The Lonely (13 Nov. 1959)
"The Twilight Zone" The Lonely (original title)

A convict, living alone in an asteroid, receives from the police a realistic woman-robot.

Director:

Jack Smight

Writer:

Rod Serling

Stars:

Rod Serling, Jack Warden, John Dehner

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Rod Serling	...	Narrator (voice)
Jack Warden	...	James A. Corry
John Dehner	...	Captain Allenby
Jean Marsh	...	Alicia

Storyline

A convict, living alone in an asteroid, receives from the police a realistic woman-robot.

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Plot Keywords:

convict | asteroid | futuristic | shot in the face | loneliness | 

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 November 1959 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Desolation Canyon, Death Valley National Park, 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 first of many Twilight Zone episodes (including Twilight Zone: I Shot an Arrow into the Air, Twilight Zone: A Hundred Yards over the Rim and Twilight Zone: The Rip Van Winkle Caper) to be filmed on location in Death Valley. Unprepared for the terrible conditions they would face, the crew suffered extreme dehydration and heat exhaustion and director of photography George T. Clemens even collapsed, falling from a camera crane while filming continued.

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Goofs

According to the narration, the entire story takes place on an asteroid. Asteroids are neither large enough nor stable enough to hold an atmosphere.

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Quotes

James A. Corry: There's no more problems. There's no more problems on heaven or earth.

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Connections

References Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

User Reviews

Correction

Actually, it was Ted KNIGHT, not Ted CASSIDY, who played the uncredited obnoxious crew member. The very tall (6'9") Mr. Cassidy is probably best remembered for playing butler Lurch on 'The Addams Family.' Ted Knight, of course, is the actor who played anchorman Ted Baxter on 'Mary Tyler Moore.'

Having said that, there is no disputing that this was one of the very best episodes (tied with 'Midnight Sun' as my personal favorite) of the Twilight Zone series. No small achievement, considering the number of gems presented. Unfortunately, in order to make room for more commercials than when it was originally presented on CBS, Sci-Fi Channel has cut one crucial scene. In it, one night Corry and Alicia are gazing at the stars, with Corry explaining which star is which, etc., and, well, 'cuddling.' Not just romantic, but touching, the scene adds even more emotional power to this compelling episode. You MAY have a chance to see the uncut version when Sci-Fi Channel has one of its Twilight Zone Marathons. Look for it again at 4:00 a.m. EDT, Sunday July 5, 2009.