The Twilight Zone : The After Hours - On of my favourites!

The After Hours - On of my favourites!

This story is very well written. I didn't suspect she was a -SPOILER- until the very end!

Re: The After Hours - On of my favourites!

I like this one too. Kind of creepy!


"Your petty vengeance fetish will have to do withOUT Mr. Groin!"

Re: The After Hours - On of my favourites!

This is my all-time favorite episode. I always love watching it.

Re: The After Hours - On of my favourites!

It does raise some questions. Why did Marsha think she had a mother? Where did she go to "live" when she was in human form? Do the mannequins have a house somewhere that they use when it's their month to be out in the world?

Re: The After Hours - On of my favourites!

Well, it is "The Twilight Zone". The store's elevator clearly shows a ninth floor when in fact there is none. Yet, Marsha buys a gold thimble there. Not all of the mannequins come to life at the end (the male mannequin in the flannel jacket and cap, for example). Evidently, there are more than 12 mannequins in that store. Yet, each single mannequin is allowed a turn to go live in the outside world for 1 month out of the year. Marsha has $25.00 which she gives to the Saleswoman. Where did Marsha get it and what does the Saleswoman do with it? The Elevator Man wears an elevator operator's cap and uniform on the elevator. But when Marsha knocks over his mannequin "self" he is wearing a yatchman's cap and clothes. Unexplainable and strange things. But, as I've said, it is "The Twilight Zone"...

Re: The After Hours - On of my favourites!

It's one of the most atmospheric and well-executed episodes in the series. A true classic!


You want something corny? You got it!

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No Moral In This Tale

What's even creepier now is that the entire department store represents a bygone world of a bygone America. There's so much of that in episodes of not only The Twilight Zone but most TV shows of that era. The formality, the officiousness of the salespeople and the staff was spot on for its era, while now it only makes me feel nostalgic. It's definitely one of the best of the series.

Another thought that just occurred to me: there's no point to The After Hours. No sermon, no one gets his just desserts (or not dessert at all). None of the usual cleverness or moralizing. We see what's happened and,--bada bing--it's over! It doesn't mean anything. Make of it what one will. I like it when a TZ goes there, no "and he (or she) has made his bed and now must sleep in it". If there's a moral in the tale I missed it.

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Re: No Moral In This Tale

Yes, I believe those old-fashioned mannequins got "knocked down" as the years went by. I think I might have seen one in an Army-Navy store window years ago; maybe a thrift shop, too. The After Hours channels many of the same themes as John Collier's much anthologized short story Evening Primrose, which is just as creepy, and worth looking for. If you don't want to read it you can listen to an excellent Suspense radio adaptation of it on any number of old-time radio sites.

Department stores were once a staple of the American scene, and they're mostly gone now. As with so many "institutions", once common sights, they had their own culture, their own corporate styles, and some people,--including a neighbor of mine down the street--made their careers working for them, in some cases moving up the corporate ladder, doing quite nicely. When I was growing up the father of the family next door was the head of the photography department of one of the biggest department stores in the city. They lived well, owned a nice house.

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Re: No Moral In This Tale

Yes exactly. It shows a snapshot in time when department stores were the backbone of a city's downtown. Where people would shop for anything/everything. Where people cared enough about their appearance to wear dresses and suits with hats just to go shopping. It's very sad that way of life is gone.



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Re: No Moral In This Tale

I agree. I always "dress up" to go shopping, while still being comfortable of course.. Life's too short to only wear sweat or yoga pants and a tee shirt all the time.
:)

Re: No Moral In This Tale

Yes, "dressing up" comfortable style is the way to go shopping. With your hair done, but not overdone. I remember reading Joan Crawford wouldn't go clothes shopping or grocery shopping unless she looked like a star. I guess if I had her money and jewels...

Re: No Moral In This Tale


Where people cared enough about their appearance to wear dresses and suits with hats just to go shopping. It's very sad that way of life is gone.

Long pants and more than one layer on a hot summer day with a tie just for shopping?
No thanx.
I'll take my T-shirt and shorts any time it's too hot out over those uncomfortable clothes they would wear back in the day.

I'm glad times have changed so that we don't have to dress conservative and uncomfortable any more.

Let me know if I'm on your ignore list.
Thanx!

Re: No Moral In This Tale

wordsatplaytoday, I don't think the poster meant a man should wear long heavy pants and more than one layer on a hot summer day. Men used to wear lightweight summer pants (or dressy shorts) and a short sleeve button up shirt and a tie. Men and women had clothes for seasons back then. Believe me, people looked better (and were much slimmer) back in the day. Appearances have gone downhill.

Re: No Moral In This Tale

I agree that appearances have gone downhill but I'm not going to sacrifice comfort for looking good in uncomfortable clothes.
I don't wear my pants low enough to show off my boxers waist line. At least not on purpose! LOL
If one is nostalgic for the clothes and the fashions for yesteryear, that is fine.
I'm just glad there is more freedom of choice for what to wear now.

T-shirts are a lot more ubiquitous now.
What we don't see a lot of in movies or pictures at the time were the working class who would wear white T-shirts or what they wore when they went into town etc.
I mean, did everyone dress up or only the upper class?
If a blue collar worker went shopping and didn't have a suit and tie, then what did he wear?

Let me know if I'm on your ignore list.
Thanx!

Re: No Moral In This Tale

I've seen many movies made during the 1930s and 1940s. Women poor or rich had on nice dresses (obviously to different degrees). More attention was paid to hairstyle and make-up. Men had on nicer clothes. Rich men wore tuxedos and suits. Poor men at least had a nice tweed suit. Blue collar men normally wore button up shirts, ties and trousers (not blue jeans).

