The Twilight Zone (TV Series)
The Old Man in the Cave (1963)
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- TV-PG
- 25min
- Drama, Fantasy
- 08 Nov 1963
- TV Episode
In a post-apocalyptic settlement in 1974, the inhabitants' survival is dependent on the advice of an unseen man living in a nearby cave. This dependence is tested when a band of soldiers descends on their town.
Director:
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Stars:
Photos and Videos
Complete, Cast awaiting verification
| James Coburn | ... |
Major French
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| John Anderson | ... |
Goldsmith
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| Josie Lloyd | ... |
Evie
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| John Craven | ... |
Man
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| John Marley | ... |
Jason
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Ann Cameron | ... |
Townswoman (uncredited)
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Violet N. Cane | ... |
Townswoman (uncredited)
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| Gene Coogan | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Morris Drabin | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Joe Evans | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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| Leonard P. Geer | ... |
Douglas (uncredited)
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Betty Graeff | ... |
Townswoman (uncredited)
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| Jimmie Horan | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Sandra Lynne | ... |
Townswoman (uncredited)
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Mary Lee Martin | ... |
Townswoman (uncredited)
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| Natalie Masters | ... |
Woman (uncredited)
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| Sol Murgi | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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| Eva Pearson | ... |
Townswoman (uncredited)
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Scott Perry | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Warren Powers | ... |
Townsman (uncredited)
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Irene Sale | ... |
Townswoman (uncredited)
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| Rod Serling | ... |
Narrator / Self - Host (uncredited)
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| Frank Watkins | ... |
Harber (uncredited)
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| Don Wilbanks | ... |
Furman (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Alan Crosland Jr. | ||
Written by
| Rod Serling | ... | (teleplay by) |
| Henry Slesar | ... | (based on a short story "The Old Man" by) |
| Rod Serling | ... | (created by) (creator) |
Produced by
| Bert Granet | ... | producer |
Cinematography by
| Robert Pittack | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Richard V. Heermance | ... | (as Richard Heermance) |
Casting By
| Patricia Mock | ... | (as Patricia Rose) |
Art Direction by
| George W. Davis | ||
| Walter Holscher | ||
Set Decoration by
| Robert R. Benton | ||
| Henry Grace | ||
Production Management
| Ralph W. Nelson | ... | production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Charles Bonniwell | ... | assistant director (as Charles Bonniwell Jr.) |
| Carl 'Major' Roup | ... | second assistant director (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Franklin Milton | ... | sound |
| Philip Mitchell | ... | sound (as Philip N. Mitchell) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| James V. King | ... | camera operator (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Marius Constant | ... | composer: theme music (uncredited) |
| René Garriguenc | ... | composer: stock music (uncredited) |
| Bernard Herrmann | ... | composer: stock music (uncredited) |
| Lucien Moraweck | ... | composer: stock music (uncredited) |
| Leonard Rosenman | ... | composer: stock music (uncredited) |
| Fred Steiner | ... | composer: stock music (uncredited) |
| Van Cleave | ... | composer: stock music (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- CBS (1963) (United States) (tv) (original airing)
- FremantleMedia Enterprises (2012) (World-wide) (DVD)
- Image Entertainment (2011) (United States) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- Paramount+ (2021) (United States) (video)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Eagle Clothes (Mr. Serling's wardrobe)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Ten years after an atomic apocalypse, a small group of survivors manage to eke out a very difficult existence. They've managed to survive in large part due to the advice they receive from an old man who lives in a cave outside of the town. Goldsmith acts as the intermediary and the old man's advice on things like crops or the safety of a batch of old canned goods are usually correct. When four soldiers led by Major French arrive in the town, the social order is upended with the townsfolk attacking the old man's cave but not really prepared for what they find inside. Written by garykmcd |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | Based upon the short story "The Old Man" by Henry Slesar. Though it was copyrighted in 1962, the story went unpublished until 1980, when it appeared in the anthology Microcosmic Tales from Taplinger Pub. Co. See more » |
| Goofs | Goldsmith says, "The rest of the world have all died of radioactivity, strontium 90, plague." Strontium 90 is a radioactive isotope of strontium, making it redundant in this case. Strontium 90 is dangerous to humans because the human body treats it like calcium, and it's taken directly into bones. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Fundamentals of Naked Portraiture (2016). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Twilight Zone Theme See more » |
| Quotes |
Narrator:
[Closing Narration]
Mr. Goldsmith, survivor, an eye witness to man's imperfection, an observer of the very human trait of greed, and a chronicler of the last chapter - the one reading 'suicide.' Not a prediction of what is to be, just a projection of what could be. This has been the Twilight Zone. See more » |