The Infamous Gremlin
One of the most iconic episodes has to “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” in which we see that Gremlin from the airplane window. Who could forget William Shatner and that creature? Actually, the writer behind that episode, Richard Matheson, did not appreciate how the Gremlin turned out. Matheson said, “I didn’t think much of that thing on the wing. I had wished that Jacques Tourneur (Cat People) had directed it…Tourneur was going to put a dark suit on him and cover him with diamond dust so that you hardly saw what was out there. This thing looked like a panda bear.” Despite his disapproval, millions went on to celebrate the episode and director Richard Donner (also famous later for The Omen and Superman The Movie) helped make it such an artistic masterpiece.
The Infamous Gremlin
Careful Disguise Of Social And Political Content
Serling became known for his eagerness to approach big social issues like cutthroat capitalism. However, corporate censors made him dilute some of his messages like the racial commentary within “A Town Has Turned to Dust.” When Ford Motors sponsored one of his teleplays, they made him remove a Chrysler building, which infuriated him. During his 1959 interview with Mike Wallace he said, “I don’t want to have to compromise all the time, which in essence is what a television writer does if he wants to put on controversial themes.” However, since Serling operated within fantasy and science fiction story-lines, he was able to disguise some messages combating religious zealotry, fascism and prejudice. Utilizing post-apocalyptic and alien plots helped him deliver more lessons without censorship, resulting in the didactic nature of The Twilight Zone that allowed it to remain relevant for decades.
Careful Disguise Of Social And Political Content
