The Twilight Zone: Vol. 22
Twilight Zone, Vol. 22kicks off with "A World of Difference," a memorable episode written by frequent contributor Richard Matheson. The story gives Howard Duff a rare opportunity to prove his underrated talent, playing an average businessman who arrives at his office only to discover that he's actually an actor on a soundstage. "Back There" is decidedly less effective, featuring hammy overacting by Russell Johnson (who would soon be cast as the Professor inGilligan's Island) as a man cast backward in time to the day of Abraham Lincoln's assassination. He can't alter history, so the ending is a foregone conclusion, but the segment is noteworthy for its scoring by composer Jerry Goldsmith, then in the early stages of his stellar career."One More Pallbearer" offers a variation on the classic episode "Time Enough at Last," combining Rod Serling's concern with nuclear warfare with a twisted tale of revenge. Joseph Wiseman (best known for playing James Bond nemesis Dr. No) plays a multimillionaire who devises a simulated nuclear attack and invites three people who wronged him (a teacher, an Army colonel, and a priest) to his bomb shelter to extort them into apologizing. The twist on this Serling-penned episode is pureTZgold, but Wiseman is so good that his character is unintentionally sympathetic. "Ring-a-Ding  Girl" is a fifth-season curio in which a Hollywood star receives an unusual ring that foresees her fateful future. Maggie McNamara is fine as afauxAudrey Hepburn, but the episode's twist is strictly routine forTZfans.--Jeff Shannon