The Thirty-Fathom Grave

In the fourth season of "The Twilight Zone", they experimented by making the show an hour long instead of the usual half hour. In some cases the new episodes worked well and in other cases it really made you look back fondly at the original format. Obviously the experiment was not successful, as the next season returned to the original length. If you would ask me why I think the shows ultimately failed, I think it's because too often they were just too long--drawing out a half hour story too far--thus ruining the suspense. "The Thirty-Fathom Grave" is a prime example of a story that was harmed by this.

The episode is set on a modern US Navy ship. When they are in the middle of very routine duty, they suddenly begin hearing tapping sounds on the sonar--very much like the sound you'd hear from a crew on a wrecked sub as they tap on the ship as a distress call. The ship stops to investigate and the next 40 minutes are basically doing nothing--waiting until the ultimate twist occurs. But, because it took so long, you are left feeling disappointed.

It's a shame, really, as one of the stars is a fun actor from the era--Simon Oakland. I loved seeing him on a wide variety of shows playing gruff blow-hard characters--especially since here he is NOT that sort of fellow. Because the show was a failure, I am sure his fine performance was overshadowed by the shallow plot and overacting of the main character--who was written in a rather bizarre and inexplicable manner.

Perhaps it's worth seeing, but it is far from a classic despite some reviews giving it a 10. In fact, EVERY episode of the series has a few people giving it 10s...making you wonder if either guys like me are idiots because we don't love every episode or there are people who are such die-hard fans that you need to take these glowing reviews with a grain of salt!

This plot sounds more than familiar to me. I saw an ONE STEP BEYOND episode where the plot was close to this one; I don't remember the title, but it was question of a ship crew who saved a ship wrecked sailor who happened to be some kind of a ghost, and I remember there was also question of strange noise haunting the characters...Anyway, as I have already said, most of ONE STEP BEYOND episodes could have been proposed in TWILIGHT ZONE series. But certainly not the contrary. So, this story is riveting enough to be put on the top batch of this fourth season. But regarding the whole show, it's just in the correct line. No more no less.

Second episode in the newly imposed hour-long format is a prime example of its limitations: Story involves a U.S. Navy destroyer in the South Pacific that makes sonar contact with a long-sunken submarine that seems to have an inexplicable hammering come from inside it. This news greatly troubles Chief Bell(played by Mike Kellin) who it turns out was the sole survivor from that sub back in World War II, but he has a secret that he may literally take to that thirty-fathom grave... Costars Simon Oakland as the Captain, and an early appearance by future star Bill Bixby("The Incredible Hulk") Plot has a great deal of potential, but is hurt by obvious padding like too much exposition about what could be down there. Still, this succeeds as an eerie ghost story, with fine acting, but at 25 minutes, would have been a classic...

MIKE KELLEN as lieutenant Bell makes you BELIEVE this episode is really happening. The story is 100% believable and expertly written--as are ALL Rod Serling pieces--but it is Mike Kellen's acting, with an assist from Simon Oakland, that drives this story. One of my top ten Twilight Zone favorites.

As the story slowly (very slowly...) unfolded, i had an vague impression of deja-vu. strange, the fourth season has never been aired in France, so it couldn't be one of those episodes i saw long ago...

After some important element of the plot was revealed, i knew why i had this feeling.

The writing of the story is accredited to Rod Serling, but i think it should be better to only acknowledge him the screenplay writing. The story in itself can be read in a short story untitled "The eyes of the dead", written in 1927 by Irish politician, writer and teacher Daniel Corkery (1878–1964).

I've been a huge fan of Serling's work until today. Now i wonder how many of his stories have been similarly "borrowed".