Good Old TV Fan Wiki - User contributions [en]

Mr. Denton on Doomsday

2022-01-20T05:04:37Z

74.140.7.176:

{{primary sources|date=December 2011}}
{{Infobox television episode
| series = [[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]
| image =
| caption =
| season = 1
| episode = 3
| music = Stock music
| airdate = {{Start date|1959|10|16}}
| production = 173-3609
| writer = [[Rod Serling]]
| director = Allen Reisner
| photographer = [[George T. Clemens]]
| guests =
* [[Dan Duryea]] as Al Denton
* [[Martin Landau]] as Dan Hotaling
* [[Jeanne Cooper]] as Liz Smith
* [[Malcolm Atterbury]] as Henry J. Fate
* [[Doug McClure]] as Pete Grant
* [[Ken Lynch]] as Charlie
* [[Bill Erwin]] as Man at the Bar
| season_article = The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series, season 1)
| episode_list = List of The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series) episodes
| prev = [[One for the Angels]]
| next = [[The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine]]
}}

"'''Mr. Denton on Doomsday'''" is episode three of the [[American television]] anthology series ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]''. It originally aired on October 16, 1959, on [[CBS]]. It was the first ''Twilight Zone'' episode to be [[rerun]].

==Opening narration==
{{cquote|Portrait of a town drunk named Al Denton. This is a man who's begun his dying early—a long, agonizing route through a maze of bottles. Al Denton, who would probably give an arm or a leg or a part of his soul to have another chance, to be able to rise up and shake the dirt from his body and the bad dreams that infest his consciousness. ''[The camera pans up to a figure standing before a stagecoach]'' In the parlance of the times, this is a peddler, a rather fanciful-looking little man in a black frock coat. ''[A revolver mysteriously appears on the ground next to Denton]'' And this is the third principal character of our story. Its function: perhaps to give Mr. Al Denton his second chance.}}

==Plot==
Al Denton was once known as the quickest draw in town, but riddled with increasing guilt over the losers in his gun duels (one of whom was a teenage boy), he became an [[alcoholic]] wreck and the laughingstock of the community. A mysterious salesman named Henry J. Fate causes Denton to inexplicably regain his expert shooting touch and once again inspire the respect and awe of the townsfolk; Denton explains to Liz, a saloon girl, that this will only cause reputation-hungry gunslingers from miles around to seek him out and, inevitably, kill him. He cleans himself up and goes sober but only, he says, so as to [[die with dignity]]. Just as Denton predicted, soon enough a challenge is delivered which Denton dares not refuse.

The still-weary and not-so-sure-handed Denton practices in the desert for his suicidal duel, but he misses his targets miserably and concludes that he must skip town. As he packs his things and tries to flee under the cover of night, he strikes up a conversation with Fate, who seems to know things about Denton and offers him a way out. Fate offers him a potion guaranteed to make the drinker the fastest gun in the West for exactly ten seconds. Denton is skeptical but Fate goads him into drinking a free sample, after which Denton immediately realizes its benefits.

At the appointed time, Denton faces his challenger, Pete Grant, a brash young gunfighter. Denton downs his potion only to find his opponent holding an identical empty bottle. Grant and Denton both realize that Fate tricked them, but it is too late to back out of the duel. Each man shoots the other in the hand, causing injuries which are minor but forever ruin both men's ability to pull a trigger.

Denton tells his young opponent that they have both been blessed because they will never again be able to fire a gun in anger. He tells Liz that Grant is lucky because he was given this lesson early. Henry J. Fate tips his hat to Denton and rides quietly out of town.

==Closing narration==
{{cquote|Mr. Henry Fate, dealer in utensils and pots and pans, liniments and potions. A fanciful little man in a black frock coat who can help a man climbing out of a pit—or another man from falling into one. Because, you see, fate can work that way, in the Twilight Zone.}}

==Preview for next week's story==
{{cquote|This motion picture projector and this film provide a background in next week's story when a most distinguished actress takes a journey into The Twilight Zone. Ms. Ida Lupino stars in "The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine," a haunting story of a haunted woman, that I think you'll find interesting and perhaps shocking. We hope you'll join us then. Thank you and good night.}}

