Exclusive Interview: Will the real Rod Serling please stand up

[wdwmagic]

It has been a mystery who portrayed Rod Serling in the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror... until now...Read our exclusive interview with Robert Steven Rhine

http://www.wdwmagic.com/tower_robertrhine_interview.htm

 

[MrNonacho]

I am so confused right now. I've never read anything that says that the Rod in the preshow is an impersonator. This guy also doesn't quite look like the Rod in the preshow. What was he doing on the lobby set anyway?

Preshow:
<a href="http://www.imageshack.us"><img src="http://img22.echo.cx/img22/2782/rodpreshow7ya.jpg" border="0" width="150" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>

Real Rod:
<a href="http://www.imageshack.us"><img src="http://img22.echo.cx/img22/7411/rodshow0kr.jpg" border="0" width="265" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>

Robert Rhine:
<a href="http://www.imageshack.us"><img src="http://img22.echo.cx/img22/6195/rodrobert1gf.jpg" border="0" width="294" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>

 

[InsideOtherPark]

I always thought it was only the voice the was not him. Thank you for sharing this with us.

 

[The_CEO]

Yeah I always thought it was real Rod put into a different background, or just spliced to look like this or that...

 

[foxfire]

I forget, who does Rod's voice for ToT?

 

[MrNonacho]

I forget, who does Rod's voice for ToT?

Mark Silverman.

The more I think about this, the more confused I get. Why would they go and copy half of an actual episode's introduction word for word (and mannerism for mannerism) when they could have had the impersonators do and say whatever they wanted? Why cut away from Rod at the precise moment when he's about to say "map" instead of "maintenance?" You can even see him make the "ma" sound with his mouth before they cut away.

Maybe they shot an opening with him and then scrapped it in favor of the preshow we all know? He did say they shot it a couple years before the attraction opened.

 

[Kajs]

The footage of Rod in the Preshow is the real thing from the episode "It's a Good Life" which if you see shows Rod in front of a map saying "This, as you may recognize, is a map of the United States." Now the Tower cuts away from him when he starts saying "map" and cuts to the elevator with him continuing "...maintenance service elevator." I would just think the footage of this guy is what they kept at the end when you start backing out of the drop shaft.

 

[Captain Hank]

:veryconfu Huh? Wait a sec, I thought that was actual footage of Rod Sterling. It's not?

 

[RnRJoe6114]

Yea i was always told that it was really Rod and thats why they go over to the elevator instead of showing Rod when he say 'maintanence' instead of 'map' so everything would sync correctly.

 

[KevinPage]

Stevie has gots some explaning to do

 

[Jerm]

OK as I am sure any WDW cast member has done after reading this they go right to the portal and look up every bit of info on ToT. No where in any Disney info is it said anything about a actor standing in for Rod, other then his voice. I have not been on WDW's Tower in about 8 months but everything that I can recall about it, the only times Rod shows up is the pre-show video, which Disney credits as Rod Serling: himself, then at the end which is him just standing there fading off into the circle with the "welcome back" audio. The end video looks to be a clip of Rod, from everything I remember, more or less just standing there. A few things I find odd about story (which if are ture fine I will eat my words) he is such a huge Rod fan but can't really name any of the shows and how all of those pics are at the attraction when he said he stood infront of a green screen for the whole thing???? I would like some details of what part he is actually in.

J

 

[boo52]

Mark Silverman.

The more I think about this, the more confused I get. Why would they go and copy half of an actual episode's introduction word for word (and mannerism for mannerism) when they could have had the impersonators do and say whatever they wanted? Why cut away from Rod at the precise moment when he's about to say "map" instead of "maintenance?" You can even see him make the "ma" sound with his mouth before they cut away.

Maybe they shot an opening with him and then scrapped it in favor of the preshow we all know? He did say they shot it a couple years before the attraction opened.

This information was posted in Eyes & Ears back when the ToT opened about where the pre show video came from. What Steve is talking about is the video that plays at the bottom of the drop shaft, there is a quick cut of Rod. You can clearly tell it's not Rod but an impersonator.

 

[MrNonacho]

It appears that the interview's introduction does make a note that he was used for the video at the end of the ride. I either missed this the first time I read it or it was added later.

Either way, it's an interesting interview!

 

[downwitheisner]

You can clearly tell it's not Rod but an impersonator.

Yeah, the impersonator has broader shoulders and a longer face. It's pretty obvious, but I wonder who the competition was.

 

[wdwmagic]

This information was posted in Eyes & Ears back when the ToT opened about where the pre show video came from. What Steve is talking about is the video that plays at the bottom of the drop shaft, there is a quick cut of Rod. You can clearly tell it's not Rod but an impersonator.

This is right. Currently, there is quick cut of Rod. Previously, in ToT1 (1994), Rod Serling (aka Robert) walked towards guests from a snowy TV reception image, and delivered the spiel. Normally at this point, guests are still screaming their heads off, and this scene lost some of its effectiveness (there were also timing issues when ToT2 came along), and was ultimately changed to what we have now, which is the various Twilight Zone imagery and Rod (as the vehicle backs of out of the shaft).

 

[JLW11Hi]

Thats funny, when you realize that this impersonator has never ridden the ride. I wonder if he realizes how much he was cut out of the ride?

So the impersonator's original scene was shown at the bottom of the drop shaft right after the drop? Did he deliver the same spiel that you hear as the elevator car moves toward the exit?

 

[Kajs]

I think this is the old video that was used originally at the end of the ride. I thought I rode it pretty early in it's life, but I never saw this while on it. (Sorry about the quality, I don't have any way to directly import it to my computer.)

Tower Video (4.08MB WMV)

 

[MrNonacho]

Tower Video (4.08MB WMV)

Thanks! Now that I've seen him in action, I have my doubts as to whether he's even the brief glimpse of Rod you currently see at the end. He's so obviously different than the real Rod.

 

[MyNameisStitch]

Sorry to bump this thread back up but I thought this was interesting...

Robert Rhine posted on the HiddenMickeys.org Fun Facts page for ToT. His entry is about halfway down.

http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/WDW/Studios/Secrets/TowerTerror.html

I was reading through the facts and his story sounded familiar and then I read his name and remembered that Steve did that interview with him.

 

[prberk]

Thats funny, when you realize that this impersonator has never ridden the ride. I wonder if he realizes how much he was cut out of the ride?

So the impersonator's original scene was shown at the bottom of the drop shaft right after the drop? Did he deliver the same spiel that you hear as the elevator car moves toward the exit?

Don't know the answers to your last questions, but I thought about it when I read in the interview that he had not ridden the ride! Then, I thought about it and reminded myself that he is an actor, probably called upon to do lots of things that he never actually sees for finished results! But now that it is in Disneyland (Cali Adventure), at least it should be easier for him to see (since he seems to be based in L.A.), if he can summon up the courage to experience the drop.

I want to say, though, that I did remember the press reports at the time that TOT opened saying that they mixed known Rod Serling footage with an impersonator. So, I had heard of this before.

Has anyone seen the TZ episode that the opening spiel, with the "map," came from? Is it good? I would like to see it. I haven't checked, but I am assuming that it apprears on one of the DVD sets. Do they sell that episode in the TOT gift shop?

Man, I used to love The Twilight Zone!

Paul

P.S.: Great interview, Steve. How did you get to do it, and where was it done? Why did he choose to reveal himself now?