The Twilight Zone (TV Series) Mr. Denton on Doomsday (1959) User Reviews

Excellent performance by Duryea.

[Hey_Sweden · 8/10 · 22 June 2015]

Dan Duryea is wonderful as a gunslinger turned wretched drunk named Al Denton. Poor Al spends his days being tortured and teased by cretins such as swaggering bully Dan Hotaling (Martin Landau). One day, he starts pulling himself out of the abyss into which he fell. First, he finds a discarded revolver in the street. Next, he makes the acquaintance of a travelling peddler named Henry J. Fate (Malcolm Atterbury). Fate offers Denton an elixir which will supposedly both get his gunslinging prowess back to normal as well as cure him of alcoholism. A young punk named Pete Grant (Doug McClure) will be the latest to challenge Denton on his abilities.

There's a review here at IMDb that really got my attention. Far too often, this viewer is only able to take such entertainment at face value, so when other, more savvy viewers are able to point out the subtext, it makes him truly appreciative of the writing on this classic series. There's a hidden meaning here that is cleverly mirrored by the plot. Also, there is a very enjoyable revelation / twist late in the game that makes you think about what the peddler has in mind. (We *know* he's not named Fate for nothing.) The atmosphere is solid as always, especially in a tale set in the Old West.

The primary attraction of 'Mr. Denton on Doomsday' is a heartfelt performance by Mr. Duryea. Your heart just goes out to him, and you root for him to rise up righteous and kick the asses of people like Hotaling. Landau is great fun in the role of the bully, Atterbury is solid as Fate, and Jeanne Cooper does nice work as Liz, the area local who takes pity on the unfortunate Mr. Denton.

Eight out of 10.

How Dry I Am.

[hitchcockthelegend · 8/10 · 23 February 2014]

Written by Rod Serling, directed by Allen Reisner and starring Dan Duryea, Martin Landau, Doug McClure, Malcolm Atterbury and Jeanne Cooper.

The first Western themed Twilight Zone is a cracker, boosted by a great performance by Duryea, it's an episode dealing with that old dangled carrot known as the second chance. Al Denton has lapsed from being a dandy gunfighter into the town drunk, a man forced to sing for his next fix of alcohol offered by the town bully (Landau). But fate is going to play a hand, here in the human/supernatural form of peddler Henry J. Fate (Atterbury).

Story firmly has us feeling for Denton, wondering just how he came to be this way? The sorrow quickly turns to joy but this being The Twilight Zone we know there's going to be a kick in the tale, and when it comes it's a doozy, beautifully set up by Denton's revelation about what drove him to drink to oblivion. It could have ended up sappy but director Reisner ensures that is not the case, and Duryea's two pronged performance gives the story its super emotional fortitude. 8/10

The First Twilight Zone Western

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 25 September 2008]

This is about reclaiming one's life. The Western was the dominant dramatic form on television at the time this came out, so people had a regular diet of them. In this one, a town drunk is given a chance to regain his dignity by doing something positive. He is given a bottle that will allow him to be a great gunfighter for a short time. Unfortunately, Mr. Fate has other plans and he find himself neutralized. All is not lost, however, because he and his adversary are left to live normal lives because their gunfighting days are over. This is a cold war tale and a morality play. Serling had to take it to the next level, by injecting irony. The story plays pretty well and is enjoyable and, if we have not seen it before, it plays pretty well. If you are looking for a parallel to this, see "The Chaser."

Recovering Dignity and Self-Esteem

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 9 January 2014]

In the Far West, the drunkard Al Denton (Dan Duryea) is bullied by the gunman Dan Hotaling (Martin Landau) to get some booze. The mysterious Henry J. Fate (Malcolm Atterbury) observes the humiliation and Al Denton finds a revolver on the street. When Dan sees Al Denton with a revolver on his hand, he challenges the drunk for a gunfighter. Fate observes again and makes a movement with his hand that will change the life of Al Denton.

