"Walking Distance", Poll and discussion thread

A harried executive named Martin Sloan (Gig Young) revisits his hometown, which seems curiously unchanged.
Originally aired October 30, 1959.

Full video of the episode on CBS.com
TZ Cafe credits list
List of musical cues

This is the preferred thread for any and all of your "Walking Distance" 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.

my alltime favourite.

My sentiments also - #1, and has never failed to hit my heart right between the eyes...

a good childhood is precious. and those of us that had a good one, i think it does hit home. we want to go back, but can't. but for a little time, martin sloane did. i think we can all be a little envious of that.

One of the great ones, television at it's finest and deepest. One that you can appreciate more as you get older and wiser. If you're young, and you don't like it, find it boring, etc., come back to it when you're older. You'll be glad you did. It'll be there waiting for you and it'll blow you away.

This one and "The Changing Of The Guard" are the ones that have grown on me the most. I learned to appreciate "Walking Distance" more by talking to some of the people in this group. The key for me was learning to see Martin more as a "lost soul," for lack of a better phrase, than as a self-centered jerk. Well, he is extremely self-centered, and I believe it's essential to the story that he is, but it's even more important that he's a lost soul. And the beautiful part is that even when Martin puts the pieces of his life together, he still yearns nostalgically for his childhood; no amount of maturity and good advice can take that away. No simplistic happy ending for this one.

In some ways, this feels more like a thirty-minute feature film than a television show. Beautiful music, cinematography, writing, and Gig Young is great. An easy "10" for me.

This one grew on my over time, too, Bevis. Sometimes when we experience something at a certain period of our life, perhaps too early, we don't see all there is to see and the fault is ours.

This one is okay to me. I don't get its appeal. Maybe I'm too young to appreciate it.

Could be. When I was your age, I didn't much like it either. Just wait a few years, you young whippersnapper.

This is the one that has also gone to my top ten after virtually taking it for granted before. And I thank the Fifth Dimension for encouraging me to give it a second look!

Leen

How could anyone give this anything but a 9 or 10? I suppose you have to hit a particular age before you can really appreciate it... Beautiful episode. One of the best, if not the best.

One of the interesting things for me in the last couple of years has been finding out how much diversity of opinion there is about even the most popular and least popular TZ episodes. For better or for worse, it's much more than I would have expected. (To the degree that the world is a more interesting place because of this, I think it's more good than bad. Anyway, it doesn't matter what I think.) As for age, it is probably a factor in appreciating this ep--all joking aside, Jayo--but on the other hand there are teenagers who love it, and I bet that somewhere there are 60-year-olds who don't care for it all that much.

Mr. Z. once brought up another dimension of the viewer's experience when he asked whether we had grown up in big cities or small towns, and how that affected our enjoyment of "Walking Distance." Personally, I grew up in Clifton, NJ, which is not a small town (population 80,000 or so), but the neighborhood I grew up in felt very "Walking Distance"-ish to me. The houses were not as large or quite as nice-looking, but it was still a nice, quiet, picturesque neighborhood with a lot of kids, and wide streets for us to play in where traffic was not a problem. And this was just before home video games started to be popular, so even a nerd like myself spent a fair amount of time playing outside.

We went to the smallest elementary school in town, which was up the hill from me and two blocks over, and there was a candy store across the street with an old-fashioned "Hershey's" sign sticking out over the corner. I used to buy candy, soda (no ice-cream sodas, though!) and baseball cards there. An excellent place for a kid to grow up, and it bore enough of a resemblance to Homewood for me that I probably enjoy "Walking Distance" more because I grew up there. In fact, I wouldn't mind going back right now...

I believe this was Serling's favorite episode hands down. A place he wanted to escape to after entering HOLLYWOOD and finding no escape from fame and recognition. There's a song out there that depicts the "Hard Life" of a famous musician and how the 'road makes even young ones feel old before their time...' and how those of us who live paycheck to paycheck working holding down extra jobs to make it ALSO live this HARD LIFE... both sides of the story LONG for a place they can return to like Homewood to ESCAPE...

