Speaker 1: And now mystery THI come in Welcome, I'm e. G. Marshall.
True horror, more often than not, grows out of work
day circumstances, grows slowly and at the start, almost imperceptively.
Without the commonplace quality of the soil in which its
seeds are planted, the horror itself might be less shocking.
This is a tale of two people who live rather pleasant,
if ordinary lives, in the comfortable expectation of continuing indefinitely
in this manner. As we shall learn, their expectations are
not to be realized.
Speaker 2: Was it a tough day, Frank?
Speaker 1: Not too.
Speaker 2: It didn't bother you too much about your step mother?
Speaker 1: No, not really, except that people kept talking about it.
I guess they all thought I should have gone to
the funeral.
Speaker 2: Don't let them upset you.
Speaker 1: Oh why didn't? Laura would have been sheer hypocrisy too.
Have gone to her funeral feeling the way I always
have about her. I guess nobody but Bill Riley can
understand that. He stopped into the armice thought I might
be feeling some strain.
Speaker 2: He's a good friend, isn't he?
Speaker 1: Ah, Well, you know it, he said a funny thing,
said I'd be lucky if she didn't come back to
haunt me. Oh that Bill, Oh, I don't know, and
sort of gave me the creeps. Our mystery drama, The Intermediary,
was written especially for the Mystery Theater by feel Jilden
Farrington and stars Francis Sternhagen. The soil in which the
seed of horror is being planted at this moment is
a comfortable apartment in New York's East Side occupied by
Frank and Laura Ellingwood. The seed itself is the death
of Frank's stepmother, from whom he has been estranged for
many years. Greece is not what Frank feels, and he
is not so hypocritical as to pretend he does. Oh
that's the old Jonas Clark. Who's Jonas Clark out of
my stepmother's lawyer. He called me the officers afternoon and
asked if he could stop around to see neither talk
about the Will you.
Speaker 2: Think she's left you? Something?
Speaker 1: Not likely?
Speaker 2: Shall I let him in?
Speaker 1: I'll do it. I love It's Clark, come on in.
Thank you. Uh, this is my wife, Laura.
Speaker 3: Uh, great pleasure of missus Ellingwood.
Speaker 2: Won't you sit down?
Speaker 1: Thank you? Yeah?
Speaker 3: I must admit, mister Earlingwood, I was somewhat surprised not
to see you at your mother's funeral this afternoon. My
stepmother mm I considered it more proper to stay away
than they would tend, and I find that very odd.
I wanted to talk to you about your stepmother's will.
Speaker 1: And I find that very odd. She surely didn't leave
me anything.
Speaker 3: On the contrary, you are missus Ellingwood's sole air.
Speaker 4: You inherit everything.
Speaker 1: I inherit everything.
Speaker 5: Mm.
Speaker 1: Well with uh what strings attached? Mister Clark. You're not
gonna tell me there are no strings now?
Speaker 2: Maybe not? Frank, shouldn't you wait.
Speaker 1: Until you hear it? Least?
Speaker 3: Miss Elingwood, your relationship with your late stepmother is none
of my affair. I don't know what you're talking about.
Speaker 1: L Let me explain it, don't.
Speaker 4: It isn't necessary.
Speaker 1: I'm not here to tell anyway. I'm sure your fee
covers it.
Speaker 2: Mm.
Speaker 1: My real mother died when I was only four or
five years old. I could just beare to remember her well.
Speaker 3: I sympathize with you, of course, but I don't see
how father remarried Let's spin a year later. Primarily I
think to give me a mother. Yes, she gave me.
Speaker 2: One, all right, Frank, I don't think you ought to
go all through that again. You'll only upset yourself.
Speaker 1: And after a couple of years my father was killed
in an auto accident she was driving.
Speaker 3: Mister Ellingwood, If you're trying to blame your late step
mother for your father's delivering.
Speaker 1: I wonder what made you think of it. Oh, she
raised me. You know all about that, mister Clark. You
were her lawyer after my father's death. She looked after
you very well.
Speaker 3: As I remember, she was devoted to you.
Speaker 1: She owned me. Do you have any idea what it's
like to be owned, mister Clark?
Speaker 2: Frank, let's just let mister Clark tell us about the will.
Speaker 1: It's a terrible thing being owned. I was one of
the possessions that she had inherited from my father.
Speaker 5: Mister Earlingwood, even if what you say is true, it's true.
Speaker 3: Well, even so, your stepmother has passed on now and
you have inherited her entire.
Speaker 1: Fortune, which she inherited from my father. Okay, I want
to hear about the strings she's attached. It's straightforward.
