Original subtitles

("Alfred Hitchcock" theme music)

(trumpet blowing)

- Good evening.

Welcome to the Alfred Hitchcock Tale Hour.

The next time I buy a ship model kit,

I intend to read the directions more closely.

I have one consolation

to being unceremoniously bottled like this.

That is, wine connoisseurs will say,

this will be considered a good year.

However, I feel I have aged enough.

I only hope I'm let out while I still have some fizz.

During my absence, you will be entertained by The Jar,

a story about some people

who found a very strange source of fascination.

It begins 60 seconds from now.

(gentle music)

(dramatic music)

- Hi honey, see you later.

(man walking)

You're still here bud?

(mysterious music)

We're closing up, everybody's gone home.

(mysterious music)

You like it, don't you?

Oh, most everybody likes it

in a peculiar kind of way, you know?

But you been standing around here

for about three hours just looking at it.

- Yeah, I saw the way they all looked at it.

Even the folks from town,

the way they looked at it was something.

- You don't live here?

- No, I live in Wilder's Holler, about 10 miles from here.

What is it?

- What is it?

What do you think it is?

- I don't know.

I got an idea but I ain't sure.

It seems to change.

(soft mysterious music)

But it sure is something though.

- Well, that's it, bud, we're closing up for tonight.

- You ever think of, I mean,

you wouldn't wanna sell it, would you?

- The jar?

- Yeah, the jar.

Well, I might just sell the jar to somebody

that had enough money.

- How much money?

- How much money?

Oh, say, three or four.

Maybe seven or $8.

10 or 15?

Say a guy had $12.

Yeah, $12 and I'd sell a jar.

I've just been standing here,

thinking how looked up to I'd be back in Wilder's Holler

if I's to take home something like this jar

and set it on my table there.

Folks would have respect for somebody

that owns something like this.

Would you sell it to me for $12?

- Well.

- That's all I got.

No, now wait, here's another quarter.

Now that's all I got.

- Well, to tell you the truth,

I'm getting tired of carting it

around the country all the time

and it's been giving me a little trouble.

I've been thinking, kind of funny things about it lately.

- Yeah, what kind of things?

- I don't know.

Just funny things.

(mysterious music)

You still want it?

- Oh yeah, yeah I do.

- Okay, I'll sell it to you then.

(mysterious music)

(money crumpling)

(mysterious music)

(car revving)

(Thedy laughing)

(car revving)

- [Gramps] Go get him Clem, driving to fast.

Can't have that in Widler's Holler.

(car revving)

- Yeah, I'll get him tomorrow.

- Fine law you are.

- Did you see who he had in there with him?

- Yeah.

- Poor old Charlie, bound to happen though.

Younger, more spirited than he is, just like her ma.

I knew when they went through that money he saved up,

she was gonna tie awful fast.

- What Thedy needs is a good swat.

- I can't recall ever

that a good swat ever stopped anything.

And I can recall a lot of swats,

ain't I right, Clem?

- Yeah, well, speak of the devil.

- Don't any of you tell him you saw Thedy

in the car with Tom Carmody.

(car clinking)

- Well, howdy.

- Howdy Charlie, anything exciting happen over the big city?

- Yep.

- [Gramps] What?

- Oh something.

(Gramps laughing)

- Look at him, grinning like that big old tom cat

that swallowed Granny Carnation's canary

last Easter Sunday morning.

- Wasn't grinning when Granny put him in a tote sack

and threw him over a bridge.

- Cat come back though, didn't he Gramps?

(Gramps laughing)

- Yeah, I got something here,

something you just might wanna see.

- [Milt] Yeah?

- If you got one curious bone in your body.

- You ain't got nothing we wanna see, Charlie.

- Well now, you don't get a look

just for saying that, Milt Marshall.

Come on Clem, I'll let you see it.

- I'm too tired to get up Charlie,

ate too much supper.

- I bet you never seen nothing like this

in your whole life, Gramps.

- I've seen a lot, Charlie, I'm old.

Can't help but seeing a lot if you keep your eyes open,

time your as old as me.

- Go on Gramps, have a look at what Charlie's got.

