Introduction

Welcome to the Key of Imagination, this week we’re taking a look at the Twilight Zone episode, “The Last Flight.” We’ll talk about the role that the supernatural experience plays in Decker’s decision to go back and help his friend; we’ll take a historical look at the French ace pilot Georges Guynemer, and the role that he played in inspiring a nation in rough times; and I’ll reveal to you my moment of awe. So, grab your keys and let’s open up this door to the fifth dimension. 

Plot exposition

When Lieutenant Decker of the British Royal Flying Corps went out on his aerial combat mission on March 5, 1917 he wanted nothing more than to find peaceful skies, but in times of war, peace is hard to come by. When German planes began to trap his flying mate, Alexander MaCkaye, Decker had a primordial choice before him: fight or flight. In this instance, he chose the latter. The Twilight Zone, however, had other plans for our lieutenant. A strange cloud, eerie, but not too much out of the ordinary, transports Decker from 1917 to 1959. And when he lands on what is now an American base, he is greeted by officers who very much would like to know why someone dressed as he is and flying an old WWI plane, like the one I have here, is doing in their airspace. When Decker starts to tell his tale, no one is buying it. Then, a common name emerges from both sides: an Alexander McKaye, “old Leadbottom, as he was known lovingly by Decker, but now Air Vice Marshall Alexander Mackaye, hero of WWI, a man responsible for saving many lives. It turns out that, by sheer coincidence, Mackaye is on his way to that American base as they speak. This sparks a sudden realization from Decker. If Mackaye is alive it must be because someone saved him from the German planes that were surrounding him, and the only person that knew that Mackaye was in danger was Decker. Therefore, he must get back to 1917 and help his friend before it’s too late. Decker is able to escape, and when Mackaye shows up to the base, he tells the American officers all about the man who saved his life in 1917, Lieutenant William Decker. 

Episode Details 

“The Last Flight” is directed by William Claxton; the teleplay is by Richard Matheson; As for our cast, our ace in the skies, Lieutenant William Decker, is played by 

Kenneth Haigh;  Alexander Scourby plays Major General George Harper; Major Wilson, the gentleman who lets Decker escape, is portrayed by Simon Scott; and Air Vice Marshall Alexander, “old leadbottom” Mackaye is played by Scott Warwick. The episode first aired on February 5th, 1960. 

Episode Tidbits

Okay, for our tidbit, Im going to go a little off script here. I’ll quickly mention that Martin Grams Jr. in Unlocking the Door has a wonderful write-up of the story behind getting the right plane for the job, so if you’re interested in that, definitely check it out. Zicree’s Twilight Zone companion also talks a little bit about the plane and how enthusiastic people were, especially modern pilots, to see it. That’s also a fun read. However, I think I noticed a problem in this episode that emerged after I was finished with my research into question two and neither Grams Jr., nor Zicree discuss it. Additionally, I didn’t really find anything online. Now, it could just be that I’m missing something and what I’m about to say is wrong. If that’s the case, please let me know in the comments or in an email, but here’s the issue. Decker establishes that the date of his arrival at the American airbase is March 5, 1917. This occurs at roughly the 7:38 mark of the episode. Fine. But, when he talks about the French pilot, Georges Guynemer, he says that “at the memorial service” for the pilot, meaning that Guynemer was already dead. But, that’s not the case. Guynemer didn’t die until September 11th, 1917, so he wouldn’t have been dead at this point on March 5th, 1917. Again, I’m perfectly happy to be wrong, but I can’t seem to see any other explanation outside of this being a mistake. Serling usually employed the Deforest Research Group for accuracy issues, so maybe this is their mistake? It just seems like a really odd one because the information was so readily available. Now, I want to be clear; this is not me pointing at a mistake and going, “hey, Serling, get your facts straight.” Nope. Mistakes happen, and if I haven’t made any glaring ones yet, trust me; if you stick around with me long enough, I will, and I’ll do my best to own up to them.

