Original subtitles

What you're about to see is a matter of human record.

Explain it?

We cannot.

Disprove it?

We cannot.

We simply invite you to explore with us

the amazing world of the unknown...

to take that one step beyond.

Like, uh, oh, thousands of other couples in Manhattan,

Jim and Betty Hennessy are giving a cocktail party.

Now, all those other parties will end

with people falling in love with each other,

with people getting sore at each other,

with hangovers

and with plenty of work for the maid.

But this one... Oh, boy... this one.

(indistinct conversations)

I don't know. (piano playing)

Sometimes I can't do it at all.

Oh, stop that.

What about the time that you told Marie Cooper

that their house was going to burn down

three days before it happened?

Yeah, that was really out of this world.

It was really horrible.

It wasn't your fault, darling.

After all, you got us married.

How did she manage that?

BETTY: She told me I was going to meet a man in Bermuda

because of a flat bicycle tire.

And a year later, I would marry him.

And we were married, to the day.

How come you could fix a bicycle tire?

In the Army, you couldn't clean your rifle.

I still can't.

Oh, now, come on, it's not that bad.

Oh, he's very handy.

♪ ♪

No kidding.

She's really terrific.

She, uh... She went into some kind of hypnotic sleep

a year before Betty and I ever laid eyes on each other,

and she called all the shots

right on the button.

Oh, sure she did.

You don't believe it, huh?

(sighs)

I believe she's saved lots of cocktail parties.

Look, next time you're in Chicago, remind me

to take you on State Street to a little old woman.

She's got a genuine African monkey paw.

All she does is touch it,

and the whole future lights up.

Now, she told me I'd be the next governor of Illinois.

Oh, you'd love her.

Okay, buddy.

Ladies and gentlemen,

we have a wise guy from Chicago in our midst.

He doesn't believe in our Ellen.

What do you say, Ellen?

Would you be willing to do it?

Oh, please. I'd rather not.

Well, maybe the spirits aren't with Miss Larrabee today.

Some other time.

Oh, you mean when there are no cynics on the premises?

No. Just some other time.

But there can't be any other time, Ellen.

He's flying back to Chicago tonight.

Come on, don't make a jackass out of me.

I think this is wonderful. (piano stops playing)

You and Arthur have never seen each other before.

You know absolutely nothing about him.

JIM: And you might be able to tell him something that'll wipe

that smug smile off his face.

Uh, Charlie, come on.

Uh, you make her do it.

Now, what's Charlie got to do with it?

Well, they, uh... they-they sort of work together.

Uh-huh. It's an act.

Well, maybe it is an act.

Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't.

You want to, Ellen?

I just don't feel up to it now.

BETTY: Well, then, forget about it.

You don't have to sing for your supper around here.

It's too bad. I like party games.

Like Post Office. I'm a whiz at Post Office.

Well, I'm sorry I'm such a wet blanket.

Oh, look, for Pete's sake,

I hope I didn't hurt your feelings.

You didn't hurt my feelings, Mister...

Douglas.

Mr. Douglas.

All right.

I'm ready.

Oh, marvelous.

Oh, good. Good.

Now, Ellen, you don't have to do this.

I want to.

Mr. Douglas, I hope you'll be amused.

JIM: Well, come on, everybody, get comfortable, grab a chair.

Now, the party livens up.

Excuse me.

She's simply marvelous.

All right, Ellen, now, close your eyes.

Now, relax.

Relax completely.

Now, you're sinking.

Down, down, down...

Floating. (mouthing words)

Your mind is free in space.

The world's far away.

Far away.

You feel wonderful.

Light and wonderful.

Wonderful.

Wonderful... Wonderful.

Now, where are you, Ellen?

Moving.

Moving... Do you see anything?

Nothing.

Nothing.

Oh... He doesn't notice them.

Notice what?

They're not his, anyway.

What's not his, Ellen?

The keys.

Now, it's dark.

Dark, dark, dark, dark... A tunnel.

It stopped.

What stopped?

Where did it stop?

There's so much noise.

What kind of noise?

People.

And trains.

Many trains.

I hope the act improves.

You just told her I was taking a plane.

Are you in a station, Ellen?

He's late.

He's hurrying.

Now, run.

Run!

Running.

(panting)

He's running.

Where's he running?

102B.

102... B.

Compartment B.

Car 102.

Shouldn't someone tell her I'm flying?

They, they shouldn't...

They're making him go.

Things... Making him go.

Oh!

He shouldn't have.

He shouldn't have!

There's a snake!

There's a snake?

A snake.

A shining gold band.

You mean a ring?

Yes, a ring.

Now, I see...

"To thee, for whose dear love I rise and fall."

Oh, isn't that lovely?

It must've meant a lot.

Whose ring, Ellen?

Hers.

Hers?

