The Twilight Zone (TV Series) The Purple Testament (1960) User Reviews

The horrors of war, Twilight Zone style

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 9 May 2017]

Lieutenant Fitzgerald (an intense and excellent performance by William Reynolds) is a U.S. army soldier fighting in the Philippines during the second world war. Fitzgerald discovers much to his dismay that he has the uncanny psychic ability to accurately predict which soldier will die next in combat.

Director Richard L. Bare relates the absorbing premise at a steady pace and maintains a grimly serious tone throughout. Rod Serling's tough script astutely captures the nerve-wracking unfairness and hellishness of war. The ace acting by the able cast keeps this episode on course: Reynolds does strong work in the lead, with sturdy support from Dick York as the skeptical Captain Phil Riker, Barney Phillips as the no-nonsense Captain E.L. Gunther, Michael Vandever as the doomed Smitty, and Warren Oates as a cocky jeep driver. Fitzgerald's anguish over his "gift" and ultimate resigned acceptance of his own inevitable gloomy fate adds an additional element of wrenching pathos to this overall fine episode.

'War stinks!'

[darrenpearce111 · 7/10 · 9 February 2014]

Rod Serling came close to death himself in the Philippines in WW2, the setting of this entry. The title is taken from Shakespeare's 'Richard III' that Serling quotes from at the end. Lieutenant Fitzgerald (William Reynolds) finds that he has a very disturbing supernatural ability to foresee death impending on the faces of other soldiers. He explains this situation to Captain Riker (Dick York).

Death is something we just don't want to foresee and this Zone is about the nightmare of one man possessing such terrible knowledge in a tense situation where such knowledge is least welcome, as death is close to the soldiers anyway. The pace may be slow but the horror is unrelenting.

Sad, nightmarish, but poignant as well as one soldier looks on a wedding photo of a recently deceased colleague saying 'War stinks!.

Solid Episode Of Zone

[DKosty123 · 7/10 · 20 October 2018]

World War 2 - Pacific, island campaign, against Japan is the setting.

William Reynolds plays an officer who suddenly gets a power or shall we call it a premonition of who is going to die in the next hours. It starts one day when there are 44 people in a unit going out and he notices a strange look on the faces of 4 of them. He notes the 4 on a piece of paper and when they come back after battle it is these 4 who do not return.

He directly reports to Dick York and he shows York the paper and swears to him that he knows who is going to die because of this power. Then he visits one of of the wounded in the field hospital and sees the same look on his face even though the mans wounds are not that serious. Then in a few minutes the man mysteriously dies in his bed.

York thinks Reynolds might have battle fatigue and asks headquarters to relieve him for 10 days. Then Reynolds sees the look on Yorks face and tells him he is going to die. York tries to laugh it off, and then they go out to battle and York does die. Reynolds gets back and then gets orders to report to a jeep to go to the back lines because of York's request. Then Reynolds looks in his mirror and sees he is going to die.

I will let you reading this figure out what happens from here. Serling's Military experience comes across in a haunting episode here which was written by the master and creator of the Twilight Zone. While there are other ideas more imaginative, this one does hold together well. York would go on to TV's Bewitched as the first Darren , and within 20 years Reynolds would retire from acting.

I'd Rather Not Know

[dougdoepke · 22 July 2006]

Army lieutenant is cursed with gift of premonition.

Battlefields are not the usual locale for occult happenings. This one is. It's the waning days of WWII in the Pacific theater and an infantry officer (William Reynolds) suddenly undergoes spooky premonitions of who will live and who will die. Fine performance by Reynolds on whom the episode turns. He manages the gamut of emotions in very convincing fashion, among the best of the series. You get the feeling he's really on the ragged edge. Also, the production crew turns an ordinary sound stage into effective recreation of battlefield headquarters, where most of the action takes place. Very atmospheric in its use of light and shadow, the photography lends the small jungle clearing a believably eerie appearance. Then too, the supernatural moments are strangely unsettling and well done. Some nice touches, as when Reynolds tosses his shaving kit aside before getting in the jeep, or when the camera picks up the shattered reflection in the broken mirror. Probably because this was still the first year of production, the episode is done with extraordinary care, and it shows. Purple Testament may not quite make the first rank, but it's darn close.

"This isn't odd Captain, this is nightmare".

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 15 March 2010]

If I had seen this episode before, I don't remember it. That would be a rarity, as most Twilight Zone stories leave enough of an impression to at least recall the finale at some point if you've seen what went earlier. This one has the kind of concept that's right up Rod Serling's alley, employing a supernatural element to confront the every day facts of life and death to predict an otherwise unknowable outcome. One could reason that the stress of war might have been the 'trigger' for Lieutenant Fitzgerald's (William Reynolds) uncanny ability, just as blindness often leads to heightened awareness in the other senses. As the stuff of science fiction, this approaches the realm of possibility so naturally that it becomes the stuff of horror.