Speaker 3: In your stepmother's holdings have been placed in trust for you.
I trust you will not have access to the principle,
only the income which approves from it.
Speaker 1: And what kind of strings were attached to the income.
Speaker 3: Well, there are certain conditions. Yes, you must live in
and maintain in good condition, the house and ground situated
on Woodbury Road in Glennington, Long Island.
Speaker 2: Oh lord, Oh, now that's not so bad, is it right?
I mean I've only seen it just driving past, of course,
but it's a beautiful.
Speaker 1: I hate that house. I'd rather go to prison. I'd
be happier. Bill Riley was right, one way or another.
She'll never give up.
Speaker 3: The condition doesn't seem burdens into me.
Speaker 1: You don't have to live there.
Speaker 2: Is there anything else?
Speaker 5: Well?
Speaker 3: Yes, yes, as a matter of fact. The other condition
is that mister Ellingwood's present marriage continue unbroken. What there
is to be no interruption of your present marital status.
Speaker 2: Now that's a little peculiar. I never met Frank's stepmother.
She never even saw me, not to my knowledge.
Speaker 3: Well, she must have known something about you, I assure
you she never would have made such a condition frivolously.
Speaker 1: I've got it, Margine, and I wouldn't I frankly here
and to send your a multi millionaire on divide at
least by multi you heard about the world. Yeah, and
do we need to talk? I was gonna call you. Uh,
can you make lunch? I've got a meeting a little
later on, but I can imagine early lunch an hour
go ahead? Hello, jeez, finally stay there. Well, what I
can't accept is a condition that I must live in
that miserable old house out in Blenningdon I mean she
had no right?
Speaker 3: Yeah?
Speaker 4: Actually she had. I don't say it's fair, the only
saying that she had.
Speaker 1: The legal right more than the devil with it. I'm
alright without a lousy money and I won't let in
a creepy old house.
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's uh lot of money to throw away.
Speaker 1: And I said, how does Laura feel about it? Well,
she didn't go up in that terrible place. She wanted
me to take the day off and go out there
with her. Today, she thinks I'm overreacting type what she's right?
Speaker 3: Uh? Did what I said yesterday have anything to do
with your attitude.
Speaker 1: About my stepmother coming back to want me?
Speaker 4: Mm?
Speaker 1: Wow? No, I'm just thinking about living in that house again.
I don't think I can do it.
Speaker 3: I remember when you lived there with your stepmother. I
I know.
Speaker 1: What you're talking about, any of the only one that
does listen. You're my lawyer. Can we break that will?
I mean, can we knock off those conditions? The money
was my father's and well, to me, it doesn't seem right.
Speaker 3: Right and wrong don't always turn out to be the
deciding factors. Unfortunately, I'd have to see a copy of
the will before I could say anything.
Speaker 4: Definitely, or I'll get one for him. Maybe you should
go out and have a look.
Speaker 1: At the place.
Speaker 3: Strength It might not look so.
Speaker 1: Bad with her going to tell you that, so she
doesn't seem all that gone to me. Maybe there was
something in what you said. Though, maybe one way or
another she has come back to haunt me.
Speaker 2: Right, is that you?
Speaker 1: Yes, I'm out in the kitchen. Okay. I tried to
call you a couple of times. It's happened on Laura,
but uh, you didn't answer.
Speaker 2: Oh, it was such a beautiful day. I just couldn't
bear to spend it shut up in a stuffy little apartment. Hello,
you look tired.
Speaker 1: Mm a little depressed.
Speaker 2: I guess the martinis are all mixed in the refrigerator.
You wanna get them while I put the.
Speaker 1: Steak on Martini's and steak. Hum, what's the cocaine?
Speaker 2: Oh? I just feel like it, that's all. I had
a good day and I feel like celebrating.
Speaker 1: Okay, Finn, what uh? Major days so good? What'd you do?
Speaker 2: I I went out to the house.
Speaker 1: Rank. Oh, out to Glennington.
Speaker 2: It's so beautiful. I had to see it. Oh, Frank,
it's like it's like a dream come true. The well,
just take the silver. Did you know there's a fortune
in silver alone out there, full service for at least
fifty Why didn't count oh sterling too?
Speaker 1: Why did you go out there, Laura?
Speaker 2: Well, I asked you to take me, and you wouldn't.
I just felt, well, I know it sounds crazy. I
felt drawn or something. I have such a feeling about
that house.
Speaker 1: Frank, mm, so do I.
Speaker 2: No, there's a nursery at the back of the hall on.
