[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.
I want Jake Ross'
Secretary, please.
Williams, we're
Still waiting
For your Mr. Ross.
I'm trying to get him
Right now, sir.
Joanie, where is he?
I know he's
Out to lunch
But we got a conference
Called here for : .
It's now : .
Now, where is he?
All right,
Check around.
Call Sardi's East
Or The Colony
And tell him
To get himself
Over here in a hurry.
Well, where
Is your protege
With the $ million
Automobole account?
He's due at any moment,
Mr. Misrell.
Probably a
Big lunch crowd
Or something.
Don't be
An idiot.
More likely,
A big martini
Or three or
Four of them.
He was too young to
Put on this account.
I told you that.
I kept telling you that!
He's much too young
To put on this large
And important account.
[knock at door]
We have now
Been here minutes,
Mr. Williams.
This is a communication
From Jake Ross.
Would you be so kind
As to share
Its contents
With us?
I can give you
The sense of it,
Mr. Misrell.
This is Jake
Ross's resignation.
He's moving over
To another agency.
And?
He's taking
The automobile
Account with him.
That account represented
A gross billing
In the neighborhood
Of $ million a year!
And how
Many times
Have you promised
It to me?
[clears throat]
This is as much
A shock to me
As it is to you,
Mr. Misrell.
Don't sit down
And don't con me.
It was your pet project.
Your pet project!
Then it was your
Idea to give it
To that little
College greenie.
Now, get
With it, Williams.
Get with it, boy!
So what's left, Williams?
Not only
Has your pet
Project backfired
But it sprouted wings
And left the premises.
I'll tell you what's
Left to us, in my view--
A deep and abiding concern
About your judgment in men.
This is a push
Business, Williams.
A push, push,
Push business!
[thudding]
Push and drive!
But personally--
You don't delegate
Responsibilities to
Little boys.
You should
Know it
Better than
Anyone else.
A push, push,
Push business, Williams.
It's push,
Push, push
[thudding]
All the way,
All the time!
It's push, push, push,
All the way, all the time
Right on down the line!
Fat boy, why
Don't you shut
Your mouth!
Mr. Williams,
Messages are
On the desk.
There's some
Hot coffee here.
Can I bring you some?
No, no, thanks.
Well, want
Anything at all?
Yeah, a
Sharp razor
And a chart of
The human anatomy
Showing where all
The arteries are.
(male narrator)
This is Gart
Williams, age ,
A man protected
By a suit of armor
All held together
By one bolt.
Just a moment ago,
Someone removed the bolt
And Mr. Williams' protection
Fell away from him
And left him a naked target.
He's been cannonaded
This afternoon
By all the
Enemies of his life.
His insecurity
Has shelled him ;
His sensitivity
Has straddled him
With humiliation;
His deep-rooted disquiet
About his own worth
Has zeroed in on him,
Landed on target
And blown him apart.
Mr. Gart Williams,
Ad agency exec
Who in just
A moment will move
Into the twilight zone
In a desperate search
For survival.
[train bell clanging]
How are
You tonight,
Mr. Williams?
In the absolute pink.
Cold winter
This year.
Seems to get
Darker earlier
Than it ever has.
Well, that's the
Way of the world.
The rich get richer
And the days
Get shorter.
That's right.
(misrell)
A push, push,
Push business!
Push and drive!
It's push, push, push
All the way, all
The time
Right on down the line!
That's enough.
[dog barking]
(male conductor)
Willoughby! This
Stop is Willoughby!
Willoughby!
This stop
Is Willoughby!
What do you
Mean, Willoughby?
Where is Willoughby?
That's Willoughby
Right outside.
Now, wait a minute.
What's going on?
There's no stop on this line
Called Willoughby.
And look at it outside.
The sun is out,
It's summer.
That's what she
Is, mid-July.
A real warm
One, too.
Wait a minute, it's November.
What's going on here anyway?
Where is this place?
Where is
Willoughby?
Willoughby, sir?
That's Willoughby
Right outside.
Willoughby.
July.
Summer.
It's .
Really a lovely
Little village.
You ought to
Try it sometime.
Peaceful, restful,
Where a man can
Slow down to a walk
And live his
Life full-measure.
Willoughby!
This stop
Is Willoughby!
Willoughby!
This stop
Is Willoughby!
[cars rumbling]
(conductor)
Westport Saugatuck
Next stop!
Westport Saugatuck!
Have a good sleep,
Mr. Williams?
Yeah.
Yeah, I had a good sleep,
But an idiotic dream.
Idiotic.
You ever hear of a town
Called Willoughby?
