Original subtitles

One last time I have to see these grounds.

It's beautiful now, as if nothing had happened here.

Soon they will tear down the main house and nothing will be left.

Nothing.

Except what I remember.

I grew up in the town nearby, where my father was the mayor,

and where this house stood, waiting for me.

It was built by Wilfred Butler.

We had never seen him, and he never lived at home...

Until the day before Christmas in 1950,

he finally did come back, for the last time.

All of us believed that his death was an accident.

No one knew that another person had come to Butler House that Christmas.

As Deputy Coroner of the County of Arlington, State of Massachusetts

I hereby find, upon evidence of an autopsy

conducted by the Medical Examiner of this County

that the deceased, Wilfred Butler

died as a result of burns inflicted accidentally upon himself

on his own premises during the afternoon of December 24th, 1950.

- No further inquiry shall be held over the body of the deceased,

- and this inquest is officially closed.

After the Coroner's inquest, on New Year's Day, they buried Wilfred Butler.

There was no one there to mourn him.

It was the funeral of a stranger.

I, Wilfred Butler, being of sound mind and body,

at least what the world considers sound,

do hereby leave my house and its grounds

and all personal effects within that house,

to my only surviving relation,

my Grandson, Jeffrey Butler,

and I solemnly charge him

with one duty:

Let him leave the house as I left it,

standing untouched,

to remind the world

of it's inhumanity and cruelty.

For twenty years that house lay empty, exactly as Wilfred left it,

and then, last year, rumours began that it was finally being sold.

The newspaper story travelled through the County,

to a State hospital for the criminally insane.

The man who came to sell the house had never seen it.

He was a lawyer from the city, just doing a job,

and enjoying it...

Stop, and look serious, please.

Oh, you're hopeless!

Oh, look!

Hey, wait! Where you going? The mayor's going to have a fit, kid!

One more shot.

Stay there. I want one together.

- And smile.

For all the news as it happens stay tuned to WLIX, your voice of the Northeast.

This is Roger Fowler with Local Story, but first today's headlines.

A warehouse fire still rages in Elizabeth. Police suspect arson.

An escaped inmate at Margaretville State Hospital still at large.

Still hunted by State Police.

And over at Roxbury, the city passes a controversial housing code.

Well, didn't I tell you? It's beautiful.

- Can we see the rest of it? - Honey, that was it.

I think the mayor is waiting for me.

My love, you're such an important man.

Right. Laura always says that.

- Darling... - What?

Don't be long.

Honey, if you get bored, just look at the view.

Sooner or later that bypass is going to take us back home.

- Mr. Carter. - Mr. Mayor.

Let me introduce you...

This is Charlie Towman, who publishes our weekly newspaper,

- The Patriot. - Mr. Towman.

- And this is Tess Howard. - How do you do?

She operates our switchboard.

- Oh, really. - We call her 'The Communications Director'.

And this is Bill Mason, our sheriff.

Won't you sit there, Mr. Carter, at the head of the table?

Thank you. I didn't expect to meet you all together.

It's quite a reception.

All right, let's begin.

As you know, I've been retained by Jeffrey Butler.

The matter concerns the house that he inherited from his Grandfather, Wilfred Butler.

Go on, Mr. Carter.

I... I believe that you offered to buy the house from my client.

Offered! We begged him.

- We wrote letters and we... - That's enough, Tess.

- Well it's true.

- Trouble. There's always trouble. - I can sympathise.

I spent the last 20 years and more driving people away from there.

- Prowlers, burglars... Kids, they're the worst!

- Chasing for nothing because of that will.

That drivel about humanity.

No, no, no-'inhumanity'! What the hell is that, huh?

Yes, well, he was a bitter man.

Hate.

- It must have been very hard... - It must have been hate.

That man hated. Well, some people are like that.

The question is, well, do you still want the house?

Are you offering it to us, Mr. Carter?

Exactly.

Why now?

Well, that's Mr. Butler's business, isn't it?

You know we're not rich.

Most of us came here during the Depression... but we love this town.

It's our home.

And naturally you want to improve it?

Exactly.

My client understands that and he fully sympathises, and

he's willing to sacrifice the house.

For $50, 000... In cash... by noon tomorrow.

That's an awful lot of cash.

It's also an awfully good bargain.

You could go to Wilton. You could go now, to the bank.

Am I clearly understood?

All that cash.

Perfect. I'll wait for your answer 'til tomorrow.

- You're spending the night here? - Yes.

- May I ask where? - At the Butler house.

We could put you up at the motel. As our guest.

No, no. The house is fine.

The Paradise Motel.

That's very kind of you but I'm meeting Mr. Butler about some personal items.

You'll want a phone. I can reconnect the line.

Don't trouble, please.

No trouble. You'll need a phone.

Don't want to be stuck out there.

Well, you've convinced me. Thank you.

By the way... Have you known Mr. Butler a long time?

No, I've never met him.

He called me and asked me if I'd handle this for him.

I said yes and he had the key delivered to my office.

Mr. Mayor, Sheriff, Towman... Ms Howard, see you all tomorrow.

In fact I'm looking forward to it.

Slick. Really slick.

He's a big lawyer, Bill. You've got to expect that.

Don't tell me about lawyers.

You see the way he looked at us?

- You see his clothes? - He's doing his job.

Just don't tell me about lawyers.

You know what I'd like to see?

Two of them like that one, talking to each other.

Neither one of them would know what to believe.

I love you too.

Honey, when I get home I'm going to have a nice, nice surprise for you.

Oh, I can't tell you what it is now. It wouldn't be a surprise, no would it?

No, I can't come home now, but it'll be very soon.

Very soon.

Honey, of course I miss you.

Yes, yes, I miss mommy too.

Laura, before I forget.

Look, I'll call tomorrow.

No, I want to call you and talk to Jenny.

Yeah, as a matter of fact I'm ah... I'm having a fine time.

Same to you, darling.

What do you mean, hostile?

I was wondering...

if we get it, what then?

- Tear it down!

Okay. Okay.

I'd better get going.

Do me a favour, Tess. Call Diane, tell her I'm going to Wilton,

and I'll be back late.

- It's fantastic, isn't it? - Yeah.

Yeah, Butler wasn't kidding.

- Somebody hasn't lived here for years. - That would be such a waste.

It's his Grandfather's monument.

You know, the caretaker who keeps this place just the way he liked it.

What kind of monument is this?

Well that's the trouble. Nobody remembers anymore.

- That's what usually happens in America. - I remember this.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me And He tells me I'm his own

And He walks with me and He talks with me

- And He tells me I am his own

- And the joy we share as we tarry there

- You're not serious?

Used to hear that at funerals.

At funerals!

When I was a kid in Chipley, Georgia.

There was also a Chipley flower, though,

they have both been subsequently eradicated from the map.

None other has ever known

The only thing open was the delicatessen.

So I brought you pastrami and lamb, bagels and macaroni. Everything you like.

I'll have bologna and macaroni.

No, no, no. Some of that potato salad.

Did you pick the wine too?

The delicatessen man took a personal interest in its selection.

We got luck again. That's early 1970. That's hard to come by!

- Can I have some too? - Of course, of course you may.

Thank you.

- It must have been wonderful. - What?

The people who lived here.

They must have had a wonderful life.

- Well, I hope they did.

- Wilfred Butler must have believed in something.

- He knew.

- Look at that stone fireplace, the parquet floor, the mahogany, this table.

- And you probably think this place is made of wood, right?

- Well... - Wrong!

- You know what his Grandson told me? Underneath that wood there's two feet of stone.

The foundation is eight bricks wide.

Now some day they're going to come in here and they're going to tear this place down

and they're going to build little tract houses.

All over this property on quarter-acre and half-acre lots.

And that bulldozer is going to come up that hill towards this house

and it's going to get the surprise of its life.

- He built a kingdom up here.

- But nobody's left it.

- No? What about the Grandson?

No, he's probably like the rest of us. Wants money.

You know he's asking $50, 000 cash for this place and if he only waited he could get

Oh, he could get at least $250, 000.

- But he won't take his time.

So he'll get screwed.

- Do you want to go upstairs now? - Soon.

You know, one of the great pleasures in life

is the pleasure of anticipating pleasure.

Isn't it?

We are very close now, aren't we?

- Sure honey. Very close.

I don't see any beds here.

- Keep looking, honey. Butler said this place was furnished.

It's furnished.

- Anything doing? - No, sir, but look at this.

Moore football, huh?

Look how they swerved that quarterback. Look at his arm!

Got no time now. Oh, Tess...

How about that telephone up at the Butler house? Working?

Well, try it now. I'll wait.