Speaker 1: The second floor.
Speaker 2: Did you know? Oh huh, yes, of course you'd know
about the nursery. Yes.
Speaker 1: I used to be set up there without my supper.
I was ten years old before she'd let me move
out of there into a real bedroom.
Speaker 2: We'll need a nursery someday, Frank, I mean sooner or
later we're going to.
Speaker 1: When we need a nursery, we'll get one. I wouldn't
make a dog sleep in that room, never mind a
child of my own.
Speaker 2: No, well, that's silly. How can you be so so unreasonable?
There's a perfectly lovely old house just sitting out there,
and you, well, I'm not even gonna talk about the
money we'll be losing if you refuse to live there.
Just the house, the house alone. I mean, really, Frank,
it's sick to turn it down, just plain sick.
Speaker 1: Well, then I'm sick, and that's an incurable sickness slurry.
You might as well face it. I cannot live in
that awful house. Call it sick, call it unreasonable, call
it anything your life, but recognize it as a fact.
I cannot live in that house.
Speaker 2: When you check the stake, Frank.
Speaker 1: I've lost my appetide.
Speaker 2: Oh nonsense. There are five acres, five whole acres for
kids to play in, trees to climb, and we could
get a dog, and do you know there's even a
kind of toy barn out there where we could keep
a pony.
Speaker 1: And uh, you'd better forget it.
Speaker 2: Laura, what am I supposed to tell the children when
we have them? We're poor people because daddy was afraid
to live in the nice houses stepmother wanted to give him.
We can't afford this, and we can't afford that because.
Speaker 1: Your daddy were not poor people. I'm a good engineer
and I've got a good job. We're not going to
be poor people, That's true.
Speaker 2: We're never going to be poor because we're going to
move into that lovely house in Glennington, and we're going
to have so much money from that trust fund that
it won't matter whether you're an engineer.
Speaker 4: Or or what you are.
Speaker 1: I'll be damned.
Speaker 2: Why will you be damned?
Speaker 1: If you want to know something really weird? You sound
exactly like my stepmother.
Speaker 2: Oh.
Speaker 1: Houses have long had the reputation of retaining the hardcore
of past tenants personalities. Some essence that soaked into the walls,
lingers in dark corners, hides in little used cupboards, seeks
out secret places where it can hide in wait for
the thing that will one day come along and give
it being again. Perhaps we'll learn whether or not the
house in Glennington is such a place. When I return
shortly with that too. A man doesn't lightly say no
to a large inheritance, and yet that is precisely what
Frank Ellingwood is prepared to do, if inheriting means living
in the house in which he grew up unhappily with
his stepmother. Laura, his wife, has gone out to have
a look at the house and has apparently fallen in
love with it. As a matter of fact, unless Frank
is imagining it, she has come back talking more than
a little like his stepmother.
Speaker 2: You're being childish and unreasonable, Frank. It's a whim. You're
not wanting to live in that house. And I have
no intention of letting you give up so much just
because of a childish whim.
Speaker 1: No intention of letting me.
Speaker 2: I'm moving out there, Frank, next week. I hope you'll
come with me, but i'm moving in any case, I'd
like to speak to mister Clark. Please. This is Laura
Ellingwood calling. Yes, I'll wait, Thank you, mister Clark, fine,
thank you. I just wanted to let you know that
we finally reached a decision. Yes, that's right, we'll be
moving into the Glenington House next wednesday. Oh no, Frank
isn't really too happy about it, but I'm sure once
we Yes, that's the way.
Speaker 4: I feel about it too.
Speaker 2: Yes, please go ahead with whatever arrangements are necessary. Thank you, goodbye.
Speaker 1: He hopes we'll be very happy in our new home.
Speaker 2: That's what he said, Yes, some hope.
Speaker 1: Huh. You know, the place actually smells of my step mother,
sort of a sickish sweet like like like spoiled clothes.
If there is such a thing.
Speaker 2: I can't smell a thing.
Speaker 1: Huh. That's a sin she used to wear.
Speaker 2: You've done nothing but complain for the whole twenty four
hours since we moved in here.
Speaker 1: And I believe I mentioned even before we moved in
that I wasn't exactly fond of this house.
Speaker 2: But everything in it, Oh, that lovely little sexy empire
or whatever it is. What can you have against the
beautiful little thing like that?
Speaker 1: That's where I used to sit when she had company.
My feet dangled, Sit.
Speaker 3: Up straight, keep your hands folded in your lap. Speak
when spoken to 'em. I wasn't allowed in the parlor
at all except when you had company.
