A quintessential episode of lost identity, "Person or Persons Unknown" has similarities to a number of other TZ entries, including "A World of Difference" and "A Passage for Trumpet." But the episode is compelling on its own terms, with one of the most devastating twist endings in all of TZ. What would you do if you woke up one morning to discover that your spouse, co-workers and acquaintances didn't recognize you? That's exactly what happens to 35-year-old banker David Andrew Gurney, superbly played by Richard Long. Instead of passively acquiescing to this new state of affairs, Gurney fights back with vehemence, determined to assert his identity in the face of every obstacle. The ending will leave your mind turned over on itself as you ponder what exactly happened; was this reality, a dream, or a dream within a dream?
Despite a premature death in his mid-forties, Richard Long had a substantial acting career, starting in his late teens with movies like Orson Welles' THE STRANGER (1946). By 1962, Long was still a young and handsome actor and his performance absolutely carries this tale. A bold self-assertiveness bordering on arrogance adds fire and excitement to the episode; although Long is flamboyant at times, he never seems over-the-top thanks to a notable measure of personal elegance. The other portrayal worthy of mention is that of Frank Silvera, compassionate and reasonable as the doctor. The remaining performances aren't as strong - but then weak supporting performances were not uncommon on TZ, and they don't seriously mar the episode.
We might ask ourselves: why were stories about loss of identity so common during the 1950s and early '60s? Undoubtedly they grew out of the contemporary concern that modern civilization was hostile to the individual, that the growth of bureaucracy and totalitarianism was stifling the common man. Gurney fights to affirm what he knows to be true against all odds, and we root for this lone individual as he tries to restore order and sanity to his world. Yet the fact that Gurney is apparently alcoholic adds another layer to the story, and causes us to wonder about his moral character and the health of his marriage: is he perhaps a philanderer, used to waking up in the bed of women other than his wife? Is the entire episode nothing but a nightmare resulting from an alcoholic bender, from which he will eventually wake up?
All this adds texture and depth to "Person or Persons Unknown," an excellent and archetypal episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE.
Despite a premature death in his mid-forties, Richard Long had a substantial acting career, starting in his late teens with movies like Orson Welles' THE STRANGER (1946). By 1962, Long was still a young and handsome actor and his performance absolutely carries this tale. A bold self-assertiveness bordering on arrogance adds fire and excitement to the episode; although Long is flamboyant at times, he never seems over-the-top thanks to a notable measure of personal elegance. The other portrayal worthy of mention is that of Frank Silvera, compassionate and reasonable as the doctor. The remaining performances aren't as strong - but then weak supporting performances were not uncommon on TZ, and they don't seriously mar the episode.
We might ask ourselves: why were stories about loss of identity so common during the 1950s and early '60s? Undoubtedly they grew out of the contemporary concern that modern civilization was hostile to the individual, that the growth of bureaucracy and totalitarianism was stifling the common man. Gurney fights to affirm what he knows to be true against all odds, and we root for this lone individual as he tries to restore order and sanity to his world. Yet the fact that Gurney is apparently alcoholic adds another layer to the story, and causes us to wonder about his moral character and the health of his marriage: is he perhaps a philanderer, used to waking up in the bed of women other than his wife? Is the entire episode nothing but a nightmare resulting from an alcoholic bender, from which he will eventually wake up?
All this adds texture and depth to "Person or Persons Unknown," an excellent and archetypal episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE.