General Information

Director: Lamont Johnson

Writer: Charles Beaumont

Cast: Gladys Cooper, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Cecil Kellaway, Lee Phillips, Joyce Van Patten, Alan Napier, Cyril Delevanti, Jack Raine, Colin Campbell, and Don Keefer

Composer: Rene Garriguenc

Air Date: 5/9/1963

Production Code: 4869

Overview

Hoping to salvage their failing marriage, Alan and Eileen Ransome (Lee Phillips and Joyce Van Patten) book passage on the Lady Anne—an old, mysterious cruise liner whose passengers attempt to dissuade the Ransomes from boarding. During the voyage, however, Alan and Eileen learn from the example of Toby and Millie McKenzie (Wilfrid Hyde-White and Gladys Cooper)—an aged couple with a positive outlook on love and romance.

Combining horror movie tropes with an important life lesson, “Passage on the Lady Anne” should appeal to enthusiasts of The Twilight Zone. That being said, this episode is marred by copious narrative padding—similar to the majority of season four installments.

Pros

“Passage on the Lady Anne” deserves praise for its poignant contrast between the McKenzies—a loving elderly couple who values companionship, conversation, and sentimentality over materialism—and the Ransomes, who, by losing sight of that which matters most in a relationship, begin drifting apart from each other.

Depicting the eponymous vessel as a fog-enshrouded ghost ship, “Passage on the Lady Anne” implies that an ominous fate will befall the main characters after leaving shore—reminiscent in many ways of the original King Kong, the cinematography of which will resonate with fans of the horror genre.

Cons

“Passage on the Lady Anne” may evoke criticism for its ambiguous ending, which raises more questions than it ultimately answers.

Analysis

Emphasizing the differences in attitude between a young, materialistic couple and the geriatric members of the Lady Anne voyage, this offering rightly indicates that by valuing wealth, possessions, and social status over the company of other people, many humans now struggle to form connections with each other.

Concluding Comments

“Passage on the Lady Anne” suffers from a lack of resolution in the final scene. Viewers may nevertheless appreciate this episode, which benefits from insightful commentary on the broken nature of modern relationships.

Overall Quality: 7/10

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