Hello? Oh, yes, Miss Howard.

Yes, the phone's working fine.

Very nice of you to call. Thank you. Bye.

Honey, I'm going down to the car to get some cigarettes. Be back in a minute.

- Okay. - Don't get lonely.

- Oh, no.

- Did you get your cigarettes? - Yes, yes. I did.

- May I have one? - Sure.

You know its a most amazing thing.

These cigarettes come in very small packages these days.

- Oh! That's for me? - Mmm-hmm.

- Can I open it? - No, no.

Our Christmas is day after tomorrow.

- Is that an order? - Yes ma'am, that's an order.

- Sheriff Mason. - Ah, Bill. Someone's calling from Butler House.

- Okay. Put them on.

Go ahead now.

- Mr. Carter? - I'm not Carter.

- Who is this? - The owner.

- Butler? - Sorry sheriff, Carter's not here.

- Speak up, I can't hear you. - I can't.

- I... Can you come here?

What is it? What's wrong?

- His car is here but he's gone.

- Would you come? - Okay. Okay.

- Now you stay put in that house. - I'll wait for you. Please hurry.

- I... I'm afraid. - Now take it easy. I'm coming.

Mr. Butler, are you done?

- I've come back, Tess. - What's that?

- I want to see you again. - Hello? Who is this?

- You know me, Tess. It's Marianne...

- Tell the mayor... tell them all... I'm waiting in my father's house.

- Tess...

- It's so lonesome here. Don't be long.

Hello... hello... hello!

Oh my god, where is everybody?

- Hello? - Oh, Maggie, thank goodness.

- What is it, Tess? - Something's come up.

- Something urgent. Can you start early? - Oh, honey, I'm watching TV.

Maggie Daley, you get yourself over here.

Just get moving, Maggie. Just please hurry!

Come in.

- It's open.

Okay Mr. that's far enough. What do you want here?

- The mayor. - Try again. My father's not home.

- And don't move. - Do you want me to put my hands up?

No. Just stay there.

- What are you staring at? - I seem to remember you from the road.

That's why I'm holding a gun. You scare me.

- That makes sense. - Thanks.

- Does everyone carry one here? - You can ask the sheriff when he gets here.

I'll call him.

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but the sheriff's office is empty.

- How do you know? - I was just there.

- Who are you? - Jeffrey Butler.

- Oh, you're the one who's selling the house. - Yes.

- Have you any ID? - Come on.

Don't laugh at me. I want your ID. Some maniac escaped from Margaretville.

Okay.

Put it on the table.

Now go back.

California licence. Lucky you.

Would you like to see my maniac card, from the asylum?

They give you one when you escape.

There's a big scarlet 'M' on it so people won't get confused.

Okay, look, I'm sorry about the gun.

My father's in Wilton getting your money.

All I want to do is get into my house.

The sheriff's deputy might have a key. He's about the only one I know.

Where's he?

You go down the road about a mile and a half, till you come to a white house with a white fence,

and then you can't miss it.

- Thanks. - That's okay.

Merry Christmas.

Same to you.

If I don't call back in an hour,

- What? - Call the mayor, or Mr. Towman,

and nobody else!

Promise me you'll do that?

Well, sure.

Mark it down, honey, so you'll have it.

- Sheriff on 3.0.1. I'm heading west on route 5 to Butler house.

You'll hear from me.

- What the hell? That light out there?

- Hi. - Hi.

- Did you find the deputy? - No. he wasn't there.

I was thinking, isn't your lawyer supposed to be at the house?

Door was locked.

Car was there so I borrowed it.

You mean you stole a car?

Yeah. I'm keeping it warm.

- What if he needs it? - Let him find me.

- Who's coming to dinner? - Oh, daddy.

We always have dinner every Thursday.

- You want something? - No, I ate at the Paradise Motel.

Yeah, I know it's awful.

- What about a drink? - Yeah.

It's ah, cheap Bourbon. It's a big favourite around here.

- Do you want ice? - No, straight.

- You look tired. - I am tired.

- Well, here's to a fast dollar. - Cheers.

Why did you decide to sell the house?

- I needed the cash. - After all these years?

I need it now.

What's it like on the inside?

You know I've never seen the inside.

When I was a child my father told me to stay away from it,

or something terrible might happen.

Sort of like a haunted house.

- I haven't seen it either. - You're going to sell it and you've never seen it?

Yeah.