"Mr. Denton on Doomsday" is a tale of second chance in life, with the redemption and recovering of dignity and self-esteem by the drunk of a little town in the Old West. The plot is well-written and never corny. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Além da Imaginação - Mr. Denton on Doomsday" ("Beyond Imagination - Mr. Denton on Doomsday")

Note: On 25 Mar 2018 I saw this episode again.

A redemption play, well told.

[kimfoto · 9/10 · 18 May 2010]

It was nice to see an aging yet durable Duryea once again in a leading role. And he more than holds his own.

I thought it an inspired touch of casting on Serling's part to cast this once uber-villain in a part that could singularly reveal both aspects of this character in one, brief 1/2-hour episode. Martin Landau was effective as the black-clad heavy (a role hauntingly foreshadowing his role in "North By Northwest"), and it was a singular pleasure seeing a nearly post-pubescent Doug McClure in what may qualify as a cameo at the conclusion. Morality tales can be tricky, but once again Serling the supreme storyteller, pulls it off with aplomb.

It always amazes me how these wonderful B&W episodes still hold up after all these years (and multiple viewings) later. I never, ever seem to grow tired of watching them. I noticed that many years later they tried (in vain) to bring back this much venerated series, only to have it fail miserably. When you combine superior writing, inspired directing, and casting the strongest character and leading actors alive into one television program, it's a tough combination to beat.

On my very favorite TZ episode, "Walking Distance," the sound track was actually written by, for my money, the greatest film composer of all time, Bernard Herrmann ("Psycho," Citizen Kane"). That fact, more than just about anything, stands in tribute to the kind of talent that Serling's landmark TV series attracted. After all of the great television I've enjoyed over the years, there is no one series that has engendered the kind of devotion and wonder that these thought-provoking episodes inspire in their loyal following, myself heartily included.

The Twilight Zone Enters The Old West

[Skeeter700 · 3 February 2006]

"Mr. Denton On Doomsday" is another fascinating episode of 'The Twilight Zone'. This time the story takes place in the old west as a town drunk is given the chance to reclaim his respect by becoming a gunslinger. The story briefly talks about why Al Denton turned to alcohol, but does not develop this theme fully. Furthermore, Denton finds it incredibly easy to stop drinking considering he's been an alcoholic for so long. However, while Denton's personal demons would have made for an interesting story, Rod Sterling decided to create an interesting tale around the magical gun, as well as other tricks, that Denton uses to reclaim his quick-draw skills. Dan Duryea provided a good portrayal of his character and reminded me of William H. Macy. Like so many other Twilight Zone's, this episode features a fine twist at the end that adds just the right mix of tension and uncertainty to the story. Overall, while this is not one of The Twilight Zone's great excursions, it is a good average episode. And an average 'Twilight Zone' is still very much worth watching. I gave it 7.5 out of 10.

One of the best Twilight Zone westerns

[phantom_tollbooth · 7/10 · 21 February 2007]

With episode three of 'The Twilight Zone', Serling further confused those trying to get a handle on the series by presenting them with a fantasy Western. It was still a critical stage for the series and a quality episode was required after the disastrous 'One for the Angels'. Fortunately, Serling provided it. 'Mr Denton on Doomsday' is a play in two distinct acts; the first act finds the drunk and pathetic Denton suddenly regaining his unrivalled ability with a shooting iron and the second act sees him face the consequences of being a renowned gunman.

'Mr Denton on Doomsday' is the first 'Twilight Zone' episode to feature a truly surprising and satisfying twist. But there is far more to the episode than just its pay-off. Denton is explored thoroughly as a character and Serling's writing is deeply touching, particularly as Denton reveals the reason he started drinking excessively in the first place. The cast is also extremely good. The always reliable Martin Landau has a ball as Denton's worst tormentor and Doug McClure also surfaces in a small but key role as a young gunman. Jeanne Cooper does what she can with an underwritten part as the sympathetic eye candy and Malcolm Atterbury has the perfect, character-filled face for the part of Fate. But it is undoubtedly Dan Duryea's show. His performance as Denton is multi-layered and convincing. As the drunken Denton he provides moments of real butt-clenching embarrassment as he reluctantly serenades his bullies for drink. As Denton after his powers have been restored, Duryea is hangdog and resigned to the inevitable. And finally, following the showdown, he is revitalised and full of wisdom, a man given a second chance (second chances being another recurring theme in 'The Twilight Zone').

