Pen & ink w/watercolor, 10"x 14", Glenn Tompkins Between Afternoon & Night in "Walking Distance"
As Rod Serling begins his voice-over during the transition phase between afternoon and night at Homewood, we sense the rapidly changing pace of events for Martin Sloan in this seemingly idyllic neighborhood. Previously in the day Martin had attempted to meet his parents only to have them shut the door in his face, due to their incredulous reaction to his far-fetched claims. Now as the evening progresses, Martin finds himself again drawn to the home which he considers his own, a place which he fondly remembers from his childhood years. Under the mysterious mantle of descending darkness, Martin crosses the street and walks across the lawn of the house he once knew as a young boy. He rings the bell on a bicycle but another hand stops him abruptly, revealing the presence of Martin's father. "Back again?" Martin only wants to convince everyone that he is not lying and has proof of his true identity. As the porch light comes on, Martin's mother appears at the front door of the house, inquiring about the noise and unusual conversation on the front lawn. Martin leaps up the front steps and tries to convince his mother that he has factual personal history, a driver's license and further documentation to provide complete proof of his identity. But in an emotional scene etched with fear, fright and confusion, Martin's mother cuts off the conversation as a sign of rejection, no longer having the patience to listen to his irrational claims.
To the Park Amidst the Lights & Music of a Carousel
After facing his parent's rejection, Martin runs to the local Park where a carousel is brightly lit and revolving. In an incredible moment, he sees himself riding the carousel, at age eleven just as he remembers from his treasured past. Through an overhead camera angle, situated precariously high upon the carousel superstructure looking downward at the horses and children, we see the adult Martin furiously chasing the eleven-year-old Martin, as the horses prance rhythmically in motion and the carousel spins unrelentingly forward. Suddenly the young Martin falls off the carousel as we hear, "Oh my leg, my leg!" The adult Martin, out of reach of his eleven-year-old counterpart, clutches his own leg as he grabs forward in pain. There is the realization of the adult causing the injury to the child. At this moment the music of Bernard Herrmann is almost overwhelming in its power and emotional impact. Martin walks slowly toward the boy just as a sense of strong light enters the picture and the children one-by-one dis-mount their fanciful steeds. "I only wanted to tell you...Martin, I only wanted to tell you that this is a wonderful time of life for you. Don't let any of it go by without enjoying it." The carousel operator holds the injured boy in his arms and carries him away. At this moment the light fades in the distance and the children all begin to leave. As the light still focuses upon Martin (in a unique spotlight fashion), there is tremendous sadness expressed in the accompanying music. "That's all I wanted to tell you," Martin repeats as violins recite some evocative phrases in falling lines, with still shots in half-light of the various carousel horses all silently bearing witness to the tragic nature of events which have just transpired. This is one of the most beautifully expressed, carefully composed and hauntingly photographed scenes in all of the five seasons of "The Twilight Zone," a tribute to the very high production values of this series overall.
As Rod Serling begins his voice-over during the transition phase between afternoon and night at Homewood, we sense the rapidly changing pace of events for Martin Sloan in this seemingly idyllic neighborhood. Previously in the day Martin had attempted to meet his parents only to have them shut the door in his face, due to their incredulous reaction to his far-fetched claims. Now as the evening progresses, Martin finds himself again drawn to the home which he considers his own, a place which he fondly remembers from his childhood years. Under the mysterious mantle of descending darkness, Martin crosses the street and walks across the lawn of the house he once knew as a young boy. He rings the bell on a bicycle but another hand stops him abruptly, revealing the presence of Martin's father. "Back again?" Martin only wants to convince everyone that he is not lying and has proof of his true identity. As the porch light comes on, Martin's mother appears at the front door of the house, inquiring about the noise and unusual conversation on the front lawn. Martin leaps up the front steps and tries to convince his mother that he has factual personal history, a driver's license and further documentation to provide complete proof of his identity. But in an emotional scene etched with fear, fright and confusion, Martin's mother cuts off the conversation as a sign of rejection, no longer having the patience to listen to his irrational claims.
To the Park Amidst the Lights & Music of a Carousel
After facing his parent's rejection, Martin runs to the local Park where a carousel is brightly lit and revolving. In an incredible moment, he sees himself riding the carousel, at age eleven just as he remembers from his treasured past. Through an overhead camera angle, situated precariously high upon the carousel superstructure looking downward at the horses and children, we see the adult Martin furiously chasing the eleven-year-old Martin, as the horses prance rhythmically in motion and the carousel spins unrelentingly forward. Suddenly the young Martin falls off the carousel as we hear, "Oh my leg, my leg!" The adult Martin, out of reach of his eleven-year-old counterpart, clutches his own leg as he grabs forward in pain. There is the realization of the adult causing the injury to the child. At this moment the music of Bernard Herrmann is almost overwhelming in its power and emotional impact. Martin walks slowly toward the boy just as a sense of strong light enters the picture and the children one-by-one dis-mount their fanciful steeds. "I only wanted to tell you...Martin, I only wanted to tell you that this is a wonderful time of life for you. Don't let any of it go by without enjoying it." The carousel operator holds the injured boy in his arms and carries him away. At this moment the light fades in the distance and the children all begin to leave. As the light still focuses upon Martin (in a unique spotlight fashion), there is tremendous sadness expressed in the accompanying music. "That's all I wanted to tell you," Martin repeats as violins recite some evocative phrases in falling lines, with still shots in half-light of the various carousel horses all silently bearing witness to the tragic nature of events which have just transpired. This is one of the most beautifully expressed, carefully composed and hauntingly photographed scenes in all of the five seasons of "The Twilight Zone," a tribute to the very high production values of this series overall.
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