Corwin gets his wish.
Rod Serling: This is Mr. Henry Corwin, normally unemployed, who once a year takes the lead role in the uniquely popular American institution, that of the department-store Santa Claus in a road-company version of 'The Night Before Christmas'. But in just a moment Mr. Henry Corwin, ersatz Santa Claus, will enter a strange kind of North Pole which is one part the wondrous spirit of Christmas and one part the magic that can only be found... in the Twilight Zone.
Air date: December 23, 1960
On Christmas Eve, Henry Corwin (Art Carney) is fired from his seasonal job as a department store Santa Claus for coming to work drunk. Depressed, broke, and still wearing his Santa Claus outfit, Henry tries to go back to his favorite bar, but the bartender refuses to let him in, saying that he's had enough to drink for one day. Stumbling aimlessly into an alley, Henry finds a discarded burlap sack that miraculously produces any item a person asks for. Overjoyed, Henry begins distributing gifts to passersby, but the neighborhood patrolman Officer Flaherty arrests Henry and calls his former boss Mr. Dundee, telling him Henry has been distributing stolen merchandise from his store. When Dundee arrives at the police station, they examine the sack, but there's nothing in it but garbage and a stray cat. Dundee accuses Flaherty of incompetence and berates him for wasting his time. With no proof of theft, Henry is released, but before leaving, he pulls a bottle of cherry brandy, vintage 1903, out of the sack and gives it to Dundee as a Christmas present. Attached to the bottle is a gift tag that reads, "To: Mr. Dundee, From: Santa Claus." Dundee is both astonished and touched; as this particular vintage was his favorite drink, but he was sure the supply ran out years ago.
Henry spends the rest of the night giving his neighbors and the local children presents, until the bag is finally empty. As he stops to rest, a friendly old man points out that Henry did not take a present for himself. Henry says that he doesn't mind; his only wish is to be able to do the same thing every year. Returning to the alley where he found the sack, he is amazed to find a sleigh with reindeer attached. An elf walks up and says she's been waiting for him. It is time for them to go; they have to get ready for next year. Dundee and Flaherty emerge from the police station together, cheerful and slightly tipsy from having sampled the brandy. They look up to see Henry riding the sleigh across the sky. Dundee invites Flaherty to spend the night at his house, adding that they will thank God for witnessing a miracle. The episode ends with a shot of the bag sitting next to the trash can Corwin originally found it in.
The Tropes of the Meek:
- The Alcoholic: Henry, of the "I-drink-because-I'm-miserable" variety.
- All-Loving Hero: Henry, who largely drinks because he's unable to give the poor residents of his neighborhood, especially the children, what they really want for Christmas. When he finds the magic bag, he gives gifts to friends, children, and even people that don't like him. When asked why he didn't take a present for himself, Henry admits that the only thing he wants is to do the same thing every year, and be "the biggest gift giver ever." From Rogues Portal
:Henry very much wants to make a difference so badly. Down and out, he couldn’t find a way to do it, but being a department store Santa would probably do the trick right? Nope. The consumerism of Christmas and his situation at home go hand in hand, they drag him down. They pull him lower and seeing the kids in the beginning of the story, asking him for things he wishes he could provide for them, brings him down further. He drinks to forget that his neighborhood has to deal with such things. That HE has to deal with such things. His heart is big and very heavy and he wants to make a difference, but how can you make a difference when you don’t know what to do? - Bag of Holding: The magic bag Henry discovers, which gives anything it's asked for.
- Becoming the Mask: Henry goes from being a drunken Mall Santa to the real Santa Claus.
- Cassandra Truth: Henry tells Officer Flaherty that he just found the magic bag, but Flaherty understandably thinks he's distributing stolen goods.
- Cat Scare: When Henry first hears noises, he scopes out the alley. He's about to leave when a cat jumps out, and it's this that leads to him find the bag.
- Christmas Episode: Obviously. It's still got a magical twist, since it's from the Twilight Zone.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Henry is strongly implied to suffer from holiday depression, especially since he annually plays the one person who can give people whatever they want on Christmas, while he himself is a relic from another time who can't provide anything.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Henry Corwin goes from a broke drunk others hold in contempt, to Santa Claus. An elf telling him that they have a lot of work to prepare for next Christmas absolutely delights him.
- Friend to All Children: After he leaves the bar, Corwin is approached by two poor kids asking him for toys, a big turkey for Christmas dinner, and a new job for one of their fathers. He breaks down weeping when he's unable to give them what they want. note
- Happy Ending: One of the few Zone episodes with an unambiguously happy ending, as everyone gets what they want for Christmas and Henry takes up the mantle of Santa Claus.
- Heel–Face Turn: Mr. Dundee, Henry's Mean Boss who fires him when he shows up to work drunk. Henry's magical sack grants him a bottle of 1903 vintage cherry Brandy, his favorite drink which he was sure was unavailable. Whether it was the gift itself, or the fact that it was given to him by a man he had just fired earlier that day, Dundee is sincerely touched by the gesture and is far happier for the rest of the episode. When he sees Henry Corwin headed to the North Pole, he's happy Henry got what he finally wanted.
- Holiday Volunteering: In a sense. The first stop Henry makes is a homeless shelter.
- I Need a Freaking Drink: When Corwin produces a 1903 vintage Brandy for Mr. Dundee, Officer Flaherty tells Dundee that he needs a shot. Badly.
