Last night, for the umpteenth time, I watched “It’s a Good Life” — a particularly frightening episode of “The Twilight Zone.”
For those who haven’t had the pleasure of seeing it, Bill Mumy (then 6 or 7 years old and called Billy in a bravura performance) played Anthony Fremont, a red-headed, freckled faced, innocent looking . . . monster. You see, Anthony has unlimited powers to transform and teleport anyone or anything, but literally has the mind and experience of a child. He is incapable of tolerating anyone or anything that he perceives as disliking him –– which includes dogs barking at him, people who like to sing (he doesn’t like it when they sing), even those who don’t smile and praise him in his presence. If one is lucky, they only get “wished into the cornfield” — for others, animal or human, the torturous transformations are much more horrifying. A nod to Rod Serling, the teleplay author (from a story by Jerome Bixby) and director James Sheldon (father of an old classmate of mine) for skillfully handling the terror off-camera or in shadow.
It reminded me of another person who occupies a lot of our thoughtspace of late, who has unnaturally reddish hair (orange, really, to match his skin color); thinks and speaks like a seven-year-old; distrusts dogs; perceives any criticism as a personal affront (or worse); and reigns forth terror on those he considers enemies.
That’s the signpost up ahead – our next stop, the Twilight Zone.