Twilight Zone episode review — 5.19 — Night Call

Episode 5.19 “Night Call”
Original air date: February 7, 1964
Writer: Richard Matheson, adapted from his short story
Director: Jacques Tourneur

Rating: 9/10

“Night Call” is one of the first Twilight Zone episodes that really left an impression on me. It is a creepy, creepy episode — some great stuff from writer Richard Matheson.

It’s a simple story of an old lady getting a bunch of distressing phone calls late at night. Gladys Cooper is pretty great as Elva Keene. Her emotions really come through as she gets more and more frightened the more calls she gets.

At first, the calls come with no sound on the other end, but eventually there is a muffled voice. Frightened, Elva (Cooper) tells the voice to leave her alone.

Apparently, though, the telephone line was wrecked in a storm, and the phone company traces the call to a cemetery. Elva goes to see it, and finds that the telephone line has fallen on the grave of her dead husband. Elva calls her dead husband and pleads to talk with him, but he says that she told him to go away, and that he always listens to what she says.

It’s an episode that has a wonderful twist, but it’s more than just a twist. It’s creepy and atmospheric throughout.