Title
I Shot an Arrow into the Air
Subject
Science fiction television series
anthology
outer space--drama
Science fiction--Television Series
Description
"I Shot an Arrow into the Air," originally aired January 15, 1960, is another episode in The Twilight Zone's first season dealing with space exploration. The plot is centered on the crash landing of the "first rocket into space" and the crew's desperate attempts to survive what they believe to be an uninhabitable asteroid with no contact from ground control.
"I shot an Arrow into the Air" is another early Twilight Zone episode that does not feature or mention children exploring space. Rather, the space explorers for this episode are portrayed by men who serve in the military. While it does not directly discuss the issue of children in space, it seems to serve as an implicit deterrent based on its portrayal of space exploration. In this episode, manned space exploration is portrayed as full of unexpected dangers, as well as, impossible. As a result of these two issues, this episode makes space exploration appear tough for full grown military men to accomplish space exploration and survive let alone for children.
In this episode, space exploration is portrayed as filled with unexpected dangers. The first unexpected danger is the space explorers can lose contact with ground control, which happens only minutes after blast off. As a result of no contact, mission control concludes space travel can be unpredictable. This idea is best depicted in a phrase uttered by Langford, head of mission control, when peering out into the stars desperately wishing to regain contact with the crew. He states, "Shoot an arrow into the air, it landed I not know where. A nursery rhyme for the age of space." Another unexpected danger the crew faced was crash landing somewhere unfamiliar with no way of getting back. This danger was depicted in images of the ship bellowing smoke, debris scattered every where, and the dead crew members. With these scenes the Twilight Zone depicts space travel as dangerous, even life threatening, because of all the unexpected possibilities and unknowns.
Space exploration by humans in this episode is also portrayed as either something humans cannot accomplish, which suggests space travel as impossible. This is revealed at the end of episode when the antagonist, Officer Corey, had killed the remaining crew members for their water in order to survive on the "desolate asteroid." In a twisted sense of fate, Officer Corey actually discovered the rocket never made it out of Earth atmosphere and crash landed in a desert outside of Reno. Since the rocket was depicted as not making it out of the Earth's atmosphere, this episode may suggest humans are not ready to explore space or it is impossible. Throughout the episode, it was mentioned all efforts, four years in total, were put into this rocket as humankind's biggest attempt to explore space. However it was never portrayed as even making it into space.
With manned space exploration depicted as either impossible or technologically not ready combined with the unexpected dangers, it brings to light many concerns American's held about adult space programs. Since this seems depict the concerns of the adult space program in 1961,it is highly unlikely adults viewed children in space as an obtainable goal when the episode was aired. While it maybe acceptable to subject adult males to the risks associated with space travel, it is highly unlikely parents and other adults would subject their children to the same risks that appear difficult for adult males to over come.
"I shot an Arrow into the Air" is another early Twilight Zone episode that does not feature or mention children exploring space. Rather, the space explorers for this episode are portrayed by men who serve in the military. While it does not directly discuss the issue of children in space, it seems to serve as an implicit deterrent based on its portrayal of space exploration. In this episode, manned space exploration is portrayed as full of unexpected dangers, as well as, impossible. As a result of these two issues, this episode makes space exploration appear tough for full grown military men to accomplish space exploration and survive let alone for children.
In this episode, space exploration is portrayed as filled with unexpected dangers. The first unexpected danger is the space explorers can lose contact with ground control, which happens only minutes after blast off. As a result of no contact, mission control concludes space travel can be unpredictable. This idea is best depicted in a phrase uttered by Langford, head of mission control, when peering out into the stars desperately wishing to regain contact with the crew. He states, "Shoot an arrow into the air, it landed I not know where. A nursery rhyme for the age of space." Another unexpected danger the crew faced was crash landing somewhere unfamiliar with no way of getting back. This danger was depicted in images of the ship bellowing smoke, debris scattered every where, and the dead crew members. With these scenes the Twilight Zone depicts space travel as dangerous, even life threatening, because of all the unexpected possibilities and unknowns.
Space exploration by humans in this episode is also portrayed as either something humans cannot accomplish, which suggests space travel as impossible. This is revealed at the end of episode when the antagonist, Officer Corey, had killed the remaining crew members for their water in order to survive on the "desolate asteroid." In a twisted sense of fate, Officer Corey actually discovered the rocket never made it out of Earth atmosphere and crash landed in a desert outside of Reno. Since the rocket was depicted as not making it out of the Earth's atmosphere, this episode may suggest humans are not ready to explore space or it is impossible. Throughout the episode, it was mentioned all efforts, four years in total, were put into this rocket as humankind's biggest attempt to explore space. However it was never portrayed as even making it into space.
With manned space exploration depicted as either impossible or technologically not ready combined with the unexpected dangers, it brings to light many concerns American's held about adult space programs. Since this seems depict the concerns of the adult space program in 1961,it is highly unlikely adults viewed children in space as an obtainable goal when the episode was aired. While it maybe acceptable to subject adult males to the risks associated with space travel, it is highly unlikely parents and other adults would subject their children to the same risks that appear difficult for adult males to over come.
Creator
Sterling, Rod
Director:Rosenberg, Stuart
Author of Story: Champion, Madelon
Source
The Twilight Zone: season one
Publisher
CBS DVD
Distributed exclusively by Image Entertainment.
Date
1960-01-15
Contributor
Olle Larson
Rights
CBS Studios
Fair Use
Relation
"I Shot an Arrow into the Air" is the fifteenth episode of The Twilight Zone season one.
Format
jpeg
Language
English
Type
Moving Image
Identifier
LC: PN1992.77
Dewey: 791.45/75
Coverage
1960
United States
Original Format
Still image from a scene in the television show the Twilight Zone, episode "I Shot an Arrow into the Air." The picture is of the rocket that never made it out of the Earth's atmosphere and crash landed.
Physical Dimensions
5.12 by 9.86 inches