Approved | 30min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, TV Series | Episode aired 26 May 1959
A sadistic sea captain from the 19th century haunts a New England home and poisons the lives of a married couple after taking possession of the husband's mind.
Director: John Newland
Writers: Merwin Gerard, Charles Beaumont, Lawrence B. Marcus
Stars: John Newland, Robert Webber, Nancy Hadley
A sadistic sea captain from the 19th century haunts a New England home and poisons the lives of a married couple after taking possession of the husband's mind.
Director: John Newland
Writers: Merwin Gerard, Charles Beaumont, Lawrence B. Marcus
Stars: John Newland, Robert Webber, Nancy Hadley
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00The amazing drama you're about to see is a matter of human record. You may believe it or not, but the real people who lived this story, they believe it. They know. They took that one step beyond.
00:20The coast of New England, a favorite American vacation land specializing in codfish, the legends of witches and their broomsticks, fresh lobster, and haunted houses.
00:41Haunted houses? Well, there are many sane and sensible people hereabouts who will swear to you that this house still shelters the unquiet and restless dead.
00:55At any rate, if any ghostly inhabitants do dwell within these walls, they certainly had the place to themselves for a very long time.
01:04We are told that we're more likely to find evidences of ghostly inhabitants in the upper regions.
01:16Well, all old houses creak and groan, don't they?
01:28Now, look at this. This is perfectly solid wooden plaster. If there's anything more to it than this, we'll have to look further.
01:40The attic is a likely place to begin.
01:45No inanimate object can have a personality, we are told. But we forget. For example, we look at a house, we say that it's cheerful, melancholy, gloomy.
01:58Now, what we're doing, of course, is simply describing our own reactions. There are some cases, however, which seem to defy this handy explanation.
02:08On the New England coast, even today, there are certain houses which can be classified only as unfriendly.
02:17Now, that's more like it. That's what I've been talking about.
02:20Well, how do you know it's for rent?
02:22Well, let's find out. Come on.
02:25Come on. Will you come on?
02:30Ah, it's locked.
02:32Well, of course it's locked.
02:33Oh, isn't that marvelous, huh? I bet that's almost 200 years old.
02:37Now, Andy, let's look someplace else.
02:39Look someplace else? Honey, this is it. This is what we've been dreaming about.
02:47Yeah, I can't see a thing.
02:49Honey, let's go.
02:50Let's go. Let's go in.
02:54Andy, you'll get us arrested.
02:56Oh, don't be ridiculous.
03:05Andy, we really shouldn't be doing this.
03:07Will you stop?
03:11Well, this place really looks lived in, doesn't it?
03:21Now, what is that?
03:24Andy, let's go.
03:25Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
03:30Will you look at those columns?
03:45Andy, look at this.
03:53Captain Michael Clausen, 1860 to 1902.
04:11Hey, wake up.
04:17Boy, this is really something, isn't it?
04:21You like it very much, don't you?
04:23I like it. I love it. Don't you?
04:28Well, of course.
04:29All right, then let's take it, huh?
05:00Uh, I hope we're not disturbing your game.
05:19Well, you are.
05:22Look, we're interested in renting a house.
05:24Do you handle that sort of thing?
05:27I do and I don't.
05:29What's that supposed to mean?
05:31I do when there's houses to rent and don't when there ain't.
05:34Right now, there ain't.
05:36What about that two-story job on Cape Ann Road?
05:44You mean the Clausen house?
05:47You know it?
05:50Yeah, I know it.
05:53Well, the place is empty. We thought it might be for rent.
05:57I wouldn't fool with it.
05:59Why not?
06:01It's an unfriendly house, ma'am. It don't like people.
06:04But it is for rent.
06:07Yeah.
06:12How much?
06:18$500 a month.
06:20$500? Listen, uh, I happen to be an architect.
06:23Now, I know a little bit about houses. That's a good house.
06:25But don't you think that's a little steep?
06:27Take it or leave it.
06:30Well, you must do a land office business, Mr. Leach.
06:33What if we decide to take it?
06:35Your concern, not mine.
06:39Well, let's talk business, then.
06:48Don't go to house.
06:50What?
06:51Don't go to house. Bad. Not a happy place.
06:55Yeah, well, we'll make it a happy place.
07:08Oh, oh, oh, oh.
07:10Just hold it a minute, will you?
07:12Oh, don't be silly, Andy.
07:14We've been married six years.
07:16We haven't really been alone yet. Now, isn't that why we came here?