Speaker 2: Well you are now, so stop pouting.
Speaker 1: That's weird. That was a favorite expression of hers. Stop pouting.
Speaker 2: Oh for Heaven's sake, Frank. Oh Frank, look what you've done.
You've got ashes all over this.
Speaker 1: Beautiful carpet, only ashes they won't burn.
Speaker 2: Leave them alone. I'll take care of them. Move into
a perfectly neat clean house, a beautiful house, and all
you do is complain and spill things around. Honestly, I
just can't understand you, Frank. You don't seem to have
any any respect for things.
Speaker 1: I wouldn't have believed it there.
Speaker 2: That don't have to do for now, but it's left
a mark. Frank. If you absolutely have to smoke that
nasty old pipe, can't you at least step outside or
into the back hall or somewhere like that when you
empty it?
Speaker 1: Yes, Moti, she always liked me to.
Speaker 2: Call her that.
Speaker 1: Boutie. All right, Clark, I know I didn't have any appointment.
I'm sorry to come barging in if you want the pology,
but I want to talk to you, well, not very orderly.
Speaker 3: I like to keep the My schedule, however, was larger here.
Speaker 1: I'm going to get rid of the furniture in that
miserable house, every stick of it, well, trying to redecorate.
I'm having a chance the color.
Speaker 3: You can't do that, mister who says I can't. Oh,
Will is quite specific. There's to be no change. The
late missus Ellingwood was very firm about that.
Speaker 2: Why did you want me to come into the city
for lunch, Frank, Is anything wrong?
Speaker 1: Yes? I uh well, to tell you the truth. I
wanted to get you out of that house. I don't
like what it's doing to you. I wanted to get
you out of it so we could talk.
Speaker 2: We could have talked it home.
Speaker 1: You don't see it. They do. Actually, I'm surprised that
you showed up even after you'd promised, and I.
Speaker 2: Almost didn't change. It was such a wrench just closing
the front door and walking away.
Speaker 1: Laura, don't go back. What do you mean, just don't
go back. Stay in the city and go shopping or something.
This afternoon I'll call Bill Riley and maybe I and
Carroll will be free to see me for some bridge
or something like that. We could spend the night with him, maybe,
and then tomorrow Ranks, I'll pack tomorrow off and I
we'll go apartment Honting. Maybe our old apartment hasn't been ready.
Can't stop it.
Speaker 2: I wouldn't have come all the way into the city
if I'd known you were just going to start this again.
Speaker 1: Or can't you feel the difference being out of that
place you said yourself had made a nice change? Can't
you feel for difference in yourself.
Speaker 2: If there's a difference in me? I'm sorry, Frank, but
you've put it there. You can't know what it's like
hating everything the way you do.
Speaker 1: I know exactly what it's like, Believe me. I know.
Will Then Uh, he wants more coffee?
Speaker 2: No, nothing more? Thanks. I guess I'll be getting.
Speaker 1: Back, Laura. Won't you try it my way? Won't you
just give it a chance, at least for tonight?
Speaker 2: We we can't, Frank.
Speaker 1: The will doesn't say anything about taking a night off,
does it?
Speaker 2: What good would it do? It won't work, Frank. We're
going to live in that house and you've got to
learn to like it. Well.
Speaker 3: I've gone over the will with a fine tooth comb, Frank,
and I can't find a whole I know what it's
putting you through, and I sympathize, but as a lawyer,
I can't suggest the way.
Speaker 1: It isn't just what I'm going through Bill, as Laura too.
What that rotten house is doing to her scares me?
No kidding, I'm scared. Does he like the place? Well,
she thinks she likes it. Bill, you remember what you
said the day of my stepmother's funeral.
Speaker 3: It seem might come back to a hunt. You as
a stupid thing to say.
Speaker 1: Well, do you think it's possible for a house, the
house itself, somehow to soak up the the whatever's left
of a person after a person.
Speaker 3: Die or I don't know, Frank, there are tales, you know,
a lot of people will tell you that I lived
in house comes to have a personality of its own.
Speaker 1: I don't mean a personality of its own. I mean
the personality of the people or or a person who
lived in it.
Speaker 3: Oh, there are such stories that, uh, I don't know
of an authenticated case.
Speaker 1: Maybe you oughta come out to Blennington some evening, Laura,
I'm home a long track, but I made us.
Speaker 2: Is it still raining our Yes?
Speaker 4: Where are you in the dining room?
Speaker 2: Did you clean your shoes?
Speaker 1: Oh? Lord, I'm gonna take them off and leave them
out here in the hall. That's what she used to
make me do.
