The Twilight Zone (1959) s01e04 Episode Script
The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine
The blank page.
For some, it's a nightmare.
Our story tonight is about a writer caught in just such a nightmare.
Desperately in search of inspiration he has taken up refuge in a secluded chalet dead center in the Twilight Zone.
How's the work comin'? Slow and painful.
Poor baby.
Am I distracting you? Yeah.
You look beat, Andrew.
You'resexy when you're beat.
Ah Sondra So much for sweet dreams.
Sondra? In the flesh.
This isn't a dream? You're right, Andrew.
This isn't a dream not anymore.
Announcer: You're traveling to another dimension a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are only that of the imagination.
You're entering I don't want to lose you.
I'm still here.
Hello? Sondra? Anybody there? I couldn't have been that drunk.
Looney tunes, Andrew.
Time to get your sorry ass back to work.
Yesterday's news.
-Aah! -Oh Now you've gone and spoiled it.
I was all set to surprise you.
Look eggs over easy bacon not too crispy freshly squeezed OJ.
It's cute the way you have breakfast for lunch.
How do I know you? Don't you remember? We met last night in a dream.
Right.
Right.
And now you're standin' in front of me and I'm talkin' to you.
I must be losin' my mind.
We both know what you're losing your confidence.
Who told you that? Of course.
I did.
I'm the one talkin' to myself.
We can find it together.
That's why I'm here.
No.
This is why you're here.
Why fight it? You're lonely depressed you need to be inspired again.
What I need is therapy.
I'm--I'm nuts.
I'm nuts.
Look at this.
Nothin' but rough sketches.
I'm supposed to turn in a novel next week.
I've got 102 blank pages that need to be filled.
So what's stopping you? Oh, nothing much.
Just waiting for some elves to finish up my work.
You don't need elves, Andrew.
Thisis terrific.
Alan Moore couldn't do better.
I don't think it's good enough.
I understand.
Success can be intimidating especially when it happens overnight.
It's not every day that a graphic novel tops the Times' bestseller list.
I don't want to talk about it.
It's only natural that you feel pressure to prove that you're not just a one-hit wonder.
One-hitno.
You know maybe I'm not that bad.
If I had enough imagination to conjure you up Yeah.
When I get done Sleepless City ll is gonna rock the world.
That's just what I wanted to hear.
God! What's wrong? Who is it? Hey, genius! It's Lafe, my agent.
He's come by to see what I'm working on.
I don't have anything to show him.
All right.
You haven't answered my phone calls.
You haven't answered my emails so I am here to get an answer! When am I gonna see those pages? Don't do that.
I know you're in a crisis here.
OK, come on.
We pushed the dates back twice.
I have moved mountains for you! OK, listen--I'm your friend.
I went on the line for you when everyone thought publishing a graphic novel was insane! I pushed! I-- The hell with it.
Get in.
Do you think Stan Lee ever hid from his agent? Lafe! Wait! Hey, Lafe! Lafe! There.
Isn't that better? Yeah! It's a lot better.
You know what I wanna do? Hmm? I want to take you out.
I wanna show you off.
Right.
Nobody else can see you.
Well, uh I guess I can deal with that.
Hey, hey, hey.
You're not goin' anywhere, are ya? The sooner you finish some pages the sooner you'll see me.
All right.
She may not be real but she's all mine.
Sondra? She can't be gone.
Not now.
Not when I'm on a roll! He can see her.
Am I hallucinating or did I see you out there in the driveway? What's the problem? You were busy, so I took a walk.
What's the problem? You weren't alone.
You were hangin' out with the cable guy.
You know how those cable guys are always showing up when you least expect them.
You want to explain to me how it is he can see you? How is that possible? Who knows? Maybe I'm his idea of a dream girl, too.
But he talked to you.
Explain to me how that can happen when you don't even exist! But I do exist, Andrew.
Yeah, for me! Not for some horn dog with a tool belt.
Sam was just being friendly.
Sam, huh? Now we're on a first-name basis? That's terrific! Talk about your fast hook-ups! There is no need to be sarcastic! Listen, Sondra, it's humiliating enough when a real woman cheats on ya.
But when it's your dream woman, I mean You are really beginning to bore me, Andrew.
Excuse me for not living up to your fantasies! Hey.
What's with the jeans? They're comfortable.
Why? Yesterday you looked like a supermodel and today you're all country casual.
Not that I mind.
You look great, but-- Glad you approve.
-Goin' somewhere? -Out.
I hate to be the one to break it to you but as a dream girl you've got certain travel limitations.
No way! Sondra! Get back here! What the hell's the big idea stealin' my jeep? You don't have a license! You don't even know how to drive! What are you doin' here? Listen, baby, I don't have time to keep chasing you all over the place, OK? Maybe you forgot but I've got a lot of work to do.
Trust me, I didn't forget.
Come on, get in the jeep.
