History Recap / TheTwilightZone1959S2E5TheHowlingMan

* AdaptationalModesty: The titular howling man is described as naked and hairy in the original story.

The episode is presented largely as a flashback by David Ellington. While on a hiking trip through post-World War I Europe, Ellington becomes lost, and seeks shelter from the pouring rain in a nearby castle. He is told by a monk at the door to leave immediately, but he collapses, shivering. Upon waking inside the castle, Ellington hears a wolf-like howl and decides to investigate. In the bowels of the castle, he finds a bedraggled man in a cell. The man claims to be a prisoner of the monks, who he paints as an insane religious order, locked up because he kissed his sweetheart in public.

* DutchAngle: Used heavily throughout the episode, such as when Ellington makes his first entrance into the castle, and when Brother Jerome tells him the story of his order's prisoner.

* HauntedCastle: The monks' castle is dark and spooky, emphasized by the stormy weather in the episode, and the fact that Satan himself is imprisoned within it.

* WholeEpisodeFlashback: Ellington tells his maid the story of his visit to Jerome's castle and releasing the Devil from his confinement in the 1920s.

The story is told in a flashback by an American called David Ellington. While on a walking trip through post-World War I Europe, Ellington becomes lost, is drenched by rain and seeks shelter in a nearby castle (Wolfring Castle). He is told to leave immediately, but he collapses, shivering.

Upon waking inside the castle, Ellington hears a wolf-like howl and goes to investigate. In the bowels of the castle he finds a bedraggled, but apparently cultured and intelligent man in a cell. The man claims to be a prisoner of an insane religious order, locked up because he kissed his sweetheart in public.

Ellington is seen talking to the prisoner, and is taken to a meeting with the leader of the order, Brother Jerome (Creator/JohnCarradine), who explains that the prisoner is not a man, but rather the devil himself. He has been locked up in the room using the "Staff of Truth" to bar the door since shortly after World War I. He came to the village to corrupt it, but Jerome recognized him for what he was and imprisoned him. His actions have given the world five years of relative peace. Ellington becomes convinced that Jerome is insane. Fearing for his safety, he pretends to believe the incredible story. Jerome is not fooled however, and assigns another brother to watch him.

Ellington waits until his guard falls asleep and creeps down to the cell. Seeing that the staff which held the door shut was easily within reach of the imprisoned man, Ellington briefly wondered why he did not remove it himself. At the man's urging, he removes the staff barring the cell door and releases the prisoner. When the prisoner exits the cell, he pins Ellington to the floor with a wave of his hand and begins to change, taking on the appearance of the devil with each step before departing the castle in a plume of smoke.

Jerome finds the collapsed Ellington and sadly explains that the inability to recognize the devil has always been Man's great weakness.

The flashback ends. Ellington explains to the hotel maid that he has spent the time since then hunting for the devil to atone for his mistake, through World War II, the Korean War, and the development of nuclear weapons. He finally succeeded; he has him locked in a closet and intends to return him to the castle and Brother Jerome's keeping. He warns the skeptical housekeeper not to remove the staff holding the door closed under any circumstances while he goes to make his final preparations.

After Ellington leaves, the curious woman, disbelieving his story, removes the Staff of Truth barring the door.

