The Eye of the Beholder
Encyclopedia
"The Eye of the Beholder" (also titled "The Private World Of Darkness" when initially rebroadcast in the summer of 1962) is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone
.
The outcome of the procedure cannot be known until the bandages are removed. Tyler pleads with the doctor and eventually convinces him to remove the bandages early. After a climactic buildup, the bandages are removed, revealing to the audience that she is beautiful. However, the reaction of the doctor and nurses is disappointment; the operation has failed, her face has undergone "no change — no change at all".
At this point, the doctor, nurses and other people in the hospital, whose faces have never been seen clearly before, are now revealed to be horribly deformed by our perspective, with large and thick brows, sunken eyes, swollen and twisted lips, and misshapen, pig-like snouts. Distraught by the failure of the procedure, Tyler runs through the hospital as the disfigured faces of everyone she runs into, the norm in this society, are revealed. Large screens throughout the hospital project an image of the State's despotic leader giving a speech calling for greater conformity. The marvellous make up job was done by William Tuttle and served as the basis for the make up he created for the futuristic Morlocks in the MGM film The Time Machine
also made in 1960.
Eventually, a handsome man (by our standards) afflicted with the same "condition" arrives to take the crying, despondent Tyler into exile
to a village of her "own kind", where her "ugliness" will not trouble the State. Before the two leave, the man comforts Tyler with the very, very old saying that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder".
, who recycled the theme for a later teleplay "The Different Ones" for his later series Night Gallery
. This one takes place in a futuristic world where a disfigured hermit teenage boy who is sent on a NASA
rocket to a planet where the inhabitants look like him.
It was directed by Douglas Heyes
. His primary concern, when he was casting the show, was to pick actors with sympathetic voices: to achieve this he cast the episode with his back to the performers.
The original title for this episode was "Eye of the Beholder." Stuart Reynolds, a television producer, threatened to sue Serling for the use of the name because at the time he was selling an educational film of the same name to public schools. Reruns following the initial broadcast featured the title screen "The Private World of Darkness." Because CBS
consulted different prints over the years for syndication packages, the closing credits for this episode varies from one title to the other depending on what television station is using which package. In The Twilight Zones original DVD
release the syndicated version was marketed as an "alternate version".
According to The Twilight Zone Companion this was one of the hardest episodes technically to put on film.
for the 2002-2003 revival of the series using Serling's original script, with Molly Sims
cast as Janet and Reggie Hayes as the doctor. The make-up was changed to make the faces look more melted, ghoulish and decayed with deep ridges. A few scenes of dialogue were omitted. The projection screens were changed to plasma screens and the leader's monologue was slightly embellished.
This episode, much like other Twilight Zone episodes such as "Time Enough at Last
" and "It's a Good Life
", has been referenced and parodied on other television shows. A Saturday Night Live episode hosted by Pamela Anderson
(credited as "Pamela Lee"). The suspenseful bandage removal sequence has been used on three Fox TV
animated sitcoms: The Simpsons
("Pygmoelian
" and "Gone Maggie Gone
"), Family Guy
("He's Too Sexy for His Fat"), and Futurama
("The Cyber House Rules
"). It was also used in the TV sitcom Third Rock From The Sun.
An episode of SpongeBob SquarePants
called "The Two Faces of Squidward" is based upon this episode.
The opening of the program was sampled and used in Dillinja
's 1998 track "Hard Noise".
This episode is also sampled in the 2010 song "Southern Comfort" by Envy on the Coast.
The episode is referenced in the episode of Family Guy
, "Meet the Quagmires
".
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
Janet Tyler has undergone her eleventh treatment (the maximum number legally allowed) in an attempt to look like everybody else. The details of the treatment are not given, but Tyler is first shown with her head completely bandaged, so her face cannot be seen. She is described as being "not normal" by the nurses and doctor, whose own faces are always in shadows or off-camera.The outcome of the procedure cannot be known until the bandages are removed. Tyler pleads with the doctor and eventually convinces him to remove the bandages early. After a climactic buildup, the bandages are removed, revealing to the audience that she is beautiful. However, the reaction of the doctor and nurses is disappointment; the operation has failed, her face has undergone "no change — no change at all".
At this point, the doctor, nurses and other people in the hospital, whose faces have never been seen clearly before, are now revealed to be horribly deformed by our perspective, with large and thick brows, sunken eyes, swollen and twisted lips, and misshapen, pig-like snouts. Distraught by the failure of the procedure, Tyler runs through the hospital as the disfigured faces of everyone she runs into, the norm in this society, are revealed. Large screens throughout the hospital project an image of the State's despotic leader giving a speech calling for greater conformity. The marvellous make up job was done by William Tuttle and served as the basis for the make up he created for the futuristic Morlocks in the MGM film The Time Machine
The Time Machine
The Time Machine is a science fiction novella by H. G. Wells, published in 1895 for the first time and later adapted into at least two feature films of the same name, as well as two television versions, and a large number of comic book adaptations. It indirectly inspired many more works of fiction...
also made in 1960.
