Original subtitles

[eerie music]

(male narrator) You are about to enter Another dimension

A dimension not only of sight And sound, but of mind

A journey into a wondrous Land of imagination.

Next stop, the twilight zone.

[organ grinder plays East side, west side]

[humming]

(male narrator) In the parlance Of the 20th century,

This is an oddball.

His name is James b.W. Bevis

And his tastes lean toward Stuffed animals, zither music

Professional football, Charles Dickens, moose heads,

Carnivals, dogs, children And young ladies.

Mr. Bevis is accident-prone, A little vague,

A little discombooberated, With a life that possesses

All the security Of a floating crap game.

But this can be said Of our Mr. Bevis:

Without him, without his Warmth, without his kindness,

The world would be A considerably poorer place,

Albeit perhaps A little saner.

[whistling]

Hey.

[ciicking teeth]

[whistling]

Hi, Michelle.

Good morning, Mr. Bevis.

Why not, Mr. Bevis?

Why not?

Okay.

Hey!

Hey! Hey!

[laughing]

Hey, Tony.

Lovely morning, Ain't it?

Thanks, Tony.

(male narrator) Should it not Be obvious by now,

James B.W. Bevis Is a fixture

In his own private,

Optimistic, hopeful Little world.

A world which Has long ceased Being surprised by him.

[whistles]

Hey, come on! Come on!

[engine starting]

[backfiring]

James B.W. Bevis--

On whom dame fortune Will shortly turn Her back

But not before She gives him a Paste in the mouth.

Mr. James B.W. Bevis, Just one block away

From the twilight zone.

Will you please Tell the gentleman

Who occupies this-- This museum and Livestock exhibit

I should like To see him

When he finally deigns To report for work.

[ticking]

[tsk, sighs]

Hi, Earl. Hi, Dwayne.

Hi, Maude.

Morning.

Hi, Margaret.

Uh, Mr. Bevis

Mr. Peckinpaugh Wants to see you.

Oh.

Thanks.

(Peckinpaugh) I'll be Brief, Bevis.

You keep a ledger Like an ape.

Your desk is an affront To any orderly symmetry.

Your eccentricities are Beyond any understanding.

Your bringing zither music To play during the afternoon.

Your hiring Christmas carolers

To serenade the office During our busiest hour--

Thanks.

The sack, Mr. Bevis?

The sack.

This is the sixth Job I've lost this Year, Margaret.

Well, the best-laid Plans of mice and Men... And Bevis.

I'll help You pack, Mr. Bevis.

I was building this For one of the kids.

It's old ironsides-- The constitution.

Well, she won't Get launched today.

Old ironsides Will get launched.

You'll get another job.

You always have.

The only job I've held For more than six months

Was during the second World war when I was In the navy.

Here. This is me Next to the Fantail.

Oh, he's fat, Isn't he?

That's the Bos'n's mate.

This is the Fantail.

[loud crashing]

[tires screeching]

Yours?

Does it do This often?

Well, it never Has before.

It's always Been kind of like An old friend to me.

Well, I'll phone For the tow truck.

Do that.

Officer, you wouldn't Be interested

In purchasing A Rickenbacker, Would you?

It's a late '24.

No, thanks.

I kinda got My eye on a '27 Maxwell.

But I'm gonna Wait until the new Models come out

Because that way I can get a Better deal.

Officer, did you ever Have one of those days?

Not like this.

(Bevis) Hi, bud.

Oh. Hello, Mrs. Chetfield.

That's right, Bevis.

You're being evicted.

Six weeks in arrears On your rent

And that's it, as far As I'm concerned.

(bartender) You said you Wanted something

To fortify a man in the Darkest hour of his life.

Are them it?

[slurring] "Those" are it.

You can't use "Them" In the nominative case.

Live and learn, huh?

Yep, live and learn.

Bartender!

You all Right, bud?

Would you Kindly tell me

What are The ingredients Of this drink?

You said you wanted To get fortified, pal.

I put Everything in there But atomic energy.

Does that explain why I can see him in The mirror

But I can't see him In the booth?

See who?

"Whom." objective case.

(man) Quite right, Mr. Bevis--

Whom. Objective case.

Well, Mr. Bevis, We meet at last, eh?

That's very nice.

And who might you be?

Whom. Objective case.

The name,

For purposes Of identification,

Is J. Hardy Hempstead.

I'm your Guardian angel.

This is my friend, Mr. J. Hardy Hempstead.