- Ain't nothing that'll get me, is it?

- Something in a jar.

- Something good to eat?

- [Charlie] No.

- Big or little jar Charlie?

- Where is it?

- It's right here beside me.

Ain't nothing that'll jump out at me is it?

- No, no.

- Then I'll take a look at it, Charlie.

(door opening)

(dramatic music)

Hey, what in the world is that Charlie?

- Well, what is it Gramps? - Come here and see.

- No, no, I gotta get home.

(door slamming)

- What is it?

- I never seen anything like it.

- Let me have a look at it Charlie.

- If you wanna see any more,

well, come around to my house and see it, it'll be there.

- Is it octopus?

- Well, what did it look like?

- Now, you can't see it, Milt, 'til you say you're sorry.

- I never seen anything like it.

- I told you.

Well come on around, you're welcome to see it there.

- What'll Thedy say?

- [Charlie] She'll be proud to have you.

(mysterious music)

(car revving)

(mysterious music)

(car door slamming)

Thedy, Thedy?

(mysterious music)

Thedy, Thedy!

- Oh, here I am!

Don't holla your head off.

You're all time hollering.

- Where you been?

- Down the lake for a swim, cool off.

Hey Charlie, got up to 110 degrees here today.

Oh, Charlie, what am I gonna do with the 50 pound bag

of flour, it's gone weavel up before I use it.

- You're gonna start making hot biscuits every morning again

when you see what I got.

- Did you get my ribbon?

- Uh-huh.

(door creaking)

(door slamming)

I rode on the merry-go-round three times Thedy,

and the ferris wheel twice.

Hey, them special ribbons I got for you at the carnival,

look at them under the light.

It's got your name on it.

The lady said it'd bow up,

you be able to make a bow,

so that you could read your name right there in your hair.

- Oh, T-H-E-D-Y, Thedy,

S-U-E Sue, H-I-L-L Hill.

(Thedy laughing)

- She just stitched your name right on there

while I was waiting.

Cost 65 cents, nickel a letter,

but there ain't nobody else around got a ribbon like that.

Hey, I got something else.

- Thedy Sue Hill.

(mysterious music)

- Come on you now.

Come on, here we go, that's it.

(door slamming)

(mysterious music)

(door slamming)

- You like the ribbons, Thedy?

Those are sequins on there she called them,

those sparkly thing.

- I know what sequence are, Charlie.

I had a dress once it was all made up of sequins.

It was green.

I just glittered all over when I danced.

(Thedy laughing)

(Thedy whistling)

What you got there, Charlie?

- Oh, something.

- [Thedy] Something what?

- Oh, nevermind, something good.

- What's under there?

- I'll show you.

Well, here sit where you can see.

No, wait, wait, here this.

No, here, here this.

Well, right where you can see straight on, see.

- [Thedy] Well.

- All right.

(soft mysterious music)

- Good night, what is it?

Well, what do you think it is, Thedy?

- Where'd you get that thing?

- I bought it out at the sideshow at the carnival.

Just look at, Thedy, look at it.

Look at it good.

Did you ever see anything like that?

(Thedy gagging)

I stopped four times driving home,

and struck a match to make sure it was still in there.

- It ain't alive?

- I don't think so.

- What is it?

- [Charlie] Well, what does it look like?

- Looks like you Charlie.

(Thedy laughing) - Me?

(Charlie laughing)

- I don't like it.

Get it out of here, it scares me.

How much you pay for it?

- $12, but it was one of the main attractions.

- You spent our produce money?

- Thedy, I thought you'd like it.

- I don't like it at all.

(Thedy gagging)

(Thedy's heels clacking)

(door slamming)

(soft music)

(knocking)

- Thedy, honey, you didn't even kiss me welcome home.

She used to always kiss me welcome home.

I work in the bottoms all year long.

I work hard too.

She don't seem to appreciate it no more,

makes fun of me.

Everybody makes fun of me.

I know about her and Tom Carmody.

I don't make no trouble.

All I want is a little respect,

but they ain't gonna make fun of me no more, are they?

No sir, folks are gonna have respect for a man

that owns something like you.

- Charlie, you gone crazy Charlie?

