The Man in the Bottle

If there's one thing I've learnt about genies, it's that they can be tricksy fellows, twisting wishes so that they have unexpected outcomes. It pays to take some time, consider all options and be very precise with the wording (the same applies if you happen to find yourself in possession of a magical monkey's paw!).

When kindly antiques shop owner Arthur Castle (Luther Adler) and his wife Edna (Vivi Janiss) are given four wishes from the genie (Joseph Ruskin) that emerges from an old wine bottle, they struggle to believe that he is the mystical being that he claims to be. However, after their first request is granted - the broken glass in their display cabinet magically mended - they try to figure out the best way to spend their remaining three wishes.

With the shopkeepers such a kind-hearted couple, happy to share their good fortune with their neighbours, nothing too nasty befalls them, and after four wishes fail to drastically change their circumstances due to unforeseen consequences, they come to appreciate their humble existence and understand that it is up to themselves to make any improvements to their lives. It's intended to be a charming and whimsical tale with a life-affirming message, but the clumsy manner in which the couple throw away a golden opportunity left this particular viewer just a tad frustrated: I'd want to end up with a brand new Lamborghini parked on my driveway, at the very least.

A few people have read into this episode far to much. One broke it down to what they SHOULD have done. I don't get that. It's a fictional TV program that told a charming yet telling story.

The tax rate for the top earners at that time was in the 90% range, down to the 70% range until the Reagan era.

Simply put, there truly are consequences for just about every decision we make but not necessarily horrible ones as in this episode.

This couple is neither savvy nor worldly; just an average, everyday hard working couple who stumble upon something otherworldly and are certainly not prepared for what is to come. They wish for what alot of people would; money and power. It's like all the people who win the lottery and are broke and bankrupt a couple of years later.

Even if they had wished for the taxes to be considered, they would have had other issues; people coming out of the woodwork wanting money, threats, burglary/robbery, sense of entitlement or snobbery overtaking their sensibilities, poor spending decisions...... These days we see so much greed, avarice and deception. The Internet, social media, charitable sites, credit cards, lending practices, the stock market, casinos/lottery for example - the idea is to make life more convenient, entertaining, helpful and interactive - well they have all been rife with staggering consequences that have actually ruined people's lives.

The moral is to be happy and appreciative for what you have, work hard for what you want and if it is too good to be true...yep, it is.

One of the most cliched Twilight Zone episodes, this one is at least aided by a strong cast. Ruskin is diabolical as the genie promising consequences with every wish granted. Adler and Janiss are likeable enough as the overwhelmed, but kindly aging couple. And the first animated voice of Batman, Olan Soulé is perfect as an I.R.S. agent on a mission. Worth a look, but not the most memorable story.

I don't like genie episodes. Many TZs have an object with a completely unexplained special power and the stories usually work well enough. Providing a genie does nothing for a plot, and the genie (Joseph Ruskin) is superfluous here. Arthur Castle (Luther Adler) and his wife Edna ( Vivi Janiss from The Fever, season one) are struggling with their tat filled antique shop. The bottle is charitably bought by Arthur from another poor soul in financial need - I like the way the lady then admits to how she got the 'heirloom' on her way out of the shop. The wishes have catches to them, one especially puts Arthur in a position he didn't expect to be in! The ending is one of the better parts. I wouldn't say this is a meaningless story - just look at the Castles before and after the wishes.

Arthur Castle and his wife are the owner of an antique shop and have many bills to pay. When a poor old woman offers a bottle that she found in the garbage to Arthur, he feels sorry for her and buys the bottle. Soon a genie leaves the bottle and offers to grant four wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Castle. He does not believe and wastes the first wish to repair a broken glass in a cabinet. Then he asks for one million dollars in small bills. They give money to their friends and out of the blue, the IRS agent visits the shop and collects the tax, leaving only five dollars to the couple. Now Mr. and Mrs. Castle are thinking carefully to use their last two wishes.

"The Man in the Bottle" is an interesting episode of "The Twilight Zone". Mr. and Mrs. Castle are nice people, but when they have a chance to have four wishes granted by a genie, they can think only in money and power. They have a chance to make the world a better place in a post-war period, but they think only in themselves instead. This episode shows how selfish the mankind is. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Homem da Garrafa" ("The Man in the Bottle")