[eerie music]
(male narrator) THERE IS A FIFTH DIMENSION
BEYOND THAT WHICHIS KNOWN TO MAN.
IT IS A DIMENSION AS VAST AS SPACE
AND AS TIMELESS AS INFINITY.
IT IS THE MIDDLE GROUND BETWEEN LIGHT AND SHADOW
BETWEEN SCIENCE AND SUPERSTITION
AND IT LIES BETWEEN THE PIT OF MAN'S FEARS
AND THE SUMMIT OF HIS KNOWLEDGE.
THIS IS THE DIMENSION OF IMAGINATION.
IT IS AN AREA WHICH WE CALL THE TWILIGHT ZONE.
[airplane engine revving]
WITNESS FLIGHT LIEUTENANT WILLIAM TERRANCE DECKER,
ROYAL FLYING CORPS,
RETURNING FROM A PATROL SOMEWHERE OVER FRANCE.
THE YEAR IS 191 7.
THE PROBLEM IS THE LIEUTENANT
IS HOPELESSLY LOST.
[engine roaring]
LIEUTENANT DECKER WILL SOON DISCOVER
THAT A MAN CAN BE LOST
NOT ONLY IN TERMS OF MAPS AND M ILES
BUT ALSO IN TIME.
AND TIME, IN THIS CASE,
CAN BE MEASURED IN ETERNITIES.
[sirens blaring]
ALL RIGHT, MISTER.
GET OUT OF THERE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?
WHO IN THE NAME OF--?
WHAT DO YOU MEAN RU N NING THIS ANTIQU E
IN FRONT OF AN APPROACHING AIRCRAFT?
DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND
WHAT I'M SAYING?
ARE YOU FRENCH?
I'M BRIT'SH.
ARE YOU AM ERICAN?
CAN'T YOU SEE THIS IS AN AM ERICAN BASE?
WHAT, ALL THIS?
WE HAD NO IDEA YOU WERE SO ADVANCED.
WHAT?
YOU BETTER COME WITH ME.
(male voice) MAJOR WILSON TO SEE YOU, GENERAL.
S IT DOWN, MAJOR. I'LL BE WITH YOU IN A MINUTE.
WELL, WHAT IS THIS?
THIS MAN, S I R.
HE'S APPARENTLY BRIT'SH.
HE LAN DED HIS SH I P ON OUR FIELD.
HIS SH I P, I MIGHT ADD--
WHO ARE YOU?
SECON D LI EUTENANT WI LLIAM DECKER, S I R.
ROYAL FLYING CORPS.
YOU MEAN ROYAL AIR FORCE.
NO, S I R.
ROYAL FLYING CORPS.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?
WHY ARE YOU DRESSED LIKE THAT?
I BEG YOUR PARDON, S I R?
THERE SOME KIND OF AN AIR SHOW NEARBY?
AIR SHOW, S I R?
ARE YOU MAKING A F I LM?
I'M AFRAI D I DON'T QU ITE U N DERSTAND YOU, S I R.
YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND?
WHAT ARE YOU--?
WHY ARE YOU WEARING THIS COSTU ME?
THIS IS MY U N I FORM, S I R.
YOUR--!
AT EASE.
THANK YOU, S I R.
EXCUSE ME, S I R.
WHERE EXACTLY AM I?
NOW, WHERE EXACTLY DID YOU THINK YOU WERE?
WELL, I THOUGHT I WAS LAN DING
AT 56th SQUADRON, R. F.C.
56th SQUADRON R. F.C.?
WASN'T THAT A--?
WHAT'S TODAY'S DATE?
MARCH 5.
WHAT YEAR?
WHY, 191 7.
191 7?
YES, THAT'S CORRECT.
WELL, ISN'T IT?
IT'S MARCH 5, 1 959, LI EUTENANT.
[no audio]
U H... LOOK HERE.
YOU'RE NOT JOKING WITH ME, ARE YOU?
GOOD LORD.
YOU DON'T SERIOUSLY EXPECT US TO BELIEVE THAT--
BUT IT'S TRU E. IT'S TRU E.
WHEN I TOOK OFF THIS MORNING, IT WAS 191 7.
