Twilight Zone – Dead Man’s Shoes

★★★★ January 19, 1962 Season 3 Episode 18

If you want to see where we are…HERE is a list of the episodes.

This reminds me of a supernatural 1940’s noir gangster movie and I like it because of that. Warren Stevens plays a bum…a real bum named Nate Bledsoe and he takes the shoes off of a murdered gangster named Dane. When he puts them on he magically becomes Dane. Warren Stevens does a nice job in this part. He is meek and mild when he is Nate Bledsoe but becomes assertive after he slips the shoes on and into the Dane character. He goes and sees Wilma, Dane’s girlfriend, and it tells you all you need to know about Dane.

Dane was killed by his partner Dagget so Bledsoe as Dane… goes and visits him to even the score. I like the hint that Bledsoe gave in the bar to tip Dagget off to who he was now.

Dagget looked like he saw a ghost and in a way…he did.  This episode is not one of the classic episodes. Still, it is very enjoyable.

This one was remade in the 1985 and the 2002 version of the Twilight Zone.

***SPOILER***

The one thing that was sad about this episode was the character Nate Bledsoe His only crime was taking the shoes but he dies because of Dane.

This show was written by Charles Beaumont, Rod Serling, and Oceo Ritch

Rod Serling’s Opening Narration: 

Nathan Edward Bledsoe, of the Bowery Bledsoes, a man once, a specter now. One of those myriad modern-day ghosts that haunt the reeking nights of the city in search of a flop, a handout, a glass of forgetfulness. Nate doesn’t know it but his search is about to end, because those shiny new shoes are going to carry him right into the capital of the Twilight Zone.

Summary

When a hobo finds a dead man lying in a city alley, he decides to take his shoes, a pair of rather spiffy-looking loafers. In putting them on however, he becomes the dead man. He returns to his apartment, to his girlfriend’s shock and more importantly, he knows who killed him. The dead man is also out for revenge and it seems nothing will be able to stop him

Sorry…again there was no preview I could find to show you.

Rod Serling’s Closing Narration:

There’s an old saying that goes, ‘If the shoe fits, wear it.’ But be careful. If you happen to find a pair of size nine black and gray loafers, made to order in the old country, be very careful. You might walk right into the Twilight Zone.

CAST

Rod Serling… Narrator / Self – Host (uncredited)
Warren Stevens…Nate Bledsoe
Richard Devon…Dagget
Joan Marshall…Wilma
Ben Wright…Chips
Harry Swoger…Sam
Ron Hagerthy…Ben
Florence Marly…Dagget’s girlfriend

…

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

36 thoughts on “Twilight Zone – Dead Man’s Shoes”

  2. I thought the actor playing Bledsoe was very convincing in that role. The ending creeped me out!

    Note on another TZ actor: I randomly ran across a youtube on Albert Salmi. Did you know he did a murder-suicide to/with his wife in 1990??? On the same youtube, it talked about Gig Young doing the same this to/with his wife in 1978! If you already mentioned that about Salmi, I forgot you did, it just took me aback to learn it (again?)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. On the tombstone in the video the epitaph says, “Beloved Father” so that ought to tell you something. Sometimes there is a toxic mix, as you say. So sad it had to end that way.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Wow…THAT is awesome! The most I ever rode on one was 8 miles. It’s such a great way to get exercise…you get to see the sights of beautiful days and get your work in.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s going! The hardest part is pulling all of the carpet up with all of those boards with nails and all of the staples for the underlayment… That takes longer than laying the new floor. Our living room is the largest room in our house and shaped odd…we have a little under half done…now we will have to move everything from the old carpeted side to the new floor side and start again.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      4. Ours was 92 and a couple lived here and they had kids…so the carpet wasn’t great when we moved in…it feels so great on the finished part lol.

        Liked by 1 person

      5. I would love to pull all of the carpet out and put laminate in or even real wood whatever is cheaper and then put rugs down. The cat hair is a real nightmare on the carpet.

        Liked by 1 person

      8. Molly, our older dog, had trouble with slick floors because she had a bad leg but Martha…she has already been all over it…

        What are runners? Something to go over their paws?

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Pingback: Twilight Zone Season 3 Review – PowerPop… An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture

Leave a comment