Original subtitles

Boy, that last arithmetic problem sure was tough. I never thought I'd get the

answer. Me either. I got 12 apples and 3 oranges.

12 apples?

I got 10 apples and 5 oranges.

Well, we both can't be right.

Hey, let's go ask Walter Evers. He gets things.

I bet it couldn't wash me up this high.

I bet it could. It'll be 100 feet high.

What'd it be 100 feet high?

The tidal wave. It's gonna drown the whole world.

Not the whole world. Just New York.

Well, that's our whole world.

I don't know what you're talking about.

Me neither.

Everybody's going to get swallowed up on the 23rd.

At a quarter after five.

Except me. I'll be up here.

You made the whole thing up.

I did not. The man said so.

What man?

The man on television last night.

Press got the predictor.

How does he know?

Because he's psycho, that's why.

He told who was going to be in the World Series, and he was right.

And he predicted who was going to be mayor and everything like that.

And he's not the only one. Some other people said he was right and predicted

in the papers.

I don't believe it.

Me? Either. Hey, Walter, what did you get on that last arithmetic problem?

Twelve apples and three oranges.

Then I predict I won't get a hundred.

It doesn't matter, Jody. There won't be any more report cards.

What do you mean?

The tidal wave.

There won't be any more homework.

There won't be any more school.

Better get in all the playing you can.

That's just not true, Walter Evers. If anything like that was going to happen,

our Uncle Bill would have already told us.

Yeah, our Uncle Bill tells us about everything we should know.

Especially if there was going to be a tidal wave.

Oh, yeah?

Well, maybe he doesn't know about it. My uncle knows about everything.

Then maybe he doesn't read the papers.

He does so.

Then maybe he didn't see the television program.

Come on, Buffy.

You know what, Buff?

What? Uncle Bill was working at his office late last night.

Hi, Sissy.

Hi.

Aren't you doing your homework?

No, I'm catching up on my sewing.

Gee. Think I should do my homework?

Well, Buffy, you're a big girl now.

I think you can figure out how much time to give to homework and how much time

to give to playing.

You mean I should get in all the playing I can?

What are you talking about?

Sissy, can I ask you a question?

Of course you may.

Uncle Bill says when somebody's worried about something, you should talk about

it.

And you're worried about something, huh?

Oh, no, I'm not like all the other kids in my class.

I see.

Well, Jody, suppose you tell me what it is that everyone in your class is

worried about, except you, of course.

Well, can a guy wear water wings when you're in a tidal wave?

Tidal wave?

That's what everybody's predicting.

Even the man on television.

Oh, I know who you mean. Prescott. Some of the girls in my class were talking

about him.

He's always predicting nutty things.

You mean he's a weirdo?

It's just as I was telling Miss Favisham this morning. This Prescott is an

absolute fraud.

He's a publicity seeker of the lowest form, intent only on selling his poorly

written book, which is filled with deceptive and unfounded soothsayings

excite an alarm. In short, he's an unmitigated sensationalist.

Did you understand what I said, Jodie?

I think so, but... Yes.

Are we going to get a tidal wave on the 23rd?

Buffy, could we possibly have a disaster like that on the 23rd when I have to

wear this perfectly fabulous dress to a party on the 28th?

I guess not.

Jody, if it were true, would I be standing here baking cookies?

instead of seeing about passage to England by the quickest possible

I guess not.

Uncle Bill!

About the tidal wave.

On the 23rd.

Oh, I've been hearing about that. That's a lot of malarkey.

Are you sure?

Come on, I'll prove it to you.

Most of the time when people are most frightened about something, it's because

they don't know what it's all about.

Well, we're not real frightened.

You're still not very sure, are you?

No.

Okay.

If there's something that's going to be as scary as a tidal wave coming around,

we'd better find out what it's all about.

All the kids in school believe it.

Well, sometimes it takes a little courage to disagree with people who

know everything.

Especially Walter Evers.

A long time ago, somebody said the Earth was flat, and everybody believed him,

too. And then Columbus came along, and he wouldn't take their word for it, you

see. So, now, wait a minute.

Okay, here.

It says here that tidal waves happen when there's an earthquake under the

so they call them seaquakes.

That makes sense.

And the scientists use an instrument that's called a seismograph to measure

record earthquakes.

Then they are able to predict almost the exact time of a tidal wave. But first,

you have to know when the earthquake is coming.