There are one or two little problems with the script; Denton overcomes his alcohol problem almost instantaneously and he is suddenly able to walk into a barber's shop and get a shave despite the fact he was so penniless that he had to sing for drink only moments before. Still, these are minor quibbles and the sort of thing that must be expected when you only have twenty minutes to tell your story. Serling packs plenty into those twenty minutes and tops it off with a very neat twist indeed.

Harsh, realistic Western becomes ironic tale of hope

[mlraymond · 10/10 · 22 January 2007]

This episode ,from the fall of 1959, was televised at the same time as other regular Westerns were appearing in large numbers nightly. It begins as a story that could easily have been played on Gunsmoke, but takes a detour into the fantastic. The result is a powerfully realistic portrayal of a down and out drunk, reduced to being the town joke, who reclaims his dignity and self worth by the end.

It's a rare opportunity to see veteran character actor Dan Duryea play a nice guy, when most of his career was based on sleazy,cowardly, back stabbing villains. Martin Landau plays the type of character that Duryea was famous for, as the sadistic gunman who enjoys kicking Denton around. He makes the hairs on the back of my neck rise every time I see this episode, he is so creepy.

This episode isn't shown that often, but it's well worth seeing, as both a good TZ story, and a fine drama on its own.

Speed and accuracy

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 25 September 2018]

Dan Duryea was one of the best and underappreciated players of his time on the big and small screen. In this Twilight Zone saga he's a former top gunfighter who has fallen on bad times. Now he's a sodden alcoholic who is bullied conitnually by a young punk who gets a chance to go back to the top.

It comes in the form of satanic like itinerant peddler Malcolm Atterbury who offers him a magic potion that will for a few second return him to his old speed and accuracy.

It does but for an interesting twist and may be another intervention saves his soul and the life of another would be gunfighter Doug McClure.

Dan Duryea is one actor who is good in anything he plays and this saga of the old west from The Twilight Zone is no exception.

Superb Story of Redemption, With One of the Series' Best Lead Performances

[chrstphrtully · 9/10 · 27 May 2015]

Drunken ex-gunfighter Al Denton, after being harassed by local thugs, is approached by a mysterious peddler, who gives him a potion that allows 10 seconds of deadly shooting accuracy.

While the Twilight Zone is best remembered for twist endings, it's best episodes almost always featured richly developed characters and/or sharply delivered plots that set enormously high stakes for those characters. "Mr. Denton on Doomsday" delivers on both in spades. Dan Duryea made his career as a villain throughout the 40s and 50s -- a character with a charming smile and a deadly sneer to match the personality. In this episode, he creates a character wallowing in alcoholic desperation arising from the loss of what he perceives is his greatest gift (his abilities as a gunman), ready to grab at anything that will revive this gift; the real twist in this episode is what his character learns from reviving that gift, a moral lesson delivered by Serling without unnecessary syrup (something many later Serling-written episode would be all too full of).

The performance that Duryea creates hits all of these notes brilliantly, and he is richly supported by the entire cast -- Jeanne Cooper and Ken Lynch as the sympathetic saloon owner and bartender, Malcolm Atterbury as the inscrutable peddler, and Martin Landau as a sadistic thug who terrorizes the Duryea character. Further, Allen Reisner's direction keeps the look as a standard Western, giving the audience a familiar surrounding in which to allow the story to unfold.

This episode is not the one most think of when they think of classic Twilight Zone episodes, but it should be.

'How dry I am '

[darrenpearce111 · 7/10 · 22 November 2013]

A story about self-esteem and a man about a million miles away from regaining his. Film noir veteran Dan Duryea plays Denton, a washed-up, drunk former gun-fighter. Western scenarios tend to wear less well with time than other TZ's. When Denton tells of turning away from gun-fighting after being challenged by a sixteen-year old I had to chuckle remembering the Waco Kid's version of such an event in 'Blazing Saddles'.