(loud knocking)

(door slamming)

- It's us Charlie.

We thought, like to have a look at that thing,

that thing you got in that there jar.

- I'm sorry about what I said, Charlie.

- Well, come on in fellows, I was just dusting it off,

so you can you can get a real good look at it.

(mysterious music)

(intense mysterious music)

(gentle music)

(kids yelling)

- Evening, Charlie.

- Evening, Granny, how you feeling?

- Oh, I'm here.

Evening, Thedy.

- Evening, Granny, how you feeling?

- Oh I'm here.

- Come on in, Tom.

(door creaking)

- I'll just stand over here if you don't mind, Charlie.

- Can I come in?

- Sure Juke, come on, sit over here.

- When you gone uncover it, Charlie?

I ain't never seen it yet.

I hear talk about it these past weeks, but I have seen it.

I've been to Baton Rouge to the doctor, Charlie.

He told my ma I had the mind of a 10 year old.

Hi Jahdoo.

- I heard about your jar, Charlie,

and I come all the way from Heron swamp to look at it.

- Well, you're welcome Jahdoo.

Well, I'm happy you could all be here again

and I hope you enjoy the evening.

(mysterious music)

(clearing throat)

(mysterious music)

- Look at him, just fiddling down

like a thousand wall of mud.

(Thedy and Tom laughing)

(shushing)

- Wonder what it is?

Wonder if it's a he or a she, or just a plain old it.

I've been waking up nights all this month thinking about it,

swimming in there pale and peaceful.

Sometimes I wake ma up too.

We both just lay there, thinking.

Ma shiver, hot night too.

Trees sweating, mosquitoes too hot to fly,

Ma shiver just the same,

can't get back to sleep.

Ain't that right Ma?

- That's right, you's a telling the truth.

(soft mysterious music)

- It sure is something.

I had a cat once who all the time

was having baby kittens.

A litter every time I turned around,

house is crawling with cats.

So many, they's living in the trees around the house.

Pa said that was the end of it.

And when the next letter come,

he put down a big two gallon glass jar out by the steps

where that old cat was on the steps,

and he filled it full of water,

and he said to me,

"Jukey, you drown them cats

for I get back from the bottoms."

I member I stood there

and them kitties come running from under the steps,

meowing and jumping,

and just beginning to get their eyes open good,

and I looked up at Ma on the porch

and I said, you do it Ma.

And she said, Pa give me that job

and she went off to fry up a chicken

and make some poochy gravy,

and I stood there a long time

for I finally pick one of them up.

There was eight of them.

The one I picked up was gray and soft

and had a big runner of white down his tummy, warm,

and made little mewing sound.

Mew, mew, mew.

I felt like picking them all up

and running off in the woods with them,

living wild, never coming back,

but I knew I'd get a whooping If I didn't do

what Pa told me, so I dropped that kitty in the water.

And I know the next day the way

that kitty floated after it was all over,

drifting around slow, not worrying,

looking at me, not blaming me for what I done,

but sure not liking me none for it either.

But I couldn't do none the others.

I gotta a whooping anyway, but I couldn't kill no more.

(mysterious music)

- What color eyes has it got?

- Blue.

- No Granny, green.

- What color hair, red?

- Black.

- Brown.

- No, gray.

- Charlie, you know more about it than any of else.

You see it more.

You live right here with it.

You see it when you're eating.

Charlie, what do you think it is?

- Well, say, an old man or a kid got lost in the swamp,

wandering around for years and years,

lost in all that, wet and dripping,

away from the sun, no sun say,

skin turning pale,

but stands to right he'd start shriveling up

and withering away.

Now, finally, maybe sink down into one of them muck holes

and lay there like the maggot skeeters

sleeping in all at all swamp water.

Why, for all we can tell, this could be somebody we know.

Somebody we used to talk to, for all we know, it could.

- I lost my little Fulley in the swamp that way.

My little boy, Fuller,

run away, never come back.

Don't suppose, my baby, my baby.

Fulley, Fulley, Fulley, is that you Fulley?

(screaming)

It moved!

- No, no, no, it didn't move.

