[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.
[airplane engine revving]
Witness flight lieutenant
William Terrance Decker,
Royal Flying Corps,
Returning from a patrol
Somewhere over France.
The year is .
The problem
Is the lieutenant
Is hopelessly lost.
[engine roaring]
Lieutenant Decker will
Soon discover
That a man can be lost
Not only in terms
Of maps and miles
But also in time.
And time, in this case,
Can be measured
In eternities.
[sirens blaring]
All right, mister.
Get out of there.
What do you think
You're doing?
Who in the name of--?
What do you mean
Running this antique
In front of an
Approaching aircraft?
Don't you
Understand
What I'm saying?
Are you French?
I'm British.
Are you American?
Can't you see this
Is an American base?
What, all this?
We had no idea
You were so advanced.
What?
You better come
With me.
(male voice)
Major wilson
To see you, general.
Sit down, major.
I'll be with you
In a minute.
Well, what is this?
This man, sir.
He's apparently British.
He landed his ship
On our field.
His ship,
I might add--
Who are you?
Second lieutenant
William Decker, sir.
Royal flying corps.
You mean royal air force.
No, sir.
Royal flying corps.
What are you doing here?
Why are you dressed
Like that?
I beg your pardon, sir?
There some kind
Of an air show nearby?
Air show, sir?
Are you making a film?
I'm afraid I didn't
Quite understand
You, sir.
You don't understand?
What are you--?
Why are you wearing
This costume?
This is my
Uniform, sir.
Your--!
At ease.
Thank you, sir.
Excuse me, sir.
Where exactly am I?
Now, where
Exactly did you
Think you were?
Well, I thought
I was landing
At th squadron,
R.F.C.
th squadron
R.F.C.?
Wasn't that a--?
What's today's date?
March .
What year?
Why, .
?
Yes, that's correct.
Well, isn't it?
It's March , ,
Lieutenant.
[no audio]
Uh... Look here.
You're not joking
With me, are you?
Good lord.
You don't seriously
Expect us to
Believe that--
But it's true.
It's true.
When I took off
This morning,
It was .
[airplane taxiing outside]
(Decker)
That cloud--
While I was passing
Through it,
I couldn't
Hear my engine.
It was like
Being swallowed
In a vacuum.
The same sort of thing
Happened to Guimerd.
The French
Fighter pilot?
He disappeared
One day while flying.
At the memorial service,
The cardinal said
"He belonged to the sky
And the sky
Has taken him."
Who do you think
You're fooling,
Decker?
Or whatever
Your name is.
Sir, I swear to you
When I took
Off this morning
It was March , !
Mack and I were--
Who?
Captain Mackaye.
Mackaye?
Yes, we're in--
Alexander Mackaye?
How did you know?
What have you
Got to do with--
How did you know?
I suppose you're
Going to tell us
You don't know that
Alexander Mackaye,
Air vice-marshal
Alexan der Mackaye,
Is at this moment
En route to
This base
For a tour
Of inspection!
But that's impossible.
Why is it impossible,
Lieutenant Decker?
Because he's dead.
(Harper)
It's ingenious, I'll
Give you that much.
This could be
Checked on, sir.
If we wanted
To waste our
Time, yes.
Well, if
It's a hoax,
It's certainly
An elaborate one.
If it's a
Hoax, major.
I mean, sir,
It's hard to believe
That anyone would go
To such incredible
Lengths just to
Play a joke.
Who said it
Was a joke?
Alright, sir,
What is it?
We'll find out
When Mackaye arrives.
We could ask the
Ministry of w*r
in London.
There might
Be records on
This Decker.
I think you
Believe him.
No, sir.
It's just that I
Can't help feeling
There's more to this
Than just a hoax.
Exactly.
You don't think
He meant to use
That on Mackaye?
We'll know
Soon enough.
But, sir, I'd
Swear the man was
Genuinely shocked
When he heard
Mackaye was
Coming here.
If he'd meant
To do the man
Any harm
He would've worn his g*n,
He wouldn't have left it
In his plane.
