The Chaser (The Twilight Zone)

Infobox Television episode
Title = The Chaser
Series = The Twilight Zone


Caption = John McIntire in "The Chaser"
Season = 1
Episode = 31
Airdate = May 13, 1960
Production=173-3636
Writer =Robert Presnell, Jr. based on the story “The Chaser” by John Henry Collier, first presented (under the title “Duet For Two Actors”) as an episode of "The Billy Rose Show" in February 1951
Director =Douglas Heyes
Guests =George Grizzard : Roger Shackleforth
John McIntire : Professor A. Daemon
Patricia Barry : Leila
J. Pat O'Malley : Homburg
Music =
Episode list = List of Twilight Zone episodes
Prev = A Stop at Willoughby
Next = A Passage for Trumpet

"The Chaser" is an episode of the American television anthology series "The Twilight Zone".

Opening narration

ynopsis

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. After its administration, Leila falls madly in love with Roger, but soon, her love becomes stifling. Roger returns to the professor to buy his 'love cleaner', an expensive poison that can only be used once, before the user loses his nerve.

When he gets home, he prepares a glass of champagne with the new potion. Just as he is about to give Leila the glass, she tells him 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.

Closing narration

Preview for Next Week's Story

Episode notes

This episode was adapted by Robert Presnell, Jr. from the short story "The Chaser" by John Collier. 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.”

This episode was remade in 1991 as "Loved to Death", an episode of the HBO adult-horror anthology series, "Tales from the Crypt". That episode starred Andrew McCarthy and Mariel Hemingway.

References

*Sander, Gordon F.:"Serling: The Rise And Twilight of Television’s Last Angry Man". New York: Penguin Books, 1992.
*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. ISBN 978-1593931360
*Grams, Martin. (2008). "The Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic". Churchville, MD: OTR Publishing. ISBN 978-0970331090

External links

*

Twilight Zone links

*The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
*Episode List
*Season 1