How a Stop-Motion Dinosaur Led to The Twilight Zone’s Priciest Special Effects Shot Ever

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Prior to the release of Jurassic Park (currently available for streaming on Peacock along with its five sequels), Hollywood’s most viable options for depicting dinosaurs were either by using puppets or the technique of stop-motion cinematography, as computer-generated imagery was yet to revolutionize the industry.

In simpler terms, though it might seem rather old-fashioned today, that technique, showcased by pioneers like Willis O’Brien and Ray Harryhausen in movies, was once regarded as the peak of special effects. It was quite expensive to execute effectively.

In fact, an episode from 1961 of the popular series The Twilight Zone, which can still be seen on SYFY, paid over $2,000 (equivalent to around $30,000 today) for a brief shot lasting only seconds of a Brontosaurus eating leaves in an area that would later become Manhattan.

In that particular episode, you’ll recognize several familiar faces from “Twilight Zone”, such as John Anderson (from “A Passage for Trumpet”), Sandy Kenyon (“The Shelter”), Paul Comi (“People Are Alike All Over”), and Betty Garde (“The Midnight Sun”).

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A stop-motion dinosaur was The Twilight Zone‘s most expensive special effect ever

In Season 2, as penned by Rod Serling who drew inspiration from his brother Robert, the story revolves around an unusual occurrence: a passenger plane inexplicably traveling back to the era of dinosaurs en route to what was later known as JFK Airport in New York (then Idlewild Airport). Notably, the colossal dinosaur featured in this episode was a miniature model used in the 1960 film titled “Dinosaurus!”, directed by Irvin Yeaworth.

According to producer Buck Houghton, as detailed in Marc Scott Zicree’s book The Twilight Zone Companion, the production splurged, much like John Hammond, on a single, impactful shot. “The most expensive shot ever filmed for The Twilight Zone was the dinosaur observing the plane,” he explained. “It set us back $2,500, and boy, did Business Affairs give me a hard time about it.

Under the leadership of Justus Addiss, who later directed two additional stories for The Twilight Zone – namely, “The Rip Van Winkle Caper” and the full-length “No Time Like the Past” – this episode was transformed into a graphic novel by Walker Books during the late 2000s.

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2025-07-09 21:01