Rod Serling: “The Silence”

GITS reader David A sent me a link to an amazing set of videos, a sit-down conversation with TV and screenwriter Rod Serling. Most well-known for the long-running TV anthology series “The Twilight Zone” (148 episodes, 1959–1964), has over 70 writing credits including the screenplays for movies such as Seven Days in May and the original Planet of the Apes.

This week and next, we’ll feature Serling’s thoughts on writing each day with short (1–2 minute) interview excerpts. Today Serling ruminates on “The Twilight Zone” episode The Silence:

“There are two switches to this story. Number one, the year ends. And he is let out of his glass room, and in truth he has said not a word. But the guy who made the bet with him, despite the fact that he’s a member of the club, doesn’t have fifty thousand pounds. He doesn’t have five pounds. And here is a guy who has remained silent for an entire year to win a bet, and the guy can’t honor his bet. And the second switch is our talkative one is so talkative, that he really didn’t believe that he could stay quiet. So he had his larynx cut”

This is a great 5-minutes, where you see not only how smart Serling was, but how excited he became when kicking around ideas with other bright minds.

Thanks to David for finding these videos.

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