The Twilight Zone (TV Series) Still Valley (1961) User Reviews

Meh...

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 2 October 2009]

It is odd that the folks at CBS would choose this episode to air twice--both in season 3 and 4. Apparently, this was the only episode aired in two different seasons and you'd assume that it is because this is one of the better episodes. Well, if you did assume this, you'd be wrong. While it's not at all a bad episode, there is a lot that makes this pretty ordinary. In fact, I doubt if one fan in 1000 would list this among their top 5 or even 10--yet it received this odd honor.

"Still Valley" stars Gary Merrill (the ex-husband of Bette Davis and an underrated actor). He is excellent in the role and his craggy face and deep voice are great assets to his performance. He plays a Confederate soldier during the middle of the Civil War. It seems his job is to scout out the Yankees in a nearby town. However, in a very odd twist, the Union troops are there but they are frozen--unable to move! This obviously ain't normal! The mystery of this is uncovered when he stumbles upon an odd old man who apparently is a Satanist who, with the powers of Darkness, has invoked a spell to freeze them! Eventually, the old man gives the book of spells to Merrill and wishes him luck! So the decision now is, will they let Satan give them the victory and forever damn themselves because of this? An interesting "what if" episode to be sure, but not exactly the most compelling of episodes. The acting is fine but the payoff and the excitement just aren't there--meaning the script should have been hashed out more to build suspense and make it more than just totally ordinary.

The Devil's Handiwork

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 18 September 2012]

My only question about this Twilight Zone episode is why didn't this man who was a sorcerer and in league with the Prince Of Darkness himself not call on said power much earlier in the Civil War. Still this episode is a thought provoker. The same plot premise was used in the film Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter this year.

Sergeant Gary Merrill on a scouting mission goes into a town and finds an entire Yankee army frozen like they were prehistoric trilobites in cooled over lava. The man responsible is a dying Vaughn Taylor who is a sorcerer and has used the black arts to freeze the Union troops. He offers Merrill a sample of his work and then the book of the black arts from which spells can be conjured.

As we know who won the Civil War we know that the Confederacy did not call on the Prince Of Darkness or renounce the Almighty as they would have been required to do. Vaughn Taylor is especially interesting as the would be savior of the South in league with powers as south as you can get.

Motionless

[AaronCapenBanner · 6/10 · 28 October 2014]

Gary Merrill plays Confederate Scout Joseph Paradine, who has gone into a nearby town on a mission only to find the whole Union army frozen in a motionless state, which an old man and self-proclaimed warlock claims he is responsible for, having used satanic witchcraft to defeat the hated Yankee invaders. He is also dying, and offers Paradine the evil book of magic to win the war, but once he returns to his regiment, learns that he would have to renounce God in order for the spell to work... Mostly unmemorable episode is not well regarded by fans, and it doesn't seem to have much weight or point to it, but does have a distinctive atmosphere that makes it at least passable.

Detail -- Halt!

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 7 March 2013]

About as entertaining as most of these episodes are, though nothing special. Gary Merrill is a Confederate sergeant who scouts a small town and finds it's filled with Union soldiers stiffly and silently holding their positions. An old man, Vaughan Taylor, has cast a spell on them with the help of Satan.

The moribund old fellow gives the witchcraft book to Merrill, who uses it to freeze an unseen company of Federals. He returns to his camp and the others urge Merrill to use the book and freeze the whole damned Yankee army but he can't do it because to do so involves rejecting God. So the book is burned and, as we all know, the Confederacy lost the Civil War but managed to found the Coca-Cola Company.

This must be Vaughan Taylor's most colorful role as the wizened, dying Southerner. He had a long career in which he was almost always cast as an upright citizen, town official, or a detached tourist of some sort.

Gary Merrill is okay, as usual, and gives the most sustained performance. Some of the other actors -- well, I've seen better performances on the stage of a high school in Tonopah, Nevada. If YOU were to play the Confederate lieutenant you could do as good a job. And as Mallory, another Confederate officer, Jack Mann invariably stands with his hands in an alarming port de bras, as if holding an invisible bowl of soup in front of his belly.

