"One for the Angels", Poll and discussion thread

A sidewalk pitchman (Ed Wynn) makes a bargain with Mr. Death.
Originally aired October 9, 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 "One For The Angels" posts--facts, opinions, questions, speculations, and whatever else you can think of.* You may 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.

There's an interesting omission from the script as published in TZ Magazine in what was actually produced, although it's included in the short story treatment by Anne Serling-Sutton, Rod's daughter. In Lew's conversation in his apartment with Death, he's supposed to say, "I won second prize last year at the YMHA flower show." This makes it likely that Lew is Jewish. Perhaps it was considered too risky in 1959 to establish such ethnicity to that extent without a specific purpose. The only TZ character actually called a Jew is Ernst Ganz in "He's Alive," and that's because he's a concentration camp survivor. Alfred Becker in "Deaths-Head Revisited" is not so explicitly identified.

No character's surname is stereotypically Jewish, either, except presumably the pawnbroker in "Caesar and Me." (It's "Goldstein's Loan Co.," but that's no guarantee that it's Mr. Goldstein we meet.) One could argue for "Weiss" in "The Shelter," but note that this family's ethnic background, although foreign, is not identified. Fortunately such shackles seemed to have disappeared by the time Night Gallery arrived, most notably in "The Messiah on Mott Street."

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

A few of my favorite things here:

1) Enjoying Ed Wynn, especially in an episode with children.

2) The eerie moment when an eight-year-old child addresses Death, sitting in what seems to be an empty chair (Death is like Scotch tape; you can't see it, but you know it's there).

3) Mr. Death portrayed as essentially an accountant, with a delicate balance of humor and menace.

4) Last but not least, the stock music, each piece of which seems perfectly chosen.

It's been pointed out many times that Lew Bookman (Ed Wynn) isn't convincing as a naturally spellbinding salesman. Maybe Mr. Death is pretending to be more spellbound than he is, a possibility that Dan Hollis has pointed out previously. My own theory is that the other angels (Death is an angel, right? The Angel of Death?) gave Lew an invisible assist when he needed it. Currently in my Top 10.

Good theory, I agree, since Lew wanted his pitch to be so big it would be one for the angels.

A good episode. I like it. Ed Wynn's pitch never fails to crack me up, especially when he's spinning the yarn (pun intended) about the birds smuggling the silk into the country.

currently Now that's exactly why I love the TZ. The top 10 changes with the times and mood.
I have to disagree with the "invisible assist" to Lew. He's like that...just that "yes, and what else do you have?" look... like a little kid watching a magic show for the first time. He missed his appointment plain and simple. Sometimes you just have to tip your hat and say "you win, Bravo." Is there a part of all of us that wishes that when our time comes, that we go out "on top" or "doing something we love to do" or "spending our last moments with those closest to us" or maybe just having "a great day" ? Such is this case in point for one Lew Bookman, who gave the pitch of a lifetime...in the Twilight Zone.

Thanks for the reminder. You asked for an opinion of this episode's score on 5D, but that board disappeared before I could answer.

Evaluating a score comprised of stock cues is a different matter from judging one composed for a specific episode. As a example of the latter, Jerry Goldsmith had a concept in mind for "Back There." He made it consistently haunting, and its use of harpsichord gives it a Victorian mood suitable for 1865, as well as the 1961 scenes in being both a precursor and, later on, a reminder that we went a century backwards along with Peter Corrigan. Bernard Herrmann also wrote a time travel score, his for "Walking Distance," but in his case he made it properly nostalgic and often melancholy.

For an episode like "One for the Angels," we have to take a different approach in evaluation, one that answers two separate questions:

1. How well chosen are the cues?

2. What is the quality of the cues as entities in themselves?

In general, I think "very well" answers the first question throughout the series, and "One for the Angels" is no exception. I once asked on 5D who was responsible for the choices. Popular sentiment led to Lud Gluskin, but I don't know whether this has been definitely established. The only problem I have is with the single chord first heard when Rod announces the name "Mr. Death" and repeated as a Death motif of sorts (when Lew sees Death in his room, when Death kills the flower, etc.). This is too much of a cliche for me, at least the frequency of its use. (I believe Paul identified this as a Herrmann cue, although I don't remember the name. If you're reading this, Paul, please elaborate.) On the other hand, I admire the scene when Maggie is hit (out of our sight) by the truck. The cliche would be for the Death chord or at least some gesture by the character, such as a hand wave or head nod. Instead, he's virtually motionless, and there's no musical cue at all. If Death could really be personified, I imagine this is exactly how he'd act.

