Twilight Zone – Valley Of The Shadow

★★★★★ January 17, 1963 Season 4 Episode 3

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

One of the thought-provoking episodes of the 4th season. I like the story and the pace for the hour long format is brisk. They cover a lot of ground in this episode. Ed Nelson as Philip Redfield plays this role with passion. He is traveling through back roads and runs through a small nothing little town called Peaceful Valley.

He notices something different and the townspeople can do things that are impossible…make a dog disappear, bring that same dog back from the dead, and invisible force fields. He finds out the history of the town from the leaders and wants them to share this with the world.

If you had the technology to end poverty, sickness, and even death in cases…do you use it? If you do, you risk someone getting the technology and using it for evil things. Are humans outside of this peaceful town ready for that much power? Dorn doesn’t think so…and I don’t either.

. Al the actors do a great job. David Opatoshu as the “town” leader Dorn plays it with compassion and common sense. You will know James Doohan in a minor role…still a few years away from Scotty in Star Trek.

Watch this one…it could have been a great sci-fi movie.

The title comes from the King James Version of the 23rd Psalm in the Hebrew Bible. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

This show was written by Rod Serling and Charles Beaumont

Rod Serling’s Opening Narration: 

You’ve seen them. Little towns, tucked away far from the main roads. You’ve seen them, but have you thought about them? What do the people in these places do? Why do they stay? Philip Redfield never thought about them. If his dog hadn’t gone after that cat, he would have driven through Peaceful Valley and put it out of his mind forever. But he can’t do that now, because whether he knows it or not his friend’s shortcut has led him right into the capital of the Twilight Zone.

Summary

On the back roads, trying to find his way back home, reporter Philip Redfield and his dog, Rollie, stop in the small town of Peaceful Valley, for gas and food, and directions. When Rollie runs off in pursuit of a cat, a young girl points a device at the dog, and he disappears. Though her father brings Rollie back, Philip finds it all very strange. When Phillip tries to leave town, his car crashes into an invisible barrier, preventing his departure. Shaken up, the town’s mayor, Dorn, reveals their secret, and gives Philip the choice; join them or die

Rod Serling’s Closing Narration:

You’ve seen them. Little towns, tucked away far from the main roads. You’ve seen them, but have you thought about them? Have you wondered what the people do in such places, why they stay? Philip Redfield thinks about them now and he wonders, but only very late at night, when he’s between wakefulness and sleep in the Twilight Zone.

CAST

Rod Serling … Narrator / Self – Host (uncredited)
David Opatoshu … Dorn
Ed Nelson … Philip Redfield
Natalie Trundy … Ellen Marshall
Jacques Aubuchon … Connolly
Dabbs Greer … Evans
James Doohan … Father
Morgan Brittany … Girl (as Suzanne Cupito)
Henry Beckman … Townsman
Bart Burns Bart Burns … Townsman
King Calder … Townsman
Pat O’Hara Pat O’Hara … Townsman
Sandy Kenyon … The Attendant

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.

22 thoughts on “Twilight Zone – Valley Of The Shadow”

      1. Great, Max, I’m sure he’s excited to finally meet his girl. And don’t worry, Germany isn’t the worst place in case he ends up there! 🙂

        As for that Beatles museum, gee, I had never heard of it! Also, not necessarily in a location where you’d expect it – of course, no disrespect to Halle!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. He was nervous as hell…he has flown before but this is a new level. Well this will make or break them probably….at least now they will know for sure….not sure but closer lol.

        I was shocked that they had it. It is in East Germany I think… so they couldn’t have played there at the time.

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      3. You’re right, Halle is in East Germany. I’ve never been there myself. In fact, sadly, I’ve yet to see most of East Germany!

        During most of the time I lived and grew in (West-)Germany, the country was still separated. I’ll never forgot my school excursion to Berlin in 12th grade and seeing the wall in the middle of the city – just friggin’ unreal! And that half-day visit to East Berlin, which felt like time-travel decades back!

        Unlike many other Germans, my family didn’t have relatives in East Germany. As such, I never felt a particular connection. To me, the GDR was another country, a satellite of the Soviet Union – frankly, not a particularly attractive thought!

        I know it may sound a bit cruel. Initially, I was kind of indifferent about German reunification. While reunification certainly has had its challenges, I’m glad the two Germanys became one.

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      4. It’s hard to fathom that…just across the wall they are stuck in there.. I know the people there must have thought they were getting out of prison….but on the other hand that is the only life they knew about.

