“Escape Clause” is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone and aired on CBS on November 6, 1959. Where Is Everybody? could also refer to a Nine Inch Nails song on the album The Fragile. ... “One for the Angels” is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone. ... “Mr. ... Ida Lupino in The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine “The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine” is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone. ... “Walking Distance” is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone. ... “The Lonely” is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone. ... Time Enough at Last is a half-hour episode of the original version of The Twilight Zone. ... Perchance to Dream is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. ... “Judgment Night” is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone. ... “And When the Sky Was Opened” is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone. ... “What You Need” is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone. ... The Four of Us Are Dying is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. ... Third From the Sun is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone. ... I Shot an Arrow Into the Air is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. ... “The Hitch-Hiker” is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone. ... The Fever is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. ... The Last Flight is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. ... The Purple Testament is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. ... “Elegy” is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone. ... A mirror image is a mirror based duplicate of a single image. ... The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. ... “A World of Difference” is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone. ... “Long Live Walter Jameson” is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. ... “People Are Alike All Over” is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. ... The Big Tall Wish is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone. ... “A Nice Place to Visit” is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. ... “Nightmare as a Child” is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone. ... “A Stop at Willoughby” is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. ... “The Chaser” is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone. ... “A Passage for Trumpet” is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. ... Mr. ... The After Hours is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone. ... “The Mighty Casey” is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone. ... “A World of His Own” is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone. ... Escape clause can have the following uses: Escape clause (Law) - a type of contract clause Escape Clause - an episode of The Twilight Zone Escape Clause (Thats So Raven episode) - a Thats So Raven episode. ... The Twilight Zone is a television series created by Rod Serling. ... This article is about the broadcast network. ... is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Synopsis

A mean-spirited, abusive hypochondriac sells his soul to the Devil in exchange for immortality, adding enough conditions to keep him out of Satan's clutches forever. He is puzzled when the Evil One doesn't put up much of a fight, only stipulating an escape clause which allows the man to die if he so wishes, but doesn't worry too much about it. For other uses, see Escape Clause (disambiguation). ...

He uses his newfound invulnerability to collect insurance money and cheap thrills by hurling himself into life-threatening accidents. Soon growing bored with this game, he confesses to the murder of his wife (who actually died by accident), hoping to experience the electric chair. His lawyer is too good, however, and he is sentenced to life in prison without any chance of parole. In the last scene, the Devil shows up and reminds the man of the escape clause. Facing eternity in jail, the man nods and suffers a fatal heart attack.

Trivia

Disney's Twilight Zone Tower of Terror has a reference to this episode in the basement, the elevator has a plaque that says the last time the elevator was checked. It was checked on October 2, 1959 (the date The Twilight Zone first aired) and was checked by Mr. Cadwallader. Disney may refer to: The Walt Disney Company and its divisions, including Walt Disney Pictures. ... The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, more commonly known as Tower of Terror, is a simulated freefall thrill ride at Disney-MGM Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Florida and at Disneys California Adventure in Anaheim, California. ... is the 275th day of the year (276th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

"Escape Clause" was one of the three episodes-in-production mentioned by Rod Serling in his 1959 promotional film pitching the series to potential sponsors, the others being "The Lonely" and "Mr. Denton on Doomsday" (referred to as "Death, Destry, and Mr. Dingle"). Transcription by moogyboy (from memory; someone please fine-tune): The Lonely is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone. ... “Mr. ...

Object in point here: a file cabinet containing a contract, all very legal and proper. Except the party of the first part...well, what do we call him? He's got a lot of names. Beelzebub? Mr. Scratch? [As Serling opens a drawer and takes the contract out, lighting and thunder flash from inside the cabinet; he reacts.] Well, he happens to be the party of the first part in a somewhat charred contract, except in our story, which is titled "Escape Clause", he's known simply as Mr. Cadwallader. As portrayed, he has all the charm of a well-tipped waiter. He makes a deal with a little man who has a psychotic fear of dying. It's a simple contract, really; Mr. Cadwallader supplies the immortality and the little man supplies the soul. And he proceeds to live it up, or down, depending on the moral view. But he gets bored with immortality and goes on to live a very unusual life...a life that can be described simply as VIOLENT. [Stock footage of a car going over a cliff and an airliner crash.] He got so tired of being the only survivor. So, he turns to homicide, happily aware that [don't remember exact wording here]. Gas chamber? Impossible. Hanging, electrocution--none of these things are operative on our little friend...he's IMMORTAL. But what happens, and we'd be most appreciative if you didn't tell your friends, is that a very good lawyer pleads his case and gets him--[Serling steps over to one side, behind a set of prison bars]--life imprisonment. Poor little guy. Yeah, he's immortal. He can live forever...right here, behind these things. I won't tell you the ending. Just think about it, it'll come to you.

Critical response

“Here was a little gem. Good work, Rod Serling. This little piece about a hypochondriac who gets tangled up with an obese, clerical devil ranked with the best that has ever been accomplished in half-hour filmed television.” —Excerpt from the Daily Variety review. Variety is a daily magazine for the entertainment industry. ...

References

• Zicree, Marc Scott: The Twilight Zone Companion. Sillman-James Press, 1982 (second edition)

External links

• Escape Clause at the Internet Movie Database
• TV Tome episode page