Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysLGBTQ+ Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
The Twilight Zone
S4.E16
All episodes
All
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

On Thursday We Leave for Home

  • Episode aired May 2, 1963
  • TV-14TV-14
  • 51m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
1.8K
YOUR RATING
James Whitmore in The Twilight Zone (1959)
  • Drama
  • Fantasy
  • Horror
The first human space colony is about to be rescued from the forsaken planet they've been on for three decades. But their leader's having a hard time accepting that change will happen when t... Read allThe first human space colony is about to be rescued from the forsaken planet they've been on for three decades. But their leader's having a hard time accepting that change will happen when they get back to Earth.The first human space colony is about to be rescued from the forsaken planet they've been on for three decades. But their leader's having a hard time accepting that change will happen when they get back to Earth.
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
1.8K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Buzz Kulik
  • Writer
    • Rod Serling
  • Stars
    • James Whitmore
    • Tim O'Connor
    • James Broderick
Top credits
  • Director
    • Buzz Kulik
  • Writer
    • Rod Serling
  • Stars
    • James Whitmore
    • Tim O'Connor
    • James Broderick
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 35User reviews
    • 1Critic review
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos17

    James Broderick, Mercedes Shirley, and James Whitmore in The Twilight Zone (1959)
    James Whitmore in The Twilight Zone (1959)
    Tim O'Connor and James Whitmore in The Twilight Zone (1959)
    James Whitmore in The Twilight Zone (1959)
    Tim O'Connor and James Whitmore in The Twilight Zone (1959)
    Rod Serling in The Twilight Zone (1959)
    James Whitmore in The Twilight Zone (1959)
    James Whitmore in The Twilight Zone (1959)
    James Whitmore in The Twilight Zone (1959)
    The Twilight Zone (1959)
    Tim O'Connor and James Whitmore in The Twilight Zone (1959)
    Tim O'Connor in The Twilight Zone (1959)

    Top cast

    Edit
    James Whitmore
    James Whitmore
    • Captain William Benteenas Captain William Benteen
    Tim O'Connor
    Tim O'Connor
    • Colonel Sloaneas Colonel Sloane
    James Broderick
    James Broderick
    • Alas Al
    Paul Langton
    Paul Langton
    • Georgeas George
    Jo Helton
    Jo Helton
    • Julieas Julie
    Mercedes Shirley
    • Joanas Joan
    Russ Bender
    Russ Bender
    • Hankas Hank
    Danny Kulick
    • Jo-Joas Jo-Jo
    • (as Daniel Kulick)
    Madge Kennedy
    Madge Kennedy
    • Colonistas Colonist
    John Ward
    • Colonistas Colonist
    Shirley O'Hara
    Shirley O'Hara
    • Colonistas Colonist
    Tony Benson
    • Colonistas Colonist
    • (as Anthony Benson)
    Lew Gallo
    Lew Gallo
    • Lt. Engleas Lt. Engle
    Rod Serling
    Rod Serling
    • Narratoras Narrator
    • (uncredited)
    • …
    Martin Strader
    • Colonistas Colonist
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Buzz Kulik
    • Writer
      • Rod Serling
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When the rescue ship from Earth arrives, several colonists ask about various places on Earth during a meeting between the ship's crew and the colonists. One of the questions is about the Finger Lake District of New York. This area had a special significance to script writer Rod Serling. It is located close to his home town of Binghamton, he and his family vacationed there frequently, and Serling named his company that produced "The Twilight Zone," Cayuga Productions, after one of the lakes. He later taught at Ithaca College for the last five years before his death.
    • Goofs
      The colony is said to be on a planet in a binary star system a billion miles from Earth. However, a billion miles away would still place them well within our solar system, somewhere between the orbits of Saturn (746 million miles away) and Uranus (1.2 billion miles away).
    • Quotes

      Captain Benteen: Now listen to me. I want to tell you some things about the Earth that you haven't heard before. Things that are ugly. Things that are wrong. Things - that cannot be lived with. There is violence on Earth. There are hatreds! And jealousy! Now listen to me, listen to me and listen carefully. The Earth is a place we do not know. The Earth is a place we have never lived in. It is a society we do not belong in. If we leave here, we will die. We will *die*! We'll be committing suicide, if we go back to Earth. We will die of a misery we have never experienced before. Loneliness. Loneliness like animals in a zoo. We do not belong there.

      [points to Col. Sloane]

      Captain Benteen: We do not belong to his kind. We do not belong *there*. We do not belong *there*.

      Col. Sloane: Captain Benteen! Why don't you let your "children" vote on it?

      Captain Benteen: Only if they know what's waiting for them! Only if they know that the Earth is not a garden. Never was a garden! And it never will be a garden!

      Col. Sloane: [Stepping forward] Fair enough! Fair enough! Then I'll tell you what Earth is. It's a race of men - struggling for survival. Just as you have survived. And Captain Benteen is quite right when he tells you it isn't a place of all beauty. We may yet have wars. And there still remains prejudice. And I suppose as long as men walk, there'll be angry men, jealous men, unforgiving men. But it has one thing that you don't have. One thing. It lets every man be his own master. There won't be any Captain Benteens down there for you. There won't be anybody to tell you when to eat, and when to sleep, and when to meet. There won't be anyone to tell you when to dance or what to sing or how to play. And instead of the thirst, you may feel hunger. Instead of heat, you may feel cold! But you'll be men and women. You won't be sheep. You won't be a kindergarten. And when you pray to God, his name won't be "Benteen"!

    • Connections
      Edited from Forbidden Planet (1956)
    • Soundtracks
      Twilight Zone Theme
      (theme song)

      Composed by Marius Constant

      (seasons 2-5)

    User reviews35

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    Captain Benteen
    This was one of my favorite TZ episodes and I grew up with them from the beginning. What is interesting about this one is Rod Serling's naming of the starship captain "Captain Benteen" which was the name of one of Custer's doomed company commanders at Little Big Horn. A great historical allusion which is sorely lacking in TV today. James Whitmore did a great job portraying a benevolent dictator trying to hang onto his power, which had become his identity and reason for living. I agree with other reviewers who have said that this episode is not so much a quest for absolute power but rather the trait in human nature that once you get into a position of authority it is hard to relinquish.
    helpful•26
    7
    • ironside2
    • Aug 15, 2010

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 2, 1963 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Cayuga Productions
      • CBS Television Network
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      51 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    Editors' Picks: What to Watch Now on Netflix
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    The Best Movies Coming This Summer
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.