This "Twilight Zone" episode from season 3 1988 called the "The Call" was one episode that was interesting and far out a little different, yet it proves that hope is for all and any to have love. William Sanderson is Norman Blane a lonely man who lives his life in his apartment eating frozen dinners, listening to radio, and he goes to work during the day seeming to have a normal life. Then one night when he attempts to dial a number to order classic music records an error and mistake leads to a new voice of wonder and love it's like Norman has found the perfect woman! Only it's odd she doesn't want him to see her! Strangely yet surely the two meet and become both models of love and togetherness in their own right! Don't want to say more might spoil it yet it twist in a strange way the episode can be both touching and sad.
7 Reviews
The Twilight Zone: The Call
Scarecrow-8814 August 2011
Warning: Spoilers
The great character actor William Sanderson has a wonderful role in this sad, but ultimately strangely sweet, episode of Twilight Zone titled "The Call" as Norman Blane, a lonelyheart who lives a mundane existence, in a tiny office going over figures for a company, accidentally calling a woman one late night, which initiates a budding relationship as their conversations enhance his outlook on life. Dan Redican is Richard, an exhausted fellow employee who works in the same office as him who asks Norman if he could please give him peace and quiet (Richard enjoyed working in the same office because Norman was quiet, with nothing interesting to say, a statement to just how depressing Blane's life was before Mary-Ann "entered his life") because he has five kids and the job produces the only relief from noise. Julie Khaner is the voice of Mary-Ann, and so much depends on her vocal performance to convey just how this character feels. The reservations for meeting Norman who is head-over-heels for her, the heartbreak after he realizes who she is, the fear of Norman's devotion of love, not being able necessarily to return the favor, and understanding how she had been treated before, calling to Norman to "be with her forever". The conclusion, involving a "statue of bronze", is rather touching and poignant. Sanderson easily gains our sympathy—he's exceptionally adept at portraying characters who seem pathetic and anti-social, yet pitiable and worthy of less miserable existence in this world. Good example of Anderson's working his magic over a viewer who longs for him to find happiness with a special someone who is just as bereft of joy and love as he is until they find each other by "chance".
Only the Lonely
sol121815 March 2011
Warning: Spoilers
****SPOILERS**** Coming home to his batcher pad from a hard and boring days work at the office Norman Blane, William Sanderson, pops a TV dinner in the oven feeds his pet parrot and turns on the tube to catch the nightly sitcoms. It's later that evening when he's barley awake that Norman catches a TV commercial for a set of records of classical music and quickly jots down the number. As it turned out Norman miss-wrote the phone number, 555-4212 instead of 555-4221, which soon turned out to be the best mistake he ever made in his life.
Instead of finding an operator on the other end of the line to process his order Norman finds what seems like a lonely women Mary-Ann, Julie Khaner, answering and keeping him on the phone catting with hr for over an hour! It's later the next day, after 7:00 PM, that Norman again calls 555-4212 at Mary-Ann's invitation and this time talks about both his and her problems, loneliness and being alone, for almost three hours until he just about passes out from fatigue.
Becoming more and more obsessed with this Mary-Ann and wanting to meet her in the flesh instead of on the phone Norman traces down the phone number-555-4212-that he calls her with and finds out it's situated at the City's Civic Art Gallery! Puzzeled and confused Norman makes a trip to the place and does in fact find out from a local art lover, Jill Frappier, whom he meets there who Mary-Ann really is! Someone a lot like himself who's loneliness got the better of her and who found in him, by talking to Norman on the phone, the one person who helped her overcome it! Even though she's in a place now where human relationships really don't matter anymore!
***SPOILERS*** Touching and very moving "New Twilight Zone" episode that shows how loneliness can drive people to the edge and then over it and how a little understanding and confiding with that person can turn things around for them. Norman who had nothing to look forward in life but an empty room and four wall and TV set to look at found in making a innocent phone call his life turn completely around for the better. With him ending up together with Mary-Ann a the Art Gallery as it's most popular art exhibit!
Instead of finding an operator on the other end of the line to process his order Norman finds what seems like a lonely women Mary-Ann, Julie Khaner, answering and keeping him on the phone catting with hr for over an hour! It's later the next day, after 7:00 PM, that Norman again calls 555-4212 at Mary-Ann's invitation and this time talks about both his and her problems, loneliness and being alone, for almost three hours until he just about passes out from fatigue.
Becoming more and more obsessed with this Mary-Ann and wanting to meet her in the flesh instead of on the phone Norman traces down the phone number-555-4212-that he calls her with and finds out it's situated at the City's Civic Art Gallery! Puzzeled and confused Norman makes a trip to the place and does in fact find out from a local art lover, Jill Frappier, whom he meets there who Mary-Ann really is! Someone a lot like himself who's loneliness got the better of her and who found in him, by talking to Norman on the phone, the one person who helped her overcome it! Even though she's in a place now where human relationships really don't matter anymore!
***SPOILERS*** Touching and very moving "New Twilight Zone" episode that shows how loneliness can drive people to the edge and then over it and how a little understanding and confiding with that person can turn things around for them. Norman who had nothing to look forward in life but an empty room and four wall and TV set to look at found in making a innocent phone call his life turn completely around for the better. With him ending up together with Mary-Ann a the Art Gallery as it's most popular art exhibit!
I LOVE this one SPOILER
alice-10314 September 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I just love this one. It is a gentle tale of brokenhearted lonely people who through a wrong number find each other and fall in love.
But alas she will not met him in person. He is desperate because she is leaving and will not be able to talk to him any more.
He traces the call to a museum. He goes there and finds that the person he is looking for is an artist who killed herself do to great depression. He looks at the lost thing she sculpted a kind of self-portrait. One that conveys great sadness. Beside this is a phone.
He hides after the museum closes.
In the morning, just as they are getting ready to crate off the art work that has now changed into two lovers forever embraced.
But alas she will not met him in person. He is desperate because she is leaving and will not be able to talk to him any more.
He traces the call to a museum. He goes there and finds that the person he is looking for is an artist who killed herself do to great depression. He looks at the lost thing she sculpted a kind of self-portrait. One that conveys great sadness. Beside this is a phone.
He hides after the museum closes.
In the morning, just as they are getting ready to crate off the art work that has now changed into two lovers forever embraced.
Han Solo would have felt at home
safenoe23 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Not a bad episode of The Twilight Zone, and it makes you think about true love and all that. The frozen statue theme reminded me of Han Solo being carbon frozen in The Empire Strikes Back.
I'd love for a reboot of this episode that features acclaimed British actor Danny Dyer.
I'd love for a reboot of this episode that features acclaimed British actor Danny Dyer.
Hi, Mary Ann. I'm Larry and This is My Brother Darryl
Hitchcoc3 July 2017
William Sanderson has that gentle quality to him. Even his off the wall character on "Newhart" was alway sincere and thoughtful. Here he plays a no one who just walks through life, does his job, eats and sleeps. One night as he tries to order some classical albums on the phone, a young woman's voice appears. This wrong number leads to a strange relationship. He is eager to meet her but she tells him they can't. It turns out, she is a bronze statue, created by an artist who committed suicide. From then on, a surreal courtship begins. It's a sad and serious episode. Nicely done.
From the beyond
putahw-409976 December 2020
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