From the first time I saw this episode in its original form to today, the events of this simple tale have stayed with me. I have been an English teacher for 35 years and have used this on numerous occasions to teach irony. Of course, this is the story of a man who is so incredibly unhappy. His adversaries are people who see his fascination with books as a consummate waste of time. His wife, his boss, his customers all see him as a loser. He seems like a delightful man, full of ideas, but in the world of his bank job he is merely inefficient. I love the line "go back to your cage" delivered by his boss. Of course, as most anyone knows, he gets his chance to have everything he wants, except he has one weakness. The reason I give this a nine rather than a ten is that there are some things that just don't fit the post nuclear world. Serling must have been a little impatient; and, of course, he was on an incredibly grueling schedule. Suffice it to say, once you've seen the ending, it never leaves you.
60 Reviews
Crushing, haunting and memorable. Deservedly a legendary piece of TV
phantom_tollbooth21 February 2007
Warning: Spoilers
'Time Enough at Last' is one of the most famous episodes of 'The Twilight Zone' ever made and it's not difficult to see why. Another solid classic, it is the first episode not to feature an original story by Serling. The script is based on a short story by Lynn Venable but in adapting it Serling has stamped his mark all over the story. It is a rich and involving script, blending comedy with tragedy to devastating effect.
A lot of hard work has obviously been put into 'Time Enough at Last. Aside from Serling's script, the post-apocalyptic set is wonderfully realistic and Burgess Meredith turns in one of the definitive performances of the entire series as Henry Bemis. It is important that we like this character intensely and want him to come out on top in order for the final twist to have full effect. So the first half of the episode is spent introducing us to the amiable Bemis and his love of books. We share in his frustration as an anti-intellectual world conspires to prevent him indulging his love of literature. The scene in which he opens his book of poetry only to find all the pages crossed out by his monstrous wife is one of the most heart rending moments. In her brief role, Jacqueline deWit is an amusing emasculator, leading her husband to believe she wants to share in his love of poetry. Bemis is clearly delighted to see his wife showing an interest and he is brought down to earth with crushing cruelty. But this is nothing to the cruelty the Twilight Zone will mete out to him at the tales' end.
I have always found the moment in which Bemis breaks his glasses to be more disturbing than most of the overt supernatural moments in other episodes. This is the Twilight Zone playing a sick joke on an innocent, trapping him alone in a world where he can no longer distinguish one thing from another. He has discarded his gun so he cannot commit suicide so where exactly Bemis goes from here is left up to our imaginations. This brilliant and unforgettable ironic twist must be credited to Lynn Venable but Serling and Meredith ensure we are suitably enamoured with Bemis for it to have its full tragic effect. This is the Twilight Zone playing a sick joke and Serling drops his usual humanitarian personality to deliver a brilliant, smirking conclusion; "Henry Bemis, now just a part of a smashed landscape, just a piece of the rubble, just a fragment of what man has deeded to himself. Mr. Henry Bemis in the Twilight Zone."
If we must make a criticism of such a classic episode it would be the length of the second act. Serling struggles to stretch Bemis' journey through the destroyed landscape out to ten minutes and the result is a few moments where the story flags a little. Despite this, however, the climax renders any such complaint completely obsolete. Rewatching the episode with the knowledge of what is to come gives the proceedings a whole new emotional significance. We know we are heading to first share in Bemis joy and then watch his lifelong dream snatched away all for the want of a pair of glasses. It's no wonder this hauntingly cruel twist has become so famous.
A lot of hard work has obviously been put into 'Time Enough at Last. Aside from Serling's script, the post-apocalyptic set is wonderfully realistic and Burgess Meredith turns in one of the definitive performances of the entire series as Henry Bemis. It is important that we like this character intensely and want him to come out on top in order for the final twist to have full effect. So the first half of the episode is spent introducing us to the amiable Bemis and his love of books. We share in his frustration as an anti-intellectual world conspires to prevent him indulging his love of literature. The scene in which he opens his book of poetry only to find all the pages crossed out by his monstrous wife is one of the most heart rending moments. In her brief role, Jacqueline deWit is an amusing emasculator, leading her husband to believe she wants to share in his love of poetry. Bemis is clearly delighted to see his wife showing an interest and he is brought down to earth with crushing cruelty. But this is nothing to the cruelty the Twilight Zone will mete out to him at the tales' end.
I have always found the moment in which Bemis breaks his glasses to be more disturbing than most of the overt supernatural moments in other episodes. This is the Twilight Zone playing a sick joke on an innocent, trapping him alone in a world where he can no longer distinguish one thing from another. He has discarded his gun so he cannot commit suicide so where exactly Bemis goes from here is left up to our imaginations. This brilliant and unforgettable ironic twist must be credited to Lynn Venable but Serling and Meredith ensure we are suitably enamoured with Bemis for it to have its full tragic effect. This is the Twilight Zone playing a sick joke and Serling drops his usual humanitarian personality to deliver a brilliant, smirking conclusion; "Henry Bemis, now just a part of a smashed landscape, just a piece of the rubble, just a fragment of what man has deeded to himself. Mr. Henry Bemis in the Twilight Zone."
