[Eerie music]
(Male presenter, off) There is a fifth dimension
beyond tha t which is known to man.
It is a dimension as vastas space
and as timeless as infinity.
It is the middle ground between lightand shadow
between science and s upers ti tion
and it lies between the pit of man's fears
and the summit of his knowledge.
This is the dimension of ima Gina tion
it is an area which we call the twilightzone.
[Music intensifies dramatically]
[Cheerful music]
Right here, ladies and gentlemen,
special July clean up sale!
Lovely things, calamine lotion,
good for sunburns!
How about binoculars?
(Male presenter, off) S tree t scene
summer, the present.
Man on the sidewalk named Lou bookman.
A ge, six tyish. Oc c upa tion, pi tchma n.
Lou bookman, a fixture of the summer.
A ra ther minor component to a hot jul y.
A nondescript commonpla ce little man,
whose life is a treadmill
buil t out of sidewalks.
In justa moment, Lou bookman
will ha ve to concern himself with survival.
Because as of 3 o'clock this hot jul yafternoon
he'll be stalked bymr. DEA th.
[Ominous music]
[Cheerful music]
[Loulaughs] (Chhdren) Hi, lolh
(Lou) Hello, darling! Oh, here, here.
Oh, my goodness, it is hot today!
Yeah.
Let's sit down.
What are you selling today, Lou?
Toys, Lou? Are you selling toys?
I'll show you what I was selling. [Chuckles]
There's one for you.
Thanks, Lou!
That's alright, Maggie. Here, Ricky.
Thanks, Lou!
Now the Lou bookman social and ice cream hour
takes place right after supper.
The regular turn now!
Don't forget!
Good bye.
(Children) Bye, Lou.
(Lou) Don't forget the ice cream, huh?
[Humming]
[Intense ominous music]
You're, you're the man I saw on the sidewalk today.
You were writing in a book.
You are Lou bookman, aren't you?
Tha t's right. Louis j. Bookman,
is there something I can show you?
Maybe something in collar stays? I'll get that.
No, Mr. Bookman. I'm not here to buy anything.
Now let's get to business, shall we?
Louis j. Bookman, aged 69, right?
I'll be 70 in September.
Hm. Occupation, pitchman, right?
Yeah, that's right. [Chuckles]
Are you a census taker?
Born in New York City in 1890.
That's right, 1890.
Father Jacob bookman, mother flora bookman.
Father's place of birth, Detroit, Michigan,
mother's place of birth Syracuse, New York, right?
That's right. My goodness, [chuckles]
You got it all down in that book there.
Yes, we have to keep these things efficient.
Now today is the 19th of July.
And your departure's at midnight tonight.
My departure?
[Knocking at door]
Oh, excuse me.
Hi, Maggie!
The key's bad, Lou. Can you fix it?
Oh, sure, come on right in!
Come on in. (Chuckles)
Let me see it.
Well, there's your trouble right there.
See that little cogwheel?
Well, you've been pushing in that key when you were winding it. You see?
See? Now it's all right.
See?
I'd introduce you two, only I don't know your name.
No need.
I think I got it now, Lou.
This gentleman came here to ask me a lot of questions.
What gentleman?
[Ominous music]
That gentleman!
What gentleman?
(Mr. Death) Mr. Bookman, she can't see me or hear me.
Why not?
Why not what, Lou?
Why can't you see him or hear him?
See who, Lou?
It works great now, Lou.
Thanks an awful lot. See you after supper, huh?
Now wait a minute. You haven't forgot your manners.
Aren't you gonna say goodbye?
Oh, yeah. Good bye, Lou. Thanks a lot!
No, no, I mean to the gentleman there.
Oh, it's a game.
The invisible man. Goodbye, invisible man.
See you after supper, Lou.
[Suspense music]
I can see you, yet she can't.
(Mr. Death) Onl y those who are to a ooompan y me can see me.
Unders ta nd, Mr. B ook ma n?
Uh, Mr. Book ma n,
only those that are to accompany me can see me.
Now don't you think you ought to start making your arrangements?
Arrangements? For what?
For your departure.
My departure where?
[Sighs] You just don't get it.
I just will never understand you people.
