A Passage for Trumpet (20 May 1960)
"The Twilight Zone" A Passage for Trumpet (original title)

A suicidally despondent trumpet player finds himself in a bizarre world where he seems to be the only moving being, except for one helpful other musician.

Director:

Don Medford

Writer:

Rod Serling

Stars:

Rod Serling, Jack Klugman, John Anderson

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Rod Serling	...	Narrator (voice)
Jack Klugman	...	Joey Crown
John Anderson	...	Gabriel
Frank Wolff	...	Baron
Mary Webster	...	Nan
James Flavin	...	Truck Driver
Ned Glass	...	Pawnshop Man

Storyline

Musician Joey Crown is down on his luck. A recovered alcoholic, he can't find work because no one trusts him. Broke, he hocks his trumpet but then steps in front of truck which knocks him onto the sidewalk. He awakens in a strange world where no one can see him and he presumes he's died. He eventually bumps into someone who can in fact see him, a fellow horn player who tells him that it's still within Joey's power to decide on life or death.

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Plot Keywords:

musician | trumpet | alcoholic | jazz | playing trumpet | 

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 May 1960 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cayuga Productions, Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

25 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Buch Houghton & Co. truck is a tribute to producer Buck Houghton.

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Goofs

Several times throughout the episode, after Joey puts the mouthpiece in his trumpet, he bumps it with his hand (causing a audible pop). This is something experienced trumpet players do not do, as it can cause the mouthpiece to jam into the lead pipe, which then requires a tool to properly remove.

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Quotes

Narrator: [Opening Narration] Joey Crown, musician with an odd, intense face, whose life is a quest for impossible things like flowers in concrete or like trying to pluck a note of music out of the air and put it under glass to treasure.
Narrator: [continued narration subsequent to extensive character dialogue] Joey Crown, musician with an odd, intense face, who, in a moment, will try to leave the Earth and discover the middle ground - the place we call The Twilight Zone.

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Connections

References Fast Company (1953)

User Reviews

One of the Ten Best of the Series

While "The Twilight Zone" had many memorable episodes, few can touch this one for its subtlety and beauty. This is a prime example of what Rod Serling could do when he wasn't trying to be preachy or commercial.

An alcoholic trumpeter, sensing all of his chances are used up, attempts to kill himself, and runs into a seeming kindred soul. Within this seemingly simple plot, Serling's script comes up with some incredibly moving language (Klugman's monologue at the beginning is still one of my favorites), and the actors don't disappoint. Jack Klugman is magnificent as the lost soul, and John Anderson (as the kindred soul) is low-key but equally effective in his own way. Take these and some lovely direction (love the framing of Anderson's exit shot), and you'll find one of the series' best episodes.

If you get the chance, don't miss this one!