Gilligan’s Professor Russell Johnson Took Two Twilight Zone Trips Through Time
Two visits to The Twilight Zone
Johnson appeared in “Execution,” the 26th episode of the first season, and “Back There,” the 13th episode of the second season. The episodes aired a little more than nine months apart.
Both explore time travel, but in different ways. In the first, Johnson’s character enables another person’s journey through time; in the second, his character makes the trip himself.
A scientist brings back a killer
In “Execution,” Johnson plays Professor Manion, a supporting character who uses a time machine to transport Joe Caswell from the 1800s to the 1960s. Albert Salmi plays Caswell, a mass murderer facing the gallows.
Manion does not know about Caswell’s crimes at first. He notices marks from a rope around Caswell’s neck, and Caswell tells him that he killed more than 20 men.
A journey to Lincoln’s assassination
In “Back There,” Johnson takes the lead as Peter Corrigan, a member of an exclusive Washington, D.C., club. During a card game, Corrigan argues with friends that major events in history cannot be changed.
After leaving the club, he feels lightheaded and finds himself in 1865 on April 14, the day President Abraham Lincoln was shot. Corrigan rushes to Ford’s Theatre, hoping to warn authorities and stop the assassination.
Johnson praised both stories
Johnson told the Archive of American Television that he was proud to have appeared in the science-fiction series. He called the episodes wonderful and said they still hold up.
Key points
- Russell Johnson appeared in two time-travel episodes of The Twilight Zone.
- In “Execution,” he played scientist Professor Manion, who transports Joe Caswell to the 1960s.
- In “Back There,” Johnson played Peter Corrigan, who travels to April 14, 1865.
- Johnson said he was proud of both episodes and believed the stories still hold up.