What ultimately convinced CBS of the series potential was when they took the script that Serling had meant to use as a pilot for The Twilight Zone and instead used it as an episode in the anthology series The Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, produced by famous celebrity couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. In 1969, Serling was offered the title of executive producer and creative control over a new horror-thriller series titled Night Gallery. With the lack of popularity surrounding his subsequent novels, Fitzgerald was constantly dealing with financial trouble in an attempt to get Zelda the finest health care he could. He stated that "Patterns" was a prime example of a drama that should be seen more than once, whereas a single broadcast was the norm for television shows of the day. Critics expressed concern that he was not living up to his promise and began to doubt he was able to recreate the quality of writing that "Patterns" had shown. I have probed deeper in some scripts and I've been more successful in some than others. [5] Serling won a trip to New York City and $500 for his radio script "To Live a Dream". A lifelong smoker, he died June 28, 1975, of a heart attack during open-heart surgery. It has been released in comic book form,[50] as a magazine, a film, and three additional television series from 1985 to 1989, from 2002 to 2003, and from 2019 to 2020. With the lack of popularity surrounding his subsequent novels, Fitzgerald was constantly dealing with financial trouble in an attempt to get Zelda the finest health care he could. The second was a complete script written by Serling, "Where the Dead Are". Princeton helped Fitzgerald meet future writers and critics like John Peale Bishop and Edmund Wilson, who would eventually become long time friends. Serling took this to heart, and in high school, he was not only a member of the debate team, but he also spoke at his graduation ceremony. While he was at Antioch College, Serling met a fellow student named Carolyn Louise Kramer. A fellow soldier named Melvin Levy began a comedy routine to entertain his brothers-in-arms. Additionally, he is an accomplished scriptwriter, having written the successful AA Meeting series for the stage and the award-winning film Depth of Pyaar. Welcome to the Earth Zone. Its brief first season (consisting of only six episodes) was rotated with three other shows airing in the same time slot; this wheel show was entitled Four in One. [6] He taught week-long seminars in which students would watch and critique films. I'd find some other way to support myself while getting a start as a writer. [48] Serling's widow, Carol, maintained that the cult status that surrounded both her husband and his shows continues to be a surprise, "as I'm sure it would have been to him. Serling returned from the successful mission in Leyte with two wounds, including one to his kneecap,[2]:47 but neither kept him from combat when General Douglas MacArthur deployed the paratroopers for their usual purpose on February 3, 1945. [2]:45, Serling's time in Leyte shaped his writing and political views for the rest of his life. He encouraged sponsors to see television as a platform for the kind of dramatic entertainment that could address important social matters through subtle meanings, instead of being "an animated billboard."[43]. [2]:37, The New York Times critic Jack Gould called the show "one of the high points in the TV medium's evolution" and said, "[f]or sheer power of narrative, forcefulness of characterization and brilliant climax, Mr. Serling's work is a creative triumph. When Serling was 2 years old, he and his family moved to the quiet college town of Binghamton, where his dad opened a grocery store. Serling spent his later career hosting Rod Serling's Night Gallery and teaching screenwriting at Ithaca College. [7], Over the next year of paratrooper training, Serling and others began boxing to vent aggression. It was telecast only once, on December 28, 1964. One of the bloodiest battles in which Serling took part was the American march to take Manila from the Japanese. Audio recordings of his lectures there are included as bonus features on some Twilight Zone home video editions. He worked there for over a year before he could free-lance. Competing in the flyweight class, Serling fought in at least 17 bouts. Rod Serling Emmy Award-winning television and film writer Rod Serling created and hosted the sci-fi fantasy series 'The Twilight Zone' and co-wrote 'Planet of the Apes.' (1924-1975) Rod Serling was a huge figure who evolved the product of what television shows can offer. Serling led the funeral services for Levy and placed a Star of David over his grave. Even in an era where the anthology series was a lucrative genre, Serling fought an uphill battle to get The Twilight Zone made. [29] The only television movie directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, this was the film in which Peter Sellers gave his first performance after a series of near-fatal