The Twilight Zone: Vol. 22
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Description
Twilight Zone, Vol. 22 kicks off with "A World of Difference," a memorable episode written by frequent contributor Richard Matheson. The story gives Howard Duff a rare opportunity to prove his underrated talent, playing an average businessman who arrives at his office only to discover that he's actually an actor on a soundstage. "Back There" is decidedly less effective, featuring hammy overacting by Russell Johnson (who would soon be cast as the Professor in Gilligan's Island) as a man cast backward in time to the day of Abraham Lincoln's assassination. He can't alter history, so the ending is a foregone conclusion, but the segment is noteworthy for its scoring by composer Jerry Goldsmith, then in the early stages of his stellar career. "One More Pallbearer" offers a variation on the classic episode "Time Enough at Last," combining Rod Serling's concern with nuclear warfare with a twisted tale of revenge. Joseph Wiseman (best known for playing James Bond nemesis Dr. No) plays a multimillionaire who devises a simulated nuclear attack and invites three people who wronged him (a teacher, an Army colonel, and a priest) to his bomb shelter to extort them into apologizing. The twist on this Serling-penned episode is pure TZ gold, but Wiseman is so good that his character is unintentionally sympathetic. "Ring-a-Ding Girl" is a fifth-season curio in which a Hollywood star receives an unusual ring that foresees her fateful future. Maggie McNamara is fine as a faux Audrey Hepburn, but the episode's twist is strictly routine for TZ fans. --Jeff Shannon
Description
This volume includes:
"A Word of Difference" (Episode 23, March 11, 1960)--Arthur Curtis (Howard Duff) thinks he's an average businessman living a normal life. Or is he an actor playing a businessman in an office that's really a set? "Back There" (Episode 49, January 13, 1961)--Russell Johnson is Peter Corrigan, a man who travels back in time to the date of President Lincoln's assassination. Will his presence have any impact at all--can he actually change history? "One More Pallbearer" (Episode 82, January 12, 1962)--Eccentric millionaire Paul Radin offers the use of his bomb shelter to three people who wronged him. But the price--an apology--may be too high. "Ring a Ding Girl" (Episode 133, December 27, 1963)--Hollywood film star Bunny Blake gets an unusual gift from her hometown fan club: a ring that shows old friends' faces, letting her know she's needed back home, where she's about to play the biggest role of her life.
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