Movies - TV
How The Twilight Zone Let An Actor Co-Star With His Own Reflection
By JEREMY SMITH
The episode "Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room" of “The Twilight Zone” broke cinematography barriers and allowed show makers to screen a man on television next to himself.
The episode is a one-man show of sorts, starring Joe Mantell as a two-bit gangster ordered by his boss to carry out his very first murder. It opens with him waiting on his handler.
When the man played by William D. Gordon finally arrives, he verbally and physically badgers the insecure sap, who can't countenance taking the life of another human being.
When the mobster leaves, Mantell is faced with a mirror version of himself. This version of the character is his opposite: he's sharp and unwilling to do the bidding of the boss.
In Marc Scott Zicree's "The Twilight Zone Companion," the typical approach would’ve employed a split-screen effect. Director Douglas Heyes chose a rear projection solution.
This meant Mantell had to film his alter ego portrayal first, which would then be projected onto the mirrors as he played the wimpy version of his character. It worked brilliantly.