The Twilight Zone (TV Series) The Fugitive (1962) User Reviews

Sweet and inoffensive fluff

[The-Last-Prydonian · 7/10 · 23 April 2011]

This inoffensive entry represents the classic series at It's more light hearted. It's simple premise is that of the friendship between a kind hearted old man and a little girl who he plays with along with the other children in the neighbourhood. The hook in this tale which draws you is in when the elderly gent is forced to confess a special secret to his pint sized friend. He is in fact an alien who's on the run from agents from his home planet and they've caught up with him. Notable for a guest appearance from Nancy Kulp. An actress best known for her career defining role as Miss Hathway in the brilliant TV sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies". Miss Kulp plays the little girls mean tempered Aunt and guardian who is a far cry from the more prim and proper(yet likable) character who audiences the world over came to love. She still manages however to embody the role with surly effectiveness. As Old Ben, the grandfatherly figure J. Pat O' Malley is wonderfully charming and endearing. So much so that you warm to him immensely as you do with his then younger co- star Susan Gordon. A child actress who manages to be equal parts sweet and naively innocent without descending in to too much gooienss.

Some have accused the episode of being too sickly sweet but personally I find it to be a harmless, cute little romp. That said I wouldn't rate it as one of the best additions to Serlings classic series. It's never the less a fun outing with a playful twist at the end which is rounded up by another to the tale. The tagged on coda however might have been a bit unnecessary given the grandfather/granddaughter relationship of the pair. But It's probably still the closest the series got to a fairy tale episode. One that is nicely gift wrapped and added with a bow by those in "The Twilight Zone".

I think it was great!

[boisenewbie · 8/10 · 5 February 2009]

I am a huge fan of The Twilight Zone ... and as my fellow reviewer pointed out, this one is pretty sappy. Well, sometimes that is a good thing! I personally loved this episode. It was a sweet ball of fluff, and sometimes we need that!

I found the relationship between "Old Ben" and Jenny very sweet and I did not find it "creepy" (It was a different era as H. pointed out) He seemed very grandfatherly. - When the surprise ending was revealed though, I was not COMPLETELY surprised. I mean, I never really expected him to be a handsome young man (I assume the aging process on his planet is much much slower!) ... but it all made sense. There was something very child-like in his character. (Like Clarence from It's a Wonderful Life) The fact that it was said that Jenny grew up to be the Queen to his King was also not entirely a surprise. No, I never for one second believed there was more than a friendship type love between young Jenny and "Old" Ben ... but there was deep love. Then we you see the age difference become shorter (well, you know what I mean) it makes sense that they eventually became romantic as she grew up. It's happened before in real life.

Great show!

Different Place in Time

[sscal · 8/10 · 24 June 2019]

How times have changed since the late fifties-early sixties! Just seeing that lovely little girl in a leg brace made me realize that not that long ago polio and its effects were unfortunately commonplace. Thank goodness in 2019 polio is all but eradicated! On the negative side, Jenny couldn,t be captain of the spaceship bc she was a girl and wore a brace to boot! She could only be the beautiful stowaway. Also, today's social norms would never allow an old gent to be best friends with a little girl. Probably for the best, but our innocence as a society has been lost as a result. Enjoyed the episode as a wonderful fairytale where love finds a way - and a girl becomes a queen!

Old Ben's Hideous, Real Appearance!

[david-thor · 1 August 2018]

I would have to say that after the prolific direction that Richard L. Bare brought to bear in "Green Acres", I can see his deft human touch in "The Fujitive". The twists and turns in this episode were delightful, and, in their own way, quite moving, as was so often the case in The Twilight Zone. Incidentally, J. Pat O'Malley played a candidate named "Ben Hanks" - referred to as "Old Ben" several times in the "Green Acres" episode "The Candidate", and I wonder if Richard L. Bare had a hand in selecting him! In any case, the main emotion on display in "The Fujitive" is love.

A beautiful perspective from a different time

[DGPTA · 9/10 · 3 November 2019]

First off let me say I found this episode incredibly endearing and the bond between Jenny and Old Ben truly warmed my heart. Sure I didn't leave the episode with a "wow that was crazy AWESOME!" but instead a "wow, that was beautiful. True friendship!"

That said, one of my favorite things about watching TZ is the social aspects that vary tremendously from today. For instance in this episode one of the "cops" takes a cigarette and casually ashes it on a stranger's carpet floor. I know, I know it seems mundane, but in 2019 something as inconsequential and simple as this would be considered unacceptable by most standards, the man would either be scolded or not allowed back, but back then this was completely normal. Fascinating! The patriarchy in TZ is also hilarious to say the least. But I digress...

Obviously the big one I'm referring to is the old man and the little girl. I find it quite unfortunate how almost all of the low reviews here comment on this aspect being creepy and the main reason they didn't like it, when in fact I think it's one of the best parts of the episode. Now hold your judgement and let me explain. These viewers forgot to detach themselves from the present to instead take a modest look at the past (or they expect some mind blowing twist at the end of every episode, when that's not what TZ is about). It takes us back to a time when an adult COULD be a friend with a sweet little girl and nothing malicious was thought of it. 99% of old men would be just as kind and comforting to Jenny as Old Ben, but today that 1% has ruined it for the 99% and a completely innocent relationship like this could never exist. But, these were different times, and I think that's really cool.

Personally I find this idea quite beautiful. I didn't grow up during this time, the only world I've known is the one they showed us videos about in elementary school on how to stay safe when at the park, so to be able to to see on a TV show such an open and loving relationship between not an old man and a little girl, but two, dare I say, "human" beings, just trying to be nice to each other, was extremely refreshing and added an entirely new layer of what makes the original Twilight Zone episodes great.

I think we've forgotten what that's like in the modern world, and this episode is a comfortable and kind reminder of it. And yeah, it also has a fun little twist at the end! Also when Jenny asked Old Ben if he was a communist, I laughed a bit.

More Innocent Times

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 10 June 2014]

These were certainly more innocent times. If an old man like J. Pat O'Malley started hanging around the neighborhood kids as we see him here, there would be a lot of suspicion as to his motives right now. But he's a kindly old duffer and to one child, little Susan Gordon he shows a side the others have never seen.

He's quite magical you know, like an oversized leprechaun. Gordon who has a leg brace because of infantile paralysis sees him shape shift like Odo of Deep Space Nine. Her guardian is a nasty spinster aunt played by Nancy Kulp and when two strange men start hanging around, O'Malley tells her he has to leave with them.

This Twilight Zone episode is a charming fantasy. I can't say more lest I reveal who and what O'Malley is. But Susan Gordon gets the ultimate happy ending.

Old Ben

[AaronCapenBanner · 7/10 · 29 October 2014]

J. Pat O'Malley stars as likable old man the kids call old Ben. Ben likes to play games with the neighborhood kids like Baseball and Hide & Go Seek, but he adds an extra twist to the latter game by becoming a monster! You see, old Ben is in reality from outer space, and has the ability to shape-shift, but he also has another secret, that he is an intergalactic fugitive, on the run from his own people, but quite fond of young Jenny(played by Susan Gordon) who will become a crucial part of his escape plan when his people catch up with him... Endearing sci-fi tale is more of a fantasy or fairy tale, but a nice episode for kids especially, and is easy to take for adults.

"Gee, I bet you're icky!"

[classicsoncall · 10/10 · 3 June 2010]

It took me nearly half a century to learn that the greatest one-two punch in Twilight Zone history occurred back to back in Season III of the series. Well, for me at least, as on any given day, 'To Serve Man' and 'The Fugitive' could trade places as my top two favorite episodes. Rod Serling was pretty good when he pulled out the 'magic' card. I think there's a lot to be said about kids who believe in magic, and adults who indulge their childhood dreams by easing the transition into adulthood by gently preparing the way. You want to be like Mrs. Gann, fine, but prepare to go it alone. Old Ben (J. Pat O'Malley) could teach us all a thing or two about being a friend and going the extra mile to keep one.

One of the things I found interesting in the story was how a kid like Jenny (Susan Gordon) could intuitively know that a person is responsible for their own behavior. Look around now, and as a society, it looks like we've completely reversed course. That's just such a sad commentary on how we've progressed (intended as an oxymoron) as a nation. I don't know how Rod Serling would have written his stories today, but my hunch is that he would have been nearly apoplectic at the state of the country and the world as it exists in 2010.

Getting back to Mrs. Gann (Nancy Kulp) for just a minute, do you think that was a beer she took out of the refrigerator? The label was never shown, but it was one of those dark bottles that beer traditionally came packaged in during the Sixties. It wasn't quite the typical shape of a beer brand that I can recall from back then, but Utica Club and Rheingold come to mind as possibilities. Serling was an upstate New York guy, so the Utica Club idea might not be that much of a stretch.