Speaker 2: Oh, of course, not just make sure you don't track
mud all over the house.
Speaker 1: Ooh, what a train trip that is. What are you doing?
Speaker 2: I'm polishing the silver.
Speaker 1: Can't you see or somebody coming? I mean we're having
a party. No, well then why you have to polish
all the silver because it's silver?
Speaker 2: Frank, I shouldn't think that would be too hard to
figure out silver discolored if you don't keep it polished.
Speaker 1: But if you're not going to use it anyway? Okay, okay,
what's for dinner?
Speaker 2: I haven't had time to give it any sort.
Speaker 1: You're kidding.
Speaker 2: No, taking care of a house this size is not
quite the same thing as taking care of a three
room apartment.
Speaker 1: So let's move back into a three roomal apartment.
Speaker 2: Oh, don't be silly. If you're so hungry, go go
fix yourself a hamburger or something.
Speaker 1: Why how I was a going to take you to
finish the silver?
Speaker 2: I don't know ten minutes fifteen? How can I tell?
Speaker 1: Okay, you finish the silver and we'll go out to dinner.
Speaker 2: No, I I don't wanna go out, Frank. Oh good heavens,
Go pull yourself a drink or something. I'll fix dinner
as soon as I've finished here. You were never one
of those dinner the minutes you hit the front door
men before?
Speaker 1: Well, not when we lived ten minutes in my office. No,
you realize how much time I spend every day on
that train.
Speaker 2: I'm sorry if you don't enjoy commuting, but thousands of
men do it every day and half for years, and
I'm sure they don't make it all as kind of
fuss when they get home, or the divorce rate would
be ten times what it is.
Speaker 1: Well, that's a new word. I don't remember that word
cropping up in any of our conversations before. What word divorce?
Speaker 2: Oh, Frank, try not to be stupid. And anyway, it's
against the terms of the will.
Speaker 1: What I have to admit it was a good dinner
when we finally got round to it.
Speaker 2: Frank, wouldn't it be just as easy to hold the
pipe over the end table or the coffee table while
you smoke it?
Speaker 1: Mm?
Speaker 2: I'm afraid you'll burn the couch.
Speaker 1: M Would you like me to go outside to smoke it.
I'm sure that's what my stepmother would have wanted.
Speaker 2: Now that's not necessary. Just be careful, that's all I mean.
Speaker 1: Thank you very much.
Speaker 2: You don't have to be sarcastic, Laura, would you.
Speaker 1: Put that knitting or whatever it is? Would you put
it down for a minute. I want to talk to you.
Speaker 2: I can crochet and talk at the same time.
Speaker 1: Crochet. That wouldn't be an anima Cassie you're working on,
would it.
Speaker 2: As a matter of fact, yes, it is.
Speaker 1: She was forever making anima cassies.
Speaker 2: They protect the chairs and the couches.
Speaker 1: Put it down.
Speaker 2: I told you you looked the damn thing down, all right,
there's no reason to shout.
Speaker 1: I'm sorry, Laura, Laura.
Speaker 2: Let's get out of this place now, Frank, if you
just want to start out again.
Speaker 1: No, no, no, no, I just mean go out for
a while, take a drive or a walk, go somewhere
to dance. If you want to just get out and
get some fresh.
Speaker 2: It amounts to the same thing. You got an obsession
about this.
Speaker 1: I'm doing the best I can. I just want to
get away from that clothes, smell of whatever it is.
I I can't breathe in here. I wanna get out
for a little while.
Speaker 2: You want, lately, it's whatever you want. You never think
about me. You never think about our children, Laura.
Speaker 1: We don't have any children.
Speaker 2: The children we will have You don't think about them,
or me, or the future or anything but yourself. Lately,
you think if you keep nagging at me long enough,
I'll give in.
Speaker 1: Nag I nag at you.
Speaker 2: If you're trying to say that I'm no one.
Speaker 1: Now, come on, Laura, we're going out.
Speaker 2: You may if you I'm staying right here.
Speaker 1: No, you're not.
Speaker 2: What do you propose to do? Drag me out of
the house by four?
Speaker 1: I will if I have to, Laura, this place it's unhealthy. Fank,
have you lost your mighty blind? If you can't see it,
you're a different person. I don't know you. I will
not spend the evening or allow you to spend it
sitting in this living room so happy that the evil
it's filled with.
Speaker 2: I'm not budging.
Speaker 1: Will you get out of that chair and do as I.
Speaker 2: Say, Frank, take your hands off me.
