as a couple trying to save their sour marriage via a transatlantic cruise. All the other passengers just happen to be extremely elderly; no points for guessing the Lady Anne might be on her way to an otherworldly port. A familiar but appealing set-up, with gobs of foggy atmosphere and a fun supporting cast (including mischievous Wilfrid Hyde-White). The businessman husband is yet another opportunity for TZ to criticize its era's obsession with material success and the Organization Man. "The Brain Center at Whipple's"
Produced near the end of the series' run, this episode is out of gas. Richard Deacon, a comic actor with a pronounced resemblance to a large bald penguin (and a cherished mainstay of The Dick Van Dyke Show), plays a company executive who decides to replace his workers with computers. The payoff is entirely predictable, although sci-fi fans will be pleased by the "actor" who appears in the final shot. --Robert Horton
Description
Episodes: "Cavender Is Coming" (Episode 101, May 25, 1962) - Carol Burnett stars as Agnes Grep in this tale of a klutzy usherette "rescued" from a poverty by a guardian angel. This charming episode was considered as a pilot for a new TV show. "Passage on the Lady Anne" (Episode 119, May 9, 1963, 50 min.) - In an effort to save their marriage, a young couple book passage on an old ship, which long ago was reserved for lovers. Former passengers, all now over 75, have gathered for her final mysterious voyage. "The Brain Center at Whipple's" (Episode 153, May 15, 1964) - Callous factory owner Wallace Whipple (Richard Deacon) automates his plant, putting thousands of men out of work. Smugly self-satisfied, he has no regrets...at first.
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