The Masks 

Wealthy Jason Foster is dying and he invites his greedy heirs to a Mardi Gras party where they must wear the masks he specially had made for them or else be cut off from their inheritance.

Director:

Ida Lupino

Writers:

Rod Serling, Rod Serling (created by)

Stars:

Robert Keith, Milton Selzer, Virginia Gregg

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Robert Keith	...	Jason Foster
Milton Selzer	...	Wilfred Harper
Virginia Gregg	...	Emily Harper
Brooke Hayward	...	Paula Harper
Willis Bouchey	...	Dr. Samuel Thorne
Alan Sues	...	Wilfred Harper, Jr.

Storyline

When his doctor tells him that he could die at any moment, the wealthy Jason Foster gathers his heirs including his daughter Emily Harper, her husband Wilfred and their children Paula and Wilfrid Jr. Jason doesn't think much of any of them and it's clear they can't wait to get their hands on his fortune. It's Mardi Gras time in New Orleans and he has one last request - for each of them to wear a carnival mask. Each of the masks is meant to reflect some aspect of their personality - and leave a lasting impression on them.

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Plot Keywords:

mask | inheritance | psychotronic | cult tv | cult director | 

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 March 1964 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cayuga Productions,CBS Television Network

Technical Specs

Runtime:

25 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This episode takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana from February 11 to February 12, 1964.

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Quotes

[closing narration]
Narrator: Mardi Gras incident, the dramatis personae being four people who came to celebrate. And, in a sense, let themselves go. This they did with a vengeance. They now wear the faces of all that was inside them, and they'll wear them for the rest of their lives. Said lives now to be spent in shadow. Tonight's tale of men, the macabre, and masks - on The Twilight Zone.

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Connections

Featured in Top 10 Twilight Zone Episodes (2009)

User Reviews

Poetic Justice

I've always loved the plots where a group of venomous relatives hang out a dying man who is to be a source of income when he dies. These relatives are about as bad as they can get. Their disingenuous nature makes them prime objects of revenge. It is the end of Mardi Gras and they are forced to wear masks or lose their inheritances. Of course, since it's only two hours, they put up with the old man's warped fancies. In the process we get to see them reveal each of their own worst traits. The conclusion of this episode is one of the most memorable of the series. The back biting and hatred that seeps out of the mouths of these people lets us enjoy this conclusion even more.