Well, well, well...

Now, Arthur, if this bores you, we can stop

right now. No, no, no... don't be silly.

Now, it's getting interesting.

Oh, she's so pretty.

Dark hair.

ARTHUR: Very interesting.

Traveling suit, gray.

Fur bow.

He's nervous.

He's frightened!

He's spilling her drink.

And now he's running.

Running! Running!

Running, 102, 102 quickly!

Quickly!

Oh, he's so frightened.

Now, he's all alone.

In the dark.

(screams)

The light is blinding!

(screaming)

She's standing in front of him with a knife.

With a knife... With a knife.

CHARLIE: Ellen?

Ellen!

You're all right, darling.

You're all right, now.

(sighs) Well...

Nothing like this ever happened before, Arthur.

I'm sorry.

I guess it was a lousy idea.

What did I say?

What did I say?

I talked about you, didn't I?

Well, if you did, I hope you're wrong.

Was it bad?

"Bad"?

Oh, I'm, uh, going to be rich as a maharaja,

live to be 150

and, um, fall in love with an international beauty.

Look, thanks for the most exciting

cocktail party I've been to in years.

I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Good-bye.

Good-bye, all.

JIM: Good-bye.

Sit down.

JIM: I'm afraid this wasn't

a barrel of laughs.

Well, have a good trip, Arthur.

Thank you.

I'm glad you're going by plane.

You know something, you really married a spook.

But, uh, she's good looking.

(chuckling)

So long, Arthur.

All right, bye-bye. See you soon.

For being such a bust, there's an awful lot to clean up.

(doorbell rings)

Never mind, Maddie, I'll get it.

I wonder who that could be.

I hope nobody forgot anything.

One thing I can't stand is a party that never ends.

Arthur.

Hey, where's the party?

Oh, what happened?

Why, why aren't you on the plane?

Well, don't you ever look out your windows?

Nothing's leaving Idlewild for who knows how long.

What are you going to do?

Exactly what your Miss Larrabee said I was going to do.

Well, I knew you wouldn't mind

my waiting here instead of the station.

You're not going to take a train?

♪ ♪

(horn honks)

One bag, Chicago Special.

I'm sorry about the traffic, sir,

but New York City, when we have fog... It's all right.

Keep the change. Thank you, sir!

Gee, I'm sorry. That's all right.

That's all right.

Hey, mister!

Mister! Mister! Mister!

You dropped your keys, sir.

Oh, they aren't mine. Okay.

ELLEN: The keys.

They're not his, anyway.

DRIVER: Going right out, sir.

MAN: City Hall.

♪ ♪

Oh, good evening.

Good evening. Douglas.

Oh, yes, Mr. Douglas.

Because of this storm and all the reservations

that were made at the last minute, like yours,

there's been a mix-up in your space.

Now, I can give you Compartment L in Car 271

or let's see, Car 102, Compartment B.

ELLEN: Compartment B, Car 102.

What were those numbers?

Car 271... I mean the last.

Compartment B, Car 102.

I'll take the other one.

Car, uh, 270, uh...

It doesn't really matter.

The compartments are exactly the same.

That's what you think.

I beg your pardon?

Thanks very much.

Good evening.

There you go.

(chuckles)

(doorbell buzzing)

Beg pardon, sir.

This last-minute change seems

to have gotten us all fouled up.

I'm afraid we're going to have to change cars, after all.

You see, this lady belongs in here.

Uh, the porter'll move you.

I'm very sorry for the bother.

Uh, where are you moving me to?

Well, the only space we have left...

Car 102, compartment B.

Now, if you'll permit the porter to...

I'm not permitting the porter anything.

I'm staying right here.

Oh, but Mr. Douglas...

Look, why don't you put the lady in the other compartment?

Why, you yourself said they were the same.

Not quite, Mr. Douglas.

You see, at 6:12 tomorrow morning,

we lose car 102 at Dayton.

That means that its passengers will ride

in the club car the rest of the way to Chicago,

and since this lady has had this space reserved

for so long, it hardly seems fair

that she should be the one who's inconvenienced.

Well... I'm not moving.

Look... rather than cause all this fuss,

I'll take the other compartment.

No, no, no, no, just a moment.

Mr. Douglas, as the conductor of this train,

I'm responsible for the comfort of the passengers.

Now, this lady purchased this space some weeks ago

and she's not going to be inconvenienced

because of a clerical error

and, I must say, a most uncooperative man.

Look, I've got to get to Chicago.

Car 102 will take you there quite nicely,

and if that compartment is not acceptable to you,

I must ask you to leave the train...

All right.

All right, let's change.

Thank you, Mr. Douglas.

Think nothing of it.

I'm sorry about all this bother.

All right, all right.

CONDUCTOR: All aboard.

(buzzing)

Yes?

