Jess-Belle
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| “Jess-Belle” | |||||||
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| The Twilight Zone episode | |||||||
 Scene from "Jess-Belle" |
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| Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 109 |
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| Written by | Earl Hamner, Jr. | ||||||
| Directed by | Buzz Kulik | ||||||
| Guest stars | Anne Francis : Jess-Belle James Best : Billy-Ben Turner Laura Devon : Ellwyn Glover Jeanette Nolan : Granny Hart Virginia Gregg : Ossie Jon Lormer : Minister George Mitchell : Luther Glover Helen Kleeb : Mattie Glover Jim Boles : Obed Miller |
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| Featured music | Nathan Van Cleave | ||||||
| Production no. | 4855 | ||||||
| Original airdate | February 14, 1963 | ||||||
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| List of Twilight Zone episodes | |||||||
"Jess-Belle" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.
Contents |
[edit] Opening Narration
| “ | The Twilight Zone has existed in many lands, in many times. It has its roots in history, in something that happened long, long ago and got told about and handed down from one generation of folk to the other. In the telling the story gets added to and embroidered on, so that what might have happened in the time of the Druids is told as if it took place yesterday in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Such stories are best told by an elderly grandfather on a cold winter's night by the fireside - in the southern hills of the Twilight Zone. | ” |
[edit] Synopsis
Jess-Belle, determined that Billy-Ben Turner and Ellwyn Glover not marry, enlists the aid of a local witch who casts a spell that makes Billy-Ben forget Ellwyn and fall madly in love with Jess-Belle. Jess-Belle learns there's a price for the spell when she transforms into a leopard from midnight until dawn. She goes to the witch and questions her about what is happening, as she is not only transforming, but is also growing cold and heartless. The witch explains that she did not simply curse Jess-Belle: her soul has been extinguished and she has been transformed into a witch herself.
Horrified, Jess-Belle realizes that her humanity is rapidly waning and debates running away from Billy-Ben. Unfortunately his devotion to her remains unwavering, and she finds herself unable to give up on her selfish desire. The two arrange to be married, but a hunting party finds the leopard and shoots it, and it disappears in a cloud of smoke.
A year later, when a recovered Billy-Ben is preparing to marry Ellwyn, Jess-Belle reappears. Billy-Ben learns from the local witch that to kill Jess-Belle, he must stab one of her dresses with silver. He returns home to find Ellwyn possessed by Jess-Belle. He puts one of her dresses on a mannequin and stabs it with a Jess-Bell's own silver hairpin. Jess-Belle appears in the dress, and then disappears forever. After this, Ellwyn does not remember anything after the wedding, but claims that "A falling star means a Witch has died".
[edit] Closing Narration
This was the only episode of the series not to have a closing narration. Instead, the episode ended with a folk song heard at the beginning of the episode:
| “ | Fair was Elly Glover,
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[edit] The Song
Each 'act' of the episode begins with a verse of a haunting folk song. The lyrics are as follows:
Fair was Elly Glover, dark was Jess-Belle. Both they loved the same man, and both they loved him well.
By day she knew a woman's form, by night a witch's spell. For love of Billy Turner, accursed was Jess-Belle.
A fitful night was spent by all on Eagle's Rock did dwell. Strange things were seen by moonlight's fall, but none saw Jess-Belle.
Warm was Elly Glover, cold dead was Jess-Belle. And husband would be Billy Ben, of the one he loved so well.