Jeanne Cooper plays the woman urging Denton to find his self respect. Martin Landau plays the mean and nasty gun-slinger. It all adds up to a well-acted, good little yarn that is over-shadowed by so many great episodes in series one.

Thought-provoking, emotional, and entertaining

[Shattered_Wake · 8/10 · 18 November 2010]

Portrait of a town drunk named Al Denton (Dan Duryea). This is a man who's begun his dying early - a long, agonizing route through a maze of bottles. Al Denton, who would probably give an arm or a leg or a part of his soul to have another chance, to be able to rise up and shake the dirt from his body and the bad dreams that infest his consciousness. In the parlance of the times, this is a peddler (Malcolm Atterbury), a rather fanciful-looking little man in a black frock coat. And this (a gun) is the third principal character of our story. Its function: perhaps to give Mr. Al Denton his second chance.

In the first of many historical stories, Rod Serling brings the audience back to the Old West (which would not be an uncommon time period for the series) for a gunfighter's morality tale. Faced with a life of pathetic drunkenness, Al Denton, who is portrayed fantastically well by Dan Duryea as a total sad sack transformed into a master gunslinger over the course of a single night. The story, at first look, may not seem like much on the surface. However, on closer inspection, the depth of the story, the social commentary of it, and the intelligent way it was executed all make the episode into something much, much more. It is emotionally stirring, both as a depressing look at a broken man, and also even in the time of Denton's success as he realizes the problems with the world they live in. Outside of the series, this could have been a very good feature-length western, which could have stretched further into Denton's backstory and his return to gunfighting. Even still, the episode manages to be a thought-provoking and entertaining experience for all. Also, keep an eye out for Martin Landau, who had one of his first roles ever in this episode.

-AP3-

Shoot 'Em Up

[StrictlyConfidential · 7/10 · 22 June 2021]

"Mr. Denton On Doomsday" (episode 3) was first aired on television October 16, 1959.

Anyway - As the story goes - A has-been drunk of a gunslinger finds that his fast-draw abilities can actually be restored by drinking a magic potion.

The Quick and the Drunk

[Coventry · 5/10 · 24 April 2016]

When I purchased the full series of "The Twilight Zone" and began watching all the episodes chronologically, I wondered how long it would take before I'd see one of my favorite actors or actresses! Well, it took exactly two episodes, because in the third episode of the first season I spotted the awesome Martin Landau. Okay admittedly he only plays a supportive and unthankful role, but the appearance of the first great cult actor in the series is a fact! I must say that I liked this episode a lot less than the previous two, mainly because the western setting doesn't really lend itself for a macabre tale of the supernatural. The atmosphere in this little episode "Mr. Denton on Doomsday" is not as moody or unsettling as in the other two "Twilight Zone" episodes that I watched already and also the story isn't as intriguing and/or compelling as it should be. Western regular Dan Duryea is Al Denton; formerly the best and most feared gunslinger in town but now a hopeless drunk. Martin Landau is the tough town bastard who humiliates Al Denton for laughs, like making him sing for a broken bottle of liquor. Then the mysterious traveling salesman Henry J. Fate passes through town and he provides Denton with a special kind of gun. Because of the magical gun Al Denton – albeit reluctantly – transforms back into a respected gunman and he even swears off the booze. The word spreads quite fast and Denton gets challenged to a duel, but it turns out that the mysterious Mr. Fate didn't only give his magical gun to Denton alone. The climax of the story is fairly inventive and unexpected, but it nevertheless doesn't save the episode from mediocrity.

Have Gun–Will Travel... to The Twilight Zone.

[BA_Harrison · 13 August 2011]

Drunken ex-gunslinger Al Denton (Dan Duryea) is unknowingly given a second chance when a mysterious peddler, Henry J. Fate (Malcolm Atterbury), rolls into town, first presenting the down-on-his-luck booze-hound with a revolver and, later, a magical potion that once again makes him the fastest draw in the west.

