Living Doll (The Twilight Zone)

Infobox Television episode
Title = Living Doll
Series = The Twilight Zone


Caption = Talky Tina and Erich Streator (Telly Savalas)
Season = 5
Episode = 126
Airdate = November 1, 1963
Production =2621
Writer = Jerry Sohl
(Credited to Charles Beaumont)
Director = Richard C. Sarafian
Guests = Telly Savalas : Erich Streator
Mary LaRoche : Annabelle Streator
Tracy Stratford : Christie Streator
June Foray : Talky Tina (voice)
Music = Original score by Bernard Herrmann
Episode list = List of Twilight Zone episodes
Prev = The Last Night of a Jockey
Next = The Old Man in the Cave

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

Opening Narration

ynopsis

It's little Christie's birthday and she is excited about her new present. However, as they pull into the driveway, her mother, Annabelle, instructs Christie to run upstairs with her new doll, not to show it to her father. However, mother and daughter are stopped by Erich, as they enter the home. Christie is eager to show off her new present, a talking doll called "Talky Tina", which repeats "My name is Talky Tina, and I love you very much!" Erich demands to know how much it cost. Annabelle says Christie has wanted this doll for months and that she charged it. Erich angrily states that Christie does not need another doll. Christie flees the room, leaving Talky Tina behind.

Annabelle follows Christie, and Erich examines the doll. He hears it say "I don't think I like you", and throws it across the room. Annabelle re-enters, and we learn that Erich is actually Christie's stepfather and is bitter because he cannot sire children; further, that Annabelle did not tell him she had a daughter until after they were married. Annabelle pleads with Erich to be kinder to Christie.

At the dinner table, Christie pretends to feed Tina. Erich becomes annoyed, and Annabelle declares that Tina is good for Christie, that it gives her someone to play with. Erich still believes Annabelle bought Tina as a reminder they cannot have children of their own. Erich catches the doll winking at him, while the others are looking elsewhere at the table.

Left alone with the doll, Erich hears it say "My name is Talky Tina and I'm beginning to hate you." He replies, "My name is Erich Streator, and I'm going to get rid of you." Tina exclaims "You wouldn't dare! Annabelle would hate you, Christie would hate you, "and I would hate you"." Erich places a match next to Tina, who gasps. He says "Then you have feelings!" The doll replies "Doesn't everything?" Erich accuses Annabelle of placing a walkie-talkie in Tina and speaking through the doll to "get back at him". She, of course, denies it.

Finding the doll, Erich goes into the garage and places it in a trash can with a lid. When Christie seeks the doll, he tells her he doesn't know where it is. Later, the telephone rings. Erich answers; and hears the voice on the other end says, "My name is Talky Tina, and I'm going to kill you."

He checks the trash can and is startled to find Tina gone. He again accuses Annabelle of teaming up with Christie to frighten him; she, worried and baffled by his seemingly irrational accusations and suddenly mad behavior, pleadingly denies it. Erich finds Tina in Christie's bed. Christie is asleep, but the doll speaks to awaken her. Erich confiscates the doll as Christie cries and Annabelle rushes in. Erich says "The doll was in her bed. She's the one that's been doing it." Christie begs "Daddy, please!", and Erich yells "I'm not your Daddy!"

As Annabelle desperately tries to reason with Erich, he starts to come to the chilling realization that neither she nor Christie are the source of Tina's taunts. It's something more. Unexplained. Frightening.

Now knowing he must destroy the doll to save his life, he returns to the garage to use a tablesaw to cut off the doll's head, but the blade does not even make a scratch on its neck. Annabelle enters the garage to see Erich attempting to saw the doll. When she tries to stop him, he angrily pushes her away. She marches out of the garage. Erich continues his attempts to destroy Tina, now with a blow torch. It, too, fails. He hears the doll mockingly laugh at him.

Realizing he is unable to damage the doll, he wraps it in a garage rag and ties a cord around it; then places the doll back into the trash can. As he places heavy blocks on top of the can's lid, he hears it laugh. He returns to his bedroom to find Annabelle packing to leave. "Erich, how could you!?" She states his need to see a psychiatrist. Erich insists the doll was talking to him, but offers to return it. She agrees to stay. Returning to the trash can, he is relieved to see Tina still there. As he retrieves it from the can, it says "My name is Talky Tina, and I don't forgive you!" Erich hushes "Shut up, shut up!", and goes back to Christie's bedroom to reluctantly hand her the doll. Later that night, Erich is awakened in bed by muffled noises outside their closed bedroom door. Telling Annabelle to stay in the bedroom, he goes out of the bedroom to investigate. He looks into Christie's room to see Tina gone. He starts to walk down the stairs, but trips on Tina, and tumbles uncontrolled down the long stairway. Tina then leaps her way down to the bottom of the stairs, landing inches away from where Erich lies dying. Erich, with just enough fading strength to open his eyes, sees Tina looking at him - as his vanquisher. He then closes his eyes and dies. Annabelle screams "Erich!" and runs down the stairs. She picks up Tina who chillingly warns her, "My name is Talky Tina..."and you better be nice to me!" Annabelle, in stunned horror of realizing the doll's true, evil nature, tosses down the doll away from her (in slow-frame motion).

Closing Narration

Preview for Next Week's Story

Episode notes

The doll used to play Talky Tina was a doll named Brikette that was made by the [http://www.voguedolls.com/ Vogue doll company] . Brikette is a non-talker, except in the Twilight Zone. However, the inspiration for Tina was Chatty Cathy, a talking doll manufactured by Mattel. Cathy and Tina were both voiced by June Foray, who is most recognized as the voice of Rocky the Flying Squirrel and most female characters in "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show".

This well-known episode has been referred to and parodied many times since the episode originally aired. One example of this is in The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror III, where Homer buys Bart a talking Krusty the Clown doll for his birthday and the thing tries to kill Homer. Another example is a trio of "Johnny Bravo" episodes that spoofed three "Twilight Zone" episodes, including this one. It's also likely an inspiration for the Child's Play movies.Fact|date=August 2008

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)
* [http://www.dollinfo.com/brikette.htm Photo and description] of replica Brikette doll

External links

*imdb title|id=0734586|title=Living Doll
* [http://www.tv.com/the-twilight-zone/living-doll/episode/12711/summary.html TV.com episode page]

Twilight Zone links

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