The Twilight Zone Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room (1959–1964) watch online HD

While Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room is not exactly one of the most interesting episodes I've seen of the show, the stifling atmosphere of the tiny room comes across very well. I almost felt claustrophobic at parts of it, not the least reason for which is the heat that accompanies the tight space. Joe Mantell stars as Jackie Rhoades, a small time crook who is hoping for one big score to get him out of his pathetic life, only to discover that the job, the details of which he spends the first half of the episode waiting for, involve committing a payback murder, a huge crime which he doesn't feel prepared to do.

Unfortunately, he is forced to commit the murder under penalty of being killed himself. What follows is a battle of two sides of his mind, talking to each other through a magic mirror of sorts, in which the strong half (in the mirror) berates him about the life he could have had, had he been smarter and been able to stand up for himself. The effect of having a fake mirror is pulled off remarkably well, with the only real IMDb goof being the laughable claim that the buttons on his shirt weren't reversed. Come on people, quit with the ridiculous details.

The performances, all two of them, are great and, while it's not the most deep and meaningful message I've seen in the series, it makes a good point about doing the right thing in the face of difficult circumstances and, maybe most of all, not taking any crap from crappy people. Not bad.

This is a pretty clever little episode. The loser is locked in his self imposed cell. He has failed his entire life. He is a two bit crook who does jobs when he is told. He is a bootlicker, full of fear and anxiety and self loathing. He is a throwaway and knows that some day he will be caught and put away forever. Enter his alter ego who talks to him from behind a mirror. This is his good self, his productive self. Most of the episode is a nicely done dialogue between man and image. It gets at the roots of the problem. A psychologist may pick this apart and put it back together. It is about unrealized potential and reformation. It is also a very satisfying story of a man who has a chance to reclaim his soul.

The deeply human and psychological emphasis of TZ is highlighted in this claustrophobic episode. The most interesting aspect is that the man in question is a loser and a criminally bad guy but it's far from obvious whether he will come to a bad end or not. Jackie Rhoades (Joe Mantell) is a man wrestling with his worst enemy-himself of course. Confronted by his own reflection, Jackie has to face the other, better self that has been suppressed by time, by others, and by denial. Joe Mantell gives a good performance, delivering Rod Serling's almost one-actor dualogue expertly. At the grisly crossroad of being coerced into the 'job' of committing murder for a mobster ,Jackie is tormented by a less tainted self.

Rod Serling appears this time in shot above the room outlining it as a hellish, stifling spot. I hope you get to see this before 'Last Night Of A Jockey' as 'Nervous Man' is much better in the same vein.

This is not so much of a review as it is an observation. Has anyone notice the line, "Are you talking to me?" "Are you talking to me?" which is utilized in this story by a man speaking into a mirror is almost the same line which Robert De Niro utilizes (and has become a catch-phrase) years later in the movie "Taxi." This is awfully coincidental.

Regardless of the aforementioned catch-phrase, the acting is superb and the innovation of the production filming is unique for the time. Notice how employment of split-screens is not used for the production. Richard Haydn pulls off the duo road superbly. And of course, this is a Rod Serling script.

Joe Mantell plays a small-time crook named Jackie Rhoades who's at war with his inner self in the 1960 entry in the Twilight Zone series, "Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room." Rhoades is trapped in a miserable life of petty crime and is desperate to break out of it. Holed up in a cheap hotel room on the seedier side of the city, he nervously awaits his next order from a greasy thug named George (William D. Gordon). When bad-guy George finally shows up, his newest demand is for Rhoades to commit a senseless payback murder. Before he leaves, George also informs Rhoades that either he does the dirty work or he'll end up with a bullet himself. What's a fellow to do? Luckily for Rhoades, and not a moment too soon, he ends up in the "Zone". His conscience miraculously appears in the room's only mirror and begins to lecture him on the life that could've been his if he had gone straight. It's really his own reflection but without the lame excuses he's made to himself all throughout his criminal career. This inner battle is the crux of the half hour episode and Mantell is up to the task of virtually carrying the entire show on his acting ability. After some brow-beating from his conscience and a rude awakening of sorts, Jackie decides on a new plan of action. When George comes back to find out if Rhoades has carried out the "hit", he runs into a buzz saw. You might say that Jackie "ain't taking any more orders from Georgie anymore."

