The Four of Us Are Dying (1 Jan. 1960)
"The Twilight Zone" The Four of Us Are Dying (original title)

A man who can change his face to look like other people uses his ability to improve his life regardless of his affect on others.

Director:

John Brahm

Writers:

Rod Serling (teleplay by), George Clayton Johnson (based on a short story by),

Stars:

Harry Townes, Phillip Pine, Ross Martin

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Harry Townes	...	Arch Hammer
Phillip Pine	...	Virge Sterig
Ross Martin	...	Johnny Foster
Don Gordon	...	Andy Marshak
Harry Jackson	...	Trumpeter
Bernard Fein	...	Penell
Peter Brocco	...	Mr. Marshak
Milton Frome	...	Detective
Beverly Garland	...	Maggie

Storyline

Arch Hammer arrives in the city and checks into a seedy hotel. He looks like any other man but looks can be deceiving. Hammer has the ability to change his appearance at whim, a trick he definitely uses to his own advantage. He takes on the appearance of the recently deceased musician Johnny Foster. who died in a car accident. He goes to meet Maggie, a lounge singer who is mourning Foster's death and convinces her to run off with him. He then takes on the appearance of Virge Sterig, a gangster whose bullet-riddled body was recently found in the river. He then visits mob boss Penell who double-crossed him to get his share of the money their most recent job. An unplanned change of face doesn't go over well however.

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Plot Keywords:

musician | disguise | selfishness | narrator | impersonation | 

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 January 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

Though Hammer, Foster, Sterig, and Marshank had been planned to be performed by a sole actor using different makeup, the production crew timed the planned scene and noted his time wearing makeup would exceed that of him in front of the camera, so four actors were used.

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Goofs

Spelling of Sterig is given as Steric in newspaper article.

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Quotes

Penell: Virge, this is the happiest day of my life!
Virgil Sterig - Gangster: [laughs] This is the happiest day of your life, how come you look like somebody just stuck lemon juice in your beer, huh?
[laughs]
Virgil Sterig - Gangster: No, Mr. Penell, you're not so happy. You got no reason to be happy. Believe me, Mr. Penell, I know. You got no reason to be happy. No reason at all. Now if you could've kept me in the river, a cold clammy little item without a voice,
[poking Penell]
Virgil Sterig - Gangster: *Then* you could've been happy. But this is one double-cross, Mr Penell, that...
[...]

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Soundtracks

"One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)"
(uncredited)
Written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer
Performed by Beverly Garland

User Reviews

Chameleon

Four different players guest star in this unique Twilight Zone episode where a man has the ability to change his facial appearance on a whim if he has a face to concentrate on.

It occurred to me watching this episode that not only did this individual take on the face, but the whole identity of the person he concentrated on. It was like he invaded the souls of Harry Townes, Ross Martin, Don Gordon and Philip Pine.

As luck would have it these four are not the best specimens of human kind that this chameleon changed into. The last choice he made was truly a bad one.

A really offbeat episode from a series that was certainly offbeat.