If we must make a criticism of such a classic episode it would be the length of the second act. Serling struggles to stretch Bemis' journey through the destroyed landscape out to ten minutes and the result is a few moments where the story flags a little. Despite this, however, the climax renders any such complaint completely obsolete. Rewatching the episode with the knowledge of what is to come gives the proceedings a whole new emotional significance. We know we are heading to first share in Bemis joy and then watch his lifelong dream snatched away all for the want of a pair of glasses. It's no wonder this hauntingly cruel twist has become so famous.
Enter your dreams by reading books, but remember you should have an extra pair of goggles!
blanbrn16 April 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Each time I watch this episode it just blows me away, it leaves a lasting impression on you. "Time Enough at Last" stars legendary character actor Burgess Meredith as a meek and depressed bank teller named Henry Bemis who just hates his job and everything in life. You name it he catches flack and stress from everyone mostly his boss, but yet all the problems come from his wanting to read books at the bank! This distraction causes poor work performance, and a chewing out is giving from the boss, the problems aren't any better at home as Henry has a wife who will not let him read, so therefore he has carried his books to work. Just when it seems so much hope is lost, as it's so common in many "Twilight Zone" episodes the unexpected happens by entering another dimension, so one day while Bemis is on lunch break sitting on steps, he notices his stopwatch or clock halts as an H-bomb goes off it's like a nuclear war explosion! When he finds his new world, he's at first lonely in rubble only to soon discover among the ashes and debris it's piles of books, it's book heaven! Just as he enjoys his long awaited dream of unlimited time to read with no interruption, at last the unexpected happens! Just like many times when you read a new novel it may be a page turner, with a surprise on the next page, well this episode takes an unexpected page turn as it turns out to be a cruel novel for Mr. Bemis. I don't want to be a spoiler in my comment for those who haven't seen this, believe me the ending is shocking and very memorable that will always last with you, just like for Henry the time will last forever. The moral from this tale is when you get time always be prepared for the unexpected, it's always good to have extra things and be very careful when you enjoy things. As my summary hints at that! "Time Enough at Last" is an episode that stays with you forever due to it's surprise and painful end and as always great acting from legend Burgress Meredith.
a brilliantly painful episode
CineMage17 March 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Too many people misunderstand episodes like this from The Twilight Zone.
The Twilight Zone often included episodes that were fables or morality tales in which poetic justice was meted out or in which people locked up in their own fears were confronted with epiphanies. But not every Twilight Zone episode was a fable. Some were comedies or even farces, some were commentaries on human moral frailty or humanity's self-destructive obtuseness, and some were simple horror stories.
Some were horrific, existential tales refuting the notion of a fair or just universe with an inherent morality in it, instead reminding us with moments of savage irony of those times when life, the universe, and God might seem utterly indifferent both to us and to any pretense of what is fair.
The fate of sad, bullied, kindly Mr. Bemis is one of those latter kinds of tales. It's the sort of tale which inspired philosophers such as Camus.
The tale tempts viewers to try to distance themselves from sharing in Mr. Bemis' unfair suffering. Some viewers try to find a moral that isn't there. Some viewers try to reinterpret Mr. Bemis as some sort of scapegoated example whose fate would never be their own. Many people have tried to turn this tale into a dark comedy or even a silly one (such as the amusing Futurama sketch) as a way of distancing themselves.
But Mr. Bemis isn't being punished, nor is Mr. Bemis representative of a flawed way of life that deserves suffering or loss. At most, he is an example of the many victims of the anti-intellectualism and indifference to art found throughout the United States, and his tale at first looks like a morality play when all his cloddish tormentors die towards episode's end -- until the tale reverses itself with the famous ending.
The original viewers of the Twilight Zone still remembered the Holocaust not as history but as living memory. They knew that, in real life, there are times when unfair, cruel, horrific things happen to good people for no reason.
Sometimes the Twilight Zone episodes appealed to the poetic or spiritual impulses of its viewers by presenting a world in which justice and mercy could not be stopped, not even when they necessitated an intrusion by the supernatural or miraculous to occur.
Sometimes the Twilight Zone episodes reminded its viewers of a world in which unjust and unbearably cruel things happen, for no good reason, to people who have done nothing to deserve them, and the miraculous remains absent. The tale of Mr. Bemis is one such episode.
To try to rationalize the fate of Mr. Bemis as punishment or poetic justice is to bypass the painful existential point of this episode.
The Twilight Zone often included episodes that were fables or morality tales in which poetic justice was meted out or in which people locked up in their own fears were confronted with epiphanies. But not every Twilight Zone episode was a fable. Some were comedies or even farces, some were commentaries on human moral frailty or humanity's self-destructive obtuseness, and some were simple horror stories.
