★★★1/2 October 20, 1961 Season 3 Episode 6
If you want to see where we are…HERE is a list of the episodes.
Peter Falk, later of Columbo, is in this episode of the Twilight Zone. He plays a caricature of Fidel Castro. The episode plays heavily on paranoia…especially in the situation of one Ramos Clemente (Peter Falk)…where he questions who to trust. He overtakes a small Latin nation and the former General De Cruz (Will Kuluva) tells him of a certain mirror that will show Clemente his future assassins.
One of the highlights to me was the dialog between De Cruz and Clemente. De Cruz has seen this all before. He knows what’s going to happen and what is going through Clemente’s mind because he has been there. Once Clemente gets power he starts turning into what he was fighting against. All of his loyal comrades are seeing it and try warn him.
The Bay of Pigs happened around 6 months before this episode aired.
This show was written by Rod Serling
Rod Serling’s Opening Narration:
“This is the face of Ramos Clemente, a year ago a beardless, nameless worker of the dirt, who plodded behind a mule furrowing someone else’s land. And he looked up at a hot Central American sun, and he pledged the impossible. He made a vow that he would lead an avenging army against the tyranny that put the ache in his back and the anguish in his eyes. And now one year later, the dream of the impossible has become a fact. In just a moment, we will look deep into this mirror and see the aftermath of a rebellion – in The Twilight Zone.”
Summary
When the peasant Ramos Clemente leads a successful revolution in his undefined country, the former dictator General De Cruz advises that his mirror is magic and can anticipate who will murder him. Clement becomes paranoid and kills each one of his revolutionary comrades believing that they want to murder him.
Sorry I could find no video preview of this episode.
Rod Serling’s Closing Narration:
“Ramos Clemente, a would-be god in dungarees, strangled by an illusion, that will-o’-the-wisp mirage that dangles from the sky in front of the eyes of all ambitious men, all tyrants – and any resemblance to tyrants living or dead is hardly coincidental, whether it be here or in the Twilight Zone.”
CAST
Rod Serling…Narrator
Peter Falk…Ramos Clemente
Will Kuluva…De Cruz
Richard Karlan…D’Alessandro
Vladimir Sokoloff…Father Tomas
Antony Carbone…Cristo
Rodolfo Hoyos Jr….Garcia
Arthur Batanides…Tabal
Discover more from PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
This one seemed a bit- labored. I’d even go as far as giving it just 3 stars. Not a memorable episode- but even Tony Gwynn stuck out once in a while.
Yea I was going there….I re-.watched it last night…not a classic one.
it also was the second time they did the Castro thing- remember the antique salesman who had his wishes- and one was to be a dictator- that seemed to be Uncle Fidel also….
Yes there was something missing about this one.
Interesting theme to explore but agree with the rating. Interesting to contemplate if the mirror was magic at all or if it was all in his paranoid mind
I think it was in his mind but that is just me. I think the General did that bit on him and knew he would fall for it.
The times change, but many things remain the same as the Prime Minister of Haiti was just assassinated.
Yes…human nature stays the same
basic premise is sound, from the sound of it, “absolute power corrupts absolutely”.
Yep…it happens again and again. Not the best episode but still solid.
I appreciate the show trying to give an opinion on Fidel, but I agree with your rating. Falk overplayed the part, imo. The guy he replaced was good in his role. I also liked the conversation those two had before he was led away.
Falk was a good actor…he just isn’t Latin and it didn’t come off.
I don’t remember this one at all. I’m trying to picture Falk doing a Cuban accent.
The storyline is apropos. Those that have the desire to overthrow tyranny risk becoming what they fight.
Yea don’t picture it lol…He did alright but it’s just missing something.
Oh the story makes sense.