You get the idiotic notion that life goes on forever.
Of course, it doesn't.
Everyone has to go sometime.
Go? You mean...
That's right. And what I further don't understand
how little you appreciate the nature of your departure.
Think of all the poor souls who go in violent accidents.
The non precognition victims.
We're not permitted to forewarn them.
You, Mr. Bookman, fall into the category
of "natural causes."
"Natural causes?"
Number one, I find you a very devious sort,
number two,
I think that you're dishonest.
Number three, why don't you say what you mean!
Mr. Bookman, I've done everything but phone your own undertaker.
How much clearer do you want it?
If you still don't know who I am
then you're the dumbest man I've come up against.
[Intense ominous music]
You are... you're death?
Exactly, Mr. Bookman.
Noi/I/, shall we get down to business?
Time of departure is midnight tonight.
I trust that will suit you.
Preordination is for death during sleep.
I assume this too will meet with your approval.
You'll find this a relatively simple and painless...
No, just a minute. I don't wanna go!
No, they never do.
But there's no reason to go. I'm a very healthy man!
Outside of a slight cold I had last winter,
and a sliver that festered in that finger there,
I don't think I've had a sick day in 20 years!
That may be,
but departure time is set for midnight.
And departure will be midnight.
Don't I have anything to say about that?
We do listen to appeals
but frankly, Mr. Bookman, there's very little here
in the way of an extenuating circumstance.
There are three major categories of appeals.
One, is hardship cases.
Now do you have a wife or family
who might suffer beyond a reasonable point your demise?
[Softly] No, no family. No.
The second category is priority cases
statesmen, scientists, men on the verge of discoveries.
I take it you're not working on any major scientific pursuit at the moment.
[Softly] No [chuckles] no.
[Firmly] What's the third category?
I don't think you're qualified here either.
Unfinished business of a major nature.
You don't have any unfinished business, do you?
Ah, but I do!
Indeed I do!
That's it, you see. I... yeah.
I have some unfinished business.
Unfinished business, yes.
I've never flown in a helicopter. That's it.
I've never flown...
(Death) Insuffioient, Mr. Bookman.
Anything El se?
Now you look here. I've lived in this room for 21 years.
And you keep popping up in corners of the room I've never even seen before.
Will you please stay in one place?
Is there anything else, Mr. Bookman?
Yes, yes.
I have never seen a zulu war dance.
Now that's the answer right there.
So you'll have to give me a couple of months to go over to that zulu country
no?
No. Unfinished business of a major nature
is something a man had yearned for
and something he mightaccomplish given an extension.
Well, there is one thing.
What is it, Mr. Bookman?
Well, between you and me,
I never made a truly big pitch.
I mean, I mean a big pitch.
A pitch big enough for the skies to open up.
You knoi/I/, a pitch for the angels.
Of course, it wouldn't mean very much to you,
but it would mean a great deal to me.
It would mean tha t for one moment
in my whole life I would ha ve done something successful.
It would mean that maybe the children would be very proud of me.
The children?
Yes, yes, I've always had quite a fondness for children, you know.
Yes, that's all here in the record.
The problem here, Mr. Bookman, is that you'd require delay until...
Until I make a pitch!
The kind of pitch I was talking to you about.
The one for the angels?
That's right. One for the angels.
I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Bookman,
but, no.
You see, these ca tegories are very specific
and when reference is made to unfinished business of a major nature,
the only interpretation to be made here
is simply that...
What... what I mean is that, uh,
unfortunately, Mr. Bookman,
an ability to, to succeed
in a given professional venture
is really hardly of a major...
Mean a great deal to you, does it?
A great deal.
All right, Mr. Bookman.
Under the circumstances I believe I can Grant you a dela y.
Until...
What do you mean 'until?' Until you've made this pitch.
I can live til then?
That's the agreement.
Oh, well I think that's a fine bargain.
I didn't get your name.
Now, about this pitch, Mr. Bookman,
when might we expect it?
When?
Oh, soon. You know.
Maybe not this year, maybe not for a couple of years, [chuckles] But soon.
I have the very odd feeling that you're taking advantage of me.
Oh, you have? Well, that's a pity,
because I am!
You'll never catch me making a pitch anymore.