Some were horrific, existential tales refuting the notion of a fair or just universe with an inherent morality in it, instead reminding us with moments of savage irony of those times when life, the universe, and God might seem utterly indifferent both to us and to any pretense of what is fair.
The fate of sad, bullied, kindly Mr. Bemis is one of those latter kinds of tales. It's the sort of tale which inspired philosophers such as Camus.
The tale tempts viewers to try to distance themselves from sharing in Mr. Bemis' unfair suffering. Some viewers try to find a moral that isn't there. Some viewers try to reinterpret Mr. Bemis as some sort of scapegoated example whose fate would never be their own. Many people have tried to turn this tale into a dark comedy or even a silly one (such as the amusing Futurama sketch) as a way of distancing themselves.
But Mr. Bemis isn't being punished, nor is Mr. Bemis representative of a flawed way of life that deserves suffering or loss. At most, he is an example of the many victims of the anti-intellectualism and indifference to art found throughout the United States, and his tale at first looks like a morality play when all his cloddish tormentors die towards episode's end -- until the tale reverses itself with the famous ending.
The original viewers of the Twilight Zone still remembered the Holocaust not as history but as living memory. They knew that, in real life, there are times when unfair, cruel, horrific things happen to good people for no reason.
Sometimes the Twilight Zone episodes appealed to the poetic or spiritual impulses of its viewers by presenting a world in which justice and mercy could not be stopped, not even when they necessitated an intrusion by the supernatural or miraculous to occur.
Sometimes the Twilight Zone episodes reminded its viewers of a world in which unjust and unbearably cruel things happen, for no good reason, to people who have done nothing to deserve them, and the miraculous remains absent. The tale of Mr. Bemis is one such episode.
To try to rationalize the fate of Mr. Bemis as punishment or poetic justice is to bypass the painful existential point of this episode.
In shock at the sadness and cruelty of the ending.
welshNick2 July 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Life can deal you a bum hand occasionally and this is no better personified by the miserable spectacle wearing bank clerk Henry Beamis. Henry Beamis, played wonderfully by Burgess Meredith, is the classic cartoon character of the bumbling hen pecked husband. All he wants is to be left alone with his books which he loves to read. However, his wife will not let him read at home and his boss at work has ticked him off for reading in the workplace.
Although a rather pathetic individual it is very difficult not to feel a lot of sympathy for a man who has a very simple wish to be left alone so he can read.
Back to the story. He is reading in the vault during his lunch break when WW3 suddenly starts and finishes and he emerges to see that everyone is dead (no bodies) and rubble everywhere. There is lots of food around and he is thoroughly bored and contemplates suicide until he stumbles upon a library.
At last he has everything he has always wanted, all the books he can read, plenty to eat and no disturbances from his wife or boss until disaster happens. He stumbles, whilst reaching for a book and breaks his glasses without which he is virtually blind. The story ends with him repeating 'That's not fair, not fair at all, I had time at last.'
One wonders what the aftermath of the story could have been: Maybe he could have found the gun and ended it all. Perhaps he could have found a magnifying glass or even an opticians.
The power of the ending cannot be overstated and this is one of the finest pieces of short story telling to have ever graced the small screen. No need to remake it in Colour, it is perfect as it is.
As a final word, it is interesting to watch the reaction of somebody watching this for the first time who relies heavily on the glasses they wear.
Although a rather pathetic individual it is very difficult not to feel a lot of sympathy for a man who has a very simple wish to be left alone so he can read.
Back to the story. He is reading in the vault during his lunch break when WW3 suddenly starts and finishes and he emerges to see that everyone is dead (no bodies) and rubble everywhere. There is lots of food around and he is thoroughly bored and contemplates suicide until he stumbles upon a library.
At last he has everything he has always wanted, all the books he can read, plenty to eat and no disturbances from his wife or boss until disaster happens. He stumbles, whilst reaching for a book and breaks his glasses without which he is virtually blind. The story ends with him repeating 'That's not fair, not fair at all, I had time at last.'
One wonders what the aftermath of the story could have been: Maybe he could have found the gun and ended it all. Perhaps he could have found a magnifying glass or even an opticians.
The power of the ending cannot be overstated and this is one of the finest pieces of short story telling to have ever graced the small screen. No need to remake it in Colour, it is perfect as it is.
As a final word, it is interesting to watch the reaction of somebody watching this for the first time who relies heavily on the glasses they wear.
'I was only trying to see who she voted for'.
darrenpearce1111 December 2013
Henry Bemis (Burgess Meredith) recalls getting hit with an umbrella for reading a campaign slogan a young lady was wearing. This is the story of a timid man who simply cannot stop finding himself in trouble purely for his love of reading. His wife and his employer the bank president despise him for it. For a time it seems that this is a comedy, then the great change comes. Serling's narration returns, unusually, somewhere in the middle.
