Original Air Date: October 16, 1959
Writer: Rod Serling
Director: Allen Reisner
“How dry I am…”
The beauty of The Twilight Zone is that audiences can be transported anywhere, to anytime, where anything can happen: the possibilities are limitless. In Mr. Denton on Doomsday we are dropped into an Old Western town where a once-great gunslinger has fallen into despair only to be given a miraculous new lease on life. At the time of this episode’s release, Westerns like Gunsmoke ruled the silver screen, however few people had seen a science fiction/fantasy interpretation of the genre. In this way, The Twilight Zone paved the way for a remarkable new wave of genre-blending.
“Portrait of a town drunk named Al Denton. This is a man who’s begun his dying early—a long, agonizing route through a maze of bottles. Al Denton, who would probably give an arm or a leg or a part of his soul to have another chance, to be able to rise up and shake the dirt from his body and the bad dreams that infest his consciousness. [The camera pans to a figure standing in front of a stagecoach] In the parlance of the times, this is a peddler, a rather fanciful-looking little man in a black frock coat. [A revolver appears on the ground] And this is the third principal character of our story. Its function: perhaps to give Mr. Al Denton his second chance.”
-Rod Serling
Somewhere in the Old West, a local drunk named Al Denton (played by Dan Duryea) was once the fastest gunslinger around, but sadly now his star has faded. He spends his days drinking while he is mocked by the locals and forced to sing an off-key version of “how dry I am…” simply for a drop of liquor. His chief nemesis, dressed in black, is the arrogant Dan Hotaling (played by Martin Landau) who forces Denton to sing and beg for booze.
One day, while in the midst of his latest conflict with Hotaling, a gun mysteriously appears on the ground beside Denton’s hand as he falls into the dirt. He accidentally picks it up and starts dueling with Hotaling. Somehow, Hotaling is injured as Denton shoots him twice while an unusual onlooker watches the fight. Hotaling is forced to flee and Denton is looked upon by the locals with newfound respect. Filled with renewed self-confidence, Denton gets a shave and cleans himself up. He is now celebrated once again as the best gunman in town. He confesses his backstory to the town prostitute (played by television soap opera actress Jeanne Cooper). Denton recalls that he once dueled and killed a sixteen year old boy, causing him to feel tremendous guilt and subsequently spiral into his alcoholic depression. He was traumatized by the killing.
Meanwhile another young hotshot gunslinger named Pete Grant (played by television Western actor Doug McClure) enters the town and challenges Denton to a duel. Just before the fight, however, Denton attempts to flee because his shooting is shaky following years of alcoholism, but he is stopped by an unusual traveling salesman named Henry J. Fate (played by Malcolm Atterbury) –he is the same mysterious onlooker who watched Denton’s shootout with Hotaling. In a word, Fate has now proverbially called upon Denton.
Mr. Fate offers Denton a potion that promises to improve his shooting. At first, Denton is unsure about drinking it, but he later acquiesces. But during the face-off with Pete Grant, both men realize they have each had a drink of the same potion from Henry J. Fate! They both shoot each other’s dominant hands, severely wounding them and preventing any future gunslinging, thus breaking the curse. Denton is thankful to be freed from the life of either a drunkard or a gunslinger, while Pete Grant has no idea of the gift he has just been given. Mr. Fate hitches up his covered wagon and heads out of town, having saved two men’s lives.
“Mr. Henry Fate, dealer in utensils and pots and pans, liniments and potions. A fanciful little man in a black frock coat who can help a man climbing out of a pit—or another man from falling into one. Because, you see, fate can work that way, in the Twilight Zone.“
-Rod Serling
My Thoughts on “Mr. Denton on Doomsday”
Al Denton is a man who, quite literally, has been offered a second chance at life by Fate. He was originally a famous gunslinger, but then a traumatic situation led him to descend into a tortured spiral of alcoholism only to find a renewed sense of hope thanks to a mysterious friend. Al Denton’s life is a story of redemption. We (the audience) begin this episode with very little respect for Denton as he pitiably crawls through the dirt and humiliates himself for a day’s drink, but we end the episode by recognizing him as a hero who has been given the rarest gift in life: hope. Both he and Pete Grant have been liberated from their Sisyphean cycle of violence and vengeance.