As for the popularity of this particular episode,
I don't think it has to do with AGE or where you grew up that affects our enjoyment of "walking distance". I believe it has to do with your
enjoyment of that childhood memory. I grew up in a town of 2300 in the 70's just before video games and cable TV... I remember the dime stores and the town square and the neighborhoods and town celebrations in the summertime...the city parks. In fact, I went back to TEACH in that small town about 7 years ago and I haven't left. I park my car/truck about a block or two away from the elementary just so I can walk down the streets as I did as a young boy. Nostalgia is alive and well in my life and I get to live "Walking Distance" just about everyday I go to work. Life is good.

, craigstyx! You lucky devil.

Yes, I think you're right about this being RS's favorite episode. Although the thing that makes me pause is, I've seen other people say that this was Rod's favorite much more often than I've seen a quote of Rod himself saying that it's his favorite. I think I've seen such a quote, but I'm not even sure of that. Does anyone else know where Rod might have said this?

I seem to remember seeing it in print about Walking Distance being Serling's favorite, but also never saw him being quoted as saying it.

I wonder if we would be able to find out from Carol Serling? She is still living, right?

Craigstyx

Yes, she is. In fact, maybe she was the source for the information that "WD" was Rod's favorite. There's an interview with Carol Serling that I have, and I'll reread when I get the chance.

In The Twilight Zone Companion, producer Buck Houghton said: "I think 'Walking Distance' was probably as good as any we made." Serling and Houghton were the two people most responsible for making the series as great as it was, so if they both picked "Walking Distance" as #1, that's pretty noteworthy. But it doesn't necessarily mean their opinion is more valid than someone who doesn't pick "WD" as #1.

I like the metropolis life. So, I differ with Martin on this point.

Looks like it's all been said by everyone. I'm living proof that age does matter. Found this episode boring as a child but now it's in my top 10. In fact. it's the only "non-eerie" episode in my top 10. Sentimental nostalgia at its best. Finely crafted show.

http://a248.e.akamai.net/f/248/5462/2h/act...es/bx11nqfo.jpg

Great Gig picture. Hopefully it was in happier days.

Leen

Since it's my number one episode, I'll give it a ten. Wish I could give it more.

I saw this episode for the second time today. I first saw it a few years ago or so. It really did not "hit me" the first time but today it did. I can relate to the character. I am single and thirtysomething(just like Martin). I'd like to get married and start a family soon but still yearn for that "cotton-candy and merry-go-rounds. Since I do not have a high pressure job(which Martin obviously has in the episode), I have been able to enjoy more good times. This episode motivates me to find even more ways to experience life in a positive manner by keeping an open-mind and balanced schedule.

Pianoman!



Leen

In what state is Homewood located? Like many of you, I suppose, I always thought New York, somewhere upstate from New York City. It's supposed to be modelled after the Binghamton of Rod's youth, and it's within driving distance of NYC. There are references to summers spent near Buffalo and Saratoga Lake, which if not too far away from Homewood would pinpoint the state. Nevertheless, after viewing the episode again recently, I realized that Homewood's state is never explicitly mentioned, not even in a sign, unless I've badly overlooked something.

I must have had a better reason for believing New York beyond what I've already said here, and I found it. Rod's short story treatment says "Homewood, New York." In fact, Martin's drive to Homewood is given some detail: Grand Central Parkway to the NY State Thruway (spelled "Throughway" in the story). "Somewhere at the end of a long, six-lane highway that stretched out across the rolling hills of upstate New York, Martin Sloan was looking for sanity. He stopped at a motel near Binghamton, New York, slept a few hours, and was on his way again, and at nine in the morning pulled into a gas station off the State highway."

Perceptions are interesting. I got Rod's three paperbacks, together containing 19 of the episodes he wrote, back when the series was still on CBS or just beginning its run in syndication. As such I didn't see any given episode all that many times, perhaps once a year at most, and it was the paperbacks through which I could relive episodes to my heart's content. Without the telecasts readily available, I came to think story elements were episode elements as well. For the most part that was true, but here's an example where the story tells us something that the episode never specifies.

An easy 10! I love this episode so much...probably #2 on my list. I sat back and enjoyed the episode today with an ice cream soda...oh so gooood!


I'm only 25, but sometimes the workload I endure with physical therapy school and all the responsibilities I now have as an adult can be overwhelming. This episode just makes me feel like a kid again, loving that aspect of my life, even wanting to return to a time where stress was not in my vocabulary. The talk between Martin and his dad at the end is very inspirational to get life moving forward again.

