Original subtitles

Power input, computers, tapes, all a go.

Laser beam cycling, normal, cryogenic systems, go.

Cathodes at 67,000 volts and steady.

Time selector set at present.

All set, Al, standby for time synchronization.

Standing by.

Date, 5 July, '64.

Time, 11 hours, 14 minutes.

Counting.

Five, four, three, two, one.

- Mark. Mark.

Lights.

Standby to activate image stabilizer switch.

Ready.

Switch on.

Switch on.

Reception, 100.

All systems go.

Time selector accuracy, 100.

Here we go, Al.

Okay. See you day before yesterday.

Setting the time selector back 24 hours.

All go. All go.

Accuracy, 100.

I'm setting the time selector back 48 hours.

sure.

Standby.

Setting, minus one.

Hi, doc. Hello, Steve.

- Uh, Carol. - Huh?

Oh, hi, Danny.

Look, I know you're all busy,

But they sent me down from the front office.

I had to tell them about those extra power cables I got for doc

And I got chewed out but good.

Gee, Danny, I'm sorry.

We certainly didn't mean to get you in trouble.

Oh, no, that's okay.

I don't mind that.

Anyway, what do they know?

Only you see, I...

Oh, Danny, could you wait just a minute?

This check run won't take long.

Yeah, but I'm supposed to...

The power.

Oh, nuts.

Go ahead, you guys.

At present, the circuits check.

Okay, then.

What are we waiting for?

Phase two.

Phase two it is.

I'll set the time selector at six hours in the future.

Time selector set plus six hours.

Standby, image stabilizer switch.

Standing by.

Switch on. - Switch on.

Holding 75,000 and steady.

Negative.

Well, let me increase the power input.

Careful.

I'll only take it to the limit of safety.

Negative.

There's one other thing we can try.

Accelerate the laser beam cycling.

Steve, is that safe?

It's a risk. I say try it.

But, Steve, you may blow the system, burn it out.

And we may not.

If we do, we're out of business.

But if we don't get this damn thing working,

We're out of business and for good.

All right. Try it.

Seventy-six thousand and climbing.

Hold it, Steve. Enough.

I have a circuit overload warning.

Better drop the voltage.

No, wait.

It could be the calibrations the future circuits may be on.

Try moving the wheel ahead, the major one.

Keep going, to the top.

Keep going.

That's it, Steve. I'm past the calibration into the future.

- How far? - Past 100,000 years.

Maybe twice that more.

I'm bringing the wheel back.

- What was that? What?

- Well, I thought I saw something. - Nothing.

Time selector set at plus six hours.

Hold it there.

I'm gonna open up the laser cycling all the way.

Steve!

Steve, take her back, take it back.

Steve, you're overshooting.

Take it back the other way, the other way.

The power, cut it!

Wait a minute. Look.

The test area. The campus. It couldn't be.

It...

It looks almost prehistoric.

There's a couple of circuits completely fused.

The time selector.

What's the reading, Steve?

One hundred and seven years.

That's impossible.

In the future.

Holy McKee.

The campus like that in 100 years?

- It couldn't be. - Of course it couldn't...

Unless...

The future.

A window to the future...

Discovered by accident.

This happened before many times.

Fleming discovered penicillin by accident,

Rontgen, X-rays.

And we...

The end of the world.

We don't know that.

There's much to do.

We must note every reading.

We must know which circuits were fused

And what new connections were made.

We're gonna have to work fast.

I don't know how stable that image is.

It may collapse at any second.

Hey, you know something?

This picture, it isn't just a picture.

It looks like 3D.

It looks like you could step right into it.

Doc.

Hey, doc!

Not now, Danny.

Yeah, but look.

Well, I've been trying to tell you it isn't just a picture.

You know what this means?

We must have created not only a window to the future,

But a doorway.

A time rift, a warp of the space-time continuum

Through which matter can pass.

Chronic shorts, the fused wiring...

There's no time. There's no time.

It may collapse as quickly as it came into being.

The readings, the new circuits, come on, quick.

Hey doc, I'll take a look out there.

Tell you what it's like.

No, Danny. No!

Danny, come back. The warp is unstable. It might collapse.

He can't hear us.

Sound won't pass through the time portal.

Looks like he's trapped.

No, no, Steve. I'll go.

It's my responsibility.

I'm still the senior here.

Both of you, get back to the panel.

See that the settings remain exactly as they are.

Watch for a burnout. Go on, Steve.

Steve.

Steve.

What are they?

Watch the panels.

Record them up.

Steve!

No.

Steve, Erik, come back.

Come back.

Steve, come back. The portal's collapsing.

Steve, Erik, come back.

The portal's collapsing.

Steve, Erik, come back.

Carol.

Quickly, the portal's collapsing.

- Come on. - Wait, wait.

Steve, they came after me.

They tried to get into the lab.

I had to leave the controls.

Steve, look.

Get to those rocks. We'll try and lose them.

Come on, come on.

Come on, face here. I got plenty of ammo.

That won't hold them off for long,

But there's a little... There's a little cave up the canyon.

- How far? - Oh, a couple of hundred feet.

Lead the way. Come on.

Right in there!

Carol, over there. Keep an eye out for them.

Get as many rocks as you can.

Here they come.

Now.

What is it?

I don't know.

Aah.

I got a shock.

I got an electric shock.

Electricity? Are you sure?

Doc, if there's one thing I do know

It's what an electric shock feels like.

What do you make of it?

It must be an electrically charged field,

A force field barrier.

That's quite correct.

I am Gadra. Don't be alarmed.

The androids won't harm you.

- Come with me. - Wait a minute.

Hold it.

How do we know that...

How do you know that you will be safe?

You don't.

All right. We'll go with you.

Well, it seems we have very little choice.

I sympathize with your frustration.

47, 71, seal the opening.

67, let us through.

Please.

How?

Or is it a secret?

Oh, it's no secret,

But I don't believe I can make this phenomenon intelligible to you.

Try me.

Well, it's a temporary alteration of the molecular structure of the rock.

We shrink it, you might say,

Through a microscopic hole bored through the rock by the L Tube.

A laser beam drill?

Yes.

Yes. A modification.

Oh, do come with me. All your questions will be answered.

Where are you taking us?

To our council chambers.

To Dr. Varno, our Council Senior.

I knew it, take me to your leader.

Well, Dr. Varno will be as interested in asking you questions

As you will be and having yours answered.

The force field barrier saved our lives.

We are grateful.

But understandably, we're at a loss for some explanations.

Less than an hour ago,

We were in my laboratory on our earth.

And now...

You are still in your own world, Dr. Von Steiner.

Earth.

The year is 2071.

But our world is dying.

Dying?

Except for a few hundred of us here in these caves,

Mankind no longer exists.

But why, Dr. Varno, how?