Too bad. It's about the only place to see around here.

- Oh, I forgot. Someone keeps calling with a message for my father.

She says that she's waiting at your house.

In the reception room.

What woman is waiting in my house in the reception room?

Oh, I don't know. It's not a voice that I know.

- I better go up there. - Can I come too?

What for?

I'm pushy.

- I suppose you'll be going back to California soon?

- California. You said you lived there, remember?

No, I'll be travelling.

Jeff, look, it's the sheriff's car!

There's a light.

And look at that tombstone.

Pretty cheerful.

'Who bears the cross shall wear the crown'

Wilfred Butler. My Grandfather.

Someone left their sunglasses in the snow/

They're the sheriff's.

My lawyer's missing, so is the sheriff...

You get strange phone calls...

and now someone's fascinated by my Grandfather's grave.

Let's get out of here.

- You still want to go to my house? - Yes.

But I don't want to go alone.

Listen...

- I'm not nervous. - Of course you're not.

It's the cold. I'm shaking from it.

Let's get out of here.

Okay.

- We'll get help in town. It's ten minutes' drive.

Good night, Mr. Towman.

Have a nice holiday.

The Deputy's not here, but Towman is.

- Who's Towman. - Come on, you'll see.

Mr. Towman, wait. No please, I have to talk to you.

I'm sorry, this is Jeffrey Butler. He's the one that's selling the house.

- He can't get inside the place, and my father's gone to Wilton.

- So we wondered...

- Is everything all right? - He'll tell us.

Tess?

- Has gone to his house? - Why would she go there?

I don't know.

- Anyway she won't get in. You say it's locked.

He says she hates the place.

Would you like to drive there?

Diane can stay here and lock herself in.

I need a key.

- Towman, this isn't my house, it's Tess'.

Well, Tess isn't here. Are you satisfied?

She must have gone to my place. Why wouldn't she go there?

She hates it.

Maybe she went to see the woman who's there?

Someone called the Mayor's house before, said she'd be waiting.

What is it?

Hello, Jeff?

Hello... is anybody there?

- Who is this?

I'm Diane Addams. I spoke to you before.

- Bring your father to the house. This is Marianne.

- Tell him I have the diary. I'm waiting.

Who are you?

- He'll know... Christmas Eve... 1935.

Hello? Hello?

5.6.7.8. Call 7.0.4. Signal 10. 7.0.4. C Charlie.

- Call 7.0.4. Signal 10. 7.0.4. C Charlie do...

Sheriff? I saw your car.

Bill... is that you?

- Tess...

- You can't see me but I can see you.

- Oh yes, I remember that face.

- You are older now...

- and fatter... but still Tess.

- And you're frightened, aren't you?

- Don't be afraid.

- I want to help you.

- Take my hand.

- Take it, Tess.

The person on the telephone said 1935...

Christmas Eve... but that's not the beginning.

In 1927, Butler House was restored by Wilfred Butler.

After that I find social notes, parties, nothing special.

Then, in 1930...

- Butler's wife, Catherine, dies of tuberculosis.

- In August 1933 it starts.

- Wilfred Butler's daughter is cruelly attacked and raped.

- Her name is Marianne.

- The same name as the caller who left those messages tonight.

She's 15 then.

- On May 2nd, 1934, Marianne Butler gives birth to a son.

- Jeffrey Butler.

- Jeff.

- Early in 1935, Butler House is turned over to a Doctor Robinson as an asylum for mental patients.

- And them, Butler goes on to say,

- that he has committed his own daughter.

- Marianne will live at the asylum.

- There's no end to this story.

- It's been carefully cut out of all the papers.

- Why would Towman do that?

You scared me.

- What happened? - What happened is uh...

Tess has forty bird cages.

Towman is hysterical. Everybody's at my house but me.

It's cold outside and you forgot to lock the door.

Jeff, how old are you?

How old am I? You mean, how many years have I lived?

No. There's a lot in the paper about your family.

I don't want to talk about my family.

Wait a minute. There's a woman calling and she says her name's Marianne.

That was your mother's name, wasn't it?

My mother died in childbirth.

That's why I started travelling.

It's not what the papers say.

What's your point?

I just thought that you should read something.

For your own good.

Nothing you could tell me about my past or future could be for my own good.

- Where is the paper? - It's on the table.

It's so stupid to lie and miss the whole event.

- Jeff, maybe your mother's still alive? Maybe she's waiting for you at the house?