- Honest, I seen it shift too, slow,

like that dead kitty, I did.

- The dead don't move.

- He made a sign.

That's my Fulley.

(crying)

- Mrs. Tridden, Mrs. Tridden

that's not your child anymore than it is mine.

Maybe you should come sit down.

(Mrs. Tridden crying)

- More than likely we'll never find out what it is,

and if we do find out, we probably won't want too.

We wouldn't have anything to talk about them.

(Thedy walking)

- That ain't nothing.

Probably a bunch of old jellyfish or something.

- You wouldn't be jealous, would you Tom?

- I just come over to what you all make fools yourself.

You don't see me setting foot in or taking part do you?

Oh, heck I'm going home.

Anybody wanna to go out my way?

(door slamming)

- Like I was saying, for Mr Carmody had his say,

that thing in that jar,

now, why couldn't it be, sort of, all things?

Lots of things, all kinds of life and death.

I don't know, mix rain with sun,

and grass and snakes and children and jelly and mist

and all the nights and days and the dead cane break,

and all that together.

Why does it have to be just one thing?

Maybe it's lots.

- Go on Eva Ann, tell him what you told me.

Evan Ann wants to tell everybody

what she thinks is in the jar.

Go on, Eva Ann,

tell them what you told me you think is in the jar,

go on, honey.

- It's the boogey man.

(mysterious music)

(car revving)

(car revving)

(mysterious music)

- What are you up to, Thedy?

- Oh, Charlie, featherbed just too hot in the summertime.

Just keep sinking down into.

- Don't you be up to nothing bad, you hear me,

you and Tom Carmody.

- Oh, got to bed, Charlie,

you had a busy evening entertaining.

(Thedy humming)

(mysterious music)

- What was that?

- I didn't hear anything, go back to sleep, Charlie.

(mysterious music)

(intense music)

- We have come to the station break.

And speaking of breaks, I wish this bottle would.

I've been hearing the disturbing rumor

that this is a no deposit, no return bottle,

and that I may end up in the trash.

All this will be continued

after we hear from our local stations.

(mysterious music)

(door slamming)

- Clem! - Who is it, who is it?

- It's Charlie.

- Oh, Charlie.

- Somebody stole my jar and you've got to find.

I got up to have a drink of water

and take a look at it and it's gone.

- Sure that thing didn't just get up and walk aways itself?

- Now that's not funny.

Somebody come in and took it.

- All right, Charlie.

- And I want them caught, and I want it back.

- All right, all right,

I'll get on it the first thing tomorrow morning.

- Then, I'll find them, and I'll kill him.

- Oh, Charlie, you know that you wouldn't kill nobody.

Why don't you just go home home and calm down,

and I'll go out for breakfast tomorrow morning

and make out a report on it?

- Hey, Charlie.

- Who's there?

- It's Juke, Charlie.

- Go home, Juke.

What are you doing running around this time of morning?

- I made myself a jar, see.

I got a frog, three lightning bugs, a bird's wing

and a dandelion.

I know who's got your jar, Charlie.

- Who?

- I heard him talking, Thedy, and Tom Carmody and Jahdoo.

Tom Carmody give Jahdoo a $1 bill to steal your jar

and take it away to Heron swap.

Thedy said she leave the screen door open for him to get in.

They told him the bust it up.

- To bust it up?

- That's what they told him to do.

- Hey, you can have my jar, Charlie.

It's not as good as yours, but you can have it.

(car revving)

(mysterious music)

(car door slamming)

(intense music)

- Jahdoo, Jahdoo.

(intense music)

Jahdoo, I want my jar.

(intense music)

(splashing)

(intense music)

Help, Jahdoo, help!

(gun shooting)

- [Jahdoo] You go under quicker if you struggle, Charlie.

- Jahdoo, Jahdoo help me.

Help Jahdoo, fast.

- Sometimes it takes as long as three full hours

if you don't struggle to go all the way under.

- Help me.

- For you come calling,

I've been sitting here looking at his old jar

thinking about what I think it is.

- [Charlie] Help Jahdoo, it's taking me.

- I couldn't get up and testify in front of all them people,

but i know what it is.

