A World of His Own

Although comedy was never the strength of "The Twilight Zone" (or writer Richard Matheson, for that matter), the final episode of the first season is a delightful comedy that plays more on situation -- and a wonderful lead performance by Keenan Wynn -- than punchlines. This is easily one of the best episodes of the series.

Playwright Gregory West (Wynn) is romancing his presumed mistress Mary (Mary LaRoche) while his wife (Phyllis Kirk) jealously looks on. A few moments later, the wife bursts in to find that the mistress has magically disappeared. West explains that he can create real people by stating a description into his dictaphone -- that's when the fun really begins.

Matheson -- who was usually a master of plot, rather than character or situation -- switches gears here. His novel story lends itself remarkably well to a sort of 1930s screwball style, with gentle gags that flow from the characters' personalities -- West's combination of omnipotence and humility; his wife's jealousy and haughtiness (she'd have fit perfectly as the other woman in a Cary Grant comedy); and Mary's gentleness and dignity. The performances match it perfectly: Wynn's bemusement at his situation -- a sort of literary/social Life of Riley -- fits the character delightfully; Kirk's two-dimensionality is ironically apropos; and LaRoche's quiet gentleness (which worked equally well in the very different "Living Doll") makes one wonder why West didn't think of her sooner.

All this, and perhaps the funniest final joke in the series' history. Who could ask for anything more?