- Jerkass Has a Point: As snippy and abrasive as he is in the first half of the episode, Mr. Dundee is absolutely right that Henry showing up to work drunk is completely unacceptable, and is in the right to fire him over it. Henry himself even agrees completely as it's happening and holds no anger about it, in the moment or later.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Henry's boss Mr. Dundee. He's largely snarky and short-tempered, but he's not a bad guy at heart, only stressed out from the holiday rush. Noticeably, Henry doesn't hold any ill will towards him about being fired, and even agrees in the moment that Dundee is perfectly justified in doing so. Dundee ends the episode happily sharing his favorite drink with Officer Flaherty, showing his nicer side.
- Karmic Jackpot: Henry uses a magic Bag of Holding to deliver gifts to everyone in his neighborhood for free, including his former boss and the cop who arrests him for percieved theft. When asked what he wants for Christmas, Henry admits that only says he wants to do the same thing every year and provide joy. He gets exactly what he wants when he beomes Santa Claus and rides into the night.
- Legacy Character: Implied. Henry's transformation into Santa at the end hints that the magic bag was a test to see if he could take over. His performance determines that he's more than fit for the role.
- Mall Santa: Henry's seasonal job, which he's fired from after showing up drunk.
- Mean Boss: Mr. Dundee, until his Heel–Face Turn at the end.
- Motive Rant: While he takes full responsibility for showing up to work drunk and tells Dundee that he's completely justified in firing him, Henry goes on a long tirade to point out why he drinks in the first place, since between the endless commercialization of the holiday season and his own personal situation as a broke alcoholic, he feels that Christmas used to mean more than rampant consumerism:
Henry: I find of late that I have very little choice in the matter of expressing emotions. I can either drink or I can weep. And drinking is so much more subtle. (...) As for my insubordination, I was not rude to that woman. Someone should remind her that Christmas is more than barging up and down department store aisles and pushing people out of the way! (...) Someone has to tell her that Christmas is another thing finer than that. Richer, finer, truer. And it should come with patience and love, charity, compassion. That's what I would have told her if you'd given me the chance.
Dundee: Well, how philosophical, Mr. Corwin. Now, perhaps as your parting word, you can tell us how we can go about living up to these wondrous yule standards, which you have so graciously laid down for us.
Henry: I don't know how to tell you, Mr. Dundee. I don't know at all. All I know is that I'm an aging, purposeless relic of another time, and I live in a dirty rooming house on a street filled with hungry kids and shabby people, where the only thing that comes down the chimney on Christmas Eve is more poverty! (...) Do you know another reason why I drink, Mr. Dundee? So that when I walk down the tenements, I can really think it's the North Pole, and the children are elves and that I'm really Santa Claus, bringing them a bag of wondrous gifts for all of them! I just wish, Mr. Dundee, on one Christmas - only one! That I could see some of the hopeless ones, and the dreamless ones... just on one Christmas - I'd like to see the meek inherit the Earth. And that's why I drink, Mr. Dundee. (sniffs, voice breaking) And that's why I weep.
- Never My Fault: Defied when Henry gets fired. He makes some good points about the behavior of Spoiled Brat Percival's mother and society as a whole, but he fully accepts responsibility for showing up to work drunk and sincerely apologizes.
- Nice Guy: Henry finds a magic bag that can produce any goodies asked of it, and immediately seeks to share the wealth. His unselfishness and ability to turn the other cheek are what prove that he's truly a man who can step up to the role of Santa Claus.
- Nothing Personal: Henry gives gifts to everyone, including Mr. Dundee, who fired him, and Officer Flaherty, who arrests him.
- The Remake: This episode was remade for The Twilight Zone (1985).
- Santa's Existence Clause: A variation. Henry is content to adopt the role of Santa, but no one can believe he didn't just steal the gifts in his magic bag. The bag turns out to be the real deal, and Corwin himself becomes Santa in the end.
- Secret Test of Character: Corwin finds a Bag of Holding that can produce any present a person could want. Instead of taking anything for himself, he starts distributing toys and gifts to everyone, including the police officer who arrests him on suspicion of theft. In the end, he says that he wants nothing in the bag for himself, only to do the exact same thing every year. This qualifies him for the position of Santa Claus, as one elf cheerily notes when inviting him to ride in his sleigh.
- Selfless Wish: When asked what he wants for Christmas, Henry answers that he just wants to do it all again next year, and every year after that.
- Snowy Sleigh Bells: Officer Flaherty and Mr. Dundee are treated to this near the conclusion, watching as "Santa" flies over the neighborhood.
- True Meaning of Christmas: Henry gives a moving speech about how Christmas should be about more than the commercialized busyness that comes with the holiday. It should be about the spirit of giving and sharing and kindness.
- Tuckerization: Henry Corwin is named after the writer Norman Corwin.
- Video Inside, Film Outside: This is the second one of the six episodes recorded on videotape instead of film in order to reduce costs.
- Wham Line: A cheery elf calls out to Henry and says, "We've been waiting for you for quite a while, Santa Claus." He needs a moment to register it, tap her shoulder to realize she's real, and to mount his new sleigh.
- What You Are in the Dark: Henry finds a Bag of Holding that can give people anything they want. He uses it to distribute gifts and make the people in his shabby neighborhood happy. Burt even points out at the end that Henry chose nothing for himself, to which Henry says that being a gift-giver was the greatest present of all, and he only wishes he can do it every year. Cue a sleigh appearing in the alley, with an elf greeting him.
- When the Clock Strikes Twelve: The bag runs out of gifts at the final stroke of midnight.
- Wisdom from the Gutter: Henry, in spades. He's a poor drunk that everyone looks down on, but he has a far greater understanding of society.
Rod Serling: A word to the wise to all the children of the twentieth century, whether their concern be pediatrics or geriatrics, whether they crawl on hands and knees and wear diapers or walk with a cane and comb their beards. There's a wondrous magic to Christmas and there's a special power reserved for little people. In short, there's nothing mightier than the meek... and a merry Christmas to each and all.