Hey! I created you to help me get through this book, OK not to stop me from writing it.
Baby, come on.
We were doin' just fine before that jerk showed up.
You're kiddin' me.
The cable guy? He's here? I'm sorry, but this isn't working.
Do you have any idea who you're talkin' to? Me.
I'm the one who dreamt you up.
I'll decide what's working and what isn't.
Andrew, do us both a favor and go away.
There's not a lot to choose from in there.
Red wine and blue cheese will have to do.
That'll work just fine.
You gotta be kidding me! You stay away from her you hear me, you son of a bitch? Wanna drive? Sure.
Whoop! Sorry.
I get it.
Now my dream girl's got a dream guy.
What are you doing at my work table? What does it look like I'm doing? That's actually not a bad drawing for someone who started out as a drawing.
But then again darling doing my artwork is not in your job description.
Sondra, clearly what we need to do is establish some ground rules here.
OK, first, there's only room for one artist in this house, and that would be me.
Secondly, no more day excursions, OK? Your job is to stay here in my home and make me feel pampered and relaxed at all times.
And thirdly-- and this is really the key to the whole thing-- no more running around with other guys, OK? Because I'll be damned if I'm gonna share you with anyone.
Are we clear? You really don't know what's goin' on, do you? Sondra, where do you keep the towels? They're in the closet, Sam, next to the shower.
All right.
That's it.
I'm done.
As easy as it was for me to draw you into my life I'm gonna have to erase you from it.
Erase me? Yeah.
What's this? Don't you get it? I'm real.
Sam's real.
You're not.
You didn't create me.
I created you.
I'm the graphic novelist.
I'm the one who's suffering from writer's block the one who created a dream lover to help me get through it all.
I guess I made you so real, I even convinced you.
But there's just no place for you here anymore.
No, no, of course there is.
It's my house.
Hey.
Hey! Hey! What are you doin'? Whoa! What are you doin'? Come on! Hey, hey, stop it! Hey, stop it, come on.
Why are you doin' this? It's time to get back to the real world.
What are you talkin' about, Sondra? Come on.
We need each other.
Just give me a chance.
Come on! Hey! You need me! I can help you.
Not anymore.
Is this really necessary? I loved you.
Hey.
You OK? I never felt better.
Comin' to bed? In a while.
I got some work to do.
OK.
Host: For some, the blank page can be a source of dread.
But for Sondra Lomax who's on her way to another bestseller that nightmare is in the past thanks to her own resolve and a sturdy eraser tools of the trade in the Twilight Zone.
For some, it's a nightmare.
Our story tonight is about a writer caught in just such a nightmare.
Desperately in search of inspiration he has taken up refuge in a secluded chalet dead center in the Twilight Zone.
How's the work comin'? Slow and painful.
Poor baby.
Am I distracting you? Yeah.
You look beat, Andrew.
You'resexy when you're beat.
Ah Sondra So much for sweet dreams.
Sondra? In the flesh.
This isn't a dream? You're right, Andrew.
This isn't a dream not anymore.
Announcer: You're traveling to another dimension a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are only that of the imagination.
You're entering I don't want to lose you.
I'm still here.
Hello? Sondra? Anybody there? I couldn't have been that drunk.
Looney tunes, Andrew.
Time to get your sorry ass back to work.
Yesterday's news.
-Aah! -Oh Now you've gone and spoiled it.
I was all set to surprise you.
Look eggs over easy bacon not too crispy freshly squeezed OJ.
It's cute the way you have breakfast for lunch.
How do I know you? Don't you remember? We met last night in a dream.
Right.
Right.
And now you're standin' in front of me and I'm talkin' to you.
I must be losin' my mind.
We both know what you're losing your confidence.
Who told you that? Of course.
I did.
I'm the one talkin' to myself.
We can find it together.
That's why I'm here.
No.
This is why you're here.
Why fight it? You're lonely depressed you need to be inspired again.
What I need is therapy.
I'm--I'm nuts.
I'm nuts.
Look at this.
Nothin' but rough sketches.
I'm supposed to turn in a novel next week.
I've got 102 blank pages that need to be filled.
So what's stopping you? Oh, nothing much.
Just waiting for some elves to finish up my work.
You don't need elves, Andrew.
Thisis terrific.
Alan Moore couldn't do better.
I don't think it's good enough.
I understand.
Success can be intimidating especially when it happens overnight.
It's not every day that a graphic novel tops the Times' bestseller list.
I don't want to talk about it.
It's only natural that you feel pressure to prove that you're not just a one-hit wonder.
One-hitno.
You know maybe I'm not that bad.
If I had enough imagination to conjure you up Yeah.
When I get done Sleepless City ll is gonna rock the world.
That's just what I wanted to hear.
God! What's wrong? Who is it? Hey, genius! It's Lafe, my agent.
He's come by to see what I'm working on.
I don't have anything to show him.
All right.
You haven't answered my phone calls.
