I Am the Night - Color Me Black
- Episode aired Mar 27, 1964
- TV-PG
- 25m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
2.1K
YOUR RATING
The Sun doesn't rise on a small town where an execution is scheduled to take place.The Sun doesn't rise on a small town where an execution is scheduled to take place.The Sun doesn't rise on a small town where an execution is scheduled to take place.
Douglas Bank
- Man
- (uncredited)
Al Beaudine
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Calvin Brown
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Russell Custer
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Elizabeth Harrower
- Woman
- (uncredited)
Michael Jeffers
- Deputy
- (uncredited)
Robert Lawson
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Charles Maxwell
- Radio Announcer
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
Robert McCord
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Mitchell Rhein
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Rod Serling
- Narrator
- (uncredited)
- …
Fred Walton
- Townsman
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis episode takes place on May 25, 1964.
- GoofsWhen the clock is shown at 7:30, the clock tolls the "full hour" Westminster chime, rather than the 1/2 - hour chime.
Featured review
One of the most powerful episodes
All I can say is what a great episode. It was such a great concept to have the sunlight go away and to have total darkness brought on by hate. This is a phenomenon. It's a happening. Maybe it is an act of God for all we know. But it's certain that people are to blame for the light going out. The writing was great and the ending was powerful. The music and the acting was also great. There were some great performances in here from Paul Fix as Colbey the news editor, Ivan Dixon as the Reverend Anderson, and Terry Becker as Jagger. Even Goober was great as Deputy Pierce.
I always know George Lindsey for playing Goober on The Andy Griffith Show, but in this episode, Lindsey plays someone so mean. This isn't Goober. More like an evil Goober. He perjures himself, hangs a man he knows is innocent, he's glad the man is going to hang, rubs it in, and is probably a racist along with the rest of the townspeople. He really was a good actor to make such a transformation into someone so bad. When he's taking pleasure in watching Jagger die and when he's telling off Colbey in one scene it comes off so convincing. The ending to this was so great and so effective. I also thought Becker gave the best performance next to Goober. Michael Constantine was okay as Sheriff Charlie Koch.
Constantine plays probably the weakest character. An innocent man was hung and he stood by and let it happen. He didn't speak up when there was evidence in the man's defense. He admits in the end how he wanted to get re-elected sheriff. Koch doesn't like that they are going to hang Jagger and knows it's wrong, but his attitude is basically that's just the way that it is. He shows remorse. Pierce shows none. Colbey even takes some responsibility in a way when he admits how he left things out when covering the story when they might've helped Jagger. Jagger was a great character and well played by Terry Becker. Jagger was different than the rest of the townspeople. He killed a Ku Klux Klan member in self-defense. Jagger was probably idealistic and he wasn't a racist. In the end he tells Colbey how the "cross burner and bomb thrower" is the hero to the townspeople and that he is the bad guy. He accepts that to the town, he is the "town kook, a "neurotic," "the one with the causes and banners," and the "village idiot who tries to be his brother's keeper." In the end, Jagger is angry and bitter and full of hate. He has become just as hateful as the people that have condemned him. He is defiant and tries to show his enemies that he's not sorry for what he did and he will accept his fate. But there is a powerful scene when he gets to the noose and looks at it and you can see that he is afraid and he knows it's curtains. Before Jagger is hung, he has an exchange with the Reverend Anderson that is classic. So beautifully written. When Jagger is finally hung, you really feel it. You don't even have to see it. Just the sound of him dropping and the sound of him swinging. Then of course there's also the music, the reaction of Ivan Dixon, and the reaction of the actors playing the mob when they gasp. The townspeople are vengeful and want blood from the start. But when Jagger finally does drop and hang there, all of that disappears. Then, in another great moment, the Reverend Anderson makes a speech to the townspeople to let them know why it's getting so dark. So effective and so beautifully written. Then Rod Serling's great closing narration puts the icing on the cake.
I am the Night- Color Me Black is one of the best episodes of the fifth season of The Twilight Zone and maybe even one of the best episodes of the whole series. It has top-notch writing, acting, directing, and music. I recommend this episode to everyone and especially to a Twilight Zone fan that has never seen it. Definitely check this one out.
I always know George Lindsey for playing Goober on The Andy Griffith Show, but in this episode, Lindsey plays someone so mean. This isn't Goober. More like an evil Goober. He perjures himself, hangs a man he knows is innocent, he's glad the man is going to hang, rubs it in, and is probably a racist along with the rest of the townspeople. He really was a good actor to make such a transformation into someone so bad. When he's taking pleasure in watching Jagger die and when he's telling off Colbey in one scene it comes off so convincing. The ending to this was so great and so effective. I also thought Becker gave the best performance next to Goober. Michael Constantine was okay as Sheriff Charlie Koch.
Constantine plays probably the weakest character. An innocent man was hung and he stood by and let it happen. He didn't speak up when there was evidence in the man's defense. He admits in the end how he wanted to get re-elected sheriff. Koch doesn't like that they are going to hang Jagger and knows it's wrong, but his attitude is basically that's just the way that it is. He shows remorse. Pierce shows none. Colbey even takes some responsibility in a way when he admits how he left things out when covering the story when they might've helped Jagger. Jagger was a great character and well played by Terry Becker. Jagger was different than the rest of the townspeople. He killed a Ku Klux Klan member in self-defense. Jagger was probably idealistic and he wasn't a racist. In the end he tells Colbey how the "cross burner and bomb thrower" is the hero to the townspeople and that he is the bad guy. He accepts that to the town, he is the "town kook, a "neurotic," "the one with the causes and banners," and the "village idiot who tries to be his brother's keeper." In the end, Jagger is angry and bitter and full of hate. He has become just as hateful as the people that have condemned him. He is defiant and tries to show his enemies that he's not sorry for what he did and he will accept his fate. But there is a powerful scene when he gets to the noose and looks at it and you can see that he is afraid and he knows it's curtains. Before Jagger is hung, he has an exchange with the Reverend Anderson that is classic. So beautifully written. When Jagger is finally hung, you really feel it. You don't even have to see it. Just the sound of him dropping and the sound of him swinging. Then of course there's also the music, the reaction of Ivan Dixon, and the reaction of the actors playing the mob when they gasp. The townspeople are vengeful and want blood from the start. But when Jagger finally does drop and hang there, all of that disappears. Then, in another great moment, the Reverend Anderson makes a speech to the townspeople to let them know why it's getting so dark. So effective and so beautifully written. Then Rod Serling's great closing narration puts the icing on the cake.
I am the Night- Color Me Black is one of the best episodes of the fifth season of The Twilight Zone and maybe even one of the best episodes of the whole series. It has top-notch writing, acting, directing, and music. I recommend this episode to everyone and especially to a Twilight Zone fan that has never seen it. Definitely check this one out.
helpful•468
- mercury4
- Jan 17, 2014
Details
- Runtime25 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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