Original subtitles

Cut.

Help him, though.

Clyde, you okay?

You went a bit off track.

We'll go again.

Going again, studio.

Save the red.

What the hell's the matter with him? It's perfectly simple.

Straightforward.

Take five.

Any clue left, Pat? For you, Mr Stewart, always.

Mr Boyd a bit off-calorie, is he?

Hope it's not flu.

I saw him when he came in, and I said to Shirley, don't look right.

There you go.

This is the studio where it's all happening.

Let's see.

Oh, there's Sidney Stewart, the director.

I'll try and get you a quick word.

Uh, Sid, this is Joan Eastgate. She's writing that article I told you about.

Ah, yes.

Femorella magazine.

Pleased to meet you. It's about the film industry.

British, state of.

I know, one more.

What are you titling it? Down the plug hole?

Oh, well, this looks lively enough in here. Oh, we're all right, Jack.

I mean, Joan, sorry.

The prosperous bit.

Mind you, this is the first dummy filmed for two years.

Returned by popular demand. Mainly Japanese.

Oh, they like him. He's very big with the chaps.

Wouldn't he be?

They're really high on him.

In simple English, they love him.

That over there?

A thing of beauty.

It's the violence.

That's my cue to stir up some more.

See you.

Excuse me.

See, I think what she'd really like is a chat with Clyde, just a short... No.

A short interview, I promise. It's not on.

I mean, later.

He's got a heavy day.

I'll say later. Say what you like.

How's it coming, Vic?

Let's press on. Righto, Sid.

Not ketchup.

No, chemical blood.

It oozes better.

I've just been fixing up your interview with Clyde Boyd. Oh, thanks.

A bit later on.

Meanwhile, a ringside seat.

How many have there been?

Dummy films.

Six.

Dummy, Horror of the Dummy, Death of the Dummy, Return of the Dummy.

Yeah, I know.

And, uh, Dummy and the Devil, Dread of the Dummy. This one's a revenge.

It's a touch obvious in my view.

Okay, everybody, positions, please.

How does he see?

Through the mouth.

Hey, that reminds me. I've put up an infallible title suggestion.

Jaws of the Dummy. Did you get it?

No, they wouldn't listen to a mere publicity board.

Quiet, studio!

Let's have a read-up.

Turnover.

Running.

Mark it.

One, three, one, take five.

What was it? What stopped him?

Quick, we'll go again.

Back to starting positions.

Going again, studio.

Smoke gone out?

All right, save it.

Save the red.

Clyde, for God's sake, what's the matter with you?

What are you doing to me?

What are you doing to me?

Peter bloody wager. What?

Peter Wager, over there.

You don't like him?

Forget him. It's a small part. You engaged him.

What's it matter?

Don't you know?

Look, let's get this scene shot.

OK. Please.

Right, hurry up, boys. This is take six.

Who is that actor? The salty one.

Oh, Peter Wager.

Plays the captain in the guard. Do you want to meet him? No, no, no. I saw him

in a play once. I didn't like him.

No, he's not very big.

You'd do better with our knight. Oh, Sir Ramsay.

Sir Ramsay.

Giving us his guest appearance as the Monseigneur.

He's around somewhere, isn't he? No, I just want him.

Yeah, well... What is he exactly?

The dummy. What is it meant to be?

A monster.

Well, the monster.

Mixture of animal, vegetable, mineral, immortal, bulletproof, indestructible. I

mean, the customers don't really care.

I'm posing.

Yeah. That's not easy to get right.

Hey, Vic.

Vic, Vic.

This is Vic.

Special effects.

Joneescape. Writer.

Vic made those hands.

They're terrifying.

Steel joints.

Fully articulated.

Spring-loaded. Better than human.

Real crushes. He's got to be careful.

Okay, studio. Settle down.

Right. Here we go again.

All right. Turn over.

Running.

Mark it.

One, three, one. Take six.

Action!

What the hell do you think you're doing?

Clyde!

For pity's sake!

Clyde, come back!

Cut. Yeah, cut, cut.

Where the hell is he going?

No wonder. Who did it? Who threw that laugh?

