"The Twilight Zone" Eye of the Beholder (1960)

User Rating:

9.1/10   

Director:

Douglas Heyes

Writers:

Rod Serling (creator)
Rod Serling (writer)

TV Series:

"The Twilight Zone" (1959)

Original Air Date:

11 November 1960 (Season 2, Episode 6)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

A young woman lying in a hospital bed, her head wrapped in bandages, awaits the outcome of a surgical procedure performed by the State in a last-ditch attempt to make her look "normal". |

Plot Keywords:

Bandage | Hospital | Doctor | Facial Disfigurement | Sympathy

Cast

Maxine Stuart	...	Janet Tyler (under bandages)
William D. Gordon	...	Doctor
Jennifer Howard	...	Janet's Nurse
George Keymas	...	The Leader
Joanna Heyes	...	Nurse #2
Edson Stroll	...	Walter Smith
Donna Douglas	...	Janet Tyler (revealed)

Runtime:

25 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Cayuga Productions

Trivia:

The Leader's hand-movements were meant to resemble the gestures made often during speeches by Adolf Hitler.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Saturday Night Live: Pamela Lee/Rollins Band (#22.18)" (1997)

What is behind those bandages?

One of the truly classic early Twilight Zone episodes. A woman is lying in a hospital bed with her face covered with bandages. All hope lies in an imminent operation to restore her distorted features. The doctors and nurses attempt to reassure her that everything will be all right. The undertone, however, is that if the operation fails, the consequences will be very bad for the patient.

The camera direction plays with the viewer, who hears a lot of conversation but can't really see anyone's faces until the climax.

The episode combines a theme envisioned by the title, along with a kind of big brother overlay, and concludes with a glimmer of hope for even the throwaways of society. The twist at the end is startling if you haven't seen already seen it. and still very dramatic even if you have.