A compact, classic twenty-three minutes of TV. An all important twist at the end making this a must-see TZ if you have not already. Interestingly, when Burgess Meredith returned to the TZ in season two he played another hapless soul like Bemis in 'Mr Dingle The Strong'. That same year he played a librarian in a society where books are banned in 'The Obsolete Man'. His final appearance was all about printing news in 'Printer's Devil' in season four. All in all a great body of work nicely connected by a fine actor.
A compact, classic twenty-three minutes of TV. An all important twist at the end making this a must-see TZ if you have not already. Interestingly, when Burgess Meredith returned to the TZ in season two he played another hapless soul like Bemis in 'Mr Dingle The Strong'. That same year he played a librarian in a society where books are banned in 'The Obsolete Man'. His final appearance was all about printing news in 'Printer's Devil' in season four. All in all a great body of work nicely connected by a fine actor.
Possibly the Most Horrific Half-Hour of Television Ever.
MetalMiike2 August 2006
Such a powerful piece of drama this. It gives us a character so vulnerable and sympathetic that we, perhaps, see a little of the dreamer within ourselves in him. A small, mousy, child-like man at the mercy of his grouchy employer and domineering wife until World War III gives him a world of his very own.
This, like most Twilight Zone episodes, begins with a vaguely light-hearted feel that could go either way but by the end we are exposed to a reversal of fortune so tragic and so deeply ironic that I for one have never been able to return to watching this episode; the best laid plans of mice and men gone horrible awry.
Presumably this is meant as a warning against letting our dreams and fantasies get the better of us or perhaps it is intended to condemn those who force us to live too much in the real world. Stirling was always one to say the things we did not want to hear but in this, he succeeded only too well. It is perhaps merciful that Stirling had a sense of humour (let alone a heart) because if every episode of The Twilight Zone had reached this standard it would, conversely have been unwatchable because an audience cannot put up with this much cruelty every week.
If you see, it will affect you. I was left shattered and I don't intend to sit through it again. You may may only be able to take it once, but do see it.
This, like most Twilight Zone episodes, begins with a vaguely light-hearted feel that could go either way but by the end we are exposed to a reversal of fortune so tragic and so deeply ironic that I for one have never been able to return to watching this episode; the best laid plans of mice and men gone horrible awry.
Presumably this is meant as a warning against letting our dreams and fantasies get the better of us or perhaps it is intended to condemn those who force us to live too much in the real world. Stirling was always one to say the things we did not want to hear but in this, he succeeded only too well. It is perhaps merciful that Stirling had a sense of humour (let alone a heart) because if every episode of The Twilight Zone had reached this standard it would, conversely have been unwatchable because an audience cannot put up with this much cruelty every week.
If you see, it will affect you. I was left shattered and I don't intend to sit through it again. You may may only be able to take it once, but do see it.
Best Laid Plans...
sheenarocks5 July 2007
Warning: Spoilers
It's hard to add anything new to the previous posts about this episode. Definitely one of the best half hours ever produced for television. A gut-wrenching ending, even if you have seen it time after time. Burgess Meredith's performance, in what is essentially a one-man show, is so incredibly memorable and affecting--an Everyman we can all identify with, experiencing some of our darkest fears.
An interesting quote from Meredith's mini-biography on IMDb:
"Like the seasons of the year, life changes frequently and drastically. You enjoy it or endure it as it comes and goes, as it ebbs and flows."
The best laid plans, in other words. Funny how in 1939 he starred in another movie involving the best laid plans: Of Mice and Men.
This is the 25th most memorable moment on television?? I'll have to check out what the other 24 are because it is hard to imagine another moment on TV more striking than the ending of this episode of Twilight Zone.
An interesting quote from Meredith's mini-biography on IMDb:
"Like the seasons of the year, life changes frequently and drastically. You enjoy it or endure it as it comes and goes, as it ebbs and flows."
The best laid plans, in other words. Funny how in 1939 he starred in another movie involving the best laid plans: Of Mice and Men.
This is the 25th most memorable moment on television?? I'll have to check out what the other 24 are because it is hard to imagine another moment on TV more striking than the ending of this episode of Twilight Zone.
Make Time for "Time Enough At Last"
cag1970-12 July 2006
Warning: Spoilers
"Time Enough At Last" is probably the single best half-hour of episodic television ever produced. When I saw "Time Enough At Last", as a young boy, it struck a chord that resonates with me even now. Henry Bemis cannot engage in his love of reading, because of all the demands that his life puts on him, but he finally has the opportunity to indulge in his heart's joy after his hometown is devastated by a nuclear blast. The cruel irony of it all is, he'll never be able to enjoy his passion for reading without the people he's been trying so hard to get away from. Burgess Meredith gives a bravura performance as the put-upon bookwork who finally gets his time, and for whom "The Twilight Zone" has the most dastardly surprise of all. "Time Enough At Last" is from the landmark first season of "The Twilight Zone", and is highly recommended for anyone who enjoys intelligent, thought-provoking television.