[airplane taxiing outside]
(Decker) THAT CLOUD--
WHILE I WAS PASSING TH ROUG H IT,
I COULDN'T HEAR MY ENG IN E.
IT WAS LIKE BEING SWALLOWED IN A VACU U M.
THE SAME SORT OF THING HAPPENED TO GU I MERD.
THE FRENCH FIGHTER PILOT?
HE DISAPPEARED ONE DAY WHILE FLYING.
AT THE MEMORIAL SERVICE, THE CARDI NAL SAID
"HE BELONG ED TO THE SKY
AND THE SKY HAS TAKEN HIM."
WHO DO YOU THINK YOU'RE FOOLING, DECKER?
OR WHATEVER YOUR NAME IS.
S I R, I SWEAR TO YOU
WHEN I TOOK OFF THIS MORNING IT WAS MARCH 5, 191 7!
MACK AND I WERE--
WHO?
CAPTAIN MACKAYE.
MACKAYE?
YES, WE'RE I N--
ALEXAN DER MACKAYE?
HOW DID YOU KNOW?
WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO DO WITH--
HOW DID YOU KNOW?
I SU PPOSE YOU'RE GOING TO TELL US
YOU DON'T KNOW THAT ALEXAN DER MACKAYE,
AIR VICE-MARSHAL ALEXAN DER MACKAYE,
IS AT THIS MOM ENT EN ROUTE TO THIS BASE
FOR A TOU R OF I NSPECTION!
BUT THAT'S IMPOSS I BLE.
WHY IS IT IMPOSS I BLE, LI EUTENANT DECKER?
BECAUSE HE'S DEAD.
(Harper) IT'S INGENIOUS, I'LL GIVE YOU THAT MUCH.
THIS COULD BE CHECKED ON, S I R.
IF WE WANTED TO WASTE OU R TIME, YES.
WELL, I F IT'S A HOAX,
IT'S CERTAINLY AN ELABORATE ONE.
IF IT'S A HOAX, MAJOR.
I MEAN, S I R,
IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT ANYONE WOULD GO
TO SUCH I NCREDI BLE LENGTHS JUST TO PLAY A JOKE.
WHO SAID IT WAS A JOKE?
ALRIGHT, S I R, WHAT IS IT?
WE'LL F IN D OUT WHEN MACKAYE ARRIVES.
WE COULD ASK THE M IN ISTRY OF WAR IN LON DON.
THERE MIGHT BE RECORDS ON THIS DECKER.
I THINK YOU BELIEVE HIM.
NO, S I R.
IT'S JUST THAT I CAN'T H ELP FEELING
THERE'S MORE TO THIS THAN JUST A HOAX.
EXACTLY.
YOU DON'T THINK HE MEANT TO USE THAT ON MACKAYE?
WE'LL KNOW SOON ENOUGH.
BUT, S I R, I'D SWEAR THE MAN WAS G EN U IN ELY SHOCKED
WHEN HE HEARD MACKAYE WAS COMING HERE.
IF H E'D MEANT TO DO THE MAN ANY HARM
HE WOULD'VE WORN HIS GU N, HE WOULDN'T HAVE LEFT IT IN HIS PLAN E.
MAJOR, IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME, I HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
BUT, GEN ERAL, THIS WHOLE IDEA DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!
MAJOR! I F YOU'LL EXCUSE ME.
YES, S I R.
[deafening roar]
[clicking]
LI EUTENANT.
WHY AM I A PRISON ER HERE?
NOT QU ITE AS BAD AS ALL THAT.
I'M BEING KEPT HERE, AM I NOT?
I'M ONLY FOLLOWING ORDERS, DECKER.
WHAT EARTH LY GOOD IS IT GOING TO DO
FOR ME TO SEE MACKAYE?
WHY ARE YOU SO AFRAI D OF SEEING MACKAYE?
I'M NOT AFRAI D.
I'M NOT AFRAI D OF ANYTHING.
WELL, THEN?
WELL, ALL RIGHT, I'LL SEE HIM.
GOOD.
ABOUT THAT WH ITE CLOU D YOU SPOKE OF.
I'VE TOLD YOU EVERYTHING.
