Jess-Belle - Twilight-Tober Zone

This story of love and witchcraft is a more nuanced trip into The Twilight Zone with the line blurred between protagonist and antagonist. Does this episode have enough juice for a re-watch? Join Walter as he discusses "Jess-Belle" in the Twilight-Tober Zone.
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"Jess-Belle" is an episode of the American television science fiction and fantasy anthology series The Twilight Zone. In this episode, a young woman, whose name sounds like "Jezebel", spurned by the man she loves, becomes a witch in order to make him love her.
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[@ChannelAwesome]

Everyone wish Walter a Happy Birthday!!!!!!!! Watch the new NC here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHbbdJSjp9GsY6ssi=BXyoOQyd2cy9j-le Watch more Twilight-Tober Zone here - bit.ly/TwilightToberZone Follow us on Twitch - www.twitch.tv/channelawesome

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

HAPPY Birthday Walter! And love this month 🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤

[@Oppeldeldoc1]

Happy Birthday

[@TramiNguyen-oi3kp]

Happy Birthday, Walter!

[@brendakrieger7000]

Happy Birthday🥳🎈

[@slyfox2022]

Aaayyyyeeee Happy Birthday Walter! Mine is in a couple of weeks, October babies rule!

[@trinaq]

You have to pity Jess Belle, despite her being a villain. She paid the price for love, literally losing her soul in the process.

[@smiththeinspiringanimator7042]

Agreed.

[@geoffreyfyfe2248]

As Hamner himself said, all she wanted was to be loved. But in his words, "It goes back to Faust; if you sell your soul, forget it."

[@cherylcampbell9369]

Jess Belle had very few options.

[@Headpfones]

I agree, I don’t condone what she did, I just empathize. First Billy treats her like a weekend fling then the next time she sees him is at the engagement party and he wonders why Jess Bell isn’t jumping up and down for him

[@AlexKaneROTN]

​@@geoffreyfyfe2248ah, the Faustian Bargain reference. 😉

[@ragejoona431]

This is a fairy tale like episode. It feels like a piece of folk lore that got started with a real life event and after centuries of re-telling transformed into a fantasy tale with witches and sorcery.

[@angbandsbane]

Crew big brass: "Why is the leopard so docile?! We need to get shots of it being vicious, mean, a real maneater!" Crew that actually have to work with it: "...We're not complaining!"

[@random22026]

Earl Hamner came to our high school's career day, addressing students interested in becoming writers. He was, at that moment, best known as the writer/creator of The Waltons television series. Interesting to find his presence in The Twilight Zone; unusual name for the fiance/love interest, also: Elwyn.

[@trinaq]

Even before Jess-Belle was turned into a witch, she didn't seem to understand that Billy Ben truly loved his fiancée, and not just because of her pretty face. Also, it's likely not a coincidence that her name sounds like Jezebel!

[@melissacooper8724]

I thought I was the only one who made the connection!

[@kilroywashere513]

That’s probably implied💁🏻‍♂.

[@cherylcampbell9369]

She also did not understand why Billy Ben would have passionate romance with her, then just dump her?

[@melissacooper8724]

​@@cherylcampbell9369He sounds like a jerk to me the way he did Jess-Belle before he got with Elly!

[@jinpei05]

Lmao yes that was the gag. Very perceptive.

[@wstine79]

I believe Jesse-Belle should have let him be happy and find someone else. Having to deal with a curse isn't worth true love or at least a crush.

[@AlexKaneROTN]

Yeah well, young women aren't exactly the wisest beings on the planet.

[@cherylcampbell9369]

I was born in '57, so was pretty young when this aired. But it stayed with me forever. It is not my fav, but it was the most haunting. And it made me think about the good girl/ bad girl dichotomy (i was/am an odd kid) very very early. Between this role, and Ann Franicis' turn as Honey West, she really did make a lasting impact on this non-barbie girl.

[@moonlitmortician6694]

Gotta love how in the middle of this dark, gripping story, there’s just an overgrown house cat chilling in the back.