I don't know/

Come on. No more side trips. Let's go out there.

It's Towman's car.

It's empty.

Jeff, look!

- Oh my god! - Stay back!

- It's Towman! - Stay back!

He's dead.

- His hands...

Somebody cut off his hands.

You killed him.

You killed Towman.

He was asking for help.

You killed him.

Get in the car.

Butler House.

The keys. He took them.

- Hello? - Hello, Mr. Mayor.

Yes, what?

- This is Marianne Butler.

- I'm calling from my house.

- Won't you come over here, Mr. Mayor, where we're having a reunion?

- Everyone's here. Even your daughter!

I write this knowing that no one shall ever see it.

- Not my beloved daughter or even my grandson, Jeffrey.

- I write for myself in the hope of forgiveness, if that is still possible.

- And I write for you, Marianne, whose youth and innocence I have destroyed.

- By 1935 the doctors had treated my daughter for a year.

- I had believed they could cure her.

- The child, Jeffrey, was taken from us and sent to California.

- I turned my house into an asylum.

- I brought doctors to live there. I welcomed other patients.

- Useless, all of it.

- I remember what she had been. There was never a lovelier, happier child.

Ladies and gentlemen, quiet please. I propose a toast.

Doctor, please.

- By Christmas of the first year, I knew that I must act.

- Not for myself, but for my helpless child.

Let him who created this institution... our friend...

- I had no plan. All I knew is that I must take her from these men.

- With their promises, their lies!

Shall we, huh?

For he's a jolly good fellow... Which nobody can deny.

- Which nobody can deny...

- For he's a jolly good fellow Which nobody can deny.

- I Knew that they would gorge themselves into a stupor that afternoon.

- It was their celebration. I expected no less.

- Since they had come into my house they had acted as if they had owned it.

- They had behaved like poor relations, half guilty, but finally unable to control their appetites.

- After dinner they danced and drank, as they usually did.

- All the time Robinson would smile and reassure me.

- They expected me to believe because I had no choice.

- 'Wilfred, trust me'. He really believed Marianne would be well.

- He saw a light. A light at the end of a long tunnel.

There is a light... at the end of a long tunnel.

Stay here doctor, I'll get more champagne.

- He was ready, I knew it. Drunk and fat and full of his own importance.

- I left then.

- My cruelty to Marianne was inhuman, I know that.

- I had loved her. I had fathered our child, Jeffrey.

- I had brought her to this.

- But I swear that on that afternoon all I wanted was to save my child.

- My hope was to get her away from that house.

- Also, I wanted to set free those other wretches who had so long been abused by the doctors.

- I knew what they might do if these inmates were freed,

- and this is my guilt.

- I knew... and still... I freed them.

- After the inmates started for the house, I went to get a car to take Marianne away.

- I do not know exactly when she slipped away from me.

- I assume that when they were in the dining room

- the inmates believer her to be part of that household which they hated,

- and so they killed her.

- Later there was a celebration.

- Then most of the inmates fled. I don't know where.

- I shall never forget what they did to my child.

- Since that Christmas,

- I have lived in prisons and asylums.

- Lived anonymously... as an animal.

- I have wandered in bitterness until all seasons have become as one...

- And that is a season of vengeance.

Jeff?

Jeff?

Wilfred Butler is still alive.

This is still his house.

Your Grandfather died in 1950. He was burned to death.

In this house.

My Grandfather poured gasoline over a squatter he found here.

The town wanted to believe he was dead.

They still do.

- This house was an asylum. There was a massacre by the inmates.

Tess, Towman, the sheriff. Your father.

- No! - All inmates.

- They killed my mother in this room.

Who's there?

Who's there?

Butler?

- No!

Oh, no.

God, no.

Daddy?

- Diane? - Jeff!

Jeff? No, no!

Jeff, why? Why?

- Marianne.

- Help! No! Let me out!

- Don't run away. Don't. I'm your father.

- Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you.

- Please. It's all right.

- I wouldn't hurt you.

- I need you.

Get away from me!

I've waited for you. Please.

Please!

Help me!

Help me...

- I spent that night weeping.

- By morning there were no more tears.

- I know that my father and Jeffrey both thought they were shooting at killers.

- But they were simply the last victims in that house of victims.

- And now, a year later, they will tear down Wilfred Butler's monument.

- But they can never destroy my memories of what happened here.