Exploring The Twilight Zone, Episode #13: "The Four of Us Are Dying"

The Twilight Zone, Episode #13: "The Four of Us Are Dying" (airdate 1/1/60)

The Plot: "Johnny? Are you a ghost?" A con man uses an "odd talent" to impersonate other people, only to paint himself into a corner when the heat is on.

The Goods: Rod Serling's opening narration informs us that Arch Hammer is "a cheap man" with "a cheapness of mind and taste," who has "a most odd talent ... and a master plan to destroy some lives." His talent is the ability to change his face to that of another, simply by twisting his muscles. He's impervious, however, to the emotional effect that he's capable of inflicting upon others, and when he changes faces once too often, he pays for it.

Episode #13 is the first episode of the series that I consider ... ordinary. The lead character, who's played by four different actors, is indeed a cheap little man, but he's not the sort that's open to a moral epiphany. He is, at best, unpleasant, and he gets what's coming to him. The End. Based on an unpublished story by George Clayton Johnson, this is a morality tale that might have played better on the printed page. Brought to life, it feels mechanical and heavy-handed. Not even the brief presence of Ross Martin, Don Gordon, and Beverly Garland can save this episode from a grade of C.

The Trivia: Originally, one actor was to play all four main characters, but the time required for makeup dictated that it would be quicker to simply hire four actors. Ross Martin gained fame as Artemus Gordon on TV's The Wild Wild West opposite Robert Conrad. Gordon finally made the leap to regular supporting roles in feature films after his appearance in 1968's Bullitt. George Clayton Johnson would go on to write several TZ episodes, the first Star Trek episode ever broadcast, and the novel Logan's Run, the latter with William F. Nolan. In his pre-legend days, composer Jerry Goldsmith is credited with the musical score.

On the Next Episode: Two men steal an experimental spacecraft in a desperate bid to survive a coming nuclear war.

We're running through all 156 of the original Twilight Zone episodes over the next several weeks, and we're not doing it alone! Our friends at Film School Rejects have entered the Zone as well, only on alternating weeks. So definitely tune in over at FSR (click, specifically, here) and feel free to also follow along on Twitter accounts @ScreenAnarhcy and @rejectnation.