Original subtitles

In view of the foregoing, I would have no hesitation in recommending her for a

residency in pediatrics.

My associates and I are confident that she would be an asset to your hospital

and to the practice of med... Yes?

Oh, yes, send him in.

And to the practice of medicine generally.

You wanted to see me, sir?

I did indeed.

Lieutenant Hargrave phoned a short time ago.

I think of him as a personal friend by now.

The Florida suspect in the abortion case will arrive on Monday. The police will

question him then.

About Madeline Scott?

And a great many other things.

Because of Blair's fairly direct involvement in this case, and I suppose

of my experience in forensic medicine, they suggested that I sit in on the

interrogation. Will you?

Well, I'd like to very much, but unfortunately I'm tied up with the board

directors all Monday.

However, Lieutenant Hargrave was very pleased when I suggested that you

Just a minute.

Come on in, Vince.

Sit down.

Well, I wish you'd called earlier, Edna.

Yeah. Well, no, no, it's not your fault. No, of course not.

I'll be there.

Right. Goodbye.

And another afternoon bites the dust.

Oh, Ginny said we were going swimming by the lake. You can still go.

How is she today?

Oh, she's all right. He didn't hurt her.

Who is he?

Spencer? Oh, he's just a guy that drinks too much.

So why didn't you let me call the police?

Well, I told you.

Certain things about a minister's situation in a small town to get

something like this. Forget I asked.

Hey, what's the matter?

Look, Jack, you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, but when a

who drinks too much attacks your wife and you don't call the police, well,

don't insult my intelligence with that getting involved jazz, huh?

go at the clinic this morning?

I think when you and Dr. Bennett set up this spot for me, you may have

underestimated Fred Canford.

Uh -huh, so?

Well, you suspect something already, let's face it.

Vince, after what you've been through, I suppose it's natural to be a bit

suspicious, but... He does, I could tell. He obviously sees me as a

So what if he does?

So he's a little more suspicious than he'd normally be.

Fred Canford is a doctor. He knows what my residency meant.

I mean, my record isn't locked up in some classified vault. All it takes is

getting curious enough to put out a little effort.

Hi.

You all ready?

Jenny, Edna called.

Oh, don't tell me.

Your afternoon off is off. Well, I'll spare you the detail.

Oh, Jack.

Look, you two go on anyway. Come on. Oh, no, of course not. Absolutely. Grab her

and take off. Go on. I was looking forward to it.

We haven't been to the lake together since that night last spring.

When we parked and pretended we weren't married.

But I also want you to see my new swimming suit. I'll see it.

I mean, before.

To see if it's all right.

Young lady, I have complete trust in your inherent sense of propriety and

modesty.

I don't know.

Scram.

Okay, are you going to send her off with a lecherous old goat like me?

Have a good time. Bye -bye.

It's Miss Laurel Collins, everybody.

Just asking to get sand kicked in his face.

How do you like my new suit?

I'm a friend, I'm a friend, I'm only a friend.

You want to go for a swim?

For a while, I don't even want to move.

I just wonder if I'll create any talk being here alone with you.

You know, it would serve that husband of yours right.

Why?

All the times in college when he moved in on girlfriends of mine.

I'd be doing fine until old, tall, dark, and soulful turned it on.

He's got a way, hasn't he?

Hey, is anything the matter?

I get the funniest feeling when you talk about Jack in college.

Hey, I was kidding.

Oh, I know you were, but that's not what I meant.

It's just that, well...

I didn't finish college myself.

So, lots of people don't finish college.

No, of course not.

But when I hear him talking to someone like, oh, Laurel Collins, for instance.

Hmm, what about her?

Oh.

She's so intelligent.

And well -read.

She's pretty, isn't she?

She's very pretty.

Apparently very uninterested in meeting new young doctors in town.

What do you mean?

Well, it was a pretty clear message.

That's strange.

I think you two'd get along fine.

I'll call her up.

Look, if she's not interested, I just assume you didn't press it.

No, I'll talk to her.

It's important to me.

Why, to you.

Come on.

You need some exercise.

Just a moment, please.

It's for you, Laurel.

Hello?

Hi, this is Vincent Brill.

Oh, hello, Dr. Brill.

Uh, I don't suppose you've talked to Ginny Elder today?

Yes, as a matter of fact, I did.

May I assume she testified in my behalf?

She mentioned you, yes.

Well, did she explain that I'm reliable, sober, and thrifty?

Not all on the same day, of course.

She likes you very much.