I wish I could tell you the reason was a natural or cosmic catastrophe,

But I'm afraid it was man's own folly.

The destruction was total.

Earth, our planet, our home,

Is now just a burnt out sterile slag in space.

The last hill star generation of mutated once-humans,

The offspring of the radiation-saturated survivors,

Roam the desolate surface

Possessed by the insanity of crippling deformities of mind and body.

When they are gone, earth will be lifeless.

And as incapable of sustaining life

As the barren moon itself.

Here in our underground domain, we are the descendants

Of a small group of far thinking scientists and their families.

We are the last normal human beings on earth.

How do you plan to survive on an earth that is dead?

We don't.

There is a creeping death all around us and we cannot stay.

But where can you go?

To another world.

Mars? - No.

No other planet in our solar system can support human life.

Then where?

We must go to the stars.

To another planetary system

Where earth-like worlds have been detected,

To the system of Alpha Centauri.

Twenty-five thousand billion miles?

Such a journey would take generations.

Yes, let me show you something.

I think it may interest you all.

This is the single purpose of which we live in labor, the starship.

It stands in a crater once blown from the very bed rock

By a nuclear bomb.

The only entrance to it is through our tunnels.

It is now being readied for the journey.

But generations of...

It's impossible.

No, you see, we will not be going...

Breakthrough?

No, explosion in fuel primer pit.

- Damage? - Two androids. One, total.

One, injured, arm and head.

Is the spool intact?

Not known.

He's being taken to the assembly and maintenance four.

I'm coming down.

- Gadra, you and Willard check the primer pit. - Yes, sir.

Dr. Von Steiner,

If you and your party would care to come with me,

You will see with your own eyes

One of our android assembly plants.

Attention. Attention.

Three android programmed molecular surging needed at the photon drive center.

No starship, however gigantic, could possibly carry enough supplies

For all of us for more than a generation.

Holy McKee.

Then how do you propose to make the journey?

In suspended animation.

Suspended animation?

Oh, yes, that's how we shall do it.

To care for us in that state,

To service the starship in flight and to help build it,

We're making these androids,

Humanoid robots of high skill and intelligence.

This is quite a place, doctor.

Yes, you see, the androids are constantly being repaired here.

You have that many accidents?

No.

Of course, they do take on the most dangerous jobs,

But there's quite another matter.

You see, they're often damaged in battle.

We're in a race

Which may bring all our efforts to nothing.

And we may not win that race.

A race? With whom, Dr. Varno?

You've already encountered them.

The mutants?

They're constantly seeking and finding new ways

To penetrate our caves and break down our defenses.

We're under constant attack.

That's why we must always be armed.

But they're hardly human, doctor.

No, but they're clever, they're very cunning.

It's a society organized along military lines.

Their primitive life has been forced upon them

And they are more dangerous than you think.

But you see, it's only been a few years

The mutants have been attacking us at all.

Before that, for generations, they shunned us.

They held us responsible

And there was no need for arms or defenses.

But why do they attack you now?

They want our stores, our supplies.

Food is becoming more and more difficult to come by up there.

They are starving.

Why can't you give them the food to keep them from dying?

My dear, they're practically dead already.

If we were to give them our food, we'd soon die too.

Yes, the mutants are becoming a very real and ever growing menace.

It's only a question of time before a full scale raid succeeds

And wipes out our colony.

Before that happens, we must finish the starship or perish.

What's he doing?

Demagnetizing.

The head unit is locked on with a magnetic ring.

Amazing, Dr. Varno. Amazing.

This spool here contains a complete record

Of everything the android did right up to the instant of the accident.

And by analyzing that, you can find out exactly what went wrong

And learn possibly what not to do.

Exactly.

Attention.

Four android, report to starship machine shop.

Come, let me take you to the rooms you will occupy.

- We can talk later. - Thank you.

Uh, doctor, could I stick around a little longer?

Why, certainly, if you so desire.

You're interested in the plant?

The plant?

Oh, it's some lab.

- Hi. - Be well?

Yeah, you too.

You're a good looking boy.

Well, you're pretty cute yourself.

I...

Will you be with me later?

Well, I...

Well, sure, you bet.

I know all the single men of the colony, but no one interests me.

Well, that's fine.

You do.

Will you come into my cubicle?

Sure.

My work hours end at 10:00.

Where do I...

How do I find your cubicle?

Well, maybe you better meet me in the little rec hall.

Anyone will show you the way.

Great.

Would you put this over there, please?

Sure.

See you at 10:00?

Try and stop me.

Holy McKee, I thought I was giving her the eye.

Be well.

Of course, Dr. Von Steiner,

We'll give you all the help you need in reconstructing your time space warp,

The portal, back to your own time.

Thank you. We'd like to start at once. It'll take time.

- Can you do it in a month? - A month?

No, four, maybe three, but...

The starship is scheduled to blast off in one month's time.

But we must return.

With what we know now, we must go back and warn everyone.

We'll make it.

You will not.

And what makes you so sure?

Isn't it obvious?

The war did happen.

You never did go back with your warning.

There must be something we can do, Steve?

No, Carol, no.

He's right, we can't change the past.

And we can't go back.

But you can go on with us.

Dr. Varno, we'd be proud to join you.

I'm game.

Meanwhile, what can we do to help?

I would like Dr. Connors to work with Willard and myself on the photon drive.

There are still rough spots...

Gadra, I don't see how...

I think it's an excellent suggestion, Gadra,

- Provided Dr. Connors agrees. - Of course.

Varno, here.

Survey room reporting.

Data from Titan surveyor just coming in.

Good. Maintain the contact.

I shall want to check the results myself.

Yes, sir.

Dr. Von Steiner, why don't you come with me?

Thank you.

Data collection center.

This is Councilman Willard.

Ready all starship operations and supply data for a special check.

Any specific area?

Yes, capacity calculations.

I want to verify the impossibility

Of adding extra individuals to the complements.

The data will be ready.

How is the contact?

- Top 10. - Excellent.

We have been constantly surveying

Every possible planetary body in our solar system,

Every planet, every one of their moons,

Even some of the smaller asteroids,

But this is the last, Titan.

One of Saturn's largest atmosphere carrying moons.

- Robots surveyors? - Yes.

You don't seem encouraged.

The analysis shows a complete negative response.

I had expected it.

But you still maintain surveillance, why?

Information, Dr. Von Steiner, knowledge.

We feel we can never have enough of that.

The new world we're going to occupy.

There it is.

Our entire solar system

And nowhere can man exist.

Nowhere, including earth.

Put the Titan surveyor on the master screen.

Yes.

Thank you.

Let me show you the world we are going to make into our new earth.

Come.

Is the voyager in position for a good picture of new earth?

- Yes, sir, it is. - Excellent.

This is a cosmic camera receiver, Dr. Von Steiner.

Between the glass panes is a layer of transparent film.

Watch.

