Mr Pye (1986) (Episode 3)
Part 3 of 4 of the unusual comedy drama. After Mr Pye's attempt to rid himself of his wings by behaving badly goes spectacularly wrong, his behaviour at Miss George's funeral does little to endear him to the locals. It is only in desperation that he confides in Miss Dredger of his secret - that he has grown wings. Proving supportive of his idea that he must do bad in order for his wings to disappear, he sets about doing so around the island. But while it begins to work, his actions have a peculiar side effect on him. And unbeknownst to them some of the locals have called an emergency meeting at the village hall over his behaviour and plan to drive him out!
Starring Derek Jacobi, Judi Parfitt, Robin McCaffrey, Robin O'Callaghan, Ralph Nossak, Betty Marsden, Amanda Reiss, Howard Lew Lewis, Sarah Dawson, Michael Turner, Bill Monks, Michael Hamon and Jo Scott Matthews. Part 3 of this quirky series and it is hard to know what to make of it, other than it remains thoroughly entertaining. But it's latest twist leaves Mr Pye at stick or twist, and leaves you wondering just where this drama is going to go next. You'll be able to find out with the last episode to follow.
Starring Derek Jacobi, Judi Parfitt, Robin McCaffrey, Robin O'Callaghan, Ralph Nossak, Betty Marsden, Amanda Reiss, Howard Lew Lewis, Sarah Dawson, Michael Turner, Bill Monks, Michael Hamon and Jo Scott Matthews. Part 3 of this quirky series and it is hard to know what to make of it, other than it remains thoroughly entertaining. But it's latest twist leaves Mr Pye at stick or twist, and leaves you wondering just where this drama is going to go next. You'll be able to find out with the last episode to follow.
Transcript
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01:51But it's as though it's not him in that bedroom.
01:58It's as though it's someone else.
02:01Ever since he got off the boat I've noticed it.
02:05He was so thoughtful, so kind, so gentle, and so happy.
02:14Dash it all, Tanti, he's not like that anymore.
02:18I don't understand him.
02:20And you must never try to.
02:22To try to understand is never to understand.
02:25Either everything is understood at once by the heart or it's never understood at all.
02:30Now you must all leave me.
02:32I need a little time to myself. Georgie will be dealt with shortly.
02:36You must go at once!
02:38Tanti, to her small and tolerant cottage.
02:40My artist friend, to his studio.
02:42And as for you, sailor, you must go to Laniomiere,
02:45where they will board you at my expense.
02:47Go!
02:48Go, my friends, before it's too late!
02:51I can't explain, but something cosmic is at work inside me.
02:57I stand upon hell's border.
03:00Go!
03:02Go! Go!
03:17Go!
03:39What can I do?
03:42They're not any shorter.
03:48I must do some heinous thing.
03:51But what?
03:56What?
04:11What?
04:42What?
05:07What am I doing?
05:10I want to get rid of them.
05:40As you say, my mind.
05:42Well, don't say I didn't warn you.
05:44I heard Mr. Pye has formed some loony religious sect
05:48called the Great Powell's Act.
05:50Really?
05:51And every Tuesday, performs strange ceremonies
05:55with Miss Dredger as the high priest.
05:59Is that when she goes round the house dressed just in a masonic apron?
06:03That's what Mrs. Moulin said at the post office.
06:06I heard from the bacon man
06:08that he married a lady day-tripper to the village idiot.
06:11I feel so sorry for Miss Dredger.
06:14Do you know he's thrown her out?
06:16Out of her own house?
06:18Outrageous!
06:22I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord.
06:26He that believeth in me, though he were dead,
06:29yet shall he live.
06:32And whosoever liveth and believeth in me
06:36shall never die.
06:40We brought nothing into this world
06:42and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
06:45Oh, I say!
06:47A black rookery of mourners
06:50congealed into a single lump of malignant stupor.
06:56The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away.
07:00Blessed be the name of the Lord.
07:03I know that my Redeemer liveth.
07:06Just the stuff for tomatoes.
07:08And that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.
07:11The very thing.
07:14A just Tanty and me
07:17da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-dum
07:19and Dredger makes three
07:21da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da
07:23We are happy in my two, three, four
07:26blue two, three, four
07:28happy for heaven!