You think you can fool me, eh? [Chuckles]
I'll hardly open my mouth from now on.
[Mischie vous music]
Really, Mr. Bookman?
This is much more serious than you imagine.
It's much more complex than you realize, what you've just done.
Here I've gone out of my way to help you
and this is the way you repay me?
Mr. Bookman.
It won't just end here, you understand?
There will be consequences, you see?
Fyi, that means for you information
you made your bed and you shall have to sleep in it.
We made a bargain that I don't have to go until I make a pitch.
And you'll have to wait until I make that pitch.
I can say this without the least fear of contradiction.
Have you got a long wait! [Chuckles]
That may well be, Mr. Bookman,
but since you won't come with me,
I've been forced to select an alternative.
[Brakes screeching and woman yelling]
[People shouting]
Maggie!
I swear I didn't see her.
She jumped right off the curb and I had no chance to stop.
I swear to you I never had no chance to stop at all.
Well, then someone send for a doctor!
Get an ambulance.
I'll call one.
(Lou) You're gonna be all right, darling.
You're gonna be just fine.
Hi, Lou.
Hello, sweetheart.
[Intense ominous music]
Lou?
Yes?
Who's that man?
[Ominous music]
Do you see him?
Yes, Lou.
Hey, wait a minute.
You can't take her.
No, siree, you can't take her.
Now listen, I'll go. Never mind the pitch.
I don't even want to wait, I'll go right now.
You can't take her.
I'll go with you, I'll...
[Ominous music]
(Man) How's Maggie, doctor?
(Doctor) I can't tell. I can't tell.
Doctor?
It's hard to tell. She's a very sick little girl,
but we'll know soon, she should have a crisis by midnight.
By midnight?
I think by then.
He won't come here. I won't let him come here.
[Suspense music]
[Intense ominous music]
Good evening, Mr. Bookman.
You've got business in there?
I most certainly do.
It's quarter to 12:00. In 15 minutes, midnight.
That's my appointment.
Mr. Death, that little girl's only 8 years old.
I'm ready now.
I'm sorry, Mr. Bookman, but I had to make other arrangements.
It's impossible to change them now.
She's to come with me at midnight,
so I must be in there at midnight.
And if you're not in there?
It would be pretty much unheard of.
You see, if I didn't get in there at precisely midnight,
then the whole timetable would be upset.
It's unheard of.
It's unheard of?
What are you doing, Mr. Bookman?
I'm just setting up a pitch, that's all.
At this time of night?
Oh, I very often have a late sale. Very often!
Not many customers.
Oh, they'll be here.
They'll come round... You're here, anyway.
Oh, yes, I'm here.
But I'm afraid I'm not much of a customer.
How do you know? Have you seen my stock?
Take this lovely tie here, for instance.
Oh, oh, excuse me.
What does that look like to you?
It looks like a tie.
Feel it.
Ladies and gentlemen,
if you will feast your eyes
on probabl y the mos t exciting invention
since atomic energy.
A simulated silk so fabulously conceived
as to mystify even the ancient Chinese silk manufacturers.
An almost unbelievable attention to detail!
It has a wonderful work of weaving.
[Suspense music]
(Lou) Witness, if you will, a demons tra tion of tens/le strength.
Feel that if you will, sir.
Unbelievable, isn't it?
As strong as steel.
Yet as fragile and delicate as shantung silk.
(Lou) Pio ture if you will 300 years
of ba ckbreaking research and labor,
to develop this.
The a bs ol u te ul tima te in s treng th.
And what would you expect to pay
for this fabulous, I say fabulous, incredible,
amazing development of the tailor's art?
Would you pay 30 dollars a spool?
25? 20? 10?
Well, very well you might, sir,
if you were trying to purchase this at stores.
But this fantastic thread is nota vailable in stores.
It is smuggled in by oriental birds
especially trained for ocean travel.
Each carrying a bit quantity in a small satchel
underneath their Ruby th roats.
It takes 832 crossings
to suppl yenough thread to go around one spool.
And tonight, at my special
get acquainted, introductory, mid July hot summer sale
I offer you this fabulous thread
not at 20 dollars a spool,
not at 10, not at 5,
buta t the ridicul ousl y low price of 25 cents a spool.
