[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.
Maple Street, U.S.A.
Late summer.
A tree-lined little
World of front-porch
Gliders, barbecues,
The laughter of children,
And the bell of an
Ice-cream vendor.
At the sound of the roar
And the flash of light,
It will be precisely
: p.M. On Maple Street.
[strange whirring]
What was that,
A meteor?
Yeah, that's what
It looked like.
I didn't hear any
Crash though, did you?
No, I didn't
Hear anything
Except a roar.
Steve, what was that?
I guess it was
A meteor, honey. It came
Awful close, didn't it?
Too close for my money.
Much too close.
(narrator)
This is Maple Street on
A late Saturday afternoon.
Maple Street
In the last calm
And reflective moment
Before the monsters came.
Operator. Operator!
Operator!
Steve, the power's off.
I had the soup on
The stove
And the stove just
Stopped working.
Is your phone
All right? I can't
Get anybody on mine.
(man)
Our electricity isn't
Good. Is the power off?
(woman)
Our radio's gone dead.
I'll cut across
The backyard.
See if the power
Is still on on
Floral street.
Doesn't make sense.
Why should the power
Go off all of a sudden
And the phone line?
Maybe some kind of
An electrical storm
Or something.
Now, that don't
Seem likely.
The sky's as blue
As anything. Not a cloud,
No lightning, no thunder.
How could it
Be a storm?
Can't get a thing
On the radio. Not
Even on the portable.
Why don't we go
Downtown and check
With the police?
They'll probably
Think we're crazy
Or something.
A little power failure and
Everybody gets flustered
And everything.
It isn't just a power
Failure, Charlie.
If it were, we'd still be
Able to get a broadcast
On the portable.
I'll take a run downtown.
Maybe I can get it
Straightened out.
[engine won't turn over]
I don't understand it.
It was working fine before.
Are you out of gas?
I just filled it up.
Well, what
Does it mean?
It's as if
Everything stopped.
Maybe we'd better
Walk downtown.
Well, let's both
Go, Charlie.
Yeah.
Mr. Brand,
You better not.
Why not?
They don't
Want you to.
Who doesn't
Want us to?
Them.
Them?
Who are them?
Whoever was in that thing
That came by overhead.
Whoever was in the thing
That came over. I don't think
They want us to leave here.
What do you
Mean, Tommy? What
Are you talking about?
They don't want us to
Leave. That's why they
Shut everything off.
What makes you say that?
Where did you get
That idea?
Isn't that the
Craziest thing
You've heard?
It's always that way
In every story I've
Ever read
About a ship landing
From outer space.
From outer space, yet?
Sal, you better take him
Upstairs, put him to bed.
He's been reading too many
Comic books or seeing
Too many movies.
Tommy, you stop
That kind of talk.
Come on, let's go.
Go ahead, Tommy.
We'll be right back
And then you'll see.
It wasn't a ship.
It was a meteor
Or something.
Likely as not, that's the cause
Of the power failure and
All the rest of it.
Meteors can do
Crazy things like,
Like sun spots.
Sure that's
The kind of thing,
Like sun spots.
They raise cain
With radio reception
All over the world.
This thing being so close,
There's no telling the
Sort of stuff it can do.
You go ahead, Steve.
You and Charlie
Go into town,
See if that isn't
What's causing it all.
Mr. Brand?
Mr. Brand, please
Don't leave here.
You might not even
Be able to get
To town.
It was that
Way in the story.
Nobody could leave.
Nobody except--
Except who?
Except the people
They'd sent down
Ahead of them.
They looked just like
Humans. And it wasn't
Until the ship landed that--
Tommy, please, son.
Honey, don't talk
Like that.
It's the craziest thing I've
Ever heard of. The kid tells
A comic book plot
And we stand
Here listening.
Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
Go ahead, Tommy.
What kind of a
Story was it?
What about the people
They sent ahead?
That was the way
They prepared things
For the landing.
They sent four people.
A mother and a father
And two kids
Who looked just
Like humans, but
They weren't.
Well, I guess what we need
To do is run a check of
The neighborhood
And fin d out which ones
Of us are really human.
There's no use
Standing around making
Bum jokes about it.
Wonder if floral street's
Got the same kind
Of deal we have.
Where's Pete van Horn?
Has he come back, yet?
[car trying to start]
(woman)
Does your car
Start, Les?
No dice.
[tries again]
Well, I don't
Know what's wrong.
Nothing seems
To be working.
Can't even get
The car started.
[car engine starts]
Car started somehow.
He got his
Car started.
How come his car just
Up and started
Like that?
All by itself.
He wasn't anywhere
Near it. It just
Started by itself.
He never did come out
To look at that thing
That flew overhead.
He wasn't
Even interested.
He always was
An oddball.
Him and his whole
Family. Real oddball.
Now, why didn't
He come out with
The rest of us to look?
What do you say
We go ask him?
(brand)
Wait a minute.
Wait a minute!
Now, let's
Not be a mob.
I just don't
Understand it.
I tried to start it.
It wouldn't start.
You saw me.
All of you saw me.