You know, if Vaughan Taylor could freeze a detail of Federals in town, and if Merrill could freeze an entire company that was out of his sight, couldn't he freeze the entire Union army at once instead of piecemeal? For that matter, could the spell differentiate between Northerners and Southerners? Suppose both armies froze? Suppose EVERYBODY froze? I'm glad he didn't read the book out loud. It's getting chilly in here.

An interesting story that doesn't really add up to much

[Woodyanders · 7/10 · 10 April 2018]

1863. Bitter and disillusioned Confederate sergeant Joseph Paradine (well played by Gary Merrill) runs across an empty town in Virginia that's full of Union soldiers who have been frozen in place. Paradine also encounters crazy old coot Teague (a colorful and memorable portrayal by Vaugh Taylor), who claims to be a warlock with black magic powers.

While director James Sheldon relates the intriguing story at a steady pace and offers a flavorsome evocation of the Civil War period setting, he alas crucially fails to generate any essential tension or spooky atmosphere. Moreover, Rod Serling's rather slight script does make a provocative point on how even in times of great conflict certain moral lines have to be clearly drawn and hence not crossed, but doesn't deliver any real punch at the end. So overall, this is a pretty solid, yet flawed episode that could and should have been better considering the offbeat premise.

"Still Valley" is interesting concept with a weak ending

[chuck-reilly · 6/10 · 15 August 2008]

1961 Twilight Zone episode "Still Valley" begins with an intriguing concept but falters a bit in its execution. Veteran actor Gary Merrill plays a Confederate soldier (Sgt. Paradine) who is on a reconnaissance mission to spot advancing Union troops. He sneaks into a small hamlet to spy on his enemies and instead (to his surprise) finds a whole battalion of Blue Coats completely frozen in place as if somehow suspended in animation. He soon discovers that it's all the work of an aged and dying local sorcerer named Teague (Vaughn Taylor). This fellow is no doubt in league with the devil himself and he willingly passes on his book of spells and Black Magic to Paradine. Quickly surmising that he now has an instrument in his hands to enable the South to win the war, Paradine heads back to Confederate lines to inform his superiors. Unfortunately, in order to use the accursed book and its ghastly powers, Paradine realizes that he has to sell his own soul to Satan. On second thought, it's not quite the bargain that he was looking for. The story then ends abruptly with Paradine tossing the Book of Evil into a nearby fire. You might say that he sent the dang thing to hell where it belonged.

"Still Valley" isn't one of Serling's best, but it does have its moments. Vaughn Taylor is quite good as the ancient Southern sorcerer who looks like he's seen better days in the Occult business. Merrill gives his usual standout performance and keeps his rough-hewed straight face intact throughout. Ben Cooper is also around as a cowardly Confederate private who just wants to get back to his farm. The episode attempts to explore some interesting scenarios regarding the supernatural, but doesn't quite follow through to a satisfying conclusion. It's not the fault of the fine cast, but rather an ending that ties up all the loose ends of the story a bit too quickly.

No Spark Despite an Interesting Plot

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 17 April 2014]

A humorless Rebel soldier and his partner are by themselves, looking over a town that may be in the hands of Union troops during the Civil War. The young associate is frightened and worried about his own skin. He is reprimanded and shouted at by the more experienced soldier, who leaves in disgust to investigate the placement of the troops. He is all blood and guts. When he arrives in the town, a strange sight appears to him. A troop of Union soldiers in uniform are caught in mid-step, frozen in place. He walks among them shouting and threatening, but there is no movement. As he investigate the town center, he is met by an old man who tells him that he has caused all of this through the use of black magic. Not just that but because the old man feels he will die before the day is out, the soldier is given a book of spells. The kicker is that he now must align himself with the devil. What happens when he returns to his commanding officer is part of the anti- climactic resolution to this story. This is reasonably well done and a moral tale, but there is something lacking in the delivery.