Doing the right thing under dire circumstances was one of Rod Serling's more prevalent themes on his show. "Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room" is certainly one of the better examples. Jackie Rhoades merely has to stand up for himself to change his situation. The cowardly one turns out to be big bad George, and it's no big surprise. The Oscar-nominated Mantell (for Best Supporting Actor in "Marty" 1955) recently passed away after having seemingly been around forever. As was usually the case, he fit his role to a tee and is highly believable. William D. Gordon is suitably nasty as the crime boss who loses a valued employee.

The smalltime crook Jackie Rhoades is a 34 year-old loser that lives in a cheap room in a low-budget hotel. He is waiting for his boss George to acknowledge his next job. When George arrives, Jackie learns that he must kill a bar owner that refuses to pay for protection to George and his gang. Soon his conscience appears in the mirror and questions his choices in life, warning that if he kills the man, he will climb to the next level in the criminal career. What will Jackie do?

"Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room" is another great episode of "The Twilight Zone". The discussion of Jackie Rhoades with his conscience is excellent and the conclusion is excellent. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room"

Many other posters have commented on Joe Mantell's tour de force performance as Jackie/John. I will only add my admiration for Mantell's job in this episode; he was brilliant. I submit here that William D. Gordon's thug George also undergoes a role reversal, only not as mystical as that of Jackie/John Rhodes. When George orders the hit, he IS a downright arrogant bully, especially when he decks the scared to death Jackie and orders him to do the hit...or be hit himself. Later, after the upstanding, self-assured John comes into being, he returns the favor and nails George with a devastating jawbreaker of his own. And when John throws George out of the room, George gives John a very wide berth as he slinks out of the room, looking very much like the coward that John exposed him to be. For me, this is an excellent episode and both actors showed their excellent prowess.

Joe Mantell practically does a one-man job in this film. Aside from brief appearances by William Gordon (George) at the beginning and end of the episode, it's all Mantell. He plays Jackie Rhoades--a weaselly little pipsqueak who is a loser in every sense of the word. He's been in jail several times and unless he turns his life around, he's heading back--as he's been ordered by George to graduate up from petty crimes to the big time--murder! However, after George leaves, the weirdness occurs--the reflection he sees in the mirror begins arguing with him--telling him he's sick of the way Jackie has destroyed his life!! What follows is a very long monologue between the two men--both of which are Jackie. One is the weak little parasite--the other is the good and decent man residing within who wants to come out to stay. It's all very weird but it's also interesting seeing this interesting battle between Jackie and his conscience...or is it his conscience?! Overall, while there are few twists of the usual "Twilight Zone" touches, this one is notable just for its fine acting. By the way, if you think you may have seen Mantell before, I recognized him as the best friend of the title character in the movie version of MARTY--for which Mantell received a Best Supporting Actor nomination.

