[eerie music]
(male narrator)
There is a fifth dimension
Beyond that which
Is known to man.
It is a dimension
As vast as space
And as timeless
As infinity.
It is the middle ground
Between light and shadow,
Between science
And superstition.
And it lies between
The pit of man's fears
And the summit
Of his knowledge.
This is the dimension
Of imagination.
It is an area
Which we call
The twilight zone.
You're looking at
A tableau of reality.
Things of substance,
Of physical material.
A desk, a window, a light.
These things exist
And have dimension.
Now, this is Arthur Curtis,
Age , who also is real.
He has flesh and blood,
Muscle and mind.
But in just a moment, we will
See how thin a line separates
That which we assume to be real
With that manufactured
Inside of a mind.
Good morning,
Mr. Curtis.
Ah, good morning, Sally.
I thought I'd better
Get anearly start.
I gotta leave about : .
My wife and I haven't
Gotten a thing for Tina's
Birthday party yet.
That's right.
It's Saturday
Afternoon, isn't it?
Yeah, if my dear daughter
Can hold out that long.
Is she excited?
That's all she
Can talk about.
That's about normal.
Are the Matson
Contracts ready, yet?
Sure. I finished them
Last night before I left.
Here they are.
Thanks. Well,
To the grindstone.
Oh, uh, I almost forgot.
Could you call and see if
You can change the plane
Reservations to Saturday night?
Of course.
Straining at
The bit, huh?
It's the first real
Vacation Marian and
I have had in years,
So we figured why
Lose the whole weekend
Before starting out.
I don't blame you,
Mr. Curtis.
So, uh, Saturday night,
It's San Francisco,
Here we come.
[whistling coming
Through the rye]
Oh, for heaven's sake.
(man)
Cut!
Come on, Jerry.
Is it so hard
To make a phone call?
Hey.
Hey!
Remember me, Jerry?
Marty Fisher.
Your friendly
Neighborhood
Movie director.
Sally, what--
What's the matter,
Mr. Raigan?
Where are you going?
I'm warning you, Jerry.
They won't take
It anymore.
Wise up, boy.
You're on the edge.
Jerry?
It's okay, Marty.
Just a little gag.
We'll try it again,
Shall we, Jerry?
We'll pick it up
From the phone call.
You're phoning your wife
To tell her to meet you
Downtown at : , right?
What are you
Talking about?
Where am I?
What is this,
Some kind of a
Joke or something?
I don't know you.
I don't know any of you.
Don't let him get away.
Marty, I swear
The agency had no
Idea that Raigan was--
Just keep him
Here, Sam.
Sure, sure. I'll phone--
I'll phone Brinkley.
Is there a
Telephone in here?
Why don't you sit down?
I asked you
If there was
A phone--
If I have to call
Brinkley on this,
You're dead.
Jerry, why don't you
Listen to me for one
Minute, will you?
I don't know what's
The matter with you.
Call an ambulance.
Make it fast.
Shall I use
The stage phone?
No. If he finds out,
There's no telling
What he'd do. Go on.
Jerry, let's go
To your dressing room.
Where's the
Nearest phone?
Jerry.
My name is
Arthur Curtis.
Arthur Curtis?
Lunch, one hour.
May I have
Information, please?
Would you get me
The telephone number
Of Arthur Curtis?
Ventner Road
In Woodland
Hills, please?
Ventner. V-e-n-t-n-e-r.
What? Oh, no, no.
You're mistaken.
Of course there's
A phone there.
No, listen,
It's my own home.
I'm Arthur Curtis. I--
Well, I-I can't seem
To remember it at the
Moment. Will you--
No, no, it's not an
Unlisted number. I--
I don't think.
Will you please
Try again, operator?
I know there's
A phone there.
(Fisher)
Jerry?
You're wrong, operator.
Please, connect me
With your supervisor.
What are you doing?
Jerry, I wanna talk to you
In your dressing room.
You're not well.
I'm getting out of
Here. I'm going home.
Jerry!
[tires screeching]
Are you out
Of your mind?