Major, if you'll excuse me,
I have a lot of work
To do.
But, general,
This whole idea
Doesn't make any sense!
Major! If
You'll excuse me.
Yes, sir.
[deafening roar]
[clicking]
Lieutenant.
Why am I a
Prisoner here?
Not quite as bad
As all that.
I'm being kept here,
Am I not?
I'm only following
Orders, Decker.
What earthly good
Is it going to do
For me to
See Mackaye?
Why are you so afraid
Of seeing Mackaye?
I'm not afraid.
I'm not afraid
Of anything.
Well, then?
Well, all right,
I'll see him.
Good.
About that white
Cloud you spoke of.
I've told you everything.
Now, look here, Decker.
Do you realize you're
Asking us to believe
Something rather incredible?
A cloud of silence?
A World w*r I pilot
Landing at an American
Base in France in ?
Such a thing just
Doesn't happen
Every day!
Well, it happened today!
Now, look here, I've told
You I'll see Mackaye.
Now, why don't you
Leave me alone?
You really feel you
Know him, don't you?
Know him?
"Old Leadbottom?"
Leadbottom?
Yeah, well,
When ever we fly--
When ever we flew
Over the German lines
The soldiers fired at us.
Well, one day Mack got hit
In a most embarrassing spot.
I always called him
Old Leadbottom after that.
It's a private joke,
Of course.
Mack's a proud fellow,
You know.
He wouldn't like it
If I bruited it about.
But why do you keep
Insisting that
He's dead?
Because the last
I saw of him
He was caught in a circle
Of seven German planes.
There was nothing I could
Do about it, of course.
I was involved
With three others.
Obviously, he
Got away.
I don't see
How he could have.
Not only could
Have, he did.
He was one of
Britain's great
Heroes during the blitz.
That was
The second w*r
We told you about.
Won the D.F.C. For
Knocking down three
German bombers
One night over London.
He undoubtedly saved
Hundreds of lives.
Maybe even thousands.
Decker!
You manage, sir?
Yes, you can
Wait outside.
What's wrong, Decker?
I've got to leave!
That's impossible.
Mackaye will be here
In a while. We'll get
To the bottom of this.
I can't see him.
Why not?
He'll know
Me for what
I am.
What are you?
I'm a coward!
I'm a coward.
I've always
Been a coward.
All my life I've
Been running away
Pretending to be something
I never was, never could be.
That's why I'm here--
Because I was trying
To run away.
Because I wanted
So desperately to escape
That I did escape.
Oh, I got by with my
Pretending well enough.
My kind of
Strained idiocy
Is exactly
The brand we
All put on.
We're playing a part,
You know?
Boys on a
Lark--laughing,
Joking, drinking--
Oh, it's too much,
All of it.
And turning into deadly,
Ice-cold K*llers
In the sky
Although not me,
Of course.
No, not me.
Up there, I'm
Just as afraid
As I am on the ground.
And Mack and I are supposed
To go on patrols together
But, uh... I can usually
Manage to persuade him
Into splitting up.
You know, I think
He actually hopes
He'll run
Into some trouble.
Me, well, I just...
Linger in the clouds
Flying back and forth,
Dreading the possibility
That I might see
An enemy plane, and...
Just hoping
For enough time to pass
So that I can go back.
You know, sometimes I think...
I'll land behind
The German lines
And I'll let
Myself be captured.
The pilots
Always get the best
Of treatment, you know.
But I'm afraid
Of doing that even.
I'm afraid that I'd
Be discovered, and--
Discredited.
I couldn't bear that.
I have to carry on
The self-delusion,
You know.
You know--
I've actually
Fired b*ll*ts
Through the
Cockpit walls
So that the chaps
Will see them
And be impressed.
God help me.
[sigh]
It isn't a crime
To be afraid, Decker.
Everybody's afraid
At one time or another.
I'm sure Mackaye
Would understand that.
No.
Well, what makes you
Think he knows anyway?
Because it was
Me that let the
Germans trap him.
But I thought you said
You were fighting three
German planes yourself.
I wasn't fighting anyone!