Joe Mantell, in a tour-de-force performance, is a low-level "nickel and dimes" hood, Jackie Rhoades, breaking and entering his specialty (and he has a track record for robbing and stealing), holding up in a filthy sweatbox of a hotel room, told by his "boss", George (William Gordon), to shoot a bar owner at a certain time or expect dire consequences for not doing the job. Jackie looks into a mirror in the hotel room and sees a different "reflection" staring back at him—a "good side" to Jackie wanting to "take over" and call the shots because he's tired of how life has been. Yep, that's right, it's a duel for which "personality" calls the shots, with the reflection of Jackie commenting on how he has tired of the life wasted in crime, stuck behind the glass and wanting to be released. The synopsis sounds loony, but Mantell is up to task and really there is a method behind the madness, how perhaps the conscience which wants us to "do the right thing" often is shoved aside when we make stupid decisions—without listening to that voice in the mind that only wants what's best for you, Jackie is a prime example of rebelling against the conscience. Mantell ably portrays two distinct characters: the cowardly, nails-biting, constantly-sweating bundle of nerves Jackie, and the confident, noble, strong, and all-together "John" who appeals to be set free so he can straighten out all the kinks and wrinkles life has brought them. That moment when "John" emerges for the first time, responding to an angered George who demanding answers as to why Jackie didn't obey his order, Mantell pulls it off without a hitch. Essentially a one-man show, where Mantell must hold our attention along with stunning special effects that depict two separate performances presented on screen, including the use of different mirrors (one stunning scene has Jackie attempting to flee John, to no avail) in the hotel room. Mantell had to have good timing to pull this off because his Jackie has to look into the mirror at his alter ego at just the right time to give the story a realism..it really is a sight to behold. Man, is that ending satisfying.

Without being able to place actor Joe Mantell in any other films I've seen, this episode's 'Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room' offers the finest nervous guy performance I've ever seen. As small time hood Jackie Rhoades, he offers up a character so twisted up inside himself that he's about ready to die of fright. But when he gets a 'kill or be killed' ultimatum from his boss George (William D. Gordon), Jackie undergoes the soul search of a lifetime at the outer edges of the Twilight Zone. This 'man in the mirror' episode culminates with the 'inner voice' Jackie trading places with the cowering lowlife Jackie that eventually turns the tables on, and shows up George for the bully he really is. Apart from the mirror gimmick, the story is a fine example of someone standing up for himself and taking the bull by the horns to take control of his life when he's finally fed up with his circumstances. To Rod Serling's credit, he could distill a story line like this down to it's essence and get it all done in under twenty five minutes.

Nervous Man In A Four Dollar Room is a small scale, near minimalist episode even for The Twilight Zone. It features only two characters. No one but a petty criminal and bully who torments him so much as enters or leaves the room. The quality of the episode, and a good one it is, comes from the writing and the acting, and both are excellent. This is Rod Serling at his best.

It's a basic story, and by itself not impressive: a small-time crook named Jackie Rhoades is bothered by his conscience. He never cared much for the life of crime he's led to begin with. Now the next higher up guy in the gang Jackie is a member of wants him too do something even nastier than usual; and Jackie has never killed anyone before.

Then something happens: an image of Jackie appears in the mirror of his dingy rented room and it talks to him, taunts him, tells him that he can do better than this, become the better man, break the ties with the criminal element he runs with and make his life decent for a change. But this means standing up to George, the guy who gives the orders, and Jackie's never done this before.

What happens is that the Jackie in the mirrors assumes the role of George and pushes Jackie, still very much his usual anxious, fearful self, around. Jackie tries to escape. He even twirls the mirror. Nothing works. As things unfold he gains access the better angel of his being. For the first time in his life Jackie is coming together, with his good side fighting with his bad side and getting the upper hand.

The best things about this episode are its superb, no frills aspects. In more ways than not it's a typical, even generic episode of the series; and it's also one that plays fair with the viewer. In this entry the play's the thing, its supernatural elements secondary. The seedy bravura performance of veteran character actor Joe Mantell as Jackie really knocks it out of the ballpark.

I'm a sucker for a good bottle episode and we have one a good one right here. Joe Mantell is tasked with playing not one, but two characters (or at least two egos) and, despite two brief scenes involving William D. Gordon, is by himself for most of the episode.

In order to pull off an episode like this, you need to have good acting because that's really the only thing holding everything up. In a confined space, you can't have too many tricky shots or stunning cinematography. Although the use of the special effects is quite good for the time and the shot from above the room while Rod talks to us is a nice touch, this entire episode only works because of Joe Mantell. He performs his two roles beautifully, turning back and forth from a nervous, jittery "yes" man to a confident, outgoing trailblazer with relative ease.