        You wouldn’t have been able to see a lot of it when you were living there…I think they are going to try to visit Berlin while there. This will be a fantastic learning experience for him.

        I’ve told you before….the thing that confuses her about America is the distance we have to travel to work and school. Where she lives everything is a short train ride away. America is so spread out….and you have to have a car for the most part. Her parents do have a car but rarely use it.

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      5. Well, Max, I guess I can relate pretty well how she feels about America.

        I think I’ve mentioned this before. Coming to the US as a tourist for the first time when I was 14 years was kind of mind-boggling. The six-week summer vacation is one of the most memorable I’ve had to date – and not only because of its length!

        The seemingly endless space out West and those incredible landscapes really blew me away: The Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Yosemite National Park, Bryce Canyon…I know I’m going all over the place here.

        And then the cities: LA (the sheer area it covers), San Francisco (all these incredible hills, slopes and vistas), Vegas (completely unreal – like Disney Word), New York City (those ginormous skyscrapers), Washington, DC (White House, Capitol, all these great museums).

        As you can see, we really covered quite a lot of ground during that trip. By we, I mean my parents and another married couple they were friends with.

        Now of course, after having lived here for 20-plus years, all of the above looks pretty normal to me. And the fact that you use a car for pretty much everything you do. In most areas you’d be completely lost without a set of wheels!

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      6. I would love to take THAT vacation! It had to be huge coming from a smaller country.

        Yea a car is a must unless you live in a downtown area and you can stay mostly there.

        Heck we live way out in the country…it takes us at least 15-20 minutes to make it to a grocery store and if we want to go to Nashville…at least 35 to 40 minutes. But…I wouldn’t trade it for a thing.

        What made you stay in New Jersey? Just liked the area?

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      7. After we had lived in the burbs of New York for 10 years and with a quickly growing small son, our apartment in Queens had become too small. We quickly realized that renting a bigger apartment essentially cost the same as renting an entire house outside New York!

        Once we “found” New Jersey, we immediately embraced it. After renting a single family home there for five years, we knew we wanted to stay in Jersey and bought our own place.

        Now I guess I’m living the American dream with a house and a mortgage, a wife and a son, a bunch of pets and a sexy SUV! 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      8. Oh yes! You are living that dream… with one difference between a lot of Americans….you appreciate it. That gets lost at times.

        Jennifer talked me into buying a house in the late 90s because the thought of debt scared me but then…like you…I realized it was cheaper buying than renting.

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  2. sounds very good. Another 5-star… have you tallied up how many total episodes you rate 5 from the whole series?
    Interesting premise, I probably agree with you, it wouldn’t be good for humankind. My general belief is that we seem to always be a generation or two ahead in our science compared to our morality or understanding of how to use it . Example A, nuclear technology. Probably potentially a world-changing positive that could provide cheap clean power and end our need for polluting carbon fuels but first thing we do is make it into bombs to destroy whole cities and poison the atmosphere, then we build power plants before figuring out how to make them 100% safe.

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    Reply

    1. This is what the best Twilight Zones do…is provoke thought…well not counting the horror or comedy episodes.
      Dave….I wish I would have had your quote before I wrote it… “we seem to always be a generation or two ahead in our science compared to our morality ” that is perfect.

      just human kind in general. Don’t get me wrong…there are some who would use it write but it only takes one to blow the world up.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. That’s awesome that Bailey finally gets to meet his gal in person! I was wondering if they were going to manage to get together this Christmas, very glad they will. Hope they have a great time & she can visit you guys in 22.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Yea it’s her turn next lol. He is as nervous as he can get with just the flying bit to another country.

        Like

  3. Max, I agree with your rating on this one. It’s so well-developed with the action, you can tell they took their time with it. I like how the philosophical dialogue was carried out. I like seeing the guy who looks like my dad in it also 🙂

    Very awesome that Bailey is traveling to Germany and meeting his girlfriend. The Beatles museum is a nice bonus.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Whew thank you! I have to rate these a little different than the 30 minute ones…I’m happy you agree. Oh cool about your dad. I always thought the guy looked like the reporter on the Incredible Hulk for some reason…Jack McGee.
      I have an email ready for you….I just have to finish it….on the Bailey part.

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  4. Classic episode and one that fits the hour format perfectly. Couldn’t have done this in 30 min. Lots of twists lots of weighty stuff to think about action car crashes 😀 and a great ending – his punishment is not knowing the power even existed.

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