07:32I know that my Redeemer liveth
07:35and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth
07:39whom I shall see for myself
07:42and mine eyes shall behold
07:44and not another.
07:58Chief.
08:04Chief.
08:16Chief.
08:19Oh, sailor.
08:22Profanity and desecration are such an afflament to my soul.
08:27You are ill.
08:29You are mortally ill.
08:35Sailor.
08:37You are the only soul I can trust.
08:42Come with me.
08:44Of course, Chief.
08:52Are you afraid of me, sailor?
08:54I am.
08:56And I am afraid for you.
09:00If I told you of my deep trouble
09:04could I trust you to the last drop of blood in your body
09:07to keep its nature darker than death itself?
09:10You could, and you know you could.
09:12It is when you are secretive and rude that I am afraid.
09:18Sailor? Yes?
09:21Are you prepared for anything?
09:24Yes, Chief. Anything.
09:26I have grown wings.
09:36Oh, hello, Mag!
09:41It's an old superstition.
09:43If you see one magpie, you say hello.
09:45It's supposed to ward off the evil eye or something.
09:51Well, Chief.
09:55Let's go indoors.
09:57We can't do anything out here.
10:00Well, well, well.
10:05Of all the people who ever stayed with me
10:09you take the cake!
10:21Pull for the shore, sailor, pull for the shore
10:27Heed not the rolling waves, but bend to the oar
10:33Safe in the lifeboat, sailor, cling to self no more
10:39Oh, I'm so happy, sailor.
10:41At last I've managed to summon up the courage to tell you.
10:45Oh, I've been wanting your advice for so long.
10:48You have such a practical outlook on life.
10:50You see, I've realised that if I can commit evil
10:54to counteract my goodness, well, then I know that they'll
10:57go back where they came from.
11:00But, you see, what is required is wickedness on the grand scale.
11:04And it's so difficult, my dear.
11:06You see, I've lost touch with the great pal, somehow.
11:13I've no flair for real evil.
11:16The only way I can do it is by acting.
11:18So I suppose if I hurt my fellow mortals often enough
11:21some good may come of it in the end.
11:24But the trouble is, I haven't much time left.
11:27People are already beginning to stare at my shoulders.
11:35Yes.
11:39I do agree, Chief.
11:42I do think it is rather urgent.
11:46I think you should start being wicked immediately.
11:53And anything I can do to help.
12:15Huh?
12:30Edmund!
12:32Arrghh!
12:34Arrgh!
12:39No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
13:09they've definitely stopped growing smaller a half an inch maybe
14:09tell me tell me they might be a quarter of an inch smaller what am I to do say
14:23now I've done all the water butts I've set light to three haystacks jolly good
14:31chief but you've only been naughty yes I think you should do something evil I do
14:49think that would help where are you the dark places where the rivulet slides
15:02over the stones let me commit evil oh please please
15:12perjure my so two for one we've lost four inches since yesterday you must be
15:25happy at that chief oh yes I am sailor but I'm so tired being evil is such a
15:31strain but the crisis can't last much longer at this rate you must be full of
15:35hope oh yes I am you give me such strength and I
15:40shall need all that strength tonight the night of Saturn the night of the
15:45full moon and the goat goat oh I must redouble my effort sailor this is no
15:52moment to rest upon my pinions
16:04Oh
16:11my soul is perjured my soul is perjured
16:19Oh thou enemy of God Oh goat
16:26if Solomon in one eye and Confucius in the other
16:41success in my nocturnal expedition into the unknown grant me the taste of evil
16:52grant me ghastly and foolish thoughts
17:00oh my god you stink
17:10Oh
17:22we've done it we've done it
17:27smooth
17:29smooth
17:31all gone
17:33gone
17:35see feel
17:37they've gone
17:41I
17:53I really think we ought to begin is there anyone else coming along the road
17:58mr. Debris no more let's get on with it
18:05now as you all know we are gathered together here in order to discuss the
18:12presence on this island of a certain person mr. Pye we don't need to beat
18:18about the bush
18:23well now I have a list here of things appertaining to mr. Pye which I would
18:29like to read out to you for general discussion now the first charge against
18:37mr. Pye is that he has secretly married miss Tanti to mr. Thorpe as a priest of
18:48the great Pallist order
18:51did mr. Pye murder miss George with a meat skewer that's what I want to know
18:58murder murder
19:00first things first
19:02mrs. Rice
19:04I don't see what there is to discuss a man who could blaspheme in a graveyard as mr. Pye did
19:10should be sent off the island no question about it
19:14applause
19:21oh yeah absolutely absolutely
19:39we've got to take some action against this mountebank
19:42we've got to act in unison I say
19:45cover yourselves
19:49can I please put to you the resolution in order that we may take a vote on it
19:53we don't need any bloody vote
19:56the man is definitely a force for evil
20:00right
20:02then it is a consented view that we get rid of him
20:13you
20:22here we are chief
20:24the biggest porterhouse steaks on the island
20:27how delicious
20:29a worthy celebration
20:33a toast then chief
20:34oh yes
20:36yes my word
20:38yes
20:39there now
20:42to the utter destruction of all wings
21:13can't you do it? let me
21:18considering the amount of my gin you've put away in the past half hour
21:21I very much doubt if you would be more successful at opening it than I am
21:24if you think that I can't open it
21:26why can't you do it dear?
