One for the Angels

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Cast

Lew Bookman: Ed Wynn

Synopsis

[Spoiler warningSpoiler warning]: Plot and/or ending details follow.

A sidewalk "pitchman," Lew Bookman, is told by Death that he is to die at midnight. Mr. Bookman argues that as a salesman, his life's work is not quite complete. He convinces Death to give him a stay of execution until he can give one last, great sales pitch -- "a pitch for the angels" as Mr. Bookman puts it. Once Death agrees, Mr. Bookman then announces his intention to quit selling and find another line of work. Since Death had made a binding agreement to not claim Mr. Bookman until his last pitch is made, Mr. Bookman is proud of having outsmarted Death and virtually assured himself of immortality.

Death cannot renege on the agreement, but what Mr. Bookman hasn't counted on is that someone has to die at midnight. With Mr. Bookman now out of reach, Death now sets his sights on a little girl who lives in the same building and whom Mr. Bookman has long befriended. Death arranges for a little girl to be hit by a truck, and as she lays comatose, Death comes to claim her. At midnight, he will complete his task. However, as they wait for the appointed time, Mr. Bookman distracts Death by beginning a sales pitch. In fact, Mr. Bookman makes such a compelling pitch that Death is too enthralled to claim the girl. Midnight passes before Death has even realized it. He has missed his appointment and the girl lives.

And so, Mr. Bookman has both saved the girl's life, and in doing so, knowingly sacrificed his own, since he has now made that last great sales pitch that was the center of the original agreement. Knowing he has saved the girl, Mr. Bookman is content now to accept his fate and go along with Death, who happily does confirm for Mr. Bookman that his final destination is "up there"--heaven.

Trivia

Among the many toys being sold by Lew Bookman is a Robby the Robot action figure. Robby the Robot would later appear in The Twilight Zone episodes "Uncle Simon" and "The Brain Center at Whipple's".

To avoid having the elderly Wynn filming too late, the night scenes were actually filmed during the day, with the soundstage covered over to simulate the nighttime setting.

External link

[TV Tome episode page]

Parody

In a Simpsons Halloween episode, Homer Simpson sells his soul to the devil for just an ordinary donut to eat. However, the Devil casually points out that the moment Homer finishes the donut, Homer will have to go to Hell. In a rare moment of intelligence, halfway through eating the donut Homer states aloud to the Devil that technically, according to the contract, the Devil gets his soul only when he finishes eating the donut. Homer then stops himself before eating the last bite of the donut, and the enraged Devil departs. Homer then keeps the "forbidden donut" piece in his refrigerator, vowing never to eat it. Unfortunately, he finally does eat it while sleepwalking. Homer goes to Hell. However, in a trial it is then pointed out that when Homer married his wife he promised her that his soul belonged to her, so he was never in a legal position to sell his soul in the first place. The Devil lets Homer go, but in parting revenge he turns Homer's head into a big donut.

The Showtime series, Dead Like Me, featured a somewhat similar premise.

Reference

Zicree, Marc Scott: The Twilight Zone Companion. Sillman-James Press, 1982 (second edition)

Back to: The Twilight Zone, Episode List, Season 1

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