"Five Characters in Search of an Exit", Poll and discussion thread

A hobo, clown, bagpipe player, ballerina and Army major are trapped in a huge cylinder.
Originally aired December 22, 1961.

Full video of the episode on CBS.com
List of musical cues

This is the preferred thread for any and all of your "Five Characters in Search of an Exit" posts--facts, opinions, questions, speculations, and whatever else you can think of.* You can also give your opinion of the episode on a 1 to 10 scale, in the poll shown above.

Let the discussion begin!

*More specific instructions and suggestions about posting questions/comments related to this episode are located here.

I rate this one a 10, Always have & always will. My favorite episode of all time.

My mom (an original Zoner) absolutely loves this episode, but It does nothing for me. I think it's okay. Not the best, but not the worst, either.

I Love Your Mom

Well the begining and set-up of the story is excellent, but like many TZ's the explosive potential gives way to an absurd conclusion.

Well, you're entitled to your opinion, just like anyone else, Legion. If you think it's an absurd conclusion, then for you it's an absurd conclusion. I for one don't see the conclusion as absurd, but I do agree with you about the great beginning and set-up, though. 10 for me.

"10"?????
good, but not that good to me. the ending was really good. the choice of actors went well together.
i have taken this as some psychologists story about the different personality traits we have all grouped up confronting each other. 5 dominant sides to our psyche all in control at once. yet confused.

I dropped a 10 for this episode as well. I recall the first time seeing it and being amazed I had never seen it before. I always love Rod Serling's intros and outros, and this is one of his best. Keeps the viewer watching and wanting to know the outcome. I think the conclusion is original, something I had never guessed. This episode is also an adaptation from a short story, so although it wasn't written by Serling, he found it to be very intruiging, enough to adapt it into an episode of TZ. I cannot argue with genius (Rod Serling)!

"5" Over rated. Don't get the fuss. Never have, never will. At least make the dolls to scale with the peeps.

Leen

Hey Lazyboy. Can I assume that's what you are or at least what you sit in to watch Zone?

Either way



Leen

Leen,

Answer to your question: NEITHER
Thanks for the welcome

A middle of the road episode for me. I can take it or leave it.

I find this a very intriguing episode that keeps your attention as you try to figure the situation out along with the other characters. Second 10 for me. Might have had a shot at first 10 if it wasn't for that annoying clown! (I've never liked clowns). He's the type who makes you want to give him a quick slap him in the face just to shut him up. Always felt the Major exercised admirable restraint in that regard!

http://www.twilightzone.org/images/autogrph/windom.jpg

10 zones. Peace

In my top 5 episodes.

I like it, fun episode. Good dialogue that has some hidden depths. I like the sparse set, it makes the dialogue like sparkling lights in a dark room.

I like the episode but I think it's somewhat overrated. I still give it a 9 for the production but this one does not hold up to repeated viewings for me.

I give it a 9. One of my favorites, probably a top 20 ep. for me.

I liked the starkness of the setting, the mystery as to who they all are, how they got there, how will they get out and so on. Loved the twist ending too. Just a great, great zone for me

Okay Twilight Trekker, you listening? I'm giving this another go tonight since it is part of the uncuts.

The hobo playes Percy Crump the undertaker on "Gunsmoke" and that's a good thing.

Love Rod looking over the edge of the barrel in the intro!

Leen (I'll get back to you TT)

I just realized that although this episode has a distinct Christmas flavor at the end, it also has a New Year's reference. Just think about the original words of the song to which the Clown sings, "We're here because we're here ..."

Yes, one of my favorites...so glad it made one of the uncuts. The clown is most entertaining and William Windom performs magnificently. I love the title and Rod's intro to "the prolonged nightmare".

Two hours ago I listened to the TZ Radio Drama version on Yesterday USA. Jason Alexander starred as the Major, and Kathy Garver (Cissy on Family Affair) was the Ballerina. I'd say it worked, but I still prefer the televised version.

By the way, the title is derived from Luigi Pirandello's play Six Characters in Search of an Author.

Very great episode, IMO. The clown is extremely annoying, but it fits the story, I guess.

10/10

One of my favorites. The ending grew on me.