Peter, wait.

You. What do you mean by it? I'm sorry.

Of all the unprofessional... I couldn't help it. Sending up a fellow artist

right in the middle of this scene. I said I'm sorry.

I've never seen anything so disgraceful. I know, I know.

You'll apologize to him.

Apologise, so he should.

Colin, get Bunny down here right away. Tell him there's a crisis.

Explain? No, just that. Quick. Right.

I couldn't help it.

You look so funny.

Was that really why?

Hold on.

Look, he's going to apologize to you. He's going to crawl to you for that if I

have to drag him in here and jump on him. No.

I've made it very clear.

I don't want to see him.

In writing, then.

Take this off!

Right, you've been in the business long enough. You meet them idiots.

They don't know any better.

Why did you engage him?

Well, he wasn't the first choice. I should hope not.

He was very much a substitute, in fact.

We had that young fella, what's his name, line up for the part, but, well,

he fell out at the last minute, so it had to be Wager. But why?

Why him?

What did you do it for?

Well, whatever you may think, he's not a bad actor.

I mean, he did a season of the old bit.

Small parts are grungy. I don't mean that.

You just don't like him.

You could say that.

Something personal?

Didn't you know?

Know what?

You mean you really didn't?

Ta, George.

No, Clyde, no.

The bastards ran off with my wife.

In the dressing room.

Oh, er, there's Bunny Nettleton, producing the film. Or Derek Nettleton,

actually, but everybody calls him Bunny.

Of course.

Bunny, did you know?

What? Clyde's wife. She left him.

Gone off with the wager.

You did know? I heard a few days ago, that's all.

I thought you were thick with him.

Well, I used to be.

Close friend.

You lose touch, you know how it is.

Way to his book when I found out it was too late.

Well, you might have told me.

He blew up?

Maybe blew this film.

Now, what is going on? Oh, Sir Emsing.

May I introduce Miss Joan Eastgate to Ramsay McFadden, as if I really needed

to. Now, what are they playing at?

Oh, just sorting out a slight problem. Probably lost an eyeball in a bucket of

guts. Well, no, it's not quite... Now, don't accept a part here, my dear,

unless you've got a strong stomach.

Oh, I won't. And be careful where you sit down, and on what.

The local butcher must have made a fortune.

They're in the prop room there. They're chopping up hearts and livers and

kidneys. Well, I don't think that's exactly... They're like a lot of bloody

kids. Well, I'm off to the Bahamas in the morning. They can't do a thing. If

they don't shoot my scene today, they can take my name off their nasty

posters.

living with him for three months.

Clyde, I'm sorry, I had no idea.

Hadn't you?

No.

I felt that everybody knew.

Well, I should, I should, of course I should. I blame myself.

Any producer worth his salt would be aware, aware of these.

Any friend.

Well, that's just it, you see. Of all our friends, you and Sheila seemed the

least likely.

You were so close.

I remember remarking to Gillian the last time you came round. Now, when was it?

Eighteen months ago.

Oh, never.

It is. As long ago as that.

Let me see.

The last dummy film.

The dread of.

Over two years now.

So it is.

I got clobbered for tax.

Income tax.

You didn't know that either. I think you did once, sir. It's been bad, Bunny.

Really bad.

Clyde, we've got a lot to talk about, and I want to hear it all.

There's nothing I want more than to sit down with you, I mean in greater comfort

than this, and catch up on everything.

That's what I want.

But at the moment, let's face it, we've got a problem and it's rather urgent.

I hit bottom.

I was right down. I'd never been there before.

That's over, Clive.

Nobody wanted to know.

And I wrote to them all, but they didn't reply.

It's been a bad time. But it wasn't just, don't ring us, we'll ring you.

They didn't know me.

I was just the man that played the dummy.

A man in the rubber suit. I mean, I wrote to Bunny here. Bunny, Bunny, you

remember. I mean, what prospects for another dummy picture?

There weren't at that time. There weren't any.

I was sick.

Oh, my God.

Listen, Clyde, I needed her.

I never thought I'd need any living person to hold on to like that, but I

did then.

Do you know what the bitch did?