A classic of the series!
Skeeter7006 February 2006
Warning: Spoilers
"Time Enough" is one of the classic episodes of The Twilight Zone. It is a definite must see. Burgess Meredith is wonderful as the mousy bank teller who only wants more time to read books. When he finds himself alone on the planet due to nuclear war, he finally finds the time for reading he has always longed for. No job, no wife, no distractions. Just he, Shaw, Shakespeare, and Shelly. Meredith is key to this episode. His portrayal of mousy Henry Bemis is sympathetic and memorable. We empathize with him as he trudges through his daily work, withstands his domineering wife, and finally walks through a nuclear waste ground. We also understand his joy when he is able to escape for a few minutes into a book. A wonderful episode I give 10 out of 10.
It's not fair...it's not fair at all.
jpoteet21 January 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I am an avid book lover. The story of Henry Bemis is one I relate to. A consummate book lover, Mr. Bemis is derided by his customers at the bank he works at, his boss, and his wife. They see him as an annoying bore, a poor employee and a bad husband respectively. Then, an atomic bomb drops while Henry is in the bank vault and he finds himself blissfully able to read to his heart's content. I don't want to spoil too much, but I find only one real problem with the story. I simply can't stand the utter sadness of the ending. It is heart rending and awful and wonderful at the same time. It is the story of King Midas. It is cleverly done from the start. Henry Bemis' coke bottle glasses command your attention, his manner both attracts you and repels you somewhat. The episode represents all the excellent genius of the Twilight Zone.
The last reading man on earth
Coventry6 May 2016
At the moment I'm writing this user comment, the episode "Time Enough At Last" has an amazing 9.1 rating here on IMDb. 9.1 out of 10! This also means that, in case you'd list all 156 "Twilight Zone" episodes based on their ranking from highest to lowest, this is one of the top five best episodes of this overall terrific and legendary TV-show. In all honesty, your truly wouldn't rank it as high as the rest of the show's fans, but it's undeniably a very lovable installment with a familiar but captivating plot, a stellar performance from Burgess Meredith and a suitably ironic ending. The middle-aged bank desk clerk Henry Bemis is an amiable man with thick glasses and an enormous passion for reading books, magazines and journals. Henry has one major problem, though, namely that everyone in his surrounding thinks reading is a stupid waste of time. His boss at the bank suppresses and humiliates Henry and the situation at home is even worse, since his tyrannical wife Helen even forbids him to read. Poor Henry reads in secret whenever he has the chance, but when he hides in the bank's massive vault in order to read during lunch break, the entire nation is struck with an exploding H- bomb. When he emerges from the ashes, Henry initially feels sad and lonely, until he realizes he now finally has time and opportunities enough to read without getting criticized for it. John Brahm, the massively underrated director of unknown '40s horror highlights such as "Hangover Square" and "The Undying Monster", here masterfully depicts the weakness of the heartfelt Henry Bemis versus the callous bank director and the repellent wife Helen. Like Henry, you don't really regret that the apocalyptic bomb wipes them both out and you honestly wish for him to be able to read in peace, but it obviously wouldn't be "The Twilight Zone" if there wasn't still a painfully ironic end-twist in store. The bomb impact is most definitely a very powerful sequence. Many movies and series deal with the theme of judgment day and post-apocalyptic life, but I've rarely seen it illustrated more convincingly then here from inside the bank vault.
"You Can Never Win" Story
Johnny_West1 April 2020
This is the ultimate loser can never win story. Twilight Zone is very over-rated in that a lot of the stories are just blatantly about shooting down the hopes and dreams of people. It is a perverted "schadenfreude", which is a German word that means roughly "hurt-happiness." It's what we feel when someone gets his comeuppance. Twilight Zone loves to show up the little people.
Here Burgess Meredith, a man full of illusions who is surrounded by nasty people in his life, finally gets a chance to enjoy life. It takes a nuclear war to clear the crappy people out of his life, but that's alright with BM. He just wants a chance to spend the rest of his life reading. The obvious comeuppance is that his glasses fall off his face and break.
What's wrong with this episode? Glasses do not break from falling 3-4 feet to the floor, especially not the kind that BM had, which were thick "coca-cola" bottle type glasses.
This was such a cheap "deux ex machina" machination that it is very surprising that even 60 years later people heap so much praise on this episode. Wow. Like what could be more obvious? The kid who gets drafted number one to the NBA, NFL, etc., and then falls down the aisle on the way to the podium and breaks his back? Lady wins the lottery and finds out she has terminal cancer?
BM had a serious disability, in that his eyesight was very bad. When I watched this episode as a kid, the message that I got was that disabled people are losers, and they will never succeed or find happiness, no matter what happens.
