There are SO many great episodes of "The Twilight Zone," and every one of them has been discussed multiple times, and yet, the subject just never gets old. That's just how damn good the show was, so The Saturday Night Special on the menu tonight is from Season 05, Episode 02 called simply "Steel."
I love the forward and backwards letters, it just doesn't make sense!
It's 1974, and boxing has been declared barbaric, and is forbidden, but since there's still a need to watch two guys beat the crap out of each other and bet on it, they now employ robots to do the fighting. Okay, so they got that part of the timeline wrong, but there's some rich professional boxers today who are mighty thankful for it.
This robot is already falling apart, do you see where this is going? His wheels have already literally fallen off, and the wheels are only for transporting him around.
Lee (Gorilla At Large) Marvin is ex-boxer turned manager/trainer Steel Kelly, and Joe (The Birds) Mantell is the corner man known as Pole. They just need to get one win to get them on the road to fortune, unfortunately their robot is an older model, and needs a tuneup.
Did you know that there was an episode of the "Jack Benny Program" where Jack
hires Rod Serling to improve his show but he winds up trapped in the
"Twilight Zone" himself? Me neither, but somehow I gotta see that! Steel and Pole agree!
I haven't seen everything Lee Marvin was ever in, but from what I have seen, I'm sure every one of them is worth watching!
Lee Marvin and Joe Mantell are so good, they were both in another episode of "The Twilight Zone."
Battling Maxo doesn't stand a chance. The B7's are the latest models. It's just a paycheck!
Despite the odds, the boys are ready, but Pole has his doubts.
Battling Maxo ain't looking that great, but Steel has faith in him!
Here's the inside story on what makes Battling Maxo work!
Steel and Maxo have a little impromptu sparring session that causes Maxo to have a wiring problem that won't allow him to fight.
Anywhere else but "The Twilight Zone," and they would have headed to that exit sign!
Steel knows that nobody in this part of the country has ever seen Maxo before, so he goes out to fight Maynard Flash himself just to get the $500.00 payday.
Chuck Hicks has the role of the robot Maynard Flash. Chuck wasn't just screwing around either, besides acting, he was a professional boxer, a football player, a stunt man, you name it, Chuck did it.
Lee looks pretty cool in his robot makeup!
Chuck Hicks was one of those guys who made movies and TV shows so good
over the years, and he just passed away last May at the age of 94. Thanks Chuck, we salute you!
No, there's no fairy tale ending because this is "The Twilight Zone," so even after getting the shit beat out of him, Steel only gets a partial paycheck because he didn't even finish one round.
Bust your ass, and still get screwed, that's the message of hope delivered here!
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Actor Joe Mantell also starred in one of the greatest, most memorable Twilight Zone episodes, "Nervous Man in a Four-Dollar Room!" Mantell played "Jackie" in a real tour-de-force of minimalist filmmaking, with a great (and very familiar) Jerry Goldsmith score! Why familiar? Because it was borrowed in the 1980s for the SCTV comedy series, every time that "Count Floyd" (actor Joe Flaherty) and "Dr. Tongue" (John Candy) played sketches like the infamous "Dr Tongue's Evil House of Pancakes!"
Go to this link and you'll hear the Goldsmith music when John Candy thrusts a plate of pancakes at the camera:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R3G_beQccA
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