This episode of The Twilight Zone offers an early example of the 'twist ending' that the iconic show would later become synonymous with: when Denton is challenged to a showdown by young gun-slinger Pete Grant (Doug McClure), he swallows his potion and turns to face his foe, only to see Grant drinking from an identical bottle. Although this moment is certainly the 'money shot', the build up to this point and the subsequent poignant payoff (both men are forced to retire as gunfighters when each is shot in the hand) are equally as satisfying, making this a wholly enjoyable episode.

Some have suggested that Rod Serling intended 'Mr. Denton on Doomsday' to be an allegory for the cold-war stalemate between the US and Russia; if this is the case, then it only makes this episode all the more remarkable.

The Twilight Zone's First Western-----and It Is a Very Good One!

[malvernp · 7/10 · 3 May 2022]

Who would not love the opportunity to be given a second chance in life? This is a theme that Rod Serling considered in several of his TZ episodes, and Mr. Denton on Doomsday (MDOD) is perhaps his first exploration of that idea in the series. Aided by an excellent cast, script and director, MDOD is a lesser known but nonetheless quite worthy gem from the astonishing First Season of TZ.

Cast against type, veteran villain Dan Duryea shines as the beaten down former gunslinger (and now alcoholic) who gets a second chance to regain his self respect only to be later challenged by a younger version of his earlier self. The touching tale gave Duryea a rare sympathetic role, and he earns the viewer's empathy by learning through experience the value of courage, reflection and humility. Serling created in Al Denton a very human, vulnerable and likable character, and this episode should be included among the best work of that celebrated First Season.

Part of TZ's enduring popularity rests through its use of actors who became better known after they moved on from the series.. For example, the then little known Martin Landau (who played the principal villain in MDOD) would reach major stardom in just a few short years through his Rollin Hand character in the celebrated Mission Impossible television series. And Jeanne Cooper (cast as the kindly saloon girl in MDOD) established an extraordinarily long acting experience by starring as Katherine Chancellor in The Young and the Restless from 1973-2013-----the year of her death! Also, Doug McClure (the young secondary villain in MDOD) ended up by having a rich acting career on TV highlighted by his celebrated role as Trampas during the entire run of The Virginian TV series (1962-1971). Finally, the part of the mysterious Henry J. Fate in MDOD was played by veteran character actor Malcolm Atterbury. He achieved cinematic immortality through his uncredited part as the rural fellow at the crossroad, who makes an astute observation to Cary Grant just before the climactic crop dusting scene in Alfred Hitchcock's classic North by Northwest (1959).

Interestingly, Serling began with a quite different idea for this episode when he originally began thinking of it. The story was to be something entitled "You Too Can Be a Fast Gun" and concerned a meek school teacher who would realize his dream of becoming a tough Western gunfighter after taking a magic potion. We should be grateful that Serling abandoned this rather pedestrian story line in favor of the much more substantial one he ultimately employed in MDOD.

The consistently high level of quality attained during the run of the original TZ series in general and its First Season in particular is absolutely incredible!

You have to feel for duryea.

[daviddaphnered · 10/10 · 24 May 2019]

I preface my remarks by sharing that as an elementary school boy growing up in the 50's I hated Dan Duryea because of the outlaw parts he played so convincingly. I reached the point where I wished he would play decent, straight roles once in a while. (It's hard to believe that he had one spouse, once was a PTA member, and a Scoutmaster.) Here in this western of the Twilight Zone, however, he portrayed a sorry drunk that everyone in the small, dystopic town inhumanly mocked because he stayed inebriated. He was hardly able to stand, and thus was very pathetic. "Hope" is the operative word here. But is there any hope for this, ironically, hopeless man? What will happen? Will there be an upswing in his character and personal situation? I personally was left wondering, but I did like the resolve. Great drama and great character study punctuate this episode.

Despite the weakest of the three so far, it's a fun and moving tale of taking charge of one's own destiny.

[SLionsCricketreviews · 7/10 · 7 November 2017]

This is probably the episode of the first three that I was the least enamored by and have the least to say though it remains a very solid outing for THE TWILIGHT ZONE and its creator and main writer Rod Serling. The episode is about a once great gunslinger now reduced to town drunk and laughing stock, who mysteriously finds a gun appear before himself, and begins a game to regain control of his own destiny.

