Living Doll (the Twilight Zone) Article Index for
Living
Website Links For
Living
 

Information About

Living Doll (the Twilight Zone)




  episodetitle Living Doll
  episodenumber 126
  season 5
  productioncode 2621
  originalday November 1
  originalyear 1963
  writer Jerry Sohl , credited to Charles Beaumont
  director Richard C Sarafian
  music Original score by Bernard Herrmann



CAST



SYNOPSIS


Erich Streator’s Stepdaughter Christie brings home an unusual doll named Talking Tina that is programmed to say "My name is Talking Tina and I love you very much." However, because Erich is mean to his stepdaughter, the doll says other things to him starting with "I don't think I like you" and ending with “I’m going to kill you.” Erich's wife, Annabelle, is aware that Erich does not like Christie because she reminds him that he is infertile. He is still angry with Annabelle for not revealing Christie's existence until just before their marriage. Erich tries various ways to get rid of the doll, but succeeds only in alienating Annabelle, who doesn't believe his story that the doll is evil. The doll finally gets its revenge when Erich trips on it, causing him to fall down the stairs and die. After Erich's death, Annabelle picks up the doll and looks at it suspiciously. The doll then says to Annabelle, "my name is Talking Tina, and you better be nice to me."


TRIVIA

Foray also provided the voice of Chatty Cathy , a talking doll manufactured by Mattel . As well, she was the voice of Rocky the flying squirrel, of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.

Talking Tina was parodied in the Treehouse Of Horror III episode of The Simpsons and in an episode of Johnny Bravo (where she appeared as "Little Talky Tabitha").

Tina and Christie are both nicknames for Christina. The doll and the child share a name, so among many other interpretations it could be argued that the doll is a proxy through which Christie expresses hostility toward her stepfather and protects her shy, frightened mother.


REFERENCES

  • Zicree, Marc Scott: ''The Twilight Zone Companion''. Sillman-James Press, 1982 (second edition)



EXTERNAL LINK



TWILIGHT ZONE LINKS