The Fugitive (9 Mar. 1962)
"The Twilight Zone" The Fugitive (original title)

Old Ben is a kind old man who likes to play with the kids, whether it's baseball or hide and seek. Little Jenny, who has to wear braces on her legs, is particularly fond of him. He tells ... See full summary »

Director:

Richard L. Bare

Writers:

Charles Beaumont, Rod Serling (creator)

Stars:

Susan Gordon, J. Pat O'Malley, Nancy Kulp

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Susan Gordon	...	Jenny
J. Pat O'Malley	...	Old Ben
Nancy Kulp	...	Agnes Gann
Wesley Lau	...	Man #1
Paul Tripp	...	Man #2
Russ Bender	...	Doctor
Stephen Talbot	...	Howie Gutliff
Johnny Eimen	...	Pitcher (as Johnny Eiman)

Storyline

Old Ben is a kind old man who likes to play with the kids, whether it's baseball or hide and seek. Little Jenny, who has to wear braces on her legs, is particularly fond of him. He tells her he has to leave soon since the men who are after him will soon arrive. He assures her that he's not a criminal or anything like that. She wants him to take her with him but he says it can't be done. He does fix the problem with her legs however. Turns out Old Ben is important where he comes from and arranges it so that he and Jenny can get what they want.

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Plot Keywords:

magic | fugitive | elderly | alien | crippled child | 

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 March 1962 (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?

Quotes

[opening narration]
Narrator: It's been said that science fiction and fantasy are two different things: science fiction, the improbable made possible; fantasy, the impossible made probable. What would you have if you put these two different things together? Well, you'd have an old man named Ben who knows a lot of tricks most people don't know and a little girl named Jenny who loves him - and a journey into the heart of the Twilight Zone.

User Reviews

Sweet and inoffensive fluff

This inoffensive entry represents the classic series at It's more light hearted. It's simple premise is that of the friendship between a kind hearted old man and a little girl who he plays with along with the other children in the neighbourhood. The hook in this tale which draws you is in when the elderly gent is forced to confess a special secret to his pint sized friend. He is in fact an alien who's on the run from agents from his home planet and they've caught up with him. Notable for a guest appearance from Nancy Kulp. An actress best known for her career defining role as Miss Hathway in the brilliant TV sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies". Miss Kulp plays the little girls mean tempered Aunt and guardian who is a far cry from the more prim and proper(yet likable) character who audiences the world over came to love. She still manages however to embody the role with surly effectiveness. As Old Ben, the grandfatherly figure J. Pat O' Malley is wonderfully charming and endearing. So much so that you warm to him immensely as you do with his then younger co- star Susan Gordon. A child actress who manages to be equal parts sweet and naively innocent without descending in to too much gooienss.

Some have accused the episode of being too sickly sweet but personally I find it to be a harmless, cute little romp. That said I wouldn't rate it as one of the best additions to Serlings classic series. It's never the less a fun outing with a playful twist at the end which is rounded up by another to the tale. The tagged on coda however might have been a bit unnecessary given the grandfather/granddaughter relationship of the pair. But It's probably still the closest the series got to a fairy tale episode. One that is nicely gift wrapped and added with a bow by those in "The Twilight Zone".