Reading about the plan to base an Outer Limits movie on Harlan Ellison’s “Demon With A Glass Hand” started me free-associating about the titles of his greatest stories.
Do you realize that if Harlan had become a writer of Broadway musicals, he could have given his productions practically the same titles?
Consider these matches —
A traveling salesman cons parents in a small Iowa town into buying musical instruments by promising he’ll teach their kids to play. Only his love for the local librarian keeps him from making a getaway.
- Demon With A Brass Band
Ethel Merman stars as the well-meaning but ill-informed U.S. ambassador to fictional Lichtenburg who spends her time urging the monarchy to borrow oodles of cash from America.
- Call Me Maggie Moneyeyes
Sky Masterson is in a battle for men’s souls – will one roll of the dice change the future?
- City on the Edge of East River
This musical about a supercomputer that thinks it’s a god ends with a terrifying scene in which AM complains, “Too many notes!”, seals his victims’s lips, and forces him to hum the wordless tune, “I Have No Mouth, And I Must Sing.”
- Am A Deus
I’ve left a few choice ones for the rest of you in case you feel like playing along….
The angst of “I have no mouth and Must Sing” is obvious to all.
Your Revenge is met when the DeathBird sings