I hadn't noticed before how much Dick York, who played Captain Phil Riker, resembles Jim Carrey. So much so that it became a bit of a distraction watching him here. It was also cool to see Warren Oates in a quick bit part as the doomed jeep driver who took Lt. Fitz away. As for Reynolds himself, I'm not familiar with his other work, although it appears he had a fairly productive career in film and TV.

I recall reading recently about a real life situation concerning the ability to predict death, but curiously, it wasn't about a person, but rather a Rhode Island nursing home cat. Not intending to be considered facetious, I tried including a link here to a site I just did a search on, however IMDb doesn't allow what looks like a single long word. If interested, you can input 'cat that can predict death' in your search engine and come up with a story on Oscar the grim 'rea-purr'. Not kidding. The story makes one wonder what truly hidden miracles exist in the world, and how we might be better able to understand and accept them if we had more of an open mind. Maybe not everything paranormal requires a trip to the Twilight Zone.

The Light Of Death

[AaronCapenBanner · 10/10 · 25 October 2014]

William Reynolds plays Army Lt. Fitzgerald, who is stationed in the Phillipine Islands in World War II in 1945, who discovers to his dismay that he has developed the ability to see who will soon die by a mysterious glowing light that becomes visible on their faces. His superior(played by Dick York) doesn't believe him of course, but after more predicted deaths come true, it becomes obvious to Fitzgerald that only one course of action is possible, especially after seeing the glowing light in his own reflection... Highly effective and poignant outing made more so because of the added air of authenticity by writer Rod Serling, who was a World War II veteran himself.

A death glow

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 17 October 2018]

This Twilight Zone episode concerns the Phillipine campaign of 1945 and the experiences of one lieutenant. Our protagonist is William Reynolds who after a tough mission in which he lost four men trying to cross a bridge in Luzon.

The problem is that Reynolds said that he saw in their faces before the battle that these four men were the ones that were not coming back. So he confides to Dick York his immediate CO and friend. York says he's definitely suffering battle fatigue and recommends hospitalization.

Which Reynolds rejects but some other strange things occur and maybe Reynolds might not be so crazy.

This is a nicely done Twilight Zone story with the realism of combat blended nicely with the murkiness of the unknown. The ending is something you probably thought was going to be what it is. Still doesn't detract from the overall quality of the episode.

Others to note here are Warren Oates as jeep driver and Barney Phillips as an army doctor.

There is a good Mexican variation... Macario...

[kinetica · 10/10 · 3 October 2006]

I know how the lieutenant in this episode feels. I've had similar occurrences from time to time. I would rather have them disproved... though some people would rather heighten the experience...

Very well done, and just a fantastic episode from a fantastic series, that modern imitations don't equal in elegance.

It is great to see Dick York full of vigor, having seen his last years was tough. The light and use of black and white add well.

It is amazing what they could accomplish in just 30 minutes... of which only about 22 comprise the episode. Simple, inexpensive, yet entertaining.

Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction!

[malvernp · 7/10 · 9 August 2022]

The premise of The Purple Testament (TPT) episode is that a junior officer in a combat situation late in WWII is able to look in the faces of his associates and determine which of them is destined to soon die. The peculiar "mark of death" facial signal marks the future of his friend and commanding officer------and then eventually identifies his own fate. The eerie visual effect used to produce this illusion was accomplished through varying the film exposure and lighting emphasis. Starring William Reynolds as the junior officer and Dick York as his superior with able direction from veteran Richard L. Bare, this episode illustrates the high level of quality realized by even somewhat less distinguished stories during TZ's fabulous First Season.

An anecdote recounted by Marc Scott Zicree in his The Twilight Zone Companion (Bantam Books, Inc., 1982) tells us a story that in many ways is even more interesting than TPT episode itself! On the evening when it was to be first aired, Reynolds and Bare coincidentally were involved in a private airplane accident between Jamaica and Miami. The plane crashed into the ocean, killing one of the five people on board. Reynolds sustained a broken leg, while Bare broke both of his legs in the accident. Notwithstanding their serious injuries, both men managed to survive the crash, swim to shore and fully recover. While in the water, Bare asked Reynolds if he realized that TPT episode was scheduled to be premiered by TZ that very evening. When Reynolds answered in the affirmative, Bare's recalled response was "Bill, please don't look at me"-----recollecting the "mark of death" symbolism in the episode! Bare later went on to direct 158 episodes of the future series Green Acres while Reynolds became the future star of the successful series The FBI!

