Uncle Simon
| "Uncle Simon" |
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"Uncle Simon" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.
Opening narration
Dramatis personae: Mr. Simon Polk, a gentleman who has lived out his life in a gleeful rage; and the young lady who's just beat the hasty retreat is Mr. Polk's niece, Barbara. She's lived her life as if during each ensuing hour she had a dentist appointment. There's yet a third member of the company soon to be seen. He now resides in the laboratory, and he is the kind of character to be found only in the Twilight Zone.
Synopsis
Barbara Polk has lived with her aged uncle, Simon Polk, for 25 years—even though she hates him—-simply because she is his only heir. She becomes so frustrated with his feebleness and his constantly demanding his pills (and his hot chocolate) that she finally murders him, looking forward to inheriting his wealth (as well as some peace and quiet).
However, a stipulation in his will causes her to have to look after his last invention, which is a robot that acts and sounds just like him—right down to the old gentleman's limp, which it develops after she unsuccessfully attempts to destroy it by pushing it down a flight of stairs. Barbara knows what to expect in the forseeable future, as she bitterly refers to the robot as...."Uncle".
Closing narration
Dramatis personae: a metal man, who will go by the name of Simon, whose life as well as his body has been stamped out for him; and the woman who tends to him, the lady Barbara, who's discovered belatedly that all bad things don't come to an end, and that once a bed is made, it's quite necessary that you sleep in it. Tonight's uncomfortable little exercise in avarice and automatons--from the Twilight Zone.
Preview for next week's story
Announcer: "And now, Mr. Serling".
Next on Twilight Zone, an eminent performer of stage and screen, Mr. Richard Basehart, in an oddball excursion that we call "Probe 7, Over and Out." On occasion, we'll come up with a wild and woolly denouement, but this particular opus has an unpredictable ending that we doubt if even the most seasoned TZ fans will be able to pick up before it happens on your screen. Next on Twilight Zone, "Probe 7, Over and Out".
Episode notes
- An excerpt from Hal Erikson's article "Censorship: Another Dimension Behind the Twilight Zone", published in the October 1985 edition of The Twilight Zone Magazine
- Concerning the origin of Simon's obsession with hot cocoa:
- The most significant scene in Serling's teleplay was the first indication that the robot was Simon reincarnate. The introductory scenes in the script established Simon as an habitual pipesmoker, prompting the niece to complain about the smelly old pipes and tobacco ashes ruining the decor of the house. When the robot inherits Simon's pipe-smoking prowess, it becomes obvious that the rest of Simon's "bad habits" will resurface. The only problem was that Twilight Zone's sponsor at that time was the American Tobacco Company.
- Here, in part, is the letter sent to Twilight Zone producer Bert Granet by American Tobacco's advertising agency:
- ...(T)he episode "Uncle Simon" has several references and scenes which make tobacco the pipe smoking appear most unsavory. Lines like "get rid of your ugly-smelling pipe ashes..." in scene 7; doing things like back-handing the pipes off the desk, stamping on them and breaking them into pieces and flinging the ashtray against the wall in scenes 28 and 29; the robot's kicking used tobacco on the floor in scene 61...We hope that you will make every effort to alter those so that American Tobacco will have no objection.
- Perhaps open books, scientific papers, and manuscripts strewn around the room could be substituted. Or various bits of wire, tubes, and electronic gear. Even smelly, dirty, open, and spilled chemical bottles and jars. Or how about apple cores, banana peels, and grape stems? Even old clothing thrown around might help...
- Bert Granet's reply to this letter was a masterpiece of tact:
- ...It seems to me that there is a misinterpretation of the meaning of the pipe and tobacco in this story...It is Barbara, [Simon's] niece, a partial psychotic, who objects to his smoking, which is obviously a joy to him, since there are so many pipes present. Barbara, then, of course, is averse to a symbol that gives him constant pleasure. None of your suggestions to replace the pipe has its personal nature. It would be distasteful for me for someone to be munching and strewing fruit through a show. Nor would these fruit peels have a reason to be there when the robot supplants Uncle Simon, whereas the pipes serve as a positive reminder of what he loved and she hated.
- To sum up, I do not think this story says that pipe smoking is unsavory. What it does say is that a neurotic girl begrudged a pipe smoker his enjoyment.
- But American Tobacco won out. As filmed, "Uncle Simon" had us believe that the joyful habit which Simon passed on to the robot was not tobacco, but hot chocolate. Although the episode is acceptable as entertainment, it does seem rather ridiculous that a complicated piece of electronics like a robot would want to partake of a hot liquid which might well be dangerous to its circuitry, although Simon may have programmed and built it to withstand and drink hot liquids, as he programmed it with the craving.
- As the primary sponsor of the series this season, American Tobacco also insisted that Rod and several of his guest stars "light up" during most of the episodes, the better to keep viewers in a more "favorable" mood for the Pall Mall commercials shown during the program.
- The robot suit is Robby the Robot, the same one used in the film Forbidden Planet. Robby also appeared in the episodes, "The Brain Center at Whipple's" and "One for the Angels". He also appeared in the movie Looney Tunes: Back In Action.
References
- DeVoe, Bill. (2008). Trivia from The Twilight Zone. Albany, GA: Bear Manor Media. ISBN 978-1593931360
- Grams, Martin. (2008). The Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic. Churchville, MD: OTR Publishing. ISBN 978-0970331090
- Zicree, Marc Scott: The Twilight Zone Companion. Sillman-James Press, 1982 (second edition)