The Howling Man

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The Twilight Zone original series Season two (1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5) Fall 1960 – Summer 1961 List of The Twilight Zone episodes
Episodes: King Nine Will Not Return The Man in the Bottle Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room A Thing About Machines The Howling Man The Eye of the Beholder Nick of Time The Lateness of the Hour The Trouble With Templeton A Most Unusual Camera Night of the Meek Dust Back There The Whole Truth The Invaders A Penny for Your Thoughts Twenty-Two The Odyssey of Flight 33 Mr. Dingle, the Strong Static The Prime Mover Long Distance Call A Hundred Yards Over the Rim The Rip Van Winkle Caper The Silence Shadow Play The Mind and the Matter Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up? The Obsolete Man

“The Howling Man” is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.

[edit] Details

Episode number: 41
Season: 2
Production code: 3642
Original air date: November 4, 1960
Writer: Charles Beaumont from his story of the same name, originally published in his 1960 collection Night Ride and Other Journeys
Director: Douglas Heyes
Music: Stock

[edit] Cast

David Ellington: H.M. Wynant
Brother Jerome: John Carradine
The Howling Man: Robin Hughes
Brother Christophorus: Frederic Ledebur
Housekeeper: Ezelle Poule

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] Opening narration

"The prostrate form of Mr. David Ellington, scholar, seeker of truth and, regrettably, finder of truth. A man who will shortly arise from his exhaustion to confront a problem that has tormented mankind since the beginning of time. A man who knocked on a door seeking sanctuary and found instead the outer edges of the Twilight Zone."

[edit] Main story

The story is told in flashback form by an American called David Ellington. While on a walking trip through post-World War I Europe, Ellington becomes lost, is drenched by rain and seeks shelter in a nearby castle. He is told to leave immediately, but he collapses, shivering.

Upon waking inside the castle, Ellington hears a wolf-like howl and goes to investigate. In the bowels of the castle he finds a bedraggled, but apparently cultured and intelligent man in a cell. The man claims to be a prisoner of an insane religious order, locked up because he kissed a girl.

Ellington is seen talking to the prisoner, and is taken to a meeting with the leader of the order, Brother Jerome, who explains that the prisoner is not a man, but rather the devil himself. He has been locked up in the room using the "Staff of Truth" to bar the door since shortly after World War I. He came to the village to corrupt it, but Jerome recognized him for what he was and imprisoned him. His actions have given the world five years of relative peace. Ellington becomes convinced that Jerome is insane. Fearing for his safety, he pretends to believe the incredible story. Jerome is not fooled however, and assigns another brother to watch him.

Ellington waits until his guard falls asleep and creeps down to the cell. He removes the staff barring the cell door and releases the prisoner. When the prisoner exits the cell, he begins to change, taking on the appearance of the devil with each step before departing the castle.

Jerome finds the collapsed Ellington and sadly explains that the inability to recognize the devil has always been Man's great weakness.

The flashback ends. Ellington explains to the hotel maid that he has spent the time since then hunting for the devil to atone for his mistake, through World War II, the Korean War, and the development of nuclear weapons. He finally succeeded; he has him locked in a room and intends to return him to the castle and Brother Jerome's keeping. He warns the skeptical housekeeper not to remove the staff holding the door closed under any circumstances while he goes to make his final preparations.

After Ellington leaves, the curious woman, disbelieving his story, removes the Staff of Truth barring the door.

[edit] Closing narration

"Ancient folk saying: 'You can catch the Devil, but you can't hold him long.' Ask Brother Jerome. Ask David Ellington. They know, and they'll go on knowing to the end of their days and beyond--in the Twilight Zone."

[edit] Trivia

This was the first aired episode of the second season which was not written by Rod Serling.

The Howling Man's onscreen "transformation" after being released from his cell includes what has been described as "a complete makeup change performed on-camera without cuts". This startling effect, involving red- and green-colored makeup and correspondingly colored stage lights (the colors, of course, being invisible on black and white film), was first used in a 1930s film adaptation of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde.