The Twilight Zone: Season 1 Episode 3 Mr. Denton on Doomsday
A town drunk gets a sudden second chance in life.
Series Index
Characters/Groups
Henry J. Fate - Malcolm Atterbury
Character thumbnails with links to profiles
Detailed Synopsis
Al Denton is thrown out of Dalton Saloon. Henry J. Fate watches as Dan Hotaling walks outside with his posse and pours whiskey on Al's head and offers to give him a bottle of whiskey if he sings a song. Al starts to sing and Liz asks Charlie to stop Dan hassling Al. Al finishes the song and Dan smashes the bottle and throws it at him. Liz walks out of the saloon and stares at Al in a disappointing manner and he falls to the ground in shame. Henry walks past Al and a gun appears near him. Al wakes up and sees the gun next to him on the ground and picks it up. Liz sees Al and the gun in his hand and asks him about it. She recalls Al being a good gunfighter in the past and Al explains he hasn't held a gun in years. She asks him why he drinks so much and he tells her, he just got into the habit of it. Dan and his posse walk outside the saloon and he offers Al a drink if he sings the song How Dry I Am again. Al sings the song and as Al walks up to the saloon to get his drink, Dan notices the gun he is holding. Dan challenges Al to a gunfight and both Liz and Charlie try to get Dan to stop. Al tries to avoid the fight and in the process randomly fires the gun, hitting Dan in his shooting wrist. Charlie and Man congratulate Al as he walks into the saloon. Dan walks into the saloon and again challenges Al and Al accidentally shoots the chandelier, causing it to fall on Dan. Man offers to buy Al a drink and calls him Mr. Denton, which makes Al feel good, and he rejects the drink. Dan tries to block Al's way out of the bar and Al slaps him. Al tells Liz that he used to be such a good gunfighter that everyday someone challenged him to the point he started drinking earlier and earlier in the day until one day when he shot and killed a teenage boy. He tells her that he expects that now, more people will challenge him to a gunfight until he dies. Later, Leader walks into Al's room and tells him Pete Grant is challenging him to a duel at 10 tomorrow night. The next day, Al practices shooting, but is terrible. He packs his things to leave and hears Henry's carriage outside. He talks to Henry who offers to give him an elixir that will improve his shooting for 10 seconds. Al takes a sample and his shooting is improved. He accepts another elixir and Henry explains when to use it. Shortly before 10, Pete rides up to the saloon. He invites Al to draw his gun, but pauses when he notices Al drinking the elixir and Al notices Pete has a similar elixir bottle. They draw and both of them manage to shoot each other's shooting hand. A Doctor walks over and declares that neither Al pr Pete will ever be able to shoot with that hand. Al tells Pete that they have both been blessed and Pete leaves the saloon. He shows Leader his hand and glances at Henry and leaves.