I was running!
I was running!
When the Germans came at us,
I left him up there to die.
But he didn't die!
Well, I can't
Understand that!
Well, maybe he
Got helped somehow.
What's the matter?
What you said.
What?
That he got help.
It's certainly in the
Realm of possibilities.
Don't you see?
Maybe it was me
That helped him.
I said when
He got help
I meant that
Somebody else--
There wasn't anyone
Within miles
Who could
Have helped him.
Maybe it
Wasn't an accident
That I landed here.
Maybe I was brought here
For a purpose--
To find out that
Mack had survived.
To find out that time
Was giving me a
Second chance.
You've got to let me go.
But I can't.
You've got to,
Don't you see?
It's the only chance
I have.
It's the only chance
He has.
But he's alive.
He's coming
Here today.
How do you know
That if I don't get back
He won't be here?
How do you know
That he won't
Have been k*lled
years ago
Unless I help him now?
That's insanity, Decker.
(technician)
Hey, where do you
Think you're going?
(Wilson)
Turn it off!
No.
Can't you understand?
It's not just him.
It's all those
Other lives
He saved.
Are they to be lost as well?
Turn it off, Decker,
Or I'll fire.
Well, fire.
I'd rather die.
You're in trouble, major.
I hope you know that.
I know it, sir.
You know, your thought
Processes elude me.
They positively elude me.
Letting that maniac loose.
How could you possibly--?
[knocking]
Yes?
Air vice-marshal
Mackaye, sir.
Fine, fine.
We were supposed
To meet him when
He landed.
All right.
At ease.
Marshall Mackaye.
How do you
Do, general?
I'm very pleased
To meet you, sir.
I trust you had
A comfortable flight.
Oh, yes, splendid.
Good. This is
Major Wilson.
How do you do, sir?
Honored, major.
Won't you sit
Down, sir?
Thank you.
May I?
Oh, thanks.
Sir, did you ever
Know a man
By the name of
William Terrance Decker?
Terry Decker?
Well, I certainly
Should know him.
Saved my life.
What?
How did he
Save your
Life, sir?
Well, you see, we were
Out on patrol together.
Now, as a rule,
We'd have split up
But on that day, we
Were flying together
When a flight
Of Germans
Dropped down on us.
You fought
Them together?
Well, not
At first.
What do you
Mean, sir?
Well, I had
A feeling
That old Terry
Was lighting
Out on me.
He flew away?
Yes. Climbed high.
Disappeared in
A cloud.
A white cloud, sir?
I don't know.
I suppose so.
And then?
Well, then, out of
Nowhere, it seemed,
Terry came diving
Down, his g*n
Chattering away.
He got three
Of the blighters
Before they got him.
Saved my life.
Then he did
Get back.
What?
Didn't the Germans
Usually bring back
The personal effects
Of pilots
Who had been
sh*t down?
Usually.
I say, what is
This all about?
They brought
Back his?
No.
No?
Where in
Heaven's name
Did you get these?
They're h is?
Yes. Now, what
The devil is
This all about?
Maybe you'd
Better sit down,
Old Leadbottom.
Old--
What did
You call me?
(male narrator)
Dialog from a play--
Hamlet to Horatio:
"There are more things
In heaven and earth
Than are dreamt of
In your philosophy."
Dialog from a play
Written long before
Men took to the sky.
There are more things
In heaven and earth
And in the sky
That perhaps can
Be dreamt of.
And somewhere in between
Heaven, the sky, the earth
Lies the twilight zone.
[curtain music]
(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.
Next week, we show
You the face of w*r.
But the kind of portrait we
Vetnure to say you've never
Seen before.
d*ck York and
William Reynolds star
In "The Purple Testament."
The story of a man who
Can forecast death.
That's next week
On the twilight zone
"The Purple Testament."
We hope you'll join us.
Thank you and good night.
[curtain music]
(male presenter, off)
Be sure to see the
Fun-filled family life
Of one of america's
Greatest entertainers,
The Danny Thomas show.
Monday nights, over
Most of these stations.