Because the actual fate of Reynolds and Bare was not then known at TPT's scheduled air time, producer Buck Houghton decided to minimize the possible stress on their families and pull it from being first broadcast that evening. Another classy act from a very classy series!

You See It in the Face

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 1 October 2008]

This is a very nice episode. It is about a curse. A World War II platoon leader is able to see a light in the face of those who will die that day. It is a true curse because he is responsible for them in battle. This puts him in a very difficult position. He can't eat. He can't sleep. He also can't convince others that he is not crazy. Much of the episode is about his efforts to be listened to. He sees the light in the face of his best friend and fellow officer, played by Dick York. This is a human story with a supernatural element. The acting is very good. The war is presented. The faces of the men show the incredible strain of battle. Of course, Serling sets us up for a classic Twilight Zone moment.

The horrors of war extra painful in The Twilight Zone

[Coventry · 7/10 · 7 September 2016]

"The Purple Testament" is definitely one of the bleakest and most depressing Twilight Zone episodes I've seen thus far, but this shouldn't come too much as a surprise since the story is set in the heat and humidity of The Philippines in 1945, near the end of a long and harrowing WWII, amidst a platoon where all the soldiers are seemingly exhausted and already traumatized beyond repair for the rest of their lives. But of all the poor suckers here, nobody suffers as massively as Lt. Fitzgerald! For some inexplicable reason (remember, we're in the Twilight Zone…) he developed the deeply unpleasant ability to foretell which soldiers are about to die next because he sees an uncanny glow appear on their faces. The platoon's supervisor, Capt. Phil Riker, is naturally concerned about his lieutenant's deteriorating mental state but doesn't pay any attention when Fitzgerald begs him not to go on his next mission because he spotted the glow in his face. Contrary to most episodes in this legendary TV-format, "The Purple Testament" doesn't contain any grotesque story twists or kitschy set pieces. Instead, it entirely thrives on gloomy atmosphere and integer performances. What makes the episode truly unforgettable, however, is the enormously downbeat but yet plausible denouement… Fitzgerald's stoic and motionless reaction when he witnesses the glowing face of the last victim is powerful stuff...

The Twilight Zone: The Purple Testament

[Scarecrow-88 · 9/10 · 4 July 2011]

Chilling episode of Twilight Zone features a platoon lieutenant burdened with the ability to look at his soldiers, knowing that they will die because of a light that glows over their faces. When he tries to tell others, they question if the war with Japan is taking its toll on his psyche. The last scene is especially disturbing as it pertains to him. A lot of familiar faces (before they became stars) populate this particular episode. The horrifying thought of seeing the fate of men, realizing that you have this unwanted gift, is at the heart of "The Purple Testament", grim in tone, the mood somber. Terrific central performance by William Reynolds as the tormented Lt. Fitzgerald, the strain of his disturbing gift evident on his haunted face and demeanor. Early performance for Dick York (Bewitched) as Captain Phil Riker, worried about Fitzgerald's state of mind, told that he will die (Fitzgerald sees the "death glow" on Riker's face as well). TZ regular Barney Phillips (Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?) has a role as Captain EL Gunther, Riker's superior who the Captain informs about Fitzgerald's "episodes". The great Warren Oates has a small part as a jeep driver who considers himself quite a careful man behind the wheel, with the likes of film director Paul Mazursky (Down and Out in Beverly Hills; Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice) and television actor Rob Masak (Murder She Wrote) also turning up in little roles.

Reflections of Death

[sol1218 · 7/10 · 24 August 2011]

***SPOILERS*** It's January 1945 with the US Army fighting a brutal mopping up operation against the the remnants of the once proud Japaneses Imperial Army dug in and fighting to the last man on the Philippine Islands. It's before an jungle skirmish with the Japs that US Army Let.Fitzgerald, William Reynolds, saw in the faces of four man under his command a strange and eerie light that he took no notice of. It was only after the four were the only ones killed in the fighting with the Japs that he started to feel that he saw in advance that they were going to die!

Acting strange and a bit, for a better word, nuts Let. Fitzgerald's CO Capt. Phil Riker, Dick York, recommends that he take some R&R, rest and recreation, behind the front line only to have Fitzerald insists on staying with his men instead.