My Initial Thoughts

As for my initial thoughts, I really like this one. I enjoy it on just a pure narrative level, the idea that a pilot in trying to escape comes to find the courage he needs to help his friend is a wonderful tale. Additionally, it serves as a kind of existential reminder that our actions have reverberations beyond our present thoughts. It’s a bit like It’s A Wonderful Life when George Bailey finds out that, because he was never born, he never saved his little brother, Harry when they were young, which means Harry wasn’t there to save the men on the transport as a navy pilot in World War II. I happen to like It’s a Wonderful Life, and I like this episode. 

Question 1: Does Lieutenant Decker’s courage stem from his supernatural experience? 

We’re going to break this section up into two themes: fear and purpose. 

I wanted to research this section through peer-reviewed sources because I wanted to get a sense of what the psychological literature has to say on the topic of fear and supernatural experiences. As one might expect, the literature is a bit all over in terms of how to look at such a personal connection. However, I did find what I thought was a really well-balanced article that seeks to ask what I think is a really fair and important question: how valuable is the connection between clinical psychology and our valuation of supernatural events? In other words, forget trying to deny or accept the veracity of a supernatural claim. What does the relationship between the person’s psychology and the claim itself tell us about the person’s mental health? In this article by Exeline et al, it states:

In many cases, SAs [supernatural attributions] are motivating: They help meet important psychological needs, such as providing hope, giving a sense of security in a frightening situation, or justifying angry feelings toward out-groups. People often reach for supernatural explanations in times of stress—when they feel lonely or anxious or in response to thoughts of death. In many cases, SAs can provide a sense of security, hope, guidance, and connection that people are eagerly seeking. (476)

Now, to be fair, the article also talks about how SAs can also cause great harm, especially if someone only highlights negative aspects of a supernatural relationship, as in, focusing heavily on something like a hell or only on divine retribution. It’s a fantastic article that I think is really well-balanced. 

If we connect this back to our episode, Decker is clearly involved in an event that only makes sense when you apply a supernatural attribution, so in some sense, this is what is prompting him to go deeper into his mind to search for why he’s there. Additionally, I want to also highlight the role that Major Wilson plays here—he’s the American officer who ultimately let’s Decker escape. Wilson is essentially encouraging Decker to seek out answers as to why this event is taking place. It’s almost like Wilson is playing more of a guide role than someone trying to push back. Even when you connect it to the final scene between the two. Think about it: why does Decker run away? He’s afraid of death; what does Wilson do in their last scene together? He points a gun at Decker and threatens to shoot him right there, but Decker is no longer afraid. It’s as if Wilson provides the final test for Decker to move beyond his fear. Okay, so the spiritual attribution might provide Decker with a way out of his fear, but why does he feel like he needs to go back? Let’s keep going.

According to a fascinating study by Svedholm et al: 

The results showed that beliefs in the purpose of events were to a very high degree accounted for by the same latent factor, General paranormal belief, as other paranormal beliefs such as beliefs in possession by evil spirits (witches), the influence of celestial energies on people’s fates (astrology) and lucky amulets. Evidently, then, beliefs in the purpose of events are part of the same phenomenon as the beliefs that have hitherto been included in research on superstitious, magical, supernatural and paranormal beliefs. (260)

Okay, so what do we take away from this? Essentially, the study shows how a belief in superstition correlates with a belief in the purpose of an event, or the designation of the event as purposeful. Decker believes that his purpose is to go back to his time and help his friend escape the German planes that have surrounded Mackaye. This sense of purpose is what motivates him to escape the United States base and re-engage the same fight that he just previously ran from. 

I think we can conclude that the supernatural element of the moment provides Decker with the purpose that he needs to go back and face his fears; it makes him believe that all of it, the running into the clouds, the appearance at the American base, the knowledge that his friend Mackeye just happens to be showing up in a few hours, is all a part of the plan, and that he has an important purpose within that structure of events. 