Unlike in most Westerns, in “Mr. Denton on Doomsday” we are shown a gunslinger who is heavily burdened by unglamorous depression, self-harm, and substance abuse. He is a fading hero in need of psychological care. But people are not always what they seem in The Twilight Zone. Uniquely, in this Western-themed episode, the heroes are saved from guns rather than by guns –a rare message in the American media landscape, especially for a Western. In many ways, we might rightly interpret “Mr. Denton on Doomsday” as a satire of a traditional Western.
Dan Duryea, Martin Landau, Jeanne Cooper, and Malcolm Atterbury all give strong performances in this charming fable of the Old West. “Mr. Denton on Doomsday” serves as a fitting debut for The Twilight Zone‘s Western archetype.
Credits:
- Director: Allen Reisner
- Allen Reisner (1924-2004) was a stage actor and television director from New York City. He was well-known to Rod Serling; in 1958 he directed the Desilu Playhouse episode “The Time Element” –the unofficial pilot episode of The Twilight Zone. He directed episodes of other Golden Age shows like Suspense, Danger, and Studio One in Hollywood. His television directing debut was for an episode of Studio One in Hollywood entitled “A Guest at the Embassy.” His hundreds of television directing credits included episodes of Hawaii 5-0, Gunsmoke, Route 66, and Murder She Wrote. He also directed several TV films. He died in 2004 at the age of 80 of natural causes. “Mr. Denton on Doomsday” was his only directorial outing for The Twilight Zone.
- Written by: Rod Serling
- Music: Stock music
- Cinematography: George T. Clemens
- Art Directors: George W. Davis and William Ferrari
- Set Decorations: Henry Grace and Rudy Butler
- Production Manager: Ralph W. Nelson
- Film Editor: Bill Mosher
- Assistant Director: Edward Denault
- Casting Director: Mildred Gusse
- Sound: Franklin Milton and Jean Valentino
- Cast:
- Dan Duryea…..Al Denton, the town drunk
- Dan Duryea, pronounced “Dur-ee-yay” (1907-1968) led a storied career in Hollywood, appearing alongside great actors like Gary Cooper and Jimmy Stewart. He had roles in shows like Wagon Train, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, and Peyton Place. He debuted in the part of Loe Hubbard opposite Bette Davis in director William Wyler’s adaptation of The Little Foxes (1941), a role he had originated on Broadway. He also played a member of Humphrey Bogart’s tank crew in the World War II film Sahara (1943) and Mr. Standish, the meek oil company accountant on a doomed cargo plane in Robert Aldrich’s Flight of the Phoenix (1965). He was a native of White Plains, New York. His son Peter Duryea (1939-2013) also became an actor, appearing in shows like The Outer Limits and even the unaired pilot episode of Star Trek “The Cage.” Dan Duryea died of cancer at the age of 61 in 1968.
- Martin Landau…..Dan Hotaling, the town bully
- Martin Landau (1928-2017) was an iconic actor known for his many roles, including as Leonard in Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest (1959), and in Woody Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) as well as the show Mission: Impossible (1966–1969) and Space: 1999 (1975–1977). He appeared in two Twilight Zone episodes: “Mr. Denton on Doomsday” and “The Jeopardy Room” and then again later in the 1980s Twilight Zone reboot series (in the episode “The Beacon”). At the time that “Mr. Denton on Doomsday” aired, Martin Landau had performed in many “bully” roles in Western shows (he recalled this was “interesting” for a kid from Brooklyn). He had initially learned to ride horses at a place called “Hidden Valley” in the Adirondacks (at a ranch Paul Newman later purchased). Landau then worked for the local news as a cartoonist in his teenage years –he recounted many of these stories about his upbringing in The Twilight Zone Blu-Ray audio commentary. Interestingly enough, he was Gene Roddenberry’s first choice to play Spock in Star Trek before the role went to Leonard Nimoy (Nimoy later replaced Landau on Mission: Impossible when Landau departed due to a contract dispute). Landau was from Brooklyn. He was married to actress and frequent former co-star Barbara Bain, they had two daughters, and divorced in 1993. He died at the age of 89 in 2017.
