[Eerie music]
(Male narrator) 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 anarea which we call the twilight zone.
I want Jake Ross' secretary, please.
Williams, we're still waiting
for your Mr. Ross.
I'm trying to get him right now, sir.
Joanie, where is he?
I know he's out to lunch
but we got a conference called here for 2:00.
It's now 2:30. Now, where is he?
All right, check around.
Call sardi's east or the colony
and tell him to get himself
over here in a hurry.
Well, where is your protege
with the $3 million automobile account?
He's due at any moment, Mr. Misrell.
Probably a big lunch crowd or something.
Don't be an idiot.
More likel y, a big Martini
or three or four of them.
He was too young to put on this account.
I told you that.
I kept telling you that!
He's much too young
to put on this large and important account.
[Knock at door]
We ha ve now
been here 34 minutes, Mr. Williams.
This is a communication from Jake Ross.
Would you be so kind as to share
its contents with us?
I can give you the sense of it, Mr. Misrell.
This is Jake Ross's resignation.
He's moving over to another agency.
And?
He's taking the automobile account with him.
That account represented a gross billing
in the neighborhood of $3 million a year!
And how many times
ha ve you promised it to me?
[Clears throat]
This is as much a shock to me
as it is to you, Mr. Misrell.
Don't sit down
and don't con me.
It was your pet project.
Your pet project!
Then it was your idea to give it
to that little college greenie.
Now, get with it, Williams.
Get with it, boy!
So what's left, Williams?
Not onl y has your pet project ba ckfired
but it sprouted wings and left the premises.
I'll tell you what's left to us, in my view...
A deep and abiding concern about your judgment in men.
This is a push business, Williams.
A push, push, push business! [Thudding]
Push and drive!
But personally...
You don't delegate responsibilities to little boys.
You should know it
better than anyone else.
A push, push, push business, Williams.
I t's push, push, push [thudding]
All the way, all the time!
It's push, push, push, all the way, all the time
right on down the line!
Fat boy, why don't you shut your mouth!
Mr. Williams, messages are on the desk.
There's some hot coffee here. Can I bring you some?
No, no, thanks.
Well, want anything at all?
Yeah, a sharp razor
and a chart of the human anatomy
showing where all the arteries are.
(Male narrator) This is gart Williams, age 38,
a man protected bya suit ofarmor
all held together by one bol t.
Justa momentago, someone removed the bol t
and Mr. Williams' pro tection fell a way from him
and left hima naked target.
He's been cannonaded this afternoon
byall the enemies of his life.
His insecuri Ty has shelled him, '
his sensitivity has s tra ddl ed him with hum/I ia tion, '
his deep-roo Ted disouiet about his own worth
has zeroed in on him,
landed on target and blown him apart.
Mr. Gart Williams, ad agency exec
who in just a moment will move into the twilightzone
ina despera te search for survival.
[Train bell olanging]
How are you tonight, Mr. Williams?
In the absolute pink.
Cold winter this year.
Seems to get darker earlier than it ever has.
Well, that's the way of the world.
The rich get richer
and the days get shorter.
That's right.
(Misre/I) A push, push, push business!
Push and drive!
It's push, push, push all the way, all the time
right on down the line!
That's enough.
[Dog barking]
(Male conductor) Wil I oughb y! This s top is wil I oughb y!
Willoughby!
This stop is Willoughby!
What do you mean, Willoughby?
Where is Willoughby?
That's Willoughby right outside.
Now, wait a minute.
What's going on?
There's no stop on this line called Willoughby.
And look at it outside.
The sun is out, it's summer.
That's what she is, mid-July.
A real warm one, too.
Wait a minute, it's November.
What's going on here anyway?
Where is this place?
Where is will oughb y?
Willoughby, sir?
That's Willoughby right outside.
Willoughby. July. Summer.
It's 1888.
Reall ya lovel y little village.
You ought to try it sometime.
Peaceful, restful,
where a man can slow down to a walk
and live his life full-measure.
Willoughby!
This stop is Willoughby!
Willoughby!
This stop |s Willoughby!
[Oars rumbling]
(Conductor) Wes tpor t sa uga tuok next s top!
Westport saugatuck!
Have a good sleep, Mr. Williams?
Yeah.
Yeah, I had a good sleep, but an idiotic dream.
