Time Enough at Last
- Episode aired Nov 20, 1959
- TV-PG
- 25m
IMDb RATING
8.9/10
7.8K
YOUR RATING
A henpecked book lover finds himself blissfully alone with his books after a nuclear war.A henpecked book lover finds himself blissfully alone with his books after a nuclear war.A henpecked book lover finds himself blissfully alone with his books after a nuclear war.
Jacqueline deWit
- Helen Bemis
- (as Jaqueline deWit)
Robert Haines
- Bank Customer
- (uncredited)
Rod Serling
- Narrator
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaOut of the 92 episodes of The Twilight Zone written by Rod Serling, this was his personal favorite.
- GoofsDespite the shock wave from the H-bomb that detonates while Bemis is in the safe, it breaks the crystal in Henry Bemis' pocket watch, yet his glasses do not shatter.
- Quotes
Rod Serling - Narrator: [Closing Narration] The best-laid plans of mice and men - and Henry Bemis, the small man in the glasses who wanted nothing but time. Henry Bemis, now just a part of a smashed landscape, just a piece of the rubble, just a fragment of what man has deeded to himself. Mr. Henry Bemis - in the Twilight Zone.
- ConnectionsEdited into The Clock (2010)
Featured review
An excellent variation of the Tantalus myth
So far one of the best episodes I've seen of the series, 'Time Enough at Last' adapts a short story about a bookworm-ish man whose hobby is frowned upon by those around him, thus making it almost impossible for him to find the time or place to read. Surviving a nuclear attack/war, he finds himself alone with all the time for that...
An excellent episode, that manages to do in mere 25-minutes what many fail in full features; being both entertaining, smart, and making you think. There are some aspects that feel silly or seem not very thought- out (how the main character survives, for example). There is little to no overacting; Burgess Meredith is excellent, managing to truly give life to his character, a timid and meek book-lover, while Vaughn Taylor and Jacqueline deWit also play their roles accordingly.
Yet, it is in the concept that this excels. I hear much theorizing about what this story really means, what it is supposed to be a metaphor or fable for... Truth is, I certainly don't know, but above all it is based on the old Tantalus myth.
In old Greek Mythology, Tantalus was punished by having to endure eternal hunger and thirst, with both water and food close to him. It was always there, illusorily at his grasp, yet he could never reach either. The 'so close, yet so far' expression, made real. 'Time Enough at Last' is a perfect illustration of this myth, and the ending in special is bound to touch you in some way.
It is a haunting piece that will keep you thinking and feeling even after it is over. One of the first masterpieces of the show.
An excellent episode, that manages to do in mere 25-minutes what many fail in full features; being both entertaining, smart, and making you think. There are some aspects that feel silly or seem not very thought- out (how the main character survives, for example). There is little to no overacting; Burgess Meredith is excellent, managing to truly give life to his character, a timid and meek book-lover, while Vaughn Taylor and Jacqueline deWit also play their roles accordingly.
Yet, it is in the concept that this excels. I hear much theorizing about what this story really means, what it is supposed to be a metaphor or fable for... Truth is, I certainly don't know, but above all it is based on the old Tantalus myth.
In old Greek Mythology, Tantalus was punished by having to endure eternal hunger and thirst, with both water and food close to him. It was always there, illusorily at his grasp, yet he could never reach either. The 'so close, yet so far' expression, made real. 'Time Enough at Last' is a perfect illustration of this myth, and the ending in special is bound to touch you in some way.
It is a haunting piece that will keep you thinking and feeling even after it is over. One of the first masterpieces of the show.
helpful•95
- GTeixeira
- Dec 15, 2013
Details
- Runtime25 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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