Alpha Centauri four.

It has an oxygen atmosphere, water,

Gravity close to the earth's.

It can support life, human life.

Instantaneous.

Instantaneous transmission, how can this be?

Only instantaneous printing, Dr. Von Steiner.

Actually, this picture was transmitted to us with the speed of light.

Four and one-half years ago.

What you are seeing now is what our new home looked like then.

*

*

What do you think of our lumichord?

Well?

I really didn't think that they would still be here.

And what about us?

You're running low on liners.

You think you can catch up?

Don't worry. I'm keeping our spacemen happy.

Getting things squared away.

Of course, some more conventional fuel will be used for lift off and escape.

Cutting down the critical danger stage.

Oh, exactly.

We'll only be using an inflammable fuel

During the short periods of takeoff and landing on new earth.

The photon drive will take over the star journey into deep space.

It's a great improvement over the old ion drive.

Old? We just started to experiment with that.

You know, I hate to let my ignorance show in front of such great minds,

But what exactly is a photon?

Well, it's a particle of light.

Photon propulsion is nothing more nor less than a beam of light.

Just a beam of light?

Well, a stream of photons

Shooting at 186,000 miles per second from the starship engine

Driving it through space on the action-reaction principle.

- And it works? - Indeed it does work.

- Willard, perhaps you should... - Sorry, Gadra.

I have no time to conduct a guided tour.

What's that?

Breakthrough.

Mutants are somewhere in the cave.

Gadra, on your way to your post,

- Take the girl to the council chamber. - Yes, I will take her.

Stay there, you'll be safe.

You, come with me. We may need every man.

Over there in the council chambers. You'll be safe there.

Who are you?

You can't speak.

But you do understand me?

Oh.

Come, let me help you.

Stand aside.

I'll finish him off.

No.

Do as I say.

You will not kill him.

But he broke in from outside.

Now, get out of the way.

You have no right to kill him.

What the devil is going on here?

Steve, I got lost. I found this man.

He wants to kill him.

But he's from outside.

Is that how you treat all strangers? Shoot them down?

Are we next or we're just plain lucky?

Steve, you must try to understand.

We've been fighting for our lives for many long years.

It's none of your affair how we handle things like that.

As of right now, I'm making it my affair.

If he is from outside, why not send him back?

Why not?

I'll be glad to throw him back myself.

He would not live long, Dr. Von Steiner.

He's a not a mutant. He's not a human being.

He belongs neither to us nor to them.

You mean he's being hunted by everyone?

Yes, we've known for some time that

A few of them existed in the caves surrounding our colony,

But none of them has ever penetrated before.

He must have found some way, triggered the alarm.

Then you can't send him out there.

But he's a deviant.

He's a human being!

Doctor, do I shoot him or throw him back?

No, she's right, Willard.

He is a human being. We are too, so let us not act like mutants.

You'll be safe here now.

We'll have to do something about that injured hand of yours.

Come. Come on. Come on.

Along with our algae tanks, these hydroponic food and vegetable gardens

Will provide us with some of the oxygen we shall need on the journey.

And they'll really survive?

Oh, yes. These are very hardy hybrid strains we've been cultivating.

They'll be tended and perpetuated by the androids.

- Dr. Varno? - Yes?

I must speak with you, sir.

- It's urgent. - Yes?

In private.

Very well, I'll be with you in a moment.

Larry is ready to test the latest quick growth formula.

All set, Larry?

All right. Let's see what we have.

- Dr. Varno. - In a minute.

Go ahead, open the nutrient flow.

The combination of light rays and special nutrient fluids

Produces almost instant growth, instant fruition,

But making the formula's a very difficult and time consuming process.

We hope to get enough to grow food on our new earth

Till we can raise our first normally produced crop.

Holy McKee.

These are hybrid oranges, our vitamin C supply.

Larry, let them have a taste.

Don't be afraid of it, Dr. Connors.

They're guaranteed non-sour.

Yes, Willard, what do you want?

Go ahead, Steve. I always liked oranges.

You first.

He's right. They aren't sour.

Delicious. No pits.

Just wasn't anybody until Danny came along,

So I've decided to take him.

You're not giving yourself much time.

Oh, I haven't got it.

Look, Danny's a wonderful fellow,

But don't you think you're rushing things a little?

Well, maybe you ought to do a little rushing yourself.

Oh?

Oh, with Steve, I mean.

You do want him, don't you?

Yes.

Yes, I do.

Well, there are still plenty of unattached females in the colony.

Oh. When the right time comes along, I'm sure...

Well, don't be.

The way a girl goes about catching a man here is to be faster than he is.

And we've got some real athletes.

We've all been told not to waste time.

We've got to be ready for a minor population explosion

As soon as we get to the new earth.

Boy, I kind of look forward to that, don't you?

Attention please.

Attention.

Dr. Von Steiner, Dr. Connors, Miss White, Mr. McKee.

Please report to the council chambers.

Dr. Von Steiner?

Dr. Von Steiner?

Please report to the council chambers.

Dr. Connors? Dr. Connors?

Please report to the council chambers.

Miss White? Miss White?

Please report to the council chambers.

Mr. McKee? Mr. McKee?

Please report to the council chambers.

Councilman Willard has made an exhaustive study of the problem.

The starship has been constructed

To serve an exactly calculated number of humans and androids.

Four additional humans would also mean extra air and nutrient for them

For over a generation's time.

Storage space,

Extra suspended animation enclosures

And additional androids.

Willard has pointed out very conclusively

That this would mean extensive alterations in the starship's design.

Dr. Von Steiner, we do not have time for such alterations.

At Willard's request, the council has decided

It will be impossible for us to take you with us on the journey.

You're leaving us here?

Dr. Varno?

It is not our desire. It is bitter necessity.

There must be a way to lick the problem.

It would mean taking time.

Then take it.

We'll do anything we can to help.

You don't understand.

Damn it, you can't abandon us here.

The starship must take off at the specified time.

There can be no delay.

Delay? How much could there be?

Even a second would be too much.

The automatic pilot of the ship has been completely programmed,

A job requiring months.

The calculations are critical.

The ship must be launched at the exact specified time.

An error, a delay of even seconds here

Could result in light years at our destination.

Too much for correction.

That is final.

You are pronouncing our death sentence.

I don't enjoy doing it.

You resented us from the beginning.

I have, but that is not why I'm doing this.

I...

We must consider the greater good.

I must do what I think is right.

And what about us?

Nobody invited you here.

At least give us a chance to try and find a solution.

It is impossible.

Until you've tried and failed, nothing is impossible.

This is.

A lot of others like you busily explaining why things can't be done

Have been interrupted by people doing them.

Rants.

Or is it just you who shies away from a challenge?

I find it quite unnecessary to waste the council's time with argumentative platitudes.

We've taken a vote! The matter is closed.

Just like that?