21:28you used to be so good at machinery
21:30it's true mrs. Tallboy sewing machines fireplaces those big tin balls and lavatories
21:34anything in fact he could do for me
21:36can't you do it dear? you used to be so clever
21:38shut up
21:40how can I help old chap?
21:42no use forcing anything as we say on Sark
21:44let me have a go at it
21:46keep away
21:50I'll have more success if I try it from the other side
22:10you do look silly sitting up there
22:21I'll wring your neck when we get home
22:25when you've a pal
22:30when you have a pal
22:34who cares if it's cloudy and grey
22:40the storm clouds will clear the sun
22:46what? yes ah good evening mr. Pye my good man sir
23:11what a shocking opening
23:14what a profligate waste of words
23:17good evening or good evening mr. Pye
23:20surely would have covered the ground quite adequately
23:23good evening sir places you in a socially inferior position
23:28now as for good evening my good man
23:31I am not your good man I'm not even your bad man
23:33I'm not your man at all
23:35your whole sentence was an abortion major Haverstock
23:38trying to convey too much you convey absolutely nothing
23:43you've wasted your opening round
23:45and you as a military man should know what that means in battle
23:50good evening would have been simple
23:53direct honest and customary
23:57but having failed start again
24:00what do you want you and your friends
24:03why am I so honored
24:05now come on let's all spread out into a semicircle
24:08so that we can see one another
24:10now is there anybody here
24:12afraid to look me in the face let him be gone
24:14there's no room for cowards on my lawn
24:16or in the shade of my palm
24:18it's not your palm
24:20stupid ass whoever said that
24:23how do you know what belongs to whom
24:27as it happens
24:29I gave it to mr. Pye as a birthday present last night
24:34thank you Sarah
24:36well I think that disposes of that little matter
24:40well
24:43well we think
24:45after you old man
24:46no no no after you
24:47no really you first
24:49right
24:50what was I going to say
24:51oh yes
24:52take Russia
24:53no
24:54no that wasn't it
24:55no
24:59we all think you behave like an absolute cad at miss George's funeral
25:03and there have been some other very peculiar aspects about your behavior lately
25:08you were seen kicking down children's sandcastles
25:12frightening babies in their perms
25:14ladies and gentlemen
25:16I know exactly why you are here
25:19and I am so pleased
25:22you've all behaved just as I would have wished you to behave
25:26how could you my dear deputation
25:28how could you possibly have guessed the reason for my irrational behavior lately
25:34how could you have known
25:36that I was only waiting for just such a moment as this
25:40to unroll the secret parchment
25:43what what parchment's this
25:45oh I am speaking metaphorically mrs. Porter
25:48I have been waiting for you to come here
25:50longing for you to have the courage to approach
25:54you see it was my passion of desire to promote your happiness
25:59that first brought me here to Sark
26:01I have done everything in my power to spread love in this island
26:06I haven't spared myself in my efforts to regenerate the living soul
26:12struggling to free itself on this storm swept rock
26:17I have given you the universal great pal
26:23and after a crusade which has left me tired
26:26but so proud
26:29a great stream of love has begun to flow through this island
26:38but what has happened
26:41I suddenly realized that true and loyal as you'd all been
26:45something was missing
26:47I knew that if you saw me at the lowest ebb of human conduct
26:52despoiling little children's sandcastles
26:55parading myself shamelessly before miss George's grave
26:58and behaving myself in a hundred other mean and obnoxious ways
27:02then surely you would say to yourself this man is one of us
27:07only more so