You haven't answered my emails so I am here to get an answer! When am I gonna see those pages? Don't do that.
I know you're in a crisis here.
OK, come on.
We pushed the dates back twice.
I have moved mountains for you! OK, listen--I'm your friend.
I went on the line for you when everyone thought publishing a graphic novel was insane! I pushed! I-- The hell with it.
Get in.
Do you think Stan Lee ever hid from his agent? Lafe! Wait! Hey, Lafe! Lafe! There.
Isn't that better? Yeah! It's a lot better.
You know what I wanna do? Hmm? I want to take you out.
I wanna show you off.
Right.
Nobody else can see you.
Well, uh I guess I can deal with that.
Hey, hey, hey.
You're not goin' anywhere, are ya? The sooner you finish some pages the sooner you'll see me.
All right.
She may not be real but she's all mine.
Sondra? She can't be gone.
Not now.
Not when I'm on a roll! He can see her.
Am I hallucinating or did I see you out there in the driveway? What's the problem? You were busy, so I took a walk.
What's the problem? You weren't alone.
You were hangin' out with the cable guy.
You know how those cable guys are always showing up when you least expect them.
You want to explain to me how it is he can see you? How is that possible? Who knows? Maybe I'm his idea of a dream girl, too.
But he talked to you.
Explain to me how that can happen when you don't even exist! But I do exist, Andrew.
Yeah, for me! Not for some horn dog with a tool belt.
Sam was just being friendly.
Sam, huh? Now we're on a first-name basis? That's terrific! Talk about your fast hook-ups! There is no need to be sarcastic! Listen, Sondra, it's humiliating enough when a real woman cheats on ya.
But when it's your dream woman, I mean You are really beginning to bore me, Andrew.
Excuse me for not living up to your fantasies! Hey.
What's with the jeans? They're comfortable.
Why? Yesterday you looked like a supermodel and today you're all country casual.
Not that I mind.
You look great, but-- Glad you approve.
-Goin' somewhere? -Out.
I hate to be the one to break it to you but as a dream girl you've got certain travel limitations.
No way! Sondra! Get back here! What the hell's the big idea stealin' my jeep? You don't have a license! You don't even know how to drive! What are you doin' here? Listen, baby, I don't have time to keep chasing you all over the place, OK? Maybe you forgot but I've got a lot of work to do.
Trust me, I didn't forget.
Come on, get in the jeep.
Hey! I created you to help me get through this book, OK not to stop me from writing it.
Baby, come on.
We were doin' just fine before that jerk showed up.
You're kiddin' me.
The cable guy? He's here? I'm sorry, but this isn't working.
Do you have any idea who you're talkin' to? Me.
I'm the one who dreamt you up.
I'll decide what's working and what isn't.
Andrew, do us both a favor and go away.
There's not a lot to choose from in there.
Red wine and blue cheese will have to do.
That'll work just fine.
You gotta be kidding me! You stay away from her you hear me, you son of a bitch? Wanna drive? Sure.
Whoop! Sorry.
I get it.
Now my dream girl's got a dream guy.
What are you doing at my work table? What does it look like I'm doing? That's actually not a bad drawing for someone who started out as a drawing.
But then again darling doing my artwork is not in your job description.
Sondra, clearly what we need to do is establish some ground rules here.
OK, first, there's only room for one artist in this house, and that would be me.
Secondly, no more day excursions, OK? Your job is to stay here in my home and make me feel pampered and relaxed at all times.
And thirdly-- and this is really the key to the whole thing-- no more running around with other guys, OK? Because I'll be damned if I'm gonna share you with anyone.
Are we clear? You really don't know what's goin' on, do you? Sondra, where do you keep the towels? They're in the closet, Sam, next to the shower.
All right.
That's it.
I'm done.
As easy as it was for me to draw you into my life I'm gonna have to erase you from it.
Erase me? Yeah.
What's this? Don't you get it? I'm real.
Sam's real.
You're not.
You didn't create me.
I created you.
I'm the graphic novelist.
I'm the one who's suffering from writer's block the one who created a dream lover to help me get through it all.
I guess I made you so real, I even convinced you.
But there's just no place for you here anymore.
No, no, of course there is.
It's my house.
Hey.
Hey! Hey! What are you doin'? Whoa! What are you doin'? Come on! Hey, hey, stop it! Hey, stop it, come on.
Why are you doin' this? It's time to get back to the real world.
What are you talkin' about, Sondra? Come on.
We need each other.
Just give me a chance.
Come on! Hey! You need me! I can help you.
Not anymore.
Is this really necessary? I loved you.
Hey.
You OK? I never felt better.
Comin' to bed? In a while.
I got some work to do.
OK.
Host: For some, the blank page can be a source of dread.
But for Sondra Lomax who's on her way to another bestseller that nightmare is in the past thanks to her own resolve and a sturdy eraser tools of the trade in the Twilight Zone.