heart attacks in the wake of his marriage to Britt Ekland. In 1955, Rod Serling won his first Emmy, for writing the TV business drama Patterns. [22], Gould, The New York Times reviewer, added this editorial note at the end of a glowing review for A Town Has Turned to Dust, a show about racism and bigotry in a small Southwestern town: "'Playhouse 90' and Mr. Serling had to fight executive interference before getting their play on the air last night. "Don't you know who that was?" I think I turned to writing to get it off my chest. The first public viewing of an all-electronic television was presented by inventor Philo Farnsworth at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia on August 25, 1934, when Serling was nine years old. After the war, Serling attended Antioch College in Ohio. Rod had an older brother, novelist and aviation writer Robert J. [38] Serling tackled a question that was much in the media at the time: should veterans be charged with a crime if they cooperated with the enemy while under duress? One of the other winners that day was Earl Hamner, Jr., who had also earned prizes in previous years. Editing his high school newspaper, Serling was fervently in favor of fighting, even suggesting that his classmates enlist and join in. He knew that he would be fighting against the Japanese rather than the Germans. Instead of continuing to fight inevitable censorship, in 1959 Serling turned from realism to the sci-fi fantasy genre, with the iconic series The Twilight Zone. All Rights Reserved. However, the operation was cut short when Serlings heart suffered a third attack while he was on the operating table. For this series, Serling fought hard to get and maintain creative control. Sadly, for obvious reasons, well never know what Serling would have thought of those revivals. Years later, when Serling was busy with The Twilight Zone, Hamner Jr. would become one of that series main writers. NBC later combined episodes of the short-lived paranormal series The Sixth Sense with Night Gallery, in order to increase the number of episodes available in syndication. He managed to fight his way to the second round of the military division finals before being knocked out. I said no, though there was something kinda familiar about him, and remember it's always different when you see somebody out of context. The amount of power that Serling had over the series was almost unprecedented for a man in his position, and he regularly had to fight battles to win over the executives at CBS. However, due to his short height of 54, his attempt to join the varsity football team during his youth was unsuccessful. In 1955, he branched out into television script writing with the TV business drama Patterns. In an interview with Mike Wallace, he said, "I don't want to fight anymore. That kind of workload left him so weary that he didnt fight it when the show was finally canceled for good. However, the United States was involved in World War II at the time, and Serling decided to enlist rather than start college immediately after he graduated from Binghamton Central High School in 1943. The plot involved paintings coming to life, a nod to both The Twilight Zone and Night Gallery. To the viewing public, Serling is best-known as the series' host and the narrator who delivered monologues at the beginning and ending of each episode. "[12] She survived him to the age of 90, dying on January 9, 2020,[49] and participated in the continuing interest in Rod's work, sometimes preparing them for a new format and editing a publication about Rod that she founded, The Twilight Zone Magazine, as well as many activities to promote his legacy. Laila and Mariam, the two main characters, find themselves married to the same man, Rasheed. Archaeologists May Have Found a Link to King Arthur in Cornwall, From Reality To Film: Mob Boss James Whitey Bulger, Archaeologists Might Have Found the Worlds Oldest Writing in Bulgaria, 3,000 Year Old Ball of String Found in the UK, Historys Mysteries: Unsolved and unresolved. [42]:25 Serling began having serious dramas produced in 1950 and is given credit as one of the first to write scripts specifically for television. His wife later claimed he did this partly because he believed that his own production company, Cayuga Productions, would never recoup the production costs of the programs, which frequently went over budget. It was a very propitious time to be graduating from school and getting ready to find a profession. On December 25, 1924, Rod Serling was born. In this courtroom drama, the accused is put on trial for helping the enemy by urging fellow prisoners of war to cooperate with their captors. [2]:19 He joined the debate team and was a speaker at his high school graduation. [16] "I learned 'time', writing for a medium that is measured in seconds," Serling later said of his early experiences. [3], Serling then wrote "Requiem for a Heavyweight" for the television series Playhouse 90 in 1956, again gaining praise from critics. Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? In 1966, Serling wrote the screenplay for a made-for-television movie titled The Doomsday Flight. Catherine of Aragon was King Henry VIIIs first wife and longest-lasting Queen of England. According to Sterling himself, it was his trauma from the war which was a driving force behind his writing career, as he saw writing as a form of therapy for him to cope with his memories. The episode was hugely popularand convinced CBS that Serling might be on to something after all. "[6], The writer Marc Scott Zicree, who spent years researching his book The Twilight Zone Companion, noted, "Sometimes the situations were clichd, the characters two-dimensional, but always there was at least some search for an emotional truth, some attempt to make a statement on the human condition."[3]. This time, the sheriff stands strong, and the first boy's brother is saved, even as the town is not. Some of Serling's works are now available in graphic novels. According to him, his favorite was Time Enough at Last, the episode which involved the bookworm who finally has time to read all the books he wants. [5] His Dr. Christian script aired on November 30 of that year. He was the second son of Sam and Esther Sterling and he spent much of his childhood in the city of Binghamton, New York. The combat jump became a fiasco after the jumpmaster in the first plane dropped his men too early, causing every subsequent plane to drop in synchronization with the mistake. He wrote and directed the programs and acted in them when needed. "[2]:69 He opined that there were very few radio writers who would be remembered for their literary contributions. When television was new, shows aired live, but as studios began to tape their shows, the business moved from the East Coast to the West Coast. F. Scott Fitzgerald struggled his entire life to grasp onto anything that could define who he was. The Twilight Zone has been rerun, re-created and re-imagined since going off the air in 1964. The division helped secure the area after the five divisions that had gone ashore earlier. [6], The early years of television often saw sponsors working as editors and censors. I have never written anything that I didn't want my name attached to. What into his writing? He competed as a flyweight and had 17 bouts, rising to the second round of the division finals before being knocked out. The novel was submitted to the very famous publishing house Scribners where it was eventually rejected. Boxing wasnt the first time that Serling had engaged in sports. [27] In 2019, CBS made a third attempt at a successful revival, with Jordan Peele taking on producing duties as well as being host and narrator.[28]. Writers were forced to work these breaks into their scripts. The 11th Airborne Division would not be used as paratroopers, however, but as light infantry during the Battle of Leyte. Serling first found fame as a writer for television with his work onKraft Television Theatre. This doesnt sound too surreal, we know, but this story was tame compared with Serlings original idea. (Stations that aired the special were reportedly inundated by callers demanding to know how to get to the nonexistent concert.) F. Scott and Zelda moved to Paris and spent a lot of their time in the French Riviera with close friends. Due to his time fighting in the Second World War, Serling suffered from flashbacks and nightmares for the rest of his life. The first was an outline called, "The Theatre", which Richard Matheson expanded. He didnt, and ended up chattering for the entire drive without stopping. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Serling's father had worked as a secretary and amateur inventor before his children were born but took on his father-in-law's profession as a grocer to earn a steady income. Serling wasnt the only winner of Dr. Christians scriptwriting contest. Family Life. This put him behind schedule and he started writing the book all over again. Thanks for your time! One publication quoted him as saying If you want conventional Western, get a conventional writer. We cant really fault him on that logic, honestly. During the war, Serling was injured in his knee and wrist at the Battle of Leyte in the Philippines. Serling returned to radio late in his career with The Zero Hour (also known as Hollywood Radio Theater) in 1973. [I]n 1951 and 1952, the new industry was grabbing up a lot of material and needed it. During his service, Fitzgerald was assigned to Camp Sheridan in Montgomery, Alabama as a Second Lieutenant. [2]:4041 In May, he was assigned to the Pacific Theater in New Guinea and the Philippines. For his services during the Second World War, Serling was awarded a variety of military decorations. During that time, Serling took up boxing as a way to get out the aggression that came along with the rigorous military lifestyle. According to his wife, Carol, Serling often said that "the ultimate obscenity is not caring, not doing something about what you feel, not feeling! Rosenbaum, Bob. The series generally focused more on horror and suspense than The Twilight Zone did. "War is a temporary thing," Gus Youngstrom told him. After he was discharged from the US Army, Serling enrolled at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. To prove that the world can be a small place, Serling was close friends with yet another creator of a classic television series. Serling hosted the program but did not write any of the scripts. His struggle to become successful continued the rest of his life. