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penpusherThe television Western was an extremely popular form, and for a lot of reasons. There was rustic scenery, horses, clear rules of right and wrong and the continual challenge of life and death. It was also, as the Space Age was beginning in earnest, a throwback to a time when some could find a kind of comfort in the simplicity of what all that represented. It was only natural for Rod Serling to explore the Western landscape with his unique vision. This was his first venture into that setting.
***SPOILERS ABOUT THIS EPISODE MAY BE REVEALED***
Dan Duryea (who happened to be one of the stars of "Battle Hymn," the film on the marquee at the Town Square cinema in Season 1, Episode 1's "Where Is Everybody?") is a drunkard named Al Denton in an old west town, here. He is taunted by a younger, brasher and bullying rival named Hotaling, played by eventual Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner Martin Landau.
After a nasty exchange, Denton ends up in the street, where a pistol magically appears (the first visual effect of the series). Next to it stood the owner of a wagon that buys and sells everything, a kind of rolling, expanded suitcase of Ed Wynn's Salesman Lou, from Season 1 Episode 2's "One For The Angels." As Denton grabs the gun and stands, the wagon owner seems to have a smile.
When Hotaling sees Denton with a piece in his hand, he challenges him to a quick draw, offering to shoot left handed to give Denton an advantage. Denton tries to wave that concept off, but as he does, the gun goes off and Hotaling's left wrist is incapacitated. Everyone is happy and brings Denton into the saloon to celebrate, but Hotaling finds nothing to party about. Again, he calls out Denton to turn and fight. Again Denton tries to placate his antagonist, but this time the gun fires at a lamp above Hotaling's head, which comes crashing, right on his other wrist as he fired, as witnessed by the bemused and silent mobile merchant.
Denton suddenly seems a lot more sober. The barmaid, Liz (Jeanne Cooper, best remembered as the legendary Katherine Chancellor of "The Young and The Restless") wants to talk. Denton reminisces about how he used to be so good with a pistol, someone would challenge him every day. "And every morning," Denton confessed, "I'd start my drinking a few minutes earlier." Killing younger and younger victims drove him to drink.
As Denton predicted, the challenges to his gun skills started again. Some guy named Pete Grant sent his Boys to announce he'd be in town the next night.
And as Denton prepared, he couldn't hit a tin cup off a piece of wooden fencing at fifteen paces. He was, essentially, a dead man, shooting. There was only one thing to do: Pack up and get out of town! And that when our Wagoneer turned back up. His name? Henry J. Fate (long time character actor Malcolm Atterbury).
Fate steps in and sees you through: Atterbury coaxes Duryea to face the challenge
The peddler had a secret weapon: A potion that would let him be a fast, accurate shot, for ten seconds after the mixture was swallowed. And he simply gave it to Denton!
When Pete Grant walks into the saloon (an impossibly baby-faced Doug McClure, later of NBC's long running "The Virginian"), each gunfighter realizes they both have Mr. Fate's potion. And when they fire, they both strike each other in the wrist, effectively ending their dueling careers.
Fate seemed quite pleased with the results and gave a nod to Denton as he drove his buggy out of town, presumably to stop more gun violence, elsewhere. Yes, that's conjecture, but it sure seems like that was this traveling salesman's mission.
That is the underlying message. Guns don't prove anything and that kind of pissing contest only gets your own boots wet. Unfortunately, Rod Serling's story made that point far too subtly for it to resonate with a more modern audience that now have weapons that can fire a bullet a second.
I give "Mr. Denton On Doomsday" a 7 out of 10.
***SPOILERS ABOUT THIS EPISODE MAY BE REVEALED***
Dan Duryea (who happened to be one of the stars of "Battle Hymn," the film on the marquee at the Town Square cinema in Season 1, Episode 1's "Where Is Everybody?") is a drunkard named Al Denton in an old west town, here. He is taunted by a younger, brasher and bullying rival named Hotaling, played by eventual Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner Martin Landau.
After a nasty exchange, Denton ends up in the street, where a pistol magically appears (the first visual effect of the series). Next to it stood the owner of a wagon that buys and sells everything, a kind of rolling, expanded suitcase of Ed Wynn's Salesman Lou, from Season 1 Episode 2's "One For The Angels." As Denton grabs the gun and stands, the wagon owner seems to have a smile.
When Hotaling sees Denton with a piece in his hand, he challenges him to a quick draw, offering to shoot left handed to give Denton an advantage. Denton tries to wave that concept off, but as he does, the gun goes off and Hotaling's left wrist is incapacitated. Everyone is happy and brings Denton into the saloon to celebrate, but Hotaling finds nothing to party about. Again, he calls out Denton to turn and fight. Again Denton tries to placate his antagonist, but this time the gun fires at a lamp above Hotaling's head, which comes crashing, right on his other wrist as he fired, as witnessed by the bemused and silent mobile merchant.
Denton suddenly seems a lot more sober. The barmaid, Liz (Jeanne Cooper, best remembered as the legendary Katherine Chancellor of "The Young and The Restless") wants to talk. Denton reminisces about how he used to be so good with a pistol, someone would challenge him every day. "And every morning," Denton confessed, "I'd start my drinking a few minutes earlier." Killing younger and younger victims drove him to drink.
As Denton predicted, the challenges to his gun skills started again. Some guy named Pete Grant sent his Boys to announce he'd be in town the next night.
And as Denton prepared, he couldn't hit a tin cup off a piece of wooden fencing at fifteen paces. He was, essentially, a dead man, shooting. There was only one thing to do: Pack up and get out of town! And that when our Wagoneer turned back up. His name? Henry J. Fate (long time character actor Malcolm Atterbury).
Fate steps in and sees you through: Atterbury coaxes Duryea to face the challenge
The peddler had a secret weapon: A potion that would let him be a fast, accurate shot, for ten seconds after the mixture was swallowed. And he simply gave it to Denton!
When Pete Grant walks into the saloon (an impossibly baby-faced Doug McClure, later of NBC's long running "The Virginian"), each gunfighter realizes they both have Mr. Fate's potion. And when they fire, they both strike each other in the wrist, effectively ending their dueling careers.
Fate seemed quite pleased with the results and gave a nod to Denton as he drove his buggy out of town, presumably to stop more gun violence, elsewhere. Yes, that's conjecture, but it sure seems like that was this traveling salesman's mission.
That is the underlying message. Guns don't prove anything and that kind of pissing contest only gets your own boots wet. Unfortunately, Rod Serling's story made that point far too subtly for it to resonate with a more modern audience that now have weapons that can fire a bullet a second.
I give "Mr. Denton On Doomsday" a 7 out of 10.