Not Rated | 30min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, TV Series | Episode aired 24 February 1959
A recovering alcoholic returns to his family from an extended stay in rehabilitation. His sobriety is put to the test, as are his beliefs in the supernatural, when his son is trapped in a cave-in.
Director: John Newland
Writers: Merwin Gerard, Don Mankiewicz, Lawrence B. Marcus
Stars: Julie Adams, Charles Aidman, Charles Herbert
A recovering alcoholic returns to his family from an extended stay in rehabilitation. His sobriety is put to the test, as are his beliefs in the supernatural, when his son is trapped in a cave-in.
Director: John Newland
Writers: Merwin Gerard, Don Mankiewicz, Lawrence B. Marcus
Stars: Julie Adams, Charles Aidman, Charles Herbert
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00The amazing drama you're about to see is a matter of human record.
00:07You may believe it or not, but the real people who lived this story, they believe it.
00:14They know.
00:16They took that one step beyond.
00:30She was standing right here!
00:33I saw it!
00:35It was no hallucination!
00:40Hallucination.
00:44Hallucination.
00:46According to Webster, noun, illusion, apparent perception of an external object not actually present.
00:56That's what the dictionary says.
00:59But inside that room, that well-ordered definition just won't do.
01:06Sometimes, repeating over and over again what we think we have seen...
01:11You want to hear it again?
01:13You just tell me you want to hear it again. You want to hear it a thousand times, I'll tell it to you a thousand times!
01:18But when do we stop?
01:21When that which cannot be is removed from that which was.
01:36Okay, doctor. Same story.
01:41Six weeks ago, I was released from a sanitarium for chronic alcoholism.
01:47I went to Nevada to find my wife. She was getting a divorce.
02:06Hi, Dad.
02:19Wow.
02:22It's been a while, son.
02:26You know something, son?
02:28I missed you.
02:29Me, too.
02:30Mama said it'd be better if we didn't bother you.
02:33Well, she's right. She's right.
02:35There's no place to go visiting people.
02:38How is she?
02:39She's okay.
02:42Hey, what's the matter, huh?
02:44Nothing.
02:47Oh.
02:51Well, I'm not drunk, if that's what you're wondering.
02:54Dad.
02:55That was it, wasn't it?
02:57She told you to find out if I was.
02:59Well, now that's nothing for you to be ashamed of.
03:03She's absolutely right.
03:05She shouldn't see me unless she makes sure.
03:09You're never going to have to worry about that again, Steve.
03:13Do you believe me?
03:14Sure, I do.
03:16Thanks, Steve.
03:18Now, let's go see if we can convince your mother.
03:24I hope she believes you.
03:26I hope so, too.
03:35Hey, hey.
03:47Helen.
03:48Hello, Carl.
03:50Put this out in the station wagon, will you, Steve?
03:52You're still going?
03:53Mm-hmm.
03:54Dad, too?
03:56Steve.
03:58See you later.
04:19How'd you like the flowers?
04:21They're lovely.
04:23It's a much bigger bouquet than last time.
04:37I see you didn't care much for the note, either.
04:41I meant every word of it.
04:43You always do.
04:45You were always sweet and thoughtful, Carl.
04:48Except when I was drunk and looking for somebody to punch.
04:54I just can't help it anymore.
04:57I used to be able to forget, but now I can't.
05:02Why did you come all the way out here?
05:08The answer is no.
05:10No, Carl, absolutely no.
05:14See, all the other times you were away,
05:16I used to be able to think of you the way you were when we first got married.
05:20The good times.
05:22But this last time,
05:26all I could see was you drunk and shouting and fighting
05:31and those two policemen, the way they looked at me.
05:36Carl, I've just forgiven and forgotten so many times that it's just all gone out of me.
05:42The forgiving and the forgetting.
05:43I can't.
05:44That's all.
05:45Helen, I don't want you to forget.
05:48Carl, what you're doing is not fair to any of us.
05:50You're upsetting Stevie.
05:52Listen to me, Helen.
05:54I want you to remember.
05:57We've both got to remember just how terrible it was
06:00because that's what's going to keep it from happening again.
06:03I can't go through this again, Carl.
06:05I just can't.
06:15I can't.
06:23Why did you have to come out here?
06:26Why couldn't you just leave us alone?
06:32Helen,
06:35you remember where they put me the last time?
06:39It was pretty awful.
06:41I was never so scared my whole life.
06:44When I was a little kid,
06:46I hated you for letting them put me there.
06:49What was I supposed to have done?
06:51I hated you at first,
06:54but I'm grateful now.
06:57You gave me a lot of time to think.
07:01And when I got out,
07:03I realized that I'd never take another drink as long as I lived.
07:07But how do you know?
07:09Because now I know what made me drink.
07:12It was fear.
07:14Fear? Of what?
07:17You had a wonderful job.
