posted 09-14-2002 02:35 PM               

Well, it was something like that. Does that at all sound familiar?

posted 09-14-2002 11:52 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Nard Kordell:
Ray and Rod Serling had some run-ins with each other, so there wasn't but a couple of Bradbury Twilight Zones. I know one was from "I Sing the Body Electric", and "maybe" this one aforementioned. There is a biography of Rod Serling that talks about all this...

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Nard, unfortunately "I Sing the Body Electric!" was Bradbury's sole script for The Twilight Zone, though his influence on Serling is undeniable. Serling tipped his hat to Bradbury's nostalgic, small-town stories in "Walking Distance" (where the main character acknowledges the home of a Doctor Bradbury) and "A Stop at Willoughby" (where the ad executive mentions "the Bradbury account").

Bradbury's contribution to the television series was certainly meant to extend beyond one show. Before the series began production, he actually submitted a teleplay adaptation of his story, "Here There Be Tygers," but Serling and producer Buck Houghton passed on it, probably due to budget constraints that disallowed dramatization of a special effects-laden tale. Another story, "A Miracle of Rare Device," was also bought, and even had a director tentatively attached, but for some reason was never produced.

I acquired this information from The Twilight Zone Companion by Marc Scott Zicree, an excellent, fascinating book for TZ enthusiasts.

posted 09-15-2002 05:05 AM               

"As for Bradbury, his comments shed little light on the subject: 'I would prefer not to write or talk much about Twilight Zone or my stories. The series is over and done, my work for it stands on its own. For various reasons two scripts were never done. I don't recall the reasons now, so many years later.'"

posted 09-15-2002 07:58 PM               

"Walking Distance."
The main character reverts back into his childhood by the turns of a merry-go-round. The question is: A rip-off from Ray's, "Black Ferris"? In that one, the character returns to the past via the revolutions of a ferris wheel.

posted 09-16-2002 10:07 AM               

I got the info from:

Rod Serling, The Dreams and Nightmares of Life in The Twilight Zone,
a biography by Joel Engel.

It does mention about Charles Beaumont. William F. Nolan, it states, remembers Serling explaining "...that he read so much science fiction and was under so much pressure to turn out scripts that he hardly questioned where an idea came from when it popped into his head--and even if he did question, he could never trace it to the original through the devasting clutter of his mind." (p. 220)

The Twilight Zone would be sued successfully 3 times for plagiarism of stories Serling had written himself:
"The Parallel," a story about a world parrallel to Earth;
"Short Drink from a Certain Fountain," about a man who regresses to infancy; and
"Sounds and Silences," about a man who tries to shut out his wife's constant chattering.

In all three cases a judge deemed the plaintiffs' original stories sufficiently similar to the produced scripts to warrant damages, but the "final products" as seen in the series... seemed substantially dissimiliar.

(PS) That Serling had named a character Bradbury in "Walking Distance" seemed to Ray an indication of theft. Supposedly this particular situation resolved itelf later.

posted 09-17-2002 12:29 AM               

Years ago, while in the printing field, I had a client up in Hollywood. It was there I also met a "potential" client. They claimed they produced low-budgeted movies. Now, I never found out exactly what they did, and as far as I knew, they could've been a front for the CIA. All in all, they managed to get me to design a logo for their "company". I'm getting off the track a little here, but the point is that after quite a bit of work in designing, they finally said, No Thanks! Just like that. . I didn't bill them for anything, and let it all go. Just trying to be a nice guy! Well, three months later, I see their logo. And it was "My" logo Morale of the story? What must it be like in the highly competitive TV market? It must be maddening, that's what!! Even for a still young Ray Bradbury....

posted 09-19-2002 11:27 PM            

Nard, I remember seeing an episode about an elderly lady who isolates herself from the world to avoid encountering Death. A very young Robert Redford guest stars in this episode.

The basic theme reminds me of "There Was An Old Woman" in October Country and Dark Carnival.

Though I haven't reread it in a long time, the episode also reminded me of "Death And The Maiden" in the Machineries Of Joy". Both stories had similar themes.

Do you think Rod borrowed from these?

posted 09-20-2002 12:30 AM               

"Death and the Maiden" ranks as probably one of two of my favorite Bradbury stories.

I really have no idea how close that Redford one is to Death and the Maiden I would have to find a re issues of Twilight Zone and watch it again. Comment later.

posted 10-12-2002 04:56 PM               

I'm late getting in on this one, I know, but your original plot description about the switchboard "waking up" reminds me of a classic S.F. story called "Dial 'F' for Frankenstein", I think by Arthur C. Clarke.

posted 06-12-2004 03:24 AM            

I'm new to this board. I landed here after a google search for "Dial Double Zero" turned up this page. I believe I belong to that small community of people still haunted by it.

I also saw it in school in the early 80's, in White Oaks Elementary School, Fairfax County, Virginia. It was during a semester (in 82) where we also heard Welles' "War of the Worlds" original broadcast.

In fact, I remember this was one of my earliest contacts with Bradbury, if not the first.