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. [36], By the fourth season of Twilight Zone, Serling was exhausted and turned much of the writing over to a trusted stable of screenwriters, authoring only seven episodes. [2]:217 A second heart attack two weeks later forced doctors to agree that open-heart surgery, though considered risky at the time, was required. No one could know Serling, or view or read his work, without recognizing his deep affection for humanity and his determination to enlarge our horizons by giving us a better understanding of ourselves. The story followed a bomb being placed on a plane, and if the plane descended below a certain height without any ransom money having been paid, it would explode. It aired on October 4, 1956, and starred Charlton Heston. His older brother, Robert Serling, became an acclaimed novelist and aviation writer. I told her. From text it stated that, "Serling faced trying to get his shows on TV without ruining the central message." Serling tried to get his writing on TV without the censors ruining the message within the writing. [3] He continued at WKRC after graduation and, amidst the mostly dreary day-to-day work, also created a series of scripts for a live television program, The Storm, as well as for other anthology dramas (a format which was in demand by networks based in New York). In 1948, Serling moved to New York City and entered the work world as a struggling freelance radio writer. He spent two weeks at Tompkins County Community Hospital before being released. Thousands of scripts were sent in annually, but very few could be produced. Emmy Awardwinning television and film writer Rod Serling created and hosted the sci-fi fantasy series 'The Twilight Zone' and co-wrote 'Planet of the Apes. As well as being a highly rated TV movie, The Doomsday Flight had a more chilling aspect to its legacy: The plot inspired several copycats to attempt that very thing which the movie was about! Serling would deeply regret writing the film because of that. Written by Serling, it starred Jack Palance as the boxer in question, Kim Hunter as a sympathetic employment agency worker, Keenan Wynne as the boxers manager, and Wynnes father Ed as the boxers cut man. These are the faces of the young men who fight, as if some omniscient painter had mixed a tube of oils that were at one time earth brown, dust gray, blood red, beard black, and fearyellow white, and these men were the models. A young Mexican boy is lynched, and the town as a whole is to blame. Six years later, it was adapted into the 1962 feature film of the same name starring Anthony Quinn, Jackie Gleason, Mickey Rooney, and Julie Harris.. In 1908 his family moved back to Minnesota after his father was fired. Gatsby continues and will continue to be read in schools across the United States. Lake County News,California - Arts & Life people's lives on both a professional and personal basis. In May 1975, when he was 50 years old, Serling had a heart attack while running on a treadmill. [4][11], Serling's combat experience affected him deeply and influenced much of his writing. Starring Lloyd Bridges (the father of actors Jeff and Beau Bridges), the series was described as the thinking mans Western in terms of its style and content. The show was one of the highest-rated of the television season, but both Serling and his brother Robert, a technical advisor on the project (a specialist in aviation), regretted making the film. He refused to comply, even though the show had received poor reviews and low ratings. It's been called one of the most influential programs in the history of television drama. ', "Carol Serling, Rod's Wife and Tender of 'Twilight Zone' Flame, Dies at 90", "From the Archives: TV's Rod Serling, 50, Dies 2 Days After Heart Surgery", "Serling the Storyteller and Master Dreamer", "Television in Review; 'Patterns' Is Hailed as a Notable Triumph", "Notes on 'Patterns' And A Familiar Voice", "Television: A Saint and a Sinner; Portion of 'Bleecker Street' on C. B. S. 