- Help me, Jahdoo help.

- This here.

- [Charlie] Jahdoo, please.

- Is a piece of the heart of all life.

- Please, Jahdoo.

- Believe me, Charlie, I know.

- Help me, Jahdoo.

- From this heart.

- [Charlie] Jahdoo, give me your hand, Jahdoo, please.

Behind somewhere back in the Middy Bamboo swamp,

long, long time ago.

- [Charlie] Help me, Jahdoo.

- All sort of things start to crawl.

- Help, it's taken me under fast.

- From the rich dark garden, Middy Bamboo

- [Charlie] Please, Jahdoo.

this heart come crawling out of the dark.

- Please give me a hand Jahdoo, please.

- And it puts out a hand like the roots of a tree.

- [Charlie] Jahdoo, help.

- And it puts out seed like the roots of a flower.

- [Charlie] Jahdoo, give me your hand, Jahdoo.

- Then it grow a long tongue and horns, and it gets bigger.

- Jahdoo!

- This heart, now something else.

- [Charlie] Jahdoo, help!

- Grows up on land, keeps changing.

- [Charlie] Jahdoo, please help me.

- Then, hallelujah, it is human.

- Help me, here Jahdoo, pull me, please.

Please, Jahdoo, give me your hand, please.

- Human.

- [Charlie] Jahdoo, please.

- This is the heart and center of all creation.

This is Middy Bamboo Mama from who we all come,

10,000 years ago.

- [Charlie] Help me, please.

Quick, Jahdoo, help, it's taken me under fast.

- They paid me

- [Charlie] Jahdoo, help please.

- A dollar, Charlie.

- [Charlie] Jahdoo, help me.

- To steal and destroy the center of all creation.

- Oh, thank you Jahdoo, help, pull.

(charlie grunting)

- What you do that for, Thedy?

You know how much my jar means to me,

how much fun it gives me.

- Soo wee, what pigpen you been sleeping in Charlie?

- You oughta be proud of me.

- [Thedy] Proud?

- There ain't nobody else

in Wilder's Holler got anything like my jar.

- [Thedy] They sure don't.

- I'm respected.

- [Thedy] Respected?

- Folks look up to me,

- Look up to you?

(Thedy laughing)

- Don't laugh at me Thedy, don't Thedy, don't.

Shut up!

- How looked up do you gonna be

if I was to take this old spoon and break that jar of yours?

- Just you try it.

(glass shattering)

(Thedy yelling)

- Give me that.

(Thedy and Charlie grunting)

Ouch, you.

(Thedy yelling)

(spoon clanking)

- You was gonna hit me with that spoon.

You'd kill me over that jar.

- Just get out Thedy, get out.

(door creaking)

(door slamming)

- Thedy, I'm sorry I won't hurt you, Thedy, come back.

- I'll be back, I'll be back Charlie Hill.

You're gonna pay for trying to kill me.

You hear me, do you hear me?

(Thedy yelling)

(intense music)

(intense music)

(car door slamming)

(car revving)

(toy clanking)

Yee haw, Charlie.

Yee haw, yee haw, Charlie.

(clanging)

(Charlie mumbling)

- Charlie.

- What?

- Charlie.

* But you don't know where I been *

* But you don't know where I been *

* But you don't know where I been *

* I been to the carnival *

(Thedy clicking)

It moved over past Cake city.

Tom Carmody drove me over there today

and we talked to that carnie boss.

That little bitty man that sold you your wonderful jar.

Yes we did, we sure did,

and he told us what's in that jar.

- I don't wanna hear it.

- Oh but you got to.

It's a goodie, it's a goodie.

- Go away Thedy, go.

- Uh-huh, no Charlie, honey, no,

not 'til I tell you what's in that jar.

- Get Thedy, get!

- Please let me tell you.

We talked to the little carnie boss.

That little teeny man.

(Thedy laughing)

He was likely to die laughing.

He said he sold that jar to some hick for $12

and it ain't worth more than two at the most.

- No, I don't wanna hear it.

- It's just junk, Charlie.

It's paper, and it's clay, and it's cotton,

and it's strings, and it's silk,

and it's a pair of baby doll's eyes,

and it's all together on this metal frame

and that's all it is.