That makes sense.

That's the most important part.

Nobody can predict an earthquake, and without an earthquake, you can't have a

tidal wave. Make sense?

I knew there was nothing to worry about.

Me too.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.

Seven days left.

I sure wish my father was a ferry boat captain instead of an insurance man.

I wish I had a magic lamp.

Then I wish we lived in Philadelphia where my cousins live.

What for?

On account of the tidal wave.

What's so funny?

There's not going to be any tidal wave.

How do you know?

Because it didn't say so on the size -o -graph.

What's that?

It tells you the size of the tidal wave.

Uncle Bill told us everything you have to know about earthquakes and tidal

waves, and he says nobody can predict them. Mr. Prescott did, and so did a lot

of other people.

But that doesn't mean it's so.

A long time ago, a man said that the world was flat, but Columbus didn't

to him.

So why do we have to listen to a lot of silly people?

Don't you believe in Columbus?

Well, sure.

Then how can there be a tidal wave?

Gee, that sort of makes sense.

Yeah, sort of.

Your Uncle Bill sure knows how to explain things.

My uncle is the best explainer in the whole world.

Yeah, that'll be fine.

Okay, you can count on us to be there from the 22nd to the 25th.

Okay, thank you very much.

Miller checked it out for her.

See if you can get plane reservations for Chicago.

Yeah, Mr. Larson and myself, right.

For the 22nd.

And if they can't confirm it right away, give them my home number.

Okay.

This will really be a big one, Bill.

Yep.

Hello, Davis residence.

Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Davis, not at home. May I take a message?

Oh, one moment, please. I'll write it down.

Now, you're confirming Mr.

Davis's request for tickets for flight 41 to Chicago, yes.

Chicago flight 41, leaving Kennedy Airport at 11 a .m.

All right, on the 22nd.

Yes, yes, indeed. I'll see that he gets the information.

Thank you very much. Goodbye.

Buffy, watch out for the milk.

Did you hear that?

Uh -huh.

The 22nd.

The day before.

What do you think?

I'm scared again.

Me too.

But we shouldn't be scared. Uncle Bill's getting us out just in time.

I wonder why he didn't tell us.

He probably didn't want us to be scared.

Then we should pretend we don't know and let him surprise us.

Yeah, but we have to be all packed.

That's a good idea.

Let's get our things packed.

Wait a minute.

What's the matter?

Remember, they don't let you take everything on the airplane.

That's right.

We'll just have to pack what's important.

Buffy. There, Mrs. Beasy fits and I still have room for my ironing board.

Oh, girls, you're so lucky.

They have skinny things.

Buffy, you've got to help me.

But I'm not through yet. I haven't put in all my clothes.

No, I can't pack right.

Please show me how.

Boys are so helpless.

See what I mean? I don't know what to do.

Are you taking that teddy bear?

Uh -huh.

Jody, you haven't played with him for years.

But that doesn't mean I don't like him.

You're just going to have to leave something behind.

I know.

But what?

Anything you don't need for sure, don't take.

Okay.

How about that sailboat?

I need that.

That torn glove?

I know, you need that, too.

You don't need this space helmet.

What?

What are you going to wear?

You weren't taking any clothes.

Clothes? Girls sure don't know what's important.

Judy?

What on earth are you doing?

Packing.

I wasn't aware that we were going anywhere or leaving.

We're going to Chicago.

May I ask what gave you such an impression?

We heard you on the phone, so it's not a surprise anymore.

Oh, I see. You're referring to my telephone conversation regarding plane

reservations.

I'm sorry, children, but I'm afraid you made a mistake.

Oh, I know your Uncle Bill would love to take you along if he could.

But we thought we were all going.

You, Sissy, and us.

No, no, just your Uncle Bill and his associate, Mr. Larson.

It's a business trip.

On the 22nd?

Exactly.

Hello. Hi. Where are the kids?

Kids? Over there in Jody's room.

Uncle Bill, they've been in a funny mood all afternoon. They didn't even want to

go down and play in the park.

Oh, I believe I can give some explanation about their behavior, sir.

to have the mistaken impression that they're going along to Chicago.

When did they get that idea?

It all started when the airlines called to confirm your reservation.

Oh, here's the information you need.

Oh, that's good. They're getting us out on the 22nd. It's early for the 22nd.

That's good.

Hi. Hi.

