I’m going to write about my top 10 favorite TZ episodes in the next few weeks…Most of the Twilight Zones are like songs to me…to be enjoyed over and over. The Twilight Zone is not really an ordinary TV show. It’s THE TWILIGHT ZONE. This is my personal choice for #10 on my list.
If I had to name a favorite show of all time…this would be it. I have all of them and I’ve watched them all at least 5 or more times. Each are like a work of art on their own. I like shows that are “Twilight Zone like” but none measure up to the original. Even the reboots in the 80’s, 2000’s, and now doesn’t live up to the original.
Ring-A-Ding Girl was written by Earl Hamner Jr….the Waltons creator. He went on to write eight Twilight Zones and one more by him will be coming up in my top ten.
The way Rod Serling handled social problems with a science fiction twist was compelling. TV has a reputation of being dumb…and it earned that reputation fair and square… Serling cannot be blamed for that…he was all about quality.
Rod Serling Intro: Introduction to Bunny Blake. Occupation: film actress. Residence: Hollywood, California, or anywhere in the world that cameras happen to be grinding. Bunny Blake is a public figure; what she wears, eats, thinks, says is news. But underneath the glamour, the makeup, the publicity, the buildup, the costuming, is a flesh-and-blood person, a beautiful girl about to take a long and bizarre journey into The Twilight Zone.
Unfortunately he died in 1975 at a young 50 years old. Now lets get to the episode…I don’t do spoilers and if I ever did I would mark it before you read it…so here it goes. Just a very short look at it.
The Ring-A-Ding Girl: This one is in my top ten of Twilight Zone episodes. An actress Barbara “Bunny” Blake is in Hollywood is about to take off to Rome to make a movie. She tells her PA that they will be flying over her old hometown of Howardville. She receives a ring from her sister which is giving her warnings to come home while she flies cross country.
She then visits her sister in Howardville. The Founders Day picnic is the same day but Bunny has other ideas. You can see something is bothering her so she goes down to the TV station. She announces that she wants to do a one woman play at the High School Gym. Everyone is upset because they think she is so full of herself that she is wanting people to come see her and not to the Founders Day picnic. She has her reasons and we find out at the end.
She knows something that everyone else doesn’t know…I won’t give away the ending.
Bunny Blake is a little self centered but likable. She is what you would think some stars of the 50s and 60s would be like. Maggie McNamara does a wonderful job playing her.
Cast
- Maggie McNamara as Barbara “Bunny” Blake
- Mary Munday as Hildy Powell
- David Macklin as Bud Powell
- Betty Lou Gerson as Cici
- Vic Perrin as State Trooper (Jim)
- George Mitchell as Dr. Floyd
- Bing Russell as Ben Braden
- Hank Patterson as Mr. Gentry
- Bill Hickman as Pilot
Thank you for reading!
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We didn’t have that show in Germany, but I’ve watched and enjoyed a few episodes since I came to the U.S. Now, don’t ask me about the titles.
There’s just something about black and white. Plus, back in the late ’50s/early ’60s TV shows and movies couldn’t rely much on special effects but actually required good plots. The latter is something I feel has become a bit of a lost craft nowadays, especially in movies where once you remove the special effects, there isn’t much substance left.
The special effects were not like today of course but if they got the point across…that is all I care about. You are right… the stories were out of this world.
I don’t think the story is as important today at all…and it should be.
Now I want to watch the rest of this episode.
Its a good one…I want to say the end but I won’t.
what a classic show- if we were doing a television show draft this would be high on my list. these are shows i can watch anytime- and a number of times. a marathon is always fun.
I would watch the marathon every year at New Years and then Jen got the entire collection for me. Like you said Hans…at anytime I can watch them.
I had the collection also. i think it was the first dvd tv show i ever bought.
I love watching shows or movies compared to this…but nothing matches.
They have them on netflix now! It’s just finding the time (and the bandwidth) to watch them.
Do you have cable or DSL Lisa? We don’t have a limit here…I would be in trouble if we did.
I’m rewatching them again…it doesn’t get any better than the Twilight Zone in the afternoon
I only have satellite internet and it’s severely restricted (25gb/month.)
Yea I would be in big trouble. I’ve used that much in a day before. I have Charter/Spectrum cable for internet. I’ve never used Satellite before.
My older son was telling me about Starlink, which is Elon Musk’s project. Sounds like it might be an option at some point. I do get 50 “bonus” gbs from 2a-8a, which is why I stay up so late a lot of the time.
Ok that makes sense…and it’s less busy through that time. My download speed goes up during that time.
Is that a hint?
It has crossed my mind….
I’m up for it.
Bunny Blake…Ha! I’m glad you’re running this serial. I love the Twilight Zone.
–Pam
Thanks Pam…yes I can watch it at anytime. They never get old to me like other shows. Some really good writing. Since you and my song introduced me to it…there is some film noir in some of these.
