Podcast appearances and mentions of al denton

This month we're heading to the old west! In "Mr. Denton on Doomsday," Al Denton is a former gunslinger, now a town drunk. His life changes when he gets a magic drink that makes him a great shooter again, but it quickly propels him back into the violence he wants to leave behind. In "Showdown with Rance McGrew," a cocky TV western star suddenly meets real outlaws from the old west. Both episodes share themes about facing consequences and getting a second chances. One of the episodes hit close to home for us and had some poignant moments, while the other's comedic efforts landed more for one of us than the other.   Connect with Entering the Fifth Dimension: Facebook community Follow us on Twitter Contribute Listener Feedback

In this week's episode of Key of Imagination: A Twilight Zone Show, we're going back to the old west to meet a friend, Mr. Al Denton in " Mr. Denton on Doomsday ". Al is a gunslinger in the old sense of the word. He's had to prove just how fast a draw he is on numerous occasions, until one day, he killed someone that he couldn't forget. From that moment on, Denton has been doing battle with himself. This is a serious episode, and I want to be upfront about the fact that we're going to be talking about some adult themes, so if you are listening/watching these with young ones, you might skip the section marked "adult theme." There's a lot to unpack in this episode. Join us as we visit the old west with Rod Serling. Head over to thekeyofimagination.com to rate the Twilight Zone episodes and to continue our conversation. Episode outline: 00:00 Monologue 01:07 Plot overview for "Mr. Denton on Doomsday" 03:41 Episode details 04:05 My initial thoughts on "Mr. Denton on Doomsday" 05:34 Warning: not for small children; let's talk about self-harm 08:15 Question 1 11:45 Question 2 15:46 Moments of awe 17:03 Ranking of Mr. Denton on Doomsday 17:59 Next episode and questions to consider 18:27 How to rank the episode and contact me No show did a better job than The Twilight Zone at generating awe and wonder within its audience. It just so happens that awe is exactly what we need in these difficult, divisive times. So, join me, Joe Meyer, and let's walk through the fifth dimension with Rod Serling. Along the way, we'll discuss big questions and relate them back to our Twilight Zone episodes. Opening theme: "Shadoma" - Mini Vandals Ending theme: by Jacob Williams @jakeproduces on Fiverr #twilightzone #rodserling #scifi #zone #outerlimits #sciencefiction --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/keyofimagination/message

This week Kevin and Paul head back to the Old West and run into Al Denton, a drunk with a dark past and not too promising future... that is, until fate rolls into town.

