[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 act one,
Scene one of a nightmare,
One not restricted
To witching hours
And dark,
Rain-swept nights.
Professor Walter Jameson,
Popular beyond words,
Who talks of the past
As if it were the present,
Who conjures up the dead
As if they were alive.
The union soldiers
b*rned Atlanta,
But I assure you, they
Took no pleasure
In their work.
They were forced to it
By a man they hated more
Than they could ever hate
The rebels.
An ugly, sullen,
Unbelievably brutal man
Named William
Tecumseh Sherman.
To give you a
More comprehensive
Idea of this great hero,
Let me read you
A few extracts from
The diary of Major Skelton.
The date is Tuesday,
September , .
"The city was ours.
"There was no need
To destroy aught,
"Save that which
Could be of use in
The fight against us.
"But Sherman was
Drunk with victory.
"He himself started
The awful fires.
"The fires that destroyed
That great citadel of
Grace and beauty."
(narrator)
In the view of this man,
Professor Samuel Kittridge,
Walter Jameson has
Access to knowledge
That couldn't come out
Of a volume of history,
But rather from a
Book on black magic.
Which is to say that this
Nightmare begins at noon.
Very vivid, Walter.
You had me on the
Edge of my seat.
Thank you, Sam.
I begin to see why
These lectures of
Yours are so popular.
Is that why
You sat in?
Well, partially. Tell me
Something. Who is this
Major Skelton?
Oh, just a lawyer
Wrapped into a mist.
Uh, what regiment?
Hundred and twenty
Third infantry.
I must say,
The story of his is
A fascinating document.
May I see it?
I, uh, I don't
Suppose I could
Borrow it.
I never lend books to
Absent-minded professors.
Remember the last time?
Yes. You're right.
Anything wrong, Sam?
No. Could you come
For dinner tonight?
Whose invitation?
Yours or Susanna's?
Mine this time.
Say, : ?
All right.
Good.
[crickets chirping]
Really, darling,
Must you always
Be on time?
Always.
Please. Remember,
You're a Ph.D.
Not yet, I'm not. There's
A little matter of an
Examination. Remember?
A technicality.
Anyway, you're
Gonna be a housewife.
The devil she is.
I'm giving you
My daughter's
Hand, not her brain.
She's gonna
Get that Ph.D.--
If I have to spank
Her. I know.
Don't tell me
You're the cook
Again tonight.
In deed, and why not?
Well, I think it's
Time that I tried
Susanna's cooking.
Don't worry, you will.
I'm sure. Well,
Shall we sit down?
My lady.
I take it back, Sam.
She'll never be
The cook you are.
[chuckies]
What do you think
You're doing, young lady?
I'll do the dishes later.
It's not the dishes
I'm talking about.
It's books and
Study. Upstairs.
Besides, Walter and
I have something
To discuss.
You're not going
To treat me this
Way, are you?
Worse. Who knows?
You may have
To support us.
You oughta be ashamed
Of yourself, Sam.
Susanna's almost
years old.
And I'm almost .
Mm-hm.
My move, isn't it?
Yes.
What's that for?
Look at them.
Extraordinary, isn't it?
They look very
Much alike.
Twelve years ago,
Those two hands.
Time marches on.
For some of us.
Walter, tell me
Something, will you?
Of course.
How old are you?
Forty-four.
I seem to recall that when
You applied for a post
On the university staff,
You listed
Your age as .
That was,
Let me see, ,
Which would
Make you .
Come on, Sam.
All right, I'm .
Too old for Susanna?
Is that it?
In a sense.
Walter, in ,
I was .
I had most of my hair,
All my teeth and
Hardly a wrinkle.
Look at me now.
In short years,
I've turned into
An old man,
While you haven't
Aged at all.
It happens that
Way sometimes.
I know, but why?
Don't ask me, Sam.
You're the chemist.
I teach history.
Yes, and you
Teach it very well.
You know what
The students say?
They say it's almost as though
You'd lived through the period
You were discussing.
