Escape Clause

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For other uses, see Escape Clause (disambiguation).

“Escape Clause” is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.

[edit] Details

Episode number: 6
Season: 1
Production code: 173-3603
Original air date: November 6, 1959
Writer: Rod Serling
Director: Mitchell Leisen

[edit] Cast

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

A mean-spirited, abusive hypochondriac sells his soul to the Devil in exchange for immortality, adding enough conditions to keep him out of Satan's clutches forever. He is puzzled when the Evil One doesn't put up much of a fight, only stipulating an escape clause which allows the man to die if he so wishes, but doesn't worry too much about it.

He uses his newfound invulnerability to collect insurance money and cheap thrills by hurling himself into life-threatening accidents. Soon growing bored with this game, he confesses to the murder of his wife (who actually died by accident), hoping to experience the electric chair. His lawyer is too good, however, and he is sentenced to life in prison. In the last scene, the Devil shows up and reminds the man of the escape clause. Facing eternity in jail, the man nods and suffers a fatal heart attack.

[edit] Miscellanea

The following is an excerpt from Rod Serling's pitch to potential sponsors of his new show, The Twilight Zone. It was included as an extra on "Twilight Zone's" DVD release, and was transcribed by Matthew Cregg.

Object in point here, a file cabinet containing a contract, all very legal and proper except the party of the first part in this case...well, what do we call him? He has a lot of names. Beelzebub, Mr. Scratch. Well, that happens to be the party of the first part in a somewhat charred contract. Only in our story, which we call "Escape Clause," his name is simply Mr. Cadwallader. As portrayed, he has all the charm of a well-tipped waiter. He makes a deal with a little man who has a psychotic fear of dying. It's really a simple contract. Mr. Cadwallader supplies the immortality and the little man supplies his soul. And then our little man proceeds to live it up, or down depending on the moral view. But he gets bored with immortality and he then proceeds to live a very out of the ordinary kind of a life. A life best described as simply violent. He was so bored with constantly being the only survivor. So, he now turns to homicide, happily aware that while a jury might convict him there isn't a single modus operandi that the state can use to put him away. The gas chamber? Impossible. They can't kill him. Hanging, electrocution, none of these things are operative on our little friend. He's immortal. But what happens, and we'd be most appreciative if you wouldn't tell this to your friends, is that a very good lawyer pleads his case and gets him life imprisonment. Poor little guy. Yeah, he has immortality. He can live forever, right here, behind these things. We'll hold up on telling you the ending. Just think about it. It'll come to you.

Disney's Twilight Zone Tower of Terror has a reference to this episode in the basement, the elevator has a plaque that says the last time the elevator was checked. It was checked on October 2, 1959 (the date The Twilight Zone first aired) and was checked by Mr. Cadwallader.

[edit] Critical response

“Here was a little gem. Good work, Rod Serling. This little piece about a hypochondriac who gets tangled up with an obese, clerical devil ranked with the best that has ever been accomplished in half-hour filmed television.” —Excerpt from the Daily Variety review.