The Twilight Zone (TV Series)
Escape Clause (1959)
Reference View | Change View
- TV-PG
- 25min
- Drama, Fantasy
- 06 Nov 1959
- TV Episode
A hypochondriac man sells his soul to the devil, exchanging it for several thousand years of immortality.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Photos and Videos
Complete, Cast awaiting verification
| Rod Serling | ... |
Narrator (voice)
|
|
| David Wayne | ... |
Walter Bedeker
|
|
| Thomas Gomez | ... |
Cadwallader
|
|
| Virginia Christine | ... |
Ethel Bedeker
|
|
| Raymond Bailey | ... |
Doctor
|
|
| Wendell Holmes | ... |
Cooper
|
|
| Dick Wilson | ... |
Jack
|
|
| Joe Flynn | ... |
Steve
|
|
 |
Nesdon Booth | ... |
Guard
(as Nesden Booth)
|
| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| George Baxter | ... |
Judge Cummings (uncredited)
|
|
| Paul E. Burns | ... |
Janitor (uncredited)
|
|
|
|
Allan Lurie | ... |
Subway Guard (uncredited)
|
| Robert McCord | ... |
Man in Subway (uncredited)
|
|
|
|
Arthur Tovey | ... |
Onlooker in Subway (uncredited)
|
Directed by
| Mitchell Leisen | ||
Written by
| Rod Serling | ... | (written by) |
| Rod Serling | ... | (created by) (uncredited) (creator) |
Produced by
| Buck Houghton | ... | producer |
| Rod Serling | ... | executive producer: Cayuga Productions |
Cinematography by
| George T. Clemens | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Bill Mosher | ||
Casting By
| Mildred Gusse | ||
Art Direction by
| George W. Davis | ||
| William Ferrari | ||
Set Decoration by
| Rudy Butler | ||
| Henry Grace | ||
Production Management
| Ralph W. Nelson | ... | production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Edward O. Denault | ... | assistant director (as Edward Denault) |
Sound Department
| Franklin Milton | ... | sound (as Frank Milton) |
| Jean G. Valentino | ... | sound (as Jean Valentino) |
| Van Allen James | ... | sound effects editor (uncredited) |
Animation Department
| Sam Clayberger | ... | background artist- opening title sequence (uncredited) / layout artist- title sequence (uncredited) |
| Rudy Larriva | ... | animator/animation director - opening titles (uncredited) |
| Joe Messerli | ... | effects painter-title sequence (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Jerry Goldsmith | ... | composer: stock music (uncredited) |
| Bernard Herrmann | ... | composer: theme music (uncredited) |
| Lucien Moraweck | ... | composer: stock music (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
| Herbert Klynn | ... | title designer (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- CBS (1959) (United States) (tv) (original airing) (as The CBS Television Network)
- Image Entertainment (2010) (United States) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- The Corporation (2008) (France) (DVD)
Special Effects
Other Companies
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Hypochondriac Walter Bedeker has once again had his doctor come to his bedside but he can find absolutely nothing wrong with him. The doctor tells him his aches and pains are psychosomatic but he refuses to accept it. Later that night, a Mr. Cadwallader suddenly appears in his room and has a proposition for him: in return for his soul, he will give him immortality. He even has an escape clause in that if he ever gets tired of living, Cadwallader will provide him with a hasty demise. He accepts the deal and soon collects 14 insurance claims over a variety of accidents. He finds it all very boring however but his quest for a thrill brings results with an unexpected outcome. Written by garykmcd |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | Add content advisory for parents » |
| Certification |
|
Additional Details
| Runtime |
|
| Country | |
| Language | |
| Color | |
| Aspect Ratio |
|
| Sound Mix | |
| Filming Locations |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | At the time this series first aired, it was commonly believed that a frequent cause of hypochondria was a desperate need to find something to occupy one's mind, a combination of boredom and a lack of imagination about how to counter that boredom. Several TV series of the time had episodes involving a one-off character whose hypochondria was cured by finding something else of interest to replace the hypochondria. See more » |
| Goofs | When the protagonist proclaims, "...the new Walter Bedeker!", part of the footage is run in reverse. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited into Escape Clause (2020). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Blues Pantomime No.1 See more » |
| Quotes |
Ethel Bedeker:
Walter, please come back to the apartment. I'll make you potato pancakes. Remember, you always used to love potato pancakes. Walter Bedeker: Ethel, *you* are a potato pancake. You're as tasteless as a potato pancake. See more » |