As Jackie stares into the mirror at his potential self, it reminds the audience of their own potential: lives they could have possessed, decisions they could have made differently. Jackie considers this as his alter-ego asks desperately to be let out and switched with. Lots of us have a potential better self lying dormant, waiting to be released. We just need to accept it and release it.

Despite the premise, there's nothing too spooky going on here besides the inevitable switching of the two egos as the confident man escapes from the mirror. The ending's a bit unrealistic. It's unlikely a mob boss would just leave you alone after you quit his racket and then punched him in the stomach. But the feel-good ending makes up for any unbelievability this episode contains.

***SPOILERS*** Roasting alive in his four dollar a night hotel room small time hoodlum Jackie Rhoades, Joe Mantell, gets a visit from his boss George , William D. Gordon, who runs the neighborhood's protection racket and who's got a very important job for Jackie to do for him. It's seems that this bar owner on the corner 38th Street and 6th Ave isn't paying George's protection money. George wants to make the very difficult to handle bar owner an example to those who have any of the same ideas that he does.

Jackie who's job is mostly to fence stolen merchandise for George is given the job of knocking off the bar owner by the time he close up at 2:30 Am. Not knowing what to do and scared that if he's caught, which in his case is a certainty, he'll not only get life behind bars but a one way trip to Sing Sing's electric chair Jackie's paranoia has his inner self appeared to him in his hotel mirror! Thinking that he's going out of his skull Jackie soon realizes that his whole life was a total disaster in not listening to his inner self, also played by Joe Mantell, but following others,like George, whom he tried to impress that put him in the sorry state that he finds himself in now! At first resisting his inner self's sound and honest advice Jackie soon starts to break under the pressure of either killing a man, the bar owner, or risking getting himself killed by George if he didn't go through with it!

***SPOILERS*** It took a lot of convincing on Jackie's inner self or conscience part but in the end he finally saw what a fool he was all his life in hanging out with the wrong crowd that has him now on the edge of insanity or worse! Getting himself together Jackie, now taken over by his inner self, not only doesn't do the job that Geroge ordered him to do in knocking off the uncooperative bar owner but tells the shocked and surprised hoodlum to get lost, by putting him to sleep with a jaw cracking straight right, since he's now no longer part of his crummy organization.

Jackie now a new man with a whole new outlook on life walks out of his cheap four dollar a night hotel-room and is ready to face a world that he's been scared to death of all his life as well as become part of it! As for the old scared and sniveling Jackie Rhoades he's now stuck in the mirror where, in not having to deal with the real world, he's most comfortable and secure in.

This episode features a gang member who's assigned to kill someone. The entire episode takes place in a hotel room, as the title indicates. When I first read the synopsis of this episode, it was weird because it didn't mention any supernatural elements. Of course, we get one introduced. The man's reflection comes to life and starts talking back to him! Apparently, his reflection represents the more courageous part of him.

He complains about being dormant for so long. Now, this side doesn't tell him to kill anyone. It actually tells him to stand up to the gang members and leave them. I admit the plot isn't all that great, but it's still well acted. There's not really a big twist or anything. It's still serviceable. ***

The imaginative title of this episode refers to a small time crook and full time loser Jackie Rhoades, who spends most of his days sitting in a cheap hotel room and waiting for instructions from his boss to commit crimes that he's actually too cowardly for. All his life, Jackie has been a marionette and an easy target for manipulation, abuse and taking advantage of. He never really wanted to be a criminal and now his orders even are to kill another human being. He's terrified because he knows that, with his natural attraction for bad luck, the night won't end well. Whilst panicking in his hotel room, however, his own reflection in the mirror comes to life and confronts Jackie with his own pathetic self. The mirror man claims to be more the courageous, righteous and self-confident version of himself and pushes Jackie to trades places. Admittedly the synopsis of this tale sounds silly and unspectacular, but it's really a compelling and ingenious concept. The dialogues between Jackie and his reflection cleverly illustrate the daily battles between right and wrong that occur in everybody's consciousness, and show how difficult it can be to make the correct decisions or to resist sinful temptations. In fact, this episode is kind of like the mature version of the little angel and little devil that appear on the shoulders of cartoon characters! The story relies for a large part on the solid acting performance of Joe Mantell, but there are a couple of memorable other aspects, like a few ingenious camera angles (the whole hotel room filmed from the ceiling POV, for example) and a nice visual effect with a rapidly spinning mirror. Also, and I truly wonder if Martin Scorsese is aware of this, there's a remarkable sequence in which Jackie Rhoades looks at himself in the mirror and repeats a few times: "Are you talking to me?" You must be talking to me!" Only sixteen years later, a very similar sequence would grow out to be one of the most recognized moments in cinematic history, namely when a young Robert DeNiro talks to himself in "Taxi Driver".

