Twilight Zone: Season 2, Episode 11 The Night of the Meek
(23 Dec. 1960)
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Twilight Zone: Season 2, Episode 11 The Night of the Meek
(23 Dec. 1960)
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| Watch Episode 0Share... |
| Episode complete credited cast: | |||
| Art Carney | ... | ||
| John Fiedler | ... |
Mr. Dundee
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Robert P. Lieb | ... |
Flaherty
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| Val Avery | ... |
The Bartender
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| Meg Wyllie | ... |
Sister Florence
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Kay Cousins Johnson | ... |
Irate Mother
(as Kay Cousins)
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| Burt Mustin | ... |
Old Man
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Henry Corwin is a down and outer who is normally unemployed and who definitely drinks too much. Every year however, he works as a department store Santa Claus. This year however, he's spent just a little too much time in the bar and is quite drunk by the time he shows up for work. He's fired of course and deeply regrets what he's done. In fact, Henry has a big heart and worries not only about the children he's disappointed at the store but about all of those children who will not get what they've asked for Christmas. When he comes across a large bag of gifts, everything changes for the kids and for himself as well. Written by garykmcd
Art Carney plays a skid row bum who is dressed like Santa but is much more like Billy Bob Thornton in BAD SANTA. Carney's Santa is a pathetic drunk and someone that most children would be scared to death to see appear in their homes on Christmas morning.
This is, without a doubt, the most god-awful episode of TWILIGHT ZONE ever made. Not only is it made on video (which is shot like a live episode and looks very grainy), but the basic plot is just too schmaltzy and annoying to even be considered a part of the TWILIGHT ZONE series. In style, writing and watchability, it fails on every level and is an episode I make efforts to avoid seeing again. There is not twist, no irony, nothing--just dull sentimentality--something that the series was NOT usually a victim of and which suits it very poorly.