He's Alive
He's Alive
He's Alive is the fourth episode of The Twilight Zone’s fourth season. It aired on January 24, 1963, and was directed by Stuart Rosenberg and written by Rod Serling. Dennis Hopper stars as Peter Vollmer, a small-time American neo-Nazi who is mocked by crowds as he preaches on street corners.
Plot summary:
A troubled Vollmer is taken in by Ernst Ganz, an elderly Jewish man who once sheltered him. At night, Vollmer is visited by a shadowy figure who teaches him how to charm a crowd and even helps him arrange the murder of a follower, Nick Bloss, to create a martyr for his cause. The mentor reveals himself to be Adolf Hitler, who orders Vollmer to kill Ernst. Vollmer carries out the order and feels suddenly immortal; Hitler proclaims that they are immortal.
Police arrest Vollmer for conspiracy to murder. While fleeing, Vollmer is shot. Hitler’s shadow appears on the wall as Vollmer dies, and Hitler slips away to find another mouthpiece. The episode ends with the claim that “he’s alive” wherever hate, prejudice, and bigotry exist—an enduring warning about the persistence of evil.
Production notes:
Rod Serling was pleased with the script and once envisioned a longer version that could become a feature film. A scene between Hitler’s reveal and Vollmer’s return was filmed but cut for length, and the longer project was never produced. The unreleased footage is lost. Dennis Hopper’s performance in this episode is remembered as a breakout role for him. An extended script even included an FBI agent investigating Vollmer, but it wasn’t produced due to budget constraints.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 05:25 (CET).