DONNA DOUGLAS

“The Private World of Darkness”

          If you know anything about my writing, you know this is my favorite episode.  The memory of this bandaged women pleading in what appears to be a hospital has haunted me since childhood.  I am both fascinated by this wonderful story and the remarkable performance by Donna Douglas.  For many years, I thought that the voice in this episode was dubbed.  It sounded like Cloris Leachman to me.  It just couldn’t be Elly May, not Donna Douglas of “The Beverly Hillbillies.”  When I was younger, the shock of seeing a beautiful woman in the end was enough.  As I got older, the shock of seeing that it was Miss Douglas made it double shock.  This performance by Miss Douglas is perhaps the greatest underrated performance in television history.  The writing is Rod Serling brilliant.  The faceless acting of Miss Douglas is nothing short of superb.   The direction is stellar.  Of all the Serling episodes, this is his masterpiece.  It is an episode that is mentioned in the thoughts and book of one of the greatest thinkers and novelists of the 20^th century, Ayn Rand.  I will never get enough of it and the brilliant and moving performance of Donna Douglas.  Thank you, thank you very much, Miss Douglas.  Bravo ….

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