Original subtitles

Good evening.

So glad you could join us.

We are holding a séance tonight.

At our last session, we managed to get in touch

with the spirit of Marconi,

the inventor of radio.

But unfortunately,

it was impossible to understand what he was saying

because of the static.

Now, if all of you will place your hands palm down

on the tops of your television sets

we shall attempt to speak to Alexander Graham Bell.

Hello?

Hello!

[knocking]

I seem to have reached him already.

Mr. Bell, do you--?

[knocking]

That’s peculiar,

it’s a woman.

She says, "Mr. Bell is not in."

[knocking]

No, I’ll call later.

That was his answering service.

Now, if you will concentrate on this little screen in front of me,

there is someone I am positive wants to get in touch with you.

And I am certain he’ll be in.

Listen.

[woman] Hubert?

Yes, Mother?

Darling, you’ve been sitting around all afternoon

in your suit jacket.

It’s so bad for it.

I brought you this.

Well, I thought I might be going out, but it seems I haven’t.

Well, there now, I’ll just hang this away.

[chirping]

Cheep?

[chirping]

That’s my pretty.

-Cheep? -[chirping]

Oh, darling, I wanted to ask you.

Did you charge some things at the drugstore?

Yes, I needed them.

Well, of course. I’ll just write the check now.

Do you need any pocket money?

Mother, you’re gonna wear yourself out

with all these little things.

Now, wouldn’t it be easier for you

-if I had a checking account? -Oh, no, dear, no.

You see, you’re like your dear father.

You’re not very clever with money.

-Whereas I am a very careful person. -[mouths along]

And anyway, dear Arthur wanted it this way.

I don’t mind at all.

Oh, of course, I know that you’re unhappy sometimes

because you’re not earning anything just now.

But you mustn’t be.

I enjoy having you home here with me.

And there is no hurry about getting another position.

There.

You spoil me.

Well, of course I do.

It’s my occupation.

If I didn’t have it, I’d just be fretting,

wishing I were with your dear father.

Mother, Daddy’s been... gone six years now.

Not gone, dear. Never say that.

My Arthur is just across the threshold, waiting.

Of course.

Oh, close the window a little, like a good boy.

I-I do wish that I could somehow get in touch with Arthur.

Oh, Mother, don’t try that again.

That’s such a waste of money.

But I worry about him so.

I wonder if he’s lonely, if he needs me.

It’d be simple enough to go to him.

I’ve kept the medicine.

The last people you went to were complete...

Medicine?

Yes, dear, from your father’s last illness.

Taken in large quantities it’s poison, you know.

-Oh. -If anything happened to you,

I wouldn’t hesitate for a moment.

You don’t mean if I got married?

No. I’ve told you, dear, when that time comes,

you just bring your wife to live here.

No, I...

I just worry about Arthur.

I do miss him.

Do you think he misses me?

I don’t know, dearest.

I do know how much you want to be in touch with him.

And that’s difficult, as I said.

But I did hear about a young woman the other day.

Oh?

Now, I could look into that for you.

But you mustn’t talk about it.

She doesn’t like to exploit her gift.

Oh, Hubert, would you?

Darling, could you?

Like the dear thoughtful boy that you are?

I could try.

[knocking on the door]

Oh.

I’m so glad you could get away.

Can we have dinner?

No, I’m afraid not.

I only have a few minutes.

Mother’s expecting me.

[Hubert] How are you?

Okay.

I waited at an agent’s office for three hours today.

And I’m flat broke.

I just don’t know.

Oh, that’s too bad, dear.

I wish I could take you out and buy you a wonderful dinner.

Mother’s a good cook, I’ll bet, huh?

She could teach me.

Oh, Hubert, why can’t I meet her?

Mother’s never liked any girl I’ve ever taken home.

That’s why I hesitated about asking you.

But now you may get to meet her.

How?

Listen. Do you remember that play you did in Summer Stock

where you were a medium?

Yes.

Oh, boy, was that a flop show.

-Yeah. But you remember it? -Well, sure.

Well, listen, my mother believes in that kind of thing.

And she’s gonna try to get in touch with my dead father.

Now, could you do that?

You mean, put on an act? Fool her?

Yeah. It’ll be easy, because I’ll help you.

See, the point is this. She’s going to go to somebody,

and who knows what they’ll charge her.

This way you get the fee

and we’ll make her very happy.

Isn’t that a good idea?

Sure.

Listen, she mustn’t know that you know me.

You understand that?

Mmm-hmm.

Look, can you do this?