==Episode notes==
This episode is one of very few in the series whose opening sequence features an eye with heavy mascara. It was plastered over the original opening when "Mr. Denton on Doomsday" was rerun on June 24, 1960. Although the plastering of Season One intros (including the majority of episodes with this alternate intro) is not uncommon due to the Summer 1961 repeat season, this is the only case of the alternate Season One intro plastering the original. The original lagoon opening has since been restored.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}

In his 1959 promotional film shown to potential sponsors, [[Rod Serling]] summarized an earlier version of this episode's plot under its original title, "Death, Destry, and Mr. Dingle". As told by Serling, the basic premise is similar, but the earlier version seems to have been more comedic in tone, involving a meek schoolteacher who quite unintentionally gains notoriety as a top gunslinger. The name "Mr. Dingle" (originally intended for the Dan Duryea character) would be used by Serling for a future episode, with [[Burgess Meredith]] playing the eponymous character in "[[Mr. Dingle, the Strong]]" in 1961. The harmonica in the background is playing the Russian folksong "[[Stenka Razin]]" (the melody of which was later adapted for the 1965 hit "[[The Carnival Is Over]]" by [[The Seekers]]).

Al Denton's speech to Liz Smith, in which he describes having been a top gunfighter until he turned to drink after being "called out" by a 16-year-old boy, was parodied in the [[Mel Brooks]] comedy ''[[Blazing Saddles]]''. In that film, the Waco Kid ([[Gene Wilder]]) had also been a top gunfighter until he was challenged (and shot) by a six-year-old child, leading him to become an alcoholic.

[[Martin Landau]], playing here the sadistic bully to the story's protagonist, Al Denton, would return to ''The Twilight Zone'' five years later in “[[The Jeopardy Room]]”; this time he is the sadistically-treated victim - a [[KGB]] major longing to defect but targeted for assassination.<ref>{{cite news|work=The Cleveland Plain Dealer|first=Mark|last=Dawidziak|access-date=20 April 2019|date=21 July 2017|url=https://www.cleveland.com/tv-blog/2017/07/10_essential_martin_landau_roles.html|title=10 essential Martin Landau roles (appreciation)}}</ref>

== Further reading ==
* Sander, Gordon F.: ''Serling: The Rise And Twilight of Television's Last Angry Man''. New York: Penguin Books, 1992.
* Zicree, Marc Scott: ''The Twilight Zone Companion''. Sillman-James Press, 1982 (second edition)
*DeVoe, Bill. (2008). ''Trivia from The Twilight Zone''. Albany, GA: Bear Manor Media. {{ISBN|978-1-59393-136-0}}
*Grams, Martin. (2008). ''The Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic''. Churchville, MD: OTR Publishing. {{ISBN|978-0-9703310-9-0}}
*Now defunct [[Fair Lawn, New Jersey]] [[Mathcore]] band [[The Number 12 Looks Like You]] have a quote from this episode on the track titled "Document: Grace Budd" off of their debut album ''[[Put On Your Rosy Red Glasses]]'' (2003). The band took their name from a ''Twilight Zone'' episode, "[[Number 12 Looks Just Like You]]".

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb episode|0734592}}

{{The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series) episodes}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mr. Denton On Doomsday}}
[[Category:The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series season 1) episodes]]
[[Category:1959 American television episodes]]
[[Category:Television episodes written by Rod Serling]]

One for the Angels

2022-01-20T05:02:06Z

74.140.7.176:

{{Infobox television episode
| series = [[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]
| image = Ed Wynn Twilight Zone 1959.jpg
| season = 1
| episode = 2
| music = [[Production music|Stock]] (mostly from [[Bernard Herrmann]]'s "Outer Space Suite")
| airdate = {{Start date|1959|10|09}}
| production = 173-3608
| writer = [[Rod Serling]]
| director = [[Robert Parrish]]
| photographer = [[George T. Clemens]]
| guests =
* [[Ed Wynn]] as Lewis J. "Lew" Bookman
* [[Murray Hamilton]] as [[Death (personification)|Mr. Death]]
* Dana Dillaway as Maggie Polanski<ref>{{cite web|title=Complete Episode Guide|url=http://www.twilightzonemuseum.com/show/01.php}}</ref>
| season_article = The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series, season 1)
| episode_list = List of The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series) episodes
| prev = [[Where Is Everybody?]]
| next = [[Mr. Denton on Doomsday]]
}}
"'''One for the Angels'''" is the second episode of the American [[anthology series|anthology]] [[television series]] ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]''. It originally aired on October 9, 1959, on [[CBS]].

