The Rip Van Winkle Caper

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“The Rip Van Winkle Caper”
The Twilight Zone episode

Simon Oakland in "The Rip Van Winkle Caper"
Episode no. Season 2
Episode 60
Written by Rod Serling
Directed by Justus Addiss
Guest stars Simon Oakland : DeCruz
Oscar Beregi, Jr. : Farwell
Lew Gallo : Brooks
Production no. 173-3655
Original airdate April 21, 1961
Episode chronology
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"A Hundred Yards Over the Rim" "The Silence"
List of Twilight Zone episodes

"The Rip Van Winkle Caper" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.

Contents

[edit] Opening narration

“ Introducing four experts in the questionable art of crime. Mr. Farwell, expert on noxious gases, former professor with a doctorate in both chemistry and physics. Mr. Erbie, expert in mechanical engineering. Mr. Brooks, expert in the use of firearms and other weaponry. And Mr. DeCruz, expert in demolition and various forms of destruction. The time is now and the place is a mountain cave in Death Valley, U.S.A. In just a moment, these four men will utilize the services of a truck placed in cosmoline, loaded with a hot heist cooled off by a century of sleep, and then take a drive into the Twilight Zone. ”

[edit] Synopsis

To escape the law after stealing $1 million worth of gold bricks, a band of four gold thieves, led by scientist-mastermind Farwell (Beregi), hide in a secret cave in the desert. Farwell has designed suspended animation chambers and set them for 100 years, figuring that by 2061, nobody will remember the robbery and the gang will be in the clear.

When they wake up, everything starts to go awry. One of the gang is already dead, a mere skeleton, because a rock had fallen and shattered his glass chamber. Greed soon begins consuming the others. Brooks demands that DeCruz drive the getaway car. DeCruz kills Brooks by running him over with the getaway truck, but then finds that the brakes do not work and barely escapes before the vehicle crashes into a ravine. Consequently Farwell and DeCruz must walk through the desert in summertime, carrying as much gold as they can.

Later, Farwell, who is older and somewhat obese, loses his canteen, and DeCruz forces him to ante up one gold bar for each sip of water. When the "fee" goes up to two bars, Farwell strikes DeCruz with the gold bricks, killing him. Farwell then continues to a highway, lugging the gold he refuses to abandon. Finally, weak and dehydrated, he collapses. A futuristic car drives up and Farwell offers his gold to the couple inside in exchange for water and a ride to the nearest town, but expires a few moments later.

As the man gets back into his car to report Farwell's death to the police, he quizzically remarks to his wife, "Can you imagine that? He offered this to me as if it was really worth something." The wife vaguely recalls that it had, indeed been valuable sometime in the distant past. The husband replies, "Sure, about a.... hundred years or so ago, before they found a way of manufacturing it," and tosses the gold bar away.

[edit] Closing narration

“ The last of four Rip Van Winkles who all died precisely the way they lived, chasing an idol across the sand to wind up bleached dry in the hot sun as so much desert flotsam, worthless as the gold bullion they built a shrine to. Tonight's lesson...in the Twilight Zone. ”


[edit] External links

[edit] Twilight Zone links

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