I try to make
It interesting.
Fake it, you mean?
You could call it that.
Yes, that's
What I thought.
But somehow, that
Didn't seem like you.
You're such
A precise sort.
What have you got there?
A book of photographs
Taken by a fellow
Named Matthew Brady
During the time
Of the civil w*r.
Well, what is it?
You look as though
You've seen a ghost.
Maybe I have.
Walter was-was your
Grandfather in the civil
w*r, by any chance?
No.
Then I'd say we
Have something of
A mystery here.
How so?
You made me curious
About this Major
Skelton today.
I thought it would
Be interesting to see
What he looked like,
So I went through my
Brady pictures, not really
Expecting to find anything.
These are three of
Sherman's staff officers.
The one seated at
The table is identified
As Major Hugh Skelton.
That picture was taken
Almost years ago.
You shouldn't have kept
That ring, you know.
It's a dead giveaway.
What are you
Getting at, Sam?
Oh, come, Walter.
You know exactly
What I'm getting at.
Oh, you're joking. Just
Because I happen to look
Like somebody in a photograph.
And happen
To be wearing
The same ring
And happen to have
The same mole on the
Left side of your face.
Walter, you and I
Have been very close
For years.
Tell me the truth. You--
You are that man in--
In the photograph,
Aren't you?
Yes.
[sighs]
I've suspected
A long time.
But it seemed fantastic.
Mm, it is.
Yes.
How old are
You, Walter?
You wouldn't
Believe me.
I can believe
Anything now.
All right. Let's say that
I'm old enough to have known
This gentleman personally.
Plato?
But that was over
, years ago!
I knew you
Wouldn't believe me.
No, no, it's--it
Isn't that, it's--
Two thousand years.
How, Walter? How?
In heaven's name,
This is what man kind
Has been dreaming of.
Sam.
Tell me the secret.
I can't tell you
The secret, Sam,
Because I don't
Know it myself.
I was like you, Sam.
Afraid of death.
And when I thought of all
The things there were to know
In the miserable
Few years that a
Man had to know them,
It seemed senseless.
At night, every night
I dreamed, as you dream,
Of immortality.
Only if a man
Lived forever,
I thought,
Could there
Be any point
In living at all?
I talked to priests,
Philosophers.
Then one day
I met an alchemist.
Told him these things.
He said that he could
Grant my wish.
Only, of course,
It would cost a
Great deal of money.
I was desperate, I paid him
His money and submitted
To his experiments.
I remember very
Little about it.
I lay in a coma
For many weeks,
And when I revived,
I was alone.
The alchemist
Had disappeared.
Go on.
There's really
Very little more
To tell.
I thought, of course,
That the experiment
Had failed
Because I didn't feel
Any differently.
But then
I saw my wife and
My children aging.
My friends dying.
This was something that
I hadn't considered,
You see?
But surely there--
There's some answer
To that problem.
Is there?
Think about it.
I tell you that
Somehow I can stop
You from aging.
Where do you want
To stop, at ?
Then you watch everyone
Around you grow old.
At ?
Do you want
To live forever
The way you are now?
Old, sick?
It's better
Than dying.
No, you're wrong, Sam.
I was wrong.
It's... Death
That gives this
World its point.
We love a rose because we
Know it'll soon be gone.
Who ever loved a stone?
I'm not a rose.
I'm not a stone.
I'm a man!
Very old and
Very frightened.
Of what, death?
Yes, of death.
You're a fool, Sam.
I want to die.
Then why don't you?
Because I'm a coward.
You?
I haven't changed.
I'm the same man I was.
I was a coward then,
I'm a coward now.
I'm tired of living.
In my desk I have
A revolver, Sam.
And every night I take it
Out and pray for the courage
To pull the trigger. I can't.
You mean to say that
You've survived
Over , years
Without an accident,
Without being wounded?
Some people are
Lucky that way.
They go through
Life without ever
Breaking a bone
Or seeing the inside
Of a hospital.
