The Twilight Zone: Classic TV Stars Who Started Out on this Classic Show

"The Twilight Zone," 1959 (TZ) is one of America's most endearing television shows and Rod Serling has become a familiar face to almost everyone. The show's special talent for blending irony, the supernatural, science fiction, and sometimes sheer horror into nice, neat little morality plays is a precedent that has yet to find any equal. "The Twilight Zone" also had another specialized talent--the ability to attract rising young actors and actressess who would eventually grow to become tv and movie stars later on in their careers as well as those who were already bona fide stars. It seems as though "The Twilight Zone" served as a training ground for classic TV/movie stars to perfect their craft. Let's take a look at some of the more famous future TV star guest spots on this beloved show:

"Two."Writ. & Dir Montgomery Pittman. CBS 15 Sept 1961
A young Charles Bronson (Death Wish 1974) and Elizabeth Montgomery (Bewitched) are thrown together as the two lone survivors of a nuclear holocaust. Watch for the interesting twist at the end of this episode. Catch this episode in its entirety here: "Two"

"The Invaders." Writ. Richard Matheson. Dir. Douglas Heyes. CBS 27 Jan 1961. "A Penny for Your Thoughts." Writ. George Clayton Johnson. Dir. James Sheldon. CBS 3 Feb 1961. "The Purple Testament." Writ Rod Serling. Dir Richard L. Bare. CBS 12 Feb 1960. "I Sing The Body Electric." Writ Ray Bradbury. Dir. William Claxton. CBS 18 May 1962.
It is rather interesting to note that each of the principal players of the iconic 1960's TV Sitcom "Bewitched" has had starring roles in episodes of theTZ. As Previously mentioned above the lead actress from "Bewitched" Elizabeth Montgomery (Samantha Stephens) had a silent but pivotal role in the TZ episode "Two." Agnes Morehead (Endora) stars in another silent role in the TZ as a woman who must deal with presumably hostile extra terrestrials in "Invaders," and you will notice that there is a nod below to Sandra Gould 's (2nd Gladys Kravitz) performance in "Cavendar is Coming." Dick York (1st Darren Stephens) stars opposite Hayden Rourke ("I Dream of Jeanie") as a lowly bank clerk who is suddenly endowed with telepathic powers in "Penny" and then he stars again as an unlucky soldier opposite Paul Mazursky in "Purple". David White (Larry Tate) plays a loving father who tries desperately to find the perfect nanny for his motherless children in "Body" -- this episode also featured character actress Veronica Cartwright (Alien 1979). I wonder how many other classic tv shows can be linked together by TZ? Watch Agnes Moorehead masterfully act out her part in this much celebrated episode "The Invaders."

"Cavendar is Coming." Writ Rod Serling. Dir Christian Nyby CBS 25 May 1962
Fresh-faced starlet Carol Burnett ("The Carol Burnett Show") is transformed from an impoverished dlutz into an affluent socialite by her guardian angel. This episode also features appearances by Donna Douglas ("The Beverly Hillbilies") and Sandra Gould ("Bewitched"). Catch this episode in its entirety here: "Cavendar is Coming."

"Nick of Time." Writ Richard Matheson. Dir Richard L. Bare. CBS 18 Nov 1960. "Nightmare" Writ. Richard Matheson Dir. Richard Donner. CBS 11 Oct 1963.
A handsome William Shatner (Star Trek) stars in two episodes of the TZ. In "Nick of Time" Shatner is an overly superstitious neophyte husband who gets sucked into the world of a plastic fortune teller. In the much loved episode, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" Shatner plays a nervous airline passenger who spots a gremlin trying to destroy the aircraft..or does he? Read full recaps of both episodes here: "Nick of Time." "Nightmare at 20,00 Feet."

"Living Doll." CBS 1 Nov 1963 Writ. Charles Beaumont. Dir. Jerry Stohl.
Watch as Telly Savales (Kojak) tries to contend with a plastic doll who says to him "My name is Talkie Tina and I don't like you." Hint: these words were not programmed into the doll's language bank by the doll's manufacturer. Read a recap of this episode here: "Living Doll."

"Time Enough at Last" CBS 20 Nov 1959 Writ. Rod Serling. Dir. John Brahm. "The Obsolete Man," CBS 2 June 1961. Writ Rod Serling. Dir Elliot
Silverstein. "Mr. Dingle the Strong." Writ Rod Serling. Dir John Braham. CBS 3 March 1961. "Printer's Devil." Writ. Charles Beaumont. Dir. Ralph Senensky. CBS 28 Feb 1963.
Just about everyone over the age of 30 has some recognition of the distinctive face and voice of Burgess Meredith (Rocky). He appeared in four episodes of the TZ and each of his appearances were memorable. In "Time" he stars as a doomesday survivor; in "Obsolete" he stars as a lone objector in a totalitarian, dystopian like future opposite the versitile character actor Fritz Weaver (Holocaust 1978); in "Dingle" he stars alongside legendary comedian Don Rickles (Run Silent Run Deep 1958) as a loser who is endowed with super-human strength by experimenting alience; and in "Devil" he stars as the antichrist in an attempt to win Robert Sterling's (Show Boat 1951) mortal soul through the manipulation of the bedeviled man's printing press. Catch two of these full episodes by clicking here: "Time Enough at Last," and "The Obsolete Man."

"A Passage for Trumpet." Writ Rod Serling. Dir Don Medford. CBS 20 May 1960. "A Game of Pool." Writ George Clayton Johnson. Dir Buzz Kulik. 13 Oct 1961. "Death Ship." Writ Richard Matheson. Dir Don Medford. CBS 7 Feb 1963. "In Praise of Pip." Writ Rod Serling. Dir Joseph M. Newman. CBS 27 Sept 1963.
Jack Klugman (Quincy, M.E.) and Burgess Meredith are in a tie for their amount of guest appearances on the TZ. In "Passage" Klugman plays a musician who learns a very valuable lesson about apprecaiting life to the fullest; in "Game" Klugman stars as a pool ace who gets bamboozled by a dead pool legend, legendary funnyman Jonathan Winters (It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World 1963); in "Death" we get to watch Klugman play a spacecraft captian who simply refuses to accept a grim truth; finally, in "Pip" Klugman stars as a redemeed father who makes the ultimate sacrifice for his son,sci fi icon Billy Mumy ("Lost in Space").

That was just the tip of the iceberg as it pertains to famous guest star stints on the TZ. Here are some other famous stars who have appeared on the show throughout its five year run:

Robert Redford,Lee Marvin, Mickey Rooney, Buster Keaton,Dennis Hopper, Peter Falk,Bill Bixby, John Carradine, James Coburn, Robert Duvall
Ron Howard, Martin Landau, Cloris Leachman, Roddy McDowall, Julie Newmar,Leonard Nimoy, Donald Pleasance, George Takei, Dennis Weaver, James Whitmore.

I could go on an on listing some of the well known names associated with the show, but I think you get the point. If ever you've got tons of work to do, and you're like me and need some background noise to help facilitate your process...why not just click on one of these links and catch a star in an engrossing episode of The Twilight Zone.