07:19We had Stevie.
07:21You knew how much I loved you.
07:24And I was afraid that I wasn't good enough for you.
07:28That doesn't make much sense, I guess.
07:32How can I make you understand?
07:36Well, I drank to forget the fear.
07:40And when I was drinking, I really wasn't good enough for you.
07:44Well, the fear got worse. I drank some more.
07:47And I lost my job. I hated myself for that.
07:50I drank some more. I hated myself some more.
07:54And all the time I was afraid.
07:58But I'm not afraid anymore.
08:05Take me back, Helen.
08:11What do you say?
08:17You were always such a good salesman.
08:20You make it sound so right.
08:22It is right.
08:27I...
08:29I want to think about it.
08:32I'm not here.
08:34When I'm with you, whatever you say seems right.
08:38I'm glad I still have that effect on you.
08:45I promised Stevie I'd take him sightseeing this afternoon.
08:49Can I go with you?
08:51No, we'll be back before supper.
08:55While you're deciding, would you wear this?
09:00I'll never put that ring on again, Carl, unless I mean it.
09:04If it is no, I promise I won't argue.
09:09Thanks, Carl.
09:11Just in case it is no, I want you to remember this.
09:17I do love you.
09:34I love you.
09:53What's the matter, Steve?
09:55Nothing.
09:57You don't sound like nothing's the matter.
09:59It's not your fault, Mom.
10:01What is it?
10:03That I don't enjoy anything as much as I did when...
10:06Oh, I don't know.
10:08When what?
10:10When I was a little kid, I guess.
10:13Now, that's not what you meant, is it?
10:16You mean that nothing's as much fun without your father?
10:20Isn't that what you're trying to tell me?
10:24Maybe I feel the same way.
10:27Maybe?
10:29Maybe.
10:31When are you going to decide?
10:34I don't know.
10:36Why not?
10:38Because it isn't that easy.
10:40It is to me. You want to, don't you?
10:44Oh, yes, I want to.
10:48But I thought we came out here to look at a silver mine.
10:52Wasn't that the general idea?
10:54Come on.
10:57Hey, wait a minute. You're going to need your flashlight.
11:21Come on, come on!
11:26Come on.
11:37Here, you better carry this on you.
11:47Stevie?
11:52Stevie?
11:53I'm over here, Mom!
11:57You scared me half to death.
11:59I'm sorry. Look down there.
12:02I wonder how deep it is.
12:04Got a piece of paper?
12:06A piece of paper's no good. Use a rock.
12:14There's water down there.
12:19I guess that's why they abandoned the mine.
12:22I don't know.
12:24That would...
12:27Will you give a lady a little time?
12:30Haven't you had enough time?
12:33Yes, Stevie, I guess I have.
12:36Then let's go back and tell him.
12:39No, not right now. Run along.
12:54Come on.
13:10No, Stevie, no!
13:12Helen?
13:16Helen!
13:18Oh, Helen. What happened?
13:20He's trapped.
13:21Where's Stevie?
13:22He's trapped!
13:23Where?
13:24He's trapped in the mine! Hurry!
13:31Hurry!
13:33Hurry!
13:35Hurry!
13:37Hurry!
13:39Hurry!
13:42Hurry!
13:44There! There!
13:46He's underneath!
13:48No, no, over there! There!
13:50Where?
13:51Right there. Hurry!
13:53Hurry! Hurry!
13:56Try and get some help, Helen. Please try and get some help.
14:01Stevie.
14:03Stevie, boy. Are you in there boy?
14:05Are you in there?
14:09Hello?
14:20I don't see him either.
14:23It'd be dangerous if he went into that hole.
14:26It's the basement.
14:27Why?
14:28Steve, boy, are you in there? Boy? Steve?
14:37Lady?
14:42Lady? Lady! Where are you?
14:46Right here! Right here! Where's the trouble?
14:54Where's the trouble?
14:56Right here! My boy's in there! My boy's in there!
14:59Somebody's in there!
15:01How did he get in?
15:04Watch it! Watch it! Watch it!
15:07I see him!
15:12Can you get through?
15:14Stevie?
15:18Is he alive?
15:25Oh, Steve. Oh, Steve.
15:28Watch it. I'll get him up.
15:31I'll make him look.
15:36Watch it.
15:38Let him through.
15:42Help me, Steve.
15:46Get through.
15:48Don't shoot me, Steve.
15:50Steve?
15:52Go get him.
15:54Mom! Mom!
15:56It's me.
16:02Mommy!
16:04Daddy! Daddy!
16:09Daddy! Daddy!
16:19Daddy! Daddy!
16:21Daddy!
16:22Daddy!
16:23Oh, my God!
16:24Help!
16:25Help!
16:26Help!
16:27Daddy!
16:28What's the matter?
16:29Help!
16:30Let me go!
16:31Let me go!
16:32Help!