With the trance, and a man’s voice, all that?

Of course I can do it. If you tell me what to say.

Oh, I’ll tell you what to say. I promise you.

Listen, I’m gonna make an appointment, then, for this week.

Is that all right?

Yeah.

There is too much light.

Just the one lamp? Of course. Of course.

Dimmer, please.

Is that all right?

Yes, thank you.

Whatever you say, Miss Coulette. We are in your hands.

Shall we sit down, Mother?

[Coulette] You must understand that I, myself,

become unconscious.

The Princess Artiti speaks through me.

Oh, she is your control, is she?

Yes.

She was an Egyptian princess of the 18th dynasty

who lived in Egypt in 1375 BC.

She married her brother.

They all did, you know.

Mother, will you sit there? And I’ll sit here.

Will you try to make contact?

I will try.

I do not know what will happen.

Sometimes, nothing.

Please...

concentrate on the one you wish to contact.

Think hard. That helps.

-Think, darling. I am thinking. -Shh.

[humming]

[high-pitched] I am the Princess Artiti.

Why am I being called?

The power is not strong tonight.

I cannot help you.

Oh, please.

Oh, they are crowding.

No, go away.

He wants to speak, but he is not the one.

[humming]

So many.

So many.

Princess, if you could just find the one.

But the one who is wanted

knows he is being called.

I see him.

He is elderly.

He has hair

of masses of silver.

Arthur.

He is trying to say something.

Something about his...

His comfortable, old sofa.

[gasps]

He cannot speak.

[Sophia] Oh, please.

[mouthing words]

The forces are restraining him.

He is fading.

Fading.

I can’t tell you more.

It was Arthur! Don’t you see it?

Miss Coulette, my name is Sophia.

And my husband used to call me his...

Comfy old Sofie.

She could never have known that.

Oh, my dear, you were marvelous!

Will you come again soon?

Very soon?

Of course, Mrs. Winter...

if you wish it.

Oh, I do. I do.

[chirping]

That’s my girl.

That’s my baby.

Cheep. Cheep.

Is everything just so?

I’m sure it is, Mother. Don’t fuss so.

Just so the environment’s all right.

That’s all that Miss Coulette required.

[chirping]

I like her very much, don’t you?

Oh, she has great gifts.

I somehow sense

that tonight, we’ll be able to talk together,

your father and I.

Yes, I sense that, too, dearest.

[high-pitched] Now he is coming.

I see him.

He is standing at the end of a long, dark passage,

holding out his hands.

Ready to receive you.

The lady is waiting.

[low-pitched] Sofie.

Arthur.

Now listen to me tonight.

There’s something I must ask you.

Dear Sofie.

Listen to me, please.

I worry about you.

I know that you always depended on me for everything.

And I so loved doing everything for you.

Are you all right, my dear?

Are you happy?

Mother, I think if you’ll just be silent,

Father will speak.

I am here, dearest Sofie,

and I love you as ever.

And, oh, how I miss you.

I am lonely on this shore.

-I wait for you. -[mouthing words]

I need you.

Then I’ll come, Arthur.

I swear I will.

And quickly.

I promise you.

I know now...

I know now what I must do.

Okay, that’s fine. You’d better go now.

[Sophia] Hubert?

You see, I was right.

He is lonely.

I had the instinct. I seemed to know he...

He does need me.

You do understand.

Yes, I understand.

I shall miss you terribly.

When?

Isn’t it fortunate that I am not inclined to throw things away?

-The medicine? -Oh, yes, much the best way.

Now, let me see. There’ll be several things to attend to.

But I think I can do that tomorrow in the daytime.

And then... in the evening,

one of our nice, quiet evenings.

Yes, that will be best.

Tomorrow evening then, Arthur.

Tomorrow evening at this time, my son.

There.

That’s every penny I owe anybody.

Now, let me see.

I’ve checked the linen and the silver, and the china.

I’ve put my clothes in moth bags,

I’ve stopped my library subscription.

I’m sure you’ve seen to everything, Mother.

Dust on the piano! Well, now, I can’t have that.

-Mother. -Yes, dear?

[chuckles]

I’m just going to fetch a dust cloth.

Perhaps if I went out for a breath of air.

Oh, poor child,

I’ve kept you with me all this long, last day.

It must have been very difficult for you.

No, dearest, it’s just that this waiting is so painful.

You know where the poison is, you haven’t mislaid it?

Of course I haven’t. I know exactly where it is.

I am a very careful person,

as Arthur used to say.

Now, I’ll just dust the piano. And...

