A World of His Own

Infobox Television episode
Title = A World of His Own
Series = The Twilight Zone


Caption = Scene from "A World of His Own"
Season = 1
Episode = 36
Airdate = July 1, 1960
Production=173-3634
Writer =Richard Matheson
Director =Ralph Nelson
Guests =Keenan Wynn : Gregory West
Phyllis Kirk : Victoria West
Mary La Roche : Mary
Music =
Episode list = List of Twilight Zone episodes
Prev = The Mighty Casey
Next = "King Nine" Will Not Return

"A World of His Own" is an episode of the American television anthology series "The Twilight Zone".

Opening Narration

Part One

Part Two

ynopsis

Coming home, Victoria West spots her husband, playwright Gregory West, through the window sharing a drink with Mary, an attractive blonde. But when Victoria barges into the room, Mary is nowhere to be found.

Gregory explains to his wife that if he describes anything into his dictation machine, he can cause that thing to suddenly appear in his study. To make it disappear, all he has to do is throw the tape into his fireplace. He demonstrates this, first with Mary and then an elephant in the hallway. Gregory discovered this talent when a male character he had put a great deal of effort and attention into approached him as a real, flesh-and-blood person, shook his hand, and thanked him.

Believing none of this, Victoria tells Gregory that he is insane and she is going to have him committed. In response, Gregory takes a tape from his safe and explains that it contains "her" description. Victoria snatches the tape away from him and throws it on the fire to prove he is insane— and promptly begins to feel faint. "You mean you were telling the truth?!" she cries, and disappears. Frantic, Gregory rushes to his dictation machine and begins to re-describe Victoria— then reconsiders and describes Mrs. "Mary" West. Mary reappears and mixes her husband a drink.

Serling appears on the set and says, "We hope you enjoyed tonight's romantic story on "The Twilight Zone". At the same time, we want you to realize that it was, of course, purely fictional. In real life, such ridiculous nonsense—"

"Rod, you shouldn’t!" interrupts Gregory, who walks over to his safe and pulls out a tape marked "Rod Serling". "I mean, you "shouldn't" say things as 'nonsense' and 'ridiculous'!" he continues as he throws the tape into the fire.

"Well, that's the way it goes," replies Serling, in a tone of "I guess I deserved that" as he fades away.

Closing narration

Reception

This is the only episode in the first season in which Rod Serling appears on-screen and breaks the fourth wall. Serling's cameo was so well-received, he appeared on-screen to introduce subsequent episodes.

Influence

The 2002–2003 new 'Twilight Zone' ran a similar episode: A graphic novel author, afflicted with writer's block, creates a perfect girlfriend to help inspire him. However, she soon asserts her independence and starts hitting on other guys. Eventually, she reveals "she" is the real author, not him, and then erases him from existence.

Inside The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, there is an envelope with Rod Serling written on it much like on this episode.

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/a-world-of-his-own/episode/12620/summary.html TV.com episode page]