An underrated and understated episode

[ken68imdb · 8/10 · 1 January 2023]

I believe "Still Valley" (S3E11) deserves at least one champion. It was the only half hour episode shown during seasons 3 and 4. Certainly, that was no mistake. Barring some fantastic event, it was likely a decision over which Mr. Selling had some influence. Of all the episodes up to that point to repeat, his choice of this episode in particular is notable. Other users mentioned this episode's slow pace, factual errors, and other issues. But I would suggest the finale is simple and anticlimactic (compared to other TZ episodes) because that is the way it is for most decisions based on ones morality. There is no great fanfare or explosion. If that conclusion isn't good enough, then consider that the episode is as close to an overt statement on race and civil rights as any TZ episode ever got. Even the two episodes well known for featuring black actors ("The Big Tall Wish" S1E27 and "I Am The Night - Color Me Black" S5E26) or involving the Civil War ("Back There" S2E13) didn't explicitly mention God and the Devil while discussing good and evil. The episode also managed to humanize Confederate soldiers, as they were the only ones with speaking parts. We saw their fears, their desperation, and (ultimately) their redemption in their decision to accept the will of God in their battle, and not invoke the spirit of the Devil. I just saw another TZ episode, "Stopover in a Quiet Town" (S5E30). It's just a long windup with a simple payoff, but it has an average IMDB rating of 8.1, while "Still Valley" has a rating of 6.1. Given its themes, topic and cast (including the dozens of actors/soldiers standing still), "Still Valley" certainly deserves more praise than what it has received.

"This is conjure stuff".

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 18 May 2010]

When I was a kid watching The Twilight Zone, this episode first introduced me to the superstition of the 'Seventh Son of the Seventh Son'. I thought that sounded just so cool, and it was a long time before I ever ran across that concept again. Can't even remember where, just like I wouldn't have remembered that it all started here with this story.

Oddly, this is one of those Twilight Zone's where most of the spooky stuff takes place early on, and then leaves you a bit bewildered at the finale. In fact, it was a non-event ending because the vehicle for a final twist surprise was rendered destroyed by fire. After becoming mesmerized by the spells and curses placed on enemy Union soldiers, rebel Sergeant Paradine (Gary Merrill) can no more accept demonic intervention in the outcome of the War than sell his own soul.

It's kind of interesting to me how Rod Serling kept coming back to a Civil War theme at the core of so many stories. Back in Season One you had 'Long Live Walter Jameson', while in Season Three, this episode was preceded earlier by 'The Passersby'. There was also that nifty time travel excursion dealing with the assassination of President Lincoln in Season Two's 'Back There'. Thinking about that now, it would be cool to have one of the cable channels do a themed Twilight Zone marathon based on a common link like the Civil War, or any number of topics Serling found worthwhile to focus on.

Seventh son of a seventh son.

[darrenpearce111 · 5/10 · 3 December 2013]

A soldier (Gary Merill) fighting for the South in the civil war finds the Union soldiers in suspended animation down in the valley. He goes looking for the cause of the pause and finds it all bewildering. Then an explanation comes his way in the form of a crazy old man with a Witchcraft-and-you-need-to-know-to-do-it-yourself book, who's just about to die.

There simply needed to be more drama about this one, although it starts well. Lots of potential Macbeth and 'The Devil and Daniel Webster' type tension here, but it could have developed better. Merill is OK, but it sinks into mediocrity. Better paced than the other series three story set in the civil war, 'The Passerby', but that one was more poignant.

Great story based off of a great story

[asageorgex-45280 · 9/10 · 14 January 2016]

This was a great episode, based off of a Manly Wade Wellman short story that was featured in Weird Tales back in the '30s. If I remember correctly, the written story was more Lovecraftian, but Rod Serling did a great job transferring it to the boob tube. I read this story in Peter Haining's Weird Tales Anthology As I am aware there are quite a few anthology books. I caught this episode at 430am on the sci fi channel and when it starts I thought something felt pretty familiar (I have seen my fair share of old twilight zone episodes but personally prefer those from the '80s, and happenstance I hadn't seen this episode) Great adaptation of a great story. Check out Haining's anthology if you get a chance, it has a lot of great shorts in it

Well acted but light entry

[s7777 · 7/10 · 14 September 2007]

Yet another civil war entry from the Twilight Zone in which a confederate soldier enters a town to report on union troop activity but finds all of the troops are frozen in time. We find out that it's sorcery that has led to this and the warlock that has cast the spell is now wanting to pass on his 'witchcraft' book to the confederate soldier. The episode works to a degree and is helped by a strong performance by Gary Merill but the ending is a little weak as with a lot of the third season episodes. Serling by this time had written a lot of episodes but one can see that some of the scripts that were sneaking through were in need of more work. Not a great 'Zone' but still a 'Zone' and if only for this reason worth watching. A nice bookend to watch with 'The Passerby'.