I'll take all you have.
(Lou) Se wing needles, ya rn,
marvel ous plastic shoela ces, genuine sta tic eradica Tor
will fit any standard radio,
suntan oil, eczema powder,
razors, a thle te's feet des tro yer,
how about some nice simulated kashmir socks...
All right, all right. I'll take it all.
All of it. Right there.
(Lou) And now for the piece de resistance.
An item never before offered in this or any other country.
One guaranteed live human man saver.
How's that?
For what? t iask
you sir, receive a willing, capable,
worldly, highly sophisticated, wonderfully loyal
right hand man
to use in any capacity you see fit.
How's that?
Me!
Louis j. Bookman,
the first model of his kind,
he comes to you with an absolute guarantee
all parts interchangeable.
With a certificate of 4 years service ability
he eats little, he sleeps little,
he rests only occasionally,
and there he is a t your elbow
a t you beckand call whenever you need him.
Mr. Bookman, you are a persuasive man.
I challenge any other store
wholesale house or industry
to even come close to matching what I offer you here.
Because my dear man,
I offer you, I offer you... [Bells toll]
It's midnight!
It's midnight and I've missed my appointment!
Give her the sedatives every three hours, Mrs. Polansky.
She'll be all right. She just needs a lot of rest now.
[Bells continue to toll]
She's all right.
One minute past 12:00, Mr. Bookman.
And you made me miss my appointment.
Thank god.
A most persuasive pitch, Mr. Bookman.
An excellent pitch.
Yes, it's quite a pitch, very effective.
It's the best I've ever done.
It's the kind of a pitch I've always wanted to make.
A big one.
A pitch so big,
so big that the sky would open up.
A pitch for the angels.
That's right, a pitch for the angels.
[Soft melancholy music]
Well, I guess it's time for me now.
As per our agreement.
Well, I'm ready.
After you, Mr. Bookman.
Oh, excuse me, I forgot something
I'll be back in a minute.
You never know who might need something up there.
Up there?
Up there, Mr. Bookman.
You made it.
(Male presenter, off) Louis j. Bookman,
a ge, six tyish, oc c upa tion, pi tchma n.
Formall y, a fixture of the summer,
formall y, a ra ther minor component to a hot jul y.
But throughout his life a man beloved by the children
and therefore, a most important man.
It couldn't happen, you sa y?
Probabl y no t in most pla ces,
but it did happen
in the twilight zone.
(Male presenter, off) Rod serl ing, the orea Tor of twilight zone,
will tell you about next week's story
after this word from our al terna te sponsor.
And noi/I/, Mr. Serl/ng.
Next week, we invite you to take a walk
down a western frontier street
at the elbow of a doomed gunman.
Whose salvations lies in nothing less than a magic potion,
and a Colt 45.
Mr. Dan duryea stars on Mr. Denton on doomsda y.
Next week on the twilight zone.
We hope you'll be able to be with us. Thank you and good night.
(Male presenter, off) Kimberl y Clark invites you to wa tch Steve mcoueen
in wanted dead or alive,
sa turda y night over most of these same sta tions.
(Male presenter, off) The twilight zone brought to you by
oasis fil ter cigarettes
the tobacco is soothed for the softest taste of all.
And menthol misting makes it so.
[Relaxing music]
(Male presenter, off) This is an oa sis.
Cool. Refresh/ng.
This is an oasis, too.
Justas the mist of mountain dew refreshes a flower,
keeps it fresh all da y,
so the tobacco in oasis is mis Ted,
gentl y mis Ted all over with menthol.
The tobacco is soothed for the softest taste of all.
And menthol misting makes it so.
Tha t's oasis, the onl y fil ter cigarette
tha t's oasis cool, oasis mild, oasis fresh.
Fl buy oa sis, try oa sis, most refreshing cigarette/7
oasis, the tobacco is soothed with the softest taste of all.
Menthol misting makes it so.
(Male presenter, off) Twilight zone was brought to you by,
k imberl y Clark, whose helpful kleenex products
include kleenex tissues,
kl eenex table na pkins,
new kleenex towel s,
and del sey ba throom tissue.