Well, you do know.

She walked out.

Cleared off in the night, just like that.

I can't stand you any longer, she said.

She'd found herself a real man.

That bastard out there!

It wasn't just an affair.

I mean, nothing secret. She just... hit me straight between the eyes with it.

Went off and shacked up with him.

And... and she...

My kid.

Little, um, Karen.

She's nearly 12 now.

Karen's very loving. You see, she wanted to be with her mother, but she loves

both of us. You see, she's with them. I mean, I get letters from her dearest

daddy. Take it easy.

Easy!

What are we going to do? One thing is clear. We've got to help Clyde through

this. Let's talk about how.

Yes, yes.

Clyde, you take a short rest.

And listen, do me a personal favor.

Don't hit that stuff, okay?

Oh, sister.

God almighty, if I'd had any notion. He shouldn't be here. I don't know where he

should be, but somewhere else, not here.

If we can just get him together just long enough.

A real humpty-dumpty job. Sid, it's the whole film.

I mean, what can we do? Rewrite, shoot round it, reschedule? There's no time.

He's got his big scene with the Monsignor today.

That's got to be shot. We lose Sir Ramsay. We can't hold him, can we? No.

Sid, can we put somebody else in the dummy suit?

The dump?

Clyde. Well, we've got every right.

He shouldn't have signed his contract in that state of health. We can't. Why not?

Bonnie, we can't. It's his part.

He created it. It's his starring role.

Nobody would ever guess.

He's just said so himself. Nobody knows him.

You never see who's inside.

It wouldn't work. Why not? It was a suit. It was built for Clyde. So it was.

Moulded specially to fit him. Him.

Every measurement.

Balance, weight, hand control.

Designed to fit him and nobody else.

man the same size.

It's not just that.

In the dummy's a character.

Oh, see.

A complete character.

Let's be realistic.

It is.

I don't know if you've noticed it, but there's a lot of Clyde in it.

He acts it.

I direct it. At least I think I do. Perhaps nobody's noticed that.

So you're refusing to try.

If you want to dump somebody, you dump Peter Wager.

I'll keep him off the bottle.

I'm a great believer in women, isn't it?

Liberating them from work, from their ghastly husbands and kids.

Particularly husbands. Do all I can in that direction.

You'd better not put that bit in, in the circumstances.

Why, are you shy?

Not these days. Put it all in. It's good for the old Randy, isn't it?

Did you break them up?

Is that how you see it?

Yeah. Got in there, showed her what she was missing. She's alive.

She's all woman, as they say. And there she was, stuck with that.

Now, you've seen him. Well, you haven't seen him.

But inside all that rubbish, there is even more rubbish, which is old Clyde.

He's a gibbering mess. Has she put up with him all this time? I simply

can't... Have you met our producer?

This is Miss... She's a...

Writer. She's writing about me, so I love her. Joanie Skate. Feminina

magazine.

Can I, um, have a word?

Yeah.

I'm just giving her my side of the story.

A what story?

Me and the monster.

Be careful.

Well, the poor man's Errol Flynn.

Oh, poor woman.

Oh.

What's happening?

I don't know.

Are you getting more lines to say?

Oh, no lines at all, Al.

Do you know when they're going to shoot my scenes? I'm sorry, it's not my... I

do hope I made it perfectly clear.

Sir Ramsay, about this... The Bahamas tomorrow, you know.

For the sake of the film, I'm appealing to you.

You'll get paid the full amount for doing nothing. You won't lose a thing.

Oh, yes, I would.

What? The part.

We'll put out a story to the press. We'll make it look good for you, I

promise. I'll call the publicity man over now. We'll work something out. No.

I want the part.

It's not very big.

I like it.

It's me.

It's showy. It's good for my career.

You'll get a bonus.

A substantial bonus for loss of... Keep it.

I want the part.

I'm here, ready and willing to perform it.

You will have to break my contract and throw me out.

Fire me on a morality issue.

And these days, Mr.

Nettleton, just try it.

I'll sue you for damage to my professional career.

Oh, such damages.

Professional? That's not a word you should use. From what I've heard of your

behavior here this morning... Why don't you get rid of him?

