Science Fiction Theatre (TV Series) Friend of a Raven (1955) User Reviews

A Most Disturbing Moral

[Michaeltuz3 · 7/10 · 7 November 2019]

I found this episode rather difficult to rate. On the one hand, "Friend of a Raven" is very well made. The storytelling is tight and concise, all of the cast members turn in solid, believable performances. But what troubles me is the underlying message, the point of the story. Richard Eyer was one of the better child actors of the fifties, and he is at his best here, portraying Timmy, a boy who has more than compensated for his inability to hear or speak, finding true happiness and contentment among the animals and within nature. He has an afinity, an inate harmony with all living creatures on or near his father's farm. He is totally at peace with himself and his environs in a way that few people ever will be. Unfortunately, this story is a product of the 1950s, so rather than teaching us to embrace our individuality, the focus is upon the importance, the necessity of conformity. Timmy is not allowed to remain different and happy. Instead teachers, doctors, truant officers - and finally even his own father - all conspire to make Timmy 'normal,' to make him lose his non-conformity and fit into the mold of societal normalcy 'for his own good,' no matter what the cost. For the perspective of 1955 this may have been regarded as a hopeful parable with a happy ending. To me, it seems like a most disturbing horror story; albeit a well made one.

There Really Is a Timmy

[Hitchcoc · 4/10 · 17 July 2013]

Timmy can't talk or hear. His dad dropped him on his head when he was a baby. However, he has developed an ability to communicate with animals, even snakes. His dad is quite hostile because a truant officer and a teacher from the local school district want to know why the kid isn't in school. They also offer him an opportunity to get special help and to be checked out for his affliction. They figure if they can get his hearing back he can be taught to speak. He seems to have a "seventh" sense, and when confronted by hostility, he runs into the woods, even if the threat is a long way off. Most of the episode involves the negotiations among the hearing specialist, the teacher, the truant officer, and the father. Meanwhile, Timmy is off cavorting with his friendly raven, a deer, and anything else out there. The final scene is absolutely ludicrous. See for yourself.