"The Midnight Sun" is episode 75 of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone, first shown in November, 1961.
Opening narration
Plot
The Earth's orbit has been perturbed, causing the planet to slowly fall into the Sun. A prolific artist, Norma, and her landlady, Mrs. Bronson, are the last residents in their New York apartment building. Their former neighbors have either moved north to seek a cooler climate or they have already perished from the extremely high temperatures.
At twenty minutes to midnight, it is and sunny as high noon. Norma and Mrs. Bronson try to support each other as they watch life as they know it erode around them. The streets are deserted, water usage is limited to an hour a day, and their electricity is gradually being turned off. Food and water are scarce and the sea has dried up. A radio presenter announces that the police have been moved out of the city and that citizens must defend themselves against looters, then angrily goes off script before being forcibly taken off the air.
As the temperature rises to , the two women grow weaker. Norma burns her hand on a windowsill. Mrs. Bronson becomes psychologically unstable, beseeching Norma to paint a picture of a cool subject, rather than Norma's usual paintings of the Sun and burning cities. A looter enters the building through the roof door, which Mrs. Bronson neglected to lock. They hide in Norma's apartment. The looter calls from outside, demanding entry. Norma threatens him with a revolver, and they hear him walk away.
Against Norma's pleas, Mrs. Bronson unlocks the door, and the stranger forces his way in, grabs the revolver and drinks their water. He calms down after seeing their distress and begs for their forgiveness, claiming that he is an honest man driven insane by the heat. He throws away the revolver and describes the recent death of his wife and newborn child. He begs for forgiveness until Norma acknowledges him; he then leaves the building.
In an attempt to console Mrs. Bronson, Norma shows her an oil painting of a waterfall cascading into a lush pond. Mrs. Bronson deliriously claims that she can feel the coolness and splashes in the imaginary waters before dying from heat stroke. Norma sits in shock as the thermometer surges past and shatters. The paint on the paintings begins to melt; she screams and collapses.
The scene cuts to the same apartment at night with heavy snow outside the windows. The thermometer reads . Norma, who has been bedridden with a high fever, is being cared for by a doctor and Mrs. Bronson. The Earth moving closer to the Sun is revealed to be only a fever dream, while in reality the Earth is moving away from the Sun, and the world's inhabitants are actually freezing to death.
Norma tells Mrs. Bronson about her nightmare, adding, "Isn't it wonderful to have darkness, and coolness?" Mrs. Bronson's face stiffens in dread, and she replies, "Yes, my dear. It's...wonderful."
Closing narration
Rod Serling then appears on camera to promote the next episode: "Next week we move back into time, back to 1863. A distinguished actor, Mr. Gary Merrill plays the role of a Confederate scout who goes off on a patrol and winds up smack dab in the center of The Twilight Zone. Our story is an adaptation of a strange tale by Manly Wade Wellman called 'The Still Valley'. This one is for Civil War buffs and the students of the occult. I hope you're around to take a look at it."
Production notes
The effect of the oil paintings melting was accomplished by painting the pictures in wax on the surface of a hotplate. Moreover, the episode was shot in the summer, on a set without air-conditioning, with the director actually turning up the heat on certain key scenes to create the necessary mood and appearance for the story.
Deleted characters
Serling's original script featured two characters who did not appear in the completed episode: a police officer and a refrigerator repairman.