As for the second question, each cue really deserves its own answer. As I'm not at all familiar with some of them, I don't feel qualified to remark on what I don't know. Nevertheless, one significant source of TZ cues deserves acknowledgment, and that is Herrmann's Outer Space Suite. It was composed in 1957 for the CBS Music Library, apparently for stock purposes only as opposed to composition for a specific teleplay and later recycled. This is available as an 11-track sequence in the TZ 40th Anniversary Collection CDs.

Here are some of the places where Outer Space Suite is heard in "One for the Angels," preceded by the cue titles:

"Prelude": When Death is thinking over Lew's Pitch for the Angels request. (It sounds like the same kind of "think music" made famous by Jeopardy!)

"Time Suspense": When Lew is making his Pitch for the Angels. The twinkly music when midnight strikes and the toy spaceman starts moving is part of the same cue. Notice how appropriate this cue name is for the situation, even though, aside from the toy spaceman, the episode has nothing to do with outer space. It's also heard during the bidding in the card game in "Third from the Sun."

"Starlight": When Lew and Death walk down the street as Rod delivers his closing narration, actually starting a few seconds beforehand.

Here are some other Outer Space Suite cues and their use in other episodes:

"Signals": While Pip is laughing at the end of "A Nice Place to Visit." As Paul pointed out on 5D, this is actually just a few seconds of "Signals" played several times in succession.

"Space Drift": When Rocky and Pip visit the Hall of Records in "A Nice Place to Visit," also heard in the scene following the crash in "People Are Alike All Over."

"Danger": When the Sturkas and Ridens drive up to the gate in "Third from the Sun."

"Moonscape": As Lanser enters the dining room in "Judgment Night," and a different section of the same cue right before the crash in "People Are Alike All Over."

The other Outer Space Suite cue titles are "Space Stations," "Airlock," "Tycho," and "The Earth." Any or all of these may have TZ use that escapes my memory at present. It would be interesting to create an episode scored entirely from Outer Space Suite with cue titles that completely match the action, as if the score had been written for the episode instead of vice versa.

Middle of the road for me. The only thing that saves it for me is Wynn's pitch.

"5"

Leen

Thanks for the info, Dan, but actually I was wondering how much you liked listening to the music in this episode when I asked this (in an e-mail, I think, not on the board, but I could be wrong). I don't expect you to jump up right now and play your copy of the episode, of course. You don't have to answer at all, for that matter. And no, I certainly wouldn't expect a cue-by-cue review.

I like the "Mr. Death" chord myself (which, if I remember correctly from the Herrmann message board, was written for a pilot called "The House On K Street"), but I understand how it could seem cliched. The "Starlight" cue is my favorite. It reminds me a little of Marius Constant's "whee-dee-dee-dee" TZ theme (the notes are different, but the note pattern is the same), and has some of the same eerieness, but is more sentimental-sounding. I think it's a beautiful piece of music that's perfectly suited for that spot in the episode. I wish I had written it. In the interest of respecting everyone's opinion in a free-flowing discussion, feel free to disagree with any of the above if you want (i.e., don't worry about raining on my parade ).

I like this one a lot. Just short of classic though. I give it an 8.

According to this article by Bill Wrobel (http://www.comcen.com.au/~agfam/rundowns/kstreet.pdf), the cue is called "Fade-In." Wrobel also says, or at least implies, that CBS music editor Gene Feldman picked the cues for "One For The Angels." The last time I read this article--quite a while ago--I either skipped over this line or, based on my understanding (at that time) of the "Eye Of The Beholder" section in Zicree's book that this was Lud Gluskin's job, just ignored it.

By the way, Wrobel also mentions that the "Mr. Death" chord is a minor chord with a major 7th (example: C-Eb-G-B ). Now, with a suitable musical instrument, you can create the sound of Death in your own home.

This article talks about the "Outer Space Suite": http://www.comcen.com.au/~agfam/rundowns/outerspace.pdf. The main Wrobel site is here: http://www.filmmusic.cjb.net/.

Ed Wynn's "Mr. Bookman" character is fun. His sales pitch really doesn't seem very convincing. I guess that's most likely due to the fact that Ed Wynn wouldn't make much of a real world salesman.

The ending is predictable, but it is intended to be. This is an average episode, which is why I gave it a 5.

This one merits an '8' from me. I enjoy Wynn's performance, as well as Murray Hamilton (as Mr. Death). I, too, love the chord played when Mr. Death makes his presence - adds to the mood. I think the episode is very good, predictable, but nevertheless a good one overall. The final pitch was fun to watch - a bit extraordinary to see how Mr. Death falls apart.

The low-key nature of Bookman's final pitch works for me. I can't explain why--only that something more energetic or emotional would be so out of character for Bookman.