Clyde. He's washed up. Chuck him out. Anybody could do that job.

Act inside a rubber suit.

Anybody.

If you think that I would contemplate, Clyde Boyd is my friend.

What

did

you mean?

You said be careful just now. Careful about what?

Oh, of what you might write. Anything that might be defamatory, for instance.

Oh, I'm special.

Look, you obviously gather there's a clash of personalities. It's tricky to

handle. Of course.

Very tricky indeed.

What do you think I meant?

Masks.

Mr Nettleton, how about a nice cuppa? I made a fresh brew. I thought we were all

going to need it.

Thanks, Pat.

Two, please.

Sugar? No, thanks.

One without and lots for me.

Of course. I know.

What do you mean, masks?

That's what all this is about, isn't it?

The dummy.

A man like Clyde Boyd.

I wanted to speak to him because I wanted to discuss... No, not just at the

moment.

Thanks, Pat.

He must be into masks in a big way.

I mean, it's what he's always done.

Performed inside a giant mask.

Well, he's specialised.

Well, you know what I mean.

We must do the psychological thing.

Oh, go on.

In primitive tribes, they wear these huge ceremonial masks.

Oh, big wooden head and grass skirt, you mean.

They completely cover a man.

Total disguise.

A chap gets inside one of those and he's away. The tribe thinks it's alive.

I must hide it. No, it's not like that at all. It's not a disguise.

They know the man's inside, but it doesn't matter.

They believe the mask itself is alive.

Always, all the time. The man is just helping.

So I thought, if by any chance you meant something like that, then... No.

No, of course you didn't.

I think you want it. I'm coming. Excuse me.

Now, that magazine, well, she's bright, you know.

Brighter than you'd think.

Oh, good.

Mr. Nettleton's one of the kindest people I know.

He always has a word for me. Now, what do they make this out of, you think?

Bats, droppings and mummy dust.

They should serve it in green goblets, you know.

Sir Ramsey.

Do you know Clyde Boyd?

Who? Your co-star.

Ah, oh, yes.

Oh, yes, yes.

They tell me he's very promising.

Dearest Daddy.

No dice.

Listen to this, dearest Daddy.

Don't hurt yourself.

Listen, I want Bunny to hear it. I miss... I miss you very much.

We went for a picnic yesterday, but I didn't like it.

Mummy got cross and shouted.

We only went where Peter wanted to go.

He talks all the time.

But he has stupid ideas.

I hate Peter.

Kids work themselves up. But that's not kids. That's my little girl. I mean, she

hates him. He runs their lives.

Funny, for God's sake.

I need one too.

Are there any more glasses?

Bunny.

Bunny, you're a real friend.

He saved my life.

You know that?

How?

Well, this job... I... I was on the point of making a finish.

Calling it quits.

And really doing it. I'd got all the pills.

And then... Bunny came through.

Clyde, he said, what about giving the dummy another spin?

He's a... he's a good friend.

You didn't know that, Bunny, but... that's how it was.

End of a notable career it would have been.

Yes.

Listen to him.

Honey, I know what I'm doing.

When I was young, I thought I was great stuff.

Stage-struck, you know.

Like we all are.

Do you know what they said about me? Never mind.

He lacks presence.

Now, that's terrible.

It doesn't matter if you're a bin man or an electrician or something, but if

you're an actor and you lack presence, it

means nobody knows you're there.

Quit the stage, Mr Boyd.

A lot of people would, Clyde.

All over the world.

They love you.

Hate me.

I frighten them.

It's the same thing.

Fans.

Well, you've got a lot of them, Clyde.

A huge, loyal following.

And you've had it ever since the first dummy pic.

A big international public.

From Iceland to Borneo to Japan. Yeah, they can all understand grunts.

Well, let's put it this way.

You get across to them.

Yeah.

Yes, I do.

I mean, wouldn't you rather be like Peter Wager?

He's got presses all right. Just watch him use it.

Flashing the big... Charm, eyes, jaw, shoulders.

He graced any stage, poncing about on his old ego trip till

he's as old and crazy as Sir Ramsay out there.

