Movies - TV
The Twilight Zone: William Shatner's Episode Was ‘Unbearable’ For the Director
By DEVIN MEENAN
Richard Donner directed the classic "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" episode of “The Twilight Zone,” but its success is a bit of a miracle considering how much he hated the experience.
William Shatner plays a passenger with a fear of flying who has just recovered from a mental breakdown and sees a gremlin messing with the engines. No one believes him.
From the beginning, Donner was confused about why he had gotten the job. He'd been directing TV for three years, but never such an effects-heavy episode.
Since shooting in a real plane was unfeasible, not only did a plane’s cabin and left-wing need to be created for the set, but it needed to appear like it was flying through a storm.
So, the set was suspended over a water tank to catch the falling "rain," which meant no stage floors. According to Donner, this created a complex shooting environment.
He explained, “You couldn't hear yourself think because of the noise of the machines [...] It was just unbearable. If any one of those things went wrong, it ruined the whole take."
Worse, the crew had to work overtime since the studio had committed the set to another production. Despite the stressful shoot, Donner was proud of the finished episode.
Donner stated, "I love it, I do love it. It's just such an unusual thing for television, really, to see that much energy go into a little half-hour film. And the story was good, too."