A Piano in the House

Episode aired Feb 16, 1962
TV-PG
25m

IMDb RATING

7.5/10

2.6K

YOUR RATING

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Sadistic theatre critic Fitzgerald Fortune buys a gift for his wife Esther's birthday: a player piano that has the power to reveal the souls of all who hear it play. He then uses it to provi... Read allSadistic theatre critic Fitzgerald Fortune buys a gift for his wife Esther's birthday: a player piano that has the power to reveal the souls of all who hear it play. He then uses it to provide "entertainment" for her birthday party.Sadistic theatre critic Fitzgerald Fortune buys a gift for his wife Esther's birthday: a player piano that has the power to reveal the souls of all who hear it play. He then uses it to provide "entertainment" for her birthday party.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.5/10

2.6K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
When Marge first arrives at the party Fitzgerald comments on her weight, to which she replies, "I've been on more diets than Arcaro has horses." Eddie Arcaro was a Hall of Fame jockey who won more classic races than any other jockey in history, and the only jockey to win the U.S. Triple Crown twice. Arcaro retired from racing in 1962, the year that this teleplay first aired.

Goofs
In the opening scene, the lively song played by the player piano is "I'm In The Mood For Love"; however, the music roll reads, "Three O'Clock In The Morning", which is a slow waltz with music written by Julián Robledo.

Quotes
[closing narration]
Narrator: Mr. Fitzgerald Fortune, a man who went searching for concealed persons and found himself - in the Twilight Zone.

Connections
Referenced in The Pinball Arcade (2012)

Soundtracks
Clair de Lune
(uncredited)
Music by Claude Debussy

User reviews22

Featured review

8/10

Those old piano roll blues

Barry Morse just prior to becoming Richard Kimble's relentless hunter in The Fugitive did this nifty and original Twilight Zone episode playing a nasty theater critic. He's giving a birthday party for his wife Joan Hackett and wants an unusual present.

He finds one in an antique shop that was possibly the same one that R.G. Armstrong had in the Friday the 13th series later on. A player piano with a lot of music rolls that is guaranteed to bring out the real personality of someone in the room. Just find the right roll.

The right roll is found for several people, eventually Morse and the results are a disaster.

Morse is a cruel and sadistic man who delights in torturing aspiring actors and writers with his jibes. Definitely not a man to feel sorry for when his soul is laid bare.

A great Twilight Zone episode, a tour de force for Barry Morse.