THE TWONKY-1953-While his wife is away philosophy teacher Carey West (Hans Conried) sees his life turned upside down by his new TV set. It starts off by lighting his pipe and cigarettes and eventually gets him involved with The US Treasury! It walks around his house and cleans up, opens coke bottles and even gives him a shave and shines his shoes, eventually running (and ruining) his whole life. The weird and kind of annoying college football coach (William H. Lynn) tries to help out and the TV (now dubbed Twonky) hypnotizes them.
Writer/producer/director Arch Oboler was behind THE TWONKY. He was best known for creating the radio series “Lights Out!” and made around a dozen movies between 1945-1972 including the post nuclear war themed FIVE and BWANA DEVIL (the first feature length 3-D movie).
Although this comedy/satire seems ripe for cult status I was disappointed. It’s dated and not very well made and the acting is pretty bland despite Conried in the lead. He’d star in another cult classic the same year though, THE 5000 FINGERS OF DR. T.
RIP-Irene Kaelin-1921-2010
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