The title is taken from a notable speech in William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice, which is quoted in Serlings closing narration at the end of the episode. It was later adapted into the first segment of Twilight Zone The Movie, although very loosely. Opening narrationeditIts August, 1. The place is the Philippine Islands. The men are whats left of a platoon of American Infantry, whose dulled and tired eyes set deep in dulled and tired faces can now look toward a miracle, that moment when the nightmare appears to be coming to an end. But theyve got one more battle to fight, and in a moment well observe that battle. August, 1. 94. 5, Philippine Islands. But in reality its high noon in the Twilight Zone. August 6, 1. A young gung ho American in World War II, Second Lieutenant Katell, orders his war weary soldiers to make a near suicidal attack on a group of sick and wounded Japanese soldiers holed up in a cave in the Philippines. Sergeant Causarano, who knows the men have had enough of war, tries to talk him out of itthe attack will accomplish nothing but pointless deaths on both sidesbut Katell pulls rank and stands firm on his orders, intent on proving himself. He berates the experienced but war weary non commissioned officer and the rest of the platoon, demanding that they shape up. Suddenly, Lt. Katell finds himself in Corregidor, three years earlier in the war, and gets a new perspective. As Lt. Yamuri in the Imperial Japanese Army, he is ordered to attack a group of American soldiers in the cave. In vain, he tries to dissuade the captain from the attack, arguing that the Americans inside the cave pose no threat and can simply be bypassed. Romantic Horror Movies A Terrifying Message From Al Gore here. The Japanese captain bluntly refuses to listen, suspecting the young man is sick with jungle fever or, worse, has lost his nerve. He tells him to straighten up or stay with the wounded, and when Yamuri will not back down, the captain relieves him of command of his platoon and moves the company forward to begin the attack anyway. His mind reeling from what he has just experienced, Katell finds himself back in 1. American soldier, with his men telling him that theyve gotten word the A bomb has been dropped. They have been ordered not to attack the cave and to fall back. Katell seems relieved, in light of his revelation. Closing narrationeditThe quality of mercy is not strained, it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It blesseth him that gives and him that takes. Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, but applicable to any moment in time, to any group of soldiery, to any nation on the face of the Earthor, as in this case, to the Twilight Zone. Some of the cast members became well known in later science fiction television series. Dean Stockwell became known to science fiction fans as Al Calavicci in the television series Quantum Leap, and for another generation, as Cavil in the remake series of Battlestar Galactica. Leonard Nimoy became known as Spock in Star Trek. AdaptationeditThe episode would later be remade into the first segment of Twilight Zone The Movie 1. Bill Connor played by Vic Morrow, is a racist office worker who is upset after he is passed over for a promotion in favor of a Jewish man. After going into a bigoted rant in a bar, he is then taken on a trip through time and is given similar justice of intolerance a Jewish man during the Holocaust, an African American being lynched by the Ku Klux Klan, and a Vietnamese man being attacked by American soldiers during the Vietnam War. The segment was directed by John Landis. While filming the Vietnam scene of the segment, Morrow and two young child actors were killed during a helicopter stunt. Later, Landis and the films producers were put on trial for manslaughter and child endangerment, but were found not guilty on all counts. While the script originally intended for Connor to be redeemed as in the episode it was based on by saving the two children, Morrows death necessitated a darker ending because the available footage did not include the happy ending. However, the original ending was featured in the novelization. Episode noteseditThis episode was filmed on a soundstage at Hal Roach Studios, instead of the usual MGM facilities. End titles screen features the broken binoculars through which the enemies are watched. ReferenceseditZicree, Mark Scott 1. The Twilight Zone Companion. Bantam. p. 2. 42. ISBN 0 7. 60. 7 5. De. Voe, Bill. 2. Trivia from The Twilight Zone. Albany, GA Bear Manor Media. ISBN 9. 78 1 5. Grams, Martin. The Twilight Zone Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic. Churchville, MD OTR Publishing. ISBN 9. 78 0 9. Zicree, Marc Scott The Twilight Zone Companion. Sillman James Press, 1. External linksedit.