I vaguely remember the plot line of DIal Double Zero, but the title and the chilling feeling have remained with me for over twenty years.

posted 10-15-2004 01:36 PM               

If Jesus Christ Himself descended right through the ceiling, pointed an admonishing finger at me, told me in a stern tone in no uncertain terms that "Where is Everybody?" is word-for-word the same story as "Here There Be Tygers" and if I don't swear to it I will not go to Heaven...well, to tell the truth, I'd probably be terrified and agree on the spot...
BUT I STILL WOULDN'T BELIEVE IT!

By the way, you'll never convince Ray on any subject once it becomes "set" to him. Sometime around 1948, if not earlier, he got the idea that "a writer shouldn't go to college." If I had listened to him, (instead of my dad) I would have missed out on one of the most valuable experiences of my entire life! You could tell Ray this (and other things about his "set" subjects) till you morph into a small blue pyramid. He doesn't argue, just basically acknowledges the existence of your statement and repeats his own original one.

I may have posted elsewhere regarding the Robert Redford "Twilight Zone" episode, "Nothing in the Dark." It DOES bear strong resemblances to both "There Was an Old Woman" and "Death and the Maiden." (Even if Satan, or Michael Moore, or one of their friends, pointed this out...I would STILL have to agree...that's how much resemblance there is--in fact, the phrase "there was an old woman" appears in the closing narration.) Even more incriminatingly, the episode appeared about two years after the magazine version of "Death and the Maiden" and about two years before the book appearance--in other words, PERFECT timing for anyone to have read the magazine version, partly forgotten it, and not have a book in which to check it!

Okay, here comes the interesting part. (Drumroll please.) "Nothing in the Dark" was written NOT by Serling, but by George Clayton Johnson! Johnson freely admits the Bradbury resemblance/connections, and has never been ANYTHING but the very best of friends with Bradbury--who, had Serling written this story (or even one a heck of a lot less like Bradbury's work--see above and elsewhere for my take on THAT--) would have been crying for blood!

This goes to illustrate that Ray's problem with Rod was almost entirely personal, NOT artistic or professional. Not saying Rod never ripped ANYONE off. A man named Gomberg had a very good case that Rod may have stolen from him the idea for the award-winning "A Storm in Summer," filmed twice and also staged as a play. There was also a "Night Gallery" episode with some resemblances, but I haven't seen it or compared it to Gomberg's story. Again, not saying no one has any case against Serling, just that I don't think Bradbury has much of one.

Details on this animosity in all works I've seen on Serling are sketchy at best. Maybe when Sam Weller's Bradbury biography comes out more light will be shed on the whole subject.

posted 06-18-2005 03:16 PM               

**One can assume that the intent of Sam Weller's authorized biography of Ray Bradbury is to illuminate the life of one of the 20th century's most prolific and admired writers. Weller, a Chicago literature professor, made more than 50 trips to Los Angeles over four years to interview Bradbury.

He calls himself a Bradbury fan, which underscores the major fault with this book. Instead of investigating, Weller just retells the grand old man's tales.

Consider the plagiarism charges that Bradbury levels at his friend Rod Serling. Bradbury says Serling admitted that the 1959 Twilight Zone pilot came from a story in Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles. But Weller neglects to mention that, throughout his career, Bradbury successfully sued writers for plagiarism. He never sued Serling.

Weller uses the phrase "according to Ray" as if this were enough to make something factual. Although he had unfettered access to Bradbury's personal files, he doesn't cite any evidence to back up this particular claim of Bradbury's. Moreover, at a Web site, Weller has written that he did not visit the Serling archive in Wisconsin, just 150 miles from his home, to check out Serling's side of the story.

Both Bradbury and Serling were known for keeping nearly every piece of paper that crossed their desks. Weller did not even interview Serling's widow, who is alive and well in Southern California - although she plays an integral part in the story he recounts from Bradbury's memory.

Bradbury, 84, can hardly be faulted for lapses of memory; it is Weller whose duty it was to check the facts... .**

posted 06-18-2005 04:02 PM               

The book review marshals facts to make further points -- and it also praises The Bradbury Chronicles as a seamless read.

posted 06-18-2005 05:51 PM               

Or.....you COULD hold your breath until the "unauthorized" biography comes out. Either way, you're still left with "He said" and "He said" and "According to".

posted 06-24-2005 03:42 PM               

Although history and biography are big interests of mine, Rod Serling is strictly a creative influence to me. That is, I would like to make my own literary contributions inspired by him and Ray rather than writing factual accounts of their lives, although I do look forward to reading them. (I have the one Bradbury and two Serling biographies. Haven't read 'em yet.) I am VERY interested in your daughter's work and wish her well with it!

posted 10-20-2005 09:17 AM               

fjpalumbo:
Ah, we still haven't figured a good use for this website.
Next week (Oct 27th) I'm off to Los Angeles... I thought it would be a blast to 'trick-or-treat' at Ray's house on Oct 31 eve. See if he opens the door. Otherwise, I will be stopping in as a reasonable visitor to see how he is doing. I hear he has two live-in care-givers. Donn Albright, Ray's 'golden retriever' as he has called him in a front-of-the-book dedication, is there as I write this. Donn lives way on the East coast.
Donn was responsible for getting a lot of the project, 'The Cat's Pajamas' book completed and published.

posted 10-21-2005 02:39 PM            

Have a safe trip and extend warmest regards to our dear friend and timeless storyteller.
fp