Left to right: Lew Bookman, a Robby the Robot toy, and Mr. Death.
Rod Serling: Street scene: Summer. The present. Man on a sidewalk named Lew Bookman, age sixtyish. Occupation: pitchman. Lew Bookman, a fixture of the summer, a rather minor component to a hot July, a nondescript, commonplace little man whose life is a treadmill built out of sidewalks. And in just a moment, Lew Bookman will have to concern himself with survival - because as of three o'clock this hot July afternoon, he'll be stalked by Mr. Death.
Air date: Oct. 9, 1959
Lew Bookman (Ed Wynn) is a street corner pitchman. He hocks slightly shoddy products off on passersby and is quite friendly with the kids that live in the same apartment building as him. One day he gets a rather unusual customer: a snappily dressed man (Murray Hamilton) who just happens to be Death.
Death informs Lew that at midnight that day, he is set to die of natural causes. Caught offguard, Lew isn't ready to go yet. As he explains, he hasn't made that one great pitch. "A pitch for the angels", as he puts it. Death agrees to not take Lew until he makes his pitch, but once he leaves, Lew says that he intends to retire from sales, happy that he seems to have found a way to cheat Death.
But just because he's outsmarted Death doesn't mean he's done. Death tells him that someone has to die at midnight, so he chooses Maggie, one of Lew's many young friends, who is hit by a truck.
As Death awaits midnight to strike so he can collect the poor girl's soul, Lew falls back on his one skill: sales. He manages to make a pitch so enthralling, so captivating, so distracting that he actually makes Death miss his appointment. The pitch for the angels.
- Death: One minute past twelve, Mr. Bookman. And you made me miss my appointment.
Though Maggie will live, Lew has given up his own life to save her. But as Death informs him, Lew has nothing to worry about. He's going straight up.
- Bookman: Oh, excuse me, I forgot something. I'll be back in a minute. [gathers his box full of merchandise] You never know who might need something, up there... Up there?
Death: Up there, Mr. Bookman. You made it.
And so, Lew Bookman peacefully makes his way to the afterlife, Death by his side.
One for the Tropes:
- Actually Pretty Funny: Death tells Lew that appeals can be granted to those on the verge of great discoveries. When Death cracks wise about that being unlikely in this case, Lew responds with a chuckle.
- Aside Glance: Death looks straight at the camera, accompanied by a dramatic chord on the soundtrack, at the moment Rod Serling's opening narration identifies him as "Mr. Death."
- Balancing Death's Books: As Death tells Lew, someone has to die at midnight, and Lew's clever trick means that Death will be taking someone else in his place.
- Bargain with Heaven: Lew does this twice, first to gain the opportunity to make a "pitch for the angels" before he dies, and the second when he makes the pitch in question.
- Batman Gambit: If you consider that Death wouldn't actually need anything Bookman is selling (and thus would be unlikely to be moved by any pitch), one interpretation of his actions is that he never really intended to take Maggie and only targeted her because he knew it would motivate Bookman to make his big pitch. (It was in Death's dossier that Bookman was a Friend to All Children, after all.)
- Bittersweet Ending: Lew indeed dies at midnight, but he sacrifices his life to save Maggie with a "pitch for the angels". As Death reassures him, he is going to right to Heaven, and he can take his merchandise with him.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: When he meets Lew in his apartment, Mr. Death echoes the details about Lew in the opening. One wonders who was cribbing off who.
- Similarly, the Reaper looks directly at the camera (and the audience) when Serling reveals his true identity as "Mr. Death."
- Character Filibuster: Lew's big pitch. The episode occasionally cuts to a clock, both to show how close it's getting to the appointed time, and to demonstrate how long he's been talking without missing a beat.
- Celestial Bureaucracy: Implied when Death remarks that he has to be in Maggie's room at precisely the stroke of twelve to claim her soul. He explains that the "arrangements" he has made are extremely strict, and if that he's even a second late, the whole system will be entirely thrown off.
- Deadly Euphemism: Death's insistence on calling Mr. Bookman's death his "departure" leads to a few minutes of Lew misunderstanding the situation.Lew: "Natural causes"? Number One, I find you a very devious sort. Number Two, I think that you're dishonest. Number Three, why don't you say what you mean?!
Death: Mr. Bookman, I've done everything but phone your own undertaker. How much clearer do you want it? If you still don't know who I am, then you're the most dense man I've come up against. (Demonstrates the Touch of Death on a potted flower) - Deadpan Snarker: Death has his moments, such as chastising Lew for not grasping who he is despite all the hints.
- Death by Irony: From Lew's perspective, at least. When told he'll die of natural causes, Lew protests by pointing out he's been consistently healthy for the better part of 20 years.
- Defeat Means Friendship: After Lew's final pitch enthralls Death, he gains a newfound respect for the pitchman and happily informs him that his sacrifice has ensured him a place in the afterlife: "Up there, Mr. Bookman. You made it." The two depart arm in arm as friends, and, if Lew's pitch is to be believed, he just might become an assistant to the Reaper, as he offered himself as a "genuine manservant" to accompany him on his trips.