This was obviously the inspiration for a B&W fantasy
episode of Felicity directed by Lamont Johnson (of 8 TZs)
in 2000 called "Help for the Lovelorn" (only one I've seen).

Murray Matheson (the clown) is in the "Kick the Can" segment
of Twilight Zone The Movie as the old man who turns into
the swashbuckling kid who keeps saying, "Tally Ho!"

I think it's been pointed out already that Susan Harrison
(the ballerina) is the mother of Darva Conger. (Who?)

Acknowledging that your "Who?" might be strictly rhetorical, I'll still answer it. She was the winner on Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire? and Rick Rockwell's choice for a bride. The marriage was annulled after less than two months, which was still an eternity compared to the first marriage for Britney Spears.

TV Guide made it very clear that the Felicity episode was an intentional "Five Characters" parody, to the point of using the same director.

Ah Darva. That's a memory. Made big entertainment news during what must have been slow news days. Did it for fun, wanted to go on the trip, had no idea she would win...whatever!

http://img236.exs.cx/img236/3096/darvacongerheadshot8hq.jpg

Perhaps, like her mother, on a spaceship headed for another planet.

Annoying? The Major, now there's annoying. Yelling at a clown? Who yells at clowns?

One of my top 5 episodes.

i would, i hate clowns. just never liked them. no reason.

http://tralfaz-archives.com/coverart/L/lewis_clownf.jpg

Annoying? The Major, now there's annoying. Yelling at a clown? Who yells at clowns?

Kids who are scared of clowns. (Of which there's a sizable amount.) The clown was just grating. You can't really blame the Major for being upset about his situation.

This particular clown seemed to be going out of his way to be part of the problem rather than part of the solution. I can't stand people like that.

am i one of a few who do not find the clown annoying??

granted the clown might not have helped the situation but who knows how long the clown has been there. maybe he didn't want to be disappointed -again. however the clown did help with the climbs to the rim and the making of a rope for the major.

also without tension between the clown and the major, the story would have fallen flat; the major's desperate attempts to get out wouldn't have worked as well-to me at least!!

-ag

adamgrant wrote:

Only after a great, frustrated effort by the Major, after which he reluctantly agreed to help.

I agree with your last paragraph, however. Even though I did not like the clown, he did give another dimension to the story.

You're not alone, Adam. The Clown is one of my favorite TZ characters of all time, paying homage to a stage tradition that goes back at least as far as Shakespeare. If he's annoying, I think it's because the Major is so hypersensitive.

Questions: Since all but the Major had been there for some time as the episode begins, why couldn't the Major (and we) see them? It's not as if they could have been hiding in a corner. Also, what kind of existence did they all experience before their confinement in the cylinder?

I guess it depends on who you identify with. I strongly identify with the Major and would have felt the same way he did about getting out. The clown was doing everthing he could to stand in the way of this effort.
Reminds me of a movie trilogy I saw a number of years ago. Can't recall the name but it was 3 episodes together, kind of like the original "Night Gallery" movie. In one of the episodes, the main character was forced to circle the outside of a tall building along a narrow ledge. While he was trying to do this, a pigeon kept pecking at him. Finally when he reached a place of safety he kicked the #@*&! out of the pigeon. That's a bit like I felt about that clown!


Did a little research on the IMDB. The name of the movie was "Cat's Eye".

There's some more discussion about the Major and the Clown in the "Death Ship" thread, starting here, with a few interruptions.

Here’s my theory, Mr. Hollis.

Spoiler
.
.

The Major is thrown into the toy collection receptacle and has his “Marsha moment.” The other four have been there for some time. If you watch the opening sequence again I think you’ll agree that the Major (as well as the viewer) is at first focused only on the space immediately around him. It’s only as he begins to move along the cylinder wall that his focus (and ours) changes—and the Clown comes into view.

As to their pre-cylinder existence, well…I assume they were doing the same things we were doing before we were born.

A 10 all the way! One of those endings you didn't see coming! I find the dialogue between the Major and the Clown hilarious! I especially like the scene where they're making fun of the Major while he's pounding on the wall! Let him be, let him have his fun!

i hate this episode too