It's funny, there is commentary from Rod Serling himself regarding this episode on the Definitive Edition DVDs. The commentary was from a lecture that he gave at Sherwood Oaks college. From what I heard, he must have soured on "Walking Distance" over time. He didn't have a lot of positive things to say about it.

I've heard and read a lot of raves about it, too. But I wouldn't recommend it as a must-see TZ.

The character is so underwhelmed when meeting his parents after going back in time. Wouldn't he be more affected? The ending is anti-climactic.

A couple of interesting "Walking Distance" links, both from the Rod Serling Memorial Foundation. Here's a great article by Paul Mandell:

http://www.rodserling.com/WDmandell.htm

And here's an article by Christopher Conlon on the many "fathers" of Martin Sloan (i.e., the people who've said that Serling ripped them off). Cori posted a link to this on a previous board:

http://www.rodserling.com/msloan.htm

Enjoy.

As some of you know I took my own Rod tour of Binghamton a few summers ago and I'm glad I did.

Now if I can locate my photos like I've been threatening to do I'll post them on this message board. But I will put it under the Rod Serling heading.

Leen

My thanks, also! A cousin of mine gave me Collection 2 a while ago. I had balked at paying $100 a crack for the others. Will definitely look into this, tomorrow!

Okay I started posting my photos here:

http://twilightzonewor.9.forumer.com/index...st=0&#entry7117

Image shack is running slow so I will add more later.

Enjoy!

Leen

Would this episode effect you more if the lead was a female? ( Martina Sloan?)

very good episode i love it

It's funny, there is commentary from Rod Serling himself regarding this episode on the Definitive Edition DVDs. The commentary was from a lecture that he gave at Sherwood Oaks college. From what I heard, he must have soured on "Walking Distance" over time. He didn't have a lot of positive things to say about it.

I've heard and read a lot of raves about it, too. But I wouldn't recommend it as a must-see TZ.

The character is so underwhelmed when meeting his parents after going back in time. Wouldn't he be more affected? The ending is anti-climactic.

yes.. i listened to the commentary/lecture on the definitive set last night and i was surprised to hear that rod serling had soured on "walking distance". serling was saying how unrealistic martin's reaction was to seeing his parents. serling also said if he could change the story he would. he then said that "a stop at willoughby" was a better show than "walking distance" after one of the students brought up "..willoughby".

now, "walking distance", to me is just an okay episode, but i do like the message about looking toward the future to find happiness.
-ag

Here's a weird sighting: I have a Yahoo! e-mail account that I use exclusively for the Gilbert & Sullivan forum to which I subscribe, but every so often I get spam that's sent to a bulk folder. The supposed sender is usually identified by what looks to be the name of a genuine person, although the sender's address is generally unintelligible.

Two days ago I received one of several offers to get "A Genuine College Degree in 2 weeks!" The sender (gqmoamgr@hotmail.com) was otherwise identified as "Frank Overton."

"Mom, how can you be here? Dad, how can you be sending e-mail to me?"

Just watched the uncut version last night. I give this one an 11. I can't say that I've seen a better TZ. I could watch this episode 100 times and it would choke me up every time. I don't have a problem with any part of a single line of dialogue, etc. Tremendous is the best way for me to describe it. As Jayo said earlier, maybe age has something to do with appreciating this episode.

Rip wrote:

Could you be just a bit more enthusiastic, Rip?

Actually, I feel the same way - excellent episode and I gave it top marks.

#2 on my list, and I highly doubt it ever will move down.

Could you be just a bit more enthusiastic, Rip?

Actually, I feel the same way - excellent episode and I gave it top marks.

LOL Crown. I talked my wife into watching it with me last night and I thought her allergies were bothering her. Hey wait, we had the AC on. She got a little emotional on me. I've always had "And When the Skies Opened" as my #1. "Walking Distance" is now right there tied for the top spot.

i love too watch this episode

"SPITTLE ALERT"

When older Martin comes upon his younger self in the bandstand, you can see young Martin carving his name in the wood he has his first name and SL for his last name then in the next shot the "L" is missing! I wonder, since he interrupted his younger self from completing his name did he ever complete the carving?

10 (duh)