What is the name of the character played by James Daly in 'A Stop at Willoughby'?

The character played by James Daly in “A Stop at Willoughby” is Gart Williams. He is a 20th-century New York advertising executive whose exhausting professional and domestic life drives him toward an imagined—or perhaps supernatural—escape.

Williams encounters the mysterious town of Willoughby while falling asleep on his commuter train. Each visit transports him to July 1888, where the pace is gentle, children play in the street, and residents greet one another warmly. The contrast with his demanding boss, Oliver Misrell, and his unhappy marriage makes Willoughby feel like an idealized refuge from modern life.

The episode aired as the 30th episode of the original series on May 6, 1960. Rod Serling wrote the teleplay, and Robert Parrish directed it. Its final image reveals that Williams has died after stepping from the train, while the hearse carrying him bears the name “Willoughby & Son.”

Readers sometimes mistake Willoughby for the character’s name, but Willoughby is the destination. Gart Williams is the troubled protagonist, while the town functions as both a nostalgic dream and the story’s ominous final destination.