Here Burgess Meredith, a man full of illusions who is surrounded by nasty people in his life, finally gets a chance to enjoy life. It takes a nuclear war to clear the crappy people out of his life, but that's alright with BM. He just wants a chance to spend the rest of his life reading. The obvious comeuppance is that his glasses fall off his face and break.
What's wrong with this episode? Glasses do not break from falling 3-4 feet to the floor, especially not the kind that BM had, which were thick "coca-cola" bottle type glasses.
This was such a cheap "deux ex machina" machination that it is very surprising that even 60 years later people heap so much praise on this episode. Wow. Like what could be more obvious? The kid who gets drafted number one to the NBA, NFL, etc., and then falls down the aisle on the way to the podium and breaks his back? Lady wins the lottery and finds out she has terminal cancer?
BM had a serious disability, in that his eyesight was very bad. When I watched this episode as a kid, the message that I got was that disabled people are losers, and they will never succeed or find happiness, no matter what happens.
Now wherever did I put that gun?
BA_Harrison14 August 2011
Bespectacled bank clerk Henry Bemis (Burgess Meredith), henpecked by his wife and harassed by his boss, simply yearns for enough time to indulge in his favourite pastime: reading. He eventually gets his wish when a nuclear war wipes out everyone but him—but this being The Twilight Zone, things don't go quite as well as they might for poor Mr. Bemis...
'Time Enough At Last' is one of the best loved Twilight Zone episodes, a solid gold classic with a corker of a twist that brilliantly illustrates creator Rod Serling's warped sense of humour. The bitter irony of Mr. Bemis's final plight deftly combines both comedy and tragedy, and as the credits roll, one can easily imagine the poor fellow, so ecstatic a few minutes before, scrabbling around blindly in the ruins desperately trying to relocate the gun he had earlier.
'Time Enough At Last' is one of the best loved Twilight Zone episodes, a solid gold classic with a corker of a twist that brilliantly illustrates creator Rod Serling's warped sense of humour. The bitter irony of Mr. Bemis's final plight deftly combines both comedy and tragedy, and as the credits roll, one can easily imagine the poor fellow, so ecstatic a few minutes before, scrabbling around blindly in the ruins desperately trying to relocate the gun he had earlier.
Ironic Episode
claudio_carvalho11 January 2014
The bank clerk Henry Bemis (Burgess Meredith) loves to read but his nagging and selfish wife Helen Bemis (Jaqueline deWit) does not let him read in his leisure time. Henry tries to read at work in the bank, but his boss Mr. Carsville (Vaughn Taylor) threatens to fire him. One day, Henry sneaks in the bank vault to read and out of the blue, there is an explosion. When Henry leaves the place, he finds everything destroyed but the National Library full of books. Henry selects the book to read for the next years, but a tragic incident happens.
"Time Enough at Last" is an ironic episode of "The Twilight Zone", with a tragicomic conclusion. Henry Bemis sees his dream coming true after a nuclear holocaust where only the books of a great library and him survive. But a small incident dooms the life of Henry. My vote is ten.
Title (Brazil): "Além da Imaginação - Time Enough at Last" ("Beyond Imagination - Time Enough at Last")
"Time Enough at Last" is an ironic episode of "The Twilight Zone", with a tragicomic conclusion. Henry Bemis sees his dream coming true after a nuclear holocaust where only the books of a great library and him survive. But a small incident dooms the life of Henry. My vote is ten.
Title (Brazil): "Além da Imaginação - Time Enough at Last" ("Beyond Imagination - Time Enough at Last")
The Reader
AaronCapenBanner25 October 2014
Burgess Meredith is indelible as poor bank teller Henry Bemis, who is much put-upon by his shrewish, cold wife Helen, who cannot stand Henry's desire to read, and his love of books. Neither can his boss or customers, but when an atomic war occurs as he is reading in the bank vault, Henry is at first desolate, but when he realizes that he now has all the time in the world to read, his spirits briefly rise, until cruel fate and broken eyeglasses leaves him just another victim in a smashed landscape... Masterpiece of imagery and character, with Bemis the ultimate victim in a cruel, indifferent world not of his making. Superb direction and set design as well in unforgettable episode.
No time for reading
gregorycanfield2 July 2021
This premise of this episode is brilliant! It has always been more common to see people condemned for watching television. Burgess Meredith's character is criticized for having an intellectual pursuit! Meredith is excellent here, and so is Vaughn Taylor as the bank manager. The scene in which Henry discovers that his wife had inked out every page of his poetry book, is a standout. "Why do you do these things, Helen?" Good question. It came across as cruelty for the sake of being that way. Overall, a great episode with one of the series' most memorable endings.