- Died Happily Ever After: Lew is able to accept his death when he knows that if he doesn't, little Maggie will take his place. Death is impressed with his courage and kindness, assuring him he made it "up there". They walk off to the afterlife, becoming friends.
- Don't Fear the Reaper: Death isn't actively malicious or scary in appearance. He's just a guy doing his job who can even fall for really good sales pitches. While he's somewhat impatient with Lew at first (see above), he's more than willing to accommodate him in regards to precisely how he'd prefer to die, and even lets Lew know what grounds he can appeal on, opening the loophole that drives the plot.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Serling's opening narration doesn't include the words "The Twilight Zone," which would become a staple of nearly every other episode in the series (although the closing one does). Similarly, the episode has an unambiguously happy ending, with no cruel twists or the melancholy of "The Lonely" and "Walking Distance"; purely happy endings would almost never occur in the show again.
- "Eureka!" Moment: When Lew hears that Death must be in Maggie's room at exactly the stroke of midnight to collect her soul, his eyes light up and he starts unpacking his material, ostensibly to practice a pitch...
- Everyone Has Standards: While Mr. Bookman is more than willing to sell cheap baubles and engage in Loophole Abuse, he can't stand idly by when he knows an innocent little girl will die instead of him.
- Exact Words: Played with Lew when he gets Death to agree to allow him to stay on earth until he makes "a pitch for the angels." Lew then announces his decision to quit making sales pitches, since if he never makes a pitch, he can't ever die. Then, when the time comes to save Maggie, he delivers the greatest pitch of his life... to the Angel of Death.
- Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: Averted. After Lew makes his big pitch, the dialogue echoes what Lew had told Death in his apartment and seems to be building to this realization, but no. Lew makes it clear he knew going in what succeeding would mean and calmly tells Death he's ready to go.
- Face Death with Dignity: Lew dies happy after saving Maggie by making the sales pitch he always wanted to make.
- The Fourth Wall Will Not Protect You: Sure, Don't Fear the Reaper, but when Serling's narration identifies who he is, Mr. Death looks directly at the audience.
- Friend to All Children: Lew. Death has even noted this in his logbook.Lew: (After handing Maggie and Ricky both one of his toys) Now, the Lew Bookman Social and Ice-Cream Hour takes place right after supper. The regular time, now, don't forget!
- Graceful Loser: Death bears no ill will when Lew tricks him into missing an appointment, even assuring him that he has indeed made it to Heaven.
- Lew notes once the deal is done that, if he never makes a pitch, Death won't come. Death is less than pleased with this realization.
- Inverted once Lew learns his friend will be dead because of his refusal to make a pitch, Mr. Death refuses to take him anyway because Death won't break the terms of their deal. This leads to...
- Lew ends up stalling Death from going to take the young girl by making him pitch after pitch. He is making them to an angel of death.
- Great Big Book of Everything: Death's notepad contains every possible bit of information about Lew; his age, birthplace, parents' identities, and so on. It's presumably the same for everyone else in the world.
- Guile Hero: Lew isn't a physical match for Death, but is quite clever for his advanced age. First he tricks the Reaper into agreeing to an "extended stay" until he makes one great pitch—then he immediately announces that he's quitting sales, proud of his newfound immortality. Then, when Death reveals that he has to be in Maggie's room at precisely midnight, Lew starts setting up his sales materials and pretends that he's simply practicing a new spiel, which keeps the Reaper in the dark until he's too enthralled by Bookman's pitch to realize what's happening.
- Happy Ending: Something that would become rare in this show. Lew makes his great pitch, saves the life of his young friend, comes to terms with his demise, and even earns his way into heaven and Death's respect.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Lew gives himself up so Death will spare Maggie, the little girl chosen to die in his place.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: After Maggie is hit by a truck, Lew insists that Death take him instead. fDeath denies, saying that he's already made other arrangements, and that he can only take Lew now if he fulfills the Exact Words he'd invoked earlier.
- Honest John's Dealership: Subverted. Lew gives off these vibes (hocking merchandise out of a suitcase on the sidewalk for a living), which is probably one reason he's ignored by passersby. However, while his goods are cheap baubles, they do exactly what they're supposed to do and are legit products. A Friend to All Children certainly wouldn't stick the local kids with shoddy, illegal merchandise. When Maggie says her toy isn't working properly, he even shows her what the problem is and explains how to prevent it in the future. It would seem the reason Lew wasn't very successful as a pitchman was because he was too nice of a guy.
- I Never Told You My Name: Lew realizes that something is suspicious about his black-suited "visitor" when he starts rattling off everything about his life, including things he's never told anyone (such as his parents' names).
- I Warned You: When Lew first tries to weasel out of their deal, Death cautions him that he's playing a dangerous game and that there will be consequences for this. Lew brushes him off, but then Maggie gets hit by a truck.
- Indy Ploy: Upon hearing the third category for an appeal ("unfinished business of a major nature"), Lew starts throwing whatever he can at the wall to see what sticks. His first couple suggestions go nowhere, but Death explaining what is meant here gets Lew to think of his "pitch for the angels" claim, milking some sympathy, and then performing some Loophole Abuse.