Of course the best part of the story was the way Jenny and Ben put one over on the intergalactic police duo. Come on now, how many of you thought that the cops would find two Ben's in the room? That finale was perfect.

As far as Serling's treatment of how things went after the story ended, I didn't get nearly as creeped out as some of the other reviewers on this board. Ben's being a handsome young man in Earth terms was a bit of a cop-out I'll admit, but the bigger question I have is how Mrs. Gann explained that her niece turned up missing. Considering her character throughout the story, she probably got everything that was coming to her.

Old Bob Phone Home...

[Coventry · 7/10 · 6 December 2020]

The cast of characters makes this episode almost feel like a genuine fairy-tale. There's the cherubic, orphaned little blond girl with a handicapped leg, the ill-tempered aunt who's looking after her, and the friendly old man in the park who befriends her and seems to know magic. Normally, this kind of soft and sentimental fantasy guff isn't what I prefer to see in "The Twilight Zone", but "The Fugitive" is simply too beautiful and too compelling to resist. It's a wonderfully heart-warming tale with splendid performances and two very inventive surprise-twists at the end. Also, and as pointed out by other reviewers already, it's almost a relief nowadays to watch a story in which an elderly and kind person hangs around the park and plays with children, without him having malignant intentions or others suspecting that he has.

Cute episode

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 29 May 2018]

Kindly old man Ben (a delightful performance by J. Pat O'Malley) is best friends with sweet little girl Jenny (a lovely portrayal by the adorable Susan Gordon). Ben turns out to be an alien fugitive with magical powers. Complications ensue when two mysterious men show up looking for Ben.

Director Richard L. Bare ably crafts a warm gentle tone and relates the enchanting story at a steady pace. O'Malley and Gordon both do excellent work in their roles; they totally sell the friendship between Ben and Jenny as well as bring an innocence and sense of wonder to their characters that's a complete joy to behold. Nancy Kulp breathes fire and spits tacks as Jenny's mean shrewish aunt Agnes Green. Charles Beaumont's lighthearted script pulls off a neat upbeat twist at the end. An enjoyable bit of whimsy.

Starts well...but the end is a bit sticky.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 2 October 2009]

The idea of an alien hiding on the Earth--looking much like you and me is an intriguing idea. I liked that instead of looking gross or ultra-handsome, this alien chose the guise of a kindly grandfatherly type man. He seems like a really nice fella--playing with and caring for the neighborhood kids. However, they don't realize he's a wanted man--and aliens are coming to take him back to their planet! Unfortunately, while I liked this episode, I found that the ending was a bit sticky sweet--taking an interesting idea and making it all seem a bit childish and insignificant. It's a shame, as the concept was good--and it's too bad the episode ended on a "goofy note" that just seemed disappointing.

What worked well in "The Fugitive" was J. Patrick O'Malley's lovely performance. You can't help but love the guy and want him to be your friend. Also, while she plays a horrid person, I liked Nancy Kulp playing an unusual role for her. While she was only in the episode here and there, she was truly loathsome--and did a good job playing this unlikable part.

By the way, in the beginning, among the kids playing with O'Malley is Stephen Talbot. He might be familiar, as he played Beaver Cleaver's friend, Gilbert, on "Leave it to Beaver" in many episodes.

She's got a monster as a friend and even bigger one as an aunt!

[mark.waltz · 8/10 · 3 September 2019]

Don't expect the kind but officious Jane Hathaway of "The Beverly Hillbillies" from Nancy Kulp where "the monster in the closet" really lives next door and the little girl's aunt is equivalent of "Auntie Dearest". Nancy Kulp is absolutely deplorable and abusive, so for 20 minutes, you want to see her dispatched by the creature whom J. Pat O'Malley really is. Kulp gets a few minutes to make it seems as if she cares, but she's a shrill harpy of the worst kind, treating sweet Susan Gordon as if she is an intrusion into a life that really has no purpose.

O'Malley is kind and loving to sweet Susan Gordon (as well as all of the neighborhood kids) at has the ability to turn into monsters from outer space at a whim. He even sounds like a Pac-Man machine of 25 years later when he morphs into different looks, a nice little effect. There's a little piece of evidence behind thanks to the two visitors who show up on Kulp's doorstep asking questions about O'Malley who is not what he seems and not what the script makes us believe for the first 15 minutes. So not all monsters are really monsters, and the creatures we think we should love us unconditionally are the real monsters. This episode is totally charming that has a terrific and unexpected twist.