Almost interesting

[kellielulu · 5/10 · 1 December 2022]

I would have preferred if the plot had one of the soldiers reconsider " the cause " when they get a chance to change the direction of the war . That's of course not what happened. Instead it pretty much goes on as it happens in history. This is not a going back in time episode that questions what can be changed and what can't. It's the decision that given the choice one soldier decides not to do whatever it takes. That you have a chance to do whatever you want but don't is an interesting plot for an episode but it's not as interesting as it could have been. Not much to say about it's not awful just not very good.

Black magic

[nickenchuggets · 6/10 · 28 November 2023]

While there are tons of classic Twilight Zone episodes from all the show's seasons that I can write about, I usually have less fun reviewing them since it's harder to find mistakes in those. As unfair as this might sound, I think this entire episode was a mistake. Based on a short story by Manly Wellman, Still Valley takes the show way into the past. It is 1863 during the American Civil War, shortly before the largest battle of the war; Gettysburg. A Southern soldier named Paradine (Gary Merrill) knows the Confederacy is falling apart and has little faith in the South's ability to win the war. As part of a reconnaissance mission one day, he takes his gun and rides a horse into a nearby town in Virginia. There, he finds a really odd sight: a whole detachment of Northern soldiers completely frozen. Nearby is a house belonging to an old man. The old man tells Paradine that he caused the Union troops to freeze, as he is in possession of a book filled with occult magic. Paradine asks the old man why he doesn't use the book to freeze the entire union army so General Lee can win the war for the south and march right into Washington, to which the old man says he wants to, but he knows he's going to die later today. Therefore, he can't complete the spell and wants to give the book to Paradine. The confederate takes the book and then rides back to camp. He talks with his commanding officer, who thinks the story he's spouting is ridiculous: a whole army frozen in place. Not to mention, no sounds have come from the direction of that town all day. A second soldier vouches for Paradine and says what he saw is real, and urges him to read from the book so the south can win the war. As Paradine opens up the book and starts reading, he freezes, but not because the spell backfired on himself. In order for the spell to work, the reader needs to call upon Lucifer and renounce Jesus. The other soldier still wants Paradine to read it, but Paradine throws the book away into a nearby fire. If the confederacy's fate is to lose the war, at least it will be buried in a land that still believes in God. Before everyone starts thinking I dislike this episode because of the religious moral at the end, that's not the reason why. I just think it's way too simplistic. Most of the time I say religious undertones in shows and movies rarely turn out well, and that might be the case here, but the religion aspect doesn't come into focus until the final minutes. The real reason Still Valley fails is because of how unconvincing it is. The old man just comes out of nowhere in the middle of the episode and explains how he somehow has this book that can freeze people in place because he comes from a long line of occultists. The episode also falters in ways not related to the story. The freeze effect was accomplished by having extras that could stand "perfectly" still for long periods of time, except when you see them up close, they invariably move at least a tiny bit. It is impossible to be completely still (unless you're dead). At the very least, I liked seeing Gary Merrill (who was also in The Outer Limits) in a civil war setting. Some actors are great because they can salvage otherwise lackluster viewing experiences, and while not all actors can do it, he certainly can. Overall, I was disappointed with this episode when I first saw it 3 years ago and still am, but TZ couldn't be dishing out the hits all the time I guess.

How do you stop the devil in his tracks?

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 30 August 2019]

This weird "Twilight Zone" had good intentions that goes nowhere in an episode that could be spooky but ends up rather bland in spite of some interesting developments. Gary Merrill confronts evil's earthly presence and what a lesson he learns and the impact it has thanks to real history. Vaughn Taylor is appropriately spooky (looking much like John Carradine and Raymond Massey did as John Brown), but nothing much happens after the bizarre revelation of why Union soldiers are being found motionless. The result is an episode that is strangely bland. It's one of the few episodes that is quickly forgotten and doesn't leave any kind of impact.

