Description: Season 1, Episode 17
Air Date: January 29, 1960
Plot Summary: While on vacation with his wife, a stingy man becomes obsessed with a slot machine.
Review: For the most part, this is one of the more straightforward episodes, but it's also another instance of a theme that would be explored more in depth by a different episode; specifically in "Nick of Time." Essentially, a grouchy old bastard, named Franklin, goes on vacation with his wife to Las Vegas. My theory is that, considering Franklin and the wife sleep in separate beds, Franklin thought he'd be able to get a prostitute and now he's a miserable fuck since that plan didn't pan out. Giving further merit to my theory is the extra hot background chickadees and the scandalously short skirts on the casino girls. For some reason, Franklin had no intention of gambling and thinks people throwing away their money recklessly is stupid (I have to agree to an extent). The wife, of course, just wants to have a little fun, but that is difficult when Franklin is such a hardass. At one point, Franklin intends to go to his room to pout when a wannabe Jerry Lewis gives Franklin a free spin on a slot machine. To his astonishment, Franklin wins a decent amount of money. Trying to control his excitement, Franklin and the wife go back to their room, but Franky-boy thinks he hears someone calling his name.
While sleeping in that separate bed, Franklin decides he must go back to the slot machine but under the delusion that he feels compelled to return the winnings. Yeah, that makes soooo much sense. It's not long before Franklin is completely enthralled and begins to spend his own money--cashing check after check to continue playing. The wife, becoming concerned, tries to get Franklin to stop, but he goes off into a crazed tirade. To be fair, Franklin does sum up the scheme that is behind slot machines...although, does anyone really think that the big payoffs come from the stupid slots? Through his ravings, other patrons catch notice of his obsession as well as the casino employees who address that he's going off the rails and has been on the same slot machine all night. When Franklin is down to his last dollar, the slot machine inexplicably breaks. Believing the machine is doing this on purpose, Franky-baby knocks the machine over and is promptly thrown out of the casino. Still enamored in the situation, Franklin restlessly stays at his hotel room when he thinks he hears someone calling his name again. I actually think the voice they use is really creepy. In fact, had the tone been presented differently, this could have been a moderately scary episode. Franky-boy thinks he sees the slot machine coming after him and appearing throughout the hotel room until he clumsily falls out a window and dies. Oh great, another fucking idiot dying from a swan dive...killing me here TZ! At the end, casino employees discuss how they had never seen anyone so obsessed with a 24 hour gambling session. Then the slot machine appears and spits out Franklin's last dollar that rolls toward his corpse's hand.
Eh, not too bad overall. There was definitely a chance to make this creepy, but the music was off and the approach didn't allow for a proper execution. I think this is where "Nick of Time" shined in order to take on these themes. While "The Fever" emphasizes greed and gambling, which I don't feel were handled completely, the real idea is in regards to obsession. Nevertheless, still a cool episode and one that I would say is somewhat classic as I do see it get more airings than others.
Rayan another rotfl review! Thank You! However, I do remember the Jerry Lewis guy with the free spin but, what sends geezer asshole Franklin off to that casino in the sky: His poor doormat wife sneaks a nickel and plops it into the talking slot machine and out comes cha ching, some serious coin. Of course when Mrs. Doormat plops that coin in the funny looking slot machine Franklin is having some serious kittens and wants to beat the shit out of the poor bovine eyed plumper wife for squandering money. Oh my! With her sad cow eyes she says "Oh Franklin come on it's only a nickel or whatever." And then it's manna from heaven for wifey poo. And lo and behold Mr. moral majority tight assed Franklin becomes possessed by a funny old school slot machine. A side note: Toward the end of the episode when old GOP Franklin goes postal on said slot machine it falls over and there are no plugs or other power sources. Another case of 50's technology sending the old cranky fuddy duddy Franklin on a one way excursion to the Twilight Zone. BTW, I love that creepy voice: "Fraaannnklin."
ReplyDeleteYeah, the wife was definitely a pushover; just the type that fits a certain narrative. I imagine this show no longer meets proper PC levels of approval, but the SJW-types can't compete with its popularity and legacy to have it banned. Though some episodes were banned, believe it or not, over PC reasons. As for this episode, it is funny for all the wrong reasons. Still, it has its moments like with that creepy voice and a fitting conclusion for dear Franklin.
DeleteFranklin in this episode sort of reminds me of a cross between an angry, bitter Doc Brown and James Caan's character in "Honeymoon in Vegas", which coincidentally in that film was also around gambling in Vegas.
ReplyDeleteThis episode was OK, and the part with the slot machine calling " Franklin!" was quite eerie. His wife Flora I believe is the same woman from TZ ep "Man in a bottle".
Those 1950 slot machines sure were ancient compared to today's. They didn't have any buttons to push to spin, just the handles. And they didn't make those musical like sounds the machines today make, they just made typewriter kind of noises.
lol good one
ReplyDelete