DVD Reviews

The Twilight Zone: Season 4 - Blu-ray Review

By Jeff Swindoll May 23, 2011, 0:57 GMT

All 18 episodes of the fourth season of Rod Serling\'s classic, groundbreaking series, now presented in pristine high-definition for the first time ever, along with hours of new and exclusive bonus features not available anywhere else! Episodes: In His Image, The Thirty Fathom Grave, Valley of the Shadow, He\'s Alive, Mute, Death Ship, Jess-Belle, Miniature, Printer\'s Devil, No Time Like the Past, The Parallel, I Dream of Genie, The New ...more

It looked like the Twilight Zone had vanished into itself and had been cancelled by CBS.  So much so that Rod Serling accepted a job elsewhere.  When the replacement for the series bombed, it was revived and stretched into an hour long format.

In the spring of 1962, the Twilight Zone was late in finding a sponsor for a fourth season.  So a new program took its place on the CBS schedule, an hour long sitcom called Fair Exchange.  It looked like the Twilight Zone was gone so the exhausted Rod Serling took a teaching gig at his alma mater and producer Buck Houghton went to another company.  The failure of Fair Exchange brought CBS back to Serling’s door. 

They wanted the Zone back, but the condition was that it had to fit in the hour slot that Exchange was vacating.  New producer Herbert Hirschman was brought in, but Serling largely produced in absentia since he didn’t give up his teaching gig and recorded his intros on a bare soundstage that could’ve been anywhere. 

The problem was that Twilight Zone (the “the” is now dropped in credits) fit its half-hour format perfectly and the addition of thirty extra minutes only added filler and it showed.  There’s still some greatness to be found but this season loses some of the magic of other seasons. 

I can never say bad things about Burgess Meredith and Printer’s Devil highlights the grinning, crooked cigar smoking devil and Serling also seems to be commenting on his own misfortunes with The Bard.  The seams start to show with the time extension but there’s still goodness to be found.  The episodes are presented in fullscreen, but they’ve been fantastically remastered. 

Disc one:

In his Image: Alan Talbot (George Grizzard) doesn’t understand why his home seems so unfamiliar, why he is driven to kill, and what those noises are in his head! New special feature: Commentary by author Marc Scott Zicree. Old special features: Zicree audio interview with producer Hirschman, isolated score, and sponsor billboards.

The Thirty-Fathom Grave: A ship’s captain (Simon Oakland) discovers a mysterious clanging sound from within a submerged submarine – 20 years after it was sunk by the Japanese during World War II. New: commentary by Zicree and author Gary Gerani and isolated score. Old: Twilight Zone Radio Drama starring Blair Underwood and billboards.

Valley of the Shadow: Phillip Redfield (Ed Nelson) finds himself trapped in a small town where people can reverse time and do other amazing things. He is determined to escape and share the town’s secrets with the outside world. Old: video interview with Morgan Brittany (SD, 7 minutes), isolated score, and billboards. New: commentary with Zicree and Jaime Paglia (writer/producer Eureka).

He’s Alive: Peter Vollmer (Dennis Hopper), a small time neo-Nazi leader, yearns for more power. Advised by a shadowy benefactor, Vollmer’s followers grow as does his ego. Old: Serling blooper (SD, 12 seconds), isolated score, and billboards

Disc two:

Mute: A 12-year-old girl (Ann Jillian) who loses her parents in a fire doesn’t speak because she has grown up in a telepathic community. The couple (Frank Overton and Barbara Baxley) who takes her in and her teacher (Irene Daily) are determined to help her adapt into society, no matter the cost. Old: isolated score by Fred Steiner and billboards.

Death Ship: Three astronauts, Capt. Ross (Jack Klugman), Lt. Mason (Ross Martin), and Lt. Carter (Frederick Beir), discover a wrecked duplicate of their spaceship and their own dead bodies.  Determined to prove that they are alive Ross launches their ship again… and again.  Old: commentary by Zicree, Zicree audio interview with Ross Martin, isolated score, and billboard.

Jess-Belle: Billy-Ben Turner (James Best) finds himself enchanted by the beautiful Jess-Belle (Anne Francis), who soon discovers the danger of buying a love spell from a witch (Jeanette Nolan).  Old: interview with Francis (SD, 7 minutes), Zicree interview with Earl Hamner, Buzz Kulik, and Francis, isolated score by Van Cleave, and billboard. New: commentary by Zicree and Hamner. 

