The Night of the Meek
- Episode aired Dec 23, 1960
- TV-PG
- 25m
After a derelict Santa Claus is fired on Christmas Eve, he finds a mysterious bag that gives out presents. With this bag he sets out to fulfill his one wish - to see the less fortunate inher... Read allAfter a derelict Santa Claus is fired on Christmas Eve, he finds a mysterious bag that gives out presents. With this bag he sets out to fulfill his one wish - to see the less fortunate inherit the bounties of Christmas.After a derelict Santa Claus is fired on Christmas Eve, he finds a mysterious bag that gives out presents. With this bag he sets out to fulfill his one wish - to see the less fortunate inherit the bounties of Christmas.
- Irate Mother
- (as Kay Cousins)
- Bar Patron
- (uncredited)
- Kid with Santa
- (uncredited)
- Street Child
- (uncredited)
- Elf
- (uncredited)
- Man in Mission
- (uncredited)
- Man in Mission
- (uncredited)
- Man in Mission
- (uncredited)
- Man in Mission
- (uncredited)
- Blonde in Bar
- (uncredited)
- Narrator
- (uncredited)
- …
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaBecause of cost overruns, there were six consecutive episodes, including this one, that were videotaped and then transferred to 16mm film for TV broadcast and future syndicated rebroadcasts. It saved only about $30,000 for all six. Not enough to justify the loss of depth of visual perspective, which gave those shows an appearance like a live broadcast or like soap operas in that day. This was an experiment for a normally filmed TV show and was basically called a failure. This type of recording was never again used for any more Twilight Zone episodes.
- GoofsBruce the bartender misspells Merry as 'Mery' on the mirror behind his bar.
- Quotes
Henry Corwin: [drunkenly as all the children and moms look on] As to my drinking, this is indefensible and you have my abject apologies. I find of late that I have very little choice in the matter of expressing emotions.
Mr. Dundee: Please, lower your voice...
Henry Corwin: I can either drink, or I can weep, and drinking is so much more subtle. But as for my insubordination, I was not rude to that woman. Someone should remind her that Christmas is more than barging up and down department store aisles and pushing people out of the way. Someone has to tell her that Christmas is another thing finer than that. Richer, finer, truer, and it should come with patience and love, charity, compassion. That's what I would have told her if you'd given me the chance. I don't know how to tell you, Mr. Dundee. I don't know at all. All I know is that I'm an aging, purposeless, relic of another time, and I live in a dirty rooming house on a street filled with hungry kids and shabby people, where the only thing that comes down the chimney on Christmas Eve is more poverty. Do you know another reason why I drink, Mr. Dundee? So that when I walk down the tenements, I can really think it's the North Pole, and the children are elves, and that I'm really Santa Claus bringing a bag of wondrous gifts for all of them. I just wish, Mr. Dundee, on one Christmas, only one, that I could see some of the hopeless ones and the dreamless ones. Just on one Christmas, I'd like to see the meek inherit the Earth. And that's why I drink, Mr. Dundee, and that's why I weep.
- Alternate versionsIn the syndicated reruns and DVD versions, Rod Serling's final line "And a Merry Christmas, to each and all" is deleted. The line was restored in the Blu-ray release and the Netflix streaming version.
- ConnectionsEdited into Twilight-Tober-Zone: The Night of the Meek (2021)
Henry Corwin is a "professional" department store Santa Claus, who ekes out a seasonal living in a tattered and grimy old Santa suit. But Corwin is also a drunkard. He drinks to blot out the grinding hardship of his fellow ghetto dwellers, hardship he cannot reconcile with the free-flowing greed he sees in Christmas shoppers at the store where he has his latest gig. "Just one Christmas" he says to an angry store manager, "I'd like to see the meek inherit the earth". With this, and a rather ordinary looking burlap bag, begins a very unusual night for Corwin: a night of the meek.
Serling's crackerjack writing is only part of this episode's greatness. The rest is courtesy of the inimitable Art Carney. He steps entirely away from his goofy, campy Norton character to provide a remarkable portrait of a besotted, though big hearted, department store Santa. In Henry Corwin he delivers stately dignity and empathy blended with a convincing portrayal of desperate alcoholism. I think it was the best performance he ever gave, and it's a great one.
For me, this is one of those classic 60's TV Christmas shows that has become a seasonal viewing tradition, along with "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". But it's good enough to watch anytime of year. 9.0/10.
- meansphene
- May 13, 2017
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Night of the Meek
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime25 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1