After many years, I just caught the episode "WIll the Real Martian Please Stand Up." The old timer at the counter is commenting on the likelihood of someone in the diner being an alien. He finds it peculiar that everyone is starting to place the blame on one another. He blurts out to the highway patrolman who is questioning everyone and adding to the nervousness of the moment, "...it's a real science fiction, it is! Hey, you're a regular Ray Bradbury. Think about it, 6 humans and a monster!"
Pretty clever comment! Knowing that the episode is nearly 40 yrs. old makes it even more indicative of Mr. Bradbury's omnipresent influences.

[This message has been edited by fjpalumbo (edited 01-30-2002).]

I went to the same college Rod Serling did. He's remembered there as a short, fiery-tempered, hard drinking paratrooper. He's also said to have drank more and played more cards than anything. I can guess where he got some of his inspiration from. There's a nature preserve bordering the college and it's been rumored for umpteen years to have something rather menacing lurking there at night. It has a reputation for chasing people out as soon as the sun goes down. Oh, I forgot, I'm sure you're wondering, the school is Antioch College in Yellow Springs, OH. If you're ever in that vicinity, stop by and talk to the school historian/archivist. He's got a thick file on Serling, and it's pretty cool to peruse.

For all interested in the Twilight Zone:

Twilight Zone World: Everything that is TZ (tzworld.com) just debuted today! GO and check it out! We are having an open house chat tonight! BE SURE TO SIGN THE REGISTRY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HOME PAGE!
http://www.tzworld.com

Eric Burke
TZW Staff

Does anyone remember the New TZ from the '80's? Ray had a story on there called "The Elevator", I think. Anyone recall that? If you do...was that based on a short story or just an original script?

I have been using Twilight Zone scripts to spark reading in my students who really don't want to even try. The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street is the one that I begin with. I was teaching in a small farming community outside of Phoenix, AZ so I would follow up the play w/the show. I was one of a small group of "gingas" at the school (not hispanic)so it was always fun to let the kids see what "middle class" was like in the 50's and 60's.
I am from Ray Bradbury's hometown - Waukegan - so I would share w/my munckins how different things were "in the old days!"

I was lucky enough to have a volunteer work w/me who had grown up w/Rod Serling. They went to seders and other religious celebrations. The interesting thing she told me was that the Serling family believed that children were not allowed to talk during dinner. She said the parents were very strict and the boys were very well behaved.
When we found out our volunteer knew Mr. Serling, the class had a million questions to ask her. She had been my volunteer for several years before she realized that I used his works.
I also enjoyed all the Twilight Zones from the 1980's.

Tim, I went through every available list of Bradbury's works forwards and backwards to compile the short story list for "Story Classifications." There isn't a short story of "The Elevator."

Thanks, Dandelion. It must have been an original script then.

I thought it was about time TimC got some kind of answer about "The Elevator" - he's been waiting 10.5 years so far!

Alan Brennert, a writer-producer on the 1980s TWILIGHT ZONE posted this on Facebook yesterday:

I guess with Ray gone now I can reveal that he really, really didn't want to have anything to do with THE TWILIGHT ZONE after his bad experience with Rod Serling on the old show. "The Burning Man" was a different matter, it was an existing script by J.D. Feigelson, one of Ray's literary "godsons" to which he gave his blessing. But in order to get an original script out of him, Harlan took him to lunch and sweet-talked him (and when Harlan wants to, can he sweet-talk!) into giving us a script, and Ray gave us "The Elevator."

Harlan, of course, is Harlan Ellison. (See, further proof that he is a nice guy!)

And "The Burning Man" was an episode based on a Bradbury story.

quote:

Originally posted by philnic:
And "The Burning Man" was an episode based on a Bradbury story.

And as I've said before, my favourite TV episode of any Bradbury story. I also told Ray that last year, and, as best I can recall, he agreed. He said he petitioned to get the screenwriter's script accepted.

quote:

Originally posted by Doug Spaulding:
...He said he petitioned to get the screenwriter's script accepted.

He did indeed - I have a full account right here!

Incidentally, Ray was a huge fan of a film that Mr. Feigelstein, the director of "The Burning Man", did for PBS, ONE OF THE MISSING, based on a story by Ambrose Bierce. This outstanding, short (54 minutes) film is currently available on DVD through VCI Entertainment. I highly recommend it. One of the bonuses available on the DVD is an extended on-screen conversation between Ray and Mr. Feigelstein.

http://store.vcientertainment.com/product/War/375

quote:

Originally posted by Richard:
...ONE OF THE MISSING...currently available on DVD through VCI Entertainment...

...and I have a review of that, as well:

http://bradburymedia.blogspot..../one-of-missing.html

A slight correction to Richard's post, however: the writer/director is J.D.Feigelson (not Feigelstein!)

quote:

Originally posted by philnic:
Alan Brennert, a writer-producer on the 1980s TWILIGHT ZONE posted this on Facebook yesterday:

I guess with Ray gone now I can reveal that he really, really didn't want to have anything to do with THE TWILIGHT ZONE after his bad experience with Rod Serling on the old show. "The Burning Man" was a different matter, it was an existing script by J.D. Feigelson, one of Ray's literary "godsons" to which he gave his blessing. But in order to get an original script out of him, Harlan took him to lunch and sweet-talked him (and when Harlan wants to, can he sweet-talk!) into giving us a script, and Ray gave us "The Elevator."

I was chatting with Mr Brennert yesterday about this very episode, and he had this to say:

"Ray thought very highly of J.D.'s work. So highly that he insisted to CBS that J.D. direct the episode himself (it was originally written for an unproduced CBS TV movie called STRANGE DIMENSIONS) and when J.D. hesitated because he'd never directed TV before, Ray told him, "You're the best man for the job and if you don't take it you're a goddamn fool!" That was all the kick in the pants J.D. needed and he went on to do a great job.

Ray was a wonderful guy, we all miss him."

Ray Bradbury The Life of Fiction (2004) lists "The Elevator" as a 1951 unpublished short story (pg.509). The Guantlet website lists it as part of the subsequently published lettered edition of The Halloween Tree.

Perhaps it will be in the forthcoming "Juggernaut/Dreamscapes and Nightmares/Angels and Demons"?

quote:

Originally posted by Linnl:
...a 1951 unpublished short story (pg.509)...

I do hope TimC drops by - his original question now has a very complete answer! (Unfortunately, his profile shows his last post to be Feb 2002, so he may not be a regular...)