You're worried about me leaving you alone on the 23rd, huh?

Right. We don't mean to be scared.

Not after what you said about Columbus.

Why is nothing wrong with being scared?

Especially on a day when something bad's supposed to happen.

You mean it's all right to be scared?

Sure, it's all right to be scared of something real, but we know this tidal

stuff is just something some guy thought up out of his head, right?

Okay. Well, you know I love you. You know I wouldn't leave you if there was

danger.

I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll let you decide. If you don't want me to go to

Chicago, I won't go.

Okay?

You think it over.

What do you think, Jody?

I don't think Uncle Bill would fool us.

He loves us.

Then we've got to show him that we love him, too.

And believe him.

Uncle Bill!

We've decided.

You go to Chicago.

We won't be scared. At least not enough to keep you from going to Chicago.

Uncle Bill must be in Chicago by now.

Yeah, I'm glad we gave him permission.

Yeah.

Listen to this, Florence. Dr. Eric Hickman, world -renowned seismologist,

scoffed at the rumor that his scheduled departure tomorrow morning for the West

Coast has any connection with a tidal wave predicted to wash away the city of

New York at 5 .15 p .m.

You think he's leaving town because of the tidal wave?

Well, it says he's going away on business.

But you know what I think, Florence?

I think he's afraid he'll start a panic if he tells why he's really going. When

a scientist leaves New York the day we're supposed to have a title waited,

makes you very suspicious.

We've been wanting to get away for a few days. Well, where could we go?

To Cleveland. We'll visit your mother.

Good idea. I'll pack and we can leave tonight.

We'd still be going to visit my mother even if there wasn't going to be a...

You know what? Wouldn't we?

Of course.

Good afternoon, children.

Hello, Mr. Frank.

Well, well, well, you seem quite out of sorts.

Matter of your spelling test?

I got 95.

I got 99.

599?

Then obviously something else is bothering you.

Out with it.

We're scared of the tidal wave, Mr. Frank.

The science has drowned away from New York.

And some people downstairs are going to Cleveland.

Didn't your Uncle Bill assure you there was no danger?

Then you must put it out of your thoughts.

Now let's hear no more about it, all right?

Hey, what's the matter?

The tidal wave. Coming tomorrow.

And a quarter after five, even a scientist is scared.

He's going all the way to California to get away.

And some people downstairs are going to Cleveland.

Oh, I read about that scientist.

It's in all the papers.

He's going to a meeting at Caltech with lots of other scientists.

Maybe they all want to get away in time.

That's just not true.

Now, nothing's going to happen.

Aren't you scared?

Of course not.

You say that some people are going away to Cleveland?

To visit her mother.

Well, you know, some people probably worry about all kinds of silly things.

Probably. That means she's not sure.

Only one day left.

Good morning, Mr. Davis. Good morning.

You're bright and nerdy for the meeting.

Oh, well, it's a good Chicago weather. We walked all the way from the hotel.

Mr. Miller ready for us?

He'll be with you in a minute. He's on a long -distance call.

Well, I bet you both are happy to be in Chicago today.

Why today?

Well, D -Day for New York.

The big tidal wave.

You're not serious, are you?

I wasn't at first.

And then all of a sudden, Dr.

Hickman left for California.

To go to a meeting.

Very convenient, I say.

But do you know that after 5 .15 today, they say you're going to be able to buy

oceanfront property in Pittsburgh?

It's amazing how many people take that kind of nonsense seriously.

You getting scared, Ger?

Uh -huh.

Do you want me to look outside?

What for?

Maybe I can see it coming.

Then we can go on the roof. It's higher.

Let's look together.

Would it be loud?

I don't know. I never heard a tidal wave before.

How do you feel?

Kind of alone.

Me too.

Hey, you kids.

Uncle Bill! Bill!

I'll be glad to see you.

How'd you get home so fast?

I took the afternoon plane. What's going on?

We were looking for the tidal wave. We were awful scared.

I figured you were.

But now we're not so scared anymore.

Did you finish your very important meeting, Uncle Bill?

No, honey, I didn't even start it.

I came home because I think it's more important I be here.

You mean being with us?

Sure, being with you.

Now, it's almost five o 'clock, so we'll just wait it out together.

I'm terribly sorry, sir, but I just dropped the mixing bowl.

Well, don't worry about it. It's not the end of the world.