Eventually, a handsome man (by our standards) afflicted with the same "condition" arrives to take the crying, despondent Tyler into exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
to a village of her "own kind", where her "ugliness" will not trouble the State. Before the two leave, the man comforts Tyler with the very, very old saying that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder".
Production
The episode was written by Rod SerlingRod Serling
Rodman Edward "Rod" Serling was an American screenwriter, novelist, television producer, and narrator best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his science fiction anthology TV series, The Twilight Zone. Serling was active in politics, both on and off the screen and helped form...
, who recycled the theme for a later teleplay "The Different Ones" for his later series Night Gallery
Night Gallery
Night Gallery is an American anthology series that aired on NBC from 1970 to 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, The Twilight Zone, served both as the on-air host of Night Gallery and as a major contributor of scripts, although...
. This one takes place in a futuristic world where a disfigured hermit teenage boy who is sent on a NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
rocket to a planet where the inhabitants look like him.
It was directed by 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....
. His primary concern, when he was casting the show, was to pick actors with sympathetic voices: to achieve this he cast the episode with his back to the performers.
The original title for this episode was "Eye of the Beholder." Stuart Reynolds, a television producer, threatened to sue Serling for the use of the name because at the time he was selling an educational film of the same name to public schools. Reruns following the initial broadcast featured the title screen "The Private World of Darkness." Because CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
consulted different prints over the years for syndication packages, the closing credits for this episode varies from one title to the other depending on what television station is using which package. In The Twilight Zones original DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
release the syndicated version was marketed as an "alternate version".
According to The Twilight Zone Companion this was one of the hardest episodes technically to put on film.
Legacy
This episode was re-madeEye of the Beholder (2003 The Twilight Zone episode)
"Eye of the Beholder" is the thirty-ninth episode of the science fiction television series 2002 revival of The Twilight Zone. The episode aired April 30, 2003 on UPN...
for the 2002-2003 revival of the series using Serling's original script, with Molly Sims
Molly Sims
Molly Sims is an American model and actress. Sims is known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues and her role as Delinda Deline in the NBC drama Las Vegas. She is also an ambassador for Operation Smile...
cast as Janet and Reggie Hayes as the doctor. The make-up was changed to make the faces look more melted, ghoulish and decayed with deep ridges. A few scenes of dialogue were omitted. The projection screens were changed to plasma screens and the leader's monologue was slightly embellished.
This episode, much like other Twilight Zone episodes such as "Time Enough at Last
Time Enough at Last
"Time Enough at Last" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It was adapted from a short story by Lyn Venable , which had been published in the January 1953 edition of the science fiction magazine If: Worlds of Science Fiction...
" and "It's a Good Life
It's a Good Life (The Twilight Zone)
"It's a Good Life" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It is based on a 1953 short story of the same name by Jerome Bixby.-Synopsis:...
", has been referenced and parodied on other television shows. A Saturday Night Live episode hosted by Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Denise Anderson is a Canadian-American actress, model, producer, author, activist, and former showgirl, known for her roles on the television series Home Improvement, Baywatch, and V.I.P. She was chosen as a Playmate of the Month for Playboy magazine in February 1990...
(credited as "Pamela Lee"). The suspenseful bandage removal sequence has been used on three Fox TV
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
animated sitcoms: The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
("Pygmoelian
Pygmoelian
"Pygmoelian" is the sixteenth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 27, 2000...
" and "Gone Maggie Gone
Gone Maggie Gone
"Gone Maggie Gone" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons twentieth season. It originally aired on FOX in the United States on March 15, 2009. The episode was written by both Billy Kimball and longtime Simpsons writer Ian Maxtone-Graham, and directed by Chris Clements...
"), Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
("He's Too Sexy for His Fat"), and Futurama
Futurama
Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
("The Cyber House Rules
The Cyber House Rules
"The Cyber House Rules" is the nineth episode in season three of Futurama. It originally aired April 1, 2001. The title comes from the John Irving novel The Cider House Rules.-Plot:Leela is invited to a reunion at her old orphanarium...
"). It was also used in the TV sitcom Third Rock From The Sun.
An episode of SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants
SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
called "The Two Faces of Squidward" is based upon this episode.
The opening of the program was sampled and used in Dillinja
Dillinja
Dillinja, is an English drum and bass DJ, record producer and entrepreneur.-History:...
's 1998 track "Hard Noise".
This episode is also sampled in the 2010 song "Southern Comfort" by Envy on the Coast.
The episode is referenced in the episode of Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, "Meet the Quagmires
Meet the Quagmires
"Meet the Quagmires" is the eighteenth episode of the fifth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox on May 20, 2007. The episode features Peter after he goes back in time, in order to live the single life a little longer, before he met his wife, Lois...
".
See also
- List of The Twilight Zone episodes
- Weird Science #21 Sep/Oct 1953, "The Ugly One"
External links
- TV.com episode page
- Eye of the Beholder Review at "The Twilight Zone Project"