I Am the Night—Color Me Black
Encyclopedia
"I Am the Night—Color Me Black" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone
.
, a section of the Berlin Wall
, Chicago
, a street in Dallas, Birmingham, Alabama
, and other places of hate around the world.
John F. Kennedy
on November 22, 1963. Indeed, mention is made in the story of "a street in Dallas, Texas
" (where Kennedy was murdered as his motorcade traveled down Dallas's main street) as being enveloped by the strange darkness.
The episode is similar to "Many Many Monkeys", a script written for Twilight Zone by its producer, William Froug
, but never shot. In that script an epidemic breaks out in which afflicted persons' eyes seal shut as folds of flesh grow over them. Though a nuclear explosion is initially blamed, one character proposes that it is a physical manifestation of hate that is blinding them. The network bought the script but then shelved it, possibly finding its subject matter too disturbing, but it was eventually produced in 1987, during the first revival of Twilight Zone (see "Many, Many Monkeys").
Years earlier, Serling had written a teleplay for Playhouse 90
called "A Town Turned To Dust", about the 1870 lynching of an innocent Mexican in a Southwestern town. This story was based on the Emmett Till
case, and Serling had to deal with executive interference and network censors before the show could air.
The date that this episode occurs on is May 25, 1964, even though there had not been legal public hanging at that time in the United States since 1936. (The last person hanged in the United States was Billy Bailey
in 1996, and the punishment remains an option in two U.S. states: Washington and New Hampshire
.)
The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
.
Synopsis
Jagger is a man who is to be hanged after being wrongfully convicted of killing a bigot in self defense. On the day of his execution, the sun does not rise in the morning. There is also still some dispute as to whether or not Jagger is guilty. However, Jagger is hanged anyway, much to the delight of the town. The town Reverend steps in and says that the sky is black because of all the hatred in the world, namely the hatred surrounding Jagger's execution. The sky becomes even darker in the town. Later, a radio broadcast reveals the town is not the only place this disturbance has been seen in. The sky has turned dark in North VietnamNorth Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
, a section of the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, a street in Dallas, Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, and other places of hate around the world.
Production notes
Serling wrote this script primarily as his personal reaction to the assassination of PresidentPresident
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
on November 22, 1963. Indeed, mention is made in the story of "a street in Dallas, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
" (where Kennedy was murdered as his motorcade traveled down Dallas's main street) as being enveloped by the strange darkness.
The episode is similar to "Many Many Monkeys", a script written for Twilight Zone by its producer, William Froug
William Froug
William Froug is an Emmy award-winning American television writer and producer. His producing credits include the series The Twilight Zone, Gilligan's Island, and Bewitched. In addition he wrote teleplays for The Dick Powell Show, Charlie's Angels, and The New Twilight Zone...
, but never shot. In that script an epidemic breaks out in which afflicted persons' eyes seal shut as folds of flesh grow over them. Though a nuclear explosion is initially blamed, one character proposes that it is a physical manifestation of hate that is blinding them. The network bought the script but then shelved it, possibly finding its subject matter too disturbing, but it was eventually produced in 1987, during the first revival of Twilight Zone (see "Many, Many Monkeys").
Years earlier, Serling had written a teleplay for Playhouse 90
Playhouse 90
Playhouse 90 is an American television anthology series that was telecast on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. It originated from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California...
called "A Town Turned To Dust", about the 1870 lynching of an innocent Mexican in a Southwestern town. This story was based on the Emmett Till
Emmett Till
Emmett Louis "Bobo" Till was an African-American boy who was murdered in Mississippi at the age of 14 after reportedly flirting with a white woman. Till was from Chicago, Illinois visiting his relatives in the Mississippi Delta region when he spoke to 21-year-old Carolyn Bryant, the married...
case, and Serling had to deal with executive interference and network censors before the show could air.
The date that this episode occurs on is May 25, 1964, even though there had not been legal public hanging at that time in the United States since 1936. (The last person hanged in the United States was Billy Bailey
Billy Bailey
Billy Bailey was a convicted murderer hanged in Delaware in 1996. He became only the third person to be hanged in the United States since 1965 and the first hanged in Delaware in 50 years...
in 1996, and the punishment remains an option in two U.S. states: Washington and New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
.)