It's after a number of other incidents that confirm Let. Fitzgeard's strange ability to see death in the faces of his men, which includes Capt. Riker, that he finally agrees to take a ride out of the battle zone and give his shattered nerves some well deserved rest. Just before he's to be driven by his jeep driver, Warren Oates, behind the front lines Let. Fitzgerald sees himself in a mirror and his face is lit up like a Christmas tree! Lit up with the strange light that he saw in the faces of those men who's death he knew was about happen!

***SPOILERS**** Knowing that there's nothing he could do to prevent the inevitable Let. Fitzgerald hops on the jeep taking him out of harms way and the jungle battlefield and into what he knows what fate awaits for him in the "Twilight Zone".

Dont really see the interest in this episode

[AvionPrince16 · 5/10 · 21 August 2022]

So we know that lieutenant can see who will die and we know that from the beginning. So yeah after the revelation of that we realise that is true and really get effective. I didnthfind the episode pretty interesting: where is the psychology? The message behind it? What we need to understand with that? I found pretty unrealistic and too much sci fi for this one but very meaningless. The shots was good with the camera movement and other things but thats all nothing else : no surprise, no big revelation, no twist, no message, no morality, no complex plot and not even deep characters: i was pretty disappointed and clearly hungry because the episode dont really give a lot and just hold back in my opinion. They can do better than that for sure.

War is hell especially in The Twilight Zone.

[BA_Harrison · 23 June 2016]

Lt. Fitzgerald (William Reynolds), stationed in the Philippines during World War II, develops the ability to identify the men in his company who will be next to die, an eerie supernatural glow lighting up the faces of imminent goners.

The best Twilight Zone episodes are the ones that are either so clever that the twist is impossible to guess, or so engrossing that already knowing or accurately predicting the ending doesn't spoil matters. To be honest, The Purple Testament is neither of these—I figured out what the twist was well before it arrived, and the plot wasn't gripping enough to prevent this detracting from my overall enjoyment. That said, this episode is far from the worst the show has to offer, benefiting from strong performances, a palpable atmosphere of dread (no doubt helped by Serling's own experiences during the war), and a suitably sober ending, Lt. Fitzgerald realising that there is nothing he can do but accept his fate.

"Purple Testament" is an eerie war story

[chuck-reilly · 6/10 · 3 April 2008]

In "Purple Testament" William Reynolds stars as Lieutenant Fitzgerald, a war-weary officer in the Pacific Theatre who has passed the point of no return. Suffering from severe battle fatigue, Fitzgerald begins to see death itself on the faces of some of his soldiers. Soon, these same "marked men" are killed in combat and Fitzgerald believes he now has the power to see who will live and who will die. It's also a power that he abhors and he begins to have a mental breakdown himself.

Despite good performances by all, including Dick York as one of Fitzgerald's superiors, this is mainly a run-of-the-mill episode in the series. Rod Serling, an Army veteran of the Pacific himself, wrote the story and it seems more grounded in reality than Twilight Zone material. Veteran actor Barney Phillips (nearly a "Zone" regular) is also on hand here as is Warren Oates, who makes an appearance right at the very end as a doomed jeep driver. You might say that Lieutenant Fitzgerald doesn't like the strange look on his face. Reynolds, who is very effective as the clairvoyant officer, later went on to TV fame in the old FBI series with Efrem Zimbalist Jr. He's still around but pretty much retired from acting now.

White light, white heat

[Lejink · 8/10 · 17 November 2019]

Taking its title from a Shakespearean quotation, this "Twilight Zone" episode, written by series creator Rod Serling, is one of the darker ones I have seen. Set In the American campaign in the Far Eastern theatre of the Second World War, a young army lieutenant starts getting premonitions of the impending death of his platoon members. This takes the form to him of a light shining in the face of the doomed individual or individuals. When he takes his troubles to his friend and commanding officer the latter naturally thinks he is suffering from battle fatigue and refers him to the medics. However when another apparently recovering colleague expires in his hospital bed just after the lieutenant has visited him, he unsurprisingly starts to become paranoid about his condition.

The show continues unflinchingly until its conclusion as we learn the identities of the next-in-line, in so doing strongly asserting its anti-war message.

I don't know if the battlefield settings at the start were from stock footage, but if not, they were convincingly realised and belied the normal budget limitations you see on the show. The acting too was convincing especially William Reynolds as the haunted soldier and a pre-"Bewitched" Dick "Darren" York as the C.O. to whom Reynolds turns for help.

Yet another strong episode from this high quality series.

Interesting premise that isn't properly utilized

[FairlyAnonymous · 6/10 · 11 November 2018]

The premise of this episode is interesting: A man can tell that people are going to die, he just doesn't know how.

