Asked to explain what This scene setting episode, will illumine the world…"), the Dance is about, people tend to where Number Six finds himself dead poet equates with Dutton, flounder. Whereas other descending into the labyrinth, Death becomes the Mary Morris episodes are clear cut, the social inexorably drawn toward his trial, character, the journey to the comment of A Change of Mind, has its origins in two sources. In Underworld, all this and more the political satire of Free for All, a film made in 1941 entitled The combine to give us the episode the revenge in Hammer into Devil and Daniel Webster, Jabez that is the high point of and Anvil, or the misuse of education Stone sells his soul to Mr. embodies this series’ values. in The General, Dance is enig- Scratch (The Devil) and the film matic. On the surface it is about features a melancholic dance of What unites the work of the unauthorised use of a radio. death, where a room full of dead Cocteau and Skene’s three However, it is the undercurrents people slowly gyrate to unearthly episodes is Greek mythology, the that measure its true appeal. It music and the life is drained from descent into the labyrinth, both has an ethereal quality, a dream- a poor unfortunate who preceded physical and spiritual. A like feel to it. Perhaps more than Daniel in making a pact, after pschotherapist friend comment- any other episode, this is the which there is a trial, that serves ed to me: “The myth of Orpheus most Kafkaesque. In fact Skene's as a model for the Dance trial. is about the breaking of rules and three episodes make up a mini Eagle-eyed observers will note the loss of identity.” Number Six series in themselves. A. B. and other connections too. For is Orpheus descending, as he is C, Many Happy Returns and Number Six, the illicit radio will enticed into the Underworld, Dance all share below the Village. certain elements. The strength of Cocteau’s Orphee Skene's work, - the Dead being All either especially Dance, taken back to the feature dreams, or Underworld. is that nothing is could be dreams. what it seems, for Everything that we are dealing with happens in Many dreams and shad- Happy Returns ows. could be a dream whilst Number Six Whence is in the shower. the title? Cocteau Dance could be a kept a diary whilst dream, although making Beauty and because the final the Beast. For his scenes were never entry January 20th filmed, this is not 1944 he says: made clear. The "France, truly a last scene would collection of indi- have had Number viduals and unfit- Six returning to the ted for mobocracy, ballroom where a will be a place that hectic dance is in full swing. prove to be the devil’s work. only exceptional beings can tol- Everyone dances as if the devil is erate…Poets will be able to live in playing. The music increases its The second connection France as long as they don't get speed, and the camera pulls back drawn on by Skene is Jean trapped by positions and hon- to reveal the Village as only a dis- Cocteau. This poet, playwright, ours. I have the luck of being one tant glow in the darkness of the actor, filmmaker, influenced of those people who can help to night. Other elements that the Skene enormously. Even today prevent that dance of death…I three episodes share are cats - Cocteau’s films (amongst them is myself would joyfully die for this the enigmatic cat in Many Happy Orphee [1949] and Beauty and priesthood of total liberty." Returns; mirrors - Number Six the Beast [1946]) captivate and tries to straighten the crooked dazzle us with their inventive- Skene drew upon mirror in A. B. and C; night and ness and originality. Orphee, Cocteau, The Devil and Daniel death, both figurative and literal. described as "The closest the Webster, and his own fertile All three are superior quality sto- cinema has ever come to poetry" imagination. The Prisoner would ries, each with a twist at the end. (Halliwell,) is the true father of be far poorer without his contri- Dance of the Dead. With its enig- bution. All these years on Dance So from where did Skene matic messages heard from the of the Dead has lost nothing of its draw his inspiration for Dance? car radio ("One glass of water power..