# Twilight Zone-a-thon! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 3, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737 "2011-07-03T18:31:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737/21 "2011-07-04T01:10:28Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > …Mannerisms? What about his mannerisms seemed “black”? I remember the ep but I’m not sure I know what you’re referring to… I don’t know. I can’t explain it. It’s just that when I observe white men and black men…well…white men walk like this, but black men walk like _this_. I can’t put my finger on it at all. Just my meaningless perception. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737/22 "2011-07-04T02:17:00Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I’m watching _The Howling Man_ right now. The guy staring in this, H. M. Wynant, looks like he’s African American. I can’t imagine that he is, since it would be unheard of to cast a Black man in this sort of role in 1960. His bio on wikipedia doesn’t give any info about his background. Anyone else get the sense that he’s African American? > [@John\_Mace](#): > > Well, he looks more White than Black, but he looks “Harry Belafonte” Black to me. To be honest, I’ve always had the same impression - even to the “Harry Bellafonte” bit. Love that episode. There were some stinkers, though - I saw a couple of them today, including “Mr Dingle the Strong”, where a two-headed alien zaps nerdy Burgess Meredith with super-strength, and “The Bewitching Pool”, where kids run away from their parent’s divorce to an old lady who bakes cakes and set them to polishing shoes (WTF?). There’s probably a good thread here: Least Favorite Twilight Zone Episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737/23 "2011-07-04T02:30:55Z")
Oh, Aunt T. I’ve always thought she was one of the most horrific TZ villains, though many find that episode to be sweet and heartwarming. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737/24 "2011-07-04T02:37:12Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > There’s probably a good thread here: Least Favorite Twilight Zone Episodes. Wow, given how many seasons there have been and the fact that it is an Anthology show make for a lot of clunkers. I would say most of the “funny” episodes kind of land with a thud. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737/25 "2011-07-04T02:37:20Z")
Is Aunt T. a villain? I sort of expected her to be, but other than the (very weird) shoe polishing scene, she seemed perfectly nice. Oh, and Mr. Chambers, in _To Serve Man_, could be Don Draper’s brother! ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737/26 "2011-07-04T03:42:53Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Is Aunt T. a villain? I sort of expected her to be, but other than the (very weird) shoe polishing scene, she seemed perfectly nice. I didn’t think the shoe polishing scene was all that weird, though. I mean it was but it wasn’t out of place for her. She talks about how great it is to do chores all the time. Plus she talks about finding kids in the strangest places…kids that she then puts to work…it gave me a weird Neverland Ranch meets Oliver Twist vibe. OK, maybe it’s the cynic in me, but I just got the creeps from her. I’d rather stay with the asshole parents than with Aunt T. She wasn’t meant to be a villain but I find her terrifying. > [@](#): > > Oh, and Mr. Chambers, in _To Serve Man_, could be Don Draper’s brother! Whoa…you’re right. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737/27 "2011-07-04T14:42:39Z")
OK, I have created a separate thread for discussing the [LEAST Favorite Twilight Zone episodes](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=614974). Enjoy ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737/28 "2011-07-04T21:21:48Z")
On the subject of the Zone, some sharp-eyed viewers have caugh an actor who has appeared in over 60 different TZ eps–mostly uncredited–one Robert L. McCord. [Here](http://www.twilightzonemuseum.com/actors/mccord.php) is a listing of his appearances. Odd note: His name was actually Robert L. McCord II, but he was actually credited as Robert L. McCord III. Why is a mystery we’ll probably never know. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737/29 "2011-07-05T02:07:20Z")
Watching _Five Characters in Search of an Exit_. I’m fascinated by the fact that “the Major” has a mustache. In 1960. Wouldn’t that have been impossibly hip for a military guy in that time period? Or is it just anachronistic military fashion? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737/30 "2011-07-05T02:20:40Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I’m watching _The Howling Man_ right now. The guy staring in this, H. M. Wynant, looks like he’s African American. I can’t imagine that he is, since it would be unheard of to cast a Black man in this sort of role in 1960. His bio on wikipedia doesn’t give any info about his background. Anyone else get the sense that he’s African American? He’s not. He’s the son of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, and is the first of his family to be born in this country. His birth name was Chaim Weiner. He changed it when he got involved in acting. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737/31 "2011-07-05T02:55:13Z")
Just started watching Howling Man on insta watch and now I can see it. He does look black though obviously he’s not. I always thought those monks would be fun to hang out with once they let the scary hermit facade slip. Once Brother Jerome broke into the wine, I bet they got down and had a blast. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737/32 "2011-07-05T03:09:38Z")
