A Piano in the House
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| “A Piano in the House” | |||||||
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| The Twilight Zone episode | |||||||
 Joan Hackett as Esther Fortune |
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| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 87 |
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| Written by | Earl Hamner, Jr. | ||||||
| Directed by | David Greene | ||||||
| Guest stars | Barry Morse : Fitzgerald Fortune Joan Hackett : Esther Fortune Muriel Landers : Marge Moore Cyril Delevanti : Marvin (the Butler) Don Durant : Gregory Walker Phil Coolidge : Throckmorton |
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| Featured music | Stock | ||||||
| Production no. | 4825 | ||||||
| Original airdate | February 16, 1962 | ||||||
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| List of Twilight Zone episodes | |||||||
"A Piano In the House" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.
Contents |
[edit] Opening Narration
| “ | Mr. Fitzgerald Fortune, theater critic and cynic at large, on his way to a birthday party. If he knew what is in store for him, he probably wouldn't go, because before this evening is over that cranky old piano is going to play 'Those Piano Roll Blues', with some effects that could happen only in the Twilight Zone. | ” |
[edit] Synopsis
Drama critic Fitzgerald Fortune goes to Throckmorton's curio shop to buy his young wife Esther a player piano as a birthday present. At the shop, as the hard-bitten and hard-shelled owner plays the piano, he reveals his soft, sentimental side. Fortune notes the piano's magical properties, which reveal mens' true natures, and purchases it.
Later at home, the solemn butler, Marvin, bursts out laughing under the influence of the piano and reveals his true feelings about working for Fortune. When Fortune puts on a roll for his wife, she reveals that she detests him for his cruelty to her and the people around him.
He then tries it out on one of his wife's party guests, a jaded playwright, Gregory Walker, who admits to being in love with Fitzgerald's wife and that they had a tryst while she was on vacation away from Fitzgerald. At the party, a heavy-set woman, Marge Moore, volunteers to demonstrate the piano's effects. Marge admits to really wanting to be as light, graceful and ephemeral as a snowflake as she moves with surprising delicacy whilst in the trance.
Fitzgerald then announces he's going to reveal the devil himself and inserts a new roll into the piano, but Esther swaps it for a different one. When the music (a lullaby) plays, everyone looks to see who will be affected. Fitzgerald reveals himself to be no more than a frightened and sadistic child who is jealous of others around him. The guests depart; Gregory and Esther together.
[edit] Closing Narration
| “ | Mr. Fitzgerald, a man who went searching for concealed persons and found himself, in the Twilight Zone. | ” |
[edit] Source
- Zicree, Marc Scott. The Twilight Zone Companion, Bantam Books, 1982. ISBN 0-553-01416-1