Speaker 1: I'll take my hands off you as soon as I
get you outside where you can come to your senses.
Speaker 2: Thank Kapar hurting my arm?
Speaker 1: You come with me? Not it you're hurting me. You're
getting out of here.
Speaker 5: I will not you will.
Speaker 1: All right?
Speaker 3: All right?
Speaker 1: I'm sorry, Laura. I can't tell I had to do it. Oh, Darling,
I'm so sorry, I l L. Let's get into the car. Drive,
Laurie j. Just drive and open all the windows. Let
the air blow away the whatever it is the house
is drowning us in. You're feeling better, Laura, Yes, I'm
better now. You don't know how sorry I am.
Speaker 2: Yes, I know I'm not just imagining it.
Speaker 1: I swear I'm not. That house is doing something frightful
to us, to us, to you, even more than the media. Well,
I know you don't believe me, but it's true.
Speaker 4: I believe you, you Wan, I believe you.
Speaker 2: It was different somehow after I came back from lunch
in the city with you. It it was angry.
Speaker 1: You mean the house was angry?
Speaker 2: No, n I I don't know exactly what I mean
by it, something as if something were part of me
and and yet not me at all. It was very
angry when I got back this afternoon.
Speaker 1: Oh my god, I.
Speaker 2: I kept getting smaller and smaller, the mean part of me.
I could feel myself losing me. Why it grew and grew.
I could feel the angry, even while the little pocket
of me inside me knew I wasn't angry at all.
But afraid I'm Do you think I'm losing my mind
from Oh.
Speaker 1: No, no, no, don't ever think like that. I I
know what it is, and I wish.
Speaker 2: You'd tell me, just so I wont keep thinking maybe
I'm going mad.
Speaker 1: It's my step mother.
Speaker 2: Your stepmother isn't the house.
Speaker 1: I was wrong about that. She uses the house, That's all.
Speaker 2: I don't understand.
Speaker 1: She's in there, Laura, in her house, her house. They
left a lot of my stepmother unburied. You're it. The
thing that wants you as its living agent is what
they left behind unburied, Frank. When you're in that house, Laura,
whenever you're in that house, you are my stepmother. Possession
the possession of a living being's essence by an entity
which is inhuman or perhaps no longer human. Such possession
is a thing people either believe in or not. But
fact is not created by belief. Belief is much more
likely to grow out of fact, so that belief is
to fact, much as smoke is to fire. Where there
is the one, do not be surprised to find the other.
I shall return shortly with that three in an old
house out on Long Island. A strange thing is happening.
Frank Ellingwood's stepmother is dead. She was properly buried some
time ago, but as Frank himself has put it, something
of her appears to have been left unburied, and that
something has chosen to make its presence felt in an
extremely unpleasant way. It has entered the mind of Laura
Ellingwood and taken charge.
Speaker 2: Where are we going, Frank into the city?
Speaker 1: Why where else is there to go? He said? They
don't wanna go back to Glenningdon and spend another night
in that that night marriage house.
Speaker 2: No, I suppose not, But I don't think she could
do it to me again. What your stepmother if well,
you know, if that's what's really happening to me, I
don't think she could get control of me again.
Speaker 1: Forget it, Laura.
Speaker 2: If she tried it again, I could keep her out.
I'm sure I could.
Speaker 1: I don't ever again. Wanna see you looking the way
you look tonight before I got you out of there.
I don't ever wanna hear you talk like that again.
You don't know what she did your voice. I won't
ever let you go back to that place. I'll do
whatever I have to to stop you, Alright, I will
take a room and I don't know whatever hotel has
a room available. We'll get a good night's sleep when
we have one coming, and tomorrow we'll find a place
to live. It's settled. That's what we'll do, alright, fred
mm Hello, good warning, mister elling one.
Speaker 3: It's eight o'clock.
Speaker 1: Oh alright, thank you.
Speaker 2: Would you like me to connect you with room service?
Speaker 1: Uh? No, I'll call it. I don't we want anything.
Speaker 2: I couldn't figure out where I was.
Speaker 1: You're in a perfectly safe hotel room where nobody, where
nothing can get at you.
Speaker 2: What time is it?
Speaker 1: Eight o'clock?
Speaker 2: What are you going to do?
Speaker 1: Well, first, I'm gonna get dressed and sew you. Then
we're going out and have an enormous breakfast somewhere. Now
that's we're going over and find out if our old
apartment's been ready. If it has, we're gonna start looking
for another one.
Speaker 2: Okay, Oh, why don't you go and have a talk
with Jonas Clark. Maybe if you told him what happened.
