I'm not a fan of the more comedic episodes of The Twilight Zone, so this light-hearted foray into the unknown from season four was particularly hard for me to take being twice as long as previous humorous efforts.
Howard Morris plays accountant George P. Hanley, one of life's losers, for whom nothing goes his way. George wants to win the affection of office babe Ann (Patricia Barry) so he decides to buy her a birthday present. At a gift shop, he is pressurised by the salesman into purchasing an old lamp, but is too embarrassed to give it to Ann. At home, George gives the dirty old lamp a polish and, hey presto, a genie appears, ready to grant him a single wish.
The rest of the episode sees George trying to figure out what to wish for, imagining several different scenarios, none of which turn out well for him. It's all played for laughs, but it's not very funny, and the silly twist at the end is a real low point for the show: George finally wishes to become a genie. What a great idea... trapped in the lamp for all eternity, obedient slave to whoever might find it. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
2.5/10, rounded up to 3 for IMDb.
Howard Morris plays accountant George P. Hanley, one of life's losers, for whom nothing goes his way. George wants to win the affection of office babe Ann (Patricia Barry) so he decides to buy her a birthday present. At a gift shop, he is pressurised by the salesman into purchasing an old lamp, but is too embarrassed to give it to Ann. At home, George gives the dirty old lamp a polish and, hey presto, a genie appears, ready to grant him a single wish.
The rest of the episode sees George trying to figure out what to wish for, imagining several different scenarios, none of which turn out well for him. It's all played for laughs, but it's not very funny, and the silly twist at the end is a real low point for the show: George finally wishes to become a genie. What a great idea... trapped in the lamp for all eternity, obedient slave to whoever might find it. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
2.5/10, rounded up to 3 for IMDb.