NOW, LOOK HERE, DECKER.
DO YOUREALIZE YOU'RE ASKING US TO BELIEVE
SOMETHING RATHER I NCREDI BLE?
A CLOU D OF S I LENCE?
A WORLD WAR I PILOT
LAN DING AT AN AM ERICAN BASE IN FRANCE IN 1 959?
SUCH A THING J UST DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERY DAY!
WELL, IT HAPPENED TODAY!
NOW, LOOK HERE, I'VE TOLD YOU I'LL SEE MACKAYE.
NOW, WHY DON'T YOU LEAVE ME ALON E?
YOUREALLY FEEL YOU KNOW HIM, DON'T YOU?
KNOW HIM?
"OLD LEADBOTTOM?"
LEADBOTTOM?
YEAH, WELL, WHEN EVER WE FLY--
WHEN EVER WE FLEW OVER THE GERMAN LIN ES
THE SOLDI ERS F I RED AT US.
WELL, ONE DAY MACK GOT H IT IN A MOST EM BARRASSING SPOT.
I ALWAYS CALLED HIM OLD LEADBOTTOM AFTER THAT.
IT'S A PRIVATE JOKE, OF COURSE.
MACK'S A PROU D FELLOW, YOU KNOW.
HE WOULDN'T LIKE IT IF I BRU ITED IT ABOUT.
BUT WHY DO YOU KEEP I NS ISTING THAT HE'S DEAD?
BECAUSE THE LAST I SAW OF HIM
HE WAS CAUG HT IN A CI RCLE OF SEVEN GERMAN PLAN ES.
THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO ABOUT IT, OF COURSE.
I WAS I NVOLVED WITH THREE OTH ERS.
OBVIOUSLY, H E GOT AWAY.
I DON'T SEE HOW HE COULD HAVE.
NOT ONLY COULD HAVE, HE DID.
HE WAS ONE OF BRITAI N'S GREAT H EROES DU RING THE BLITZ.
THAT WAS THE SECON D WAR WE TOLD YOU ABOUT.
WON THE D.F.C. FOR KNOCKING DOWN THREE GERMAN BOMBERS
ONE NIGHT OVER LONDON.
HE UNDOUBTEDLY SAVED HUNDREDS OF LIVES.
MAYBE EVEN THOUSANDS.
DECKER!
YOU MANAG E, S I R?
YES, YOU CAN WAIT OUTSIDE.
WHAT'S WRONG, DECKER?
I'VE GOT TO LEAVE!
THAT'S IMPOSS I BLE.
MACKAYE WILL BE HERE IN A WHILE. WE'LL GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS.
I CAN'T SEE HIM.
WHY NOT?
HE'LL KNOW ME FOR WHAT I AM.
WHAT ARE YOU?
I'M A COWARD!
I'M A COWARD.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A COWARD.
ALL MY LIFE I'VE BEEN RU N NING AWAY
PRETEN DING TO BE SOMETHING I NEVER WAS, NEVER COULD BE.
THAT'S WHY I'M HERE--
BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO RU N AWAY.
BECAUSE I WANTED SO DESPERATELY TO ESCAPE
THAT I DID ESCAPE.
OH, I GOT BY WITH MY PRETENDING WELL ENOUGH.
MY KIND OF STRAIN ED I DIOCY
IS EXACTLY THE BRAND WE ALL PUT ON.
WE'RE PLAYING A PART, YOU KNOW?
BOYS ON A LARK--LAUGHING, JOKING, DRINKING--
OH, IT'S TOO MUCH, ALL OF IT.
AND TURNING INTO DEADLY, ICE-COLD KI LLERS IN THE SKY
ALTHOUGH NOT ME, OF COURSE.
NO, NOT ME.
U P THERE, I'M JUST AS AFRAI D AS I AM ON THE GROU N D.
AND MACK AND I ARE SU PPOSED TO GO ON PATROLS TOGETHER
BUT, UH... I CAN USUALLY MANAG E TO PERSUADE HIM
INTO SPLITTING UP.
YOU KNOW, I THINK HE ACTUALLY HOPES
HE'LL RU N INTO SOME TROU BLE.