- Jeanne Cooper…..Liz Smith, a prostitute
- Jeanne Cooper (1928-2013) was perhaps best known for her near-40-year recurring role on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless (1973–2013), which was a record-setting performance for being one of the longest soap opera roles in history. She also appeared in shows like Perry Mason, Rawhide, The Untouchables, Wagon Train, Have Gun – Will Travel, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and others. She had three children, including actor Corbin Bernsen (1954-present), know for his role on L.A. Law. She died in 2013 of an infection. She had been a lifelong smoker and suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
- Malcolm Atterbury…..Henry J. Fate, the mysterious medicine man carrying various elixirs
- Malcolm Atterbury (1907-1992) was perhaps best known for his uncredited role in Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest (1959) as the rural man at the remote Prairie Stop who exclaims, “That plane’s dustin’ crops where there ain’t no crops!” He appeared in other films like Hitchcock’s The Birds as the blockheaded Deputy Al Malone, as well as television shows like Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Have Gun – Will Travel, Wagon Train, Bonanza, The Odd Couple, and The Andy Griffith Show, among many others. He appeared in two episodes of The Twilight Zone (“Mr. Denton on Doomsday” and “No Time Like The Past“). He and his wife had three children. He died in 1992.
- Doug McClure…..Pete Grant, Denton’s gunslinging challenger
- Douglas Osborne McClure (1935-1995) is best known for his recurring role as the cowboy Trampas in the Western show The Virginian. He also played the mayor-turned-police chief Kyle Applegate on the fantasy series Out of This World. He appeared in many other Westerns. Between 1961 and 1963, he was married to actress BarBara Luna, known for her roles as Makia in Five Weeks in a Balloon and Lt. Marlena Moreau in the classic Star Trek episode “Mirror, Mirror.” Notably, Doug McClure and fellow actor Troy Donahue served as the inspiration for the fictional name and characterization of smooth-talking television personality Troy McClure on The Simpsons. He died at age 59 in 1995.
- Ken Lynch…..Charlie the bartender
- Ken Lynch (1910-1990) appeared in many television shows like Gunsmoke, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Andy Griffith Show, and he played Chief Engineer Vanderberg in the Star Trek episode “The Devil in the Dark.” Like other cast members in this episode, he played a part in Hitchcock’s North by Northwest (1959) – Officer Charlie. He is perhaps best known for his starring role as “the Lieutenant” on the Dumont detective series The Plainclothesman (which aired between 1949–1954), in which his face was never seen, and also for his co-starring role as Sergeant Grover on McCloud. He died at the age of 79 in 1990.
- Bill Erwin…..man at the bar
- Bill Erwin (1914-2010) was a character actor known for his Emmy-award winning appearance on Seinfeld as the curmudgeonly Sid Fields. He was a Texan and World War II veteran. His acting career was extraordinarily prolific –he appeared in a variety of films like Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) and younger viewers might remember him as the old man whose wife takes pity on Kevin’s mom in the airport in Home Alone (1990) or as Edward Little in Dennis the Menace (1993). He appeared in a wide array of television shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Studio 57, I Love Lucy, Zane Grey Theatre, Gunsmoke, Sugarfoot, Have Gun – Will Travel, The Rifleman, Wagon Train, Leave It to Beaver, The David Niven Show, The Untouchables, Perry Mason, The Andy Griffith Show, Lassie, Rawhide, My Three Sons, Get Smart, The Dukes of Hazzard, Full House, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, The Drew Carey Show, and many other shows. He played Doctor Dalen Quaice in the fourth season of Star Trek TNG episode “Remember Me.” He was a self-taught cartoonist whose work was published in The New Yorker, Playboy, and Los Angeles magazines. He appeared in four Twilight Zone episodes (“Mr. Denton on Doomsday,” “Walking Distance” in an uncredited role as Mr. Wilcox, “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?” and “Mute“). He died at the age of 96 in 2010.
- Robert Burton…..doctor
- Robert George Burton (1895-1962) was born in Eastman, Georgia. He was best known for playing Tom Gipson in the 1956 film The Brass Legend and he played Gus Burke in The Big Heat (1953). He appeared in episodes of Gunsmoke and The Rifleman. In later life, he had uncredited roles in films like Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) and The Manchurian Candidate (1962). He died in 1962 at the age of 67.