Idiotic.
You ever hear of a town called Willoughby?
Willoughby? Willoughby where?
Willoughby, Connecticut, or Willoughby, New York.
Not on this run.
No Willoughby on the line.
Westport saugatuck next stop!
Wes tpor t sa uga tuck!
And what are your plans for this evening?
To get quietly plastered
and then sing old college songs?
It's been one of those days.
I know all about it.
Bob lair's wife called me.
She told me he'd been in the meeting with you.
You got... you got hysterical or something?
She called to find out how you were.
They were all very solicitous
all the boys at the meeting.
That free-flowing compassion
that is actually relief.
I'm the victim, not them.
They've mistaken an intake of breath
for an outpouring of sympathy.
Would you spare me your little homilies now?
Please, and just give me
a simple and direct and honest answer.
Did you wreck a career this afternoon?
Did you throw away a job?
It appears not.
Misrell phoned before I left the office.
He has found it in that great
over-sized heart of his to forgive.
This somewhat obese, gracious gentleman
will allow me to continue in his employ
because he's such a... Human-type fellow
with the small, insignificant
parenthetic additional reason
that if I were to go to a competitive agency
I might possibly take a lot of business with me.
Go on.
That's it.
That's all of it.
Oh, I'm tired, Janie.
I'm tired, and I'm sick.
Well, then you're on the right ward.
We specialize in people
that are sick. And tired, too, gart.
I'm sick, and I'm tired
of a husband who lives in permanent self-pity
witha heart bleeding sensitivity
tha t he unfurls likea flag
whenever he dec/des the competition is...
Isa little too rough for him.
Some people aren't built for competition, Janie
or big, pretentious houses they can't afford
or rich communities they don't feel comfortable in
or country clubs they wear around their neck
likea badge of sta tus.
And you'd prefer...?
I'd prefer though never asked before
a job, any job, any job at all
where I could be myself!
Where I wouldn't have to climb on a stage
and go through a masquerade every morning at nine,
and mouth all the dialog
and play the executive
and make believe I'm the bright, young man
who's on his way up
because I'm not that person, Janie.
You've tried to make me that person
but that isn't me. That isn't me at all.
I'm...
I'm a not-very-young
soon-to-be-old
very uncompetitive, rather dull
quite uninspired, average-type guy.
With a wife who has an appetite.
And just where would you be
if it weren't for my appetite?
I know where I'd like to be.
Where's that?
A place called Willoughby.
A little town I've manufactured ina dream.
Tell me about your dream, gart.
It was an odd dream, very odd dream.
Willoughby.
It was summer, very warm.
Kids were barefooted.
One of them had a fishing pole.
It all looked like a currier & ives painting.
Bandstand, bicycles, wagons.
I've never seen such... Serenity.
It was the way people must have lived a hundred years ago.
Crazy dream.
Yeah.
You let me know when you wake up, huh, gart?
No, wait, Janie.
Please, Janie.
You know what the trouble with you is, gart?
You were just born too late.
Be ca use you're a guy
tha t could be sa tisfied
with a summer afternoon
or an ice wagon
being dra wn bya horse.
So it's my mistake, pal, my error
my miserable, tragic error to get married to a man
whose big dream in life is to be huckleberry Finn.
Yeah, maybe.
Something like that.
A place, a time where a man can live his life full-measure.
That's what he said, that's...
What that conductor said,
a place where a man can live his life full-measure.
(Modern conductor) Wil I oughb y?
What?
Last week you asked me
about a town called Willoughby.
Well, I looked it up.
Every old timetable I could find.
No such place, as far as I could see.
Thanks.
It was a dream, is all.
Probably was.
Stamford next stop!
Next s top, s ta mford!
[Train horn blaring]
S ta mford! S ta mford next s top!
S ta mford!
Next s top, s ta mford!
S ta mford, next s top!
(Conductor of the past) Willoughby!
This s top is will oughb y!
Will oughb y!
This s top is will oughb y!
Willoughby, sir.
Willoughby?
Yes, sir, Willoughby.
Willoughby!
All on for Willoughby!
Will oughb y! This stop is will oughb y!
[Band playing camptown races]
Conductor!
C ond u c Tor!
C onduc...!
You all right, Mr. Williams?
Yeah, yeah.
Sure, I'm all right.
Willoughby.
