The Four of Us Are Dying

Infobox Television episode
Title = The Four of Us Are Dying
Series = The Twilight Zone


Caption = Guest star Ross Martin
Season = 1
Episode = 13
Airdate = January 1, 1960
Production = 173-3618
Writer =Rod Serling adapted from "All of Us Are Dying", an unpublished story by George Clayton Johnson
Director =John Brahm
Guests =Harry Townes : Arch Hammer
Phillip Pine : Virgil Sterig
Don Gordon : Andy Marshak
Ross Martin : Johnny Foster
Peter Brocco : Pop Marshak
Beverly Garland : Maggie
Milton Frome : Detective
Music = Jerry Goldsmith
Episode list = List of Twilight Zone episodes
Prev = What You Need
Next = Third from the Sun

"The Four of Us Are Dying" is an episode of the American television anthology series "The Twilight Zone".

Opening narration

ynopsis

Arch Hammer is a conman who can change his face to make it look like anyone he chooses. He first walks into a night club where he impersonates trumpeter Johnny Foster in order to steal Foster's girlfriend, a sultry singer. Hammer then pays a visit to Mr. Penell impersonating murdered gangster Virgil Sterig in order to extort money out of Penell, the man who had Sterig killed. But Penell figures out the deception and sends his men after him. Trying to escape down an alley, Hammer changes his face to one he sees on a poster of boxer Andy Marshak. But, thinking he is in the clear, he then runs into Marshak's father at a street book stall, who mistakes him for the son who broke his mother's heart, and ruined a young girl's life. Hammer pushes the old man out of the way and returns to his hotel room. A detective comes to the hotel to pick him up for questioning at the police station. When Hammer tries to escape from the policeman in a revolving door, he assumes Marshak's appearance again. But on the street he bumps into Marshak's father again, who pulls a gun on him. Hammer tries to show the old man he is not who he thinks he is, but before he can concentrate and change, the old man shoots him. As Hammer lies dying, his face shifts from one person to another until he dies wearing his own face.

Closing narration

Preview for Next Week's Story

Trivia

* “After the first half-dozen stories had been written, part of the hustle was getting an agent. Through those years I found several who would let me use their names, though few cared to sign a contract with me. One of these men, Jay Richards - at the time head of the television department of the Famous Artists Agency, long since absorbed by I.F.A. (International Famous Agency), and since embedded in I.C.M. (International Creative Management), which represents me now in television and movies - agreed to read something. I showed Jay ‘All of Us Are Dying.’ After reading it, he crossed out the title with a ballpoint pen and wrote in ‘Rubberface!’ Then he sent it to Rod Serling, who had a new series that season called the Twilight Zone." —"George Clayton Johnson writing in the August 1981 issue of "The Twilight Zone Magazine".

* In 2005, "The Four of Us Are Dying" was produced for the stage by [http://www.4letterentertainment.com 4 Letter Entertainment]

* The end scene of this episodes is referenced in ' episode "Feat of Clay," in which the shapeshifting villain Clayface, once an actor, transforms into his previous film roles before his death, which was ultimately revealed to be an act .

* During the destruction of the T-1000 in "", the antagonist changes into several of the characters that it mimicked throughout the film before finally succumbing to the molten steel, similar to the protagonist of this episode.

* "Welcome to the Black Parade", a single by My Chemical Romance, was originally titled "The Five of Us Are Dying".

* An instrumental track on the Nine Inch Nails album "The Slip" is entitled "The Four of Us Are Dying."

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. 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

*
* [http://www.tv.com/the-twilight-zone/the-four-of-us-are-dying/episode/12597/summary.html TV.com episode page]