==Opening narration==
{{cquote|Street scene: Summer. The present. Man on a sidewalk named Lew Bookman, age sixtyish. Occupation: [[Hawker (trade)|pitchman]]. Lew Bookman, a fixture of the summer, a rather minor component to a hot July, a nondescript, commonplace little man whose life is a treadmill built out of sidewalks. And in just a moment, Lew Bookman will have to concern himself with survival – because as of three o'clock this hot July afternoon, he'll be stalked by [[Death (personification)|Mr. Death]].
}}

==Plot==
Lew Bookman is a kindly sidewalk pitchman who sells and repairs toys, [[notions (sewing)|notions]], and trinkets, and is adored by the neighborhood children. One day, Bookman is visited by Mr. Death, who tells him that he is to die at midnight of [[death by natural causes|natural causes]]. Unable to dissuade Death by convincing him he has great achievements in the works that must be completed, Bookman eventually convinces him to wait until he has made his greatest sales pitch: "one for the angels". After Death has agreed to the extension and asks when this grand pitch might take place, Bookman announces he is retiring, smug that he has successfully cheated Death. Death concedes Bookman has found a loophole in their agreement, but warns that someone else now has to die in his place. Death chooses Maggie, a little girl who lives in Bookman's apartment building and is a friend of his.

Maggie is hit by a truck and falls into a [[coma]]; Death intends to be in her room at the stroke of midnight to claim her. Bookman begs Death to take him instead, but Death is adamant; a deal is a deal. Bookman gets out his wares and begins to eloquently boost one item after another, making the greatest sales pitch of his life—one so great that he entices Death himself to buy item after item until all of the wares in his case are sold. With one minute remaining before midnight, he offers his "[[Piece de Resistance]]", he pitches himself as the ultimate [[manservant]]. Death is so moved, that midnight passes and he misses his appointment with Maggie. Maggie awakens and, as her doctor leaves the apartment and sees Bookman, he assures him that Maggie will live.

Death observes that by making that great sales pitch, Bookman has met the original terms of their deal. Now content and willing to accept his fate, Bookman leaves for [[Heaven]] with Death. He fetches his case of wares to bring with him, remarking that "you never know who might need something up there". He looks to Death, adding hopefully, "Up there?" and Death replies, "Up there, Mr. Bookman. You made it."

==Closing narration==
{{cquote|Lewis J. Bookman, age sixtyish. Occupation: pitchman. Formerly a fixture of the summer, formerly a rather minor component to a hot July. But, throughout his life, a man beloved by the children, and therefore, a most important man. Couldn't happen, you say? Probably not in most places – but it did happen in the Twilight Zone.
}}

==Preview for next week's story==
{{cquote|Next week, we invite you to take a walk down a Western frontier street at the elbow of a doomed gunman, whose salvation lies in nothing less than a magic potion, and a Colt 45. Mr. Dan Duryea stars in "Mr. Denton on Doomsday." Next week on The Twilight Zone. We hope you'll be able to be with us. Thank you and good night.}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|last=Zicree|first=Marc Scott|title=The Twilight Zone Companion|publisher=Sillman-James Press|year=1982|edition=second}}
* {{cite book|last=DeVoe|first=Bill|year=2008|title=Trivia from The Twilight Zone|location=Albany, GA|publisher=Bear Manor Media|isbn=978-1-59393-136-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Grams|first=Martin|year=2008|title=The Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic|location=Churchville, MD|publisher=OTR Publishing|isbn=978-0-9703310-9-0}}
* {{cite book|last=Sander|first=Gordon F.|title=Serling: the rise and twilight of television's last angry man|location=New York|publisher=Penguin Books|year=1992|isbn=0-525-93550-9}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb episode}}

{{The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series) episodes}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:One For The Angels}}
[[Category:The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series season 1) episodes]]
[[Category:1959 American television episodes]]
[[Category:Television episodes written by Rod Serling]]
[[Category:Fiction set in 1960]]
[[Category:Television episodes about personifications of death]]