The Night of the Meek (23 Dec. 1960)
"The Twilight Zone" The Night of the Meek (original title)

After a derelict Santa Claus is fired on Christmas Eve, he finds a mysterious bag that gives out presents. With this bag he sets out to fulfill his one wish - to see the less fortunate inherit the bounties of Christmas.

Director:

Jack Smight

Writers:

Rod Serling (creator), Rod Serling

Stars:

Art Carney, John Fiedler, Robert P. Lieb

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Art Carney	...	Henry Corwin
John Fiedler	...	Mr. Dundee
Robert P. Lieb	...	Flaherty
Val Avery	...	The Bartender
Meg Wyllie	...	Sister Florence
Kay Cousins Johnson	...	Irate Mother (as Kay Cousins)
Burt Mustin	...	Old Man

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

bag | christmas eve | sadness | arrest | cat | 

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 December 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

A stage musical based on this episode was written by lyricist/librettist Patrick Cook and composer Frederick Freyer; it has not been produced because of rights issues.

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Goofs

Bruce the bartender misspells Merry as 'Mery' on the mirror behind his bar.

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Quotes

[an insolent eight-year-old boy stands before Henry Corwin, who is working as a department store Santa Claus]
Henry Corwin: What's your name, little boy?
Kid with Santa: Purcival Smithers.
Henry Corwin: What do you want for Christmas, Percival?
Kid with Santa: A new front name.

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Connections

Remade as The Twilight Zone: Night of the Meek/But Can She Type?/The Star (1985)

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Soundtracks

"Jingle Bells"
(uncredited)
Written by James Pierpont
Playing as the story begins.

User Reviews

I would rather eat my own eyes than watch this episode again!!

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.