Miniature: Charley Parkes (Robert Duvall) is a shy bachelor who discovers a miniature doll apparently alive inside a 19th century dollhouse. Fascinated, he whiles away the hours peering into this little world and wishing he were part of it.  Old: commentary by actor William Windom, isolated score by Steiner, and billboard. New: commentary by Zicree and William F. Nolan (author of novel Logan’s Run).

Disc three:

Printer’s Devil: When a newspaper editor is at the brink of suicide as his paper is being driven out of business, the devious Mr. Smith (Burgess Meredith) presents an unusual deal guaranteed to boost circulation.  Old: Zicree interview with Meredith, isolated score, and billboard. New: commentary with Zicree and Bill Warren.

No Time like the Past: Paul Driscoll (Dana Andrews) travels back in time to prevent some of history’s catastrophes. Unsuccessful, he decides to stay in the past without interfering until disaster strikes closer to home. Old: isolated score, billboard, radio drama starring Jason Alexander. 

The Parallel: Astronaut Robert Gaines (Steve Forrest) finds himself back on Earth in a world very similar to, but not quite, his own. Even his wife and daughter seem to be strangers. Old: interview with actor Paul Comi (SD, 8 minutes), billboard, and radio drama starring Lou Diamond Phillips. New: commentary with Zicree and isolated score. 

I Dream of Genie: George P. Hanley (Howard Morris) never had much success in life, but when he rubs a magic lamp a genie (Jack Albertson) emerges to grant him one wish. Old: interview with episode writer John Furia, Jr. (SD, 9 minutes), isolated score by Steiner, and billboard. 

Disc four:

The New Exhibit: The curator (Martin Balsam) of a murderer’s row in a soon-to-be-defunct wax museum persuades the owner to let him keep the figures for a while. When his wife attempts to destroy them, a new murderous rampage begins. Old: isolated score and billboard. New: commentary with Zicree and Bill Warren and commentary with author/historians Scott Skelton and Jim Benson.  

Of Late I think of Cliffordville: William Feathersmith (Albert Salmi), a bored, wealthy businessman, meets Miss Devlin (Julie Newmar) who offers him a chance to go back and start over armed with all the knowledge that he has acquired – an arsenal that’s not as powerful as he thinks. Old: isolated score, billboard, and radio drama starring H.M. Wynant.

The Incredible World of Horace Ford: Toy designer Horace Ford (Pat Hingle) spends most of his time reminiscing about his idyllic childhood. But when he gets the chance to go back to those years he gets a taste of bitter reality.  Old: Zicree interview with Pat Hingle, isolated score, billboard, and radio drama starring Mike Starr. New: commentary with Zicree and Jeff Vlaming (producer of Battlestar Galactica, NCIS, and Fringe)

On Thursday We Leave for Home: William Benteen (James Whitmore) has been the unquestioned leader of a stranded outpost for thirty years, but when a rescue ship usurps his power he tries to force the colonists to remain. Old: isolated score and billboard. New: commentary by Zicree and Joseph Dougherty (producer Thirtysomething, Judging Amy, and Saving Grace), commentary from Skelton and Benson, and radio drama starring Barry Bostwick.

Disc five:

Passage on the Lady Anne: In an effort to save their marriage, a young couple (Lee Phillips and Joyce Van Patten) book passage on an old ship that was long ago reserved for lovers.  Former passengers (Wilfrid Hyde-White, Gladys Cooper, Cecil Kellaway), all now over 75, have gathered for a mysterious voyage. Old: isolated score by Rene Garriguenc and billboard.

The Bard: Julius K. Moomer (Jack Weston) is a untalented would-be TV writer whose career takes off when the ghost of William Shakespeare (John Williams) writes his script. Shakespeare is appalled by the sponsor’s changes, including the casting of a macho-type actor (Burt Reynolds, impersonating Brando) to play the lead.  Old: isolated score by Steiner, billboards, and radio drama starring John Ratzenberger. New: commentary by Zicree and author Bill Warren. 

Disc five also contains a Saturday Night Live clip aping the Zone (SD, 4 minutes), a Genesee Beer commercial (SD, 30 seconds), a Famous Writers School promo (SD 6 minutes), and the 30 minute fourth part of the audio interview with cinematographer George T. Clemens.  The Miniature had some colorized scenes on the DVD set that are missing here – doesn’t sound like much of a loss.

Nostalgia certainly flavors Twilight Zone (nearly typed “the”) but the change in format didn’t help the show.  There’s still one more season to go, but you know that the Twilight Zone completist in you will want this season whether you like the episodes within.  As for me, I’ve got come crooked cigars to smoke as I review other stuff.

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