So Much Time on his Hands...So Much
BaronBl00d19 July 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This is, for me, the preeminent episode of a series made up of numerous outstanding candidates for that position. Time Enough at Last is one of those television events that lasts and haunts and provokes you years after having seen it - and it justifiably made the TV Guide's List of greatest TV moments of all time recently. It is that powerful. The story centers around Henry Bemis, a bookish man with no other desire then to immerse himself in the printed word, but his Attila of a wife won't let him and he cannot do so at work. Fate plays a hand and deals Bemis a card he thinks he wants, but, as always, fate gets the upper hand and wins the game. The story involves a bomb, mass destruction, one-man-left-in-the-world, and a pair of incredibly thick glasses Bemis MUST have in order to read. You can figure out what happens if you somehow are unfamiliar with the episode. The cruelest joke of all is played on Bemis, and we as the audience are saddened for we like Bemis and wanted him to have what little joys he might. But maybe the truly terrifying nature of this episode isn't what Bemis lost, but what we lose, or might lose, every time we tempt fate or get what we want. That ultimately is one of the themes that you don't really want to get what you think you want. Bemis ends his "dream" clutching his face, blindly looking out into figurative and literal nothingness all alone. Maybe we are better off having our dreams without ever realizing them? Serling as always makes one ponder. The episode is strongly acted with Burgess Meredith giving a great performance as Bemis, a little man with a big desire. Equally strong are Vaughn Taylor as a pompous bank boss and giving a chilling portrayal of a wife no man wants is underrated Jacqueline deWitt - man, I would have had to catch my breath a few moments after she snatched that paper from my fingers and threw it into the fire. John Brahm does a very good job directing the episode and creating the claustrophobic yet openly empty world of Bemis working with the budget and effects available for the time. This is timeless entertainment and has a universal message - like so many episodes of The Twilight Zone.
They always say-after a nuclear war we will have cockroaches and Cher- and books!!!
kimcoxmonm22 October 2021
This episode is top notch. Henry is a sweet, meek and visually challenged man who's only wish is some time to read. All of the other characters crush his spirit and demean his desire for the written page. It's runs the gambit of emotions from funny to heartbreaking. His shrew of a wife does make me laugh when she calls out his name - Hen-REEEEEEEY like she is in a hog-calling contest. The poor man can't read a ketchup bottle and she demarcates his book of poetry, which he notices after the glimmer of hope when she wants him to read to her. What a b*tch!!! I am an avid book reader myself, no Kindles for me. I read the condiments and cereal boxes when I was a kid. Heck, when I was a young kid, I always thought hor d'oeuvre was pronounced "hors (as in whores) de vores" because I read it on the toothpick bottle.
When I first viewed this years ago, I was so happy when he found the library but I quickly turned a 180 when, well, watch it. I think the set in the initial aftermath shot was the same as in "One More Paulbearer" when Paul Radon comes up from the bomb shelter.
Burgess Meredith is such a delight. I strikes me funny that this character is a voracious reader and then he plays a doomed librarian in "The Obsolete". Add to that, the titular character in "The Printer's Devil", a written form that is also losing steam in the modern world-newspapers.
Just a fantastic episode.
When I first viewed this years ago, I was so happy when he found the library but I quickly turned a 180 when, well, watch it. I think the set in the initial aftermath shot was the same as in "One More Paulbearer" when Paul Radon comes up from the bomb shelter.
Burgess Meredith is such a delight. I strikes me funny that this character is a voracious reader and then he plays a doomed librarian in "The Obsolete". Add to that, the titular character in "The Printer's Devil", a written form that is also losing steam in the modern world-newspapers.
Just a fantastic episode.
It's just not fair.
Son_of_Mansfield24 February 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Burgess Meredith plays the bookish bank teller who just wants enough time to sit and read the classics without all those boring people and tasks to get in the way. The Twilight Zone gives him his wish as an explosion destroys everything around him, but he should have been a little more careful in the wording. This, except for To Serve Man, is the most well known episode of the classic series. The selfish and flighty bank teller gets the kind of justice that the Bible usually tells of. The lessons: be careful what you wish for and possessions do not/will not bring happiness. The last scene is classic, with Meredith uttering the summary line as the camera pulls out to display the desperation of his situation.