Speaker 1: Tell Jonas Clark the terms of the will are invalid
because the house is haunted. You gotta be joking. Well,
it wouldn't hurt to talk to you, and it wouldn't help.
I want to see Bill Riley. What's happened. Won't make
any difference in the legal sense, of course, but Bill
would at least listen to me without laughing in my face.
I think the money's gone. I think we can just
forget that, but I do wanna talk to Bill about it.
Speaker 2: Frank, Yah, you know something. Oh I'm still sleepy. Why
don't you go on over and talk to Bill first,
and then come back and get me and we'll we'll
do all that stuff.
Speaker 1: She said. Didn't you sleep last night?
Speaker 2: Oh? I I slept fine, but it's it's the first
time in quite a while. I'd really like another hour
or so.
Speaker 1: Well, Okay, if I uh get over there early, maybe
I can catch Bill before he gets too busy to
see him. I'll stop buying my office too, and tell
him I won't be in today. That's a good idea.
Speaker 5: M Oh, yeah, that's a good idea.
Speaker 2: This is missus Ellingwood in twelve oh eight. I wonder
if you'd take a message for my husband. I don't
know exactly how long he'll be out, but when he
comes back or if he calls in, i'd like you
to tell him that I've gone back to the island.
Tell him I'll see him at home later in the
day whenever he can make it. Please see that he
gets the message. It's important. Oh, and tell him I'm
taking a car. He can come out by train.
Speaker 1: Hi. Well, uh, your secretary was not there, so I
came on in. Yeah, secretary's working eight hour day.
Speaker 4: Lawyers never's leave. What's with you?
Speaker 1: You get follows?
Speaker 2: Oh?
Speaker 1: Have I it's up your rally too, legal alley ors,
spook alley, spooky man. You wouldn't believe how spooky.
Speaker 4: Try me.
Speaker 1: Well, it's been building ever since we moved into that
damn place. But yesterday Laura came into the city to
have lunch with me. When I got home, I'm my.
Speaker 3: Laura's obviously being used as an intermediary to get at you.
Your stepmother has no interest in Laura.
Speaker 5: How could she.
Speaker 3: She's using Laura to get at you, and i'd assume
to maintain her hold on the house. My guess is
that she needs that house. She can't function without it.
Speaker 1: You believe it, don't you?
Speaker 4: Frank and I go out there tonight.
Speaker 1: I'm not going back to that place, and neither is Laura.
Speaker 3: No, no, no, I I mean just me is a kind
of uh investigator.
Speaker 4: I'd like to see if.
Speaker 3: I can stir up some sort of manifestation that was
looking at your key?
Speaker 1: More sure? Oh? Only, I think I left it over
at the hotel. Look, I have to stop by my
office and then I'm going back to pick up Laura.
Let me form you, Hm, I'll get the kittiest sometime today.
Speaker 3: Good. I'm beginning to think we're under something authentic. I
don't know what good it will do you with Cord.
Speaker 1: All I want, really is to keep Laura out of
that awful house?
Speaker 2: Is it? Ellingwood? Can you hear me? I've come back.
I'm back here, this time on my terms, not yours.
I know what I have to contend with now, and
I mean to contend with it. Can you hear me? Missus? Ellingwood?
I dare you, if you think you're stronger than I am,
go ahead and try to take control of me again.
Go ahead, I dare.
Speaker 5: You, you little fool, you silly, stupid, little idiot.
Speaker 2: You try something like that again, and you'll be good
and sorry, I promise you, sorrier than you've ever been
in all your life.
Speaker 1: Answer? Will you will you, I answer the phone. Yes,
who is it, Lurah? Where are you at the hotel?
The club said? You ever mind? What the clerk said?
I want you out here? Now?
Speaker 2: Do you understand more?
Speaker 3: What?
Speaker 1: What? Now?
Speaker 2: Do you hear me? Now?
Speaker 1: It's just flying. Something's happened? Are you free right now? Well,
Laurah went back to the house. She left the hotel
while I was with you, I guess, and she's back
out there now. I talked to on the phone on
dot Bill was that awful voice? Okay, okay, I'll leave
right away now words let meet you pun station. I
guess Laura took the car.
Speaker 3: Oh, here's like her.
Speaker 1: You at the hotel or some of the hotel? Oh,
wait out front, I'll pick up there.
Speaker 2: All right.
Speaker 4: What are you gonna tell her about me?
Speaker 1: Or Ah? Tell her what Laura knows you?
Speaker 3: If it's Laura, I don't know how much access your
stepmother will have the Laura's memory about time too.
