The actress from this legendary Twilight Zone episode appeared on many classic shows

Christine White was not just the wife of William Shatner in "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet."

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There's a good chance that if you ask fans of The Twilight Zone, "What's one episode of the series that scared you the most?" they'll say, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet." The episode became one of the most popular in the horror anthology genre and is among the highest-rated on IMDb.

It's centered around Bob Wilson (William Shatner), a man who recovered from a nervous breakdown and was flying home with his wife, Julia Wilson, played by Christine White. Bob sees a monster damaging the plane and tries to warn others, but no one else can see it.

Although supporting William Shatner's character is her most known role, Christine White had a 24-year-long career that included being on over 50 classic television shows.

She studied English at the University of North Carolina and began acting in stage productions. White decided to further her education and got a master's degree in speech and drama. Once she was finished with school, the actress relocated to California.

White got her first role in the 1952 anthology drama The Web on the season two episode "Second Chance." Over half of her appearances on shows were between 1951 and 1964.

She could be seen in episodes of Bonanza ("Badge Without Honor" as Mariette Blaine), Have Gun - Will Travel ("The O'Hare Story" as Myra Ritchie & "Road To Wickenburg" as Susan Evans), The Rifleman ("The Visitor" as Ann Dodd), and The Fugitive ("The Iron Maiden" as Susan Lait), to name a few.

She was also cast in three episodes of Perry Mason: "The Case of the Blushing Pearls," "The Case of the Curious Bride," and "The Case of the Demure Defendant."

With a resume this impressive, White was able to snag a role in The Twilight Zone episode "The Prime Mover" as Kitty Cavanaugh before she got cast as Julia in "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet."

She also starred in a few horror and musical drama films.

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9 Comments

WhiteRook 21 months ago
The TZ episode "Nightmare at 20,000 feet" was also updated into "Twilight Zone the Movie" with John Lithgow in the William Shatner role. Several years later on a episode of "Third Rock from the Sun" Lithgow meets Shatner at the local airport and in a "Tongue in Cheek" they both exclaim their bad experience on a airplane flight. "Chuckle,Chuckle"
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MrsPhilHarris 21 months ago
Question about the TZ episode. Is that gremlin on the wing or is it in his mind? 🤔
Lantern MrsPhilHarris 21 months ago
Well, at the end when the plane landed and they carted William Shatner away, you can see the pried-up piece on top of the wing. Something did that.🤔
cperrynaples Lantern 21 months ago
"I'm the only one who knows...for now!" Rod Serling's closing confirms it: IT WAS NOT A DREAM!!
MrsPhilHarris Lantern 21 months ago
Oh I see. Thanks!
Catman 21 months ago
And the monster? He was played by Nick Cravat (ne Cuccia) who was a close friend of Burt Lancaster. Here is a pic of a very young Lancaster with NC courtesy of Wikipedia:
cperrynaples Catman 21 months ago
I never believed he was a threat in that episode, he looked like something out of a Svenghoulie movie...LOL!
Runeshaper 21 months ago
Sounds like a very talented woman.
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