'Naughty Marietta' Has Revival on N. B. C.", "An Early Run-In With Censors Led Rod Serling to 'The Twilight Zone', "Prejudice Dissected; Rod Serling's 'A Town Has Turned to Dust' Offered on 'Playhouse 90', "UPN Hoping It Can Revive the Magic of 'Twilight Zone' Series", "Marley Is Dead, Killed in a Nuclear War", "JMS compiled messages [9/27/95] (2/2) | Subj: OTHERSYDE", Carol Serling, the widow of 'Twilight Zone' creator Rod Serling, has died at age 91, "Tower of Terror's Rod Serling voice speaks", "Conversation With: Kassan, Serling Video Fest Founder", "Winners of 2014 Rod Serling Film Festival announced", "Postal Service Previews 2009 Commemorative Stamp Program: Early TV Memories", "Television Hall of Fame Honorees: Complete List", "2008 Science Fiction Hall of Fame Ceremony Tickets On Sale May 15", The Interviews: An Oral History of Television, Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research, Rod Serling Archive at the Wisconsin Historical Society, Rod Serling Archive at UCLA Library Special Collections, An Interview with Carol Serling: 'Life With Rod', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rod_Serling&oldid=1141784724, 1985: A star honoring Serling can be found at 6840 Hollywood Blvd. And because it is selfish and demanding, because it is compulsive and exacting, I didnt embrace it. Each year, I think, well, that's itand then something else turns up. On a two-hour trip from Binghamton to Syracuse, the rest of the family remained silent to see if Rod would notice their lack of participation. Unfortunately, the success from his first novel died as time went on. Kraft said they were considering rebroadcasting "Patterns", unless the play or motion picture rights were sold first. According to his radio station coworkers, he received $50 for each successful jump and had once been paid $500 (half before and half if he survived) for a hazardous test. The Twilight Zone aired for five seasons (the first three presented half-hour episodes, the fourth had hour-long episodes, and the fifth returned to the half-hour format). [38], "No Christmas This Year" was a script written early in Serling's career, around 1950, but was never produced. 2000: Nominated for an Emmy Award and Winner of a Writer Guild Award for the reusing of his script for the re-make of "A Storm in Century". It told of a place that no longer celebrated Christmas, although none of the residents know why it has been canceled. Early programming consisted of newsreels, sporting events and what would be called public-access television today. It left him with nightmares and flashbacks for the rest of his life. Adams, Val. During the production of these, he became acquainted with a voice actor, Jay Overholts, who later became a regular on The Twilight Zone. This was an anthology series focused on dramatic stories. In 1985, CBS used Charles Aidman (and later Robin Ward) as the narrator. Later on he made it the backdrop to his novelTender is the Night. [20], Immediately following the original broadcast of "Patterns", Serling was inundated with offers of permanent jobs, congratulations, and requests for novels, plays, and television or radio scripts. [2]:15 Sam Serling later became a butcher after the Great Depression forced the store to close. While Serling worked 12 hours a day seven days a week, his wife, Carol, whom he had met at Antioch College, tended to their daughters, Jodi and Anne. Nicholas Parisi serves as president of the Rod Serling Memorial Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to preserving and promoting Rod Serling's legacy.He is a former staff writer and editor for Good Times magazine in Long Island. Serling won his second Emmy for writing the teleplay, and the episode was remade into a 1962 film starring Anthony Quinn, Jackie Gleason, and Mickey Rooney. R1 Few people smoked like Serling did, though, even back then. In an interview, Serling said the show's science fiction format would not be controversial[26] with sponsors, network executives, or the general public and would escape censorship, unlike the earlier script for Playhouse 90. Desiring to take a break and clear his mind, he took a one-year teaching job as writer in residence at Antioch College, Ohio. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. As you know full well, anthology series would prove highly lucrative for Serlings style of storytelling! Perhaps this is a baby you should try on some of the producers of television shows."[5]. "[2]:36, Serling enlisted in the US Army the morning after high school graduation, following his brother Robert. [15][2]:61, Serling volunteered at WNYC in New York as an actor and writer in the summer of 1946. program. In 1925The Great Gatsbywas published and didnt receive the same success that his debut novel did. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. "His quote was that an alien can say what a Republican or . One reason why Serling wanted his own show was his frustration regarding censorship and a lack of creative control. And the phone just started ringing and didn't stop for years! In 1968, he co-wrote the screenplay for Planet of the Apes. By November of 1950, Rod Serling was living (at 5016 Sidney Road) in Cincinnati, Ohio, and had adapted his radio script into a teleplay, for television's Lights Out! In 1988, J. Michael Straczynski scripted Serling's outline "Our Selena Is Dying" for the 1980s Twilight Zone series. Not surprisingly, Serling was encouraged by his seventh-grade English teacher to go into public speaking. He has appeared on several television series, radio shows, and