[@trinaq]

Happy Birthday, Walter, thanks for always blessing us with a new Twilight Tober Zone episode daily! 🥳

[@MCDexpo]

Though both of the female leads would now be old enough to be my mother's grandmother, they are absolutely freaking beautiful

[@belafeldbusch3397]

The Leopard is just chilling in all its shots it’s so cute 😂😂

[@Barkerfam6]

This is one of my top 5 favorite episodes! I can’t wait to watch this review! Happy Twilight-tober everyone!🖤 PS: Happy Birthday Walter🎉

[@leoncaw326]

This is one of my favorite episodes. My childhood imagination was entranced by the thought of someone becoming a leopard. I was just getting into werewolves, and this was so much more interesting.

[@MinimumEffortMedia]

This has been such a great rewatch series. It’s a great way to revisit the Twilight Zone. I used to watch the show only in marathons usually around new year’s. I’m going to miss it when it’s over.

[@KyleRobots]

I remember when they ran the hour long Twilight Zones on MeTV, about the only one they played any distinct audio from was the Witch saying 'In the Midnight hour...' for when you could watch it. Good clip to get you interested. Wish they played them more.

[@RegginaldRiglet]

Happiest and saddest part of October. We don’t ever get more of these. So well produced, informed, and lovingly reviewed.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

LOVE this month and happy Birthday Walter 🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤

[@tremorsfan]

The scene when Ellwyn starts speaking with Jesse-Belle's voice is one of the scariest scenes I've seen.

[@shenloken2]

If you strike a deal with a witch or any other magical being and they’re purposely vague on what the payment is; it’s probably best to pass on it….or at least rethink the offer.

[@louisduarte8763]

Billy was smart, then, to pay with cold-hard cash up front.

[@wordforger]

Yes indeed.

[@Trek2539]

One of my favorite episodes. I liked the down home feel with the close knit rural community.

[@Nasser851000]

Happy Birthday to our Twilight-Tober Host With The Most ;)

[@CrypticCharm]

i feel sympathy for Jess-Belle, she thought she could be the one for Billy Ben, but lost her soul in the process, also her name is similar to Jezebel, which is also the name of a Bette Davies film, where she loses the love of her life to another woman because of her own actions, and in the end when he falls ill will yellow fever, sacrifices herself to go with him, even though she'll likely die too, she'll be remembered as a maytre to love, and making a noble sacrifice. in a way, she (Julie in the film Jezebel) will be remembered as a matyre to love, and her soul in the community restored. Jess-Belle won't get the same sympathy. of she's remembered, it will be a cautionary tale to scare children

[@jamesgarrett8833]

Happy Birthday 🥳 🎂, Walter you amazing KZbinr. You have blessed us all these years with the Twilight Tober Zone. Keep doing what your man 🫡

[@ericjanssen394]

Earl Hamner delivered some truly thin and generic S5 episodes when he tried to do standard ones, eg. Black Leather Jackets. But keep him down-home on Walton Mountain, and he could deliver some wonderfully atmospheric bits of Appalachian flavor, like The Hunt.

[@geoffreyfyfe2248]

Hamner's S5 episodes are quite hit and miss, but yes, he was best when drawing on his own experiences. Write what you know, after all.

[@ericjanssen394]

@@geoffreyfyfe2248 The Witchin’ Pool has all the makings of a lame S5 Hamner episode where you can see the ending from the opening premise, but once the kids are in that down-home Neverland, Hamner’s back in his comfortable territory.

[@Torgo-and-the-Lucifer-Cat]

Nice little review. I just wanted to add that Jeanette Nolan also played a similar witch character in the series Night Gallery. It's very good

[@geoffreyfyfe2248]

I think in that one she's trying to steal the body of her niece or something similar.

[@Torgo-and-the-Lucifer-Cat]

@@geoffreyfyfe2248 the episode is called since Aunt Ada came to stay and it starred a real husband-and-wife team and the only thing that can stop her from taking over his wife's body is a sacred green Carnation and he is warned about this by Jonathan Harris who played dr. Smith in Lost in Space LOL

[@lisahagerman1587]

I first saw this on TV on a cold winter night!! Perfect atmosphere!!!

[@rainyfeathers9148]

Naive is too charitable, why do another woman so dirty for literally nothing? She got a crappy power that got her hunted and the spellbound love of a guy... that never loved her. It's a 'But why?' episode but I'm glad Ellie got her happy ending🤗

[@yoda908]

Werecats actually exist in folklore. Most people associate shapeshifting with werewolves but there are other variations that are less common. For example in Africa there is a folk tale about a Nunda which is a variation of therianthrope. Even Asai has their own werecat variation. The silver bullet may be associated with the werecat in some parts of the world or it could be something someone assumed was associated with werecats. But witches turning into cats is also part of folklore in parts of the world.

[@jamesgarrett8833]

“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”. Jess-Belle sold her soul to Satan to get back her lover and went as far to kill Ben Turner’s new girlfriend. What comes around goes around. The bill alway comes to a high price to pay

[@miroslavtomic7038]

Not only is this the only episode without ending narration, but it also the only episode in which Twilight Zone is mentioned more than once in opening narration, being said both at start and the end of narration.

[@ImADeity]

That leopard was a sleepy boy

[@cherylcampbell9369]

Probably sedated.

[@ImADeity]

@@cherylcampbell9369 potato, class action lawsuit

[@Lampironstudios215]

happy birthday walter

[@angbandsbane]

I'm not sure I've ever heard of silver being used against witches specifically either, but I wouldn't be surprised. In the past, silver was thought to be solidified light, so I could see it being viewed as holy in general as such.

[@pierre-mariecaulliez6285]

Silver is considered more of an anti-evil thing in general. For instance, the reason vampires don't have a reflexion is because mirrors were laced with silver back then... Before a cheaper material was found ;7

[@julieporter7805]

Another one of my favorite episodes. Jess-Belle makes an intriguing antiheroic protagonist that gives the viewer alternating suspicion and understanding. She is among my favorite female characters in the whole series.

[@cinthia9602]

My favorite Twilight Zone episode so far.

[@lens_hunter]

Granny rolling over on Jess for money is straight cold blooded.

[@miroslavtomic7038]

Jeanette Nolan and Virginia Gregg appear in this episode. Three years earlier, they both voiced character Norma Bates in Psycho.

[@WebGhost69]

Happy birthday, Walter!

[@詩遥]

I quite like that Jesse Belle is portrayed as a sympathetic character. What she does isn't necessarily right, but it's easy to feel for her. Especially if you've been in her shoes.

[@pamelacurl8342]

This episode is perfect. One of my favorites.

[@jacksampsonforever]

I loved this one, Killer performances all around.

[@kirakiryu1020]

Never been this early in my life.

[@miroslavtomic7038]

Supposedly, this episode was meant to have closing narration by Serling, but he was unavailable for shooting it on that day and they just decided to not do it at all.

[@claytonrios1]

This reminds me of a Jim Ross quote. "She's pretty for a jezebel!"

[@seabreeze9296]

For those of you who thought the actor playing Billy-Ben looked slightly familiar, you may know him better as Roscoe P. Coltrane from The Dukes of Hazard

[@aidanhever3369]

Moral of the Story: If you made a deal with a shady person who told you a price that is a riddle about something valuable, don't accept it. Tell it to go to hell. And run for the hills, before it steals your soul.

[@wstine79]

Happy birthday, Walter! 🎂 🥳

[@louisduarte8763]

3:54 Yeah, cryptic riddles instead of straight answers to reasonable questions are a deal breaker. 5:34 So, like any other house cat, but bigger. 6:10 But a black panther is a jaguar or leopard with all black fur. Oh, and Happy birthday, Walter!

[@JusticeOutlaw]

Happy birthday Walter and great review too I like this episode and I would recommend to my friends

[@missusmoon3867]

My fav TZ quote "Give him a witch's love."

[@Jordan3DS]

Happy Birthday Walter!

[@miroslavtomic7038]

In this episode Jeanette Nolan plays a character that gives main character a love potion so she can win over her love. This is strikiningly similar to Season 1 episode The Chaser, which co-stared John McIntire as Professor A. Daemon, who plays the same role as Granny Hart does in this episode. McIntire and Nolan were real life husband and wife for 56 years, until McIntire's death in 1991. Their children were actors Holly and Tim McIntire.