Time Enough at Last
Scarecrow-884 July 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Is "Time Enough at Last" a tough cookie, or what? Tough on Mr. Henry Beemis, particularly. All the man wants to do is read a good book, a newspaper, and enjoy what the written word has to offer. He has an enthusiasm for reading that should rub off on others, you'd think, but to a boss concerned about his bank's financial health for the long term and a wife who simply wants him to be miserable it seems, the idea of burying yourself into a book of poems or David Copperfield produces the worst kind of adult. I think there's not just a parable about man's eventual destruction of himself (when the H-bombs drop from the country powers of the Earth) here but the falling away from a love for literature and the knowledge produced when one immerses themselves into works of fiction and non-fiction thanks to the day-to-day operations of a progressive society moving "at the beat of the clock" is even more elaborated. The tragedy is that Beamis will finally have time without the interference of others who loathe the whole idea of reading and still be denied the ability to do so
life can certainly be cruel. The incredible sets used for the destructed city, all the rubble and structural damage, are phenomenal and poor Burgess Meredith walking among a once thriving community, now a graveyard, broken remnants of what once was really leaves quite an impression. Truly a pitiable character is Beamis, victimized for simply enjoying what should be privileged to him, then later having a chance to finally embellish in the freedom to engage all the books of a massive catalogue from a library no longer in use thanks to mankind's inability to get along. Almost ending his life with a gun found amongst the rubble, he is spared such a fate when his beady eyes, increased in size thanks to his glass' lenses, catch the fallen pillar of a gutted library. There are plenty reasons this episode remains a hallmark of The Twilight Zone. The glasses which has Burgess' eyes popping is quite an iconic image, and kind of creates a cartoon out of him, while his hearty giggle when able to read his book at the teller's station indicates that his greatest pleasures are not in the world around him but of the world created in literature.
It's not fair. It's not fair at all.
Hey_Sweden1 August 2017
Time. Such a precious commodity. And a universal concern. We all wish we had more of it. More time to do the things that we want, or need, to do.
All Henry Bemis (Burgess Meredith) wants is to read. His passion is the printed word. When he gets desperate, he'll even read the printing on condiment packages. His passion does get him in trouble at work, because his nagging wife (Jacqueline deWit) refuses to let him read at home. She thinks he should be practicing the art of conversation a lot more.
Ultimately, Henry gets his wish - in a way. A nuclear holocaust decimates life and property as far as the eye can see. Henry was spared because he was tucked away in a bank vault doing what he does best. Despairing and lonely at first, he soon realizes that now he has all the time in the world to devote himself to books. That is, until a cruel twist of fate.
Director John Brahm ("The Lodger", "Hangover Square") masterfully directs this legendary, beloved (for good reason) eighth 'Twilight Zone' episode. Those who see it, don't forget it. Not only is there a brilliant, endearing performance by Mr. Meredith, but the visuals are extraordinary. Brahm and a talented crew truly do make it look like the end of the world has come. Part of the visual appeal, of course, are the oversized glasses that Meredith wears, an interesting stylistic choice.
Meredith receives very capable support from Ms. deWit, and a perfectly cast Vaughn Taylor (who played Marion Cranes' boss in "Psycho") as Bemis' boss, who dislikes seeing his employee not concentrate on his work.
The haunting finale is justly praised. After all, delivering a potent twist or revelation was something that this series always did so beautifully.
This episode comes highly recommended.
10 out of 10.
All Henry Bemis (Burgess Meredith) wants is to read. His passion is the printed word. When he gets desperate, he'll even read the printing on condiment packages. His passion does get him in trouble at work, because his nagging wife (Jacqueline deWit) refuses to let him read at home. She thinks he should be practicing the art of conversation a lot more.
Ultimately, Henry gets his wish - in a way. A nuclear holocaust decimates life and property as far as the eye can see. Henry was spared because he was tucked away in a bank vault doing what he does best. Despairing and lonely at first, he soon realizes that now he has all the time in the world to devote himself to books. That is, until a cruel twist of fate.
Director John Brahm ("The Lodger", "Hangover Square") masterfully directs this legendary, beloved (for good reason) eighth 'Twilight Zone' episode. Those who see it, don't forget it. Not only is there a brilliant, endearing performance by Mr. Meredith, but the visuals are extraordinary. Brahm and a talented crew truly do make it look like the end of the world has come. Part of the visual appeal, of course, are the oversized glasses that Meredith wears, an interesting stylistic choice.
Meredith receives very capable support from Ms. deWit, and a perfectly cast Vaughn Taylor (who played Marion Cranes' boss in "Psycho") as Bemis' boss, who dislikes seeing his employee not concentrate on his work.
The haunting finale is justly praised. After all, delivering a potent twist or revelation was something that this series always did so beautifully.
This episode comes highly recommended.
10 out of 10.
Episode 8
StrictlyConfidential10 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
"Time Enough At Last" (Episode 8) was first aired on television November 20, 1959.
Anyway - As the story goes - A bookworm yearns for more time to read - then a nuclear holocaust leaves him alone in the world with lots of time, plenty to read and one ironic twist.
Anyway - As the story goes - A bookworm yearns for more time to read - then a nuclear holocaust leaves him alone in the world with lots of time, plenty to read and one ironic twist.
Wall to wall, people hypnotized.
bombersflyup4 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Time Enough at Last is alright, once again with the topic of isolation. The guy only wanted time to read, now he had all the time in the world, why wouldn't he want to read everything ever written. So I don't understand when he's contemplating with the gun. There's a lifetime of work out there that no person can ever go through no matter how much time you have. You'd be super careful with everything.
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