They think they're magic just because they can learn the lines in Hamlet.

Is that what you wanted?

No. Well, that's them. That's all they are.

But you're something different, Clyde.

I don't think you've ever known yourself.

I've tried.

You work in another dimension altogether.

What do you mean?

We never thought about it. We just let it happen. We've never talked about it,

but we felt it.

So did all those other people all over the world. Yes, yes, they must have.

You don't need lines written down by other men, other people's thoughts to

repeat. That's not the way it works. It happens somewhere deep down.

into the sea where words don't function anymore.

The rules are different.

Pressure, receptivity, awareness.

And on that level, you reach us.

Where's Mr. Boyden's dresser?

Ah, George.

George, get in there. Right away.

Listen, don't say anything.

Just get it all on him.

Get everybody in position. We're going to shoot the scene, the graveyard scene,

now. Right.

Okay, studio, stand by. We're going on the graveyard scene.

What do you suppose they've done to him?

That stuff they use on racehorses.

Syringe full of it.

Starting climb.

Can't you feel it?

Power in you.

Vic, I can't have any hold up for that.

Now, look, Sid, if you want a proper job... I don't. I just want to get this

scene shot. So when he comes out, slurp some over him, OK?

I don't know. Just put it down to me.

I'll make it fast.

Colin, end board this one. Right.

Stand by, everybody.

It'll be turn over, then action.

Port on end, right?

This is it.

This is a part I can hardly watch.

Oh, my God, I never wanted to see this.

I never wanted to be in this room when you become the dummy.

I can feel it.

I can feel it taking over.

Stand by.

Turn over.

Speed?

Ha ha ha!

Who's in charge here?

Mr. Nettleton's the producer.

Where is he?

Is he in charge?

Well, he is the producer.

I'm directing the film.

I believe there's a man dead, sir. He may be.

Don't you know? I've got to look at him. I think he's neck's broken.

If you'd just leave me a second longer... You'd have gone the same way.

Yeah, all right.

Is the animal still in there?

Animal? It did it.

If there's any luck, we can get a hold of it with this. It's not an animal.

The message I got, it said... I tried to make it clear. Some kind of dangerous

world. I did try to explain. From a zoo, some kind of... Don't you understand?

Then what is it? Have you ever seen a dummy throne?

What the hell have you got in there?

I think he's had a mental breakdown.

Sudden as that, without warning.

It, uh, just happened.

Can I get a look at him? Any windows? No.

Any way to talk to him? No direct way.

Well, there's a phone.

Think he's likely to answer it. Look, it's soundproof and lightproof. That's

the way a film studio's made. It's got to be. What about the doors? Well,

they're all locked.

You've got everybody out? Yeah. Are you sure? Well, yes, apart from the body.

Where's Sir Ramsay?

Anybody seen him? Not just before. Oh, my God.

Sir Ramsay!

Ramsay! Ramsay!

Ramsay! He's not out here.

Sir Ramsay!

He's an old man. Sir Ramsay!

Sir Ramsay!

Check the dressing rooms, quick. Yes.

Are they calling me?

I was just having 40 winks. Is it my scene?

No, no, Sir Ramsay.

Well, all this shouting, it's quite unnecessary.

I can hear the call, boy.

It isn't that at all.

I never miss an entrance. I never have.

Tell him.

A man's been killed.

Oh. Oh, good gracious.

I'm afraid so.

That's unlucky, you know.

Now, he did it with his hands.

He's not armed.

Well, it is the hands.

What do you mean?

Is Vic there?

Special effects!

Vic! Vic!

Well, if they don't shoot my scene today, I'm off.

And I mean it.

Right. I'll lock the doors.

Look out for those hands.

Don't worry.

I can fend him off with this.

I'll just take a look.

Right. It's grotesque.

I told him, but would he listen?

Right.

Something. Well, you found out. You wouldn't listen to me. Leave him alone.

It's not a man you're dealing with. He's raving mad. He's been on the edge of it

for a year, and now he's gone over.

And you did it.

What are you driving at?

What do you mean?

He took Boyd's wife away from him. That's a lie.

