How The Twilight Zone Made The Devil’s Fingers Catch Fire for One Episode

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Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone frequently employed traditional visual effects techniques to create some of the most iconic images in television history, ranging from barren alien worlds to autonomous vehicles, among others. However, it’s not just about the large-scale visuals. Time and again, it was the subtle details that made a Twilight Zone story compelling, and this specific episode necessitated some classic special effects magic.

In the ninth episode of its fourth season, titled “Printer’s Devil,” the TV show draws inspiration from a timeless Faustian pact. Written by the acclaimed Charles Beaumont, who based it on his own short story “The Devil, You Say?”, the plot revolves around a struggling newspaper proprietor (Robert Sterling) who hires an extraordinary new employee (Burgess Meredith), possessing an uncanny knack for discovering news stories that can drastically improve the paper’s financial situation.

The catch? The man is more than he seems, and he’s pushing the paper toward a very dark bargain. 

For More on The Twilight Zone

1. Revisiting the Twilight Zone Episode that Infused Science Fiction into Biblical Lore: Unveiling the Secret Behind Rod Serling’s Choice of a Renowned Horror Director

2. The Legendary Horror Director Joined Forces with The Twilight Zone for an Epic Episode: Exploring the Reasons Behind This Collaboration

3. Salad as a Staple Diet on Set: Delving into the Unusual Eating Habits of the Cast and Crew during the Production of this Iconic Twilight Zone Episode

How The Twilight Zone made the Devil’s fingers catch fire in “Printer’s Devil”

Initially, Douglas Winter’s newspaper boss is slow to acknowledge that the new reporter, Mr. Smith, might be a malevolent or even supernatural entity. However, the audience picks up on this earlier, as Mr. Smith sets a cigarette alight by merely snapping his fingers and burning one of his digits. This striking visual effect piques the audience’s curiosity about whether something beyond human is happening with the character. The illusion was expertly crafted using traditional special effects techniques.

To get the “lightening of the finger” trick to work, they connected a wire to a battery and guided it along Meredith, first up his trousers, then through his shirt, under his sleeve, and into his hand. This wire was intended to produce a spark at the appropriate moment, triggered by the crew. Moments before filming, they immersed Meredith’s finger in cold water to reduce any potential discomfort from the forthcoming fire. Director Ralph Senensky elaborated on this in Marc Scott Zicree’s “The Twilight Zone Companion”.

As a gamer, I’d remember how I once doused a fake finger with lighter fluid. A simple snap of my fingers would trigger the switch, igniting the fluid and causing it to burn. The finger was precariously close to freezing, so there was barely any pain.

For Meredith, stepping into the character of Mr. Smith on “The Twilight Zone” for the fourth time might have been a bit awkward, yet he managed to complete the task pain-free. An intriguing detail that hinted at his malevolent persona was subtly introduced during the process.

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2025-06-04 23:01