The Twilight Zone
(1959–1964)
A hypochondriac man sells his soul to the devil, exchanging it for one million years of immortality.
Superheroes, swimsuits, and special operatives await you in our Summer Movie Guide. Plan your season and take note of the hotly anticipated indie, foreign, and documentary releases, too.
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Connect with IMDb
Share this Rating
Title: Escape Clause (06 Nov 1959)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Photos
8 photos
»
Edit
Cast
| Episode complete credited cast: | |||
| Rod Serling | ... |
Narrator
(voice)
|
|
| David Wayne | ... |
Walter Bedeker
|
|
| Thomas Gomez | ... | ||
| Virginia Christine | ... |
Ethel Bedeker
|
|
| Raymond Bailey | ... | ||
 |
Wendell Holmes | ... |
Cooper
|
| Dick Wilson | ... |
Jack
|
|
| Joe Flynn | ... |
Steve
|
|
|
|
Nesdon Booth | ... |
Guard
(as Nesden Booth)
|
Entertainment news, trailer drops, and photos abound at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con. Check out IMDb’s coverage, featuring Kevin Smith as our host, celebrity interviewer, and captain of the IMDboat, July 20 to 22.
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
Hypochondriac Walter Bedeker has once again had his doctor come to his bedside but he can find absolutely nothing wrong with him. The doctor tells him his aches and pains are psychosomatic but he refuses to accept it. Later that night, a Mr. Cadwallader suddenly appears in his room and has a proposition for him: in return for his soul, he will give him immortality. He even has an escape clause in that if he ever gets tired of living, Cadwallader will provide him with a hasty demise. He accepts the deal and soon collects 14 insurance claims over a variety of accidents. He finds it all very boring however but his quest for a thrill brings results with an unexpected outcome. Written by garykmcd
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents »
Edit
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
6 November 1959 (USA) See more »Filming Locations:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USACompany Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1
Edit
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
French title: "Immortel, moi jamais". See more »Goofs
The french dub mistakenly translates "story" in the "fiction" sense instead of "floor". See more »Quotes
Rod Serling - Narrator: [Closing Narration] There's a saying, 'Every man is put on Earth condemned to die, time and method of execution unknown.' Perhaps, this is as it should be. Case in point: Walter Bedeker, lately deceased, a little man with such a yen to live. Beaten by the Devil, by his own boredom - and by the scheme of things in this, The Twilight Zone.See more »
Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.Check out IMDb's 2017 Comic-Con Guide for the latest celebrity interviews, event coverage, cosplay photos, and more.
David Wayne is great fun as unlikable hypochondriac Walter Bedeker. Bedeker is an arrogant son of a bitch who greatly exaggerates his own importance to the world, while constantly fretting over the matter of his health. One day, a character named Cadwallader (the great, corpulent character actor Thomas Gomez) appears to offer Bedeker a deal. If Bedeker will sign over his soul, he'll get immortality and indestructibility in return. Our protagonist thinks he's gotten a sweet deal, but soon gets bored. Very bored.
Dark humour rules the day in this delicious, if not that memorable, 'Twilight Zone' episode. It's especially amusing, the way that Bedeker "kills" himself over and over again in order to pull off insurance scams. Wayne is a real hoot in his irascible performance. Gomez is equally engaging as a very jovial man who just might be Satan himself. Excellent support is also provided by Virginia Christine as Bedekers' long suffering wife, and Raymond Bailey as the doctor in the opening minutes.
There's a solid twist late in the episode when a tragedy occurs, and Bedekers' attempts to manipulate the situation don't go as planned.
Mostly, this episode is worth watching for the acting by Wayne and Gomez.
Seven out of 10.