Willoughby?
Willoughby where?
Willoughby, Connecticut,
Or Willoughby, New York.
Not on this run.
No Willoughby
On the line.
Westport Saugatuck
Next stop!
Westport Saugatuck!
And what are your plans
For this evening?
To get quietly plastered
And then sing
Old college songs?
It's been one
Of those days.
I know all about it.
Bob Lair's wife
Called me.
She told me he'd been
In the meeting with you.
You got... You got
Hysterical or something?
She called to find
Out how you were.
They were all
Very solicitous
All the boys
At the meeting.
That free-flowing
Compassion
That is
Actually relief.
I'm the victim,
Not them.
They've mistaken
An intake of breath
For an outpouring
Of sympathy.
Would you spare me
Your little homilies now?
Please, and
Just give me
A simple and direct
And honest answer.
Did you wreck a
Career this afternoon?
Did you throw
Away a job?
It appears not.
Misrell phoned before
I left the office.
He has found it
In that great
Over-sized heart of
His to forgive.
This somewhat obese,
Gracious gentleman
Will allow me to
Continue in
His employ
Because he's such a--
Human-type fellow
With the
Small, insignificant
Parenthetic additional reason
That if I were to go
To a competitive agency
I might possibly take a
Lot of business with me.
Go on.
That's it.
That's all
Of it.
Oh, I'm
Tired, Janie.
I'm tired,
And I'm sick.
Well, then you're
On the right ward.
We specialize in people
That are sick.
And tired, too, Gart.
I'm sick,
And I'm tired
Of a husband who lives
In permanent self-pity
With a heart
Bleeding sensitivity
That he unfurls
Like a flag
Whenever he decides
The competition is--
Is a little too
Rough for him.
Some people aren't built
For competition, Janie
Or big,
Pretentious houses
They can't afford
Or rich communities
They don't feel
Comfortable in
Or country clubs
They wear around
Their neck
Like a badge
Of status.
And you'd prefer--?
I'd prefer
Though never
Asked before
A job, any job,
Any job at all
Where I could
Be myself!
Where I wouldn't
Have to climb
On a stage
And go through
A masquerade every
Morning at nine,
And mouth all
The dialog
And play
The executive
And make believe
I'm the bright,
Young man
Who's on
His way up
Because I'm not
That person, Janie.
You've tried to
Make me that person
But that isn't me.
That isn't me
At all.
I'm--
I'm a
Not-very-young
Soon-to-be-old
Very uncompetitive,
Rather dull
Quite uninspired,
Average-type guy.
With a wife who
Has an appetite.
And just where
Would you be
If it weren't
For my appetite?
I know where
I'd like to be.
Where's that?
A place
Called Willoughby.
A little town
I've manufactured
In a dream.
Tell me about
Your dream, Gart.
It was an odd dream,
Very odd dream.
Willoughby.
It was summer, very warm.
Kids were barefooted.
One of them had a fishing pole.
It all looked like
A Currier & Ives painting.
Bandstand, bicycles, wagons.
I've never seen
Such--serenity.
It was the way people must
Have lived a hundred
Years ago.
Crazy dream.
Yeah.
You let me know when
You wake up, huh, Gart?
No, wait, Janie.
Please, Janie.
You know
What the trouble
With you is, Gart?
You were just
Born too late.
Because you're
A guy
That could
Be satisfied
With a
Summer afternoon
Or an
Ice wagon
Being drawn
By a horse.
So it's my
Mistake, pal,
My error
My miserable, tragic error
To get married to a man
Whose big dream in life
Is to be Huckleberry Finn.
Yeah, maybe.
Something like that.
A place, a time where
A man can live his
Life full-measure.
That's what
He said, that's--
What that conductor said,
A place where a man
Can live his life
Full-measure.
(modern conductor)
Willoughby?
What?
Last week
You asked me
About a town
Called Willoughby.
Well, I
Looked it up.
Every old timetable
I could find.
No such place,
As far as I
Could see.
Thanks.
It was a dream,
Is all.
Probably was.
Stamford next stop!
Next stop, Stamford!
[train horn blaring]
Stamford! Stamford
Next stop!
Stamford!
Next stop, Stamford!
Stamford, next stop!
(conductor of the past)
Willoughby!
This stop
Is Willoughby!
Willoughby!
This stop
Is Willoughby!
Willoughby, sir.
Willoughby?
Yes, sir, Willoughby.
Willoughby!
All on
For Willoughby!
Willoughby! This
Stop is Willoughby!
[band playing
Camptown races]
Conductor!
Conductor!
Conduc--!