Speaker 1: Who's that?
Speaker 2: Oh? Bill Riley?
Speaker 1: Laura? Why didn't you stay at the hotel as we agreed?
I wouldn't have left you there? Oh, don't be a fool.
Speaker 2: Come on in YouTube, Bill, clean your shoes before you
come in.
Speaker 1: Laura, You've got to get out of here.
Speaker 2: Oh stop pretending. For Heaven's sake, we all know I'm
not Laura.
Speaker 4: Can we do bell it's the house.
Speaker 1: She can't do it. I'm sure.
Speaker 3: Unless Laura's here in the house, we'll have to get
her out.
Speaker 1: Try it.
Speaker 2: Go ahead, try it.
Speaker 1: I bet you out of this place. Last night, Laura,
I'll do it again the same way, but I have
to not today. You won't. That was Laura last night.
Speaker 2: Today it's you couldn't stand against me as a child,
and you can't stand against me now, Laura.
Speaker 1: We're getting out of here.
Speaker 2: We're just as stupid as you always were, aren't you.
You won't understand a thing that's told you until you
get hurt. You lay a finger on me and I'll
claw your eyes out.
Speaker 4: She probably will. Frank, it's not Laura, you're dealing.
Speaker 1: With mer Well.
Speaker 2: I have to try.
Speaker 1: Bill, Bill help me.
Speaker 2: Trauma lay little boys, both of you, silly little boys.
You may go now, Bill Riley, you serve no purp.
Speaker 1: It's my house, not hers.
Speaker 4: You have your house.
Speaker 2: Indeed, it's not only my house, it's me. At that funeral,
they buried a bobby, A bobby nothing to do with me.
This house is my body now, and it will stand
for a hundred years, hundreds of years, with you in it,
and then your children and then fair children, all doing
my bidding you here, you'll do exactly if I say,
all of you, generations.
Speaker 1: Of you, and she doying like that, I know you'll
fill this house with children.
Speaker 2: I tell you to fill it with children, and you'll
do it, and I shall rule, and I'll use this
body of your.
Speaker 5: Precious Lauras until it grows.
Speaker 2: Old and useless, and then i'll take.
Speaker 1: Another word from among your children.
Speaker 5: I'll live forever, and I'll.
Speaker 4: Rule the whole. What are you doing? The feelings and
burning this monster right down to the grid.
Speaker 1: You want to save Laura.
Speaker 4: You're hurt what your stepmother said me?
Speaker 1: Honey?
Speaker 5: Are you blind?
Speaker 1: House is on fire, Laura. We're gonna get you on y.
Speaker 2: Why do you just stand there with you? All right?
We'll open the house, which is means you're precious Laura.
You and your friend Phil who is scoopy to get
out when he had.
Speaker 1: The tank, we'll apurn get on. I'm not leaving without
all girl. We'll set Laura with him. You can children, you.
Speaker 2: Never learned to your insight to take me out of here.
Only a minute ago you.
Speaker 5: Saw one Heather praying didn't count or whatever.
Speaker 3: We've got to knock around, Laura.
Speaker 1: Of you in there that can't hear me, I'm sorry.
Speaker 2: You'll be sorry for that, all right.
Speaker 1: Laura, Laura, Oh lord, what if I'm done? If you
saved your life, since you done, let's get her out
of him. I'm sorry I had to do it. You
don't know what it was like, but you were like
my only it wasn't you.
Speaker 3: Oh that's beautiful.
Speaker 5: That's beautiful. You'll never be able to stay it with it?
Speaker 1: No good, it's gone. You know I'm an arculist.
Speaker 3: Even a turning room.
Speaker 1: At a chilly bill to save Laura's life more than
a life?
Speaker 2: Did I know it was? Even?
Speaker 3: There was nothing fake about it.
Speaker 2: I thought I would fight him. I couldn't. He wasn't.
Speaker 3: He was awful.
Speaker 5: Now that house is gone, everything's gone.
Speaker 1: That old house never looks better than it does on fire.
Frank Ellingwood's stepmother, the unburied aspect of her, was either
unspeakably evil or intolerably tortured. And who are we to
say it was the one rather than the other. I'll
be back shortly. The litigation involving the Ellingwood estate is
still going on and may go on forever. Frank and
Laura live now in a slightly larger apartment in their
old building. They needed an extra room because of Frank Junior,
and they appreciate their happiness as people rarely do who
have never come so close to losing it. Our cast
in Good is Francis Sternhagen, Ralph Bell, and Leon Janney.
The entire production was under the direction of Hymond Brown,
with a score