Demon with a Glass Hand 

Days ago, Trent awoke with no memory of his past. Since then, sinister men have pursued him constantly. He manages to stay one step ahead of them by following the advice of his hand. Made ... See full summary »

Director:

Byron Haskin

Writer:

Harlan Ellison

Stars:

Robert Culp, Arlene Martel, Abraham Sofaer

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Robert Culp	...	Trent
Arlene Martel	...	Consuelo Biros (as Arline Martel)
Abraham Sofaer	...	Arch
Rex Holman	...	Battle
Steve Harris	...	Breech
Robert Fortier	...	Budge

Storyline

Days ago, Trent awoke with no memory of his past. Since then, sinister men have pursued him constantly. He manages to stay one step ahead of them by following the advice of his hand. Made of glass and apparently capable of speech, Trent's hand can answer many of his questions. But it cannot tell him who he is or why his enemies seek him until he finds all of its fingers. The only trouble is that they're in the hands of his enemies.

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Plot Keywords:

finger | robot | survival | survivor | medallion | 

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 October 1964 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Bradbury Building - 304 S. Broadway, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Daystar Productions, Villa Di Stefano, United Artists Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

51 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Along with The Outer Limits: Soldier (1964), this is one of two episodes penned by Harlan Ellison that allegedly formed some of the basis of James Cameron's script for The Terminator (1984).

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Goofs

The glass hand tells Trent that the future Earth has been contaminated with a radioactive substance that has a 99-year half-life, and that the radiation will dissipate within 200 years. This is a complete misunderstanding of the nature of radioactive decay. Half of a radioactive substance will decay in the time period called a half-life. When another half-life passes, half of the remaining substance will decay, and so on. It would take many millennia for a substance with a 99-year half-life to decay to the point of being virtually radiation-free.

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Quotes

Trent: I was born ten days ago. A full grown man, born ten days ago. I woke on a street of this city. I don't know who I am, or where I've been, or where I'm going. Someone wiped my memories clean. And they tracked me down, and tried to kill me. Why? Who are you? I ran. I managed to escape them the first time. And the hand, my - hand, told me what to do.

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Connections

Featured in The Chronic Rift: Science Fact in Science Fiction (1991)

User Reviews

I cannot answer; I am not yet complete

This is by far the best piece of 60's television that I have ever seen... and not only in the genre of sci-fi(sorry, Harlan, "fantasist") or episode of the original The Outer Limits. You can tell that it is by Ellison, and the part this(and the almost as good Soldier) played in inspiring The Terminator is impossible to ignore; I am a fan of Cameron, and I doubt he intended to plagiarize. The story is compelling, engaging, has stunning twists and turns and is smart without being convoluted or difficult to follow. This has amazing pacing, moves fast and keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time, not overstimulating you at any point. The action is incredible, and this is exciting, suspenseful and tense throughout it. This has a chilling and unforgettable ending, and in spite of when this was made, nothing looks silly. The effects are rather well-done, and this was ahead of its time in its concepts and the way it explores them. This has excellent cinematography and editing. The acting is marvelous, and Culp, as well as everyone else, is spot-on. There is a bit of disturbing content in this. I recommend this to any and all fans of science fiction. 10/10