Twilight Zone episode review — 5.12 — Ninety Years without Slumbering

Episode 5.12 “Ninety Years without Slumbering”
Original air date: December 20, 1963
Writer: Richard de Roy/George Clayton Johnson
Director: Roger Kay

Rating: 2/10

“Ninety Years without Slumbering” is one of the weakest episodes of the series. It’s a story that you just can’t get too involved or interested in, and the charms of Ed Wynn can’t save it.

Sam Forstmann (Ed Wynn) is 90 years old, and he spends all his time working on his grandfather clock. He lives with his pregnant granddaughter and grandfather, and he basically drives them nuts. She wants to get rid of it, but he of course doesn’t want her to, since the clock has kept him alive.

Eventually, they do sell it to a neighbor, on the condition that every now and then Sam gets to go over and work on it. The neighbors go on vacation, and Sam freaks out and breaks into the house to fix the clock. A cop picks him up and brings him back home.

Sam is greeted by his spirit, and he chooses to no longer believe in the clock’s power over him. The next day, with the clock having stopped, he’s able to live happily with his granddaughter, looking forward to seeing his great grandchild.

It’s a pretty lame episode, and as I said, it’s not the most interesting story to begin with. Ed Wynn is likable, but not very good in his role.