Twilight Zone episode review — 4.7 — Jess-Belle

Episode 4.7 “Jess-Belle”
Original air date: February 14, 1963
Writer: Earl Hamner, Jr.
Director: Buzz Kulik

Rating: 4/10

“Jess-Belle” is basically season one’s “The Chaser,” but with the angle of witchcraft. It actually has some pretty good acting from Anne Francis (Forbidden Planet) as Jess-Belle, and James Best as her beloved, Billy-Ben Turner. Even Virginia Gregg shines as Jess-Belle’s mother. It’s better acting than an episode like this deserves, because it’s not a very interesting story.

Like another Earl Hamner episode, “The Hunt,” this has an old-fashioned feeling and an Appalachian setting. The story is very simple. Jess-Belle loves Billy-Ben Turner, who is in turn in love with Ellwyn Glover (Laura Devon). Jess-Belle seeks out a witch to help her, and suddenly Billy-Ben can’t take his eyes off her. Ellwyn seems to be the only person that knows he’s been bewitched.

As a result, Jess-Belle turns into a leopard every night at midnight. With the leopard on the loose and threatening Ellwyn, Billy-Ben and others come in and shoot it, causing it to disappear into a puff of smoke.

The episode doesn’t really know where to end, as the story just keeps going with Jess-Belle becoming other animals until Billy-Ben figures out a way to kill the witch. It’s not interesting, and I think it would have been better if it ended earlier, leaving some mystery as to whether or not there was actually a witch still haunting Billy-Ben and Ellwyn. But whatever.

This episode is also notable for a few firsts. There’s a little folk song that comes in each morning basically just recalling the plot up until that point. It sounds stupid with the singing, but when there’s not singing, the harmonica sounds great as part of the score, at least. And this episode also doesn’t have any closing narration from Serling. Very disappointing.