Posted on 09/22/2015 8:14:40 AM PDT by pabianice
Rod Serling served as a U.S. Armyparatrooper and demolition specialist with the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 11th Airborne Division in the Pacific Theater in World War II from January 1943 to January 1945 (Discharged stateside in 1946). He was seriously wounded in the wrist and knee during combat and was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.
Serling's military service deeply affected the rest of his life and influenced much of his writing. Due to his wartime experiences, Serling suffered from nightmares and flashbacks. During his service in World War II, he watched as his best friend was crushed to death by a heavy supply crate dropped by a parachute onto the field. Serling was rather short (5'4") and slight. He was a noted boxer during his military days.
Rodman Edward Serling was born in Syracuse, N.Y., on December 25, 1924, and grew up in Binghamton, the son of a wholesale meat dealer. By his own account, he had no early literary ambitions...
(Excerpt) Read more at army.togetherweserved.com ...
He did a Night Gallery which was a spin off on that episode, where 3 inheritors of an estate were required in the dead man’s will to wear cursed masks to collect, and when they took them off their faces were the same shape as the masks. I think Serling was a genius, and in the beginning of night gallery there is a painting of an old hag. Very freaky because I once was accosted in a train station in Russia by a woman who looked exactly like that. I deduced at the time that she was starving.
I remember that episode well. A true classic. Another favorite was the old lady getting telephone calls from the grave.
“Wish him into the IRS Audit list”
Yes, it’s a real shame what has happened to film and TV since those days. Nothing but absolutely junk today. Well, most of it anyway. No quality sense of imagination or creativity anymore, especially with TV. Even the cartoons today suck. And that’s being kind to them.
bfl
WOW! Quite a list. Thank you for the post ...
You’re welcome. I had previously copied it from some website in order to include it on a Twilight Zone thread I posted a month or so ago.
My favorite
Far too many great ones for me to pick a favorite. Depends on my mood too, as they vary widely in their stories or plots. Some are dark/sad. Some are light-hearted, even funny. Others are scary or creepy. But one thing they all seem to have in common is that, at some point along the way, there’s a good life lesson or two to be learned.
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, although perfect fodder for a Twilight Zone episode, was acutally taken from a short story by Ambrose Bierce
I think it foreshadowed today’s botox culture which is altering women’s idea of feminine beauty.
It’s actually the “spiritual realm” .. a place we cannot see right now; but those who cross over and go into Heaven will be able to see it.
My former sister-in-law accepted Jesus on that premise. She was really a sweet person and I hope to see her again some day.
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