You seem to enjoy throwing people to those mutants.

You have just said you consider nothing impossible,

Then why don't you reconstruct your time warp portal

And go back where you came from?

I want you to know the vote was not unanimous.

Dr. Varno and I...

Thank you, Gadra.

It would be an idle gesture to say that I regret it.

I understand.

Stay here in the council chamber and decide what you will do.

Let me know and we'll give you every possible help we can.

And after you leave, Varno, how much time will we still have left?

Looks like we've had it, huh, doc?

No, Danny. We'll not give up.

We're not beaten until we do.

All right. Now, let's look at the choices we have, doc.

We can make the caves as impregnable as possible against the mutants.

Well, the odds would be overwhelming against us.

Even if we could, what kind of a future would we have?

I reject it.

There's no other place in our solar system we could go

Even if we had the means.

There is no other place we could live.

One choice left then and only one.

We build a portal or die.

Steve is almost ready.

We'll be finished too.

We've programmed the board with every detail we've remembered,

Circuits, settings. It's just got to be close.

Danny?

Take me back with you.

Oh, Reena, I can't do that.

You belong out there and I belong where?

Don't you like me?

Of course I like you. You're a beautiful girl.

Oh, that.

Beauty's only skin deep.

Well, it's deep enough, isn't it?

What do you want, a lovely liver?

Please don't joke.

Danny, I love you.

Let me go back with you.

Reena, I can't take you back with me.

You know what I'm going back to if I'm going back at all.

But I don't care.

Besides, I'm already engaged.

You are?

Mmm-hmm.

Big tall girl, about six feet but bright,

You should see her eyes flash

And ask her any question, gives you the answer.

Why didn't you tell me?

Most beautiful electronic computer in the good old USA.

Oh, Danny.

Your Danny can joke at a time like this?

Can you think of a better time?

Oh, doctor, thanks for letting Reena and Gadra help us out.

It was their own request.

From what I can see from these plans, there may be a connection.

Certainly worth a try.

Let me show you how this works.

It's really perfectly safe.

We'll need a guinea pig.

Danny?

Would you be good enough to help us out for a few moments?

- Sure, doc. - Come.

Reena.

Dr. Varno.

Activate the vibro transporter, please.

Yes, sir.

The vibro transporter is a matter transmitter.

It breaks down solid matter into its component vibrations

And sends them out like waves to be received and re-solidified elsewhere.

Much as an ordinary radio does with sound waves.

Oh, well, I understand that.

I wish I did.

Would you like to take a little trip?

Well, it's okay with me.

Come.

Me up there?

It may be a little uncomfortable, but it won't take long.

Well, thanks a bunch.

Be well, gang.

Hey, doc,

What's with the Section 8 treatment?

Have a nice trip.

Hey, doc, if this thing's so safe, why all the safety belts?

Hey! Whoa.

Now, I know how a roasting chicken feels.

Whoo, just like a fun house.

Whoa.

Hey...

Dr. Varno, he's all right, isn't he?

Yes, of course he is.

Watch.

- How do you feel? - Never better.

There are no ill effects.

Thank you, Danny.

Oh, anytime, doc.

Thanks for the trip. I'll recommend it.

It's fabulous, but why can't you use it?

The transmitter needs a receiver.

In effect, in order to go someplace,

We'd have to be there in order to get there.

Oh, of course.

The important thing is that certain principles of the transporter

Can be modified for use in perfecting your time warp portal.

Come.

Try it now.

We'll start loading operations as soon as the ship is secure.

Everything is ready.

How much time do we have?

The last groups are boarding now.

with your androids.

Group number 21, board the ship with your androids.

How long?

How near ready is the portal?

I don't know.

My friend, this is the crucial moment.

Our force field power plant has been transferred to the ship.

Our defenses are at their weakest. Almost fully automatic.

The likelihood of a successful mutant attack is at its strongest.

It's a bad combination.

But they may be unaware.

No. We've tried to keep them away,

But we know they've been watching us from the crater rim.

They're aware that most of our stores have gone into the ship.

And this is their last chance to get them.

If they realize how close we are to lift off...

And what will happen after the starship is gone?

Group number 22, ready your androids.

Stand by to board.

Group number 22, standby.

- Carol, where is Carol? - I don't know, Steve.

Wait a minute, she's with Reena, resting.

They've breeched control. Danny, come on.

No, you stay here. Help Von Steiner get that portal to work.

Gadra, have you seen Reena and Carol?

Yes, Steve, in the rain bath.

Wait a minute. You can't go out there,

The mutants are everywhere, they're fighting all over.

Dr. Varno? Dr. Varno?

Starship pilot request instructions. Urgent, urgent.

Dr. Varno, come in.

They're all over.

Varno here.

Varno to comm center, come in.

Come in. Come in.

Steve, over there.

Willard, we've got to keep them outside while the portal is going.

Look, have you got anything bigger than these peashooters?

No, they couldn't be used in the caves.

All right. Give the androids guns.

- It's no use. - What?

They're only programmed for defense.

This is too much of an offensive weapon, they won't use it.

Steve, we're ready for a try.

The mutants must have blown up the primer pit.

Take off now, now.

Everybody, over here.

Let them work in the portal.

Now, get your weapons out and form a line.

Stage one.

Now, Reena.

The campus.

But it looks so strange, so dead.

Stage two.

Now, Reena.

Stage three.

Steve, Danny.

Everybody, go to the street.

Danny, all the girls. Go, go.

Aim at the panels.

Come on, Steve.

We better get back to the lab right away.

The original portal may still be open.

Doc.

What's happening?

Our calculations were not exact enough.

We've returned too far back in time.

Well, why aren't we...

Aren't they moving?

Somehow we've disrupted the time flow.

It's as if we were existing outside of time in limbo.

What do we do?

What we came here for.

Shut the machines down.

They're frozen, I can't move them.

Steve, look, nothing can be moved.

Hey, doc.

They are moving.

Only so slow, you can't see them,

Like the hands on a watch.

I'm in a different position now,

I really am.

He's right, Erik, he's right.

We're right here with them,

But we're living our lives at such an accelerated time rate,

Such fantastic speed,

That we'd only be fleeting shadows to them if they see us at all.

You're right, Steve. We're all existing in a different time rate,

Perhaps a million times faster than normal.

It seems we are aging more than a year for every minute that goes by.

In a few moments we shall cease to exist.

There's got to be a way out of this.

It's a time trap.

Time itself is an anachronism.

We're compounding it by appearing here.

Steve, I remember what happened.

In a few seconds the portal will...

Wait.

- There is a chance. What?

Screen.

But it's nothing.

How do we know that?

The image pulsation may be frozen in time like everything else.

It's possible.

The laser beam cycling had already been accelerated.

The portal may still be open.

To what?

When?

The time selector is at the extreme future,

Past the 100,000 year mark.

I... I can't change it.

Let's find out if this thing is open.

Come on, you've got to get going.

I don't know what's out there, it's really dark.

Steve, what will it be like after all these centuries?

Are you sure?

I'm sure of one thing...

We stay here, we die.

All right, now, everybody, stay together.

Grab each other's hand.

It's very dark out there. Be careful.

All right, Danny, get Reena.

Carol.

I'm bringing the wheel back.

What was that? What?

I thought I saw Nothing.

Time selector back at plus six hours.

Hold it.

I'm gonna open up the laser cycling all the way.

Steve!

Take her back, take it back.

Steve, you're overshooting.

Take it back the other way, the other way.

The power, cut it!

Wait a minute. Look.

Pile out, you tramps. It's the end of the line.

Grab your last look at free side, kid.

- Hi, Emma. - Hi.

Shut up!

Line up by twos.

Take them to the receiving room, Cassie. You know the way blindfolded.

Heard you was falling back in.

Still got you scrubbing, Meta? Give me some skin!

No guy's given me a tumble in months.

Shut up!

The lists are alphabetical. Marie Allen.

Court says you're married. Legitimate?

All valuables must be turned over to us until you hit free side.

Wedding ring, too.

Some county-jail gum heels must have been here first.

Do they still soak you a fiver for a phone call or a visitor?

Sign this. I'll fill it in later.

Mother living? Father? Any brothers? Sisters?

Well, there's just my mother. She got married again.

Nothing like this has ever happened to anybody in the family.

No previous criminal record.

In case of death, who do we notify?

Death? Oh, Mom, I guess.

Belong to any church?

We used to go. It's a church on State Street.

I forget its name. I think...

Armed robbery, huh? For one to 15 years.

The judge called me an accessory.

I've got to get to your version of the crime, so shoot.

Well, we'd only been married a couple of months.

We tried to find a place to live, but everything costs so much,

so Mom let us move in with her and my stepfather.

Well, Tom was always fighting with Gus. That's my stepfather.

He tried to find a better job, and then he got fired.

Get to the crime.

When Tom drove into that gas station, I stayed in the car while he...

Then the attendant hit Tom over the head, and I went out to help him.

I guess that's why they called me an accessory.

They took back the $40.

Five bucks less, and it wouldn't be a felony.

Don't try to kid me. How old are you really?

Nineteen.

Sign this. I'll skip the mental test. You look normal enough.

Lots of them haven't all their marbles.

You can take your physical.

- Where? - The infirmary. Your number's 93850.

98350.

No, 93850. Remember it.

The infirmary's at the end of the corridor. Follow your nose.

Next, Emma Barber. Snap into it.

Say, you got real skinny, didn't you?

I hope your batch is cleaner than the last lot.

I had to scrub them with brooms.

Eyes okay.

No drugs in the ears. Open your mouth wide.

I said, wide.

No drugs in the mouth. Teeth sound.

Lung tap sound.

Heart excited but strong enough.

What's the matter?

I feel a little sick.

Get that way often?

Yes, the last week or so.

Say, you expecting company?

I don't know.

Another pregnant one. Get up.

You know who the father is?

My husband.

Well, ain't we getting respectable?

Could he help with the expenses?

He's dead.

Another bill for the State. Get dressed.

Shall I put down "pregnant"?

No, better wait. See what the doc says.

That trained seal sure can ask a lot of questions.

Who's this Pearl Harbor, anyway? Is she an inmate?

- Shut up, Emma, and strip. - Oh, goodie.

Never mind the glamour, puss.

Couldn't I have a comb?

What's the difference? There's no men in here.

Can I write a letter to my mother?

No, not while you're in isolation.

You gotta stay here until your blood test comes back,

so for two weeks, there'll be no mail, no visitors, no nothing.

Welcome to Lysol Lane.

Did you just get in today?

I'm on the last lap.

Ten to 20. They had to put me in here.

No beds in the infirmary.

I'm sick.

I got it bad.

Oh, I'm sorry.

You better not stay too close to the bed, sister.

It's just the break you get.

Sometimes you get a matron who's a louse.

Sometimes you get a good egg.

I'd walk a mile for a cigarette if they'd let me.

I was just thinking.

Quit bragging!

It's all the judge's fault I'm here.

When Joe first beats me up, I grab his gun and just wing him in the shoulder.

Do they arrest me? No!

Then a year later, I fires at Joe again and miss.

Do they give me a rap for attempted assault? No!

Then last year, I defends myself again with a gun,

and the police still treats me like I was poison ivy.

And then finally I finish Joe off for good.

Well, it's that judge. If he had nabbed me

the first three times while I was just practicing,

I wouldn't be here now for murder.

It's all the judge's fault.

Read it and weep.

Rubbing it in because we're behind the iron.

Heads or tails, you lose.

You girls are moving along today.

Marie Allen, I've got news for you from the infirmary.

Your blood came back okay. No treatment.

Now, the Superintendent will see you first,

and Doc says you're two months on the way.

That's swell, honey.

I got a grownup son older than you.

It's funny. You get a baby from a guy, and then 20 years later, you finish him off.

Hello, Ann. Well, it's good to see you.

How are things up front?

Busy. Who's first?

Marie Allen.

Good luck, kid. Be seeing you.

It's tough at first. I know. I've been through the mill.

Been here eight years.

Kept my nose clean, and Mrs. Benton let me help her in the office.

Having a regular job like that certainly makes you feel good

after working in the bakery for five years.

What are you in for?

Murder.

Come in. Sit down here, please.

Don't be frightened.

I want you to know that we're all here to help you.

I want you to believe that I'd like to be your friend if you'll let me.

What is it? What's troubling you, Marie?

I have been so lonely the last two weeks.

Those other women, the way they talked and the awful things they said

and those matrons, always watching, never leaving you alone.

You'll find all kinds of women in here, just as you would outside,

but every large institution must have rules,

and the matrons are here to see that the rules are obeyed.

You weren't sent here to be punished.

Just being here is the punishment. That's all.

You know, first offenders like you, Marie, are our greatest concern.

Unfortunately, they have to be crowded in with more experienced women

simply because we haven't more space,

and you'll be with such women.

Of course, I want you to have friends. All of us need an outlet for affection,

but no prison is a normal place.

How soon can I go home?

If your record is good, you can come up for parole in 10 months.

But I'm going to have a baby. Do I have to have it in here?

I know how you feel, Marie,

but the inmates aren't allowed to go home to have their babies.

Don't worry.

Any blood relative can take care of your child until you get out.

Then my mother will take care of it.

But they wouldn't let me write her. Can I write her now?

Of course, now that we're sure that your relatives actually exist.

That's because some of the inmates change their criminal contacts

into kindhearted uncles and cousins

and sometimes even sick grandmothers.

I know how strange all this is to you, but you were sent here

because you were involved in a serious crime.

