Mr. Denton on Doomsday
- Episode aired Oct 16, 1959
- TV-PG
- 25m
The town drunk in the old-west faces his past when Fate lends a hand.The town drunk in the old-west faces his past when Fate lends a hand.The town drunk in the old-west faces his past when Fate lends a hand.
- Narrator
- (voice)
- Barfly
- (uncredited)
- Barfly
- (uncredited)
- Stagecoach Driver
- (uncredited)
- Barfly
- (uncredited)
- Barfly
- (uncredited)
- Barfly
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writer
- Rod Serling(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn his 1959 promotional film shown to potential sponsors, Rod Serling summarized an earlier version of this week's plot under its original title, "Death, Destry, and Mr. Dingle." As told by Serling, the basic premise is similar, but the earlier version seems to have been more comedic in tone, involving a meek schoolteacher who quite unintentionally gains notoriety as a top gunslinger. The name "Mr. Dingle" (originally intended for the Dan Duryea character) would be used by Serling for a future episode, Mr. Dingle, the Strong (1961) with Burgess Meredith playing the eponymous character.
- GoofsAl Denton is shown singing the song "How Dry I Am," in order to get a drink from Dan Hotaling. However, what we know as "How Dry I Am" was part of Irving Berlin's "The Near Future" which was written in 1919. This episode takes place before the turn of the 20th Century.
- Quotes
Al Denton: I was good. I was real good. I was so good that once a day, someone would ride into town to make me prove it. And every morning, I'd start my drinkin' a few minutes earlier. Until one morning, the guy who asked me to prove it turned out to be sixteen years old. I left him there on his face. Right there in front of the saloon. I left him there bleedin' to death with my bullet in him. I guess it'll start all over again, now. Every fast and fancy man who owns a gun will come riding in down that street. Only this time it'll be me face down, bleedin' to death. I think I'll go in and get a shave. I wanna look proper on the day I die.
- ConnectionsEdited into Twilight-Tober-Zone: Mr. Denton On Doomsday (2020)
- SoundtracksStenka Razin
(uncredited)
Russian folk tune
played throughout
There's a review here at IMDb that really got my attention. Far too often, this viewer is only able to take such entertainment at face value, so when other, more savvy viewers are able to point out the subtext, it makes him truly appreciative of the writing on this classic series. There's a hidden meaning here that is cleverly mirrored by the plot. Also, there is a very enjoyable revelation / twist late in the game that makes you think about what the peddler has in mind. (We *know* he's not named Fate for nothing.) The atmosphere is solid as always, especially in a tale set in the Old West.
The primary attraction of 'Mr. Denton on Doomsday' is a heartfelt performance by Mr. Duryea. Your heart just goes out to him, and you root for him to rise up righteous and kick the asses of people like Hotaling. Landau is great fun in the role of the bully, Atterbury is solid as Fate, and Jeanne Cooper does nice work as Liz, the area local who takes pity on the unfortunate Mr. Denton.
Eight out of 10.
- Hey_Sweden
- Jun 22, 2015
Details
- Runtime25 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1