M E, WELL, I J UST... LING ER IN THE CLOU DS
FLYING BACK AND FORTH, DREADING THE POSS I B I LITY
THAT I MIGHT SEE AN EN EMY PLAN E, AND...
JUST HOPING FOR ENOUGH TIME TO PASS
SO THAT I CAN GO BACK.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES I THINK...
I'LL LAND BEH IN D THE GERMAN LIN ES
AND I'LL LET MYSELF BE CAPTU RED.
THE PILOTS ALWAYS GET THE BEST OF TREATM ENT, YOU KNOW.
BUT I'M AFRAI D OF DOING THAT EVEN.
I'M AFRAI D THAT I'D BE DISCOVERED, AND--
DISCREDITED.
I COULDN'T BEAR THAT.
I HAVE TO CARRY ON THE SELF-DELUSION, YOU KNOW.
YOU KNOW--
I'VE ACTUALLY F I RED BU LLETS
TH ROUG H THE COCKP IT WALLS
SO THAT THE CHAPS WILL SEE THEM
AND BE IMPRESSED.
GOD H ELP ME.
[sigh]
IT ISN'T A CRI ME TO BE AFRAI D, DECKER.
EVERYBODY'S AFRAI D AT ONE TIME OR ANOTH ER.
I'M SURE MACKAYE WOULD U N DERSTAND THAT.
NO.
WELL, WHAT MAKES YOU THINK HE KNOWS ANYWAY?
BECAUSE IT WAS ME THAT LET THE G ERMANS TRAP HIM.
BUT I THOUGHT YOU SAID
YOU WERE FIGHTING THREE G ERMAN PLAN ES YOURSELF.
I WASN'T FIGHTING ANYONE!
I WAS RU N NING! I WAS RU N NING!
WHEN THE GERMANS CAME AT US, I LEFT HIM UP THERE TO DIE.
BUT HE DIDN'T DIE!
WELL, I CAN'T U N DERSTAND THAT!
WELL, MAYBE H E GOT H ELPED SOMEHOW.
WHAT'S THE MATTER?
WHAT YOU SAID.
WHAT?
THAT HE GOT H ELP.
IT'S CERTAIN LY IN THE REALM OF POSS I B I LITI ES.
DON'T YOU SEE?
MAYBE IT WAS ME THAT H ELPED HIM.
I SAID WH EN HE GOT H ELP
I MEANT THAT SOMEBODY ELSE--
THERE WASN'T ANYONE WITH IN 50 M I LES
WHO COULD HAVE H ELPED HIM.
MAYBE IT WASN'T AN ACCIDENT THAT I LAN DED HERE.
MAYBE I WAS BROUGHT HERE FOR A PU RPOSE--
TO F IN D OUT THAT MACK HAD SU RVIVED.
TO F IN D OUT THAT TIME WAS GIVING ME A SECON D CHANCE.
YOU'VE GOT TO LET ME GO.
BUT I CAN'T.
YOU'VE GOT TO, DON'T YOU SEE?
IT'S THE ONLY CHANCE I HAVE.
IT'S THE ONLY CHANCE HE HAS.
BUT HE'S ALIVE. HE'S COMING HERE TODAY.
HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT IF I DON'T GET BACK
HE WON'T BE HERE?
HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT HE WON'T HAVE BEEN KI LLED
42 YEARS AGO U N LESS I H ELP HIM NOW?
THAT'S I NSAN ITY, DECKER.
(technician) HEY, WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?
(Wilson) TURN IT OFF!
NO.
CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND?
IT'S NOT JUST HIM.
IT'S ALL THOSE OTHER LIVES HE SAVED.
ARE THEY TO BE LOST AS WELL?
TURN IT OFF, DECKER, OR I'LL F I RE.
WELL, F I RE.
I'D RATHER DIE.
YOU'RE IN TROU BLE, MAJOR.
I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT.
I KNOW IT, S I R.
YOU KNOW, YOUR THOUGHT PROCESSES ELUDE ME.
THEY POS ITIVELY ELU DE ME.
LETTING THAT MAN IAC LOOSE.
HOW COULD YOU POSS I BLY--?
[knocking]
YES?
