One for the Angels

One for the Angels is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone.

Details

Episode number:2

Production Code: 173–3608

Original air date: October 9, 1959

Writer: Rod Serling based loosely on a teleplay of the same name that aired as an installment of Danger on September 14, 1954

Director:Robert Parrish

Music: stock

Cast

Lew Bookman:Ed Wynn

Mr. Death: Murray Hamilton

Synopsis

A salesman, Lew Bookman, is told by Death that he is to die at midnight. Mr. Bookman argues that as a salesman, his life's work is not quite complete. He convinces Death to give him a stay of execution until he can give one last, great sales pitch. Once Death agrees, Mr. Bookman then announces his intention to quit selling and find another line of work. Since Death had made a binding agreement to not not claim Mr. Bookman until his last pitch is made, Mr. Bookman is proud of having outsmarted Death and virtually assured himself of immortality.

Death cannot renege on the agreement, but what Mr. Bookman hasn't counted on is that *someone* has to die at midnight. With Mr. Bookman now out of reach, Death now sets his sights on a little girl who lives in the same building and whom Mr. Bookman has long befriended. Death arranges for a little girl to be hit by a truck, and as she lays comatose, Death comes to claim her. At midnight, he will complete his task. However, as they wait for the appointed time, Mr. Bookman distracts Death by beginning a sales pitch on Death. In fact, Mr. Bookman makes such a good and compelling pitch that Death is too enthralled to claim the girl. Midnight passes before Death has realized it. He has missed his appointment and the girl lives.

And so, Mr. Bookman has both saved the girls life, and in doing so, knowingly sacrificed his own, since he has now made that last great sales pitch that was the center of the original agreement. Knowing he has saved the girl, Mr. Bookman is content now to accept his fate and go along with Death, who happily does confirm for Mr. Bookman that his final destination is "up there"--heaven.

Trivia

Among the many toys being sold by Lew Bookman is a Robby the Robot action figure. Robby the Robot would later appear in the Twilight Zone episodes Uncle Simon and The Brain Center at Whipple's.

Themes

An episode honoring the dignity and heroism of self-sacrifice. Similar themes are revisited in In Praise of Pip.

External link

• TV Tome episode page

References

• Zicree, Marc Scott: The Twilight Zone Companion. Sillman-James Press, 1982 (second edition)

Back to: The Twilight Zone, Episode List, Season 1