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July 31, 2016

The Enduring Legacy of 'The Twilight Zone'

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Wallace V. Whipple, the antagonist here, is a humorless numbers man who, over the protests of his loyal employees,
clearly savors the delicious sense of power that comes from slashing costs and making “the stockholders cheer.” He fires his foreman and chief engineer who, in passionate speeches worthy of Clifford Odets, protest the heartless dismissal of “men who have worked here for twenty to thirty years.” “You can’t pack ’em in cosmoline like surplus tanks!” shouts the foreman. But the sight of the sleek new machines whirring away simply intoxicates Whipple — until he too is replaced by a stout robot (the famous “Robby,” first featured in Forbidden Planet) shown busily ensconced in the executive suite in the final scene. Serling remarks in closing that man too often “becomes clever instead of becoming wise.” - The New Atlantis

Posted by gerardvanderleun at July 31, 2016 9:06 AM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.

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