"The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine", Poll and discussion thread

An aging actress (Ida Lupino) tries to recapture her past.
Originally aired October 23, 1959.

TZ Cafe credits list
List of musical cues


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Let the discussion begin!

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I really really really liked this one as a kid. But now I just really like it! Martin Balsam as usual is at his best as well as Lupino.

So many people want to live in the past. Barbara gets to.

Leen

This is the episode that I feel is most overrated in TZ Companion. I accept its artistic quality, but to me the message it conveys is too contrary to the rest of the series. It's only one episode later in "Walking Distance" that we're taught, even if we're magically allowed to visit our personal past, that we should make the most out of our present. "The Trouble with Templeton" is another fine example.

One might easily share Barbara's despair over aging, but it's a fact of life that the most reasonable of us accept and work to the best of our advantage. I think she acts like a spoiled child when she rejects the mother role she's offered. It's an opportunity to redefine and revive her career in a manner similar to what many real actors have done, a number of whom are TZ alumni. For example, Beverly Garland went from a sultry night club singer in "The Four of Us Are Dying" to a stepmother on My Three Sons, and to this day she still looks great.

This one is okay, never really appealed to me.

And I agree with Dan--I'm not sympathetic to Barbara. I feel like telling her, "Look, you're not a twentysomething starlet anymore. Those days are gone. Grow up and get over it."

I don't know what Zicree is raving about regarding this episode in the TZ Companion. Barbara is a spoiled old has-been and is self-centered and annoying. In fact, it's disappointing that she gets her way. I guess Ida Lupino is good playing the part of Barbara. I just find her insufferable.

Can you tell I didn't care for this one?

I gave this episode a '7'. Can't beat the great performances by Balsam and Lupino. As much as I hate the character of Barbara because her spoiled nature is so intolerable, I think it's what makes this episode work. I enjoy seeing people come to reality, but this goes in the opposite direction; it's different, which is good, imo. Besides, the world is better off without her if she is going to act all high and mighty and snobbish. My favorite parts of the episode are when Barbara acts as a recluse in her room watching her old movies, it just gives such a dark mood to the episode, which I usually enjoy and it's a reflection of her emotional state.

I like it, but not as much as Zicree does. Too much caffeine when he wrote that entry, me thinks.

I do like the fact that Barbara Jean will not go gently into that good night. On that aspect, I disagree with Mr. Hollis.

And as for Martin Balsam, well…”Psycho” ruined him for me. He’s forever falling backwards down that flight of stairs, regardless of the role.

Decent episode and that's it. I gave it a 7. I disagree with a lot of Zicrees opinions. Maybe we should make a topic covering our disagreements. I got to a couple of episodes in the book, anxiously awaiting commentary on an episode I liked only to find 1 stinkin paragraph about it. Disappointing to say the least.

It's good that you disagree with me ... real good!

SteveJ here, Mr. Hollis, not Anthony. You can relax.

(However...the next time Jayo says she doesn't like "The Lonely," check out the nearest cornfield . )

Despite the fact that Barbara is a disagreeable sort, I felt sorry for her and was happy along with Danny when she escaped into the film. The older I get the more I feel like I no longer "belong" as I used to - the music, morals, attitudes have changed such that I no longer identify with them as much. I can understand somewhat how Barbara felt and was glad she was able to escape to where she can be truly happy.

http://www.thegoldenyears.org/lupino.jpg

wow this episode is very good i was in my room last night and watched its nice episode i like it

i love the little tune they play after Danny Weiss say to the wishes that come true
and befor Rod Serling say to the wishes that come true. i love it what a wonderful music

the music is at the end of the episode do you guys know which music im talking about?

It's part of the original episode score composed by Franz Waxman. Cadwallader posted the results of his extensive research into the sheet music of episode scores, which revealed, among so many other details, that the music which ends this episode is entitled "Twilight Shimmer."