Oh, I've been
Close to death,
Many times,
But never
Close enough.
Thank you.
For what?
I thought if a man
Lived forever, he'd
Grow wiser.
But that isn't
True, is it?
You just go on
Living. That's all.
It must be lonely.
I suppose you've been
Married several times.
Yes.
How long with each
Woman, Walter?
Ten years?
Fifteen years?
I see.
Sam, I tried to resign six
Months ago. You talked me out
Of it. Do you remember that?
Yes.
I knew Susanna
Was falling in
Love with me,
And I knew what
Would happen. It's
Happened before.
A few years
Of happiness
And then--
I tried to warn her.
I did everything in my
Power to discourage her.
Except tell
Her the truth.
How could I do that?
She'd have thought
I was mad.
Then why didn't
You leave?
Because by then
It was too late.
I was in love with her.
I need her.
Everything is
Against it. All my
Reason and experience.
But that doesn't
Matter now. It
Doesn't matter.
It does to me, Walter.
I can't let you marry
My daughter.
(Susanna)
And why not?
Well, come on.
Your father seems
To think I'm too old
For you, darling.
That's the silliest
Thing I ever heard of.
Good.
Then you'll
Marry me tonight.
I think you mean it.
I do. You go
Upstairs, pack your
Prettiest things.
I'll pick you up
In minutes.
But--
Go.
I'll tell her.
She won't
Believe you.
Nobody would.
You won't believe
It yourself by
Tomorrow morning.
(woman)
Hello, Tommy.
Who are you?
Don't you
Recognize me, Tommy?
Look hard.
Look into my eyes.
You called them the most
Beautiful you'd ever seen
Once, a long time ago.
I'm afraid you're
Making a mistake.
No, Tommy.
My name is Jameson.
Professor Walter Jameson.
Don't pretend.
I know who you are.
And who am I?
You're Tom Bowen,
My husband.
Your husband?
My dear woman,
Perhaps if you'll tell me
Who you're looking for.
Oh, stop it.
I saw the picture
In the newspaper
Announcing
Your engagement.
I had to come
To see if it was true.
It is.
I can't explain it.
I only know it's happened.
I've grown old,
And you haven't.
Now you're going to
Marry someone else
And leave her,
The way you left me.
Oh, Laurette.
Laurette.
I can't let you
Marry her, Tommy.
You're mine.
[yells]
Laurette.
Tommy, it's wrong.
You can't go on
Hurting people.
[g*nsh*t]
What is it?
What's happened?
Walter?
Hello, Sam.
I thought I heard--
Are you all right?
[weakiy]
I don't know.
It doesn't matter.
Either way, you're--
You'll be rid of me.
What do you mean?
[grunts]
I mean--
I've come to
My senses...At last.
Tell Susanna that--
Oh, no, stay away.
You're hurt.
I'll call a doctor.
No.
Your hand.
It's happening.
At last.
Walter, what is it?
What's happening?
Oh, my god.
[weak voice]
Nothing lasts
Forever, thank god.
[groans]
[quick, shallow breathing]
[pained wheezing]
Dad! Walter!
Go home, Susanna.
That sound was a
sh*t! Walter's hurt!
Please, Susanna, go home!
[tussling]
Walter?
He's-he's gone.
Where?
I don't know,
My dear, I--
His clothes?
Dad?
What is that
On the floor?
Dust.
Only dust.
(narrator)
Last stop on
A long journey,
As yet another human
Being returns to the
Vast nothingness
That is the beginning
And into the dust
That is always the end.
(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, an
Excursion to Mars
With Roddy Mcdowall
And Paul Comi.
Two men trying
To prove a point.
A simple proposition
That men are alike all over.
And on mars they discover
That this is just whistling
In the dark.
People are not alike. And
Next week on the twilight
Zone you'll see why.
I hope you'll be
With us. 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.
The twilight zone is
Brought to you tonight
By the newest
Coffee sensation
On the modern scene.
New aroma-roast
Sanka coffee.