16:33Hey, mister!
16:34Mister!
16:35Daddy!
16:37You all right?
16:38Yeah.
16:39Help!
16:42Hey, mister!
16:43Hey!
16:44Hey!
16:45Help!
16:48Hey, mister!
16:52Help?
16:55Help?
16:58Help?
17:01Help?
17:04Help?
17:07Somebody help!
17:14Well, that's it. That's it. Not quite. Your wife died instantly when that mind collapsed,
17:35Mr. Archer. That's a medical fact. Go ahead, state the other medical fact. Tell me I'm
17:40out of my mind. There's nothing wrong with your mind, but there are certain facts you
17:45have to face. For instance, do you have any idea how your wife got from the mind to the
17:52motel? Her station wagon never left that mind. You know that, don't you? It was an extremely
17:58hot day. You were fatigued from the long drive, and you were under considerable emotional
18:05stress. Now, isn't that true? Isn't that true? Yes, it is, yes. Your wife was gone
18:12longer than you thought she would be. You were worried that perhaps she would never
18:16come back, so you invented reasons why she was gone. I suck! She was standing right here!
18:27Come on. Sit down. You saw what you wished to see. You have to believe that. The mirage
18:46is quite real to the man who's dying of thirst, you know. I didn't wish for that mind to cave
18:51in. How could I have known about that? Well, out of the thousands of wild hunches that
18:56people get for one reason or another, some are bound to be accurate. Oh, you wouldn't
19:01believe me if I was... Mr. Archer, as a doctor, I also have certain facts to face, among them
19:10that I'm dealing with a man who has a record of chronic alcoholism. I knew you'd get around
19:14to that. Yes, if that will help you to understand. Now, you were recently released from an alcoholic
19:22sanitarium. I told you that. One of the most common symptoms of the seriously ill victim
19:29of alcoholism is hallucinations. Well, be honest, Mr. Archer, in the past, haven't you
19:36had hallucinations? Yes, yes, but this is different. Look, Archer, it would be the simplest
19:44thing in the world for me to let you hang on to this fantasy of yours. Some people might
19:50even say it was good medicine, and maybe it would be for a while. But in the end, if
19:57you really came to believe it, if it became, as it could, one of the most important things
20:02in your life, you'd end up a very sick man. And later on, if you had to give it up, if
20:14your very sanity depended on it, well, just believe me when I say it's a lot easier to
20:23give it up now. You've got a son, Mr. Archer. He's been waiting outside there for a couple
20:30of hours, waiting for his father, because now that's all he's got to hold on to for
20:37all the years ahead when he needs somebody strong. And you're going to fail him if you're
20:44a neurotic who has to hang on to a mirage for a crutch. I'm sorry I had to say it that way.
20:55Well, don't be. Is it all right if I go home right away now? Yeah, of course. Look, it's not
21:18going to be easy for you. When you have a bad night, I want you to take one of these. I thought
21:28you didn't like crutches. They're all right if they wear off in a couple of hours. Well, thanks.
21:48You know, I don't have all the answers, not by a long shot, but I hope I've helped a little. I guess so.
21:59How much do I owe you? Nothing. This is all in the house. Come in. How are you feeling? On my way to work, I thought I'd drop by and say how it ends, see how you were getting along.
22:18Hello, how are you? Fine. I didn't get a chance to thank you last night. This is one of the men who helped pull Stevie out of the mine. I don't even know your name.
22:32Sam Harrison. Jim and I both are very glad we could be of help. I can't tell you how grateful I am. How the two of you ever happened to be there when I needed you at the mine, I'll never know.
22:44Mr. Archer, when we heard those screams, we couldn't get there fast enough. What screams? Well, Jim says now that must have been the wind hitting the telephone wires, that that's all it could have been.
22:56What did you think it was? I guess I'll go along with Jim. What did you think it was? What did you really think it was? It wasn't the wind. It was a woman screaming for help.
23:09Well, I guess I better be getting along now. Jim's waiting on the truck. That's a fine boy you've got, Mr. Archer. Good luck to you and God bless the both of you. So long now.
23:31I don't think I'll need these.
23:38Wind in the wires? Illusion? Hallucination?
23:49Certainly you have your own very personal explanation or rejection. But is it possible that love knows no bounds?
23:59Wind in the wires? Illusion? Hallucination?
24:09Certainly you have your own very personal explanation or rejection.
24:15But is it possible that love knows no boundaries? Not even death? That sometimes a loving hand beyond life itself can reach out to shield the living? Is it possible?
24:31In a moment, something about next week.
24:38Doesn't look much like a weapon of war, does it? It is, though. This, pitchforks, bird guns, all sorts of things were used by England's home guard as they faced the threat of Nazi invasion after Dunkirk.
24:52There was another weapon, too. Psychic power. Very potent. Next week, we'll show you how it worked.
25:07THE END