I love every performance of Ed Wynn's that I've ever seen. Here's an interesting tidbit from his IMDb page: "Wynn was originally slated to play the title role in MGM's "The Wizard Of Oz". He turned the part down .....believing it was "way too small ...."!"

What a shame...

Hey, this is currently the most popular TZ episode on my poll at RateItAll.com. More than anything, this indicates that there have been very few votes thus far. From left to right you can see episode ranking, episode title, average episode rating on a 1 to 5 scale, and number of votes so far.

1. "One For The Angels" (4.78) (9)
T2. "Time Enough At Last" (4.75) (8)
T2. "Nick Of Time" (4.75) (4)
T2. "Perchance To Dream" (4.75) (4)
T2. "The Lonely" (4.75) (4)
6. "The Midnight Sun" (4.67) (6)
7. "It's A Good Life" (4.64) (11)
8. "Walking Distance" (4.63) (8)
9. "Living Doll" (4.60) (10)
T10. "The Dummy" (4.50) (6)
T10. "The Invaders" (4.50) (6)
T10. "Four O'Clock" (4.50) (2)
T10. "The Last Flight" (4.50) (2)
T10. "The Lateness Of The Hour" (4.50) (2)

Please rate some episodes here if you would like to. Besides providing pleasure for yourself, you might help to increase the number of people who see this board. My Twilight Zone "WebList" is chock full of links to the TZ Cafe, and the more activity it gets, the more likely it is to be listed as one of the site's "Hot" WebLists. The more time it spends as one of the "Hot" WebLists, the more people are likely to see it--and, possibly, the links to the Cafe.

Here's the link: http://www.rateitall.com/t-12115-twilight-...nal-series.aspx.

my take on bookman's pitch is this:
being a pitchman, bookman should know his audience and potential buyer. this mr death guy seemed unimpressed with bookman and his trade, but bookman being the pitchman he is, knows what to offer his mark and how to do it. now, granted this pitch would not necessarily work on the average person, but mr death is no average person. seems he's a type a personality regarding his job and when bookman pitches he's enthralled at once by the wonders of the 'silk' ties.

hey.. just my opinion.. makes the episode more enjoyable to me.

Leen wrote..........

Middle of the road for me. The only thing that saves it for me is Wynn's pitch.

"5"
====================================================

While I agree that this isn't necessarily my "type" Zone, I like it nonetheless.
I have always gravitated towards the sci-fi type stories and how they captured my
imagination.
But as I get older, (34), I also am a little more soft-hearted and
sentimental.
You mean it doesn't tug at your heart at least a little that he's trying to save the
little girl?

I agree maybe its not a 10, but I'm leaning towards a 7+.
It says I have already voted in this poll. I think it would be so cool if I could go
back and see how I voted.
Alot of people here say how their top episodes change a little from time to time.
This would be a good way to reflect.

Thank you and good night.

TZ DZ Fan

Who wouldn't be dying if it hadn't been for Lou's attempt to cheat Death in the first place!

All right, though, I'm still touched, and a tear frequently comes to my eye when Lew gently says, "Thank God!"

i hate this episode!!!!

Dan also mentions the YMHA reference here in a post about the TZ radio dramas. The radio drama version of "One For The Angels" includes that reference.

Dan also says something similar to what he says in this thread:

It appears that when the televised episode was produced, someone (Rod?) might have thought it unwise in less enlightened times to include a Jewish character when it wasn't essential to the story (unlike "He's Alive," for example).

***SPOILER***




I've thought of a more specific problem with making Bookman explictly Jewish, especially during the early days when Rod was (presumably, and also somewhat evidently) trying to be as non-controversial as possible while establishing the series: Showing a non-Christian about to go to heaven would no doubt have annoyed some members of some Christian groups.

It's worth pointing out that many TZ characters that aren't explictly Jewish aren't explicitly White Anglo-Saxon Protestant either, including Becker in "Death's Head," Les Goodman in "The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street," Marty Weiss in "The Shelter," Nate the pawnbroker in "A Passage For Trumpet," Mr. Castle in "The Man In The Bottle," and any number of characters in "The Bard."

But as I get older, (34), I also am a little more soft-hearted and
sentimental.

I know there's a whole pop psychology school devoted to the topic of how feelings about the same thing evolve as we grow older...let me just say your comment serves as a retort to anyone young (choose the age range) who is now looking at TZ for the first time and sneering, "ho-hum, what else is new". The universality of human feelings that Serling tapped into is simply timeless even if cynicism and harshness creep into cinematic direction and content. And the fact that his so-called adult pictures touched so many young children, an unexpected phenomenon commented on by Buck Houghton in the Zicree book, well, this bespeaks an incredibly attained level of engagement to which a select few television artists can only aspire.

