Long Distance Call
- Episode aired Mar 31, 1961
- TV-PG
- 25m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
2.9K
YOUR RATING
A toy telephone becomes the link between a young boy and his dead grandmother.A toy telephone becomes the link between a young boy and his dead grandmother.A toy telephone becomes the link between a young boy and his dead grandmother.
Bill Mumy
- Billy Bayles
- (as Billy Mumy)
Arch Johnson
- Fireman
- (uncredited)
Robert McCord
- 1st Fireman
- (uncredited)
Jutta Parr
- Nurse
- (uncredited)
Rod Serling
- Narrator
- (uncredited)
- …
James Turley
- 2nd Fireman
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe original script called for 6-year-old Bill Mumy's character to be found floating face down in the decorative pond behind the house. However, the child actor's mother refused to allow her son to participate in a drowning scene. Director James Sheldon modified the shot to show only the father reaching into the pond to pull Billy out, carefully filmed to exclude having to show the boy. Says Mumy, "I wanted to do it. I was a very good swimmer, but Mom was terrified I'd get some weird ideas about suicide if I did."
- Quotes
[closing narration]
Narrator: A toy telephone, an act of faith, a set of improbable circumstances, all combine to probe a mystery, to fathom a depth, to send a facet of light into a dark after-region, to be believed or disbelieved, depending on your frame of reference. A fact or a fantasy, a substance or a shadow - but all of it very much a part of The Twilight Zone.
- ConnectionsEdited into Twilight-Tober-Zone: Long Distance Call (2021)
Featured review
A special telephone
This was one of the most memorable Twilight Zone stories from my youth. I guarantee you see it and you will never be able to forget this story.
Young Billy Mumy, future Will Robinson, is all but five years old and is the center of his grandmother's world. Grandma Lili Darvas lives with her son Phillip Abbott and his wife Patricia Smith. As Abbott explains he had two older brothers who died before he was born and you can see that Darvas was a well meaning, but clinging sort. Her grandson has allowed her to live again as a surrogate mother, something his real mother properly resents and rightly so.
Darvas gives Mumy a toy telephone and promises they will be able to communicate forever. That gets put to the test after Darvas dies and the young boy is talking to his grandmother from beyond the grave.
After that it's a struggle for possession of his spirit and soul between his living parents and dead grandmother.
Just seeing it again brought back vivid memories of Phillip Abbott trying to reach and reason with his dead mother. For why he's doing that you have to see this excellent Twilight Zone episode.
Young Billy Mumy, future Will Robinson, is all but five years old and is the center of his grandmother's world. Grandma Lili Darvas lives with her son Phillip Abbott and his wife Patricia Smith. As Abbott explains he had two older brothers who died before he was born and you can see that Darvas was a well meaning, but clinging sort. Her grandson has allowed her to live again as a surrogate mother, something his real mother properly resents and rightly so.
Darvas gives Mumy a toy telephone and promises they will be able to communicate forever. That gets put to the test after Darvas dies and the young boy is talking to his grandmother from beyond the grave.
After that it's a struggle for possession of his spirit and soul between his living parents and dead grandmother.
Just seeing it again brought back vivid memories of Phillip Abbott trying to reach and reason with his dead mother. For why he's doing that you have to see this excellent Twilight Zone episode.
helpful•141
- bkoganbing
- Apr 24, 2014
Details
- Runtime25 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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