In Praise Of Rod Serling
I just finished reading a wonderful book, AS I KNEW HIM: My Dad Rod Serling by Anne Serling.
I’ve always been a fan of Rod Serling and when I read his writing I am always blown away by his storytelling and his use of language. We all know him from the Twilight Zone, and Night Gallery, but Anne reminds us of all of the other things he wrote, (including Requiem for a Heavyweight – which I loved), that we have either forgotten about or didn’t realize he had written.
He narrated The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau, among others, which as a kid I never missed an episode.
We all have our favorite Twilight Zone episodes, and this is probably my personal favorite.
Side note: I have pulled a few clips from YouTube and the people who posted the clips say that they have done some editing on the clips. So these clips are not the way they were in the episode, but they still evoke the episode.
It’s A Cookbook - - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk01eeKMD_I
Anne Serling’s book is filled with quotes not just from his work, but also the things he was concerned about. Rod Serling was very political and out spoken, which we certainly forget about. He dealt with so many issues in his work, at the time most people never realized what he was actually writing about.
I found that it was all right to have Martians saying things Democrats and Republicans could never say. - Rod Serling
The writer's role is to menace the public's conscience. He must have a position, a point of view. He must see the arts as a vehicle of social criticism and he must focus on the issues of his time.- Rod Serling
I'd love to be able to write an in-depth piece of what causes men like [Richard] Nixon and [H.R.]Haldeman and [John] Ehrlichman and all the rest of them not only to run, but what causes us to vote for them. - Rod Serling
I wish you would have written this piece, Rod. Maybe it would help explain why the hell people voted for Trump and his thugs, a second time.
One of the great take-a-ways of Anne’s book is seeing Rod Serling as a person, away from the cameras. I never thought about Rod Serling as a Dad, down on his knees, playing not only with his daughters, but also their friends. He told jokes, loved dogs, the outdoors, teaching, and his time with his family. Every summer the whole family left Los Angeles and went to a lake in up state New York. It was a cottage that had been in the family for years and it was his escape.
We always imagine him in black and white as the serious man in the suit, taking us on a journey.
Anne shares an amazing relationship with her Dad. She describes her memories so vividly, I feel like I’m witnessing these events, and eavesdropping on their conversations.
You all know I’m an avid reader, which is why this is another of my favorite episodes….
Time Enough At Last - - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAxARJyaTEA
I still find the ending heart breaking.
How can you put on a meaningful drama when every fifteen minutes proceedings are interrupted by twelve dancing rabbits with toilet paper? - Rod Serling
The storytelling and writing is always spot on, as are the actors performances.
I’ve never been a William Shatner fan, but I think this is one of his finest performances, and all these years later, I still think about it whenever I fly somewhere.
Compilation edit of Nightmare At 20,000 Feet - - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dar2HKImK-0
What really stands out in Anne Serling’s book is her honesty and her struggle, losing her Dad. He was only fifty, which is way too young, and she was barely in college. They were really close and she is very candid about the loss. It’s hard enough to lose a parent at any age, but to lose one when you’re just getting to know them as you become an adult, that’s devastating.
Because of his fame, he left a large shadow over our culture. He left an even larger shadow over his daughter. She writes with such honesty. It’s a heart breaking loss and we feel it through her words.
It took her a long time to come to grips with the loss, and her journey is fascinating.
This is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it. Find it. Read it. Enjoy. And learn about a fascinating person that we usually only glimpse in black and white. AS I KNEW HIM: My Dad Rod Serling by Anne Serling gives us a more complete picture of Rod Serling.
Here are a few other quotes that I love, which I believe are relevant today..
In every country in which there has been a loss of freedom, where does it begin? It begins in news media, in public print, in books, and on the proscenium. That's where they attack you first right there. That's the bread basket. - Rod Serling
Every Superstate has one iron rule: logic is an enemy and the truth is a menace. - Rod Serling
Thank you Rod for everything you wrote and the things you tried to warn us about. And thank you Anne for writing such an amazing book. You have given us a much more complete picture of the your father.
My Upcoming Week
Starting tomorrow I am going to be out of commission for about a week as we are having our house re-piped. Yes, we are getting rid of the old metal pipes and replacing them with new plastic ones. Hopefully, not only will we have decent water pressure but we’ll be getting rid of all of the crap that accumulates after 50+ years in metal pipes. It’s going to be a long week.
As usual, Thank You for reading, subscribing, and supporting my writing and filmmaking.
Remember, if you don’t like what I’m writing these days then unsubscribe. And don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Incident At Arrah Wanna - https://vimeo.com/803227061?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci
I have never been what you might call a role model. In fact growing up in the Baptist Church (yes, really), the youth leaders were all convinced I was going to hell and told me so repeatedly. I’m sure I didn’t help myself by getting busted for pot on a church retreat when I was fourteen. Here is that story, Incident At Arrah Wanna. Enjoy.
If you like the story you can head over to my website (www.angryfilmmaker.com) and pick up a copy of the book. I would appreciate it.
Don’t let the bastards get to you!
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Check out my books, as well as my films, and Angry Filmmaker merchandise on my site. www.angryfilmmaker.com
