Night Call

Perhaps not, but it has to be in the top three, if pure tension, terror and mystery are any measure of the best The Twilight Zone had to offer during its relatively short original run. Adapted from the tightly wound short story 'Long Distance Call', penned by the legendary Richard Matheson (who wrote 15 other TZ episodes, most notably 'Nightmare at 20,000 Feet'), 'Night Call' packs a wallop of fear. Everyone knows how jarring a phone call can be in the wee hours; the quiet of the evening suddenly jangled out of rest by the ringing we normally find a minor annoyance in the daylight. Our nerves are shot for a moment, and then we begin wondering, before we've gotten out of bed to answer the ring... "Who could it be? Is everything alright?" But to find... no one? Silence? Then, a few rings later... an unearthly moaning? The full meaning of the story only becomes apparent in the last few minutes, as is typical for the average TZ episode, but it also packs a punch, turning fear to pathos. The acting is superb, Ms. Cooper really was a fine actress and was perfectly cast here. Her face is so expressive, her fear so palpable that we have no choice but to 'fear' right along, until we find out who... or what... has been calling. And why. This is my personal favorite, for its subtlety and atmosphere. No aliens, no monsters (well, not conventionally), no spaceships, no end of the world preaching, just a good story well told. One you'd hear (or if you were brilliant enough, tell) around a campfire. Simple, clean, and terrifying.

Highly suspenseful episode with aptly ironical ending. So who's the prank caller interrupting elderly Elva's (Cooper) needed rest. Sounds like he can barely breathe. Plus he keeps calling at night, adding menace to the ringing phone. Poor Elva, she doesn't have much to think about, so the unwanted rings are preying on her declining health. Good thing sturdy Margaret's (Marlowe) there during the day providing sober comfort and advice. But then, the phone company's no help in diagnosing the problem. So, what's poor Elva to do.

First-rate TZ, even though there's only a cast of three and no real action. Still, the suspense builds as the mystery deepens. Cooper, in a long and distinguished career, is excellent at showing the mounting strain. TZ and Hitchcock Presents were a lot alike in that story was always paramount. Thus good acting came first rather than glamor or celebrity. That plus quality of writing (Here it's Richard Matheson) accounts, I think, for much series success. And shouldn't overlook fine direction here from movie vet Jacques Tourneur who helmed many of the Val Lewton horror classics, (I Walked with a Zombie; Cat People, et al.). Anyway, it's a first-rate TZ entry, so don't miss it.

Gladys Cooper, the grand dame of The Twilight Zone, is quite brilliant in her third and final appearance. Jacques Tourner (Night Of The Demon, I Walked With A Zombie) brings his usual excellent atmospheric direction to the Zone. Probably the only TZ set in England (I realize 'Passage On The Lady Anne' begins at Southampton), it's by far and away one of the most creepy and chilling.

Besides Gladys Cooper, the so recurring theme of loneliness is probably the only other typical TZ factor. The story is good for a chilly ghost story but somewhat severe in nature for this normally more warm-hearted series.

Unlike most of the creepier Twilight Zone episodes, Night Call terrifies me as much now as it did when I was much younger. I still can't watch this one late at night without feeling a little uneasy at what might be lurking just beyond the blinds in the window. Night Call is brilliant on several levels. First, it's a masterpiece of storytelling by the legendary Richard Matheson, who's written some of the most unnerving short stories ever published. The characters, the situation, and the final explanation are all superbly realized--I've seen the ending twist repeated in a number of short films or generic "scary tales for children"-esquire compilations. Jacques Tourneur's direction is extraordinarily atmospheric, the visual equivalent of a lonely wind rustling through a dark forest. We as viewers feel every bit as alone and frightened as the woman when she picks up the phone and hears nothing but moans from the other end. Watching the episode is a bit like lying in bed in the middle of the night and thinking you heard a noise downstairs. Yet, in spite of all this, the ending manages a complete 180, from terrifying to tragic, that works extraordinarily well. Kudos to the writer and director for giving the Twilight Zone an ingenious entry for its final season.

...i would recommend "Consider Her Ways", an episode in season III of "Alfred Hitchcock Hour". I saw that episode maybe 20 years ago, but seeing Gladys in tonight's TZ episode reminded me of "Consider Her Ways". After 2 decades, I remember Gladys from a single Hitchcock Hour episode? yea, it is that good.

It was startling, frightening, and perverse.

and Gladys Cooper was amazing in that show, too, as in "Night Calls". She was very convincing.

im sorry, this is not a review as much as my trying to share a gem of classic television.