Steel (The Twilight Zone)

Infobox Television episode
Title = Steel
Series = The Twilight Zone


Caption = Scene from "Steel"
Season = 5
Episode = 122
Airdate = October 4 1963
Production =2602
Writer = Richard Matheson
(Based on his story, first published in the May 1956 edition of "The Magazine of Fantasy and Science-Fiction".)
Director =Don Weis
Guests = Lee Marvin : Steel Kelly
Joe Mantell : Pole
Chuck Hicks : Maynard Flash
Music = Nathan Van Cleave
Episode list = List of Twilight Zone episodes
Prev = In Praise of Pip
Next = Nightmare at 20,000 Feet

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

Opening narration

ynopsis

In a future where any boxing involving human fighters has been criminalized, the sport is now dominated by fighting robots. Former boxer Steel Kelly manages a B2-model robot called "Battling Maxo." Maxo is an older fighting robot and we learn that due to his age, he is not in demand. Kelly and his partner have used the last of their money to get to the fight venue. He is being given this chance due to the fact that one of the scheduled fighters was damaged in transport. Kelly has to assure the fight promoter that Maxo will be able to fight. After the fight promoter leaves Kelly and his partner and mechanic, Pole, argue about Maxo's condition and that he needs new parts. Kelly feels that Maxo should be able to go through with the fight despite Maxo's age and condition. While Pole tests Maxo's functions, an arm spring lets go and they don't have the parts or the money to fix him. Kelly decides that since they are from out of town, he would disguise himself as Maxo in order to collect the money necessary for repairs. Steel enters the fight disguised as Maxo. However, he is almost killed in the ring by the B7 robot he is fighting. The crowd jeer Maxo's performance, not knowing that it is a human doing the fighting. Afterwards, the fight promoter will only give them half the prize money because of "Maxo's" poor performance. The episode ends with Kelly telling Pole that with the money they will get the parts to fix Maxo.

Closing narration

References

*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
*Zicree, Marc Scott: "The Twilight Zone Companion". Sillman-James Press, 1982 (second edition)

External links

*imdb title|id=0734623|title=Steel
* [http://www.tv.com/the-twilight-zone/steel/episode/12707/summary.html TV.com episode page]
* [http://twilightzoneproject.blogspot.com/2007/06/502-steel.html "Steel" Review] on "The Twilight Zone Project"

Twilight Zone links

*The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
*Episode List
*Season 5