- Arthur Batanides…..leader
- Arthur Batanides (1923-2000) was from Tacoma, Washington. He developed a passion for acting after performing stand-up routines in front of fellow G.I.s in Europe during World War II. He was educated at the Actors’ Lab in Los Angeles. He appeared in shows like Zorro, Lost In Space, Mission: Impossible, I Spy, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Wild Wild West, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Andy Griffith Show, Bonanza, Columbo, Perry Mason, and The Rifleman. He played Starfleet officer/geologist D’Amato in the Star Trek episode “That Which Survives.” He appeared in two episodes of The Twilight Zone (“Mr. Denton on Doomsday” and “The Mirror“). He died at age 76 in 2000.
- Robert McCord…..stagecoach driver (uncredited)
- Robert “Bob” McCord III (1915-1980) appeared in a variety of Westerns in addition to The Twilight Zone. He set a record for appearing on The Twilight Zone 75 times (mostly uncredited). He was known as “Bud McCord.”
- John Albright…..barfly (uncredited)
- Tex Holden…..barfly (uncredited)
- Jack Perrin…..barfly (uncredited)
- Joe Phillips…..barfly (uncredited)
- Bob Reeves…..barfly (uncredited)
- Dan Duryea…..Al Denton, the town drunk
The Twilight Zone Trivia:
- This is the first Twilight Zone episode to feature a Western setting.
- It was the second episode to be filmed but the third to air in the series.
- This was the only Twilight Zone episode directed by Allen Reisner. He later directed two episodes of Rod Serling’s Night Gallery.
- This episode was shot on the old MGM backlot in Culver City (it is currently owned by Sony Pictures Studios). All the exterior scenes were shot on the old Western street constructed on MGM’s Lot 3 in 1938 (nicknamed “Ghost Town Street”).
- Rod Serling’s working title for this episode was “Death, Destry, and Mr. Dingle” (he also had an early script idea called “You Too Can Be A Fast Gun”). It appears that Serling later used the same character name of “Dingle” in the Season 2 episode “Mr. Dingle, the Strong” (starring Burgess Meredith). The original concept in “Death, Destry, and Mr. Dingle” was that the clumsy Mr. Dingle accidentally becomes a top gunslinger.
- Rod Serling had previously used the character name of Denton, the real name of a childhood acquaintance of his (Herbert Denton), as the name of a sheriff in a Playhouse 90 production of “A Town Has Turned to Dust.”
- The barman Ken Lynch was on a show called The Plainclothesman which aired on the DuMont Television Network from 1949-1954. Martin Landau guest starred on the show a few times. He later recalled that it was a “cheap show.” Both actors appeared together in Alfred Hitchcock’s North By Northwest as did Malcolm Atterbury. North By Northwest was released the same year this episode aired.
- The sign behind the barman in this episode reads: “Straight Rye .45; Scotch .45; Blended Rye .35”.
- This was one of five episodes to include an eye, not a spiral, in the introduction, the others being Season 1’s “Mr. Bevis,” “The After Hours,” “The Mighty Casey,” and “A World of His Own.”
- Another episode with a mysterious vendor who is inexplicably able to provide what is needed can be found in Season 1’s “What You Need.”
- In this episode, Henry J. Fate’s sign reads “Dealer In Everything.”
- Dan Duryea was paid the extraordinary amount of $5,000 for his four days of work on this episode. Martin Landau was paid $850.
- The harmonica music in the background is an old Russian folksong known as “Stenka Razin”.
- Martin Landau and Ken Lynch both appeared in scenes with Cary Grant in North by Northwest (1959), which was released only 20 days before this episode aired on September 26th, 1959. Malcolm Atterbury also appeared in an uncredited role in North By Northwest as the man at the prairie crossing who exclaims, “That plane’s dustin’ crops where there ain’t no crops!”
- In the Blu-Ray episode commentary for this episode, Martin Landau said this was an episode about “regaining your dignity and pride.” I thought this was worth noting.
Click here to return to my survey of The Twilight Zone series.