07:19Come on.
07:26Well, it's ours.
07:28Boy, I'll get more work done here than I ever did in New York.
07:31Hold it. Wait a minute. Don't ruin it.
07:33Let's do it right, top to bottom.
07:50What's the matter?
07:52Nothing.
07:57Well, if you want to back out, you can. I haven't signed the lease yet.
07:59Oh, don't be silly.
08:01It'll be fun cleaning all this up.
08:03Give me something to do while you're working on your plans.
08:06It's a challenge, all right.
08:08And I accept.
08:10I wonder what's in here.
08:21Get away.
08:23What?
08:24Get away from there.
08:28You have no right to look.
08:30What's wrong? Don't you feel well?
08:35What?
08:42I don't know. I feel kind of strange, maybe.
08:45Maybe it's the sea air.
08:48Why'd you get so upset about the trunk?
08:51I was just going to look inside.
08:52The what?
08:56Honey, maybe you're right.
08:58Maybe we shouldn't rent this place after all.
09:29Don't be silly.
09:31You're not going to let it play scary because it's a little dark and spooky, are you?
09:36There, that's better.
09:39I'll go downstairs, see if I can find a lamp.
09:55The Diary of Elsbeth Clausen, 1899.
10:06March 5, 1899.
10:11Michael went hunting again today.
10:20August 1, 1899.
10:28Michael spends most of his time these days in the fields, hunting.
10:37He shouldn't. It only makes his leg that much worse.
10:43And when he returned, he was limping badly.
10:49Also, there was blood on his hands.
10:53I did not like the way he looked at me.
10:56His face was flushed and his eyes burned.
11:06He is jealous of Gideon, so many years his friend.
11:18What do you have?
11:19Nothing, just an old book.
11:33Forget it, come on, let's take a look at the rest of the place.
11:56Have you seen so many rooms in your life?
11:59What are we going to do with all this bed?
12:02What's going on?
12:09It's like someone stabbed me in the leg.
12:14I've never felt anything like this in my life.
12:19It took my breath away.
12:41Shhh.
13:10I brought you some food.
13:24You haven't eaten anything all day.
13:26Please try.
13:27Are you being very solicitous?
13:30I'm worried about you.
13:31I'm sure you are.
13:38Wait a minute.
13:46What is this?
13:47It's chicken soup.
13:50Looks thick, looks rich.
13:54Come here.
13:56Come here!
14:03Isn't it strange that a man can thrive for years on rum and biscuits
14:07and then grow weak and sickly on his wife's cooking?
14:10Isn't that strange?
14:12Everything you say is strange.
14:14I don't know what you're talking about.
14:18No, of course not.
14:22Aren't you going to eat?
14:23It's a different food I need.
14:25What do you mean?
14:27Nothing. Take it away. I'm not hungry.
14:32I wish you wouldn't do that.
14:36Do what?
14:38It's the way you've been doing lately.
14:58Andy, listen to me.
15:00I don't know why.
15:01Maybe it's my fault.
15:03But something's terribly wrong with us.
15:05We came here to be together and we've never been so far apart.
15:08Never!
15:09You'd like to leave here, wouldn't you?
15:10Yes, I would.
15:11Why?
15:12Because we're not happy.
15:14You're not?
15:15That's quite understandable.
15:16You miss New York, don't you?
15:18That isn't it.
15:19No, not exactly.
15:20You miss something, someone.
15:23Andy, I don't follow.
15:24Bill!
15:25My esteemed partner.
15:27What?
15:28He kept you from being lonely in New York, didn't he?
15:30Why don't you stop pretending?
15:31Do you imagine for one moment I didn't know what was going on from the beginning?
15:34It's a dreadful thing to say.
15:38Has it been pleasant for you?
15:39Has it, being locked up here with me, away from him?
15:41I don't know what you mean.
15:43You know exactly what I mean, Elspeth.
15:46Elspeth?
15:52You called me Elspeth.
15:55What are you talking about?
15:58Oh, Andy.
16:00I'm so frightened.
16:01I'm so frightened.
16:02Let's pack up and get out of here right now.
16:09No, we'll stay.
16:29Mr. Leach?
16:31Yes, ma'am?
16:33I'm Ellen Courtney.
16:35We rented a house from you several months ago.
16:38Yes, ma'am.
16:39I remember.
16:41What can I do for you?
16:44Well, I'm not sure.
16:47May I sit down, please?
16:49Why, of course.
16:50Of course.