27:09this man is no saint you would say
27:11he is of earth
27:13earthy
27:15and why all this
27:17because my dear friends
27:20I realized that until I knew
27:24what it felt like to be suspected and loathed and feared
27:29how could I begin to understand how to comfort and love those
27:33that in their lesser ways were equally afflicted by sin and weakness
27:39I am now no longer
27:43an armchair missionary
27:45I no longer have any theories
27:47I have only knowledge
27:49naked knowledge
27:51no easy thing to come by
27:53and from now on I work for you
27:56as a man who has tasted both good and evil
28:02and tasted them
28:05to the dregs
28:08good night my friends
28:14go home
28:16once more the great pal shines over the island
28:37the great pal shines over the island
28:43the great pal shines over the island
29:04from Greenland's icy mountains
29:10from India's coral strand
29:15where the Thriks
29:19I'm just coming
29:22sunny fountains
29:26roll down their golden strands
29:41oh I can't tell her about this
29:46oh I can't tell her
29:59you've been a long time coming down this morning chief
30:11good god
30:13you look like a pirate
30:15all you need are some earrings
30:17what's the idea?
30:19there comes a time when we must break our habits whatever they are
30:22I've been coming down to breakfast all my life without a hat on
30:25now that is deadening
30:27just as it's deadening to always shave or always put shoes on
30:31it's wrong to go on doing things automatically
30:35it's wrong for you to keep smoking the way you do
30:38one must break one's habits on principle
30:40until the very breaking of them has in itself become a habit
30:43and then one can start again where one left off
30:46refreshed
30:48poppycock
30:49yes that's as may be but that's how I feel about it
30:52well you carry on
30:54do what you want
30:56come down tomorrow as a red Indian if you like
30:59I might very well do that
31:02come down as a unicorn for all I care
31:05a unicorn
31:07that will be very amusing
31:20your 250 pounds mr. Pye
31:22thank you so much
31:35thank you
31:51is it cold in here chief?
31:53good I have no idea why
31:55you always wear a hat in the house
31:57or perhaps it's part of your new image
32:00have I ever loved the great power to all?
32:03or have I just been working for my own delectation?
32:08that is more to the point
32:28wonderful
32:30wonderful
33:00wonderful
33:24what's happened?
33:26we've just taken a traffic
33:29oh no
33:38oh not enough
33:40oh no
33:42oh not enough
33:58oh no
34:28oh no
34:59oh no
35:09excellent
35:11you've got it just about right
35:14yes I think that balance is just about right
35:19it came upon the midnight clear
35:22that glorious song of old
35:25from angels bending near the earth
35:29to touch their harps of gold
35:32it's gone
35:36it's all gone
35:42well you found the happy medium Harold
35:45that's all you had to do
35:47a little bad a little good
35:50hmm
35:53just to be on the safe side
36:13oh pal
36:16oh great pal
36:20how can I get free?
36:22how is it possible to measure sin as if it were
36:25liquid in a measuring glass
36:27I do too much good
36:29I get wings
36:30I do too much bad
36:32I get horns
36:37I have come among you because I had to come
36:41I offer you a gospel of love and wisdom
36:46there are wide and golden vistas lying in store
36:49for those willing to search for the great path
36:55let me fill your hearts with love and laughter
37:03believe
37:05believe in his gospel of wide vistas
37:09golden vistas
37:12isn't that right great pal?
37:15um
37:24well Harold
37:26the magic of your pre-plumage days has gone
37:30your radiance has definitely fled
37:33perhaps that is part of my punishment
37:37is it wrong to work for the glory of the great pal?
37:42I enjoy it of course
37:45perhaps that is the sin
37:48why does this people who talk to themselves are mad?
38:07oh
38:26but why great pal?
