History Recap / TheTwilightZoneS2E46AMostUnusualCamera

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/unusualcamera.JPG]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Ten to an owner...]]

->'''Creator/RodSerling''': "A hotel suite that, in this instance, serves as a den of crime, the aftermath of a rather minor event to be noted on a police blotter, an insurance claim, perhaps a three-inch box on page twelve of the evening paper. Small addenda to be added to the list of the loot: a camera, a most unimposing addition to the flotsam and jetsam that it came with, hardly worth mentioning really, because cameras are cameras, some expensive, some purchasable at five-and-dime stores. But this camera, this one's unusual because in just a moment we'll watch it inject itself into the destinies of three people. It happens to be a fact that the pictures that it takes can only be developed in the Twilight Zone."

Air date: December 16, 1960

Chester and Paula Diedrich, a married couple of small-time thieves, hide out in a hotel room after robbing an antique store. While Chester claims that their stolen loot is seemingly worthless, they discover that they have plundered an unusual looking camera. As he takes a picture of Paula with the camera to test it, Chester finds the picture has Paula wearing a fur coat that they don't remember finding among their hoard, until Paula just so happens to find it in a trunk. When another picture reveals Paula's brother Woodward having escaped prison minutes before he bursts inside, the Diedrichs and Woodward realize that this particular camera has the magical ability to take pictures of the future. Though he initially decides to present the camera as a beneficial gift from himself, his wife, and his brother-in-law, Chester instead devises a get-rich quick scheme by using the camera's power over at the track. After winning several horse races and garnering a small fortune, the trio discover that the camera has a finite amount of pictures, and they get suspicious and confrontational with each other over the last couple of photos.

The episode was the inspiration for the ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'' book, ''Literature/SayCheeseAndDie''.
----
!! Some Most Unusual Tropes:
* {{Blackmail}}: After Chester and Woodward plummet out the window to their doom, the French waiter returns, and learns that Paula and her associates are wanted criminals. Assuming that Paula was the cause of her husband and brother's deaths, he takes the opportunity to blackmail Paula on two fronts. Either she gives him their money, or he'll turn her in to the police. Paula has no choice but to give in to his demands.
* BottleEpisode: Barring the scene at the racetrack, this episode takes place entirely in the Diedrichs' hotel suite.
* DisneyVillainDeath: This happens to Chester, Woodward, Paula, [[spoiler:and the waiter,]] all in the same fashion.
* TheDitz: Paula is the dimmer one between her and her husband, and her brother Woodward is not very bright either, perhaps [[TooDumbToLive dangerously]] so.
* DumbassHasAPoint: Woodward, dumb as he is, actually points out Chester's IgnoredEpiphany below.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Played with; Paula, Chester, and Woodward clearly have a great deal affection between one another. Paula screams when her husband and brother topple out the window to their deaths and initially sobs that she has nothing left without them, but when she accidentally puts her hands on the money, which now belongs completely to her, her grief clears up quickly.
* EveryoneDiesEnding: All four main characters are dead by falling out of the window by the episode's end.
* ExplainExplainOhCrap: As the waiter looks over the final photo and notices that there are actually ''four'' bodies on the ground.
* FailedASpotCheck: Somehow, the Diedrichs' waiter notices that there are "more than two" bodies on the ground in Paula's last photo, but not that there are exactly ''four''. Maybe [[HauntedTechnology the camera]] can [[CreepyChangingPainting alter]] its photos, or he was just bluffing and intended on shoving her out the window as well.
* FourIsDeath: The last picture shows four dead bodies outside the hotel window, and its appearance quickly spells the death of all four major characters.
* FrenchJerk: The waiter, who is just as greedy and conniving as the crooks.
* {{Greed}}: A central theme demonstrated by all of the characters, including the hotel waiter.
* IgnoredEpiphany: Once there's no longer any doubt that the camera can predict the future, Chester initially thinks they should use it for the benefit of humanity. Granted, there's a great deal of egotism there (talking about how it'd be a gift from him and his wife [[note]][[MyFriendsAndZoidberg And Woodward, too]][[/note]]), but he seems genuine in wanting to help medical science and declaring his family should rise above their longstanding criminal ways. The greed takes over when he sees a horse race on TV.
* KarmicTwistEnding: After Paula plummets out the window, the waiter, certain that he's in the clear, looks at the final picture...
-->'''Waiter''': Yes, there are more than two bodies down there. Just as the picture shows...one...two...three...''FOUR?'' (''falls to his death'')
* LaserGuidedKarma: The three crooks (and the just-as-crooked waiter) get their comeuppance for their endless greed, as the camera predicts their own deaths.
* MyFriendsAndZoidberg: Chester considers using the camera to help humanity, referring to it as a gift from himself and his wife. When Woodward reminds him he's also there, Chester derisively says, "Yeah, and you, too."
* NoHonorAmongThieves: When they learn that the camera is beginning to run out of pictures, Chester, Paula, and Woodward battle over who gets to use the last two and how they should be spent. When a picture is accidentally snapped and shows Paula screaming, Chester and Woodward believe that it's because the other wants to kill him. They wind up falling to their deaths in the struggle, causing Paula to scream
* OverlyLongGag: By the standards of a half-hour show that isn't ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', the scene where Chester tries to explain his plan of using the future-predicting camera to cheat on horse racing to Paula and Woodward is this. Paula is soon able to get it... but Woodward still doesn't, so Chester needs to go over it a couple more times!
* ScreamDiscretionShot: The waiter's death isn't shown, as the shot zeroes in on the camera while he screams.
* SelfFulfillingProphecy:
** The camera's ninth photo shows Paula screaming in terror. Chester and Woodward accuse each other of being responsible for her screaming, which leads to them fighting and falling out the window to their deaths, prompting Paula to scream.
** Paula runs to the window after the waiter reports the last photo shows "more than two" bodies, which allows her to trip over an extension cord and fall out the window. And while we don't see how the waiter dies, it's strongly implied that seeing himself as the fourth body in the photograph causes him to fall out the same window in shock.
* SpookyPhotographs: The episode's titular camera can take pictures of the future, if only five minutes ahead.
* TooDumbToLive: Even though she already knows the camera predicts the immediate future, Paula runs toward the window when the waiter says the photo shows more than two bodies. It somehow never occurs to her that she would become the third body in the photograph. As a result, she trips over a cord and falls out the window to her death.
* VillainProtagonist: Chester, his wife Paula, and her brother Woodward. The former two are small-time thieves and Woodward is a former burglar-turned-escaped convict.
* WhamLine: The French waiter tells the three characters that the camera can only take ''ten'' pictures for every person who owns it by reading the inscription written on it: ''Dix à la propriétaire'', translated to "Ten to an owner".
-----
->'''Creator/RodSerling''': "Object known as a camera, vintage uncertain, origin unknown. But for the greedy, the avaricious, the fleet of foot, who can run a four-minute mile so long as they're chasing a fast buck, it makes believe that it's an ally, but it isn't at all. It's a beckoning come-on for a quick walk around the block in the Twilight Zone."

Chester Diedrich and his wife Paula, two dimwitted, small-time thieves rob an antique store. Their stolen loot is seemingly worthless, until they discover that they have plundered a camera that has the magical ability to take pictures of the future. Paula's brother Woodward breaks out of prison and decides to hang out with them. Chester devises a get-rich quick scheme by using the camera's power to bet on horse races, but the trios' good fortune seldom lasts.

