Arte Johnson as a deejay whose career—and life—may end at a remote radio station during the graveyard shift. The Night Gallery story “The Flip-Side of Satan” is reviewed here.
“The Flip-Side of Satan” ** ½
Teleplay by Malcolm Marmorsteen & Gerald Sanford, Story by Hal Dresner
Directed by Jerrold Freedman
Arte Johnson as J. J. Wilson
If you’ve ever wondered if Arte Johnson of Laugh-In fame could carry a fifteen minute piece all on his own, this is your chance to find out. He’s better than I expected in this dramatic story, good but not great, but as the only actor onscreen, it’s a lot to ask and perhaps this segment would have been lifted up further with a somewhat stronger actor.
Johnson plays J.J. Wilson, a former big-time disc jockey, having worked fifteen years in New York City. His career on a downward trajectory—way, way down as it turns out, he’s been banished to the middle of nowhere doing the midnight shift on a low-power station. “On a clear day, you can hear across the street,” he complains bitterly.
He pumps himself up with (false?) braggadocio asking rhetorically, “Who’s better than J.J.?” then plays his canned introduction of funky music with women singing his name.
His scheduled playlist, which he has been ordered to adhere to without exception, begins with gothic organ music. Not what this early ‘70s hipster expected, he calls his manager to complain about how backward the station is.
His agent, Sid, thought J.J. and his wife were having an affair. She’s dead now, seemingly a suicide. As he ends the call, J.J. seems contrite, though not admitting the affair.
Getting back to his canned between-song repertoire, Sid tells some jokes and plays canned laughter in response. The next record is eerie electronic music. He calls Bert, a man to whom he owes money. He wants Burt to give Sid an alibi for the weekends that both he (J.J.) and Sid’s wife were both away on “separate” excursions, thus we now know they were indeed having an affair.
The next track on J.J.’s playlist has satanic conjurings and he thinks he’s being hazed by the station’s other deejays. Finally, he decides to go against orders and put on one of his own records, but it comes out as the same conjuring.
Becoming scared, he dials the operator and is told it’s a disconnected number. The record says “all have been summoned to witness the sacrifice of the condemned.” J.J. notices a gallery of portraits on the studio wall, portraits of dead deejays who worked there. The record says the sacrifice is to Lucifer and J.J. is electrocuted and we then pan up to the wall and see his portrait has been added to the gallery.
The ending of this story is rather abrupt and if it had been expanded a bit and also perhaps had a stronger actor in the lead, this could have been quite an excellent episode. As it is, it has a certain element of creepiness to it and it’s a borderline recommended segment.
Steven McDonough said:
I believe the uncredited voice on the record belongs to Liam Sullivan.
A said:
actually it’s artie himself
James andrews said:
Hello: l just read your reviiew and I just wanted to say I think Arte Johnson was great in this role.! Perfect casting …it’s one of the better night gallery episodes
djuhl22 said:
Thanks for commenting and especially for reading the reviews.
Gary Pietz said:
Except he did not do a very good job of looking like you was being electrocuted I’m back to you look like one guy said contemplating his next scoop of ice cream that part the director should have made sure it was done correctly
Gary Pietz said:
Other words I love it except for that part like I said he did a very lousy job of looking like he is being electrocuted
gary pietz said:
He was not a strong enough character he was OK but he just is Isn’t vicious enough This needs to be played by an Actor who can be believed as far as being very underhanded and vicious it’s hard to Believe Artie Johnson can be that way
Randy said:
Anyone know who played Satan in The Flip Side Of Satan ?
k said:
Am I the only one who thinks Arte Johnson bore a passing resemblance to John Denver here? Maybe it was the haircut.
Midnight Splashy said:
Just decided after all these years to finally look up this episode,to see if there is a spot that tells the whole original story. About 12 yrs ago,there was a Night Gallery marathon on some cable channel that I wish I could remember,but they showed the original full hour episodes of every single one made,minus the episodes that were originally titled The Sixth Sense(yes like the movie many years later&now many years in our past),with Gary Collins,that have been lumped in with the now unfortunately terribly cut half hour episodes of the Night Gallery. So,in the full hour episode of the Flip Side of Satan,you actually see “J.J.” at his managers home and talking with his managers wife on the couch. She tells him that she’s in love with him,wants to leave her husband for him,and us going to tell her husband. J.J. tries to dissuade her from doing so,but to no avail,so he kills her,making it look like a suicide. This is why in the beginning of the now half hour episode you see a woman,the manager’s wife,slowly running and saying softly,”J.J.,J.J.,why did you do this to me?…..”& later,”J.J.,help me!…”,etc. But again unfortunately,since it was so many years ago that I had seen that episode,I can’t remember if his manager more than suspects J.J. of having the affair with his wife,but actually knows that he also killed her and purposely sends him to that,yes eerie,radio station in the middle of nowhere,or,sort of like an ommage to the Twilight Zone,in the Twilight Zone really. So to wrap this all up,first I just wanted to also say that the review written above was excellently done for the unfortunately very cut half hour episode of the Flip Side of Satan,and second,I really,really hope that someday someone will decide to finally show the original uncut version of the Night Gallery episodes because for many of them shown,they would make so much more sense!
DonaldSarian said:
I. Saw. Orginal. At. eight Years old. And later. On. Marathon full hour they never showed him haven the affair with. Sids wife. Artie. Did. It. All on one show .on a phone. The west coast is differnt then east. Coast. So. Differnt. Shown. Though. in segment. The. Syndication version you. Do see her sayen. Why did. You kill me. I thought she committed suicide. Wasnt murdered that. Put her in void. Great info. I remember when i first. Saw it electricushion was very shockin at.time. When they added more stuff In. Syndication. I saw how scary it had to be toned down. But great. Info. I was wondering. how did he kill her . Artie.Johnson. passed way month ago.
Jennie petruska said:
I am so infinitely glad to know I didn’t imagine there was more to this episode. It is my very favorite one and when I got the dvd it didn’t seem the same. Now I know and thank you very much! I wish there was a way to get the real episodes.
Ken said:
RIP Arte Johnson
kekegene said:
Though not my favorite episode, it was worth a watch. Would have been better with at least one other actor in the scene with Arte.
Robin Miller said:
The Flip Side of Satan is one of my favorite Night Gallery episodes along side of The Cemetary. Arte Johnson is a strong actor and did a great job in this segment. The story line was weak, however.
T Fazzini said:
So they only showed the ending instead of the beginning where he does kill her..that explains her ghost running around asking why he did that to her…Artie was about the most perfect actor….for this egocentric disk jockey who gets his Just Zapps in the end