"The Shelter" is episode 68 of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It originally aired on September 29, 1961 on CBS. It is one of the few Twilight Zone episodes to feature no supernatural or sci-fi elements.
What you are about to watch is a nightmare. It is not meant to be prophetic, it need not happen, it's the fervent and urgent prayer of all men of good will that it never shall happen. But in this place, in this moment, it does happen. This is the Twilight Zone.
Plot
It is a typical evening in a typical suburban community outside of New York City. At the residence of physician Bill Stockton, he enjoys a birthday party being thrown for him by his wife Grace and their son Paul. Also at the party are Jerry Harlowe, Bill's brother-in-law; Frank Henderson and Marty Weiss, Bill and Jerry's former State University roommates; and the wives and children of Jerry, Frank, and Marty. Bill is well known and liked by this gathering. Moreover, Bill has repeatedly administered to the health and well-being of each one of the guests. Everyone is friendly and jovial, even when mention is made of Bill's late-night work on a fallout shelter which he has built in his basement. Suddenly, a Civil Defense announcement overheard by young Paul is made that unidentified objects have been detected heading for the United States, indicating a nuclear attack.
As panic ensues, the doctor locks himself and his family into his shelter. His friends become hysterical and now want to occupy the shelter. Stockton offers his basement to the guests, but the shelter itself has sufficient air, provisions, and space for a total of three people. The once-friendly neighbors do not accept this. All of the previous cordiality is now replaced with soaring desperation: pent-up hostility, nativism, and other suppressed emotions boil to the surface. They break down the shelter door with an improvised battering ram. Just then, a final Civil Defense broadcast announces that the objects have been identified as harmless satellites and that no danger is present. His neighbors apologize to each other, and to the doctor, for their behavior; yet Stockton wonders aloud if they were all destroyed without a bomb dropping.
Closing narration
No moral, no message, no prophetic tract, just a simple statement of fact: for civilization to survive, the human race has to remain civilized. Tonight's very small exercise in logic from the Twilight Zone.
The episode aired after a summer in which the fallout shelter had loomed large in national discourse, due to the Berlin Crisis of 1961. Meeting with U.S. President John F. Kennedy in Vienna, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev insisted—not for the first time—that NATO troops withdraw from Berlin, handing over the city to an independent, Soviet-aligned East Germany. Khrushchev explicitly threatened thermonuclear war if the United States refused to relent. Kennedy responded publicly seven weeks later in a televised address on July 25, 1961.[1] During the speech, Kennedy stated his intention to ensure access to shelters in the event of a nuclear attack on the United States. In the aftermath of the speech, numerous companies began producing such shelters, and products were sold with explicit reference to the shelters; for instance, Foam-Ettes toothpaste tablets boasted that they could be used "wherever you are—even in a family fallout shelter."[2] Rod Serling saw an opportunity for urgent social commentary and "rushed into production" an episode that would comment on prevailing anxieties.[3] Two weeks after the episode aired, the crisis escalated and construction of the Berlin Wall began.
References
Zicree, Marc Scott: The Twilight Zone Companion. Sillman-James Press, 1982 (second edition)
DeVoe, Bill. (2008). Trivia from The Twilight Zone. Albany, GA: Bear Manor Media. ISBN978-1-59393-136-0
Grams, Martin. (2008). The Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic. Churchville, MD: OTR Publishing. ISBN978-0-9703310-9-0
Henriksen, Margot A. Dr. Strangelove's America: Society and Culture in the Atomic Age. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997.
Perlstein, Rick. Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus. New York: Nation Books, 2009 [2001]. ISBN978-1-56858-412-6
Notes
^Report to the Nation - Berlin Crisis, 25 July 1961. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. July 25, 1961.
^Henriksen, Margot A. Dr. Strangelove's America: Society and Culture in the Atomic Age. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997.
^Perlstein, Rick. Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus. New York: Nation Books, 2009 [2001].
