Murray Hamilton plays a surprisingly genial personification of death, who appears to ageing pitchman Lou Bookman (Ed Wynn) with the unfortunate news that his time on Earth will be up come the stroke of midnight. After a successful appeal, Lou stating unfinished business as his reason to be allowed to live a while longer, Mr. Death agrees to postpone the time of departure until the street trader has made one last truly great pitch—one for the angels. Of course, Lou's intention is to immediately retire, thereby cheating death indefinitely, but the old man finds himself having to go through with the pitch of a lifetime after all, in order to save the life of a little girl.
Although Wynn is far from convincing when eventually required to deliver his supposedly spell-binding pitch, his performance as a whole is thoroughly captivating and very moving; Hamilton also plays his part extremely well, conveying just the right balance of affability and menace. On the whole, this is an excellent episode, a touching yet still eerie tale of self-sacrifice that could only have taken place in The Twilight Zone.
Although Wynn is far from convincing when eventually required to deliver his supposedly spell-binding pitch, his performance as a whole is thoroughly captivating and very moving; Hamilton also plays his part extremely well, conveying just the right balance of affability and menace. On the whole, this is an excellent episode, a touching yet still eerie tale of self-sacrifice that could only have taken place in The Twilight Zone.