Once again, the underlying thematic narrative that is embedded within the actual plot is very interesting. Al Denton is the town drunk, a once great and respected man who has clearly hit rock bottom. The gun, which Serling in his narration says is a representation of Mr. Denton's second chance is the element through which he will once again regain control of his life. It's a story about the glorified old days, also marked by the Western setting, itself a romanticized figure of Hollywood in the days.

Dan Duryea plays the titular character and gives in an excellent performance that had me sympathizing with the character throughout the episode. He plays the various shifts in his character beautifully and brings to the screen a well-rounded performance. He's utterly convincing as the drunk, he's imposing as the reinvigorated gunslinger and entirely natural when he rides this cathartic journey. The ending to the episode is both tense and beautiful and acts almost like a cautionary tale and much like the previous episode, "One for the Angels", finds an inherently powerful message with which to end the episode.

The episode also features the late and great Martin Landau, early in his career around the time of Alfred Hitchcock's "North by Northwest" as the episode's central antagonist, who on multiple occasions humiliates Denton and ultimately is met with swift retribution. His performance is both convincing and compelling to watch on-screen even if the character is a little simplistic for a great future-Academy Award winning actor.

The least memorable episode and the only one with inherent pacing issues, "Mr. Denton on Doomsday" is still a compelling and at times powerful experience with a strong emotional core". It is less of a humorous episode or an atmospheric and unsettling episode like the previous two but it's an engaging, if at times stalling, experience.

"He called me Mister, Charley".

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 27 February 2010]

This episode of 'The Twilight Zone' had an opener I hadn't seen before, or if I did, I don't remember it. It has a closeup of an eyeball that dissolves into what ostensibly would be another world or dimension in the Twilight Zone. The series would eventually make forays into every conceivable genre, and this time it was the Western. I was particularly impressed by Rod Serling's voice over narration at the beginning of the story, a hallmark that lent gravitas to the tale that was about to unfold.

I've seen many TV Western episodes on the subject of the 'fastest gun in the West', and the topic makes for a fascinating psychological look at gunslingers and what makes them tick. Among my favorites, I would recommend 'Yawkey' from the "Lawman" series, along with one of my favorite movie Westerns, 1950's "The Gunfighter" starring Gregory Peck. Each of those, including "Mr. Denton on Doomsday", explore the various ways that men of reputation seek to live with their notoriety in the face of constant challenge. For Denton (Al Duryea), it was refuge in a bottle over the senseless but obligatory slaying of a sixteen year old upstart who would claim the title of fastest gun. For his protagonist to regain a measure of self respect, Serling introduces a secondary player who holds out the promise of redemption, a peddler who traffics in, and goes by the name of Fate.

The twist for this TZ episode isn't so much in the outcome as it is in the execution. Both Denton and Grant (Doug McClure) waver when they realize that neither of them can win, OR lose. It's the kind of classic TZ ending that forces the viewer to re-examine one's preconceived notions of clear cut outcomes where we're rooting for the sympathetic character. In this case, it wouldn't be Denton, even if we wanted him to emerge the hero of the story. Fate steps in to help one man out of a pit, and keep another man from falling into one. What one might consider a draw, Serling brilliantly recasts as a win for both challenger and the challenged.

*** Quick trivia note on a goof spotted - Right after Denton drinks from the broken liquor bottle at the beginning of the story, he's shown with a large scratch on the right side of his face. In the next scene with Liz, the scratch is gone.

Quick draw

[Calicodreamin · 6/10 · 24 May 2021]

Not as strong an episode as the first two, the 'twilight zone' aspect wasn't as obvious. However, acting was exceptional and the storyline was interesting.

It's nice to see some familiar faces...

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 13 June 2010]

This episode has several familiar faces to TV and the big screen from the 1940s-70s. One of my favorite bad guys, Dan Duryea, is, for once, a hero (of sorts) in this show--and it's nice to see him playing a different sort of role. As two baddies, you have the always interesting Martin Landau as well as Doug McClure. And, though you'd probably never remember his name, the face of Malcolm Atterbury is very familiar.

