In Praise of Pip
Encyclopedia
"In Praise of Pip" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone
.
This was the first episode of The Twilight Zone to be 30 minutes long since The Changing of the Guard
.
and will likely die. He feels he could have been a better father. With that in mind, he returns $300 to an unlucky bettor and gets into a fight with his boss and the boss' hitman. Max is shot by the hitman. Wounded, he stumbles into an amusement park and is surprised to see Pip, who is now a child again. After having some fun, reliving past enjoyable outings, Pip runs away into a house of mirrors
. When Max finds him, Pip explains that he is dying and vanishes. Max makes a deal with God: His life for Pip's. He dies so that his son may live.
in Santa Monica, California
. It is often incorrectly cited as the first American television drama to mention the growing Vietnam War
. (The previous March, actor Glenn Corbett
had become a regular on the series Route 66
, playing returned Vietnam soldier Lincoln Case
.) However, the episode actually opens in Vietnam, with a wounded Pip being brought into a front-line mobile hospital -- making it possibly the first American television drama to have a scene set in the midst of the Vietnam War.
Rod Serling originally wanted the episode to take place in Laos
; it was CBS who asked for the change to Vietnam.
This was the first episode sponsored by American Tobacco (on alternate weeks), on behalf of Pall Mall
cigarettes, who suggested that Rod and some of the guest stars and supporting players "light up" during the episodes. Unlike previous sponsor Liggett & Myers, American Tobacco did not have Rod plug their products at the end of the program.
The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
.
This was the first episode of The Twilight Zone to be 30 minutes long since The Changing of the Guard
The Changing of the Guard (The Twilight Zone)
"The Changing of the Guard" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.-Synopsis:Professor Ellis Fowler is an elderly teacher who is forced into retirement by his school...
.
Synopsis
Max Phillips is a bookie who finds out via telegram that his son Pip, a soldier, has been seriously wounded fighting in VietnamVietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and will likely die. He feels he could have been a better father. With that in mind, he returns $300 to an unlucky bettor and gets into a fight with his boss and the boss' hitman. Max is shot by the hitman. Wounded, he stumbles into an amusement park and is surprised to see Pip, who is now a child again. After having some fun, reliving past enjoyable outings, Pip runs away into a house of mirrors
House of mirrors
A house of mirrors or hall of mirrors is a traditional attraction at funfairs and amusement parks. The basic concept behind a house of mirrors is to be a maze-like puzzle. In addition to the maze, participants are also given mirrors as obstacles, and glass panes to parts of the maze they cannot...
. When Max finds him, Pip explains that he is dying and vanishes. Max makes a deal with God: His life for Pip's. He dies so that his son may live.
Episode notes
The episode was filmed on location at the Pacific Ocean ParkPacific Ocean Park
Pacific Ocean Park was a twenty-eight acre , nautical-themed amusement park built on a pier at Pier Avenue in the Ocean Park section of Santa Monica, California, which was intended to compete with Disneyland...
in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
. It is often incorrectly cited as the first American television drama to mention the growing Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. (The previous March, actor Glenn Corbett
Glenn Corbett
Glenn Corbett was an American actor best known for his role on CBS's adventure drama Route 66.-Acting career:...
had become a regular on the series Route 66
Route 66 (TV series)
Route 66 is an American TV series in which two young men traveled across America. The show ran weekly on CBS from 1960 to 1964. It starred Martin Milner as Tod Stiles and, for two and a half seasons, George Maharis as Buz Murdock. Maharis was ill for much of the third season, during which time Tod...
, playing returned Vietnam soldier Lincoln Case
Lincoln Case
Lincoln Case was a fictional character portrayed by actor Glenn Corbett on the 1960s American prime-time drama Route 66. Linc was one of three main regular characters on the program. His tenure began midway through the show's third season, when he was written in as a replacement for the departed...
.) However, the episode actually opens in Vietnam, with a wounded Pip being brought into a front-line mobile hospital -- making it possibly the first American television drama to have a scene set in the midst of the Vietnam War.
Rod Serling originally wanted the episode to take place in Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
; it was CBS who asked for the change to Vietnam.
This was the first episode sponsored by American Tobacco (on alternate weeks), on behalf of Pall Mall
Pall Mall (cigarette)
Pall Mall cigarettes are a brand of cigarettes produced by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and internationally by British American Tobacco at multiple sites.- History :...
cigarettes, who suggested that Rod and some of the guest stars and supporting players "light up" during the episodes. Unlike previous sponsor Liggett & Myers, American Tobacco did not have Rod plug their products at the end of the program.