- No.

- Oh, Charlie, everybody is sure gonna laugh at you

when they find out what a fake it is.

- You're not gonna tell.

(smacking)

- Yes, I am, tomorrow night.

- But why?

- Because Charlie, you just got too high for you,

you're just too big for your britches.

- Thedy I don't understand.

- 'Cause you're dumb.

- Please don't tell them Thedy.

This has been the best time of my life, it's been good.

They won't come over and visit anymore if you tell.

- That's right.

- I was gonna start to serve refreshments and all.

Thedy, you didn't go to that carnival.

Yes I did.

- You're lying.

- [Thedy] I am not.

- But my jar, it's got to have something in it.

- Just junk.

- Besides the junk, you say.

- Life and death?

- There's too many people believe

that there's something in there.

Too many people get pleasure just coming and watching

and listening and talking,

I can't let you change that Thedy.

That carnie boss, if you talk to him then he lied.

- No, he didn't.

He did not.

He did not lie.

He didn't lie, he didn't, look see.

(mysterious carnival music)

- Look, look at this piece of paper, see,

and there's that cotton, and more cotton,

and wire, and yarn.

Oh, and there's a piece of inner tube,

and there's a great big piece of clay and baby dolls.

That's all it is.

That's all it is, Charlie, that's all!

Thedy, come here.

- What you want?

- Just come here to me.

- No.

- [Charlie] Come here.

- No.

- [Charlie] I wanna show you something.

Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.

Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.

(Thedy purring)

Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.

(Thedy meowing)

Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.

(Thedy meowing)

Come on, kitty, kitty, kitty.

(Thedy meowing and purring)

(Thedy yelling)

(thudding)

(knife thudding)

- Cut me up such a big piece, Charlie,

I only ever eat so hardly out of them.

- Well, eat what you can Gramps.

- Fine idea to start serving refreshments.

- It's about time he did,

come on everybody get your places.

- Howdy, Charlie.

- Well, hello Jahdoo, come on, just in time.

(door creaking)

- [Clem] Sorry I'm late Charlie.

- Well, I'm real happy to see you all here again,

and I hope you enjoy the evening.

(mysterious music)

- I never noticed a definite before.

It's got blue eyes.

- Always had blue eyes.

- No, it didn't, it was green I swear, last time I was here.

Another thing, it's got brown hair.

Didn't have brown hair before.

- Yes it did.

My Fulley had brown hair, the color of mine.

- [Clem] No it didn't.

(door creaking)

(door slamming)

- What do you think it is Tom, you haven't said.

- [Milt] It sure is something, it sure is something.

- [Eva Ann's Mom] Go on honey,

you tell it what you told me you think is in the jar, go on.

- [Evan Ann] It's the.

- [Mrs. Tridden] My baby, my baby, Fulley.

- [Granny] It's everything and anything,

the night, the swamp, death, the pale things,

the wet things from the sea.

- [Juke] Kitty, here kitty.

Kitty, kitty, here kitty kitty.

Kitty kitty, here kitty.

(dramatic music)

- [Clem] I don't know.

I just don't know.

- [Jahdoo] This here is a piece

of the heart of all life, human.

This is the heart and center of all creation.

- I wonder, I wonder if it's a he or a she,

or just a plain ole it.

- I reckon we'll never know.

I reckon we won't.

(heels clacking)

- Look mama, there's a bow in the hair

on the thing in the jar, a ribbon, T-H-E-D-Y.

What does that spell mama?

- [Eva Ann's Mom] Thedy.

- S-U-E H-I-L-L.

- [Eva Ann's Mom] Thedy Sue Hill.

(intense music)

(screaming)

- It's Thedy.

(creepy carnival music)

- I wish to make one thing clear at once.

Any resemblance between the jar

and any other type of home entertainment

is purely coincidental.

There is just no comparison.

However, we are working everyday

to lift the level of television.

Someday, who knows?

Getting out the bottle proved to be easier than I imagined.

However, I had the help of an angry genie

who claimed I had invaded his home.

That is all I have to offer this evening

until next week then, good night.