A Kind of a Stopwatch
| "A Kind of a Stopwatch" | |
|---|---|
| The Twilight Zone episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 4 |
| Directed by | John Rich |
| Written by |
Rod Serling (based on an unpublished story by Michael D. Rosenthal) |
| Featured music | Nathan Van Cleave |
| Production code | 2609 |
| Original air date | October 18, 1963 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
|
Richard Erdman: Patrick Thomas McNulty |
|
Richard Erdman: Patrick Thomas McNulty
Roy Roberts: Mr. Cooper
Leon Belasco: Potts
Herbie Faye: Joe Polucci
Doris Singleton: Secretary
Dick Wessel: Charlie (as Richard Wessel)
Ray Kellogg: Fred (as Ray Kellog)
Ken Drake: Daniel
Sam Balter: TV Announcer
Robert McCord: Man in Bar Doorway
"A Kind of a Stopwatch" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. Star Pulse named it one of the top ten episodes of the series.
Patrick McNulty is a self-important boor in his 40s. One day, he is summoned by his boss. He is delighted, believing that his frequent contributions to the suggestion box have earned him recognition. His boss, however, says that all of McNulty's suggestions deal with fields of enterprise in which the company is not involved. The boss fires McNulty for wasting his time.
McNulty goes to a bar, where he drives away the other patrons with his opinions about a sporting event. The bar owner requests that McNulty patronize another establishment. McNulty ignores him and buys a drink for the sole remaining patron, a drunk. The drunk gives McNulty his stopwatch. Thinking it an odd gift, McNulty quickly discovers that it pauses the passage of time for everyone and everything, except the watch holder.
McNulty tries to show his former boss the power of the stopwatch. McNulty says it can be used to make their company the largest in the world. His boss dismisses him. Before leaving, McNulty uses the stopwatch mischievously to rearrange random things in the office. Returning to the bar, he tries to demonstrate the power of the watch to the customers, but eventually realizes that no one else is aware of time being suspended.
McNulty uses the stopwatch to break into a bank vault, but while carting out a pile of cash he drops the watch. It breaks, leaving time permanently frozen. Unaware of a way to repair it, McNulty runs around in a panic, begging the frozen people to talk or move.
The television episode was later adapted as an episode of The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas series—under the title "A Kind of Stopwatch"—featuring Lou Diamond Phillips in the lead role.
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