The Twilight Zone (TV Series)

The Obsolete Man (1961)

Burgess Meredith: Romney Wordsworth

Photos 

Quotes 

• Romney Wordsworth : Chancellor.

  Chancellor : [turning back from the door]  Make it brief, Mr. Wordsworth.

  Romney Wordsworth : You have plenty of time. You're not going anywhere.

  Chancellor : How's that?

  Romney Wordsworth : I'm afraid I haven't been very fair with you. I invited you here for a very special reason. Would you like to know the method that I've chosen for my... liquidation? Well, in a very short while -- here in this room -- a bomb is going off.

  Chancellor : How thoughtful, Mr. Wordsworth, a relatively quick and painless death.

  Romney Wordsworth : Yes, isn't it? However, knowing that you'll be blown to smithereens in less than 60 minutes... That isn't the happiest thought in the world, is it? Or is it, now?

  Chancellor : That depends on the individual, Mr. Wordsworth.

  Romney Wordsworth : Indeed it does.

  Chancellor : [turns to the door, finds it locked]  What kind of idiocy is this, Mr. Wordsworth? You've locked the door!

  Romney Wordsworth : Oh, yes. Yes, I have indeed locked the door.

  [turns to face the camera] 

  Romney Wordsworth : Now, question: How does a man react to the knowledge that he'll be blown sky-high within a half-hour? Answer: As you pointed out yourself, *that depends on the individual*.

• Chancellor : You have no function, Mr. Wordsworth, you're an anachronism, like a ghost from another time.

  Romney Wordsworth : I am nothing more than a reminder to you that you cannot destroy truth by burning pages!

• Romney Wordsworth : You cannot erase God with an edict!

• Romney Wordsworth : No man is obsolete!

• Chancellor : Since there are no more books, Mr. Wordsworth, there are no more libraries. And of course it follows that there is very little call for the services of a librarian. Case in point: A minister. A minister would tell us that his function is that of preaching the word of God. And, of course, it follows that since the State has proven that there is no God, that would make the function of a minister somewhat academic, as well.

  Romney Wordsworth : There *is* a God!

  Chancellor : [shocked silence]  You are in error, Mr. Wordsworth; there is no God! The state has proven that there is no God!

  Romney Wordsworth : You cannot erase God with an edict!

• Romney Wordsworth : I'm a human being, I exist. And if I speak one thought aloud that thought lives, even after I'm shovelled into my grave.

• Romney Wordsworth : You never learn, do you? History teaches you nothing.

  Chancellor : On the contrary, history teaches us a great deal. We had predecessors with the right idea.

  Romney Wordsworth : Yes, like Hitler.

  Chancellor : Hitler, of course.

  Romney Wordsworth : Also Stalin.

  Chancellor : Stalin, too -- but their error was not one of excess. It was simply not going far enough. Too many undesirables were left around, and undesirables eventually form a core of resistance. Old people clutch at the past and won't accept the new. The sick, the maimed, the deformed... They fasten onto the healthy body and damage it, so we eliminate them. And people like yourself -- they can perform no useful function for the State, so we put an end to them.

• Chancellor : I'm beginning to understand, Wordsworth. Shoe on the other foot -- that's the idea? It's one thing for yourself to cringe and plead; but what a choice opportunity to show a member of the State doing likewise. But you're insane if you think they'll let me stay here.

  Romney Wordsworth : *They*? I ask clarification of the term THEY. Ah, you mean the State! Oh, they'll sit on their hands for a while. They wouldn't want to miss this scene. Besides, the act of rescue would be very demeaning to them: having to break in here, in order to snatch their highest-ranking official out of the soup, as it were. No, they won't help you.

  Chancellor : I misjudged you, Wordsworth.

  Romney Wordsworth : You underestimated me. You wanted the whole country to see how a librarian dies. Well, let them see how the ruler of the State dies as well.

• Romney Wordsworth : Face the cameras! Step into the light! Let the whole country see the strength of the State, the resilience of the State, the courage of the State! Let the whole country see the way a valiant man of steel faces his death! You have a nirvana coming up, too. So why don't you sit down, and we'll have a little chat. Just you and me and the Great Equalizer known as Death. So here we have this strong, handsome, uniformed, bemedaled symbol of giant authority... and this insignificant librarian. And yet, in the eyes of God, there is precious little to distinguish us.

  Chancellor : We shall see, Wordsworth, we shall see.

• Chancellor : [30 seconds before the bomb will go off]  Please -- please, let me out. In the name of God, let me out! Let me out, let me out!

  Romney Wordsworth : Yes, Chancellor; IN THE NAME OF GOD, I *will* let you out.