THE TWONKY (1953)

THE TWONKY (1953)

Tagline: Out of Your Own Tomorrow... Out of Time and Space a Fearsome Power!

(Sci-Fi, Comedy, Idiot Box) [PG-13]

Note – This movie wasn’t given an MPAA rating, but if it was it would get a PG-13 or possibly an R. 

A twonky is something that you don't know what it is.

In this one college professor, Kerry West gets a new TV to watch while his wife is out of town. He soon discovers, that not only does it walk around, but it’s also literally trying to control his life and everyone that comes near it. In due time, it becomes clear that it’s controlled by something or someone from the future. 

First off, I think this movie was trying to send a message that TV is basically the worst thing ever, but honestly, I didn’t get that as the message. I think someone just wanted to make the craziest movie they could and decided to throw some really “out there” ideas into it while still providing a bit of a message, but not one that had to do with TV. 

When I first read about this movie I was not expecting this TV to be walking around doing things. I was expecting it would control Kerry via the TV programming it played, but that isn’t the case. I won’t go into how this all happens, but we are never given a real reason Twonky exists in this movie, but that almost makes this whole thing even more fascinating. The effects are actually pretty good in a lot of this but we do have a few really goofy shots, especially when Twonky ends up in the back of a car. 

Acting-wise we have a pretty good cast here. Hans Conried who plays Kerry West is outstanding and does a really great job interacting with Twonky. He is probably the most famous for playing Dr. Heffel in THE CAT FROM OUTER SPACE. William H. Lynn plays Coach Trout and is pretty good. I am not familiar with other roles he was in, but this movie has the distinction of coming out “after” he passed away. Janet Warren plays Kerry West’s wife Carolyn West and isn’t in the movie a lot, but does a great job when she is. Warren was mostly a 40’s actress who actually stopped acting after a few stints on the TV show Dragnet in 1954, just a year after this film was released. 

Twonky was actually made in late 1951. Allegedly a lot of the audience members who saw it in the 3 theaters it came out in walked out before the movie was over. I can’t really guess as to what made that happen other than possibly a scene where Twonky calls a “call girl”. There are also a few very odd scenes where Coach Trout is hanging out upstairs and his bedpost has pictures of scantily clad women all over it. It could have also been the effects, but for a comedy, I thought they were better than average for the time period. The storyline was based on a short story that was originally in 1942 in “Astonishing Science Fiction”. That might be why it feels a lot like watching a long and very entertaining episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE. 

Overall, in spite of a few risqué moments, this film is wholesome and extremely entertaining. It conveys that being truthful and faithful can get you out of a lot more problems than doing the opposite can get you into. Having said that, cutting down your screen time is never a bad idea. I have to give this thing a 6 out of 7. I would definitely watch it again.

GRAPHICS ARE THE PROPERTY OF ARCH OBOLER PRODUCTIONS AND ARE USED FOR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY. 

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