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TVLine recently named the most underrated episodes of The Twilight Zone. One of the episodes that made the list was “The Howling Man,” which was released in 1960 during the show’s second season. The episode, which was written by Charles Beaumont, was based on a short story that he had previously written. It was the first episode of the season that was not written by the creator, Rod Serling.
Related: 1962 ‘The Twilight Zone’ Episode Was Ranked as Having the Best Plot Twist in the Entire Series
“The Howling Man” revolves around a prisoner at a monastery who all the monks believe is the devil. One character decides to free the man, doubting the story, only to learn that he really is the devil. Although this ended up being an iconic episode, it caused a fight between the writer and the director.
When it is revealed that the man is the devil, he is shown with a cape and horns before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. Beaumont disliked this idea, wanting to leave more to the viewers’ imagination and only show a single hoof.
“[Beaumont] liked better the way he had written it and that was what he wanted to see,” director Douglas Heyes explained in The Twilight Zone Companion, as cited by SyFy. “But I have a funny feeling as a director, I started as an artist, and I like to see things.”
They also disagreed about a prop that was used. The original script involved the monks carrying giant crosses. However, Heyes worried that the Christian community would be upset. “[I said], ‘The minute you do that, you’re in danger from all the kinds of religious groups who resent the fact that you’re using a Christian symbol,'” Heyes explained. “So I said, ‘Let’s find something else,’ and I substituted the staff for the cross, which [Beaumont] didn’t like, either.”
Related: 1960 ‘The Twilight Zone’ Episode Ranked Among ‘Best Endings Ever Written’ Was the Hardest To Film
Some other episodes included on the list of underrated The Twilight Zone episodes were “The Jeopardy Room,” which was about a man trapped in a hotel room where explosives were hidden, and “The Arrival,” which is about a plane landing at an airport without anyone on board.
