This is one of the more complicated episodes that I've seen in my first season marathon of "The Twilight Zone". That doesn't make it any less interesting or memorable, just one that I would recommend for its unique plot and the many twists it has. Four similar but not exact look-alike actors play one character, a con man with the ability to alter his face to look like somebody else. This constantly gets him out of jams but can also get him into trouble for his face all of a sudden changing back. Harry Townes plays the real identity, with Philip Pine, Ross Martin and Don Gordon as the three men whom he is able to successfully impersonate, all though successful wouldn't necessarily mean luck. In the first segment, he impersonates the long missing boyfriend of Beverly Garland, a piano player and Lounge singer whom he promises to reconcile with. The next impersonation is of a murdered crook who confronts the boss who betrayed him, and the third impersonation is of a boxer who abandon his family and old girlfriend and has a sudden confrontation with his embittered father. But the last two impersonations intertwine, forcing him to change his look all of a sudden which leads to a brutal confrontation. it is a reminder that it is simply best to just be yourself because when you take on the identity of someone else, you never know what pasts they we're hiding and what fates would intervene if you are actually confused for being that person.
This is more about the script and the sudden camera changes than any real performance because the four actors playing various characters come on and disappear at relative quick speeds. Peter Brocco is particularly memorable as the father of the character that Gordon impersonates, seething with bitterness and heartbroken as to having to relive a past with his son's supposed reappearance. Garland, as lovely as ever, guess to sing here ("Make It One For My Baby"), and I felt truly sad that she had to be one of the victims here. This is one episode that is certainly worthy of discussion and one I wouldn't mind seeing expanded into feature-length. It has all of the great traits of various genres, mixing a bit of spiritual drama into science fiction and just a dab of film noir.
This is more about the script and the sudden camera changes than any real performance because the four actors playing various characters come on and disappear at relative quick speeds. Peter Brocco is particularly memorable as the father of the character that Gordon impersonates, seething with bitterness and heartbroken as to having to relive a past with his son's supposed reappearance. Garland, as lovely as ever, guess to sing here ("Make It One For My Baby"), and I felt truly sad that she had to be one of the victims here. This is one episode that is certainly worthy of discussion and one I wouldn't mind seeing expanded into feature-length. It has all of the great traits of various genres, mixing a bit of spiritual drama into science fiction and just a dab of film noir.