* {{Blackmail}}: After Chester and Woodward fall out of the hotel window to their doom, the waiter returns, and learns that the characters are wanted by the law. Assuming that Paula was the cause of their fall, he takes advantage of the opportunity to blackmail Paula on two fronts. Either she gives him their money, or he'll turn her in to the police. Paula has no choice but to give in to his demands.
* BottleEpisode: Except for the scene at the racetrack, this episode takes place entirely in the Diedrichs' hotel suite.
*DisneyVillainDeath: This happens to Chester, Woodward and Paula [[spoiler:and very likely the waiter.]]
* TheDitz: Paula is not very bright, but her brother Woodward is not very bright either, perhaps more [[TooDumbToLive dangerously]] so.
* DumbassHasAPoint: Woodward points out Chester's IgnoredEpiphany.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Played with; Paula screams when her husband and brother topple out the window and initially sobs that she has nothing left with them gone, but accidentally putting her hands on the money, which now belongs completely to her, clears up her grief quite quickly.
* ExplainExplainOhCrap:
-->'''Waiter''': "Yes, there are more than two bodies down there. Just as the picture shows...one...two...three...''FOUR?''"
* FailedASpotCheck: Somehow, the waiter notices that there are "more than two" bodies on the ground in Paula's last photo, but not that there are exactly ''four''. Maybe [[HauntedTechnology the camera]] can [[CreepyChangingPainting alter]] its photos, or perhaps he was just bluffing and intended on shoving her out as well.
* FourIsDeath: The last picture shows four dead bodies outside the window, and its appearance quickly spells the death of all four major characters.
* FrenchJerk: The French waiter, who is just as greedy and conniving as the rest of the crooks in the episode.
* {{Greed}}: A central theme demonstrated by all of the characters, including the just as sneaky and conniving hotel waiter.
* IgnoredEpiphany: Once there's no longer any doubt that the camera can predict the future, Chester initially thinks they should use it for the benefit of humanity. Granted, there's some egotism there (talking about how it'd be a gift from him and his wife [[note]][[MyFriendsAndZoidberg Yeah, and Woodward, too]][[/note]]), but he seems quite genuine in wanting to help medical science and that his family should rise above their longstanding criminal ways. Then he sees a horse race on TV and the greed takes over.
* KarmicTwistEnding: When Paula plummets out the window, the waiter, certain that he's in the clear, looks at the final picture...
-->'''Waiter''': "Yes, there are more than two bodies down there. Just as the picture shows...one...two...three...''FOUR?''"
* LaserGuidedKarma: The three crooks (and the just-as-crooked waiter) get their comeuppance for their own greed, as the camera predicts their own deaths.

* NoHonorAmongThieves: When they learn the camera is beginning to run out of pictures, Chester, Paula, and Woodward battle over who gets to spend the last two and how they should be spent. When a picture gets accidentally snapped that shows Paula screaming, Chester and Woodward believe it's because the other wants to kill him and wind up falling to their deaths in the struggle.
* OverlyLongGag: By the standards of something that's only a half-hour show and isn't WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy, the scene where Chester tries to explain his plan of using the psychic camera to cheat on horse racing to Paula and Woodward is this. And then Paula finally gets it... but Woodward still doesn't and needs them both to go over it a couple more times each!
* ScreamDiscretionShot: How the waiter dies isn't shown; the shot zeroes in on the camera while he screams.

** The ninth photo shows Paula screaming in terror. Chester and Woodward accuse each other of being responsible for her screaming, which leads to them fighting and falling out the window, prompting Paula to scream.
** Paula runs to the window to see what's going on after the waiter reports the photo shows more than two bodies, which allows her to trip and fall out the window. And while we don't see how the waiter dies, it's strongly implied that seeing himself as the fourth body in the photograph causes him to fall out the window in shock.
* SpookyPhotographs: This most unusual camera can take pictures of future events.
* TooDumbToLive: Paula, already knowing that the camera predicts the immediate future, runs toward the window when the waiter says the photo shows more than two bodies. It somehow never occurs to her that, by doing so, she would become the third body in the photograph. As a result, she falls out the window and falls to her death.
* VillainProtagonist: Chester and his two cronies, his wife Paula and her brother Woodward. Chester and Paula are two small-time thieves and Woodward is a former burglar turned escaped convict.
* WhamLine: A waiter in the hotel room tells the three characters that the camera can only take ''ten'' pictures for the person who owns it by reading the ''French'' inscription written on it: ''Dix à la propriétaire'', meaning ''ten to an owner''.
----

The episode was the inspiration for the ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'' book, ''Say Cheese and Die''.

* KillEmAll: By the end of the episode, all four characters with speaking roles are dead.

* PostModernMagik: The pictures taken with the camera predict the future, and is was quite possibly created through sorcery.

* KarmicTwistEnding[=/=]KillEmAll: When Paula plummets out the window, the waiter, certain that he's in the clear, looks at the final picture...

* LaserGuidedKarma: The three crooks (and the just as crooked waiter) get their comeuppance for their own greed, as the camera predicts their own deaths.

* SelfFulfillingProphecy: Paula runs to the window to see what's going on after the waiter reports the photo shows more than two bodies, which allows her to trip and fall out the window.

* TooDumbToLive: Woodward is extremely slow on the draw. Chester says they'll take a picture of the winning board ''before'' the race; Paula figures out what he means pretty quickly, but Chester has to go on at length to explain it to Woodward for him to understand it. It's amazing Woodward was able to break out of prison in the first place.