Williams as Shakespeare in "The
Bard."
"You've just witnessed opportunity, if not knocking, at least scratching plaintively on a closed door. Mr. Julius Moomer, a would-be writer
who, if talent came twenty-five cents a pound, would be worth less than car fare. But in a moment, Mr. Moomer, through the offices of some black magic, is about to embark on a brand-new career. And although he may never get a writing credit on The Twilight Zone, he's to become an integral character in it."
---Rod Serling, The Twilight Zone,
Season 4, Episode 120
The Daily News
1 Well then.
2 <climbing out of the bomb shelter>
3 That wasn't so bad, was it?
4 Don't look back.
5 Don't look forward.
6 Don't resolve to do anything.
7 Don't throw bouquets at me.
8 And all the rest.
9 Is there a back door outta here?
10 One thing about what we all just went through: it seemed more insane than ever.
11 A part of me wishes I had avoided the social media altogether.
12 I avoided much of it, but sometimes you find yourself drawn in.
13 Thank all of you for posting some funny stuff, by the way. Kept me sane.
14 Don't get me wrong. I had lots of fun.
15 Lots of travel.
16 Lots of livin' the dream.
17 I slept in one-hour increments.
18 Pretty sure it was the Man.
19 But now? I'm done withal.
20 Whew.
21 Moving On, Part One: So. Announcements-You-Already Know, Dept: I consider now until the end of the current school year to be my last stretch at writing the DN.
22 At the moment, I've no plan. I have nothing laid-out.
23 I have no resolutions.
24 I intend to live and love life, and I intend to do that for a long, long time.
25 Good intentions > resolutions.
26 So: the other night I watched some channel that streamed Twilight Zone episodes.
27 They had one that became instantly bizarre. It had some guy wishing to become a better writer, and who, through black magic, conjured William Shakespeare.
28 Shakespeare appeared looking like an old coot.
29 I've nothing against old coots, but I never picture Master Will in that fashion. Forgive me.
30 Shakespeare was born in 1564 and died in 1616 at the age of 52, hardly an old coot. The Twilight Zone painted him much older. To be fair, there weren't many Hollywood producers in those days who felt younger actors and actresses could handle Shakespeare.
31 The episode starred a young Burt Reynolds as Moomer and an actor named John Williams as Shakespeare.
32 This John Williams is a Broadway actor who appeared in tons of things, and is not to be mistaken for John Williams of Star Wars' fame.
33 I'm trying to de-Star Wars myself, even though I haven't seen the new one yet.
34 Hype. I swear to you.
35 It needs this:
36
37 Ready?
38
39
40 And...
41
42
43
44 This is going to be a cake-walk.
45 I already suckered you into thinking this was going to be all about that T-Zone episode, and you forgot how wily I can be.
46 Pretty wily.
47
48 Cake walk. That episode of The Twilight Zone was a not-too-hidden lash-out by Serling containing this simple message: sponsors and agents should not have the last word in content. The Moomer character stole Shakespeare's words, and they got edited by horrific mediocrity. Frankly, I thought it was a lousy episode, but I had to get something here; my public awaits. All one of you.
49 Thank God they don't pay me to do this. A camel, they say...
50
51 Get your Civil Defense hats on; we're under attack.
52 Run for cover.
53
54
55 Stay outta trouble.
56 Gottago.
57 See you again.
"Mr. Julius Moomer, a streetcar conductor with delusions of authorship. And if the tale told seems a little tall, remember a thing called poetic license, and another thing called the Twilight Zone."
---Rod Serling, The Twilight Zone,
Season 4, Episode 120
Closing narration.
58 Peace.
~H~
fin.
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