[chirping]

Oh! Oh, dear.

Oh!

[chirping]

Could you run an errand for me?

I’d be glad to.

Oh, it was a nasty, old piece of newspaper, baby.

The drugstore has shelf paper.

Would you get me something pretty?

You want me to buy paper for the canary now?

Yes, dear. Would you?

And will you mail these?

I must have everything just so.

Yes, I suppose you must.

Are you frightened?

No. No.

You mustn’t be. It’s nothing.

It’s just a transition.

I know that. I believe that.

Well then, run along out.

I’ll be here.

I promise you.

I could never go unless you were near me.

So have no fear of that.

Well then, I’ll be right back.

[knocking on the door]

Come in.

What happened?

Congratulations.

Is she...

Everything is going to be all right.

-When? -Tonight.

Now, Hubert, you can’t let her do this.

Just let me go and tell her that we were kidding.

No!

No, you mustn’t.

But, you just can’t--

Listen, if you tell her now

that wasn’t my father last night

you’d break her heart.

All right, then you do it some other way.

You tell her that you need her here.

Now, you can do that.

But I don’t need her.

I’m not a child, you know.

Hubert...

What is this?

That’s paper for the bottom of her canary cage.

Hubert, I don’t think we ought to let her do it.

I do. I think it’s the best thing for everybody

all the way ’round.

Dearest, this is murder.

You know that, don’t you?

The law can’t touch us.

Well, they can touch us if they know about it.

Listen, if this is murder,

you’re in on it just as much as I am.

So you’re not going to interfere.

How are you gonna explain

your part in this to the police?

Or anybody else?

My part?

You’re the one that set her off with that act of yours.

And that’s fraud, criminal fraud!

I was acting.

Listen, there’s nothing you can do

except sit and wait and be patient.

Now, you understand that?

Yeah.

Let’s look at it this way.

My mother will be happy. I’ll be rich.

We can get married, go to Europe on our honeymoon.

And nobody’ll know the difference.

[door closes]

Mother?

Mother!

Here I am.

What’s that?

I have brought you your jacket.

Now, I want this to be

just like one of our usual lovely evenings.

You in your chair and I in mine.

I don’t want to be found in bed.

I want to be here, where we’ve had so many happy times.

-Do you understand? -Yes, I understand.

I meant, what’s that in the glass?

That’s the medicine.

It was exactly where I had put it.

A place for everything and everything in its place.

That is how Arthur used to tease me.

Now, I will just put this away.

Ma...

Well...

Now, I wonder if I’ve forgotten anything.

I can’t imagine what.

Oh, what a tangled...

Oh, dear.

Mother, does that matter now?

It won’t take a minute, dear.

[sighs]

Get me the police.

Dearest, I don’t like to ask, but have you left a note of any kind?

Oh, yes, I’ve taken care of that.

I’ve written everything down and explained it most clearly.

And your will, I suppose, is in order?

Oh, yes. There’s a copy in the desk drawer

and the lawyers have the original.

Well, I do believe I have thought of everything now.

Forgive me, darling, but I do need this.

Well, of course, dear.

Oh, Hubert, now, you’re not going to cry?

There’s no need to, believe me.

I do believe you.

And I won’t cry.

Mother, I’d like to propose a toast.

-To Daddy. -Ah!

Dear.

Mother, I did think you’d drink that toast with me.

Oh, I will, dear. I will.

Dearest, I have tried to understand everything.

Now, won’t you try?

Have pity on me. Don’t drag this thing out.

Can’t you see that I can’t stand much more of this?

If you are going to do it...

I-If you are going to do it, then, please do it.

Don’t drag it out. For my sake. For...

For...

It doesn’t hurt, does it, darling?

I’ve only been waiting to see you safely over the threshold.

Well, you didn’t think

I was going to leave you here all alone,

did you, darling?

I’ve poisoned you, darling.

Now you’ll be with Mommy and Daddy for always.

You’re not afraid, are you?

It won’t be long.

[sirens approaching]

There.

Well, Arthur,

I think I have attended to everything.

Just so.

[tires screeching, door closes]

[doorbell buzzing]

What in the world is that?

That concludes our tribute to mother love.

I shall return after we reveal our sponsor’s identity.

There is an epilogue to tonight’s story.

Mrs. Winter decided to trade spiritual togetherness

for solitary confinement

and discovered she preferred it that way.

After seeing Hubert, I can’t say I blame her.

Next week, we shall make our own attempt

at togetherness with you.

Until then, goodnight.