Then may I presume that you wouldn't be terrified to have dinner with me?

Oh, I'm sorry. I have previous plans.

Well, it wouldn't have to be this evening.

Any night you're free.

I, um... It's a busy time of year, Doctor.

I appreciate the invitation, but I'd better not make plans just now.

I see.

Well, thanks anyway.

Goodbye.

You know, you and my wife caused quite a stir yesterday.

Oh, how's that?

Well, at least ten times today have been dropped in my presence with great

crashing suddenly.

The new bathing suit and the new doctor.

I don't think there's been so much commotion in town since one of the high

school teachers ran off with basketball receipts.

Real scandal, huh?

Oh, I'm just kidding.

Not that Jenny and I don't want to be concerned with public opinion in a town

like this, but, you know, I'm fast coming to the conclusion I don't like

like this.

Said I was kidding.

You know, I don't know what made me think it would work in the first place.

What? What do you mean?

Me in a town like this, where everybody's business is everybody's

Well, you may be able to laugh about it, Jack, but believe me, it's not going to

be long before I go up in red and yellow smoke.

Well, where do you propose to go?

I don't know. A city at any rate.

Come off it, Vince.

The people of Alden's Green bug you?

The people in a small town are a little more nosy, a little more prudish.

They're also a little more compassionate, a little more concerned.

off it with this big city superiority.

You want to know the truth, Jack?

The cold hard fact is that I just asked a girl for a date and she turned me

down.

I asked Laurel to have dinner with me and she said no.

I'll admit I'm not used to getting the freezer door slammed in my face, but...

You've been against this right from the beginning, haven't you?

There's something going on, isn't there?

What do you mean?

There is.

Don't be absurd.

How long has it been since you've had a complete physical, Mrs. Littell?

Well, my youngest child is five, so I guess that was the last time.

I think we should probably do one, then.

Oh, do you think that's necessary for headaches?

I do think it's advisable.

Whatever you say.

I, um... I saw you yesterday.

Oh, where was that?

At the lake.

I took my children up for a swim.

I see.

I noticed that you were with Mrs. Elder.

That's right.

I suppose it sounds priggish of me, but I must admit I was taken aback.

Why was that?

Well, of course, times have changed, but my father was a minister, and I cannot

imagine my mother ever dressing like that in public.

If you can call that dress.

As you say, times have changed.

A lot.

Then, of course, in my mother's day, women only went to the beach with their

husbands.

Yes.

I'll need to know your age, Mrs. Littell.

Okay, so you caught me off guard yesterday. I was upset, but not for the

that you think.

You don't have to explain a thing to me. I'm not trying to explain anything to

you. I just don't want you to think anything like that about Laurel.

Well, why should that matter? I don't even really know her, do I?

Look, what I'm trying to say is this.

No, let me talk for a minute.

Look, Jack, I'm not about to give you a lecture on morals.

Heaven knows if a guy in your position needs that, the world's in pretty sad

shape.

I would like to say this.

You have to be one of the all -time champion fools if you're playing around

wife like Ginny.

Vince, do you really think that you can read a marriage through the window?

I know what kind of girl Ginny is. So do I.

Believe me, so do I.

So?

So the fact is you're wrong about Laurel and me. It just isn't so.

Okay, then you don't really have any objection to my going out with her?

Of course not.

Just advise you against her, that's all.

Because she's, uh... Yeah, Jack?

She's a very unusual girl, Vince. I don't think you're particularly suited

each other, and I was just trying to save you a pretty stiff hangover.

Well, if I assure you that I'm old enough to protect myself against

hangovers, I take it you might even fix me up with her.

Why don't you bring her to church on Sunday?

I suppose when you read the title of this morning's sermon, you thought, how

nice. The true meaning of love. Still another sermon on the true meaning of

love.

Love is such a pleasant, relaxed subject for such a beautiful summer morning.

Comes in all the colors of the flower garden. There's brotherly love, family

love, love of God.

My subject this morning deals with sexual love.

Now, I hope that I do not offend any of you in this discussion.

However, I affirm that it is a proper subject for the pulpit.

A force instituted and designed by God, the first basis of the family

relationship, and the process by which life is continued.

Capable of producing the highest moments of happiness and the greatest

devastation.

Yes.

It is not only proper, it is mandatory.

that the church examine sexual love and attempt to find its true meaning and

most beneficial role in God's plan.

Good morning. Thank you.

Hey, Parson, church has changed.

Why don't you try it again sometime?

I just may do that.

Good morning, Laurel.