That's what he told me, and he believes it.

His wife?

Where is she now? With me. She couldn't stand him any longer. She'd had enough.

And his child?

Yes. I'm looking after them both. Can you get her here? What? His wife. Bring

her here. Let her talk to him. Oh, no.

It might help.

I'm not going to let her get involved with this. She's been through enough

with him, and you've got no right to suggest it. A man has been killed. Just

the same.

I want you to cooperate.

How long will it take to fetch her? I don't know. Twenty minutes.

Please do it.

Listen, I won't have her put at any risk. Is that clearly understood?

I won't allow it. I'll get the lady here, sir.

Quick as you can.

Why don't they get more people, more police?

Wouldn't help.

You'd better tell him.

I've no idea.

I was just having my little nap, and suddenly everybody started screaming.

Ramsey. Ah, yes, nobody. What's the score?

It's not good. We can't go on. Oh, dear. I've done everything I could, perhaps

more than enough.

I'll have to release you.

Show business.

Like to be on your way.

Right. Well, I may as well go and get my piggies stuck into those sun-drenched

sands.

Yes.

Well, I'll just slip out of these things.

The film.

Here we are.

Something odd and sweet.

How about it, Mr. Nettleton?

Good old Pat. Trust her.

I always say, no matter how bad things are, they could be worse.

Here.

One for you, Mr. Ricky.

Ah, yes, certainly, certainly.

What did you do?

I don't see why I shouldn't.

I talked to him, that's all. We had a drink or two.

What did he talk about?

His family problems.

Was that all?

What else would there be? He was desperate, on the edge. I talked him

back again. That's all I did.

I tried to do it.

It went wrong.

Oh?

Look, Clyde's problem was that, in a sense, he wasn't anybody at all.

You used that, didn't you?

Mrs.

Hoyt.

What the hell is that for? She's going in there. I thought you said... Leave

this to me, sir.

Now put that thing away, now.

Lock it up.

There'll be no shooting.

What do you want me to do?

Talk, that's all.

We'll open two doors at the same moment on opposite sides.

I'm going in through one to try and recover the body, while your voice

distracts him at the other. I don't use voice.

Shovel out, Speaker.

You talk through them.

What shall I say?

Well, Bunny, what can I? Don't ask me.

But he's gone mad.

We're not sure about that.

He's killed that man, hasn't he?

There is no aggression in Clyde. There never was. That was the trouble. I could

never move him.

When things got bad, he just curled up and gave in.

I couldn't stand it, Sid. All the weeping.

Torment? I suppose I realised he had a melody with her.

It wasn't right.

You left him?

She had to. I was tearing it up bits. It wasn't only me. It was Karen listening

to it all.

Do you know she got so thin that her school rang me up to find out why?

Where is your daughter?

In the neighbour.

Look, look, I'll do it. Just tell me what.

Well, the point is to get him quieted down.

Bring him back to himself.

How?

Tell him what he wants to hear.

What's that?

It has to be.

He feels he's lost, don't we?

Tell him he's going to get it back. You mean her? That she's going back to him?

Oh, no.

I said tell him. That's right.

So long as you believe it, it doesn't have to be true.

Just take his attention for half a minute. That's it.

Castle. Petrified.

Yes. Just that.

Or climb.

What?

He said so many things said to him today. I don't think he's hearing

anymore. He's gone.

He's in there.

Something else is in there.

That's enough.

What does she mean? What was she on about?

Look, if you're talking about his state of mind, I know his mind better than

anyone else. All right. Leave her at that. Leave her at that.

Give her a chance.

All right.

Let's do it.

Mark Quinn's down there.

They'll give you a signal. I'll be down the next passage.

All right, Mr. Stewart.

Clyde, this is Sheila.

Listen to me.

Are you listening?

I want to help you. I want to talk to you.

I want to understand.

I'm your wife, Clyde. I can help you.

Perhaps, after all, it isn't too late for us, Clyde.

I want you to listen to me now.

It's not too late. It never is too late. Do you understand that?

It was all my fault.

If it was, I want you to forgive me.

I want to help you, Clyde. I know I can.

What happened?