Once Upon a Time (The Twilight Zone)

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The Twilight Zone original series Season three (1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5) Fall 1961 – Summer 1962 List of The Twilight Zone episodes
Episodes: Two The Arrival The Shelter The Passersby A Game of Pool The Mirror The Grave It's a Good Life Deaths-Head Revisited The Midnight Sun Still Valley The Jungle Once Upon a Time Five Characters in Search of an Exit A Quality of Mercy Nothing in the Dark One More Pallbearer Dead Man's Shoes The Hunt Showdown With Rance McGrew Kick the Can A Piano in the House The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank To Serve Man The Fugitive Little Girl Lost Person or Persons Unknown The Little People Four O'Clock Hocus-Pocus and Frisby The Trade-Ins The Gift The Dummy Young Man's Fancy I Sing the Body Electric Cavender Is Coming The Changing of the Guard

“Once Upon a Time” is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.

[edit] Details

Episode number: 78
Season: 3
Production code: 4820
Original air date: December 15, 1961
Writer: Richard Matheson
Director: Norman Z. McLeod (with an uncredited sequence by Les Goodwins)

[edit] Cast

Woodrow Mulligan: Buster Keaton
Rollo: Stanley Adams
Repairman: Jesse White
First 1962 Policeman: James Flavin
Officer Flannagan: Gil Lamb
Professor Gilbert: Milton Parsons
Clothing Store Manager: Warren Parker
Second 1962 Policeman: Harry Fleer
Fenwick: George E. Stone

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Woodrow Mulligan (Buster Keaton) is a grumpy janitor in 1890, dissatisfied with his time and place: A backwater town called "Harmony" with 17 cent cuts of meat, 2 dollar hats, livestock freely roaming the streets and penny-farthing bicycles that knock him down while going the speed limit (8 miles per hour). He works for Professor Gilbert, who has just invented a time helmet. Pouncing on the opportunity, Mulligan uses the helmet to transport himself to 1960, which of course turns out to be a surprise with even higher prices and more noise. He meets Rollo (Stanley Adams), a scientist and authority on the 1890's, which he regards as "charming". Rollo tries to go back alone, but Mulligan jumps on him and they go back together. The 1890's turn out to be not entirely what Rollo thought of them. Mulligan, however, is relieved, and when he hears Rollo griping, he sets the helmet for 1960, puts it on Rollo's head, and sends him off.

This episode was one of the Twilight Zone's comedy episodes. The parts set in the 1890's have no sound, silent film speech cards and a saloon piano. Much is made of the fact that Mulligan shows up in the 1960s with no pants due to his getting run over by a "high speed" bicycle.

[edit] Trivia

Keaton was one of the biggest stars of the silent era, starring in and devising elaborate stunts and gags for such classic comedies as The General and Steamboat Bill, Jr.. His career suffered with the advent of sound films, and he spent decades struggling in Hollywood. This episode was intended as an homage to his early work.