"The Twilight Zone" Night Call (1964)

Director:

Jacques Tourneur

Writers:

Richard Matheson (writer)
Rod Serling (creator)

TV Series:

"The Twilight Zone" (1959)

Original Air Date:

7 February 1964 (Season 5, Episode 19)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

Telephone calls begin to haunt a disabled elderly woman. |

Plot Keywords:

Elderly Woman | Telephone | Telephone Call | Homecare Nurse | Telephone Operator

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Jan. 2

2:35 AM

SYFY

Night Call

#5.19

Cast

Gladys Cooper	...	Elva Keene
Nora Marlowe	...	Margaret Phillips
Martine Bartlett	...	Miss Finch

Runtime:

25 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Cayuga Productions

Trivia:

The original Richard Matheson story ("Long Distance Call") has a somewhat more gruesome ending than this adaptation: after the woman from the telephone company reads Miss Elva's address over the phone, the next call she receives that evening says "Hello....Miss Elva....I'll...be...right...over..."

Probably the scariest TZ episode of all time

Unlike most of the creepier Twilight Zone episodes, Night Call terrifies me as much now as it did when I was much younger. I still can't watch this one late at night without feeling a little uneasy at what might be lurking just beyond the blinds in the window. Night Call is brilliant on several levels. First, it's a masterpiece of storytelling by the legendary Richard Matheson, who's written some of the most unnerving short stories ever published. The characters, the situation, and the final explanation are all superbly realized--I've seen the ending twist repeated in a number of short films or generic "scary tales for children"-esquire compilations. Jacques Tourneur's direction is extraordinarily atmospheric, the visual equivalent of a lonely wind rustling through a dark forest. We as viewers feel every bit as alone and frightened as the woman when she picks up the phone and hears nothing but moans from the other end. Watching the episode is a bit like lying in bed in the middle of the night and thinking you heard a noise downstairs. Yet, in spite of all this, the ending manages a complete 180, from terrifying to tragic, that works extraordinarily well. Kudos to the writer and director for giving the Twilight Zone an ingenious entry for its final season.