Exploring The Twilight Zone, Episode #94: "Four O'Clock"

A self-righteous, loathsome man, played by Theodore Bikel, declaims the evil in the world, and does his part by informing on "evil" people anonymously. Then he decides that he will destroy evil at a precise time later in that day.

The Twilight Zone, Episode #94: "Four O'Clock" (original air date April 6, 1962)

The Plot: Talking to himself, Oliver Crangle (Theodore Bikel) declares that he will "destroy evil" at four o'clock in the afternoon. He's spent his morning making anonymous telephone calls, informing on the "evil" behavior of individuals he doesn't know, threatening to share that information with others if the individual in question is not immediately terminated from their position or arrested for their supposed crimes.

The opening narration by Rod Serling describes Mr. Crangle as "a dealer in petulance and poison," and that's exactly what he is, a petty man who has deluded himself into thinking he has powers that does not. He speaks rudely on the telephone, he is likewise nasty with a neighbor, and he's very demanding when he's visited by an FBI agent (Linden Chiles) at his request.

Somehow, though, Mr. Crangle imagines he will destroy evil by reducing the size of all the evil people, making them all two feet tall! Four o'clock comes, and there are changes afoot, but not the ones that Mr. Crangle expects.

The Goods: This episode is a difficult one to stomach, but perhaps that was the intention. The teleplay by Rod Serling, based on a short story by Price Day, is resolutely straightforward, but it doesn't really go anywhere. Theodore Bikel is a marvelous actor, though he's hemmed in by the limited playing field that's offered. He strides around his small apartment, speaking unpleasantly, and comes to resemble a cartoon character.

It's very obvious that the episode is really about the small-minded people (including those in power) who would brand anyone who's different as "Communists, subversives, thieves," and the points about the ugliness of their reasoning and actions is well-taken. Unfortunately, that information is conveyed in the first five minutes of the episode, and we still have 20 minutes to go. The twist at the end isn't enough to make up for all the speech-ifying, though the comeuppance is entirely fitting.

On the Next Episode: "A rural gas station attendant given to telling tall tales about himself is kidnapped by aliens who believe him to be one of Earth's leading intellects."

Catching up: Episodes covered by Twitch | Episodes covered by Film School Rejects

We're running through all 156 of the original Twilight Zone episodes, 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 and feel free to also follow along on Twitter accounts @ScreenAnarhcy and @rejectnation.