The Time Element
- Episode aired Nov 24, 1958
- 1h
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
440
YOUR RATING
A man is sent back in time to December 6, 1941 and tries to warn people about the upcoming Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.A man is sent back in time to December 6, 1941 and tries to warn people about the upcoming Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.A man is sent back in time to December 6, 1941 and tries to warn people about the upcoming Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Joe DeRita
- Man at Bar
- (as Joe De Rita)
Gene Coogan
- Bar Patron
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAlthough this isn't the pilot episode of Rod Serling's series, "The Twilight Zone," it was this Rod Serling production that eventually led to "The Twilight Zone" TV series. It proved to be very popular with viewers, which led CBS to pursue a new series with Serling. Because TV viewers at the time were not used to the kind of surprise, twist endings for which "Twilight Zone" became noted (as in this episode), Desi Arnaz appeared on-screen at the end of the episode to offer his "explanation" of "what really happened."
- GoofsIn the scene where a hungover Bendix sits up in his hotel room bed, the camera pans to show an almost full bottle of liquor. The next shot, from a different angle, shows the same bottle almost empty.
- Quotes
Peter Jenson: [When the Japanese start to attack] I told you! I told you!
- ConnectionsRemade as The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas: The Time Element (2006)
- SoundtracksIn the Mood
(uncredited)
Written by Wingy Manone, Andy Razaf and Joe Garland
Performed by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra
Featured review
Very Twilight Zoney.
"The Time Element" is an installment of "Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse" that was written by Rod Serling and plays exactly like an episode of his anthology series, "The Twilight Zone", which would begin a short time after this episode aired.
The plot might seem familiar if you've seen "The Twilight Zone" episode "No Time Like the Past", where a man can go back in time to prevent disasters but time and again, no one believes him and the disasters occur anyway.
In "The Time Element", Peter Jenson (William Bendix) goes to a psychiatrist about a recurring dream. In it, he's back in Honolulu...the day before Pearl Harbor. And, try as he might to convince everyone, no one believes that the Japanese are about to commit a sneak attack on the island and thousands will die.
The twist in this one makes this an exceptional show. My only reservation in this otherwise wonderful show is that William Bendix's character just seems unusually angry all the time. When he wakes up in 1941 and is confused, his go-to emotion is ALWAYS anger...which I think detracts a bit from an otherwise amazing show. Still, it's well worth seeing!
The plot might seem familiar if you've seen "The Twilight Zone" episode "No Time Like the Past", where a man can go back in time to prevent disasters but time and again, no one believes him and the disasters occur anyway.
In "The Time Element", Peter Jenson (William Bendix) goes to a psychiatrist about a recurring dream. In it, he's back in Honolulu...the day before Pearl Harbor. And, try as he might to convince everyone, no one believes that the Japanese are about to commit a sneak attack on the island and thousands will die.
The twist in this one makes this an exceptional show. My only reservation in this otherwise wonderful show is that William Bendix's character just seems unusually angry all the time. When he wakes up in 1941 and is confused, his go-to emotion is ALWAYS anger...which I think detracts a bit from an otherwise amazing show. Still, it's well worth seeing!
helpful•60
- planktonrules
- Jul 12, 2021
Details
- Runtime1 hour
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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