Anyone else watching I Sing the Body Electric? I always thought this was a pretty skeevy ep though it’s meant to be heartwarming. Not so much the robot grandmother but the whole concept of a robot grandmother. And then the ending… ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737/33 "2011-07-05T04:46:39Z")
It seems like every time I check into a TZ marathon, it is episodes I have seen a bazillion times. This year I am at SCI network with a Firefly-thon. ---
**Author:** ![Pitter\_Patter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90db22/32.png) [@Pitter\_Patter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitter_Patter)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737/34 "2011-07-05T06:50:57Z")
I think my favorite is “A Most Unusual Camera” where the crooks knocked off a store and got this camera which would predict the future. Not a good future for them. Another favorite is “To Serve Man” This may be the most popular, but after you hear the famous words, it is passe’. I purposely didn’t spoil either of these in case someone hasn’t seen them. Fat chance. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737/35 "2011-07-05T07:03:07Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Watching _Five Characters in Search of an Exit_. I’m fascinated by the fact that “the Major” has a mustache. In 1960. Wouldn’t that have been impossibly hip for a military guy in that time period? Or is it just anachronistic military fashion? 'Staches weren’t “hip” yet in 1960. People’s uncles or grandfathers had them, so I guess a soldier might be emulating one of his superiors, or perhaps he’d consider it “dashing.” And I don’t remember seeing any black men who didn’t have a 'stache back then. ---
**Author:** ![Promethea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Promethea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Promethea)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737/36 "2011-07-05T07:12:58Z")
I’m not there watching with you all but my favourite episodes are rarely shown. The first one is “Miniature”. Robert Duvall (Robert DUVALL, people - man this show lucked out with the up and coming stars) delivers a beautiful turn as a lonely, awkward, sensitive man who just doesn’t fit in to the modern world. Then he sees that a tiny doll in a dollshouse in the local museum comes to life in her tiny house but only he ever sees this happening. I think the rest kind of writes itself but really, this ep was all about the mood and the acting. Funny and poignant all round. Runner up is “Death Ship”. The Captain of a starship, played by Quincy M.E. lands on a supposedly uninhabited alien world because on of his crew spots some glinting metal on the surface. Turns out to be a crashed starship just like theirs, complete with their own mangled corpses in it. The rest of the ep covers the Captain and crew trying to make sense of this. Deeply firghtening and thought provoking. Oh, and I love “Walking Distance” because Bernard Herrmann delivered one of his loveliest scores ever for that episode. If you liked his work on Fahrenheit 451, you’d also like this. PS: Freudian Slit, I think “Spur of the Moment” is a cracker too - I didn’t realise it was disliked. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737/37 "2011-07-05T07:54:27Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Anyone else watching I Sing the Body Electric? I always thought this was a pretty skeevy ep though it’s meant to be heartwarming. Not so much the robot grandmother but the whole concept of a robot grandmother. And then the ending.. I think the 80s TV movie version with Maureen Stapleton was a lot better. ---
**Author:** ![YaraMateo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/58f4c7/32.png) [@YaraMateo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaraMateo)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737/38 "2011-07-05T08:13:36Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Anyone else watching I Sing the Body Electric? I always thought this was a pretty skeevy ep though it’s meant to be heartwarming. Not so much the robot grandmother but the whole concept of a robot grandmother. And then the ending.. Not watching it, but I always hated that one. I never liked episodes that invovled children. Like the one with the little girl and that weird old man who’s like a super or something. The ending is very creepy. Basically suiggests he’s a pedophile. I alway hated the one with the kids and the swimming pool. That has to the be the WORST one ever. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737/39 "2011-07-05T13:25:35Z")
> [@YaraMateo](#): > > Not watching it, but I always hated that one. I never liked episodes that invovled children. Like the one with the little girl and that weird old man who’s like a super or something. The ending is very creepy. Basically suiggests he’s a pedophile. I thought it turns out he’s a prince from another galaxy/planet who can change shapes. I don’t know if they implied romantic love between the two of them… ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737/40 "2011-07-05T14:51:13Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I’m watching _The Howling Man_ right now. The guy staring in this, H. M. Wynant, looks like he’s African American. I can’t imagine that he is, since it would be unheard of to cast a Black man in this sort of role in 1960. His bio on wikipedia doesn’t give any info about his background. Anyone else get the sense that he’s African American? Which role are you talking about? The role of Satan or a major part in a TZ? If it is the latter, I would point out Ivan Dixon in\* The Big Tall Wish\* and \*I am The Night - Color Me Black \*(really bad pun there) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twilight-zone-a-thon/587737.md?page=3)