Every weekday, we’re going to review an episode of Rod Serling’s classic sci-fi/horror TV series “The Twilight Zone“. We’re starting from the beginning and we will be working our way through every episode the series has offered, including the episodes from the 80’s. You can see all the reviews right here.
“Mr. Denton on Doomsday” – Directed by Allen Reisner
Broadcast date: October 16th, 1959
This episode follows Al Denton (Dan Duryea) as the drunkard of a small Western town. He is looked at with derision and pity by some of the locals while others, specifically Dan Hotaling (Martin Landau), use his lowly status as a way to derive a sick and perverted sense of superiority. Denton is reduced to shaming himself in order to feed his alcoholism, his desperation palpable. After getting a bottle of kind of booze, Denton passes out in the middle of the street. When he comes to, there is a revolver next to him, which he holds onto in puzzlement.
Seeing the gun, Hotaling challenges Denton to a draw, egging him on and goading him. Denton is obviously still hungover and has no interest in participating. However, his hand suddenly moves of its own volition and shoots Hotaling’s revolver out of his hand. The townspeople are awestruck and drag Denton into the saloon to get him a drink. Hotaling tries to shoot Denton again, to which Denton shoots a chandelier which crashes down upon Hotaling’s hand, making him drop the gun. The townspeople are thrilled and still wish to purchase him a drink but he declines, instead opting to go out and get a shave.
What is revealed is that Denton used to be one of the greatest shooters in the West. It got to be that people would come from high and low to face him, only to end up facing the undertaker by the day’s end. The guilt became too much when Denton shot and killed a 16-year-old boy. And so the drinking overtook him and he lost his ability to shoot.
The mysterious revolver that made it to Denton towards the beginning of the episode came from a peddler by the name of Henry J. Fate (a rather on-the-nose name). Fate also gives Denton a potion that will grant him unparalleled shooting skills for a 10-second span when Denton is challenged to a duel. The twist comes when Denton faces Pete Grant (Doug McClure), who was also given a potion. This results in both shooting each other in the hand, rendering each one unable to be a fast shooter ever again. Denton feels blessed, thrilled that he doesn’t have to kill people again. At the end, Denton and Fate meet eyes, the former wordlessly giving his thankswhile the latter smiles in understanding.
It’s not a bad episode. Much like “One For the Angels”, this episode ends on a happier note. However, it doesn’t have the same kind of emotional draw. I feel for Denton but Mr. Bookman was a far more interesting, developed, and well rounded character. Duryea doesn’t really have a lot of room to shine, although when he is first given respect by the men in the bar, it’s a rather touching moment.
The cinematography by George T. Clemens is quite pleasant and we always see what’s happening, leaving nothing to mystery. And while “The Twilight Zone” is all about being mysterious, this episode doesn’t offer any. The music is all stock and it shows. Nothing musically stood out and it all felt like the director, Allen Reisner, simply asked for something that sounded like it belonged in a Western.
I would’ve liked there to have been a more exciting or at least thought-provoking ending. One usually imagines the episodes of this show to have a “twist” or some kind of ending that inspires retrospection. This episode offered neither. Again, it’s not bad but it’s not memorable by any stretch of the imagination.