See what he's having.

Him?

And a happy Thanksgiving to you.

Well, cheers, Mr. Hempstead

And to Better days.

Oh, aren't You drinking?

Now then, you were Saying you were my-- What was it?

Your guardian angel.

Mr. Bevis,

Here's the way The cookie crumbles.

Several hundred years ago

One of your ancestors

Performed an act Of great courage.

Part of his reward Was to have a guardian angel

Assigned to one Of his descendants

In each generation.

Current subject: James B.W. Bevis--

That's you.

Mr. Bevis, In the past Few generations

I've handled Some extremely Solid citizens

Among your progenitors.

For instance,

Magellan Bevis--

An intrepid explorer Of the 16th century.

Parnell Bevis--

A member of the British parliament

Who fought for home rule Against insurmountable odds.

And more recently, Gunner Lou Bevis

The first marine To hit the beach At Nicaragua.

That's Uncle Louie!

I tell you what, Look, look

Look, I'll close my Eyes real tight and You disappear

And then go away and Haunt somebody else.

I am not a figment Of your imagination.

As of now, you are Being watched over

By the Same guardian angel, J. Hardy Hempstead,

Your obedient servant.

Watched over?

Watched over--

Assisted by Minor miracles From time to time

Given small Heavenly aids

When the Situation calls For them.

Getting it, Mr. Bevis?

Watched over.

Now today you had

A very Uncomfortable time.

You were fired

From what was Your 11th job In 18 months.

Mr. Peckinpaugh didn't Like zither music.

I can't say I blame him for that

But that's Neither here Nor there.

I can reconstitute The whole day, Mr. Bevis,

So that its final upshot

Will be exactly opposite To what it was.

So let's go back To this morning

And start all Over again, hm?

You mean, I Can have the day To live over again

And it won't be The way it was?

Definitely not. We'd change some aspects.

Inevitably, we'd Have to change

Certain characteristics Of your own.

Your clothes, For instance, Mr. Bevis.

Are you serious?

I look like An undertaker!

That may well be.

But if you Want the day To end differently

You're going To have to be Different yourself.

Let's go. There isn't Much time.

I want to thank you

For taking this Trouble with me

Mr. Hempstead, Whoever you are.

[organ grinder plays East side, west side]

Hey!

[dog barks And growis]

Hi, Michelle.

Good morning.

Uh-uh-uh.

That nonsense is For the old Bevis.

You are the New Bevis.

[sighs]

Coming, Mr. Hempstead?

Oh, yes, yes.

I'm coming, Mr. Bevis.

Mrs. Chetfield--

Good morning there, Mr. Bevis.

Look, about the rent--

I found it In the box.

Three weeks In advance.

You're a wonderful, Wonderful roomer, Mr. Bevis.

Okay there, boys! Let's go!

I'm ready, pass It right over here.

Yes, right there, Right in there.

Right there...

Hey, Tony! [laughs]

How are you, Tony?

Well, where's my apple?

For free, I give-a Nobody nothing.

Bananas!

Bananas!

What are you Looking for?

My car, My Rickenbacker.

Correction. You Don't drive A Rickenbacker.

That's your car.

That little thing?

Well, gee, do You think it fits?

Mr. Bevis, Live it up, Will you?

But have You ever driven A 1924 Rickenbacker?

My dear Bevis,

I've driven A chariot With 11 horses.

I'm the guy responsible For Ben Hur winning.

And the old Rickenbacker Went out with the Old Bevis.

You're a different Person now!

No more bowties.

No more Zither music.

No more Christmas Carolers in the office.

Though the Latter idiosyncrasy

Met with some approval From the organization.

Shall we, Mr. Bevis?

[tires screech]

Sorry, pal.

You'll get on to it.

Look, somebody Cleared off My desk.

Nothing of the kind.

You'll see.

'morning. 'morning.

Maude.

'morning. 'morning.

Margaret?

Good morning, Mr. Bevis.

What happened To the clock I Won at the carnival?

Where's the ship I was building?

What ship?

I don't know What you're Talking about.

Ah!

Good morning, Bevis.

Associates-- Associates, one moment.

I want you all to share This bit of good news.

As of this moment, Mr. James B.W. Bevis

Has been given A raise in salary.

$10 a week, starting From this very moment.

And I might add, Your work has Been admirable.

Since you've Been here For 11 months

I think it's time You got a raise.

A raise, Mr. Peckinpaugh?

Quite right, Bevis. Quite right.