Lacks heart

[Calicodreamin · 5/10 · 15 June 2021]

Filler episode with a lackluster storyline and no heart. The acting was decent but not much to work with.

Freeze, you Yankees!

[Coventry · 4/10 · 23 July 2020]

"The Twilight Zone" is brilliant television and one of the greatest series in history altogether; - I think we can safely establish that. Of course, not every single episode is as magnificent the next or the previous. For every legendary installment, like "Eye of the Beholder" or "To Serve Man", there are a handful of episodes that are just ... good! Inferior episodes are rare in "The Twilight Zone", but quite a lot of people - myself included - do seem to agree that "Still Valley" is such a rare inferior entry.

"Still Valley" is set in 1863, at a point during The Civil War when the Confederate side is losing terrain. Fanatic Confederate Sgt. Paradine sneaks into a little town beset by Northern Unit soldiers, but finds all of them motionless in the street. He learns they were literally frozen by an elderly Warlock, who offers Paradine is book of witchcraft that can easily help him to win the war. But at what cost? It's one of the few "Twilight Zone" stories based on previously published material, namely a 1939 short story by Manly Wade Wellman. Rod Serling processed the short story into a screenplay, but his touch of genius is clearly missing. "Still Valley" lacks the show's typically eerie atmosphere and the dull anti-climax makes it quite redundant. The sight of the frozen soldiers is rather silly. The same gimmick previously featured in "Elegy" (season 1, episode 20) and the effect worked a lot better there.

Weird Message

[Samuel-Shovel · 2/10 · 26 March 2020]

In "Still Valley" a Confederate soldier gets a magic book from a Satanist that will allow the South to win the war. All he has to do is align himself with the devil. Not only is this episode a bore, but it's message is straight up bizarre. Am I supposed to applaud this rebel for rejecting evil and not cheating in the civil war?

Am I supposed to sympathize with a man fighting for a confederacy of states wanting to maintain slavery? No thanks, Twilight Zone. It's a no from me, dawg.

Hooray for Johnny Reb!

[BA_Harrison · 5/10 · 29 March 2022]

If I didn't know better, I would have thought that Rod Serling was from the South: in his Civil War-themed episodes - The Passersby and Still Valley - he seems to be more sympathetic towards the Confederates, romanticising their plight.

This trip to The Twilight Zone take place in Virginia, 1863. The grays are losing the war, but are given a chance to tip the balance in their favour when Confederate Sgt. Joseph Paradine is handed a book of spells with which he can freeze the entire Union army in time; to do so, he must renounce God, which presents a moral dilemma. At the end of the tale, Paradine throws the book onto a campfire, preferring his side to lose the war honourably than be in league with the Devil. The Southerners pack up camp and head for Gettysburg...

Worth watching to see a group of extras struggling to remain motionless, frozen by the warlock who gives Paradine the book, but overall this is a rather forgettable 'filler' episode.

Meh.

[bombersflyup · 1/10 · 28 September 2019]

Still Valley has men frozen by witchcraft. The book's burnt containing the witchcraft and that's the end of it. I love how Serling talks about it all seriously then gives us this childish drivel, makes me laugh.

Witchcraft

[claudio_carvalho · 5/10 · 20 July 2023]

The Confederate scouts Sgt. Joseph Paradine and Dauger come close to a town where they believe the Yankees are. Sgt. Paradine goes to the town that is too silent and leaves the coward Dauger behind, with instructions to return to their army if he does not return from the town soon. Sgt. Paradine sees the Yankees soldiers still without moving or speaking, and soon he stumbles with an old man, Teague. He explains to Sgt. Paradine that he is a wizard and has cast a spell on the enemy army and demonstrate his power to the sergeant. He also says that he will die in that afternoon and gives a witchcraft book to Sgt. Paradine to win the war. What will Sgt. Paradine do?

"Still Valley" is an episode of "The Twilight Zone" that has a promising beginning and development and could have been one of the best episodes of the series. However, it is not but one of the worst episodes of the series. The moralist and hypocrite conclusion is awful and destroys the show. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "O Vale Imóvel" ("The Still Valley")