A good chunk of the score is used for the background music of Barbara's old films. So Waxman, a renowned motion picture composer, was demonstrating his talent on a second level. Paul G. confirmed once that the only time any of this episode's score was reused on TZ was coming out of the middle commercial in "He's Alive," in a scene cut from syndication. The cue is called "The Producer" and is heard as Barbara and Danny angrily leave Marty's office and return to Barbara's home.

so you know what im talking about?

good episode..

i believe barbara jean never left the past. it was a wonderful time for her and she remained there. the fact that she wanted to invite her co-actors to a dinner party and not remembering that they were dead or no longer in the business is proof. also with the fact that she would not take the job playing a mother, or even wanting to do a musical when danny told her the studio was offering her a job.

now, i know that it was ida lupino playing barbara jean in the old movies she was watching, but her appearance didn't seem to change much, as compared to jerry hearndan. barbara jean still looked young and beautiful which i think reenforced the fact that she never really left the past. she couldn't live in present so she finally gave in and went to be where she belonged.

anybody know what music im talking about???

Yeah but I was wrong before - it's not called "Twilight Shimmer", it's called "Shrine". Check out the end of the "give us a cue" thread for more details on this.

this is the best episode.

Decent ep. A bit of overacting. Gave it a 6. the pacing was very weak. and the direction deserved better. Anyway, I didn't buy the escape into fantasy to face reality. Not enuf to say the entire ep was bad, but it didn't deliver like it should have. Just an opinion.

That's what we're looking for, mrtwilight

See this thread for details about a rock band with the same name as the title of this episode:

http://twilightzonewor.9.forumer.com/index...t=0&#entry27958

Good episode! I loved the ending where she escaped into the past! I too empathize with her fellings on morality. If I had the opprutunity I would want to go back to the 50's or like Gart Williams to the 1880's . The only problem with that would be I would have never met you all on this board, that would be sad . Maybe I could invent the internet!

This ep puts me in the mind of Sunset Boulevard and after Joan Crawford became box office poison as mentioned in Mommie Dearest. Thing is, Barbara got her wish.

Do you mean "mortality"?

This episode teeters between a 6 and a 7 for me. Love Martin and Ida's performance - just feel really bad for Balsam's character Danny. He busted his backside for a terribly spoiled and self-centered woman. Very much shades of Sunset Blvd - which is a plus. Story and acting are good - just hate people like Barbara.

the music was the best at the end of the episode

Go to

http://twilightzonewor.9.forumer.com/index...29536entry29536

to read about a tribute to Ida Lupino at the Museum of Television and Radio.

Do you mean "mortality"?

Actually Dan, both! And congratulations on #2500!

this is a good episode too watch

Ida Lupino was good in this episode (and she can direct, too! ). It was predictable, but I liked it quite a bit.
7

This was an awesome episode. 1930's was definitely the best time........Lupino was awesome......She's much better than Suzan LLoyd (Perchance to Dream) and Barbara Nichols (22)..............Lupino doesn't have to be half naked like Lloyd to show that she's a good actress.....too bad she's dead

This episode does give one the feel of what the "golden age" of movies was like.
Wow, how different from today. Now, all the "class" is about gone.

http://aycu39.webshots.com/image/1118/2005...55897882_rs.jpg

It's funny that the Hollywood in this episode seems nostalgic today when it was meant to portray a cynical, modern Hollywood at the time.

I really liked the part when Ida was wearing that veil. I'm not sure if was customary for women to wear that kind of Veil in the 50's

I don't think it was, that may well have been intentional, since the Ida's character was supposed to be like a relic of the past.

This was OK for me. A little predictible at times, but nice ending. Did this not remind anyone of Sunset Blvd.? At times it seems like they used outtakes, the story was quite similar. 7 Zones.


v8_roadster

Another question, have you seen anything besides Season 1? If not, HAVE FUN!

Nope, I'm still new at all this, Season 1 only (hangs head in shame). Trust me, Seasons 2-5 are not far away at all, I just finished Season 1 today!

You're in for a treat my friend!

Rating:7. This is one of the ones that I recall from childhood, along with the name of the episode. I must have really been into the show since I always remembered the title of the episodes. I recently saw it PBS. I hadn't seen it in years.