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Nightmare at 20,000 Feet

Episode aired Oct 11, 1963
TV-PG
25m

IMDb RATING

9.0/10

5.8K

YOUR RATING

William Shatner and Nick Cravat in The Twilight Zone (1959)

Drama Fantasy Horror Mystery Sci-Fi Thriller

A man, newly recovered from a nervous breakdown, becomes convinced that a monster only he sees is damaging the plane he's flying in.A man, newly recovered from a nervous breakdown, becomes convinced that a monster only he sees is damaging the plane he's flying in.A man, newly recovered from a nervous breakdown, becomes convinced that a monster only he sees is damaging the plane he's flying in.

Director
- Richard Donner
Writers
- Richard Matheson
- Rod Serling
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

9.0/10

5.8K

YOUR RATING

Director
- Richard Donner
Writers
- Richard Matheson
- Rod Serling
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos54

+ 48

Top cast8

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William Shatner

Bob Wilson

Christine White

Julia Wilson

Ed Kemmer

Flight Engineer
(as Edward Kemmer)

Asa Maynor

Stewardess

Leon Alton

Passenger
(uncredited)

David Armstrong

Passenger
(uncredited)

Nick Cravat

Gremlin
(uncredited)

Rod Serling

Narrator
(uncredited)
…

Director
- Richard Donner
Writers
- Richard Matheson
- Rod Serling
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Writer Richard Matheson said he was mostly pleased with Twilight Zone's version of his short story - except for the gremlin. He'd conceived it as a dark, creepy and nearly-invisible humanoid figure. "But this thing," he complained, "looked more like a panda bear."

Goofs
Rain can be seen trickling straight down Bob's window, indicating that the "plane" is not moving. In flight the rain would be blown straight back. At the speed these old planes flew, you would only see tiny trickles of water, even in very heavy rainstorms.

Quotes
[last lines]
Narrator: [Closing Narration] The flight of Mr. Robert Wilson has ended now, a flight not only from point A to point B, but also from the fear of recurring mental breakdown. Mr. Wilson has that fear no longer, though, for the moment, he is, as he has said, alone in this assurance. Happily, his conviction will not remain isolated too much longer, for happily, tangible manifestation is very often left as evidence of trespass, even from so intangible a quarter as The Twilight Zone.

Connections
Featured in American Masters: Rod Serling: Submitted for Your Approval (1995)

Soundtracks
Twilight Zone Theme
(theme song)
Composed by Marius Constant
(seasons 2-5)

User reviews43

Review

Featured review

10/10

Horror On A Plane

William Shatner stars as Bob Wilson, recently released from psychiatric care after a nervous breakdown, and now taking an airliner back home with his wife(played by Christine White). Bob seems cured, but becomes alarmed when he sees to his horror a big furry creature on the wing, tearing part of it off! Frightened that the plane may crash, he desperately tries to convince anyone of this happening, but of course he isn't believed, and in fact begins to wonder if poor Bob is having another breakdown... Well-remembered and regarded episode is at least worthy of that distinction, being quite suspenseful and entertaining, with a knockout performance by Shatner and an effective climax and close.