It is great to be back after a long absence. Unfortunately, the podcast has been off the air due to life's litlte unforeseeable events. I've done an overhaul of my sound system, so we now have a better audio quality.In our last episodes, we discussed "Where is Everybody?" and "One for the Angels." Instead of doing just one episode per podcast. I want to tackle two in one show. Another change is that I will review the episode rather than go through a series of study questions. It covers the types of questions I've asked in the past but compacts it a bit more.We now have 115 subscribers!!! I'd like to thank you for hanging in with me and for yoru e-mails asking if the show would continue. :)We've gotten some mixed reviews on ITunes. Some really enjoy the show and others don't. That's okay because nobody can please everyone. This is a new avenue for me, so it's an experiment and an experience in growth and learning. I'm always looking for new ways to make the show innovative and fun. Any suggestions and feedback is certainly welcome.Review for "Mr. Denton on Doomsday"Written by Sharon Hawkinson This was not one of my favorite episodes. When I first saw it, I had a hard time concentrating on it. Perhaps a part of it was because I’m not a western fan nor a fan of western settings. I had to watch the episode a number of times before I caught the meaning and theme of it (call me a ditzy blond).Al Denton was someone to pity. Yes, he was the town drunk, but there was obviously a reason as to why he got into that shape. He was a well known gunslinger, a perfect shot who could drop his opponent just like that. It’s a heck of a thing to be famous for. I would say it would drive many a person to drink, knowing that your existence is based on the kill-or-be-killed statement.This episode certainly proves that, even though a person can hit rock bottom, there are ways to climb out of the pit. Thanks to Henry J. Fate, Al Denton is given a second chance. Once again, he falls into his old gun slinging fame, but in the end, he doesn’t win, nor does he lose. Both he and his opponent are shot in their good hands, thus ending their careers as famous shooters.Now, does Denton stay reformed? Yes, I believe so. I feel he has learned a lot from his days as a drunk and knows he doesn’t want to go back to that. He would not want to once again lose the respect of the town, and last but certainly not least, there is a woman who is sweet on him. She believed in him and stuck up for him even when Denton couldn’t do that for himself. If an epilogue was in the works, it would probably point out that he and Liz Smith (the said woman) probably got married and now had a family. Remember, in the episode, it was said that it was a story to tell his grandchildren and now, he’d live to have them.My rating for this episode – three out of five stars. Review For "The 16 mm Shrine."Written by Sharon Hawkinson Barbara Jean Trenton is an aging, washed-up actress who yearns for her former glory days. She spends her days and nights in her private screen room where over and over, she watches her own films, reveling in the romantic lead parts she played. She wishes with all her heart that things could be as they once were.Ida Lupino was a terrific actress who played this role wonderfully. She captured the emotions of Barbara Jean exquisitely and truly brought her to life. Although Lupino did a marvelous job, I don’t particularly care for Barbara Jean as someone I might like. To me, she was arrogant, spoiled, demanding, and somewhat snobbish. Of course, these qualities still exist in her older self.I do pity her in some ways, however. It’s hard for some people to grow old. Not only do they age physically, but times also change. Barbara Jean can’t accept that she is no longer romantic leading lady material. She is given a chance for a role playing a mother, but she is devastated by that prospect. She is further driven over the edge when the present day Jerry Hearnden pays her a visit, and she is shocked at his aged appearance.On the other hand, Barbara Jean is not the only one this happens to. Had she been able to accept her fate, she might have still enjoyed a fine acting career. Yes, it would have been different than it was during her prime, but a career still could have been salvaged.The ending of the episode is quite fitting for Barbara Jean. She wishes to go back to a place where she was carefree, admired, and loved…and that is exactly what she gets. She winds up inside a movie clip of times gone by. The last time we see Barbara Jean is when she invites her guests into her home for a get-together. She then draws closer to the “audience” (this audience being her agent), blows him a kiss, throws a scarf, and then, the film ends. She is never seen again.My rating for this episode – four out of five stars. Someone asked if I actually put the shows in the podcast. No, I don't due ot copyright laws. However, you can watch episodes online. Here are some links:CBS.comFancast.com There's a nice website where I find episode synopses:The Original Twilight Zone My goal for this podcast is to make it interactive. I wil be glad to share messages and comments in future episodes. There are a variety of ways ot contact me and to be mentioned on teh show.You can e-mail me.You can leave a message on the blog.You can use our voice mial number: 206-426-7408. As stated before, feedback is certainly welcome. Please tell me waht you think of the show and the episodes we discuss. You ae certainly welcome ot send or call in reviews of the episodes and I will share them in future shows. When reviewing an episode, here are some things to think about.Did you like the episode? Why or why not?What was the theme and meaning of the episode?Did you like the character(s), story, plot, setting, etc.What stuck out for you in the particular episode?You can also include anything else that comes to mind.In our next episode, we will discuss "Walking Distance" and "Escape Clause." I look forward to hearing from you and sharing waht you have to say in our next episode.Wishing you a happy week,Sharon

Throughout the 1950s, Rod Serling had established himself as one of the hottest names in television, equally famous for his success in writing televised drama as he was for criticizing the medium's limitations. His most vocal complaints concerned the censorship frequently practiced by sponsors and networks. "I was not permitted to have my Senators discuss any current or pressing problem," he said of his 1957 production 'The Arena', intended to be an involving look into contemporary politics. "To talk of tariff was to align oneself with the Republicans; to talk of labor was to suggest control by the Democrats. To say a single thing germane to the current political scene was absolutely prohibited." THIS EPISODE:Portrait of a town drunk named Al Denton. This is a man who's begun his dying earlyâa long agonizing route through a maze of bottles. Al Denton, who would probably give an arm or a leg or a part of his soul to have another chance, to be able to rise up and shake the dirt from his body and the bad dreams that infest his consciousness.

Twilight Zone Club - "One for the Angels"Episode 2 - 3/1/07On today's show, we discussed the episode "One for the Angels," whcih originally aired on October 9th, 1959.We now have 16 subscribers! That is wonderful indeed. I'm hoping as time goes on and that the word about this podcast gets out, it will become a big source of enjoyment for Twilight Zone fans.Next up will be "Mr. Denton on Doomsday." Below are the discussion questions:Did you like this episode? Why or why not?Did you feel sorry for Al Denton? Please explain.If you were a character in this episode, would you be picking on Al Denton or would you have wanted to break it up like Liz Smith did?Did you expect the episode to end the way it did? Were you happy with the ending?Do you think Al Denton would have remained sober and lived happily ever after with Liz Smith or do you think he would eventually go back to the bottle?You can send answers to these questions via e-mail. Comments about the show, podcast, any of the episodes, insights, or other feedback can also be sent to me via e-mail. We now have a voice mail number which you may call if you would like to give feedback using that method. That number is 206-350-2613. When you call in, I will play your message on the show. I would love to hear from you no matter which method you use. A more interactive podcast is a more interesting one.MP3 LinkI look forward to our next episode.Sharon