- Insistent Terminology: Serling is very insistent in the script that Lew Bookman is a "pitchman". Not a salesman, peddler, or even huckster... he's a pitchman.
- Invisible to Normals: Death is invisible and inaudible to anyone who isn't on his list. Lew gets scared quickly when he realizes that his injured friend Maggie can now see Death.
- Karma Houdini: Subverted. Lew thinks he has gotten away with cheating Death before The Reveal that he needs to balance his books.
- Lampshade Hanging: Death himself questions Lew's Sustained Misunderstanding.
- Loophole Abuse: Lew exploits this to try and save himself, since the terms of their deal are that Lew will die after he makes his "pitch for the angels," Lew decides to never make another pitch again. Death isn't having any of it and targets a little girl named Maggie Polanski in his place.
- Make Them Rot: Death proves his identity to Lew by touching a flower, which wilts instantly.
- Meaningful Background Event: As Lew goes about his unsuccessful day at work, a man in a dark suit is seen behind him writing in a notepad.
- Mood Whiplash: After taking advantage of their deal, Lew tries to evade Death, but it's played rather humorously, with Death mildly scolding him via Offscreen Teleportation and being accompanied by comedic music. When Death tells Lew there will have to be an alternative, however, we suddenly hear a crash and a scream.
- My God, What Have I Done?: When Lew's child friend Maggie is struck by a car and he realizes she is to replace him on Death's list, he immediately goes into this mode and tries to cancel his original deal with Death.
- Next Sunday A.D.: This episode aired in October 1959 and takes place from July 19 to 20, 1960.
- Offscreen Crash: A crash and a scream is all we get for the moment when the truck hits Maggie.
- Offscreen Teleportation: Death has a habit of appearing in various places when Lew isn't looking, even jumping ahead of him when Lew tries to flee.
- Oh, Crap!: Lew, when he realizes that Maggie can see Death.
- Post-Modern Magik: Most depictions of the Grim Reaper show him as a skeleton in a black hood, sometimes carrying a scythe. This version of death wears a tailored suit and gathers souls like a businessman gathers clients.
- The Problem with Fighting Death: Lew manages to successfully cheat Death, but he's so horrified by the consequences in doing so that he eventually sacrifices himself willingly to save an innocent from taking his place.
- Race Against the Clock: Lew's plan is to simply keep Death away from Maggie until his appointed time passes. He succeeds and leaves with Death.
- Secret Test of Character: There is a slight suggestion that Death did not actually fall for Lew's double-cross quite so easily, as it seems and that his approaching Lew ahead of his appointment was less about giving him a chance to settle his affairs and more about testing Lew's character to make sure he was worthy of a space "up there."
- Sharp-Dressed Man: Death.
- Sustained Misunderstanding: Lew is really oblivious to Death's identity.
- Take Me Instead: After learning that young Maggie must die as the result of his trickery, Lew begs Death to cancel their bargain and take him as originally planned. When Death refuses, Lew resorts to his one skill—sales—to stall for time.
- The Last Dance: Death discusses this trope during his initial meeting with Lew by suggesting he use his final hours to make any last minutes arrangements.
- Two of the extenuating circumstances Death lists are for people who need to finish something important.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: Though irritated with Lew for being slow on the draw and trying to weasel out of their deal, Death has his kinder moments...
- Death tries to cheer Lew up by telling him he'll die a peaceful death of natural causes, saying many others have met far messier and painful ends.
- According to Death, the rules do allow for an appeal, and the first is hardship cases (i.e. those who would be leaving behind a loved one that would suffer extensively).
- Death can't help but be sympathetic when Lew talks about wanting just one time to do something successful in his life, something that would cause the children to look up to him. He regrets this when Lew tries to pull a fast one.
- Death reassures a somewhat nervous Lew that he will indeed be going to Heaven.
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: After being home for a bit, Lew isn't remotely surprised that Death is suddenly sitting in the chair that was empty mere moments earlier.
- Villainy-Free Villain: Death is simply doing a job that needs to be done. At his worst, he is only presented as rude and impatient, traits that could be attributed to the last-minute changes to his schedule.
- Wham Line: It's established early on that only those fated to die soon can see Death himself, as Maggie can't see the Reaper when she enters Lew's apartment. Then, after being struck by a car:
- When the Clock Strikes Twelve: Lew's death is scheduled for midnight, and when he cheats Death, the girl Maggie who replaces him is scheduled to die at the same time.
- What You Are in the Dark: Lew has the chance of a lifetime to avoid his certain death; but in turn, a child will take his place instead. Since it's by the supernatural personification of death, no one besides him will know he was responsible for it. This is still more than enough for him to choose to go instead.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Serling's ending narration points out that while Lew was never a great seller or hero, he was "beloved by children, and therefore, a most important man."
- Rod Serling: Lewis J. Bookman, age sixtyish. Occupation: pitchman. Formerly a fixture of the summer, formerly a rather minor component to a hot July. But, throughout his life, a man beloved by children, and therefore, a most important man. Couldn't happen, you say? Probably not in most places – but it did happen in the Twilight Zone.
