Nightmare as a Child

Helen Foley (Janice Rule) meets a little girl who clearly knows a lot about her. Helen is uneasy in the little girl's inquisitive presence. Then an older man called Seldon (Shepherd Strudwick) appears on the scene. Both visitors are concerned with the memory of Helen.

A very psychologically infused episode that would have been harder to figure out at the time. As is the case with many other entries this kind of theme has been done a lot since (and if you think about it there's a TZ a bit like this in series five , but done with a middle- aged adult not a child).

Fairly good but without any gleaming hallmark of TZ greatness.

Janice Rule went on to be a psychoanalyst in the 1970's,as well as continuing her long acting career,but this would hardly qualified her.

Only a classic television series could have a story that's totally predictable and still be a decent watch that's not a time waster. Rod Serling certainly succeeded on achieving creepiness and intensity. Me personally I prefer more of an unexpected surprise ending. Perfect casting and strong performances by Helen Foley (Janice Rule), Peter Selden (Sheppherd Strudwick), and Markie (Terry Burnham). The most clever aspect of the writing was young Markie appearing to warn Helen of the coming danger. At the end we see Morgan Brittany replacing Markie on the stairs. Who "The Andy Griffith Show" fans will remember as Mary Alice Carter who dumped Opie (Ron Howard) after she accepted a dance invitation.

Janice Rule plays school teacher Helen Foley, who, after returning home from work, is confronted by a talkative little girl named Markie(played by Terry Burnham) who looks strangely familiar, but Helen just can't place her, despite Markie's constant prompting. Then a man from Helen's past returns into her life when he knocks on her door, reminding Helen that he knew her deceased mother and her many years ago, and that now he has come back for a most sinister reason... Interesting episode has a quite sophisticated idea at its heart, even if it is now rather obvious. Certainly a unique tale in the series canon, if not that well remembered.

Were I giving out TZ Oscars, I'd give one to Janice Rule for her compelling turn as the troubled Helen Foley. And while I'm at it, I'd give a junior-sized one to little Terry Burnham as the sinister 10-year old girl, Markie. Between them, they really grab viewers though nothing much happens except the subtle dialog. Just who is this kid, and how is it she knows so much about the adult Helen and her mother's mysterious death. Overall, it's psychological drama at TZ's most insidious, and more dependent on good acting than most.

I really like that initial staging where little Markie sits on the stairs as if she's just stepped down from above, like from Helen's brain or maybe the Twilight Zone itself. Plus, she's so angelic looking. Could she be Serling's version of the Bad Seed (1956) despite her innocent looks. All in all, it's another first-rate installment from the series's magical first year.

Janice Rule stars in this Twilight Zone story about a woman who has blocked out a memory of a terrible tragedy from her childhood. She went away after the murder of her mother, but now is back and is actually teaching grade school.

Outside her apartment she meets a most strange little girl played by Terry Burnham who keeps bringing up some repressed memories of what happened. Just in time as Sheppard Strudwick who knew her back as a child and exudes more and more menace as the episode goes on.

It's rather obvious what's going on here, still Rule, Burnham, and Strudwick deliver some fine performances.