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The Chaser (The Twilight Zone)
Encyclopedia
"The Chaser" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone
.
", an expensive potion ($1,000, which is all Roger has in the world, and Professor Daemon knows it) that's odorless, tasteless, and completely "undetectable", that can only be used once, before the user loses his nerve. After he leaves, the professor muses, "First, the 'stimulant'....and then, the chaser."
When he gets home, Roger prepares a glass of champagne with the new potion. Just as he is about to give Leila the glass, she reveals that she is pregnant, which shocks Roger into dropping the glass. He dazedly admits to himself that he could not have gone through with it anyway. Unseen, on his terrace, a triumphant Professor Daemon is relaxing with a cigar, puffing smoke rings that turn into little hearts....
. The script was originally written for and produced live on television on The Billy Rose Television Theatre in 1951.
In Serling: The Rise and Twilight of Television's Last Angry Man, writer Douglas Heyes
said, "That was one of the great things about The Twilight Zone. I had total freedom. Sometimes I would think of an idea that make the episode more Twilight Zone-y [but] that would require some expense. I remember one episode, "The Chaser", in which I devised a huge bookcase that must have doubled the budget, but [Serling and producer Buck Houghton] never blinked an eye. They just said, 'Okay, great!' I didn't have to argue with anybody over the money—they'd argue about the money and let me have it! I knew that they were having problems with Jim Aubrey, but they kept them away from me. My responsibility was to get the job done."
The short story also was adapted in 1951 for Tales from the Crypt, where it was retitled "Loved to Death!!" This in turn was remade in 1991 as "Loved to Death" (no exclamation points) for the HBO adult-horror anthology series Tales from the Crypt
. That episode starred Andrew McCarthy
and Mariel Hemingway
.
This is one of several episodes from Season One with its opening title sequence plastered over with the opening for Season Two. This was done during the summer of 1961, so that the repeats of season one episodes would fit in with the new look the show had taken during the following season. As originally aired, this was the final episode of the series with the original UPA "pit and summit" title sequence.
The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
.
Synopsis
Roger Shackleforth is desperately in love with Leila. He visits an old professor looking for advice on how to win her. The professor, after some resistance, sells Roger a love potion cheaply ($1.00). After its administration, Leila falls madly in love with Roger, but soon, her love becomes stifling. Roger returns to the professor to buy his "glove cleanerPoison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
", an expensive potion ($1,000, which is all Roger has in the world, and Professor Daemon knows it) that's odorless, tasteless, and completely "undetectable", that can only be used once, before the user loses his nerve. After he leaves, the professor muses, "First, the 'stimulant'....and then, the chaser."
When he gets home, Roger prepares a glass of champagne with the new potion. Just as he is about to give Leila the glass, she reveals that she is pregnant, which shocks Roger into dropping the glass. He dazedly admits to himself that he could not have gone through with it anyway. Unseen, on his terrace, a triumphant Professor Daemon is relaxing with a cigar, puffing smoke rings that turn into little hearts....
Episode notes
This episode was adapted by Robert Presnell, Jr. from the short story The Chaser by John CollierJohn Collier (writer)
John Henry Noyes Collier was a British-born author and screenplay writer best known for his short stories, many of which appeared in The New Yorker from the 1930s to the 1950s. They were collected in a 1951 volume, Fancies and Goodnights, which won the International Fantasy Award and remains in...
. The script was originally written for and produced live on television on The Billy Rose Television Theatre in 1951.
In Serling: The Rise and Twilight of Television's Last Angry Man, writer Douglas Heyes
Douglas Heyes
Douglas Heyes was an American film and television writer, director, producer, actor, and composer with a long list of accomplishments.He was the father of actor Douglas Heyes, Jr..He died in Beverly Hills, California....
said, "That was one of the great things about The Twilight Zone. I had total freedom. Sometimes I would think of an idea that make the episode more Twilight Zone-y [but] that would require some expense. I remember one episode, "The Chaser", in which I devised a huge bookcase that must have doubled the budget, but [Serling and producer Buck Houghton] never blinked an eye. They just said, 'Okay, great!' I didn't have to argue with anybody over the money—they'd argue about the money and let me have it! I knew that they were having problems with Jim Aubrey, but they kept them away from me. My responsibility was to get the job done."
The short story also was adapted in 1951 for Tales from the Crypt, where it was retitled "Loved to Death!!" This in turn was remade in 1991 as "Loved to Death" (no exclamation points) for the HBO adult-horror anthology series Tales from the Crypt
Tales from the Crypt (TV series)
Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO...
. That episode starred Andrew McCarthy
Andrew McCarthy
Andrew Thomas McCarthy is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the 1980s films St. Elmo's Fire, Mannequin, Weekend at Bernie's, Pretty in Pink, and Less Than Zero, and more recently for his role in the television shows Lipstick Jungle, White Collar and Royal Pains.-Career:McCarthy...
and Mariel Hemingway
Mariel Hemingway
- Early life :Hemingway was born in Mill Valley, California, the third daughter of Byra Louise Hemingway and Jack Hemingway, a writer. Her sisters are Joan Hemingway and Margaux Hemingway...
.
This is one of several episodes from Season One with its opening title sequence plastered over with the opening for Season Two. This was done during the summer of 1961, so that the repeats of season one episodes would fit in with the new look the show had taken during the following season. As originally aired, this was the final episode of the series with the original UPA "pit and summit" title sequence.