ANYWAY, the Hamilton and Wynn performances alone make this episode worth seeing. And the closing repartee between them is such sheer humility that even the most hard of heart should be moved.

Evaluating a score comprised of stock cues is a different matter from judging one composed for a specific episode....

What an excellent music appreciation primer you have introduced, Dan. And to think the late great Mr. Mancini had to ask, "Did they mention the music?"

I could never understand what Death would want with silk...
regardless, a favorite episode.

When I first saw this episode, I really disliked it. It has grown on me, however. I think it's most compelling component is lovable Ed Wynn.

ok i sat down to really watch this episode and i love it its very funny

i like mr death

TZ DZ, I too put this in the 7+ category. I love the title, heaven rules.
The story is sentimental, which is unusual in the zone. I like heart-warming affairs, and this delivers...
Its main downfall for me is it drags, and I found Mr. Death yes likeable, but not my concept of death, which perhaps the episode was shooting for, did not work for me.

Perhaps " Silk" is a representation of any item that Bookman could pitch, its a just a variable in a very complicated and divine quadratic formula. Bookman is a good Man in my Book.

Thanks,ZR
MrZ

Yes, Mr. Z, I agree that 7 is about right for this episode. The writing in this one isn't nearly as polished as in "Nothing in the Dark", but it's still an enjoyable segment.

a 10 from me

I thought you used to hate this episode!?

i really didn't sit down and watch it thats why i said that but i did and i love it

IM, you are right on the quality of the writing. With all due respect, I find the writing of NITD fine, the episode is a tad slow for me.

Mr. Mance, do you think it was symbollic how Mr. Death was sitting in the chair?

Thanks
Mr. Z

I always loved this episode - 'course I always loved Ed Wynn. Uncle Albert in Mary Poppins, fairy Godfather in Cinderfella, and of course - The Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland. Brilliant comedian and always fun to watch - visually appealing mannerisms and body language and a voice that truly befit his demeanour.
Easy to see why Ed was cast in the role of Lew Bookman.
Enjoyed the story, premise and portrayals very much. Hardly anything to complain about in this episode.

Solid 9 for me.

Do you mean the animated Disney version, Dr Moreau?

Do you mean the animated Disney version, Dr Moreau?

Yes, the Disney cartoon of 1951. Which also had Richard Haydn - Bartlett Finchley of A Thing About Machines, Sterling Holloway - Repair Man from What's in the Box, J. Pat O'Malley - Gooberman from Mr. Garrity and the Graves. Fine animated feature with lots of TZ stars in it. Still one of my Favorites from the Disney vaults.

I may have to watch it again.

Who did the other Zone alum play?

Richard Haydn is the Caterpillar, Sterling Holloway is the Cheshire Cat, and J Pat O'Malley is: Tweedledee, Tweedledum, The Walrus & The Carpenter.
Also note that Kathryn Beaumont - no relation to Charles - is the voice of Alice, the model they based Alice's drawings on & was also the voice of Wendy in Peter Pan.

...

***SPOILER***



I've thought of a more specific problem with making Bookman explictly Jewish, especially during the early days when Rod was (presumably, and also somewhat evidently) trying to be as non-controversial as possible while establishing the series: Showing a non-Christian about to go to heaven would no doubt have annoyed some members of some Christian groups....

A more prosaic point: The deleted line seems to conflict with Bookman's later line that "It would mean that for one moment in my whole life I would have done something successful." Hey, winning second prize in a flower show is a pretty successful moment, isn't it?

Something that's bothered me for a while: Why does Bookman give the toy robots to Maggie and Ricky, but not the other kids? Is he just playing favorites or what? I suppose they could both have had birthdays recently. In Serling-Sutton's story version, Bookman doesn't give any kids toys, and there's no sign that any of the kids owns a toy robot. The toy that Maggie brings for Lew to fix is unidentified (i.e., not necessarily a robot).

Edit: OK, now all the Season 1 episodes have received at least one comment this year.

I dont remember rating this one so I'll go with a 7. Very good. Probably the best scene out of any zone is in the opening monologue when Death looks at the screen....genius. Best scene ever.

I gave this one a 10 but one thing puzzles me. If Mr. Death made a deal with Lew that he doesn't have to accompany him until after he makes the pitch, Then why is Lew still able to see him? Remember, Mr. Death told Lew that since he won't accompany him, He was forced to select an alternative. At that point, The only person that should see him is Maggie.

But he was SUPPOSED to go.
Perhaps once you see Death, he's always visible to you.