So, let’s answer our question: Does Lieutenant Decker’s courage stem from his supernatural experience? I think the answer here is yes. Plus, it provides him with another important component: purpose. When you combine his overcoming fear and his newfound purpose, you create an individual who is prepared to do great things, even in the face of great danger. 

Question 2: Who is Georges Guynemer, and why is he referenced in this episode?

At approximately the 7:09 mark in the episode, Decker stares off out of a window and he notices a cloud. This triggers a memory from when he was just previously flying in the air on March 5th, 1917. He says that he flew into a cloud and could no longer hear his plane engine, like he and the plane were simply swallowed up. He then states: “The same sort of thing happened to Guynemer….He disappeared one day while flying. At the memorial service the cardinal said, ‘he belonged to the sky, and the sky has taken him’.” At first watch, I didn’t think much of that section, but then I thought, wait a minute. Who is Guynemer, and what’s the connection to this episode? I’m glad I went down that rabbit hole because he’s actually quite an interesting figure in French history, and there is some mythology surrounding the figure, which I find to be fascinating, so let’s talk a little bit about Georges Guynemer and how this helps us better understand our Lieutenant Decker.

Let me give a quick note: Guynemer was a real man with a real history. I certainly don’t have enough time to talk through the entirety of a man’s life, so if I miss something that you think might be important, I’ll beg your forgiveness up front. My goal here is to try and create a narrative around a moment and then connect it to the episode. However, if you happen to know a lot about Guynemer and can add something that I either missed or got wrong, let me know in the comments or send me an email. I’m no different from my students in that I’m always learning. 

In terms of his combat prowess, for a man who apparently tried five times, unsuccessfully at first, to enter the war, Guynemer certainly found his place in WWI in the skies. The way that people talked about pilots in combat during wwI is interesting: you essentially tally victories against machines. So, if you shot down an enemy plane, you received one victory against a machine. This is why people will sometimes say that Guynemer had 54 victories against machines before he was killed on September 11th, 1917. These WWI pilots garnered a lot of attention from the public, and Guynemer was pretty much right at the top. In addition to the people of France singing his praises, news of this amazing young pilot was also reaching over into North America. I found a wonderful little article from The Washington Post dated August 19, 1917, so just under a month before his untimely death at only 22 years old. In this article, the author talks about how the Germans had roused Guynemer’s wrath by saying he, and I quote, “did not play the game fairly” (14). The Germans had their own legendary ace pilot to defend: Manfred Von Richthofen also known as “The Red Baron,” arguably the most well-known fighter pilot of the war, although for me, when I hear the Red Baron, I always picture Snoopy on top of his dog house. But, again, I think I’m just showing my age. The real point here that I want to make is that people were very much interested in these larger-than-life figures who were fighting in the skies during WWI, and there was this sense that each victory in the air was also a victory in the newspapers and in the faith of the people. 

I want to switch over to a book that was written by Henry Bordeaux, with an English translation from the French by Louise Morgan Sill. The title of the book is Georges Guynemer: Knight of the Air. We’ve got a homonym to clean up here. The Knight in the title is knight, as in sword and shield figure. Why this book? For two reasons: first, the date of publication. This book was published in 1918, so it’s very close to the event, and it’s very much still in the minds of the French people; secondly, it is an attempt to make sense of how to keep Guynemer in the hearts of the people of France during an incredibly difficult time. WWI ends officially on November 11, 1918 when Germany signs the Armistice. When you read the book,  you get the clear sense that the author Bordeaux understood the importance of making sure that the love the people of France had for Guynemer would not simply be written in a book, but referenced and pulled from whenever it was needed most. 

