Gig Young stars as Martin Sloan, an executive from the big city who literally takes a brief trip back in time to his former hometown in the 1959 entry "Walking Distance." Returning to the bygone days of one's youth is a familiar theme for writer Rod Serling, but this episode is less sentimental than some of his other works. It's Sloan's yearning for the past that brings him back to the simpler times of his boyhood, when life was uncomplicated and far less stressful. But his father, played effectively by Frank Overton, convinces him that he doesn't belong there and that he must return to his present life. With reluctance and some heartache, Sloan takes his advice and leaves the past behind as he walks back into reality.
"Walking Distance," directed by television veteran Robert Stephens, is very similar in theme to a later Twilight Zone episode titled "The Trouble With Templeton" starring Brian Aherne. Both stories concern one's longing for their halcyon days and simpler times. A third episode (James Daly's disastrous train exit in "A Stop at Willoughby") took this same idea to a more tragic conclusion.
Future Oscar winner Gig Young is perfect for his role in "Walking Distance." An immensely talented and well-respected actor, his life ended in a tragic suicide, stunning the Hollywood community. A very young Ron Howard can also be seen as one of Sloan's boyhood friends. Little Ron was probably already studying camera angles when they filmed this one.
"Walking Distance," directed by television veteran Robert Stephens, is very similar in theme to a later Twilight Zone episode titled "The Trouble With Templeton" starring Brian Aherne. Both stories concern one's longing for their halcyon days and simpler times. A third episode (James Daly's disastrous train exit in "A Stop at Willoughby") took this same idea to a more tragic conclusion.
Future Oscar winner Gig Young is perfect for his role in "Walking Distance." An immensely talented and well-respected actor, his life ended in a tragic suicide, stunning the Hollywood community. A very young Ron Howard can also be seen as one of Sloan's boyhood friends. Little Ron was probably already studying camera angles when they filmed this one.