* AdaptationalModesty: The howling man is described as naked and hairy in the original story.
* AdaptationDeviation: In the short story "Literature/TheHowlingMan" by Charles Beamount, David Ellington was uncertain for years whether he had truly released the Devil as the brothers claimed. All doubt is eliminated when he sees photographs of "the carpenter from Braunau am Inn" in the newspapers and his invasion of UsefulNotes/{{Poland}} plunges the world into [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII war]]. Although it is not specifically stated, the implication is that the Devil assumed the identity of UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler, who was born in Braunau am Inn, UsefulNotes/{{Austria}}. The brothers eventually recapture the Devil and imprison him in the monastery once again. In the television adaptation by Beaumont himself, Ellington immediately realizes both the truth and his mistake when the prisoner transforms himself into a traditional depiction of Main/{{Satan}} and vanishes in front of his eyes. Many years later, Ellington captures the Devil but his housekeeper releases him. Furthermore, the television adaptation gives the monastery's location as simply Central Europe whereas the short story specifically states that it is in UsefulNotes/{{Germany}}. The short story also does not include the Staff of Truth.
* AllForNothing: What Ellington's efforts as TheAtoner were reduced to due to the housekeeper removing the Staff of Truth.
* TheAtoner: After his mistake, Ellington decided to dedicate his life to recapturing the prisoner. Unfortunately, his efforts are rendered in-vain after the maid releases the prisoner again.
* CassandraTruth: Brother Jerome tells Ellington the absolute truth but Ellington doesn't believe him. Ellington himself gets this when he tells a housekeeper his tale.
* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: Jerome and his followers (and eventually Ellington) captured Satan himself. Unfortunately, it's never for long.
* DramaticThunder: A well-timed clap of thunder when Brother Jerome tells the real truth: "It is the devil himself!"
* DutchAngle: Used heavily throughout the episode, like when Ellington makes his first entrance into the castle, or when Brother Jerome tells him the true story.
* EasilyForgiven: Brother Jerome doesn't punish Ellington for his mistake, instead offering him comfort and pity. Justified since he clearly believes that Ellington's guilt is punishment enough.
* FailureIsTheOnlyOption: Lampshaded in the closing quote.
* FalseInnocenceTrick: The prisoner's best trick. Brother Jerome surmises that it preys on man's greatest weakness.

* FauxAffablyEvil: In true form, Satan is very persuasive and able to make himself seem sympathetic to those who don't know his true nature, dropping the facade the second he can.
* FiveSecondForeshadowing: The prisoner being unable to remove the simple wooden Staff of Truth that was within arms length and the only thing holding him was a hint that Brother Jerome was telling the truth. However, when Ellington questioned the prisoner of this, the prisoner said there was no time for questions and to hurry.
* FourthWallPsych: At the beginning of the episode, it looked like Ellington was telling his tale to the audience. When the flashback ends, however, it's revealed he was talking to a maid the whole time, telling her why it was important not to go near the door holding the prisoner.
* HauntedCastle: Castle Wolfring is dark and spooky, emphasized by the stormy weather in the episode, and the presence of the great evil Satan imprisoned within it.
* HereWeGoAgain: The episode ends with the maid releasing the prisoner once again.
* HistoricalRapSheet: Brother Jerome tells Ellington that the Devil is responsible for the great wars, the overwhelming pestilences and the wholesale sinning that is regularly inflicted on the world. After Ellington releases him, he causes UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, UsefulNotes/TheKoreanWar and the development of atomic weapons.
* HistoryRepeats: After capturing the prisoner, Ellington unfortunately isn't savvy enough to realize the possibility of people (namely the maid) disbelieving him and setting the prisoner loose. Lo and behold, he tells his story to the maid, she doesn't believe him, and lets the prisoner free.
* IHaveManyNames: Brother Jerome says that the Devil is "otherwise known as the Dark Angel, Ahriman, Asmodeus, Belial, Diabolus..."
* InCameraEffects: A version of the filter technique is employed to depict the howling man's transformation.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Ellington inadvertently released the greatest evil in the world from its imprisonment. He also breaks it again when he leaves the maid alone in the house, not considering the possibility of her actually disbelieving him, just as ''he'' did with Brother Jerome.
* NothingIsScarier: When the skeptical hotel maid opens the closet door at the end, the room is filled with pure darkness.
* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: Ellington managing to capture Satan and lock him in a closet.
* {{Satan}}: Locked up in a dungeon, it seems.
* SealedEvilInACan: Brother Jerome kept Satan locked in a dungeon for five years, followed by Ellington containing him in a closet. Unfortunately, disbelievers keep opening the can and releasing the Devil.
* SmokeOut: After the Devil is released from his cell, he conjures up a cloud of smoke to cover him as he disappears from sight.
* SpannerInTheWorks: David Ellington's lack of trust in Brother Jerome and sympathy for the prisoner results in the Devil escaping and wrecking havoc on the world. This also applies to the maid, who foils Ellington's plan to return the Devil to the monastery when she unwittingly sets the monster loose.
* TransformationSequence: After being released, the prisoner undergoes one with each step until he's in his true form as Satan, or rather a depiction of him.
* UngratefulBastard: When Ellington frees the prisoner, the prisoner paralyzes him with a PsychicStrangle before making his escape. Then again, the prisoner is the ''Devil'', so it's not really much of a surprise.
* WeaksauceWeakness: The Devil is held captive by a simple shepherd's rod.
* WholeEpisodeFlashback: Ellington tells a maid the story of his visit to Wolfring Castle and releasing the Devil from his confinement in the 1920s.
----
->'''Rod Serling''': Ancient folk saying: 'You can catch the Devil, but you can't hold him long.' Ask Brother Jerome. Ask David Ellington. They know, and they'll go on knowing to the end of their days and beyond--in the Twilight Zone.