By the way . . .

[eweiner14 · 7/10 · 27 May 2021]

Anyone else surprised that Nancy Kulp didn't actually sound like her Beverly Hillbillies character?

Time has not been kind

[GazHack · 2/10 · 10 December 2007]

It's unfortunate that changing social mores have cast a shadow on to what is meant to be a whimsical fairytale. But it's hard to watch a story about an old man who has a close friendship with a neighbourhood little girl, and ends taking her to another world to marry her, without feeling a twinge of unease.

Even without that obstacle, this is a pretty poor TZ episode. There's not real twist or indeed drama. The cutesy music quickly becomes aggravating. The alien is pretty poor looking too, looking like he came straight out of a cereal packet. At the end of the story is just seems to come to dead stop with a terribly convenient explanatory speech that's one step up from "it had all been a dream". An entry for completests only.

Fairy Tale, TZ Style

[dougdoepke · 29 May 2017]

A shape-shifting alien with magical powers seeks refuge on Earth where he befriends a needy little girl.

Charming episode, thanks to Gordon and O'Malley. She's an adorable 10-year old, while he's a big-hearted old guy who also happens to be a secret alien. Being crippled with a really mean aunt (Kulp), the little girl hangs out with the old guy who brings kindly light into her otherwise dismal life.

Okay, I can see why some folks see the results as too sweet, and I probably would too if the two leads didn't project a kind of special chemistry. There's an authentic sweetness between them that's one of the rarest emotions on the entertainment screen. Speaking of compelling actors, was there ever a more convincing shrew than Kulp—I'd love to see her have a "meanie-off" with Oz's witchy old Margaret Hamilton!

I agree with the reviewer who sees the story as a fairy tale. The kindly old man turns out to be a handsome prince, while the crippled girl is magically cured and transported with him to their fairy tale kingdom away from the witchy aunt. It's a hokey ending, but the fairy tale wouldn't be complete without it. I'm still, wondering, however, how they managed Gordon's twin who suddenly pops up; it doesn't appear trick photography though I guess it has to be. On the minus side, I could have done without that phony magic wand that's more like a rotating whisk broom.

Anyway, I can see why TZ purists might shirk the show, but I was beguiled thanks to the casting of an odd couple, TZ style.

Time capsule episode

[kellielulu · 9/10 · 12 August 2022]

So many things in this episode wouldn't work today at least as written back then. I still like that Ben is Jenny's protector . Much like The Bewitching Pool a child finds an escape from a life lacking love and kindness. Jenny is a sweet , bright, clever little girl. I just adore her. She is probably the best child character of the Twilight Zone.

Mrs. Gann is played by Nancy Kulp an actress I always found interesting and usually funny . This role is different as she is the villain of the story but one that shows some possibility of redemption before the end.

The plot is hardly original but so what? It's a charming fairy tale and that means a happy ending.

Please seek Counseling: By the Way!

[rdh-36107 · 9/10 · 26 March 2022]

I've watched this episode since I was a child and not once did I ever think been the Ben character was perverted. I can't believe that some of the viewers mine will go there. Another crusade for the Cancel Culture, I guess

More importantly, does anyone know the name of the young man in the picture at the end of the episode? Rod Sterling? The man who plays Ben? Can anyone help?

A Fairytale

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 26 July 2023]

The lame Jenny and the kids in her neighborhood love the Old Ben, an old man that loves to play with them and to do some magic every now and then. Jenny's aunt Agnes Gann is a cranky woman that raises Jenny without love and hates Ben. When two men wearing suits arrive in the building looking for Ben, Jenny overhears the conversation and warns Ben. He tells her that he is a fugitive and there is no other place to go but with the men.

"The Fugitive" is an episode of "The Twilight Zone" that is indeed a fairytale. Fortunately, in the 60's mankind was not malicious like in the present days; otherwise, Ben's intentions playing with the kids would be misinterpreted and Olivia Benson would stick her nose in their relationship. Returning to the sweet episode, the conclusion is wonderfully magic. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Fugitivo" ("The Fugitive")

A fantastic quirky episode with a happy ending!

[lbowdls · 10/10 · 10 April 2024]

I thought that this episode was going to be totally different to what it was going to be. So much so I was going to not bother to watch it. And didn't mind when they reversed episodes and played little girl list first but they came back to this episode. And I'm so glad I stuck with it.