Meek small-time criminal Jackie Rhodes (well played to the antsy hilt by Joe Mantell) confronts both his sordid past and his own fed-up conscience in the form of a talking reflection in a mirror while contemplating his latest assignment of killing an old man.

Director Douglas Hayes keeps the compelling story moving along at a constant pace and milks plenty of sweaty tension from the cramped and claustrophobic confines of the dingy hotel room setting. Rod Serling's absorbing script makes some interesting points concerning second chances and the need to face up to the dire consequences wrought by making poor decisions in life. Mantell nails the pathetic sniveling nature of the scared and spineless Jackie as well as gives Jackie's conscience a strong sense of nobility. William D. Gordon radiate considerable menace as slimy and browbeating hoodlum George. The sharp cinematography by George T. Clemens boasts a few neat overhead camera shots. Jerry Goldsmith's jazzy score does the moody trick. A fine show.

Joe Mantell plays nervous and insecure small-time crook Jackie Rhodes, who currently inhabits a cheap four dollar a night hotel room where he anxiously awaits news from his crooked boss George(played by William D. Gordon) who appears to tell him that he must commit the murder of a bar owner who wont pay protection money. Knowing that if he fails the next murder will be his own, Jackie starts to panic and begins to see in the mirror his stronger and more confident alter-ego John, who desperately tries to make Jackie listen to him, before it is too late... Interesting if thin episode has a pair of fine performances to elevate it sufficiently.

This Twilight Zone story is one that is done with the barest of sets, a cheap hotel room where small time crook and punk Joe Mantell is having a wonderful battle with his own alter ego seen through a mirror. The alter ego here is the better angel of his nature which Mantell didn't think he had.

The only other actor in the piece is William Gordon who is a crook a few levels above Mantell. Mantell is obsequious almost to the point of offering him oral sex. Gordon wants to give him a contract killing and gives him a gun, the big time for criminals. Mantell this is way above what he does. Gordon says that your very reputation as a punk makes you the one I want because no one will suspect.

When Gordon leaves the dialog between Mantell and his alter ego in the mirror starts. It's not a pretty picture the alter ego paints of his life up to now.

Mantell should have received Emmy consideration for making the audience care about a truly unpleasant individual. A great Twilight Zone story.

Okay entry, at best, with a different kind of ending for TZ. Maybe the conclusion's not too plausible, but it does strike an optimistic note. Jackie's a scared little man who apparently does menial gangland errands. That's except for now, when slickster boss George wants him to kill a defenseless old man. Fed up with Jackie's cringing life-style, a part of him shears off TZ-style and confronts him as a mirror reflection. Now the little man must argue with his doppelganger about how he's lived his life.

I guess symbolically we can take the double as a side of Jackie that he's suppressed for years. It's a more conventional life-style that the double's arguing for, shaming the dominant side for taking the weakest way out because he's small and insignificant looking. So how will the argument end, considering that the brutal George will soon be back expecting a dead old man from Jackie.

Fans looking for action, scene changes, or comely girls, will find little or none. It's a cast of two and a set of one. This has got to be one of the cheapest entries of the entire series. Nonetheless, Mantell does a fine job playing what amounts to two roles, but in my book the 30-minutes is more suggestive than suspenseful or memorable.