38:30but you called me to Sark and I came
38:36oh tell me the answer to your enigmatic riddles
39:00Agath
39:04yes
39:09have you ever seen a goat?
39:12yes of course Gina
39:15with horns?
39:17yes
39:19what other creatures have horns?
39:22is this some sort of game chief?
39:24no come on answer me. what else have horns?
39:27surely you've heard of the giraffe?
39:31the antelope? the rhino?
39:34haven't you heard of the knoll?
39:37and the old man himself?
39:40I must be going my very dear sailor
39:44you've been so very kind to me
39:47so kind
39:50singing
40:15chief
40:20chief
40:36chief
40:45chief
40:49chief
41:19I'm sorry to disturb you Tanti
41:25but I need your help
41:27I can't find mr. Pye anywhere
41:30he's not here. I know that
41:32please can you come to my house?
41:36I'm frightened
41:38I need your common sense
41:41please keep me company
41:44I'll be long in a minute
41:47thank you
42:10oh chief
42:18my own friend
42:25hopeless
42:28I can make no contact
42:34well I shall make one last effort
42:38if he fails then I give up. I'm tired of him
42:42he's no help at all
42:44he's no help at all
42:46who chief?
42:48the great pal
42:50the great abstraction
42:54that
42:56vapor
43:00I'm afraid I'm making you unhappy sailor. I've deserted you
43:04but I've been deserted too and have no strength left
43:08I'm tired of trying to stop them. I'm gonna let them grow
43:11is it the wings?
43:13I'm going to make one last tremendous effort
43:17what do you mean?
43:19what do you mean?
43:22shall I tell you?
43:24shall I tell you what I believe?
43:27shall I tell you that I'm beginning to understand the harshness of God?
43:32shall I tell you how my heart has yearned for him
43:36and how he has despised my love
43:39because it's been too soft
43:41too loving
43:43fires are needed on the edge of knives
43:48he doesn't answer me
43:50doesn't say if he's even listening
43:53he knows my love is tainted with pride that I've never known through humility
43:57and until I am nothing in men's eyes
43:59and in my own, nothing and worse than nothing
44:02then he'll cause me to be flung from pole to pole, half seraph and half devil
44:08and I know what I must do sailor
44:10I know exactly what I must do
44:15it's not enough to be good
44:18or even saintly
44:20I must be hurt and humbled
44:24well I'm ready for the final humiliation
44:29hello?
44:31what is it?
44:35what is it? what can I do?
44:38oh Chanty!
44:40how nice to see you
44:42I'm so glad you came
44:45most people seem to be allergic to me
44:47and you, Mr Painter
44:50how are you? how is art?
44:52it's all a racket
44:54oh really? I thought the artist was the maker of beauty
44:56what are you painting these days?
44:58me? I'm just an out of date cubist
45:01I wanted to be a painter once
45:03oh be serious. the whole thing is an organized racket
45:06we came here to talk about Harold
45:08yeah well I'm getting round to that
45:10I think the whole thing is a racket, your great pal included
45:13take our advice
45:16lay off my friend
45:18I didn't like you Harold when the whole island was licking your boots
45:22I laughed at you
45:24but now the whole island is laughing, I'm not
45:26I want to help you
45:29but you're not with me
45:31you're in a world of your own
45:33yes I think I've lost touch with conversation these days
45:39Celina
45:41I know you've wondered why I've been wearing a hat these past few weeks
45:45why lately you've never seen me
45:47without my beret or my Panama
45:50well I am going to tell you why
45:52it is because they are so capacious
45:56now why should I require such capacious headgear?
46:01is it because I've got a large head?
46:04no
46:06ah! what's happened?
46:08chief?
46:10are you there?
46:11of course
46:12of course I'm here
46:15sailor
46:17tell me who's in the room
46:21there are the three of us chief
46:23myself, Tanti and the painter
46:26and the last of the three is getting a dose of the willies if you may say so
46:30shut up
46:31sailor, Tanti
46:33and the young painter
46:35what could be better?
46:38are you all quite comfortable?
46:40chief
46:42I don't understand
46:48oh!
46:51oh
46:53oh chief
46:56my friend
46:58my poor darling
47:00and you never told me
47:26you
47:56oh
48:26you