"The Twilight Zone"
Steel (1963)

Director:

Don Weis

Writers:

Richard Matheson (writer)
Rod Serling (creator)

TV Series:

"The Twilight Zone" (1959)

Original Air Date:

4 October 1963 (Season 5, Episode 2)

Genre:

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

Plot:

In the near future boxing has been outlawed and is performed by mechanical robots. To replace his broken client, the manager decides to enter the ring and replace him. |

Plot Keywords:

Based On Short Story | Robot | Debt | Boxing | Moral

Cast

Lee Marvin	...	Steel Kelly
Joe Mantell	...	Pole
Chuck Hicks	...	Maynard Flash
Merritt Bohn	...	Nolan
Frank London	...	Maxwell

Runtime:

25 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Trivia:

The episode was also rumored to be the inspiration for the Simpsons episode "Chief Naka-Homer".

A powerful story, with a strong human message.

This is my favorite of all the twilight zone episodes. The story of two men struggling to make a living in a time in the not-to-distant future, and not doing very well. The sport of boxing has been ruled too brutal for humans to engage in, and so it is now done only by robots. Lee Marvin and his pal field a robot, who after many bouts is falling apart and can't go any longer. But the two men have bills to pay, and have to field an entry in tonight's match. The opponent is the latest, newest, strongest model fighting machine robot - a truly frightening prospect. And guess who has to go up against it. This turns into a memorable tale of guts, determination, or just call it heart.