Not too long ago, people still dressed fancy. If you watch the first season of "The Brady Bunch", you'll notice the kids wore dressy clothes. The boys wore dress trousers, button up shirts and ties. The girls wore dresses. In the
middle years of the series, the kids started wearing play clothes. The boys' trousers were assorted colors, but were not dress pants nor blue jeans. Off came the button up shirts and ties in favor of play shirts with huge horizontal stripes. By the end of the series, it was Blue Jean Central.

Yes, it's good to be comfortable. I come from an older generation. So, I'm just as comfortable dressing up as I am in blue jeans. Sure, I like glamour. People of my generation did. Women always had their hair done nicely and wore lipstick. Sadly, every day glamour which was the norm has vanished into a world of seedily dressed (yet, comfortable) overeaters.

Re: No Moral In This Tale

Hi DrJulia

When I watch the TZ and other shows of that era, I love love love the clothing. But then I have to remember that so much of what made the women's clothing look amazing was that it was tailored to the extreme and the women had to wear mighty uncomfortable undergarments. Right now people reserve the uncomfortable undergarments for truly special, dressy events.

___________________________________
Never say never...

Re: No Moral In This Tale

Jennie, women of my time wore slips and, in many cases, girdles were the norm. Women and men often went to a tailor to have tailor-made garments created specially for them. At department stores, alterations were made on a garment while you waited. It's a different world today.

Lighter undergarments are certainly more comfortable to the newer generation and I suppose rightly so. I'm comfortable with older and newer undergarments. I still won't go out of my house without my lipstick on. I like glamour. I won't be trading it in for today's rush job comfort.

Re: No Moral In This Tale

Dr. Julia- Here's a video I found on YouTube, a group called the Adorkables has a song based on the After-hours: https://youtu.be/OQUwxDFvfl8

___________________________________
Never say never...

Re: No Moral In This Tale

Thank you, Jennie. You're always so considerate. I'd never heard of the group nor the song before. The person who calls himself "Kevin 0" has put the song on YouTube ("the adorkables - in the after hours"). Throughout the song, he shows us stills and screenshots. There is one still in particular that I find curious. It appears to be Marsha White (alone) on the 9th floor. Yet, it's not Anne Francis nor the Marsha White mannequin. It's a photo that's really got me wondering...

Re: No Moral In This Tale

Yes, it appears at 0:49 and 2:17. It looks like a fan-generated photo since it isn't from the original episode at all. People do that a lot. It's the visual equivalent of fan fiction.
___________________________________
Never say never...

Re: No Moral In This Tale

Ah-ha, I've just rewatched the episode and I see where he got that screenshot of the 9th floor when it was shown briefly without actors. He added a fake Marsh White to the image. As you say, it's the visual equivalent of fan fiction. The song was not a bad idea though. I'm glad I saw the "Kevin 0" YouTube posting.

Re: No Moral In This Tale

I was in downtown Minneapolis earlier this year and visited the Macy's - a great old-school place that's thriving. Thing is, I went hearing about a restaurant, finding it on a high up floor, but it was closed, and the whole floor was deserted - I really started getting vibes of this show. Needless to say, this one scared the bejeebers out of my sibs and me back in the day.

BTW I did go back when the restaurant was open. Very genteel linen tablecloth type place, friendly attentive staff, great food, decent prices. Kind of a perfect spot.

Re: No Moral In This Tale

I had a Marsha White moment at a Macy's restaurant, myself, back in the very early 1980s. I was looking for the restaurant which was well-hidden behind the empty (and creepy) Mens' department. When I finally reached the restaurant, there were no customers and, even more bizarre, no employees to be seen. After a terrifying minute, a smiling friendly-faced gal popped out of the back room to take my order. I felt like telling her "Honey, you've got guts working in this desolate place!"

Re: The After Hours - On of my favourites!

Yes, it's one of the best.

--
LBJ's mistress on JFK:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcXeutDmuRA


Re: The After Hours - On of my favourites!

This one is my number 2 favorite in the entire series, right behind "Eye of the Beholder." Anne Francis was a doll and this episode really hit a nerve for me. I have always been scared of department store mannequins. The thought that they are "Alive?" Yikes.

Re: The After Hours - On of my favourites!

I love love love this episode!

Re: The After Hours - On of my favourites!

Just watched it after not seeing it for years.
It's a classic TZ one.

Let me know if I'm on your ignore list.
Thanx!

Re: The After Hours - On of my favourites!

This is in my top three favorites. Anne Francis resembles one of those vintage 1950s Barbie dolls!

Re: The After Hours - On of my favourites!

The part when the mannequins come to life was a bit creepy, but I do love this episode.

Re: The After Hours - On of my favourites!

This is also one of my favorites and I can watch it over and over. I love it because oddly, for some reason, growing up, I always had this fear of being left behind in a store by accident. Rod Serling was the master at tapping into hidden human fears and phobias. Wish he had lived longer.

I really loved Anne Francis in this. Such a beautiful woman who really looked like a vintage Barbie Doll. I was heartbroken to find out she'd passed away some years back.

Re: The After Hours - On of my favourites!

I think this is why it works so well...It taps into that kind of fear. And mannequins are just eerie. You go around a corner at Penney's and there they are. They almost seem stuck until their time comes to get the human holiday.

Re: The After Hours - On of my favourites!

Well said! Mannequins are very eerie. Are you familiar with post mortem photos of the Victorian Era? I've seen a few and mannequins look so much like those post mortem bodies that were all posed up to look alive. I often wonder if the inspiration behind mannequins came from that???!!

Re: The After Hours - On of my favourites!

All time top five for me. It embodies all the characteristics of the show I cherish.

Re: The After Hours - On of my favourites!

The ending was a letdown for me. It ruined the creep factor the episode had built up. Should've had an ambiguous ending.
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