We want to help you so that when you go home,

you can start a new life.

I want to do the right thing.

You're an intelligent girl. You know good from bad.

Try to keep busy. It's important.

Now, as to your work,

I'll bet you helped your mother with your father's shirts, didn't you?

Yes.

Well, we'll put you in the laundry as a checker.

It will be easier for you because of the baby.

You can see me anytime.

Hi, Ann.

Hello, Harper.

Since you went fancy working upstairs for Benton, I kind of missed you.

This is Marie Allen. Mrs. Benton says to put her in laundry.

Marie's gonna have a baby.

A baby, huh?

Why, you're just a kid yourself.

- So long, Marie. - Goodbye, Ann. Thank you.

Let's you and me get acquainted, honey.

You may be a number to the others but not to me.

Sit down in this chair. It's kind of roomy.

You like the stuff in here, huh?

Just little presents from my girls for taking good care of them.

- Caramel? - No, thank you.

Cigarette?

You know, you're gonna find out

that a lot of things are tough to get in here.

This is just a little personal service of my own.

On the side, sort of. Understand?

I like to do a good turn for my girls.

Why, sometimes, on my night off, I drop in on their relatives.

I could get real news to your husband.

He's dead.

What about your people? What do they do?

My stepfather's a mechanic, but he's not working.

Well, I bet they saved up for a rainy day,

like me investing in real estate for my old age.

Why, you think how much easier I could make it for you,

you being in a delicate condition, so to speak.

The little comforts.

Maybe you got a habit that's hard to break,

cigarettes or something.

I know how it is.

I could get you whatever you wanted.

Time's money to me. I can't favor every one of 60 girls.

Mom would be glad to help if she could.

No dough, eh?

Follow me.

Home, sweet home.

Just like the big cage in the zoo, only you clean it up instead of the keeper.

Bucket and brush is in the corner closet.

Mrs. Benton said I was going to work in the laundry.

I'm the boss here. Start scrubbing.

But Mrs. Benton told me...

Where do I begin, Miss Harper?

Now you're getting hip.

Use this lye. Soap's low.

Okay, get going.

Didn't you ever scrub a floor before? Put your shoulder in it.

You're doing okay.

Keep that up, and you and me are gonna get along just fine.

Pipe the new fish.

Millie, the old dame in the bed says you loud-talked to Harper.

That took guts.

How much time are you pulling?

One to 15 years, but I come up for parole in 10 months.

Just a hot minute. What's your rap?

Robbery.

Society. Larcenists don't talk to CPs.

CPs?

- Are you kidding? - CP, common prostitute.

Where you been living, the moon?

Her name's Smoochie.

Glad to meet you.

Got news for you. She's all right.

I'm Kitty Stark, and that's Claire. What's your name?

Marie Allen.

Stop scrubbing. Chew the fat.

Hey, Lottie, check her.

Maybe you need bifocals.

The dish is poison, Harper's pet nose.

- I'll tell Evelyn! - Evelyn! Don't kid me.

Harper's first name is Filth.

Kitty! Kitty! Oh, Kitty.

What's the beef?

The matron said if I broke another dish, she'd report me.

She refuses to believe I've never worked in a kitchen.

Yeah, I know, but ain't I told you

not to go shooting your mouth off about yourself,

all about the servants you had and your governesses

and the yachts your old man bought?

Oh, why won't anyone understand?

It's always been like that.

Even as a child, I had no one to go to when I was in trouble.

My parents were always away.

Even after I was married, I...

You're new here, aren't you?

I'm Georgia Harrison. I'm not supposed to be here.

I didn't forge those checks. It was all a mistake,

but wait until my appeal comes through. Then I'll get out of here.

My father's waiting for me,

and he knows I'm not guilty.

We have a rose garden out in back, and in the summer, it's beautiful.

All day, I'll sit and watch the roses,

and in the evening...

She's a real lady, Georgia,

only she married some guy who likes spending other people's dough,

so he got her to write out a bunch of bouncers.

I got news for you. Georgia gives this place class.

She ain't the only one.

I had two real mink coats and a closet full of black lace nighties

and a shelf full of real French perfumes

that my girls lifted right out of one of the swankiest stores in town.

Don't rub it in.

All I ever had was a different pair of shoes for every night.

Chow line!

Lottie! Millie! Dottie! Look at...

Did you read all about me in the papers? They even had my picture.

Get those things out of here.

Next time, I'll get somebody to show you how to scrub a floor.

In line!

Get back to the bullpen!

Squealer! How did you get word to Benton?

I didn't.

You're a liar.

You're riding a phony, Harper. It was me got word to Benton.

I'm a tall weed in the grass, and the grapevine's blooming.

You old buzzard.

Lay a hand on me, and I'll put your lights out.

I'm in for life. One more like you is just so much velvet.

I ain't got no time to argue.

Line up for count!

- Lewis, Millie. - Christiansen, Velma.

- Kopsky, Gita. - O'Connor, Mary.

- Devlin, Claire. - Wagner, Rita.

- Roberts, June. - Menard, Tina.

- Barber, Emma. - Minnelli, Nina.

- Cassidy, Katie. - Bates, Naomi.

- Stark, Kitty. - Klein, Julie.

- Marie Allen. - Allen, Marie!

- Allen, Marie. - Mullen, Elaine.

- Cardnum, Ruth. - Branigan, Lottie.

- Hoffman, Ilsa. - Stone, Louise.

- Vogel, Dottie. - Elkins, Peggy.

- Laverne, Frankie. - Orangeman, Hope.

- O'Shaughnessy, Mitzi. - Carter, Mamie.

- Hansen, Alison. - Jacobs, Hattie.

- Yosta, Violet. - Twitchell, May.

- Smith, Peggy. - Harrison, Georgia.

- Taylor, Alice. - Fuller, Mimi.

- Danzig, Lulu. - West, Minnie.

You're stir-simple if you think you made more dough

playing the con game than I did in my racket.

Who are you calling stir-simple, you cheap crook?

Oh, quit bragging about how much dough you used to make.

Both of you are giving me a pain.

I made double what any of you made, and I'm not bragging.

There wasn't a crooked jeweler in town who didn't come to me.

Once, I stashed a load of hot ice worth 50,000 bucks.

What a sweet racket we had!

Six suckers a day bit the hook,

and we'd lam out of town before the coppers caught up.

Joe and me lived high.

Gee, you girls are lucky.

I always fall in love with a guy that won't work.

Last one beat me up, then beat out of town.

But I got news for you. Men are important.

Personally, I'd hate to see them abolished.

If it wasn't for men, we wouldn't be in here.

You said it. I've been married five times.

What's wrong with that?

Nothing, if you're not married to them all at the same time, like I was.

I bet you got some story, too, huh, Kitty?

Your husband in the stir?

He was killed in a holdup.