[@theresacherco3503]

Happy birthday Walter I think seeing this episode

[@Stonecutter334]

The best hour episode by far

[@sarysa]

This one stops out pretty well, plus despite Jess being a complex character it definitely felt 1960s in its attitudes towards witches. Compared to today it's like we're an alien culture. I doubt many episodes period can compare to The Hunt. I'm more of a cat person but that one still gives the warm furry feels.

[@zachariahjonahmaldonado5897]

I love how they said f it and went full fantasy for this one. Didn't even get a narration at the end, making it an oddity among oddities.

[@CaptainCJ97]

The leopard looked so chill. Also happy bday

[@kaos2405]

Love it. Well done. Jess-Belle is a fun episode.

[@Ryu_D]

Thank you for the video.

[@esteemedmortal5917]

Screw the love triangle, I’d jump straight to the were-leopard power!

[@AM-cv9fi]

forget the guy gimme the potion! i get to be a leopard and a witch, no down side here just gotta be careful at night to not get hunted

[@wstine79]

It looks like misguided crushes always turn people into animals both literally and figuratively.

[@damaruslove8688]

This was mine and my grandma 👵 favorite episode

[@MinutesFromVegas]

Happy Birthday Walter. Thanks for being the best part of October next to the candy

[@arielfangirlmendez]

Today is your birthday walter and i really like your twilight-tober zone review, your top five power rangers episodes and your bat may reviews

[@cherylcampbell9369]

I have been looking forward to this one.

[@HarvestStore]

Great video.

[@melissacooper8724]

I just realized that the name Jess-Belle is a play on the name Jezebel, the evil queen and wife of King Ahab!

[@karrihart1]

I can't feel sorry for Billy. He was going to marry Jess-Belle and dumped her for Ellie. He didn't think there was going to be any repercussions or consequences?

[@princessangel821]

Exactly. And had the situation been the other way around, and Jess had up and left him for another guy, I bet he'd be just as hurt and angry.

[@karrihart1]

@@princessangel821 Too bad it didn’t end with her tearing Billy to pieces in her leopard form.

[@YingFaDono]

What’s the background music for this episode? Super good!

[@Sawlon]

Another one that scared me as a kid.

[@shainewhite2781]

Thanks for the video!! See you later!! Stay safe.😊

[@brianfuller757]

Jeanette Nolan was amazing in this episode and was an amazing actress. It's a great episode.

[@MelancoliaI]

This is some good TZ, justifying the longer run-time. It felt more cinematic.

[@MelancoliaI]

Pretty much every small town had the 'witchy woman' like Granny Hart. Somebody's got to carry on the legacy

[@brendakrieger7000]

Cool episode!

[@fobwatchful]

Comments like "fire in me" and "it still burns" reminds me of June Carter's song *Ring of Fire* , I wonder if this episode inspired it.

[@TramiNguyen-oi3kp]

I love this The Twilight Zone episode!

[@adiahaalexander9359]

I just can't feel sorry for Jess Belle. She was trying to force someone to love her.

[@DanBrizuela]

I could see this as its own movie

[@jabbarmuhammad8804]

It's like a witch's tale for the zone

[@TheCreepypro]

an interesting tale from the zone

[@silvertwist6757]

I kinda enjoyed this episode

[@saphirawinters7028]

Yay!!!! This episode is my favorite.

[@ladyalmathea7610]

I understand that while loving someone itself isn't a crime, but trying to force someone to love you back at any cost is. Jess-Belle should have just moved on with her life, because while a broken heart can take a long time to heal again, it's never impossible.

[@princessangel821]

Am I the only one that thought Billy Ben was the messed up one in this situation? Yes i agree Jess Belle should have let it be at that point. At the same time tho, he ran around with Jess and then up and proposed to another girl like it was no big deal. Of course Jess would be hurt, i dont blame her. And got the other girl wrapped up in this nonsense by default. Idk, i feel like he should get the majority of the blame here.

