Vengeful and impulsive little brat Anthony Fremont (an excellent and unnerving performance by Bill Mumy) keeps all the scared adults in an isolated small town under his oppressive thumb through the power of his own mind.
Director James Sheldon adroitly crafts a tense and uncomfortable atmosphere as well as maintains a dark and despairing tone throughout. Rod Serling's crafty script not only makes a chilling point about how an evil and undisciplined child can turn into an absolute holy terror, but also illustrates the stark horror of living under a dictatorship and further states that happiness isn't something that one can force on other people. The fine acting by the able cast rates as another major asset: John Larch as the hearty Mr. Fremont, Cloris Leachman as the doting Mrs. Fremont, Don Keefer as fed-up drunk Dan Hollis, Alice Frost as the meek Aunt Amy, Max Showalter as nervous piano player Pat Riley, and Tom Hatcher as the cheery Bill Soames. The way Anthony uses his formidable psychic powers to terrorize the cowed adults who are all afraid of him is unsettling to behold while the bleak ending packs a brutal punch. One of this show's strongest and most frightening half hours.
Director James Sheldon adroitly crafts a tense and uncomfortable atmosphere as well as maintains a dark and despairing tone throughout. Rod Serling's crafty script not only makes a chilling point about how an evil and undisciplined child can turn into an absolute holy terror, but also illustrates the stark horror of living under a dictatorship and further states that happiness isn't something that one can force on other people. The fine acting by the able cast rates as another major asset: John Larch as the hearty Mr. Fremont, Cloris Leachman as the doting Mrs. Fremont, Don Keefer as fed-up drunk Dan Hollis, Alice Frost as the meek Aunt Amy, Max Showalter as nervous piano player Pat Riley, and Tom Hatcher as the cheery Bill Soames. The way Anthony uses his formidable psychic powers to terrorize the cowed adults who are all afraid of him is unsettling to behold while the bleak ending packs a brutal punch. One of this show's strongest and most frightening half hours.