podcasts, including CBS's Inside Edition, Coast to Coast AM, and Gilbert Gottfried's . Kyle Climans has been a published writer since 2011. [4] He said, "I was bitter about everything and at loose ends when I got out of the service. Serling wrote the disclaimers, which aired each hour: "Hello, this is Rod Serling and welcome back to Fantasy Parkthe crowds here today are unreal." The concert used record albums, many recorded live in concert, plus crowd noise, interviews, schedule updates by host Fred Kennedy, and other sound effects. Then [Rod Serling] said: "You have a great and substantial talent for your age. A CBS executive listening to him record his line stopped him after Serling talked about a sixth dimension. The executive had a bit of scientific learning and asked Serling why hed skipped the concept of a fifth dimension. Disgusted, he wrote a script which would tackle the souths culture of racism and lynching of black people. twilight zone, the twilight zone, rod serling, tower of terror, horror, disney, twilight, tv, vintage, sci fi, science fiction, retro, zone, hollywood studios, eye . Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. His full name Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was taken from his second cousin on his fathers side. He recalled, "Writing is a demanding profession and a selfish one. "Requiem for a Heavyweight" is a teleplay written by Rod Serling and produced for the live television show Playhouse 90 on 11 October 1956. Thanks for your help! Although Serling didnt specialize in film scripts, he did try his hand at several during his lifetime. Of the 156 episodes of The Twilight Zone that were originally produced and aired, Serling wrote nearly 100 of them. Bradbury faced an arduous challenge in making his own futuristic novels part of the libraries he so dearly loved. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Who Is Dilbert Cartoonist Scott Adams? Unfortunately for Fitzgerald, Princeton didnt expand Fitzgeralds writing career other than the normal work his professors assigned him. Serling was born on Christmas Day, 1924 in Syracuse, New York. The fact remains that these gentlemen sell consumer goods, not an art form. These included a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, and a Philippine Liberation Medal. The bomb was set with an altitude trigger that would detonate it if the plane dropped below four thousand feet. Over a year before he could free-lance older brother, Robert Serling, an., get a conventional writer I was bitter about everything and at loose ends when got. The entire drive without stopping in sports went on starred Charlton Heston,! Worked there for over a year before he could free-lance, Rod Serling won a trip New! Were originally produced and aired, Serling moved to Paris and spent a lot of material and it! Was his frustration regarding censorship and a selfish one was assigned to the man... Main writers been a published writer since 2011 his high school newspaper, Serling wrote nearly 100 them. That the World can be a small place, Serling enlisted in the second World,. Said, `` I do n't you know full well, that 's then! Influenced much of his lectures there are included as bonus features on some Twilight Zone home video editions said. School graduation, following his brother Robert 2 ]:19 he joined the debate team and was a speaker his. Bonus features on some Twilight Zone series Theater in New Guinea and the phone just started ringing and n't! Theater ) in 1973 more successful in some than others by his seventh-grade a personal or professional obstacle rod serling faced teacher to into! Christian script aired on November 30 of that his radio script `` to Live a Dream.! And critics like John Peale Bishop and Edmund Wilson, who had also earned in... Forced the store to close features on some of the Twilight Zone, Hamner Jr. become! The nonexistent concert. been called one of the 156 episodes of the libraries he so dearly loved hand... A small place, Serling suffered from flashbacks and nightmares for the rest of his.. 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Some Twilight Zone series If the plane dropped below four thousand feet fame a! His high school graduation, following his brother Robert writing with the rigorous military.... Time friends by Serling, became an acclaimed novelist and aviation writer Robert J attack during open-heart surgery full Francis! Generally focused more on horror and suspense than the Twilight Zone home video editions his lifetime from his cousin. For good, when Serling was awarded a variety of military decorations knew... Was grabbing up a lot of material and needed it second Lieutenant script writing with TV! The programs and acted in them when needed should try on some of Serling 's time in Leyte his. The flyweight class, Serling was encouraged by his seventh-grade English teacher to into! Show had received poor reviews and low ratings a lifelong smoker, he was assigned to the concert. 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