[@cherylcampbell9369]

True. But no one thinks about that. Mess around passionately with the bad girl, callously dump her for the respectable girl. This episode is really good.

[@DesignIncase]

It's likely there is more to the story but Jess Belle is biased due to her perspective. Guy wasn't in love with her and she couldn't accept it. Doesn't give her the right to turn him into a slave.

[@nateds7326]

I only watched the whole series a few months ago, wnd im gonna be honest that I only remember vague memories of blue grass and barns regarding this episode.

[@miroslavtomic7038]

Anne Francis and James Best previously appeared together in sci fi classic Forbidden Planet.

[@donaldbollman1049]

I love it. But I love Faustian tales. Examples: The Devil and Daniel Webster, Bedazzled, Cabin in the Sky.

[@meganshaw1949]

I don’t remember any other Twilight Zone episode in dealing with a human’s inner animal sexual energy. It kind of reminds me just a bit like the original Wolfman mixed with a plot from Bewitched.

[@troperhghar9898]

In another version of the episode jessbelle would turn into a leopard and eat billyben

[@ManOnHorizon]

Fun fact: Quentin Tarantino and Laurence Bender met reach other visiting James Best's acting class, and mr. Orange being nervous getting undercover confuses Anne Francis to be portraying Christy Love discussed in the vehicle (totally random shot considering the time range). Coincidence?)

[@kelleyceccato7025]

The Twilight Zone is one of my favorite shows of all time, but I wish it had more memorable female protagonists. In too many of the female-led stories, the heroines don't really have much personality to them; those hoping for a female equivalent to the likes of Henry Bemis (Time Enough at Last), Lew Bookman (One for the Angels), Martin Sloan (Walking Distance), Gart Williams (A Stop at Willoughby), Gregory West (A World of His Own), Henry Corwin (Night of the Meek), Romney Wordsworth (The Obsolete Man), Charles Whitley (Kick the Can), and Ellis Fowler (The Changing of the Guard) -- all remarkable heroes, each waging his own war against the forces of conformity and oppression -- will mostly find themselves disappointed. Among the women who get their own showcase episodes, only three stand out for me as having interesting and memorable personalities: Janet Tyler (Eye of the Beholder), Marilyn (Number Twelve Looks Just Like You -- the character who comes closest to matching the heroes listed above in her own battle with the world), and Jess-Belle, a welcome example of an anti-heroine. I can't help finding myself rooting for her, not because she's "better" than the rather generic good girl Elly but because she's so much more intriguing.

[@gregorytyson995]

Pat Carter in Nick Of Time, Marsha White in The After Hours and Norma in The Midnight Sun.

[@kelleyceccato7025]

@@gregorytyson995 I do like Pat's character, but I thought of her more as a supporting character than as a protagonist. But while Anne Francis gives a good performance in The After Hours, the fact that she doesn't have a fully-formed identity is part of the point; I mean, why would she? I might need to give The Midnight Sun another look; it's been a long while since I watched it.

[@cherylcampbell9369]

Ida Lupino directed two episodes.

[@kelleyceccato7025]

@@cherylcampbell9369 "The Masks" is brilliant.

[@cherylcampbell9369]

Ann Francis was Honey West just a few years later. Honey West had a pet ocelot named Bruce.

[@connorthompson8376]

I’m sure they used some real folklore surrounding witches, including the transformation into animals, but the silver thing is probably just reusing the trope that comes from vampires and werewolves. Then again, I’m not exactly sure.

[@soakingbook]

I see that Lee Van Cleef makes an appearance as well (not to be confused with Van Cleave).

[@guilhemdejef]

Thanks for the video, what is the background music ? Can't find it elsewhere !

[@goldenfiberwheat238]

3:26 ugh I hate dialogue like that. People don’t talk like that. Like we get it, the person who wrote it has a theater degree. I think the worst example of dialogue like that is in fallout 4 when cait is talking about how she killed her parents and then after shes done she says “there you go. The entire package known as cait stripped bare for you parasol” seriously who talks like that especially when they’re super emotional

[@richewilson6394]

They probably worried that the panther would be too dark against the black and white filmography.