Oh yeah…there’s definitely a noir influence in a lot of episodes, some I would say are flat out noir.
I noticed that while rewatching them. The ones about gangsters really hit the genre.
a very good idea for a blog series, Max! I don’t remember this episode – I may have seen it but only got to see the series somewhat regularly in reruns back in the 80s. I wouldn’t mind getting ahold of a DVD of at least some of the better ones. As you suggest, they hold up because they were excellent stories told well.
I’m sure I’m going to do a few you remember. I have them all…I was watching them this morning. Not many shows can I watch over and over but this one yes. They do hold up.
How many episodes are in the original series, Max? I remember very few of them, but the ones I remember scared the living …. out of me as a kid. We’ll see if you highlight any of them 🙂
156 total. There are some funny ones also…I only really don’t like one of them…that is all. One I will not rewatch. They are creepy…but smart creepy. I didn’t know Earl Hamner wrote that many of them.
Lots to be entertained with. I think I remember reading about Hamner writing some when I was researching The Waltons. He’s a danged good writer! Serling is a creepy-looking guy don’t you think so?
Jennifer gets scared to death watching it so I had to pick out certain episodes for her lol. I pick out ones by Hamner like an episode called The Hunt…
Yes Serling was an odd-looking guy…plus the way he talked fit it well…the one thing he had was integrity when he wrote something.
I need to watch them again to dispell the fear. There is one in particular I seriously think traumatized me! You are a prince and a gentleman to pick out the non-scary episodes for Jennifer.
Yea I showed one to Bailey when he was a kid…scared him to death! He loves it now. If you want some to start off with tell me…well The Hunt would be a good one!
The one Lisa that I just watched and from what I know of you…I think you would like. It shows huminatiy at their worse…and truth…it’s called The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street…it shows how humans can be.
Thanks for the offer, Max. I think if I do it, I’ll make a project of it and start from E1 and work my way through. Oh, I know how humans can be!!!!!
He touched on capitalism, racism…any ism you can think of!
Well that is much cooler starting at the first. I have got Jennifer use to the mild ones and I slipped a little more odd ones in and now she can watch it without flinching.
The reason I like it so much Lisa is beause he studies human nature…and nails it.
I like what you say here:
“The way Rod Serling handled social problems with a science fiction twist was compelling.”
Thank you…he couldn’t come out and say what he wanted back then but he did it with sceince fiction…which was brilliant. That other show called The Loner was a little later and he got by with more.
You’re welcome. Didn’t you do a write-up on The Loner before?
Yes I did… what he did was move the moral stories from the Twilight Zone to the West without the monsters and odd happenings.
Oh ok I remember that episode too! I just forgot the name of the show.
Love the twilight zone. I watched some of the new ones and felt like I wasted my time after watching them. I think I only liked one.
I tried it also and the same thing happened…I always go back to the real deal.
One of my favorite episodes. I’ve seen every episode numerous times. They do a TZ marathon ever New Years and 4th of July, and that’s what stays on in my hours.
I would look forward to those every years and then I said the hell with it and got all of them…like you I’ve seen every one. I watch it before I write it up…something I love doing anway.
When I was a kid “The Howling Man” scared the shit outta me!
Oh yea…that WILL be on my list no doubt.
I love The Twilight Zone due to the show’s atmospheric suspense, societal commentary, and philosophical perspectives. I have not seen this particular episode, although my favorites include “Time Enough at Last,” “It’s a Good Life,” “Little Girl Lost,” “What’s in the Box,” “Nothing in the Dark,” “The Encounter,” “One for the Angels,” “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street,” “The Shelter,” “Deaths-Head Revisited,” “Nightmare at 30,000 Feet,” and many, many more. What a terrific show.
Thanks for reading and commenting… I like many on your list….who am I kidding? I like them all! I just watched Monsters are Due on Maple Street and .Come Wander with Me tonight. There is one that is always listed near the bottom on rankings that I really like…The Bewitchin’ Pool…
Thank you again!
I love ‘The Twilight Zone’ too, and have been watching it on Netflix off and on for months. I saw this episode a month or so ago.
Glad you are a fellow TZ fan! I’ve been watching it this weekend.
I will definitely have to brush up on Twilight Zone. This will be fun.
No extreme special effects, just imagination and great actors.
Yes…No CGI in these shows but great stories
Love the Twilight Zone! If the William Shatner episode with him seeing the gremlin on the wing of a plane does not make your list we cannot be friends.
Well I guess we will be friends lol…. yea I could not leave that iconic one out. It’s a great one.
YES!
You are going to send me off on a binge again.
Hey CB! This show is special…it’s not a tv show man…it’s something more.
No kidding. My Gal and I went through all the episodes a few years ago. So much to like.
Even though I’ve seen them over and over they never get old. That is great writing…and acting.
The storys are so focused and grab you. Mini features.