The show begins with Duryea as the town drunk in the old west. He's a truly pathetic creature--being pushed around by punks like Landau--all because he's too afraid to fight and because he'll do almost anything for his next drink. However, unknown to him, a stranger, Mr. Fate (Atterbury) steps in and changes everything. What happens next as well as the nice twist ending is something I just won't get into now--I just don't to ruin a very good show by telling too much.

Overall, a very good episode with particularly good acting (Duryea is at his best) and nice writing. While it's not a 'must-see' show, it certainly is worth your time. Well done.

Rather ordinary for a Twilight Zone episode, but solid nonetheless

[callanvass · 7/10 · 30 October 2013]

Al Denton is a shameful drunk, who does anything for alcohol. He used to be a famous gunslinger, but now he's nothing but a drunk. He pines for the days when people feared his abilities with a gun. He is constantly victimized by the town bully, Dan Hotailing. A mysterious man suddenly shows up, and fate might be in Denton's hand to try and redeem his life. I enjoyed this episode. The Western setting was certainly well done, and I love a good story about redemption and revenge. This didn't seem like your usual Twilight Episode. It lacks the awe and the wonder that a Twilight Zone episode has. I love this show because the unspeakable happens, and you never know what comes next, because of the vast unpredictability. This doesn't have any of that. Dan Dureya is great as Denton, and makes for a lovable hero. But it seems misplaced. I realize this show is only 25 minutes or so, but this could have really benefited from longer running time, so I could get more into Denton's plight. It does manage to cram things in quite adroitly, though. Don't get me wrong. I did like it, and it is enjoyable. It's just not as good as some episodes. Make sure you watch out for a young Martin Landau as Dan Hotailing. He plays Denton's nemesis, who bullies Denton. I didn't recognize him at first

7/10

Dan Duryea takes a trip through The Twilight Zone.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 13 September 2019]

"Mr. Denton on Doomsday" is well worth seeing because it stars one of the lesser-known but best actors to have guest starred on "The Twilight Zone"...Dan Duryea. Duryea generally played scummy supporting characters....villains or pusilanimous cowards. But occasionally he got to play roles outside this narrow range...and he never disappointed. Here, he plays a sad drunk who used to be a gunslinger in the 'good old days'.

The show begins out west. A young punk (Martin Landau) is getting his kicks by tormenting the town drunk, Al Denton (Duryea). Again and again, he delights in slapping him around and getting him to sing for a drink...calling him 'rummy' and treating him like dirt. However, when a gun somehow appears in Al's hand, his life story changes....and that is what makes this a nice installment of "The Twilight Zone".

I will admit that this is NOT one of the more memorable stories from the series and it lacks the creepiness we all love. But the acting...well...that is well worth seeing. Landau, as usual, was a great professional but seeing Duryea...that was a treat. Well worth seeing and exceptionally well made.

They Cram a Lot In

[GunnersMate · 7/10 · 11 May 2018]

While the episode itself is a tale of redemption on the inside, from the outside it is an exercise for the students of anthology story telling. The first half of the episode is heavy handed and strives to cram in as much backstory as possible. This isn't surprising as we have new people, places, themes, etc. every episode with every journey into the Twilight Zone, but some students of writing and directing do a better job than others. This is a prime example of students with more to learn (and as the episode was written by Serling himself, when compared to his later work, the viewer can see that he learned his lessons well over time). It wasn't bad, but the first half of the story felt too forced to really enjoy or to care too deeply for the characters. On the flip side of the episode, the characters had an opportunity to simply exist and carry the story to its ultimately satisfying ending.

Weak, but watchable.

[bombersflyup · 3/10 · 2 August 2019]

Mr. Denton on Doomsday isn't great. Duryea really needs to be in comedic or villain roles to be effective. I don't really understand this one though, maybe because his hand's wounded he will always be respected and stand tall and never have to prove himself again, I guess. None of these other people do though, I dunno. Young Martin Landau the villain.