The Eye of the Beholder

The Eye of the Beholder [1960]

Rod Serling (1924-1975)

VOCABULARY

antiseptic-looking:

swathed:

LITERARY ELEMENTS

NARRATOR

(Production note: Throughout the play until otherwise indicated, all characters with the exception of Janet are played either in the shadows or the camera is on their back, but never are actually seen face first.)

TWILIGHT ZONE THEME

NARRATOR: You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension: a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into . . . The Twilight Zone.

(The camera moves slowly toward a bed which, besides a bedstand, is the only furniture in an otherwise bare and antiseptic-looking room. The camera stops on an angle looking down at Janet Tyler, whose face is entirely swathed in a bandaged mask, with only a little slit left open for the mouth. She remains motionless. Ever her hands are limp, unprotesting extensions of herself, as if they too were resigned to a life of silent darkness. There's the noise of a door swinging open and then the very slight sound of glass medicine bottles rattling on a tray. The bandaged face turns toward the sound. A nurse has just entered and is placing the tray down near the door. The position of the bedlight throws the far end of the room in shadows, so that all we can see of the nurse is that of angular, tall silhouette, her face invisible. Her voice, when she speaks, has a brittle and professional quality, unemotional and with a suggestion of boredom.)

Janet

Nurse?

Nurse

Brought you your sleeping medicine, honey.

Janet

Is it night already?

Nurse

It's nine-thirty.

4. Different angle Janet

As her head turns to look up toward the ceiling.

Janet

What about the day?

Nurse

What about it?

Janet

Was it a beautiful day? Was the sun out? Was it warm?

5. Moving shot the nurse

As seen from behind her as she walks over to the bed, administers to the bandaged woman. The camera remains on her back.

TWILIGHT ZONE THEME