Jerry, if you're
Drunk again, so--
Take your
Hands off me.
Look, I don't care
If they bounce you.
I don't care if you never
Work again the rest of
Your miserable life.
But you're gonna
Pay me what the judge
Tells you to pay me,
Or, so help me, I'll put you
So far behind bars they'll
Never find you again.
Mrs. Raigan?
I'm not Mrs.
Raigan anymore.
I'm sorry.
Can I talk to
You in private?
I haven't the time.
He's coming with me.
He'll be back for
The afternoon sh**ting.
That's not exactly
What I had in mind.
I've called an ambulance.
Jerry's having
A nervous breakdown.
Ambulance?
I'm not joking,
Mrs. Raigan.
[engine starting]
[tires screeching]
Okay, Marty, I
Called the hospital.
I'll drive.
I'll drive, Jerry.
I said I'll drive.
You'd think you're
Gonna k*ll us.
Jerry, I'm gonna
Bleed you. I'm gonna
Bleed you dry.
Now listen to me,
Whoever you are.
I don't know who you
Think I am, but you're
Wrong! You're wrong!
My name is Curtis,
Arthur Curtis.
And I haven't the
Slightest idea what
You're talking about.
I'm gonna drive to my
Home in Woodland Hills.
When we get there,
You can have your
Car back.
You think you can chisel
Your way out of paying me
With a cheap trick--
My name is Arthur Curtis.
My wife's name is Marian.
I have a daughter named Tina.
We live at
Ventner Road in
Woodland Hills.
I'm warning you, Jerry.
My name is
Arthur Curtis!
[tires screeching]
No, he isn't drunk,
Mr. Brinkley.
I-I-I could tell
You he's cracked.
His mind is gone.
He swears he's
Arthur Curtis.
Swears it.
That's right.
Arthur Curtis,
The character
He's playing
In the picture.
You'll let me know
When the grand tour
Is over, won't you?
I can't understand. I--
I don't know
Where I am and
Yet I must--
I live here.
What do you want, Jerry?
An academy award?
I told you,
My name is--
Cut it out.
You never had a less
Receptive audience.
You don't understand.
You go ahead.
Play it out.
Do what you please.
I couldn't care less.
That's right.
You ask where
Ventner Road is.
Tina.
Tina.
Mommy!
Get in. Would you
Rather go to jail
For attempted as*ault?
Get in.
That's the one, mommy.
That's the one, mommy.
He's the one
That grabbed me.
He scared me.
I wonder what
Brinkley wants.
Your blood probably.
Well, he'll have
To wait his turn.
Well? Come on. I said
I'd have you back for
This afternoon's sh**ting.
Get out, Jerry.
Where are we?
Come on.
Come on.
I gotta get home.
You are home.
Now, let's go.
[door closing]
Jerry, where
Have you been?
Sam phoned me over
An hour ago. Said
You left the studio.
Come on.
Can't this wait, Nora?
No. It can't.
It's waited
Long enough.
I want my money
Before he goes off
On his next binge.
And I'm going
To get it. Now.
Now, look, I tried
To explain to that,
That woman
That I'm not who you all
Seem to think I am. My name
Is Curtis. I live in--
Jerry, stop it.
You don't seem to realize
The position you're in.
Where do you hide
The checkbook?
I'll find it if I have
To tear this house apart.
Jerry, I'll have
To lay it right
On the line.
If you lose this
Assignment, we'll
Have to drop you.
We can't cover up
For you anymore. It's
Beyond that, way beyond.
I'm sorry, but
You're mistaken--
Now, look!
All right.
They can sh**t
Around you today.
I'll tell them
You're...Sick.
They won't buy it,
But I'll make it
Stick somehow.
But you've got to be there
Tomorrow, bright and early.
You've got to convince them--
I don't know what's
Going on. I don't
Now what's going on.
(Nora)
All right,
Get over here.
Nora, don't.
Look, you stay
Out of this.
Can't you see
That he's upset?
You're gonna to sign this
Check. You're gonna
Sign it right now.
Gerald Raigan.
G-e-r-a-l-d
R-a-I-g-a-n!