There were several twists. It was a perfect Twilight fantasy happy story and instead of a painful, scary ending. It had a lovely, satisfying and happy one.

I'm surprised that I hadn't heard about this story even though Susan Gordon's IMDb profile mentions she's famous for it.

I'm also surprised by lower review scores. I absolutely loved it!

good ole Ben

[Calicodreamin · 6/10 · 16 June 2021]

This episode had some cool effects, but lacked a compelling storyline. The characters were well acted.

A pervy royal - who'da thunk it?

[BA_Harrison · 4/10 · 3 April 2022]

Moving from the sublime To Serve Man to the rather silly The Fugitive, The Twilight Zone was certainly a varied and often unpredictable show.

Susan Gordon, daughter of giant monster movie director Bert I. Gordon, plays Jenny, whose best friend is kindly old man Ben (J. Pat O'Malley), who has the ability to transform into almost anything he wishes, from a space monster to a house-fly. When two strange men turn up at Jenny's home, enquiring about Ben, Jenny informs her elderly friend, who tells her that he is a fugitive from another world.

These days, if an old man befriended a little girl, he'd be put on a register, but this story hails from more innocent times. That said, the ending of this tale definitely doesn't sit right with me, regardless of the era in which it was made: the elderly man turns out to be a millennia-old alien king who, in reality, looks like a man in his twenties; he whisks Jenny away to his home planet and ultimately makes her his queen. Can anyone say 'grooming'?

Keep an Eye on that Old Guy!

[Hitchcoc · 5/10 · 4 December 2008]

Not up to the quality of the series. This sappy offering is about a little girl with braces on her legs (polio was still a factor in the fifties). She is living with her evil aunt, Nancy Culp from the Beverly Hillbillies. She and her friends play every day with an old man who can hit a ball a quarter of a mile, turn into a monster, and make things disappear. It turns out this guy has run away from somewhere and there are some guys in suits that are after him. It gets down to the old guy giving up his freedom to save the little girl's life. The whole premise proves to be ludicrous and the conclusion pretty unsatisfying. Also, there's the issue of the neighborhood kids hanging out with this old guy. Things have sure changed.

Nothing tacky about this

[bjs1779-773-293930 · 31 August 2013]

Quite a few Twilight Zone episodes are loosely rooted from the Bible. This is one of them. To make it short, all souls were created at the same time. That means Old Ben as he appeared on earth went back to his young eternal spiritual body in this show. That is why the picture shows him as a young man. And then you have to assume that young Jenney (in the flesh) went back into her eternal spiritual body. That of course would be the same age as Ben.

What a beautiful story it really is.

See how easy that is?

I often wonder if our Lord didn't take Rod because of his re-focus on the evil side in Night Gallery.

No, It's Not "Icky", but It's Also Not Great

[leoocampo · 5/10 · 4 January 2023]

A filler episode for all but the biggest fans of the series. The story is cute enough, and the performances of the two main characters are endearing as they share a great chemistry. But, if you're looking for that quintessential irony and tradmark twist ending, or incisive commentary expected from the Twilight Zone, you're not going to find any of that.

Sadly, I think the biggest way this episode shows its age is not in the dated and laughable effects, but the innocent naivete demonstrating in the ending. Modern audiences will find this "icky" if not "problematic". If you can get over yourself long enough to take the story on its own terms and realize the intent here is not in any way exploitative or suggestive, or even just accept that the other fantastical elements of the plot here preclude any attempt to take it literally (ie, the character is not even human, so the idea of age difference is kind of a laughable thing to find fault with) you might just find it to be kind of quaint and whimsical in spirit. No need to take it anywhere else.

That all said, this isn't one I'd recommend unless you're a series completist. A pair of cute performances just isn't enough.

True Story?

[darrenpearce111 · 4/10 · 10 January 2014]

Old Ben (J Pat O'Malley, a very good character actor in four episodes and voice of elephant Col Haithi in 'The Jungle Book') is friends with a little girl, Jenny, who suffers from polio and a horrible guardian. Of course, Ben is really from outer space- you can tell by the alien guise he assumed when playing with the children at the beginning. The story just gets weirder as it goes on. It is meant to be heart-warming but I find it just too far out. The characters are uninteresting as Old Ben the star-man is too kind, while Jenny's guardian is just plain horrible. I cannot find any meaning or enjoyment in such a tale. There's nothing sensible to make you think. What an inter-planetary slew of sewage! Unworthy of being any part of this great series.

Filed under 'Stupid' in The Twilight Zone.