Next time...
Next time, I'm going to get off.
I'm going to get off at Willoughby.
(Misrell over phone) Wha t we need here, Williams,
is a show with zaz.
An enter ta iner with moxie.
We've got to take theaudience by the ears
and give 'em a yank,
jar 'em, rock 'em,
give 'em the ol' push push push.
I understand, Mr. Misrell.
I t's go tta be bright.
Bright with a pa tter.
Tha t's it, comedy.
And everything push push push.
Of course, now it's gotta be bright.
Push push push.
Tha t's the kind of show the client will like.
I understand, Mr. Misrell. I understand.
Tomorrow morning, I want at least a preliminary idea for the show.
You know what I want.
Just a rough format with a few details
as to how we integrate the commercials within the body of the show.
I understand, Mr. Misrell.
I'll do the best I can.
Do more than you can.
Aspire. Dream big and then get behind it.
Push push push push!
Yes, sir!
[Phone rings]
Yes?
Well, I haven't seen the ratings on the show.
No, no.
Well, that's the time slot the sponsor wanted.
[Phone rings]
Hang on a minute.
Yes?
They what?
Hold on a second.
Helen.
Helen!
What film office did the commercials on the bradbury account?
The negatives are all scratched,
they're screaming bloody murder!
I'll have to check, sir.
Mr. Misrell wants to see you.
I'll have to check it out.
Mr. Misrell, sir.
I'll tell you when I know something.
Mr. Williams! Mr. Misrell
seemed very ins/s tent.
[Voices chattering on phones]
Mr. Williams!
Mr. Williams! Mr. Misrell!
Push, push, push, Williams!
Get with it, boy!
Push, push, push, Williams!
Will you get me westport, Connecticut, please?
Capital 7-9899.
Yes, please.
Janie, this is gart, honey.
I'm coming home.
Will you stay there?
I just... I just want you to stay there.
No, honey, listen, please.
I've had it, understand?
I've had it!
I just can't take this another day, not another hour.
This is it, right now.
I've got to get out of here.
Janie, will you help me, please?
Will you please help me?
[Click]
Janie?
How are you tonight, Mr. Williams?
[Train horn blares]
(Conductor) S ta mford next s top!
S ta mford!
Next s top, s ta mford!
Next s top s ta mford!
S ta mford next s top!
S ta mford!
Next s top, s ta mford!
Next s top...
Is Willoughby!
Willoughby!
Next s top is will oughb y!
Willoughby?
Yes, sir.
[Band playing oh, susannah]
Hi, Mr. Williams.
Hi, boys.
You catch some big ones today, huh?
I think tomorrow I'll join you.
Plenty of room and lots of fish.
[Band playing beautiful dreamer]
[Birds chirping]
Hiya, Mr. Williams.
Welcome.
Thank you.
Thank you, I'm glad to be here.
(Man) Just jumped off the train, did he?
Shouted something about Willoughby.
Then ran out to the platform
and that was the last I saw of him.
Doctor sa ys he must ha ve died ins tan tl y.
They're gonna ta k e him into town for an a utopsy.
Funeral parlor there sent the ambulance.
Poor fellah.
(Narrator) Wil I oughb y?
Ma ybe I t's wishf ul thinking
nestled ina hidden part of a man's mind
or ma ybe I t's the last s top in the vast design of things.
Or perhaps, for a man like Mr. Gart Williams
who climbed ina world tha t went by too fast
it's a place around the bend where he could jump off.
Will oughb y?
Wha tever it is, it comes with sunlightand Serenity
and is a part of the twilight zone.
(Male presenter, off) Rod serl ing, the orea Tor oftwilight zone,
will tell you about next week's story
after this word from our al terna te sponsor.
And noi/I/, Mr. Serl ing.
In this library, a certain professor sells things.
Ointments, salves, powders,
sovereign remedies, nectars,
concoctions, decoctions, and potions all guaranteed.
Next week he'll sell one to a loverboy
so that he can slip an affectionate Mickey
into the champagne of his lady love.
It sets up a most bizarre
and very unexpected chain of events.
On the twilightzone next week,
the cha ser.
[Curtain music]
(Male presenter, off) Kimberl y Clark invites you
to wa tch Steve McQueen
in wanted dead or alive.
Sa turda y nights o ver most of these same sta tions.