Oh, e-excuse me, I, uh, believe I left my hat in here.

Oh.

Thank you.

I, uh, shouldn't have made

all the fuss about the compartment.

Oh, that's all right.

Nobody likes to be shuttled about.

Um... Yes?

I, uh,

I did apologize about getting annoyed, didn't I?

Yes, you did.

I'm sorry... the two cheapest words in the language...

But when a fella says "I'm sorry"

and offers to buy you a drink, that really means something.

What do you say?

Oh, thank you.

M-Maybe if you're in the club car later,

I'll see you there, but...

first I must change.

Why, you look fine the way you are.

I'm glad you approve.

I do.

I'll, uh, be waiting for you.

(horn bellows)

Does that kind offer of a drink still stand?

ELLEN: Traveling suit, gray.

Fur bow.

Well, you did ask me to have a drink.

Oh, please. Forgive me.

Please.

What'll you have?

Oh, scotch and soda, if I may.

Scotch and soda.

ELLEN: Oh, she's so pretty.

Dark hair...

Is something wrong?

I don't know.

You know, I can live without this drink.

Oh, please, please... forgive me.

Please. I, uh... Would you, uh...

mind if I ask you a question about, uh, your dress?

It's a suit.

Tell me, is that what you, uh,

call an original?

I mean, is that the only one like it?

No, I wish it were.

I hate to think about it, but there are probably

a thousand women walking around

in exactly the same thing.

Thank you.

Here's to the man in Compartment B.

You live in Chicago?

Not exactly in Chicago, Evanston.

Have friends in New York?

A few, not many.

Tell me... By some wild chance,

you happen to know Ellen Larrabee?

No, I don't think so.

Thank you.

Now, you're sure?

Quite sure.

Now, she's small,

brown hair, and her eyes are sort of...

I really don't know Ellen Larrabee.

Well, I'm glad.

What?

You want to hear something really crazy?

I went to a cocktail party this afternoon.

A perfectly normal cocktail party.

And there was this completely

average-looking woman there, this Ellen Larrabee.

Now, look, I'm the most

practical guy in the world.

I-I believe two and two are four, period.

But this Ellen Larrabee told me that I was...

ELLEN: It's a snake!

What did she tell you?

A snake.

Well, do you want them or not?

"To thee, for whose dear love I rise and fall."

Let me see that.

What?

That ring.

All right.

It's quite old.

It's a serpent ring.

I picked it up in a little antique shop

on Madison Avenue.

Being a woman, I liked the sentiment inside.

"To thee, for whose dear love I rise and fall."

Isn't that lovely?

It must have meant so much...

Look, do you know me?

Have you ever seen me before?

Now, I must know. I must!

Did you know I was taking this train?

No, I've never seen you before.

Are you feeling all right?

Look, my name is Douglas, Arthur Douglas.

Now, does that name mean anything to you?

Look, Mr. Douglas, it's none of my business,

but I really think that you...

Oh, this is insane!

♪ ♪

ELLEN: Oh, he's so frightened.

(gasps): Now he's all alone.

In the dark.

(panting)

What is this?

What is this?

(panting)

(panting)

(distant bell clanging)

(clanging fades)

ELLEN: The light is blinding!

(doorbell buzzing)

WOMAN: Mr. Douglas?

(buzzing)

Mr. Douglas?

(buzzing)

(footsteps receding)

Mr. Douglas?

Mr. Douglas?

♪ ♪

(brakes screeching)

ELLEN: She's standing in front of him

with a knife.

With a knife...

Just lie still.

You'll be all right now.

You got quite a slice on the head,

but you'll be all right.

You're lucky.

Lucky? Why, sure.

Look at the service you're getting.

I'm a first-class surgical nurse

and this gentleman here, he's a doctor.

Happened to be in the next car.

You're going to be all right.

Lost a little blood, that's all.

Whatever made you pull that emergency cord?

They'll probably give you a medal.

Medal?

If you hadn't pulled that cord,

Lord knows how many people would be dead

instead of just shaken up.

What are you talking about?

I'm talking about

the freight train that was stalled on the track

a hundred yards ahead of us.

The signal system failed.

We stopped about six yards from the caboose.

But how did you know that the train was there?

I mean, you couldn't possibly have known.

No one could've known.

No one?

Ellen Larrabee knew.

How?

Well, there are a lot of theories.

Uh, precognition, clairvoyance...

Some people might even call it a "happy coincidence."

But does that explain it?

I mean, really explain it?

To whom it happened, we know.

Where it happened, we know.

How or why it happened?

In a moment, something else to wonder about.

Next week...

This is a film developing tray,

a rather ordinary object.

But next week when we take that one step beyond,

this commonplace item from a photographer's darkroom

will play quite a part in a bizarre story

of the unknown world.

I think you'll be shocked by what develops.