16:51Right here.
16:59I thought perhaps you might...
17:02You might tell me something.
17:05Like what?
17:08About the house.
17:11Yes, ma'am.
17:13I know what you mean.
17:16I expected you a long time before this.
17:20It was built in 1801 by a man by the name of Silas Clausen.
17:26He left it to his son, Michael.
17:29Michael was a sea captain, and a good one, so they say.
17:33But he was mean.
17:35Mean.
17:37Killed a lot of his men.
17:40Finally, a crew mutinied, and they keelhauled him.
17:44What does that mean?
17:46Drug him back and forth across the bottom of his boat.
17:50Barnacles chewed him up pretty bad, I guess.
17:53The ear tore off his right leg.
17:57After that, he was different.
18:02When the mutineers was all hung, he retired from the sea.
18:07Was he married?
18:10He was.
18:13What was her name?
18:16Elsbeth.
18:21And what... what happened to her?
18:28Don't you know, Mrs. Courtney?
18:51Bye.
18:53Now, where's the master?
18:56He's out hunting.
18:58Andy? Oh, you're kidding.
19:00He's never hunted in his life.
19:02Never before now.
19:05That was a pretty mysterious telegram, Ellen.
19:08Why didn't you call me up?
19:10I'm afraid I can't.
19:12I'm afraid I can't.
19:14I'm afraid I can't.
19:16I'm afraid I can't.
19:18Damn, Ellen. Why didn't you call me up?
19:21Andy had the phone taken out.
19:26Why?
19:31Ever since we moved into this house,
19:34Andy's been... different.
19:38How?
19:40He's changed into another person,
19:43a person I've never seen before.
19:45And neither have you.
19:48Bill, you wouldn't recognize him.
19:51He gets into moods.
19:53He hardly even talks to me, and when he does,
19:56I don't know who he is.
19:59Well, he's, uh...
20:01He's never had any time to himself before.
20:03This is a pretty tough adjustment to make, Ellen.
20:08Look.
20:13He sits at this board all day long
20:17and draws things.
20:20It looks like part of an old sailing vessel.
20:26There's something else I'd like you to see.
20:31There's something else I'd like you to see.
20:41Andy.
20:45How are you?
20:47Ellen told me you were out slaughtering the local wildlife.
20:50I couldn't believe it.
20:54Well, there are no letters.
20:57I tried to call you.
20:59I had a feeling you were trying to keep something from me.
21:03You don't like me to keep things from you, do you?
21:06Well, it all depends.
21:09You came here for a reason? Get to the point.
21:12All right.
21:14I'm kind of swamped at the office, and I thought maybe you might want to help.
21:18Help yourself, Gideon. You always have.
21:21Gideon.
21:30Andy, I came here because Ellen wired me.
21:34She was worried about you.
21:36Why don't you say what you mean, Gideon?
21:38Why do you keep calling me that?
21:40Why don't you drop this pose? Admit you came here for Ellsworth.
21:43I'm afraid you're going to have to make yourself clear.
21:46Gladly. I accuse you of consorting with Ellsworth, my wife.
21:49Consorting?
21:51You have betrayed me and lied to me enough! Now get out of here!
21:54Andy!
21:56Get out! Get out!
22:02Oh, Bill.
22:10I should have killed you both! Andy, you're sick!
22:12Yes, I'm sick of your deceits and your lies!
22:15Stick up the wall, Ellsworth! I'm not Ellsworth! I'm not Ellsworth!
22:26Andy!
22:45Andy! Andy! Andy!
22:56Andy!
23:10Don't turn him over! Don't look at his face!
23:26Oh, my God.
23:49Oh, my God.
23:52What's wrong?
24:00Old Mr. Leach, the real estate agent, would tell you...
24:03that Andrew Courtney was possessed...
24:06or taken over by the dead sea captain...
24:09whose tormented presence...
24:12or ghost, lived on in the ancient house.
24:15Once the house was destroyed, the captain...
24:18Once the house was destroyed, the captain was destroyed...
24:22and Andrew was restored to himself.
24:25It's not an entirely satisfactory explanation, is it?
24:29But it's the best we can do right now.
24:32In a moment, a word about next week.
24:38It was just an ordinary boarding house mirror...
24:41but when Paul Marlon looked into it, he got a shattering glimpse into the future.
24:45He took a horrifying step beyond our known world.
24:48Perhaps it's just as well that most of us cannot see into the future.
24:52You can decide for yourself. Next week.
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