That's not my name!
Now, listen, this
Has gone far enough!
I'm not Gerald Raigan.
I don't know any of you.
My name is
Arthur Curtis.
Do you hear me?
Arthur Curtis,
And I work for--
I'd like to have
A telephone number
Of the Davis
Morton Company.
One-eight-nine
Brand Street,
Los Angeles.
Of course there is!
I work there!
I've worked there for
The last seven years!
Hello? Hello!
Feeling better?
You don't
Believe me,
Do you?
I believe you've
Been overworked,
Under a terrible strain.
You need help, Jerry.
Help?
It's not in my
Province, but I've
Known you a long time.
Can't you see
What's happened?
"Cast of characters.
Arthur Curtis, .
"A young business
Executive, happily married.
"Curtis lives in
Woodland Hills with
His wife and child. He--
"Marian Curtis, .
A charming young woman.
"Typical of that
Efficient breed
Which can manage
A house and family
And still have ample--"
Stop it!
The only information
You have about
Arthur Curtis
Is written
In this script.
No.
Jerry, sometimes I'd
Like to escape myself
Away from this turmoil
To some simpler existence.
You're telling me that
This is a delusion.
That I'm really
Gerald Raigan,
A drunken--
Gerald Raigan,
A sweet, unhappy man,
Burdened with
That harpy.
Jerry Raigan,
Trying to find a little
Happiness, that's all.
No. It's real.
It's real.
I wish it were.
For your sake,
I wish it were.
I've got to go, Jerry.
Try and get some rest.
Forget about the
Picture. You don't
Have to finish it.
I just spoke
To the studio
A few minutes ago.
They're canceling
Production.
Arthur Curtis is dead.
I've gotta get back.
It's too late, Jerry.
It's finished.
I've gotta get
Back to my office.
Your office?
If you mean the set,
They're probably
Tearing it down right now.
They can't.
They can't!
Jerry!
[tires screech]
[muffled voices]
Wait!
Mr. Raigan!
You can't do this.
We're just following
Orders, Mr. Raigan.
Don't leave me here.
Honey?
Marian.
[sighs]
Oh, Marian.
Well, my goodness.
I've been phoning
You all day long.
Where have you been?
Been?
Sally kept saying you
Were out. She didn't
See you go out--
Let's get out of here.
Arty! Are you
All right?
Well, sure.
Where were you?
Mr. Curtis?
Are you leaving now?
Yes.
I have your tickets
For Saturday night.
Here you are.
Fine. Thanks.
(man)
All right. Let's get those
Lamps and tables out of here.
Honey, what's the matter?
Please.
Honey, let's not wait.
Let's go on our vacation
Right away.
Hey. What's wrong?
Nothing, darling.
I just don't want
To lose you.
Has Raigan been here?
Yeah, he was here
A minute ago.
You didn't
See him leave?
No, I didn't. Hey,
Any of you guys see
Raigan leave?
(man)
No, we didn't.
Would you take a look
In his dressing room?
Yeah. Sure.
He's not in
His dressing room.
Wonder where he is.
(narrator)
The modus operandi for
The departure from life
Is usually a pine box of
Such and such dimensions,
And this is
The ultimate
In reality.
But there are
Other ways for a man
To exit from life.
Take the case of
Arthur Curtis, age .
His departure
Was along a highway
With an exit sign that
Reads "This way
To escape."
Arthur Curtis, en route
To the twilight zone.
(male presenter)
Rod Serling,
The creator of
Twilight zone
Will tell you about next
Week's story after this word
From our alternate sponsor.
And now, Mr. Serling.
Next week, the culprit
Is Charles Beaumont,
The gentleman responsible
For a story unlike any
You've ever seen.
You talk of immortality,
The business of being able
To live for as long as
One wants.
Well, next week you'll see
Kevin McCarthy at the
Tail-end of a life
That's gone on for
Two thousand years.
The play is called
"Long Live Walter Jameson"
On the twilight zone.
[eerie music]
Every year
The Red Cross
Needs money.
This year ain't
No different.