Well, Mr. Peckinpaugh--

Yes, Bevis?

But Mr. Peckinpaugh, what About the zither music?

What about The Christmas carols?

I don't know What you're Talking about.

Mr. Bevis, You no longer Have an interest

In zither music Or Christmas carolers

Or any of That nonsense.

Oh.

"Oh," what, Bevis?

Nothing, nothing, Mr. Peckinpaugh.

Ah.

It--it looks... Nude!

It doesn't look decent.

I'm going to go Get a little air.

I got a raise.

Things are Really looking up For you, aren't they?

Yeah, I guess They are.

Where are You going?

Oh, I'm going to go out And get a little air.

Or I may go Over to my place

And play football With the kids in The street.

Mr. Bevis.

Yeah?

They won't Play with you.

Uh, not anymore.

You're not The same Bevis.

I see.

Bevis!

What do you say We level, hmm?

Now, what is it That you really want?

You know, For a fellow Like you

A $10 raise is the most That even I can Get for you.

To use the Vernacular, Bevis

Frankly, I Don't dig you.

I'm used to Bevises With big dreams

Gigantic hopes, Fantastic aspirations--

Magellan Bevis, Sailing around the horn;

Parnell Bevis, standing Alone in parliament

Thundering out His convictions ;

Gunner Lou Bevis, Semper fidelis.

"Over the top, boys.

"Nobody lives forever.

Let's go!"

Look, Mr. Hempstead,

I don't like To appear ungracious

But, well, The things I like

The things I believe in, I know they're odd

But they are worth Considerably more

Than $10 a week.

So I'm to take it That you prefer The bowtie

And old ironsides, hmm?

I'm afraid that seems To be the case.

You realize it's going To be the way it was--

No job, no car, No place to live?

Well, it's been That way before.

[deep sigh]

It's complicated, Is it?

Hardly.

Take a good look.

Won't be around Very long.

The cars will Hook bumpers

Just as it Was ordained They should.

Better get it Over with.

Here comes Peckinpaugh.

This time he won't be Talking about a raise.

It doesn't make a bit Of difference.

Not a bit of difference.

(Peckinpaugh) Would you kindly Tell the gentleman

Who occupies this museum And livestock exhibit

That I should like To see him

When he finally Deigns to report To work.

Hi, Harry. Hi, Gwen.

Hi, Maude. Harriet.

Hi, Margaret.

Mr. Bevis, Mr. Peckinpaugh Wants to see you.

Oh. Thanks.

You feel fortified Now, pal?

I certainly do.

You know, I lost My job today.

And my car,

And I was evicted.

But you know what?

I love zither music And model shipbuilding

And if you can't bring kids

Into an office at Christmastime

To sing carols

Then what's the point Of being alive?

Beats me.

Well, there is No point.

[shouts] No point at all!

Now, I'm gonna go out

And try to find myself Another job,

And I'm gonna find myself An apartment,

And then I'm gonna start Finishing old ironsides

For a little kid, Eight years old, With a dirty face

Who happens to love Model shipbuilding

Just the same as I do.

$5.00, pal.

Still with me, huh, Mr. Hempstead?

Officer, officer,um...

Your car, mister?

Well, I-I-I...

We take a dim view Of parking

In front Of a hydrant.

Still with me, huh, Mr. Hempstead?

(hempstead) Still with you, Mr. Bevis.

Still with you.

[backfires]

(male narrator) Mr. James B.W. Bevis,

Who believes in a magic All his own

The magic of a child's smile.

The magic of liking And being liked.

The strange And wondrous mysticism

That is a simple act Of living.

Mr. James B.W. Bevis, Specie of 20th century male,

Who has his own private And special twilight zone.

(male presenter) Rod Serling, the Creator of twilight zone,

Will tell you about Next week's story

After this word from Our alternate sponsor.

And now, Mr. Serling.

Next week, You'll see our Friends here,

Along with Anne Francis And Elizabeth Allen

In one of the Strangest stories

We've yet presented On the twilight zone.

It's called "The After Hours"

And concerns The shadowy time

When normal people Go back to their homes

And concurrently, What happens to those

Who are perhaps Not quite so normal

Or perhaps Not quite so human.

Intriguing? I think You'll find it so,

Next week, On the twilight zone.

[eerie music]

(male presenter, off) Kimberly Clark invites you

To watch Steve McQueen

In "Wanted Dead or Alive."

Saturday nights over Most of these Same stations.