Английская Википедия:Escape Clause

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Шаблон:Other uses Шаблон:Primary sources Шаблон:Infobox television episode "Escape Clause" is episode six of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It is "the story of a strange contract between a mortal man and his most satanic majesty"; it originally aired on November 6, 1959, on CBS.

Plot

Walter Bedeker, a paranoid and self-absorbed hypochondriac, is convinced his wife Ethel and his doctor (who insists Bedeker is in good health) are conspiring to kill him by purposely making him sick. After they leave, a large rotund man calling himself Cadwallader appears in Bedeker's room, offering him immortality and a near-total halt to his physical aging. Bedeker guesses Cadwallader's true identity (the Devil) but is unafraid. He haggles with Cadwallader, who admits he wants Bedeker's soul and accurately points out the other will never miss it or notice when it's gone.

Cadwallader inserts an escape clause allowing Bedeker to summon him at any time if he chooses to die. Bedeker is suspicious but after Cadwallader leaves, he tests his new power by placing his hands on a hot radiator and finding them uninjured, then throws all his medicines out of a window, to Ethel's surprise.

Bedeker uses his newfound invulnerability to commit insurance fraud, claiming false settlements, and garnering cheap thrills by hurling himself into life-threatening accidents. After doing so 14 times, he concludes that the absence of risk and fear has made his life a dreadful bore. He purposely mixes a concoction of poisonous household liquids and drinks it, shocking Ethel, but it has no effect on him at all. Bedeker explains his situation to Ethel, admonishing her that if she had any imagination, she would find some way for him to experience some excitement. Proclaiming he is going to jump down the lightwell of their apartment building, Ethel futilely tries to stop him, tragically falling to her own demise.

Bedeker calmly calls the police, confessing to murdering Ethel. He is arrested and brought to trial. He hopes to experience the electric chair. However, due to his lawyer's defense strategy, he is instead sentenced to life in prison without parole. Cadwallader appears in Bedeker's jail cell to remind him of the escape clause. Realizing he will face eternity in prison if he does not use it, Bedeker nods and immediately suffers a fatal heart attack. The guard discovers his lifeless body and sighs, "Poor devil … ."

Production

"Escape Clause" was one of the three episodes-in-production mentioned by Rod Serling in his 1959 promotional film pitching the series to potential sponsors, the others being "The Lonely" and "Mr. Denton on Doomsday" (referred to as "Death, Destry, and Mr. Dingle").

Impact

"Here was a little gem. Good work, Rod Serling. This little piece about a hypochondriac who gets tangled up with an obese, clerical devil ranked with the best that has ever been accomplished in half-hour filmed television." —Excerpt from the Daily Variety review.

Disney's Twilight Zone Tower of Terror has a reference to this episode located in the basement of the attraction. The elevators have a certificate of inspection plaque, signed by "Cadwallader", bearing the inspection number "10259". These numbers represent October 2, 1959, the date The Twilight Zone first aired.

Further reading

• Zicree, Marc Scott: The Twilight Zone Companion. Sillman-James Press, 1982 (second edition)
• DeVoe, Bill. (2008). Trivia from The Twilight Zone. Albany, GA: Bear Manor Media. Шаблон:ISBN
• Grams, Martin. (2008). The Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic. Churchville, MD: OTR Publishing. Шаблон:ISBN

External links

• Шаблон:IMDb episode