Good morning, Jack.

Good morning, Norma.

It's a good sermon, Jack. Thank you, Arnold.

Nobody seems in a hurry to get home.

I think it's part of the ritual, the after church visiting.

You know, there's more business transacted here than on the floor of a

exchange.

Oh, you look at that. She can smile.

I guess I've been pretty rude, haven't I?

Have I allayed your suspicions?

How?

Well, by proving that I'm a responsible church -going type.

And what makes you think I had suspicions?

Considering my charm, my good looks, my... Your modesty.

Yes, thank you.

Considering all these things, it seems beyond belief that you'd turn me down

unless you were suspicious, right?

And since I've now said everything straight, I take it I won't get another

mouthful of boot if I ask you to dinner again, say, Tuesday night?

What's the matter, Laurel?

Nothing's the matter.

Hi. Hi, Jimmy.

How about that wicked husband of mine, huh?

That was a good sermon.

I thought so, too.

But then I love him when he's lousy.

Tuesday?

Tuesday.

That's you, Dr. Brill. You're half an hour early.

Miss Collins?

That's right.

My name is Jim Kildare, Dr. Kildare.

I'm a friend of Vincent Brill's.

May I come in?

Oh.

Well, if you'll wait till I get something on. It's very important that I

you before Vince gets here, Miss Scott.

Does Dr.

Brill know?

No, he doesn't. I just arrived in town a few hours ago.

I haven't talked to him yet.

How did you find out?

Police have the man who performed your operation.

I was there when they questioned him.

But he didn't know me.

I'd never seen him before. He didn't know my real name.

Apparently, when you were under the anesthetic, you babbled something about

Alden's green.

You remembered it.

I see.

The abortionist told us a great deal about you.

I flew here to tell Vince that he'd been cleared.

As soon as I got here, I went to see Dr. Bennett, described you to him, and he

sent me here.

I was going to tell Dr. Brill everything.

I know you don't believe it, but it's true.

If I hadn't planned on telling him, it would have gone out of my mind.

I'll try to make it as brief as I can.

I was made pregnant by a boy in town named Chuck Spencer.

The name won't mean anything to you,

Mentioning it is part of the process of purging myself.

Anyway, Chuck was one of my students at the high school.

Extremely bright, promising.

He wanted very much to go on to one of the service academies.

Encouraged him, tutored him, befriended him.

He took his exam and passed.

Because of his family's history, another boy got the appointment.

When he got the news, he came here, drunk, angry, just shattered.

I tried to calm him, but, well, he wasn't used to liquor and he was out of

control.

That's when it happened.

Well, when I...

Found out that I was... That I was going to have a child.

I decided on the abortion.

It was either that or ruin Chuck's life.

Jack Elder, he's the minister in town.

Yes, I've met him.

Well, Jack had often spoken very highly of Dr. Brill.

They're very close friends, you know.

I had nowhere else to turn.

So I decided to go to Dr. Brill for help.

When he refused to help, I was... I'm thankful

it's too mild a word.

I had to lash out at somebody.

And he was the one who... who failed me.

So in a moment of... of insanity, I guess, I...

Phoned the police and implicated him.

Did the minister, Jack Elder, know about it at the time?

Oh, no.

Otherwise, he would have hardly asked him to come here.

He knows now.

I told him as soon as I came back.

But he wouldn't violate my confidence.

But you didn't tell the police.

This letter is all addressed and stamped.

It's to Lieutenant Hargrave, telling him in essence what I've just told you.

It would have been in a mailbox tomorrow.

Perhaps when you get back, you can deliver it in person.

I'm not in much of a position to...

Ask a favor of you, Emma.

That depends.

Vince, Dr. Brill is going to be here in a little while.

I'd appreciate it if you'd let me tell him.

All right.

I have to see him in the morning anyway.

Thank you, Doctor.

Thank you very much.

Night.

Dr. Gillespie.

I've just been with Dr. Lyson in obstetrics.

I just got this letter from Vincent Brill.

He won't be coming back to Blair.

Oh?

He's decided to stay in Alden's Green.

Really?

You know, after all that talk about small -town medicine, he's decided he

it. Even better than specializing here at Blair.

You surprised?

Nothing surprises me anymore.

I suppose that girl had something to do with it.

Yeah, I met her. I'm sure she does.

Vince is a very forgiving fellow.

You know, when Dr. Brill left Blair Hospital, he called what had happened to

a strange sort of accident.

Yes.

I think it's turning out to be even stranger than he thought.