This episode holds a special place in my heart.\u00a0 I thought so highly of this episode that I wrote and made a parody of the episode.\u00a0 It had a lot going for it. It never appears on people\u2019s top 25 lists, and that\u2019s fine.\u00a0 Ed Wynn is the star of this one as Lou Bookman (It may be Lew). Ed was also The Mad Hatter in Disney\u2019s Alice in Wonderland, Uncle Albert in Mary Poppins, and many other noteworthy roles and a very distinct voice.\u00a0 Murray Hamilton plays the role of Mr. Death and he is probably best known for his portrayal as Larry Vaughn in Jaws. Sit back and relax as we watch \u201cOne For The Angels\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStreet scene: Summer. The present. Man on a sidewalk named Lou Bookman, age sixtyish. Occupation: pitchman. Lew Bookman, a fixture of the summer, a rather minor component to a hot July, a nondescript, commonplace little man whose life is a treadmill built out of sidewalks. And in just a moment, Lou Bookman will have to concern himself with survival – because as of three o’clock this hot July afternoon, he’ll be stalked by Mr. Death.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We meet Lou on the sidewalk trying to sell toys and all sorts of random stuff.\u00a0 There is a man in a black suit taking notes 10 feet away. That is Mr. Death and he has a date with Mr. Bookman.\u00a0 The kids all love Lou because he\u2019s got toys and he likes to give some out. He gives a robot to Maggie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lou\u2019s apartment is relatively cluttered.\u00a0 It appears that he has a month\u2019s worth of newspapers among other things.\u00a0 He turns around and sees Mr. Death in there who is going over Lou\u2019s personal info.\u00a0 Lou wonders if he is a census taker. Lou\u2019s departure is for midnight that night. Lou doesn\u2019t understand, but Maggie is knocking at his door.\u00a0 The windup key is bent on her toy. He wants to introduce her to the man, but she sees no gentleman. Death explains that she can\u2019t see or hear him.\u00a0 Lou tells her to say goodbye to the man, and she giggles and leaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now Lou is trying to figure this out.\u00a0 Death says that only those who are to accompany him can see him.\u00a0 Death explains the departure process and how little people appreciate it when he visits them as opposed to people who die from accidents.\u00a0 Lou still isn\u2019t getting it. So Death touches a flower and it instantly wilts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Death is trying to arrange everything and Lou is adamantly against dying.\u00a0 Lou asks if he can appeal. There are 3 potential areas of appeal. 1. Hardship cases, where you have family who may suffer ridiculously after the person\u2019s demise.\u00a0 2. Priority cases, important people on the verge of something big like a scientist. 3. Unfinished business of a major nature. Lou likes that third one. But his ideas are shot down until Lou says that he wants to make a big pitch that would make the skies open up, a pitch for the angels.\u00a0 Lou wants the children to be proud of him. Death is listening to this proposal, but he still says no, and Lou pouts. Lou\u2019s pouting works! Death gives him an extension until Lou makes his pitch. Lou gets all kinds of happy thinking that he has pulled one over on Death. He thinks that by shutting the door on Death, that will solve it.\u00a0 This pisses off Death who appears back in the apartment. Lou leaves to run away but Death keeps following him.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Death tells Lou that there will be unintended consequences for his decision.\u00a0 Lou comes back by saying \u201cFYI, that means for your information\u201d and the delivery of this line always makes me laugh.\u00a0 Lou tells Death that he will have to wait for the big pitch. Death picks an alternative and suddenly there is a car screeching outside and a man accidentally hit Maggie with his car.\u00a0 Lou comforts Maggie and she wakes up. She asks Lou who the man is, she can now see Death. Lou is pissed and tells Death that he can\u2019t take Maggie, that he can take Lou right now. You can see where this is going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At night, the doctor checks on Maggie.\u00a0 Lou asks the doctor, and he says that they should know something by midnight.\u00a0 Ohhhh really? Lou is sitting on the steps and Death comes strolling by. It\u2019s 15 minutes until midnight.\u00a0 Lou pleads with Death to take him. If Death isn\u2019t in Maggie\u2019s room precisely at midnight, it would mess the whole system up.\u00a0 Lou decides to set up shop on the sidewalk. Lou starts laying on his sales pitch to Death with a variety of items. Death is clearly Kentertained by Lou\u2019s performance about how soft this tie is.\u00a0 Now Death has 5 ties on his arm and Lou is selling him some spool of silk. Death is so engaged in this and we see Maggie in bed. He is offering the spool for 25 cents, and Death will take all the spools that Lou has.\u00a0 Hell, he\u2019s going to buy everything, and there is one minute to go until midnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lou then offers himself up as a slave\/companion for 4 years.\u00a0 Both men are super sweaty. Then the bell tolls at midnight and Death has missed his appointment.\u00a0 The doctor informs Maggie\u2019s dad that she will be alright. Death then says how great of a pitch that was.\u00a0 Lou agrees, saying it was a big one, a pitch for the angels. Lou understands that it\u2019s time for him to go and says that he\u2019s ready.\u00a0 He gets his suitcase of goods and makes sure that he\u2019s going to Heaven and Death assures him that he made it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLouis J. Bookman, age sixtyish. Occupation: pitchman. Formerly a fixture of the summer, formerly a rather minor component to a hot July. But, throughout his life, a man beloved by the children, and therefore, a most important man. Couldn’t happen, you say? Probably not in most places – but it did happen in the Twilight Zone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You may be wondering why I chose this episode of the Twilight Zone to parody.\u00a0 There is a lot going on here while keeping it incredibly simple. Also, I really loved the ending.\u00a0 It made a lot of sense. It\u2019s also left ambiguously if Death intentionally missed his deadline or not.\u00a0 They play it as if he got hooked by the pitch, but you could argue either side of the coin here. They both got what they wanted in the end.\u00a0 Death isn\u2019t always an easy topic to go in-depth on, but this was pretty creative. This wouldn\u2019t be the last variation on a Mr. Death coming to visit somebody in this series.\u00a0 There is something wonderful to me about the pitch and both men\u2019s performances. It\u2019s not perfect, but it should be appreciated for the performances, creativity, and ideas on hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Final Rating:\u00a0 7.2<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This episode holds a special place in my heart.\u00a0 I thought so highly of this episode that I wrote and made a parody of the episode.\u00a0 It had a lot going for it. It never appears on people\u2019s top 25 lists, and that\u2019s fine.\u00a0 Ed Wynn is the star of this one as Lou Bookman […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16852,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[837,5,831],"tags":[838,839,840,841,842,843,832,844],"class_list":["post-16895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-season-1","category-television","category-twilight-zone","tag-ed-wynn","tag-jaws","tag-larry-vaughn","tag-mad-hatter","tag-murray-hamilton","tag-one-for-the-angels","tag-the-twilight-zone","tag-twilight-zone"],"yoast_head":"\n