"The Changing of the Guard" is the 102nd episode of the

American television Television is one of the major mass media outlets in the United States. , household ownership of television sets in the country is 96.7%, with approximately 114,200,000 American households owning at least one television set as of August 2013. ...

anthology series ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...

''.

Opening narration

Plot

Professor Ellis Fowler is an elderly English literature teacher at the Rock Spring School, a boys' prep school in

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

, who is forced into retirement after teaching for 51 years at the school. Looking through his old yearbooks and reminiscing about his former students, he becomes convinced that all of his lessons have been in vain and that he has accomplished nothing with his life. Deeply depressed, he prepares to kill himself on the night of Christmas Eve next to a statue of the famous educator

Horace Mann Horace Mann (May 4, 1796August 2, 1859) was an American educational reformer, slavery abolitionist and Whig politician known for his commitment to promoting public education. In 1848, after public service as Secretary of the Massachusetts St ...

, with its quote "Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity." Before he can follow through, however, he is called back to his classroom by a phantom bell, where he is visited by ghosts of several boys who were his students, all dead, several of whom died heroically. The boys tell him of how he inspired them to become better men, and the difference he made in their lives. One posthumously received the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

for actions at Iwo Jima; another died of leukemia after exposure to

X-Rays An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nbs ...

during research into cancer treatments; another died at

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the R ...

after saving 12 other men. All were inspired by Fowler's teachings. Moved to tears, Fowler hears the phantom bell again, and his former pupils disappear. Now accepting of his retirement, content that his life is fuller for having enriched the lives of the boys, he listens to his current students caroling outside his home.

Closing narration

Production notes

Donald Pleasence Donald Henry Pleasence (; 5 October 1919 – 2 February 1995) was an English actor. He began his career on stage in the West End before transitioning into a screen career, where he played numerous supporting and character roles including RAF ...

was heavily made up to appear much older than his actual age of 42. The quote Professor Fowler reads on the statue's

plinth A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In ...

, "Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity", is the motto of Rod Serling's alma mater

Antioch College Antioch College is a private liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Founded in 1850 by the Christian Connection, the college began operating in 1852 as a non-sectarian institution; politician and education reformer Horace Mann was its ...

, and was spoken by its first president Horace Mann at the college's first commencement. Serling accepted a teaching post there after completing this script.Rod Serling profile
accessed December 3, 2015.

Cast

as Professor Ellis Fowler * Liam Sullivan as Headmaster *

Philippa Bevans Philippa Bevans (10 Feb 1913 – 10 May 1968) was an English actress of stage and screen. She was born in London, England, and was the daughter of actors Lionel Bevans and Viola Roache. She originally appeared as a child actress on stage. Along ...

as Mrs. Landers *

Tom Lowell Lowell Thomas (born January 17, 1941) is an American film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for playing baby-faced Pvt. Billy Nelson in the American drama television series ''Combat!''. Life and career Lowell was born in Philade ...

as Artie Beechcroft * Russell Horton as Bartlett *

Buddy Hart Buddy Joe Hooker (born May 30, 1942) is an American actor, second unit director, stunt man, and stunt coordinator. He is known for his expertise in designing and performing vehicle stunts for movies and television. Career Hooker began as a youn ...

as Dickie Weiss * Darryl Richard as Thompson

References

Sources

*Zicree, Marc Scott: ''The Twilight Zone Companion''. Sillman-James Press, 1982 (second edition) *DeVoe, Bill. (2008). ''Trivia from The Twilight Zone''. Albany, GA: Bear Manor Media.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Changing Of The Guard 1962 American television episodes The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series season 3) episodes Television episodes set in Vermont Television episodes written by Rod Serling Television episodes about ghosts American Christmas television episodes