The Twilight Zone: A Penny for Your Thoughts (1961)
Season 2, Episode 16
10/10
This is one of the "office worker" episodes of TWILIGHT ZONE
23 April 2014
A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS is one of the Twilight Zone episodes about ordinary office workers. For some reason, these are among the best of the T.Z. episodes, at least in my opinion. Other "office worker" T.Z. episodes include, MIND AND THE MATTER, MR.BEVIS, A KIND OF STOPWATCH, TIME ENOUGH AT LAST, and PERSON OR PERSONS UNKNOWN. At any rate, Penny For Your Thoughts stars Dick York, as a low level banker, who is somewhat under-appreciated for his skills. Also starring, is Cyril Delevanti, who is delightful for the fact that he looks like an Egyptian mummy (he looks very old), and who is also delightful for his amazing performance in the T.Z. episode, PIANO IN THE HOUSE. Penny For Your Thoughts does not really have any surprise ending, and does not really have any ironic twist at the end, as is typical for many T.Z. episodes. In short, Dick York acquires the ability to read minds, due to his tossing of a coin, where it lands on its edge. Through this skill, he learns that a potential client at his bank is planning to use his bank loan for evil ends. Also, he learns that a mousey but lovely co-worker (or is it lovely but mousey co-worker?) would not mind being Dick York's girlfriend. Dick York benefits from both of these mind-readings, but he makes a mistake when he reads the mind of Cyril Delevanti, who is a co-worker at the bank. This episode of T.Z. is an engaging charmer, and it will invite repeated watchings, year after year. In contrast, TO PERSON OR PERSONS UNKNOWN (mentioned above) and which is also about a low-level bank worker, has one of the most ironic endings of all of the T.Z. episodes.
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