Now, the introduction of the book was not written by Bordeaux; it was written by United States President, Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt.” Listen to what Roosevelt had to say in one section:

Under such conditions it is eminently appropriate that you should write the biography of that soldier-son of France whose splendid daring has made him stand as arch typical of the soul of the French people through these terrible four years. In this great war France has suffered more and has achieved more than any other power. To her more than to any other power, the final victory will be due. Civilization has in the past, for immemorial centuries, owed an incalculable debt to France; but for no single feat or achievement of the past does civilization owe as much to France as for what her sons and daughters have done in the world war now being waged by the free peoples against the powers of the Pit. (link)

These are incredibly powerful words by Roosevelt. He clearly understood how much of a symbol Guynemer could be to the people of France both during and after the war would be over. Now, I want to read one last short section from the book, a blurb written by a young French boy named Paul Bailly who is eleven years and ten months old. I think Paul best sums up what Guynemer meant to the French at that time. He writes: 

Guynemer is the Roland of our epoch: like Roland he was very brave, and like Roland he died for France. But his exploits are not a legend like those of Roland, and in telling them just as they happened we find them more beautiful than any we could imagine. To do honor to him they are going to write his name in the Panthéon among the other great names. (link)

Beautiful words. I certainly couldn’t write so well at 11–and most of the time, I can’t write so well at 44. Paul makes an important distinction here: Roland is a fictional figure who was created to give a hero to France when it needed one; Guynmere was a man, and he too provided a hero to France when it needed him. I’ll push back slightly with my young friend in his use of legend, only in the sense that I think a legend need not be real or fictitious, merely symbolic of something greater in humanity that provides light in times of great darkness.

Let’s connect this back to our episode by quoting the great James Brown. No, not that James Brown…I mean James “Fats” Brown, from one of my absolute favorite episodes of the Twilight Zone to watch and bring into the classroom: “A Game of Pool.” In that episode, Brown says, “As long as people talk about you, you don't really die. As long as people speak your name, you continue. The legend doesn't die because the man does.” We, as humans, live our lives through narrative–we understand the world through story, and sometimes it’s only by thinking about the world through great tales that we are able to get through difficult times and come out the other end victorious. When Decker invokes–and that’s the proper term here–when he invokes the name of Georges Guynemer in that moment, he establishes an important connection with the figure–no, it doesn’t explicitly seem that way in the episode, but it does happen. Decker reserves a space in his mind for a callback to that moment later in his life when he needs to draw courage from the feats of others. You see, that’s the beauty of legendary figures. We can call upon their strength when we need it most. 

Like Guynemer, Decker takes his place among the legends; no, books won’t be written about him and read by millions of people over a thousand years, but when it came time to save the life of his fellow man, and give that man the opportunity to save the lives of others, Decker heeded the call to heroism. And, I don’t think it’s a stretch by any means to say that his invocation and knowledge of Guynemer helped give him the courage to go back and help his friend when he was needed most. 

Question 3 What are your moments of awe?

For my moment of awe, I’m going to extend what I just previously said a bit more. You are a part of that human legacy of legendary figures. Invoke them when you need them most. Take courage in the fact that others have come before you, that others have faced great odds, great suffering, great fear and anxiety and have come out the other side to not simply survive but to help others thrive and become the best versions of themselves. Our goals in life should not simply be to become legends in our own minds but to become standards of greatness for others. I’m not perfect; you’re not perfect. Your parents, guardians, siblings, friends, and even those you believe you hate most, are not perfect. When the great Yankees baseball player, a legend in the game, Joe Dimaggio was asked why he hustled and played so hard even when plays were routine, he responded, ““Because there’s always some kid who may be seeing me for the first time. I owe him my best” (link). Stop pretending like you don’t matter; stop trying to convince yourself that you’re here by accident; get out there and create good in the world; become the stuff that legends are made of–even if you make the life of only one other person better, you will have fought the good fight and can go to your resting place a legend. 

My Rating

As for my rating, I give this episode a middle upper-tier. It’s a great episode, wonderful story, a little overly expressive at times in the acting, which can border on hammy, but I still love it. It’s just a hair out of upper tier for me. 

Next time, we’ll be taking a look at “The Purple Testament” and here are your questions to consider as you watch. 