The problem with this episode is that it doesn't really do anything with it, and the later half of the episode he decides to keep his ability to himself and only the audience knows. Sort of a wasted potential. This episode could've been far more interesting if someone actually found out the truth, especially at the very end when he realizes he is going to his doom yet does nothing about it he could've told everyone what was about to happen.

It just doesn't make a lot of sense where a big chunk of this episode is his trying to prove to people that he has this special power, yet he never tries to easily prove it to anyone by writing all of the names and telling officers as to who is going to die.

The ending itself is pretty predictable, you know he is going to see himself die, but the issue is that it was completely avoidable. So if he didn't go in the car would he have survived or would it go final destination on him? Who knows.

Good, but not great

[ericstevenson · 8/10 · 10 July 2018]

This episode tells the story of a guy who is able to predict when people will die. Specifically, he sees their faces flash right before it happens. Oh, and it takes place in World War II. Really any historical war takes place during than. They don't quite do that much with it. It has a good ending though.

He looks into a mirror and guess what he sees! The real payoff is when he sees the person he's with about to die too. It was a little too simple of a premise. Still, the actors work very nicely. I'm a little familiar with "Richard III". I don't remember this verse. ***

Haunting and simple

[kellielulu · 7/10 · 7 December 2022]

I understand this episode might be lacking for some viewers and not having more of an explanation to what is happening. I can't say this is a favorite of mine but I think it's the straight forward way the story is told that makes it more haunting. Aside from the light the main character sees on the faces of each soldier that doesn't make it including himself there is nothing particularly super natural about this episode. They carry on and after a while even Fitzgerald who has this ability doesn't really talk about it maybe simply he's accepted it and doesn't disagree when he will be sent away for a couple of weeks for rest and observation. Seeing the light on his own face and the drivers he knows they won't make it . We hear the explosion . That no one really looks for an answer or tries to understand it's frustrating in a way . I think a interesting twist could have been if another person had gained this ability after Fitzgerald it would have been quite an ending.

The power to see the face of death is not a holiday.

[mark.waltz · 10/10 · 19 February 2019]

War is hell in many psychological ways, and for Lieutenant William Reynolds, it truly becomes hell on Earth when he realizes that he has the capability of seeing death on the faces of fellow soldiers who are about to enter the Twilight Zone. As other members of the troupe become aware of his belief, they look at him incredulously, some almost in awe and definitely some in fear. For his commanding officer, Dick York, he must continue to lead the troops and keep anic from coming in. As we see the face of death through his eyes appear on various other people, it becomes eerie, sad, reverent and truly profound.

As I go through the Twilight Zone series in chronological order, I find that there are many episodes that simply cannot be described as anything other than excellent. the music within less than a half an hour of running time, so much detail is put into creating a conflict, establishing the main characters and providing a resolution or twist of fate that will have the audience in shock. always expect the unexpected, and for Reynolds, expecting the unexpected in war is an everyday battle. York, best known of course for "Bewitched", proves his dramatic ability, and provides much subtlety in his performance. But it is Reynolds who will stand the test of time in this episode as he begins to regret the power that he has somehow gained and heads off to the battle knowing what fate awaits many more.

Weird...but pretty good.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 3 October 2009]

During WWII, a lieutenant somehow has developed the ability to see in the faces of his comrades which ones are imminently going to die. However, when he tries to do something about this, everyone naturally thinks he's crazy. This inability to change the future despite his many efforts makes him depressed and sullen. Ultimately, however, he makes the mistake of looking into the mirror and, surprise, surprise, he sees his own face all aglow--meaning he, too, is about to die.

While the show is relatively slow and very simple, the acting is good and the idea novel. Not a great episode, but one worth seeing...once.

By the way, the future director, Paul Mazursky, plays one of the roles in the episode as does Dick York ("Bewitched").

Seeing Is Believing

[StrictlyConfidential · 7/10 · 21 June 2021]

"The Purple Testament" was first aired on television February 12, 1960.

Anyway - As the story goes - Lt. Fitzgerald has found his own special wartime hell. Looking into the faces of his men prior to battle he has the disquieting ability to see who is about to die.

Pointless.

[bombersflyup · 1/10 · 9 August 2019]

The Purple Testament is the least interesting episode thus far. The captain sees who is going to die before they do and the question is can it be avoided. The problem's that we never see anybody try, so what's the point. If the jeep driver's going to die as well, you'd at least get out unless you wanted it to end, but that's a bit of an overreaction.

Lacked depth

[Calicodreamin · 6/10 · 27 May 2021]

While an interesting supernatural aspect, this episode lacked character depth, making it hard to connect to the story. Acting was decent. Effects weren't up to par with previous episodes.