[engine cuts out]
I don't understand.
I swear I just
Don't understand.
What's happening?
Well, maybe you better
Tell us. There's nothing
Working on this street.
Nothing. No lights,
No power, no radio.
Nothing except
One car. Yours.
How do you figure
It started, Les?
How do you
Explain that?
Wait a minute, now.
Just keep your distance.
All of you.
Okay, so I've got a car
That starts by itself.
Well, it's a freak
Thing, I admit it.
What's it make me, a
Criminal or something?
I don't know why it
Starts, it just does.
What's this all
About, Steve?
We're on a
Monster kick, Les.
Seems the general
Im pression now holds
That maybe there's a family
That isn't what
We think they are.
Monsters from outer
Space or something
Different than us.
Fifth columnists
From the vast beyond.
Now, do you know anybody that
Might fit that description
Around here on Maple Street?
This is a gag
Or something?
What is this?
A practical joke
Or something?
[car engine starts]
That's supposed
To Incriminate me, huh?
The car starts
And stops and that
Really does it, huh?
Really does it?
Well, I don't understand it
Any more than any of you do.
Look, you all know me.
We've lived here for five
Years, right in this house.
We aren't any
Different from you.
Any different at all.
The whole
Thing is just--
Really, the whole
Thing is just weird.
Well, if that's the case,
Les Goodman, then explain
Why you--
Explain what?
Let's just forget it.
Wait a minute.
Let her talk. Go
Ahead, explain what?
Well, sometimes I
Stay up late at night
And a couple
Of times--
Well, a couple of times
I've come out on my porch
And I've seen
Les Goodman here
In the wee hours
Of the morning
Standing in his yard
Just looking up
At the sky.
That's right. Just,
Just looking up
At the sky
As though he
Were waiting
For something.
As though he were
Looking for something.
You know, really
This is for laughs.
You know what
I'm guilty of?
I'm guilty
Of insomnia.
Now, what's the
Penalty for that?
Well, you heard
What I said. I said
It was insomnia.
I said it was insomnia!
You scared, frightened
Rabbits, you.
You're sick people,
Do you know that?
You're sick people,
All of you.
And you don't even know
What you're starting here
Because let me tell you,
Let me tell you,
You're starting
Something here that--
That's what you shou ld
Be frightened of.
As god is my witness,
You're letting something
Begin here that's--
That's a nightmare.
It just doesn't seem right
Keeping a watch on them.
They're our neighbors.
We've known the Goodmans
Ever since they came here.
We've been good friends.
Look, that don't
Prove a thing.
Any guy who'd spend his
Time looking up at the sky
Early in the morning,
There's something
Wrong with that kind
Of a person.
Something that
Ain't legitimate.
Under normal circumstances
Let it go by, but these
Aren't normal circumstances.
Look at that street.
Nothing but candles.
It's like going back
Into the dark ages
Or something.
Stay right where
You are, Steve. We
Don't want any trouble.
But this time, anyone who sets
Foot on my porch, that's what
He's gonna get. Trouble.
Look, Les, I'm--
I've already
Explained to you people.
I don't sleep very well
At night sometimes,
So I get up, I go out,
I take a walk, I look
Up at the sky,
I look at the stars.
That's exactly
What he does.
This whole thing is
Some kind of madness.
That's exactly what
It is, Mrs. Goodman.
Some kind of madness.
(Charlie)
You best watch who
You're seen with, Steve,
Till we get this all
Straightened out. You ain't
Above suspicion yourself.
Or you, Charlie.
Or any of us it seems
From age eight on up.
What I wanna know is
What are we gonna do.
Just stay around
Here all night?
There's nothing
Else we can do.
One of them'll tip
Their hand. They got to.
There's something you can do,
Charlie. You can go inside
And keep your mouth shut.
You can quit sitting there
Like a self-appointed
Hanging judge
And just climb into
Bed and forget it.
You sound pretty anxious
To have that
Happen, Steve.
I guess we oughtta
Keep an eye on
You, too.
Yeah, I think maybe
Everything might as
Well come out now.
Your wife's been doing
A little talking, Steve,
About some of the odd
Things you've been doing.
Yeah?
Well, go ahead, Don.
Tell us what she said.
Go ahead. What's
My wife said? Let's
Get it all out.
Let's pick out
Every idiosyncrasy
Of every man,
Woman and child
On this whole street.
And then we might as well
Set up some kind of a
Kangaroo court.
Now, how about a f*ring squad
At dawn, Charlie, to get rid
Of all the suspects?
Narrow them down for you.
Make it easier. Huh?
Right, Don?
Well, there's no need
Getting so upset, Steve.
It's just that--
Myra's talked about
How there's been
Plenty of nights
You spent hours down
In your basement
Working on some kind
Of radio or something.
Well, none of us
Have ever seen
That radio.
Go ahead, Steve.
What kind of radio
Set you working on?
I never seen it.
Neither has anyone else.
Who talks to you
On that radio set,
And who do you talk to?
Well, I'm surprised
At you, Charlie.
How come you're so
Dense all of a sudden?
