I Dream of Genie

Here we go again. Pitiful, hopeless little man, kicked around by his peers, gets an opportunity to make things better. He is coerced into buying an Aladdin's lamp in an antique store. It is for a woman in his office whom he has a crush on. She is the absolute center of attention and he doesn't even dare to give her the gift. The wolf of the office gets the girl and the promotion. Our guy goes home to his lonely apartment and his dog, Attila. This name proves to be a continuing gag as all manner of dogs in the episode have that same name. He decides he may be able to use the lamp as an ashtray and cleans it. Poof! Our comes a Genie, played by Jack Albertson, who tells him that he gets one wish (they used to give three, but people misused them). There is talk about love and possessions and the 90% tax bracket. He is given the task of thinking things through so his wish will be worth the effort. He puts himself in three situations in his daydreams, all of which are disasters. He even imagines himself President of the United States. Finally he gets an epiphany. For me, the conclusion was utterly ridiculous. This seemed so incredibly dated, which contributed to its less than stellar rating.

The clerk George P. Hanley is a complete loser and is bullied in the office where he works by his co-worker Roger. On the birthday of the secretary and his romantic interest Ann, George is lured by the owner of a store that sells an old lamp to him. George gives up to deliver his gift to Ann and brings it home. Soon he finds that the lamp is magic and the genie grants one wish for him. George decides to think of three different scenarios with Ann, money and power until he comes up to a conclusion.

"I Dream of Genie" is an annoying and silly episode of "The Twilight Zone". George's dreams reflect his weak personality and are ridiculous. But maybe the conclusion is worst with his stupid choice. This episode is supposed to be funny, but it is indeed depressive and one of the worsts of the series. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "O Gênio da Lâmpada" ("The Genie of the Lamp")

In fourth season started full episodes around fifty minutes or so, it somehow coming for worse or better due now if the story isn't so attractive the whole thing flops evenly like this an average chapter that wasn't so good, a warmed-over story about Arabian lamp, the genius and three wishes.

As Rod Serling explains at opening scene about a single George P. Hanley (Howard Morris) a sort of shy and fool man those that everyone serve him a cold tea, close the elevator door at her noose without complaint at all, George works in accounting office where has a beauty secretary Ann (Patricia Barry) to reach he decides buy a gift at Ann's anniversary in hope to got his attention to starting a dating, he went a story where the rogue owner shoves him a used Arabian lamp as antique gift, even ensures he accepts, at office another wise guy gives to Ann a sexy dress, perceiving Ann as an easy and shallow girl, he keep the gift of his own.

When George went back at your home is welcome by a happy dog and try wondering that Ann wasn't the girl that he wanting for, suddenly the Arabian lamp starting shaking and got it and start polish it, the came up a Genius (Jack Albertson) with modern outfits, however instead available three wishes this turn the trendy Genius offers just one only, therefore the Genius aware that the faltering guy needs more time to make a right choice and vanishing away to return later.

Then George wondering if he got be married with Ann's famous actress, the second choice should be the richest man and finally a powerful America's Politician, all these thoughts in some way weren't satisfactory whatsoever, at Last George decides be a........please see by yourself and judge if George made a clever choosing, although wasn't so great this episode has its moments enough able to enjoy!!

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First watch: 2023 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.25.

It's hard to believe that reviewers are criticizing this episode simply because it's dated. It's almost 57 years old as of this review date. Of course it's dated. The entire original TZ series is dated! But to call this episode horrible because of being old is to negate the performances. Howard Morris of Earnest T. Bass fame, quirky Millhollin, and Jack Albertson who depicted Willy Wonka's Grandpa Joe do stellar work in another one of TZ's more lighthearted offerings. It's not a great episode, but it's worth seeing just for completing the entire series.

Howard Morris stars as luckless George P. Hanley, in love with the secretary(played by Patricia Barry) at his job, who has no interest in him. Desperate, he is conned into buying an old Arabian lamp for her as a present, but discovers that it does have the proverbial Genie(played by miscast Jack Albertson) who will grant George only one wish, so he must consider carefully, and so imagines how love, wealth, and power would work out, which as you can guess, wont be well... Unfunny and clichéd comedy is a total waste of time, both because it had already been done before, and ultimately in its silly resolution. Morris fared far better when he costarred on "Thriller".