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The Shelter is episode 68 of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone It originally aired on September 29 1961 on CBS It is one of the few Twilight Zone episodes to feature no supernatural or sci fi elements The Shelter The Twilight Zone episodeEpisode no Season 3Episode 3Directed byLamont JohnsonWritten byRod SerlingFeatured musicStockProduction code4803Original air dateSeptember 29 1961 1961 09 29 Guest appearancesLarry Gates Jack Albertson Sandy Kenyon Peggy Stewart Michael Burns Joseph BernardEpisode chronology Previous The Arrival Next The Passersby The Twilight Zone 1959 TV series season 3 List of episodes Contents 1 Opening narration 2 Plot 3 Closing narration 4 Cast 5 Context 6 References 7 Notes 8 External linksOpening narration EditWhat you are about to watch is a nightmare It is not meant to be prophetic it need not happen it s the fervent and urgent prayer of all men of good will that it never shall happen But in this place in this moment it does happen This is the Twilight Zone Plot EditIt is a typical evening in a typical suburban community outside of New York City At the residence of physician Bill Stockton he enjoys a birthday party being thrown for him by his wife Grace and their son Paul Also at the party are Jerry Harlowe Bill s brother in law Frank Henderson and Marty Weiss Bill and Jerry s former State University roommates and the wives and children of Jerry Frank and Marty Bill is well known and liked by this gathering Moreover Bill has repeatedly administered to the health and well being of each one of the guests Everyone is friendly and jovial even when mention is made of Bill s late night work on a fallout shelter which he has built in his basement Suddenly a Civil Defense announcement overheard by young Paul is made that unidentified objects have been detected heading for the United States indicating a nuclear attack As panic ensues the doctor locks himself and his family into his shelter His friends become hysterical and now want to occupy the shelter Stockton offers his basement to the guests but the shelter itself has sufficient air provisions and space for a total of three people The once friendly neighbors do not accept this All of the previous cordiality is now replaced with soaring desperation pent up hostility nativism and other suppressed emotions boil to the surface They break down the shelter door with an improvised battering ram Just then a final Civil Defense broadcast announces that the objects have been identified as harmless satellites and that no danger is present His neighbors apologize to each other and to the doctor for their behavior yet Stockton wonders aloud if they were all destroyed without a bomb dropping Closing narration EditNo moral no message no prophetic tract just a simple statement of fact for civilization to survive the human race has to remain civilized Tonight s very small exercise in logic from the Twilight Zone Cast EditLarry Gates as Dr Bill Stockton Jack Albertson as Jerry Harlowe Sandy Kenyon as Frank Henderson Peggy Stewart as Grace Stockton Michael Burns as Paul Stockton Joseph Bernard as Marty Weiss Jo Helton as Martha Harlowe Moria Turner as Mrs Weiss Mary Gregory as Mrs Henderson John McLiam as ManContext Edit Fallout shelter sign from the United States The episode aired after a summer in which the fallout shelter had loomed large in national discourse due to the Berlin Crisis of 1961 Meeting with U S President John F Kennedy in Vienna Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev insisted not for the first time that NATO troops withdraw from Berlin handing over the city to an independent Soviet aligned East Germany Khrushchev explicitly threatened thermonuclear war if the United States refused to relent Kennedy responded publicly seven weeks later in a televised address on July 25 1961 1 During the speech Kennedy stated his intention to ensure access to shelters in the event of a nuclear attack on the United States In the aftermath of the speech numerous companies began producing such shelters and products were sold with explicit reference to the shelters for instance Foam Ettes toothpaste tablets boasted that they could be used wherever you are even in a family fallout shelter 2 Rod Serling saw an opportunity for urgent social commentary and rushed into production an episode that would comment on prevailing anxieties 3 Two weeks after the episode aired the crisis escalated and construction of the Berlin Wall began References EditZicree Marc Scott The Twilight Zone Companion Sillman James Press 1982 second edition DeVoe Bill 2008 Trivia from The Twilight Zone Albany GA Bear Manor Media ISBN 978 1 59393 136 0 Grams Martin 2008 The Twilight Zone Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic Churchville MD OTR Publishing ISBN 978 0 9703310 9 0 Henriksen Margot A Dr Strangelove s America Society and Culture in the Atomic Age Berkeley University of California Press 1997 Perlstein Rick Before the Storm Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus New York Nation Books 2009 2001 ISBN 978 1 56858 412 6Notes Edit Report to the Nation Berlin Crisis 25 July 1961 John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum July 25 1961 Henriksen Margot A Dr Strangelove s America Society and Culture in the Atomic Age Berkeley University of California Press 1997 Perlstein Rick Before the Storm Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus New York Nation Books 2009 2001 External links Edit The Shelter at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Shelter The Twilight Zone amp oldid 1135552413, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