Who do I talk to?
I talk to monsters
From outer space.
I talk to three-headed
Green men who fly over here
In what look like meteors.
Please, Steve, please.
It's just a-a ham
Radio set, that's all.
I bought the book
For him myself.
It's just a
Ham radio set.
A lot of people have them.
I'll show it to you. It's
Down in the basement.
No. No, we won't
Show them anything.
If they wanna look inside
Our house, let them get
A search warrant.
Look, buddy, you
Can't afford to--
Charlie, don't you tell
Me what I can afford.
And stop telling me
Who's dangerous
And who isn't,
And who's safe
And who's a menace.
And you with him,
Too, all of you.
You're all standing
Out here all set to
Crucify somebody.
You're all set
To find a scapegoat.
You're all desperate
To point some kind of
A finger at a neighbor.
Well, believe me, friends,
The only thing that's
Gonna happen
Is that we're gonna
Eat each other up alive.
[footsteps approaching]
It's the monster.
It's the monster.
Here, we may need this.
What, a shotgun? Will
Somebody think? What
Good is a shotgun?
No more talk, Steve.
You're gonna talk us
Right into a grave.
You'd let whatever's
Out there walk right
Over us with you.
Well, some of us won't.
[g*nsh*t]
[dog barking]
It's Pete van Horn.
Pete van Horn.
Well, he was just going over
To the next block to see if
The power was on.
Charlie, you k*lled him.
He's dead.
I didn't know
Who he was.
I most certainly
Didn't know who he was.
Well, he came out
Of the darkness.
How was I supposed
To know who he was?
Steve? You know
Why I sh*t him.
How was I supposed
To know he wasn't a
Monster or something?
I was only trying
To protect my home.
I didn't know it
Was somebody we knew.
I didn't know.
Look! Charlie?
Charlie, the
Lights just went
On in your house.
Why did the lights
Go on in your house?
What about it, Charlie?
How come you're the only
One with lights now?
That's what I'd like
To know. You were so
Quick to k*ll, Charlie.
And so quick
To tell us who we
Had to look out for.
Maybe you had to k*ll.
Maybe pete was trying
To tell us something.
Maybe Pete learned
Something and came
Back to tell us
Who it was amongst us
We had to look out for.
No, no, it's
Nothing of the sort.
I didn't know
The lights were on.
I swear I didn't.
Somebody's pulling
A gag or something.
A gag? A gag? Charlie,
There's a man lying
Dead in the street
And you k*lled him.
Does that look like
A gag to you?
Look. Look, I swear
It isn't me!
I swear it isn't!
I know who it is!
I know who
The monster is!
I know who it is that
Doesn't belong among us!
I swear I know
Who it is!
All right, Charlie,
Let's hear it.
What are you
Waiting for?
Come on,
Charlie, come on.
Who is it,
Charlie? Tell us!
It's the kid!
It's Tommy!
He's the one!
Well, that's not true.
It isn't so.
He's a little boy.
It was this kid who knew
What was going to happen.
He was the
One who knew.
How did he know?
How could he have known?
(man)
Maybe Tommy's an alien.
What's the matter
With you people?
Now stop!
(woman)
How did you know?
[all yelling at once]
(man)
Don't let him
Get to the house.
(woman)
You're right, it's him.
It isn't the kid.
It's Bob Weaver's house.
It isn't Bob Weaver's
Place. It's Don's house.
It's the Williams' house.
It's the kid,
I tell you.
It's Charlie,
He's the one.
Stop!
[screaming]
It's Steve!
Stop it!
Fools!
[g*nshots]
[screaming]
[g*nshots]
[glass breaking]
(man)
Understand the
Procedure now?
Just stop a few
Of their machines
And radios
And telephones
And lawn mowers.
Throw them into
Darkness for a
Few hours
And then sit back
And watch the pattern.
And this pattern is
Always the same?
With few variations.
They pick the most
Dangerous enemy
They can find,
And it's themselves.
All we need do is
Sit back and watch.
Then I take it this place,
This Maple Street
Is not unique.
By no means.
Their world is full
Of Maple Streets
And we'll go from one
To the other and let
Them destroy themselves.
One to the other.
One to the other.
One to the other.
(narrator)
The tools of conquest
Do not necessarily come
With bombs
And explosions
And fallout.
There are weapons that
Are simply thoughts,
Attitudes, prejudices,
To be found only
In the minds of men.
For the record,
Prejudices can k*ll
And suspicion
Can destroy.
And a thoughtless,
Frightened search
For a scapegoat
Has a fallout
All of its own
For the children and
The children yet unborn.
And the pity of it is
That these things
Cannot be confined
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 Mr. Richard Matheson
Lends us his fine
Writing talents
When we bring you a unique
And most arresting story
Of a movie actor
Who finds himself on that thin
Line between what is real
And what is a dream.
Mr. Howard Duff stars
In "World of Difference,"
Which I think you'll discover
Is a television play of
Difference, too.
That's next week.
A journey into the
Twilight zone.
Thank you and good night.
[eerie music]
(male presenter)
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.
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