Episode no. Season 3
Episode 11 Featured music Wilbur Hatch Original air date November 24, 1961 | Directed by James Sheldon Production code 4808 Local time Tuesday 12:06 AM | |
Written by Rod Serling (adapted from the short story "The Valley Was Still" by Manly Wade Wellman) Weather 8°C, Wind NW at 3 km/h, 94% Humidity | ||
"Still Valley" is episode 76 of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.
Contents
Map of Still Valley, NJ 08865, USA
Opening narration
After some dialogue between two characters, the narration continues:
Plot
Set during the American Civil War, the episode opens with two Confederate soldiers. They have been assigned to scout on the Union army that is marching into the valley below. Sergeant Joseph Paradine (Gary Merrill) hears the army approaching, but suddenly the sound stops. He decides to descend into the valley to see the cause for himself. His companion refuses to come.
When Paradine gets into town, he finds the army there, but all of them are motionless, as if frozen in time. He tries unsuccessfully to wake them. Finally he comes across an old man named Teague (Vaughn Taylor), who is unaffected by the strange phenomenon. Teague claims to be a "witch-man" and says he used a magic spell to freeze the soldiers. Paradine does not believe him, so Teague casts the spell on Paradine, freezing him. When Teague lifts the spell on Paradine, he brags that he could stop the entire army in this manner, ensuring the success of the Confederacy. Paradine asks why he doesn't, and Teague replies that he is dying. He gives his book of spells (entitled Witchcraft) to Paradine, encouraging him to use it, but when Paradine looks in it, he realizes that using this magic requires one to align himself with Satan.
Teague dies, and Paradine returns to camp to tell his superior about what happened. The superior doesn't believe him and encourages him to get some rest. When another scout returns with the same story, the superior realizes Paradine is telling the truth. Paradine relates the story about the old man, the spell book, and making a deal with the devil. The superior officer decides that the devil is the only one who can help them win the U.S. Civil War and encourages Paradine to read from the book.
Paradine discovers that using the book's magic requires that not only must he praise the name of the Devil, but he must renounce the name of God. Rather than do either, Paradine throws the book into the fire, saying that if the Confederacy is to die, let it be buried in hallowed ground. The next day, Paradine receives orders that the army is going to march to Gettysburg.