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Robert Redford played handsome, gentle Death in an unforgettable ''Twilight Zone''
"There was an old woman who lived in a room. And, like all of us, was frightened of the dark."
"You see? No shock! No englufment. No tearing asunder... What you feared would come like an explosion is like a whisper. What you thought was the end— the beginning!"
"Nothing in the Dark" is the 16th episode in Season 3 of The Twilight Zone. Filmed in 1962 as part of the show's second season, it was held for broadcast until the following year, in addition to another memorable episode, "The Grave."
Featuring Gladys Cooper as an elderly woman, "Nothing in the Dark" tells the story of Wanda Dunn, who is anxiously and frightfully awaiting death. In her old age, she's seen fate come for her friends in many forms, wearing many faces. Wanda is wary of the wounded police officer, Harold Beldon, who collapses in front of her apartment, begging for her help after he's shot during an altercation.
Wanda's pity outweighs her alarm, and she relents, letting the handsome young officer inside to recover. The two strike a convivial rapport, as Wanda tells the young man all about her fears. She overcomes her reluctance after touching the police officer. When she doesn't die, she's convinced that he can't be death.
However, as time passes, Wanda realizes she's mistaken. She doesn't see him in the mirror and realizes that the young police officer must, in fact, be the reaper come to take her away. As it dawns on her, Wanda's terror returns, and she's upset she's allowed herself to be tricked.
Finally— and this is where Redford is at his best— Death announces himself, not as some ghostly visage, but as a kindly guide, tenderly revealing to Wanda that he had to set up the trick to gain her trust. With a charming smile, he explains that he means her no harm and warmly eases her fears.
Death takes Wanda's hand, and before she recognizes a change, she sees her own dead body, and knows the change has happened without her even knowing. She and Death walk up the stairs and into the sunlight.
Very few actors could so convincingly portray Death this way. Redford has the presence to embody the grand character, but it's his charisma that makes him the perfect actor to shepherd Wanda to the other side.
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