A Most Unusual Camera

Description: Season 2, Episode 10

Air Date: December 16, 1960

Plot Summary: After robbing an antique store, thieves realize they stole a camera that can take photos of the future.

Review: It's tough to say at the moment, but this is certainly a contender for my top 10 episodes list. The story is just so much fun--able to balance the humor and horror effectively. Others have tried to capture the imagination of this episode, in some form or another, over the years, but they can never realize the proper approach. Yet again, the story is timeless due to its play on human greed and the curious nature of the camera itself. The ending also provides a great payoff--with a fitting conclusion yet still leaving the audience desiring more.

The story begins with the thieves already looking over the loot they stole from the antique store. The thieves are a couple, Chester and Paula, and they're clearly dimwits. Immediately you notice the humor as Paula reads off, from a newspaper, all the things that were allegedly stolen by the thieves as Chester counters the claims with the antiques simply being fakes. One of the best lines is when Paula mentions 3 Picasso paintings and Chester says "Three posters in frames." That's awesome! When Paula is done, they realize that the one thing never mentioned was an odd looking camera; this is 1960 and they already think it looks old, so are we talking a turn of the century model? Chester tests the camera, and when the photo comes out it shows Paula wearing a fur coat. At first they believe it is some kind of trick photography where it applies an image over the person you take a picture of. Really? Would that kind of shit even be possible now? Moments later, they break open a suitcase and find a fur coat inside that Paula wears in the exact position depicted in the photo. That night, Chester contemplates the ability of the camera to show the future as he takes a picture of the door. Strangely, this photo reveals Paula's idiotic brother, Woodward, coming through the door; he's played by the sailor from "The Hitch-Hiker." Sure enough, Woodward does show up as he's recently escaped prison. Now they are certain the camera can foretell the future. But, seriously, what kind of name is Woodward? Was he born a snooty butler? That will be all, Woodward.

At first Chester considers all the good that the camera could do for the world while Paula disagrees. When Chester thinks of a way to make money with the camera, he quickly changes his tune; this banter is presented quite amusingly. The three crooks go to a horse race and take photos of the winning board; they use the results displayed to acquire vast amounts of money quickly. Before they can count all the money they've won, the crooks are spending it lavishly as their French waiter looks on. The waiter notices an ambiguous phrase written on the camera that he translates as "10 to an owner." Getting rid of the waiter, the crooks begin to argue about how to use the remaining photos since they have used up 8 already. Big surprise, the flunkies accidentally use another photo in the shuffle that shows Paula screaming. Chester interprets this photo as Paula's reaction to Woodward trying to kill him, and Woodward interprets this as Paula's reaction to Chester trying to kill him. The two imbeciles fight until they fall out the nearby window; the photo actually showed Paula screaming from this sight. Quickly getting over the loss, Paula takes a photo of the dead bodies before grabbing all the money for herself. She is interrupted, however, by the waiter who comes to steal the money for himself. As the two argue over the situation, the photo Paula took comes out, and the waiter notices there are more than two bodies shown. Shocked, Paula runs to the window to check, trips, and falls out the window. The waiter, not bothered by this turn of events, looks down below at the 3 dead crooks. He then realizes the photo actually had 4 bodies total and ends up falling out the window as well. And so our unusual camera awaits the next person to discover its abilities.

I know it's hard for me to properly illustrate the jokes and the level of humor they were striving for, but the episode is perfect when you watch it. Unfortunately, I don't think this episode receives the kind of legendary status it should. Once more, I think this is a case of mid-tier popularity--meaning, it will be shown in TZ marathons sometimes, but is optional whereas the main classics receive constant re-airings. I wouldn't go as far as to say it's underrated, however, since it does get a moderate amount of attention. Overall, this is one of the best episodes for me, and it captures the essence of what TZ was all about: imaginative ideas, great storytelling, and a fun twist.