★★★★1/2 October 27, 1961 Season 3 Episode 7
If you want to see where we are…HERE is a list of the episodes.
This one is chock full of good actors. Lee Marvin, Lee Van Cleef, and my personal favorite Strother (what we have here is failure to communicate) Martin. It also features recognizable actor James Best and with the risk of sounding like a broken record…great casting! It’s set in the old West in a dried up dusty little town with bored towns people.
Lee Marvin…as always, is great as the tough guy. He plays Conny Miller who was paid to hunt down a man named Pinto Sykes. The towns people ambushed Sykes and killed him. Sykes with his last breath…claimed that Miller was a coward and avoided him. Miller comes into town and the action starts there. This is a creepy Twilight Zone and I’ve always enjoyed it…an incredible cast.
Lee Marvin, Strother Martin and Lee Van Cleef all appeared in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, which was released six months after this episode was broadcast.
This show was written by Montgomery Pittman and Rod Serling
Rod Serling’s Opening Narration:
Normally, the old man would be correct: this would be the end of the story. We’ve had the traditional shoot-out on the street and the badman will soon be dead. But some men of legend and folk tale have been known to continue having their way even after death. The outlaw and killer Pinto Sykes was such a person, and shortly we’ll see how he introduces the town, and a man named Conny Miller in particular, to the Twilight Zone.
Summary
Lawman Conny Miller rides into a small dusty town not long after the townsfolk have gunned down the man he’s been tracking for four months. He feels like he’s wasted that four months and someone bets him $20 he hasn’t the nerve to visit the dead man’s grave. He takes that bet and has little difficulty going to the grave. Leaving it however proves to be another matter.
Rod Serling’s Closing Narration:
Final comment: you take this with a grain of salt or a shovelful of earth, as shadow or substance, we leave it up to you. And for any further research, check under ‘G’ for ‘ghost’ in the Twilight Zone.
CAST
Rod Serling…Narrator
Lee Marvin…Conny Miller
James Best…Johnny Rob
Lee Van Cleef…Steinhart
Strother Martin…Mothershed
Stafford Repp…Ira Broadly
Elen Willard…Ione Sykes
Dick Geary…Pinto Sykes
William Challee…Jason
Larry Johns…Townsman
…
PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture 
This looks like a real classic episode Max.
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I really is…obviously I love the acting.
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Westerns don’t really grab me (like I said in the Movie Draft event!) but if anyone can make it interesting, it’s likely Rod Serling here.
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Yea this story was based on a urban myth…the acting alone is worth it.
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What a great cast! I love a classic western setting…
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It does have some great acting and actors in this one…Strother Martin I really like.
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You’re right such a danged awesome cast. Lee Marvin dominates any scene he’s in, he can’t help it, he has such screen presence. I thought the woman who played the sister was the creepiest part of it all. It’s one of the scarier episodes so far, imo.
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The Lee’s and Strother. How can you go wrong.
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I enjoyed this one. With all the famous names and it being a western theme I half expected Clint Eastwood to show up. 😀
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I know! I’ve been watching some of those period westerns…many of them are in them… Strother Martin…love the way he talked. We have 3 classics coming up
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Hey Max. Totally off topic. You mentioned in one of your posts a book called Shake Some Action. So the other night I’m on Spotify and it brings up a suggested theme – history of power pop or something like that. And what was one of albums but Shake some action by the Flamin’ Groovies . Guess that where the book title came from – it sounded familiar but I. Had forgotten about the song – power pop classic !
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Yes…I covered that song so long ago…when no one was reading my blog…I thought about a repeat which I try not to do…but hell now people actually read. I love that song Paul. They did some interesting covers also.
Paul you have any more Alt bands in mind? I’m running out of those…just thought I’d ask.
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Will look it up 😀. Let me think about other alt bands a d get back to you this weekend
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That’s a deal!
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Hey Max. What about that band Butthole Surfers – I think the song was called Pepper. I think band had been around since the 80s but that song was from 1996
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Oh I have heard of them…I’ll have to find something about them this weekend. Thanks Paul for coming through! I can find odd bands or no name bands but the college bands are running short.
Oh…if you don’t mind…check out the all female band I posted today…I want your opinion if you don’t mind.
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Another idea – not really alt – more punk but I’ve always like the Dead Kennedys – for a punk band I think their songs had some pretty catchy melodies and they were pretty political.
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Oh they had a song that was funny that I remember…I remember the video
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Haven’t seen the videos but some of my favorites are Kill the Poor, let’s Lynch the landlord, and Holiday in Cambodia
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Let’s Lynch the Landlord…yea I’m going to like that lol
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https://dilrangapereradrama.wordpress.com/
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One can always question those who rely only on a fast gun to dominate others.
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Indeed!
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