AIR VICE-MARSHAL MACKAYE, S I R.
F IN E, F IN E.
WE WERE SU PPOSED TO MEET HIM WH EN HE LAN DED.
ALL RIGHT. AT EASE.
MARSHALL MACKAYE.
HOW DO YOU DO, GEN ERAL?
I'M VERY PLEASED TO MEET YOU, S I R.
I TRUST YOU HAD A COM FORTABLE FLIGHT.
OH, YES, SPLEN DID.
GOOD. THIS IS MAJOR WI LSON.
HOW DO YOU DO, S I R?
HONORED, MAJOR.
WON'T YOU S IT DOWN, S I R?
THANK YOU.
MAY I?
OH, THANKS.
S I R, DID YOU EVER KNOW A MAN
BY THE NAME OF WI LLIAM TERRANCE DECKER?
TERRY DECKER?
WELL, I CERTAIN LY SHOU LD KNOW HIM.
SAVED MY LIFE.
WHAT?
HOW DID H E SAVE YOUR LIFE, S I R?
WELL, YOU SEE, WE WERE OUT ON PATROL TOGETHER.
NOW, AS A RU LE, WE'D HAVE SPLIT UP
BUT ON THAT DAY, WE WERE FLYING TOGETHER
WHEN A FLIGHT OF GERMANS DROPPED DOWN ON US.
YOU FOUGHT TH EM TOGETHER?
WELL, NOT AT FIRST.
WHAT DO YOU M EAN, S I R?
WELL, I HAD A FEELING
THAT OLD TERRY WAS LIGHTING OUT ON ME.
HE FLEW AWAY?
YES. CLIMBED HIGH.
DISAPPEARED IN A CLOUD.
A WH ITE CLOU D, S I R?
I DON'T KNOW.
I SU PPOSE SO.
AND THEN?
WELL, THEN, OUT OF NOWHERE, IT SEEM ED,
TERRY CAME DIVING DOWN, HIS GU N CHATTERING AWAY.
HE GOT THREE OF THE BLIGHTERS BEFORE THEY GOT HIM.
SAVED MY LIFE.
THEN HE DID GET BACK.
WHAT?
DI DN'T THE GERMANS
USUALLY BRING BACK THE PERSONAL EFFECTS
OF PILOTS WHO HAD BEEN SHOT DOWN?
USUALLY.
I SAY, WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT?
THEY BROUGHT BACK H IS?
NO.
NO?
WHERE IN H EAVEN'S NAME DID YOU GET THESE?
THEY'RE H IS?
YES. NOW, WHAT THE DEVIL IS THIS ALL ABOUT?
MAYBE YOU'D BETTER S IT DOWN, OLD LEADBOTTOM.
OLD--
WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?
(male narrator) DIALOG FROM A PLAY-- HAMLET TO HORATIO:
"THERE ARE MORE THINGS IN HEAVEN AND EARTH
THAN ARE DREAMT OF IN YOUR PHILOSOPHY."
DIALOG FROM A PLAY WRITTEN LONG BEFORE
MEN TOOK TO THE SKY.
THERE ARE MORE THINGS IN HEAVEN AND EARTH
AND IN THE SKY THAT PERHAPS CAN BE DREAMT OF.
AND SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN HEAVEN, THE SKY, THE EARTH
LIES THE TWILIGHT ZONE.
[curtain music]
(male presenter, off) 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, WE SHOW YOU THE FACE OF WAR.
BUT THE KIND OF PORTRAIT WE VETN U RE TO SAY YOU'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
DICK YORK AND WI LLIAM REYNOLDS STAR IN THE PURPLE TESTAMENT.
THE STORY OF A MAN WHO CAN FORECAST DEATH.
THAT'S NEXT WEEK ON THE TWILIGHT ZONE
THE PURPLE TESTAMENT.
WE HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US.
THANK YOU AND GOOD NIGHT.
[curtain music]
(male presenter, off) BE SURE TO SEE THE FUN-FILLED FAMILY LIFE
OF ONE OF AMERICA'S GREATEST ENTERTAINERS, THE DAN NY THOMAS SHOW.
MONDAY NIGHTS, OVER MOST OF THESE STATIONS.