You all right,
Mr. Williams?
Yeah, yeah.
Sure, I'm all right.
Willoughby.
Next time--
Next time,
I'm going to get off.
I'm going to get off
At Willoughby.
(Misrell over phone)
What we need
Here, Williams,
Is a show with zaz.
An entertainer
With moxie.
We've got to take
The audience by
The ears
And give 'em
A yank,
Jar 'em,
Rock 'em,
Give 'em the ol'
Push push push.
I understand,
Mr. Misrell.
It's gotta
Be bright.
Bright with
A patter.
That's it, comedy.
And everything
Push push push.
Of course, now
It's gotta
Be bright.
Push push push.
That's the kind of
Show the client
Will like.
I understand,
Mr. Misrell.
I understand.
Tomorrow morning,
I want at least a
Preliminary idea for the show.
You know
What I want.
Just a rough
Format with a
Few details
As to how we integrate
The commercials with in
The body of the show.
I understand,
Mr. Misrell.
I'll do the
Best I can.
Do more
Than you can.
Aspire. Dream big
And then get
Behind it.
Push push
Push push!
Yes, sir!
[phone rings]
Yes?
Well, I haven't seen
The ratings on the show.
No, no.
Well, that's
The time slot
The sponsor wanted.
[phone rings]
Hang on a minute.
Yes?
They what?
Hold on a second.
Helen.
Helen!
What film office
Did the commercials
On the Bradbury account?
The negatives
Are all scratched,
They're screaming
Bloody m*rder!
I'll have
To check, sir.
Mr. Misrell wants
To see you.
I'll have to
Check it out.
Mr. Misrell, sir.
I'll tell you when
I know something.
Mr. Williams!
Mr. Misrell
Seemed very insistent.
[voices chattering
On phones]
Mr. Williams!
Mr. Williams!
Mr. Misrell!
Push, push, push,
Williams!
Push, push,
Push, Williams!
Get with it, boy!
Push, push,
Push, Williams!
Push, push, push,
Williams!
Push, push,
Push, Williams!
Will you
Get me Westport,
Connecticut, please?
Capital - .
Yes, please.
Janie, this
Is Gart, honey.
I'm coming home.
Will you stay there?
I just--I just
Want you to
Stay there.
No, honey,
Listen, please.
I've had it, understand?
I've had it!
I just can't take this
Another day, not
Another hour.
This is it, right now.
I've got to
Get out of here.
Janie, will you
Help me, please?
Will you
Please help me?
[click]
Janie?
How are
You tonight,
Mr. Wi lliams?
[train horn blares]
(conductor)
Stamford next stop!
Stamford!
Next stop, Stamford!
Next stop Stamford!
Stamford next stop!
Stamford!
Next stop, Stamford!
Next stop--
... Is Willoughby!
Willoughby!
Next stop
Is Willoughby!
Willoughby?
Yes, sir.
[band playing Oh, Susannah]
Hi, Mr. Williams.
Hi, boys.
You catch some
Big ones today, huh?
I think tomorrow
I'll join you.
Plenty of room
And lots of fish.
[band playing
Beautifui Dreamer]
[birds chirping]
Hiya, Mr. Williams.
Welcome.
Thank you.
Thank you,
I'm glad to be here.
(man)
Just jumped off
The train, did h?
Shouted something
About Willoughby.
Then ran out
To the platform
And that was the
Last I saw of him.
Doctor says
He must have
d*ed instantly.
They're gonna take him
Into town for an autopsy.
Funeral parlor there
Sent the ambulance.
Poor fellah.
(narrator)
Willoughby?
Maybe it's wishful thinking
Nestled in a hidden part
Of a man's mind
Or maybe it's the last stop
In the vast design of things.
Or perhaps, for a man
Like Mr. Gart Williams
Who climbed in a world
That went by too fast
It's a place around the bend
Where he could jump off.
Willoughby?
Whatever it is, it comes
With sunlight and serenity
And is a part of
The twilight zone.
(male presenter, off)
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.
In this library,
A certain professor
Sells things.
Ointments, salves, powders,
Sovereign remedies, nectars,
Concoctions, decoctions,
And potions all guaranteed.
Next week he'll
Sell one to a loverboy
So that he can slip
An affectionate mickey
Into the champagne
Of his lady love.
It sets up
A most bizarre
And very unexpected
Chain of events.
On the twilight zone
Next week,
The Chaser.
[curtain music]
(male presenter, off)
Kimberly Clark invites you
To watch
Steve McQueen
In "Wanted Dead or Alive."
Saturday nights over
Most of these same stations.