Season 1, Episode 2: One For the Angels
 

Airdate: 09/10/59
Writer: Rod Serling
Director: Robert Parish
Starring: Ed Wynn, Murray Hamilton

Mr Death pays a visit to an unsuccessful pitchman Lew Bookman. Determined to stay alive Bookman tricks Mr Death, possibly granting himself eternal life, but Mr Death has a trick up his sleeve.

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After being underwhelmed by the first episode of the series, I found One For The Angels to be much more satisfying. Ed Wynn has always been a favourite since Mary Poppins and he was great here as well. The best thing about the episode for me, was the look Murray Hamilton gave to the camera at the beginning of the episode as Rod Serling told us that Lew Bookman would be stalked by Mr.....DEATH! Fantastic stuff.

A heartwarming episode.
Murray Hamilton trying out his Mayor persona long before JAWS!

It was good to see Lou get the better of him.

The doctor wasn't very professional though,was he?:lol:

Completly agree! The idea of Death as a personification has always intrigued me - from the scary gowned skeleton, to the cool and calm human-like Death. I thought this episode was brilliant especially how it all comes together in the end.

Only problem I had is Lou should've been loaded! I mean who wouldn't want to buy a Robbie the Robot toy?! :D

The complaint that people often have about this episode is that Lou wasn't really sharp enough as a pitchman to keep Mr Death captivated, even when he's putting his all into it like that.

I like to think though that Mr Death let Lou have this one. Lou had got one over on him, and Mr Death in turn manipulated things to get into this situation where he could let Lou die feeling that he'd accomplished something. We've already seen that Mr Death isn't un-sympathetic, otherwise Lou wouldn't have got one over on him the first time.

Lovely episode, and Bernard Hermann's music at the end as Mr Death leads Lou off is a favourite little piece.

However,Lou was avenged in the 1970's when a Great White by the name of Bruce financially wiped out Death's new home of Amity Island!:happy:

Ed Wynn has one of those faces it's impossible to dislike and his character is so utterly charming and lovable that you really want him to succeed against Death (superbly played by Murray Hamilton). Although he would feature several times throughout this series, there is something about Hamilton's performance that makes Death seem extremely sinister because he is utterly omnipotent and omnipresent.

It probably would have been a cop out if Death had gone away empty-handed which makes it all the better that Lou goes out on his own terms: having made the world's greatest sales pitch.

One for the Angels
 

Have always loved Ed Wynn's performance in the episode. I think its quite a poignant episode about Death, what would you do if you could cheat Death but yet had to suffer the consequences. I also love the way Ed Wynn does the pitch at the end, i don't think it was a bad attempt at all, however i just dont think it suited the way he spoke, otherwise fantastic episode and well worth a rewatch !

I love how Death isn't the cold figure he's always portrayed in other TV shows and movies here, that he actually has a conscience of sorts and has desires like anyone else.