Pen & ink with watercolor, 8" x 11", G. Tompkins The Music of Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975)
One of the special aspects to "Walking Distance" is the magnificent contribution made by composer Bernard Herrmann via his evocative musical score which accompanies Rod Serling's heartfelt, wistfully remembered story. Few thirty-minute television programs ever beheld such fabulous musical composition as the gifted passages heard throughout this neatly crafted episode of The Twilight Zone. Herrmann has long held a rather distinguished place among soundtrack composers in both film and television. In 1974 and 1975 Decca/ London Records released two blockbuster recordings on the London Phase 4 Stereo label which showcased some of Herrmann's best scores for film. "The Fantasy Film World of Bernard Herrmann" features the composer conducting the National Philharmonic Orchestra in scores from "Journey to the Center of the Earth," "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad," "The Day the Earth Stood Still," and "Fahrenheit 451." Some interesting liner notes are provided by the composer describing his designs for each individualistic score. The second disc is entitled "The Mysterious Film World of Bernard Herrmann," again featuring the composer conducting the National Philharmonic Orchestra at Kingsway Hall, London, all offered in London's superlative Phase 4 Stereo sound. This album highlights some selections from "Mysterious Island," "Jason and the Argonauts," and "The Three Worlds of Gulliver." These two albums became sonic favorites for many audiophiles, testing the full range of the audio spectrum via high-powered amplifiers, large speakers/ monitors and fine-quality turntable, cartridge & arm combinations.
A Glimpse Into the Interior of "Walking Distance"
After Martin Sloan finishes his conversation with the soda fountain attendant at the drug store, the scene switches to a wistful glance upon the beautiful boulevards and sidewalks of Homewood, as a walk down the street enlivens the cherished memories of a youth spent amid idyllic surroundings. The lovely trees, lush landscaping, neatly manicured lawns and stately homes instill within Martin a longing for the past as he takes in the brilliant sunlight and notices the bicycles and barking dogs of this enchanting neighborhood. A chance meeting with a young boy playing on the street allows Martin to reminisce about his early memories, but this scene ends abruptly when the little boy says, "You're not Marty Sloan...," and then runs away oblivious of the official driver's license which Martin attempts to offer as proof of his identity. Martin then walks to the park and notices an ice cream vendor whereupon he says to a local resident "Nothing quite as good as Summer, being a kid." In a wild twist of historical imagination, Martin then sees a young man carving his initials on the wooden post of a bandstand, remembering that he did the same thing at age eleven many years ago. When Martin approaches the young man, he sees that it is really him at age 11, the same way he looked at that age. The young man runs away fearful of being caught. At this point Martin decides to re-visit his old house, the place where he grew up and where his parents once lived. He rings the bell, but his parents don't recognize him. As Martin looks through the screen door at the front of the house, one notices a grey haze, a separation between the present and the past, an unbridgeable gap of understanding between the adult Martin and the young Martin we have just met moments ago. Martin Sloan finds that he is not known in this version of Homewood, far afield from the idyllic childhood which he still cherishes and remembers from his youth.
One of the special aspects to "Walking Distance" is the magnificent contribution made by composer Bernard Herrmann via his evocative musical score which accompanies Rod Serling's heartfelt, wistfully remembered story. Few thirty-minute television programs ever beheld such fabulous musical composition as the gifted passages heard throughout this neatly crafted episode of The Twilight Zone. Herrmann has long held a rather distinguished place among soundtrack composers in both film and television. In 1974 and 1975 Decca/ London Records released two blockbuster recordings on the London Phase 4 Stereo label which showcased some of Herrmann's best scores for film. "The Fantasy Film World of Bernard Herrmann" features the composer conducting the National Philharmonic Orchestra in scores from "Journey to the Center of the Earth," "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad," "The Day the Earth Stood Still," and "Fahrenheit 451." Some interesting liner notes are provided by the composer describing his designs for each individualistic score. The second disc is entitled "The Mysterious Film World of Bernard Herrmann," again featuring the composer conducting the National Philharmonic Orchestra at Kingsway Hall, London, all offered in London's superlative Phase 4 Stereo sound. This album highlights some selections from "Mysterious Island," "Jason and the Argonauts," and "The Three Worlds of Gulliver." These two albums became sonic favorites for many audiophiles, testing the full range of the audio spectrum via high-powered amplifiers, large speakers/ monitors and fine-quality turntable, cartridge & arm combinations.
A Glimpse Into the Interior of "Walking Distance"
After Martin Sloan finishes his conversation with the soda fountain attendant at the drug store, the scene switches to a wistful glance upon the beautiful boulevards and sidewalks of Homewood, as a walk down the street enlivens the cherished memories of a youth spent amid idyllic surroundings. The lovely trees, lush landscaping, neatly manicured lawns and stately homes instill within Martin a longing for the past as he takes in the brilliant sunlight and notices the bicycles and barking dogs of this enchanting neighborhood. A chance meeting with a young boy playing on the street allows Martin to reminisce about his early memories, but this scene ends abruptly when the little boy says, "You're not Marty Sloan...," and then runs away oblivious of the official driver's license which Martin attempts to offer as proof of his identity. Martin then walks to the park and notices an ice cream vendor whereupon he says to a local resident "Nothing quite as good as Summer, being a kid." In a wild twist of historical imagination, Martin then sees a young man carving his initials on the wooden post of a bandstand, remembering that he did the same thing at age eleven many years ago. When Martin approaches the young man, he sees that it is really him at age 11, the same way he looked at that age. The young man runs away fearful of being caught. At this point Martin decides to re-visit his old house, the place where he grew up and where his parents once lived. He rings the bell, but his parents don't recognize him. As Martin looks through the screen door at the front of the house, one notices a grey haze, a separation between the present and the past, an unbridgeable gap of understanding between the adult Martin and the young Martin we have just met moments ago. Martin Sloan finds that he is not known in this version of Homewood, far afield from the idyllic childhood which he still cherishes and remembers from his youth.
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