If he was alive, he'd have another dame when you get out anyway.

- Good night. - Good night.

How many jobs did you pull before they nabbed you?

I don't want to talk about it, please.

You will.

I want to go home.

I want to get out of here.

Do you hear that train?

People are going home on that train.

Conductor, wait for me.

Let me on that train!

Let me out of here.

I don't belong in here. I'm Georgia Harrison.

Father!

Father! Father!

Father!

Oh, Father!

- No. - Grab her.

- No! No! - She's bleeding like a stuck pig.

A cold hose will quiet her down.

No, Harper, the infirmary. She's cut an artery.

File out, you tramps!

- Christiansen, Velma. - Kopsky, Gita.

- O'Connor, Mary. - Allen, Marie.

That old lady of mine, the things she writes.

"And I know you'll be a good girl and keep out of trouble."

How much more trouble can I get into?

Get lost.

You ain't deep.

I've been watching you.

You're no squealer, so I'm gonna give you a break.

What are you gonna do when you flop out of stir?

Ever figure on boosting?

This kid wouldn't know a booster from a hustler.

Boosting, shoplifting, the department store circuit,

none of your five-and-dime stuff like your first rap.

We operate on a big scale.

The boys will protect you just like your own mother.

If they protect you, why are you in here?

I knocked a guy off.

The syndicate pays me for recruiting, so I can take care of Harper.

Live easy.

You just leave it to me, and I'll see that you get your parole quick.

You see, these guys I'm working with, they got drag.

Time to flop out, and they'll fake a legit job for you.

With the soft dough you can make shoplifting,

you can get the things a girl likes.

I know what's going through her head. She's been listening to Benton.

Rehabilitation, taking cold showers, working for good behavior.

When I get out, I'm not coming back.

- After I'm paroled... - Parole? Didn't the parole board okay me?

I've been packed a solid year pulling dead time.

You're a repeater.

They don't let any con out of stir

until the parole officer gets her a job and a place to live.

We think we're flopping out, then wham, they can't find us a job,

and we're packed in here pulling dead time.

You see, kid, in this cage, you get tough or you get killed.

Better wise up before it's too late. Now, how about it?

Don't think I'm not grateful,

but I don't want to get mixed up in anything.

I don't think boosting is the only way to get along

when I get out of here.

I've got to do it my own way.

You was a nurse in the free side. What's the matter with her?

Nothing that vitamins and calcium wouldn't help.

You got them pills in the pogey?

They never heard of anything but aspirin.

Tell the nurse I said she should go out and get you whatever stuff you need.

That slob will do it. She owes me plenty.

I'm all right now.

Marie knows where taking favors from you will land her.

- Ain't you learned nothing? - Quit needling her.

The only thing important is my baby.

If you're old enough to have a kid,

you don't need this big sister sticking her nose where it don't belong.

Harper.

Tomorrow's parole-board day.

Would you find out if my name's on the list?

- Mrs. Benton promised that the moment... - You're on the list.

3:30 tomorrow, Benton's office. Be there.

Nice work, kid.

I got a new bra you can have.

I got some slick, new perfume you can have.

Let me iron your dress.

Want me to put your hair up in curlers for you?

Do they fit?

They pinch a little, but they look better than mine.

Thanks.

Well, how do I look?

Oh, fine.

3:00. Three hours away.

I'd have gone crazy if I had to pull another year.

I'll be 30 soon.

After you got out the first time, what made you fall back in?

The same thing that got me in the first time,

a guy.

When I met him, I was wet behind the ears,

sex and love and marriage all mixed up.

When I got out of school, he hired me.

I didn't know until it was too late what kind of a dirty racket he was in.

I loved him too much to walk out on him.

You're lucky your man's dead.

- Don't say that! - Your man's dead.

He can't turn you into a two-time loser like mine did.

Even after I got out the first time,

there he was, waiting for me,

but that's all over with. I'm starting from scratch.

They flopped me back.

They flopped me back.

Quit cheating, you dirty crook.

Who you calling a dirty crook?

Shut up, the both of you, and play cards.

- She called me a dirty crook. - Well, it's true, ain't it?

Yeah, but I got a right to be sensitive about it, ain't I?

I'll call you and up two.

You're loaded with nothing.

There's your two and three more.

You in this pot, June?

The twister and the slammer.

Three hundred and sixty-five more nights and days, and I wake up.

Get a load of the new look.

By the time we get out of here, it'll be the old look.

I got news for you.

If that's what dames are wearing now, I'm glad I'm in here.

The guy outside likes the way I look.

Just bought himself a brand-new car.

Must be a truck.

He's taking me to a show.

Tough they flopped you back in.

We could have double-dated with his friend.

After the show, he's taking me to his place.

He's got a room up over the bar where he works.

Real comfortable, if you know what I mean.

Every time he kisses me good night, I just want to keep on leaving him.

- He's got... - Keep your snoot out of our business.

Good night, girls. Pleasant dreams.

At least we got honest matrons in here. When I bribe one, she stays bribed.

Anything you want?

Harper! Harper!

Before you go, you better tell Benton. June's acting stir-bugs.

All repeaters act queer when they're flopped back.

Pete don't like me to keep him waiting.

See you in the morning, girls.

June.

June. June.

I'd like to speak to Dr. Saunders.

What? I can't hear you.

Yes, I know.

He's not here. He went out on a case.

Dr. Ashton? This is Ruth Benton.

I'm sorry to call you at such an hour,

but I remember your offer to be a free consultant.

An emergency. A premature birth.

Eight months.

Yes, thank you, Doctor.

What's everybody blowing their fuse for? I've delivered kids in here by the dozen.

It's a miracle he didn't die.

Get a clean blanket.

When my dog had distemper,

I took him to a cleaner infirmary than this one.

Yes, I know, Doctor.

Twice I've put in requisitions

to have this place modernized and repainted.

Why not use $1,000 of your budget for the purpose?

Maybe if the medical board were to take it up.

Five inmates have told me June was acutely depressed last night.

They swear they asked you to advise me.

You believe any bull these inmates hand you?

I've asked you time and time again to watch changes in a girl's behavior.

You mean to tell me you couldn't see that she was acting strangely?

With 60 girls in my bullpen, my only job is to see that nobody escapes.

You helped to kill June just as surely as if you'd hanged her yourself!

Will they investigate?

I wish somebody cared enough to make an investigation.

So what are you going to do? Suspend me?

I'm going to do everything I can to have you fired.

You gave me three suspensions,

and you couldn't make one of them stick, remember?

This time, I will.

So you call the Commissioner. So what? I call my friend, Thornton Goodrich.

He gets the Commissioner on the phone, and, bingo, I'm back on the job again.

You sit there on your bustle, the big boss, and think you know how to run this place.

Do you know how it ought to be run? With a piece of rubber hose.

Break them in two if they talk out of turn.