* HauntedCastle: Castle Wolfen is dark spooky, emphasized by the stormy weather in the episode, and the presence of the great evil Satan imprisoned within it.

* CassandraTruth: Brother Jerome tells Ellington the absolute truth but Ellington doesn't believe him.

* SealedEvilInACan: Brother Jerome kept Satan locked in a dungeon for five years. Unfortunately, disbelievers keep opening the can and releasing the Devil.

* SmokeOut: After the Devil is released from his cell, he conjures up a cloud of smoke to covers him as he disappears from sight.

* UngratefulBastard: When Ellington frees the prisoner, the prisoner paralyzes him with a PsychicStrangle before making his escape.

* SealedEvilInACan: Brother Jerome kept Satan locked in a dungeon for five years.
Unfortunately, disbelievers keep opening the can and releasing the Devil.

* BadassGrandpa: Brother Jerome, who has kept Satan locked in a dungeon for five years.

* SealedEvilInACan: Unfortunately, disbelievers keep opening the can and releasing the Devil.

->'''Rod Serling''': Ancient folk saying: 'You can catch the Devil, but you can't hold him long.' Ask Brother Jerome. Ask David Ellington. They know, and they'll go on knowing to the end of their days and beyond--in the Twilight Zone.

* WholeEpisodeFlashback: Ellington tells a maid the story of his visit to Wolfring Castle and releasing the Devil from his confinement in the 1920s.

!!Tropes

* SealedEvilInACan: Unfortunately, disbelievers keep opening the can.

* FramingDevice

* IHaveManyNames: “Otherwise known as the Dark Angel, Ahriman, Asmodeus, Belial, Diabolus...”

* TransformationSequence: After being released, the prisoner undergoes one with each step until he's in his true form as Satan, or rather a depiciton of him.
* UngratefulBastard: When Ellington frees the prisoner, the prisoner paralyzes him with a PsychicStrangle before making his escape.

* BadassGrandpa: Brother Jerome.
* CassandraTruth

* DutchAngle

Ellington is seen talking to the prisoner, and is taken to a meeting with the leader of the order, Brother Jerome, who explains that the prisoner is not a man, but rather the devil himself. He has been locked up in the room using the "Staff of Truth" to bar the door since shortly after World War I. He came to the village to corrupt it, but Jerome recognized him for what he was and imprisoned him. His actions have given the world five years of relative peace. Ellington becomes convinced that Jerome is insane. Fearing for his safety, he pretends to believe the incredible story. Jerome is not fooled however, and assigns another brother to watch him.

* {{Satan}}

* UngratefulBastard: When Ellington frees the prisoner, the prisoner paralyzes him with a PsychicStrangle before making his escape.
* WeDidntStartTheFuhrer: In the original story the narrator later recognizes the Howling Man giving speeches in Germany.