Question 1: Why does Serling invoke Shakespeare for this episode? 

Question 2: What does the supernatural element add to Serling’s message here?

Question 3: What are your moments of awe?

Closing

That’s another episode in the books, and a good one. I really like that episode. I hope I have inspired some of you to face your fears and get out there and help others. It’s often easier for people to fight for others than to fight for themselves, so get out there and fight for someone’s good–and in doing so, you might find someone who is willing to fight for yours. 

Announcements and Shout-outs

As always, I want to highlight some comments. This one comes from the YouTube channel, episode “ I Shot an Arrow into the Air.” In that episode, I quoted Rod Serling from Zicree’s companion as stating that he purchased the idea for the episode for $500 from Madeline Champion. TracyWilliams7929 notes in the comment section: “Another source cites a different number. Serling met the woman at a party. She made an elevator pitch to Serling who liked the high concept idea so much that he wrote out a check on the spot. It was more like $5K” Thanks, Tracy. This is the perfect comment for this episode for obvious reasons. I actually appreciate people bringing up potential errors. Mistakes are going to happen. In this case, I can’t quite find the 5k source. However, you prompted me to look a little deeper into this, and I did see in Grams Jr’s book that Serling later secured the rights to the story in a more legal way through his Cayuga studios company for $750. If you can uncover the 5k source, let me know, but thanks for prompting me to look into it further and fix a potential error on my own part. 

David Howard commented on my “The Hitch-Hiker”  episode: “This was always my favorite episode, very sinisterly atmospheric.” David, I completely agree. And I think your use of the word sinister here is exactly right. We’re on the same page with that. There is something more sinister than spooky about that episode, as I discussed in my own breakdown. I appreciate your taking the time. 

How to Support the Show

Head over to thekeyofimagination.com to continue our conversation. You can rate this episode, learn more about me, watch previous episodes of the show, and check out my curios page where I showcase some of the Twilight Zone trinkets I’ve bought over the years. I encourage people to email me thoughts and comments, whether it’s about a particular Twilight Zone episode, your rating for an episode, or about the Key of Imagination Show. You can get those to me as a text email, an audio clip, or even a video clip of roughly no more than 5 minutes to keyofimaginationshow@gmail.com. Keep in mind, even though we talk about some serious topics, we’re trying to maintain as family-friendly of an atmosphere as we can. If you would rather I not use your comments on the show, please indicate that so I can respect your decision. 

If you enjoyed the show, I ask that you please take a moment and do one of the following to help build our community. Rate the show, review the podcast, leave comments, thumbs up, all of the usual algorithmic gymnastics. That will help get the show in front of more people and help us build our community of Twilight Zone fans. However, even if you do none of that and absolutely hated every minute of this, I would still like to thank you for spending some time with me. Until next time, remember, all doors are open to those who possess the key of imagination. 

Works Cited

  “GUYNEMER DOWNS FIFTY-SECOND AERO: Flier, Angry at German Story, Vows 

Vengeance.” The Washington Post (1877-1922) 1917: 14-. Print.

 “GUYNEMER, LEADING AERO STAR, MISSING: Hero of 52 Victories Believed Dead -- Voss 

Lost by Germans.” The Washington Post (1877-1922) 1917: 1-. Print.

Murray, Hannah, Chris Merritt, and Nick Grey. “Clients’ Experiences of Returning to the Trauma 

Site during PTSD Treatment: An Exploratory Study.” Behavioural and cognitive 

psychotherapy 44.4 (2016): 420–430. Web.

Roger de la Fresnaye. Portrait of Guynemer. 1922. Artstor, 

library-artstor-org.libproxy.albany.edu/asset/AWSS35953_35953_30943767

Svedholm, Annika M, Marjaana Lindeman, and Jari Lipsanen. “Believing in the Purpose of 

Events-Why Does It Occur, and Is It Supernatural?” Applied cognitive psychology 24.2 

(2010): 252–265. Web.