Anyone who doesn't toe the mark sits in solitary for one month.

Bread and water.

One funny move from a girl, and I clip every hair off of her head.

That's the way it used to be run, and that's the way it ought to be run.

Just like they're a bunch of animals in a cage.

Get out of here.

Is she alone?

- She is, but... - I'll go right in.

If you'd just let me ask her, sir...

Mr. Donnolly.

Blame the Lieutenant Governor for this visit.

He asked me to drop in.

I'm always glad to see you, Mr. Donnolly.

Too bad about what happened last night.

- Please, sit down, Mr. Donnolly. - Thank you.

Someone on the state medical board got in touch with the Lieutenant Governor

early this morning and raised a big howl.

A zealous young doctor. I've...

I forget his name. He called the board. He was shocked about the infirmary.

I warned you that something like this would happen

when the board voted us $8,000 instead of $80,000.

Can't you understand that in the long run,

$80,000 would have saved the State millions?

What do you want for your girls now?

A swimming pool? Television sets? A beauty parlor?

No, merely the things I worked to get in other prisons and did get.

Teachers, a full-time psychiatrist...

Now, don't tell me that your inmates fell in love

with their grandfather's bicycles when they were little.

I'm afraid I'm too tired to appreciate your wit, Mr. Donnolly.

I only know what we need.

I wish we could drag the public in here to watch the inmates decaying.

I have a great respect for you. You're a fighter.

I used to be a Golden Gloves boy myself in the old days.

They taught me that, when the odds were against a good fighter,

to cover up if you wanted to keep on your feet

because even though you lose the decision,

it's better than a knockout.

Good morning, Mrs. Benton.

Good morning.

- Does it say on his birth certificate... - You got a break.

Mrs. Benton insisted we just put the name of the town.

Your mother's downstairs in the visiting room.

Can she come up and see the baby?

It's against orders.

Mom.

Mom.

Marie, baby, you feeling all right now?

I'm okay. How are you?

Oh, ailing a bit.

I hope you understood about me not writing.

I mean, I ain't much on writing.

Sure.

Isn't it wonderful about your grandson?

Yeah, wonderful.

I'm gonna call him Tommy. Oh, Mom, you're gonna love him.

Already he's got hair, the same color as Tom's,

but he's got your eyes.

I can't take the baby. Oh, I want to.

What woman my age don't want a grandchild?

But your stepfather won't have it in the house.

We argued and argued till I was blue in the face.

So help me, if I had a dime to my name, I'd walk out on him.

I keep figuring how I could take the baby.

I can't leave Gus.

There'd be no one to take care of me till you get out,

and I ain't getting any younger.

I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do.

Mom, stop crying. Tom's folks are dead.

If you won't take him, they'll put him up for adoption.

What do you want me to do?

You've got to leave Gus.

I'll be out of here in three months. I'll get a job and support you.

We'll have a real home, you and the baby and me.

Mom, find something until I get out!

Well, I'm not as young as I was. I tire easy. The doc says my feet...

Can't you think of anyone but yourself?

Maybe it would be better if someone else took him,

some nice family with money. They could bring him up real nice.

I don't want anyone else to have him!

Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

You're his only flesh and blood. You've got to take him!

Don't keep saying that! Don't keep saying that!

Mother! Mother, come back here!

You gotta take him! You gotta take him!

Mother, come back! Mother! Mother!

No!

Don't let it throw you, honey. You're still a kid.

If you get paroled soon enough,

there'll be a lot of guys that will tumble for you.

You can even get hitched and have another kid

if you're dope enough to want to.

The trick's to flop out as quick as you can.

Like I've told you, the boys can get your parole moving fast.

How about it? Don't it make sense, honey?

Think it over, sweetie, but get this through your head.

If you stay in here too long, you don't think of guys at all.

You just get out of the habit.

Line up, you tramps! This ain't no upstairs delicatessen.

Time for count.

- Lewis, Millie. - Christianson, Velma.

- Stark, Kitty. - Taylor, Alice.

Allen, Marie.

3:00 tomorrow, Benton's office. Parole hearing.

- Mullen, Elaine. - Cardnum, Ruth.

- Branigan, Lottie. - Hoffman, Ilsa.

- Elkins, Peggy. - Vogel, Dottie.

When you get in there, say anything you got on your chest.

It's the one chance you got to spill the works.

Benton will be pulling for you.

And when you get out of this cage,

go take yourself a bubble bath for me and park in it for a week.

Have your breakfast, dinner, everything in it.

You know, honey, you're gonna find out that most people in free side

wouldn't hand you a job cleaning out a hog pen.

- If you'd listen to me... - You're wasting your time, Kitty.

Your funeral.

Hey, Foley, wait till Kitty Stark sees this.

- Are they friends? - Friends? They hate each other's guts.

What's so funny?

We've got a new fish coming in.

Maybe if you're real nice, you might get her for a roommate.

And old friend of yours, Elvira Powell.

It's going to be a rich haul. None of your penny-ante stuff.

You'll still do what I pay you to do.

Them days are over.

Hey, girls, take a look at your queen bee. She's buzzing off the throne.

She never was nothing but a dime-a-dozen booster

with so little influence she couldn't even get off

on self-defense for a murder rap.

I ain't got nothing against you. It's just a matter of dollars and cents.

Elvira Powell's an institution with a big bankroll stashed away,

and I always wanted to meet an institution.

Someday I'm going to get my hands in her hair,

and I'm gonna pull it out by the roots.

I made it! I made it! I made my parole!

This is Marie Allen.

Marie, we have to decide

whether nine months has taught you that robbing people at the point of a gun...

I never wanted to, but my husband wouldn't listen to reason.

I couldn't leave him. I loved him.

Now, what type of work can you do?

Speak up.

I could be a salesgirl or wait tables,

work in a laundry after all the experience I've had here.

Please try to make your answers brief.

This report states your stepfather refuses to have you in his home.

Where would you live if paroled?

Well, where would you live? With relatives?

With my Aunt Rose and Uncle Harry. They're very respectable.

Uncle Harry's a gateman for one of the biggest factories.

They're very fond of me.

If they're so fond of you, why didn't they take your child?

Well, a baby would have been a lot of trouble.

I wouldn't be.

We'll investigate them.

Maybe it would be better if I lived alone, anyplace the parole officer found.

Out of the question. We must make certain

that you have beneficial surroundings and guidance.

You're hardly more than a child, only 19.

A girl grows old here before her time.

Marie's been married. She's seen her husband killed.

She's borne a baby here in prison.

She's had the baby taken away from her by law.

How can anyone be called young who has lived through such experiences?

I've lived a lifetime in a year in this cage!

If I have to fall back in, I'll be like the others.

And I'm not like them!

Oh, please. Please, give me a chance to prove it.

I've paid my debt. Let me out, please.

You'll never regret it. I promise I'll...