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(Wind howling)

(Rain)

(Thunder rumbling)

(Metallic clinking)

(Tree creaking)

(Silence)

(Soft instrumental music)

Oh. It's gonna rain tonight.

- Paper says so? - Yeah, right here.

- Then it can't rain. - Hiya.

- Hey. - Hey, Frank.

- Oh. - (Laughs)

- Gee. - Oh.

- So, what's doing? - Nothing.

Walking off my breakfast.

(Soft music continues)

Gee, that beautiful?

Not a cloud.

Yeah, nice.

Every Sunday ought to be like this.

You want the paper?

Oh, what's the difference? It's all bad news.

What's today's calamity?

I don't know. I don't read the news part anymore.

It's more interesting in the "want" ads.

Why? You trying to buy something?

No, I'm just interested. To see what people want, you know?

- Oh. - Uh... For instance...

(Laughing) Oh, here.

There's a guy looking for two Newfoundland dogs.

(Laughs)

Well, what does he want with two Newfoundland dogs?

- That is funny. - Yeah.

And here's a...

"Wanted: old dictionaries. High prices paid."

(Chuckles)

Oh, what's a man going to do with an old dictionary?

But why not? He's probably a book collector.

You mean he'll make a living out of that?

Sure, there's a lot of 'em.

(Whistles)

All kind of business goin' on.

In my day, you were either a lawyer or a doctor

or you worked in a shop.

Today... Oof.

Well, I was going to be a forester once.

Well, that just shows ya.

In my day, there was no such thing.

You look at a page like this

and you just realize how ignorant you are.

(Chuckles)

- Hey. - Huh?

- What happened to your tree? - Ain't that awful?

Ah, the wind must've got it last night. You heard the wind, didn't you?

- Yeah, I got a mess in my yard too. - Yeah.

What a pity.

What did Kate say?

Oh, they're all asleep yet.

I'm... just waiting for her to see it.

- You know? It's funny. - Mm?

Larry was born in August.

He'd been 27 this month and his tree blows down.

Well, I'm surprised you remember his birthday, Frank. That's nice.

Well, I'm working on his horoscope.

How can you make him a horoscope? That's for the future, ain't it?

No. Well... What I'm doing is this.

See, Larry was reported missing on November 25th, right?

Yeah?

Well, then, we assume that if he was killed,

it was on November 25th.

Now, what Kate wants is...

Oh, Kate asked you to make a horoscope?

Yeah, what she wants to find out is

whether November 25th was a favorable day for Larry.

What's that, favorable day?

Well, a favorable day for a person

is a fortunate day according to his stars.

Well, in other words, it would be practically impossible

for him to have died on his favorable day.

- Well? - Oh.

Was that his favorable day, November 25th?

That's what I'm working on to find out.

It takes time! See, the point is,

if November 25th was his favorable day,

it's completely possible he's alive somewhere.

- Because I mean, it's possible... - Is he talkin' sense?

Him? Oh, he's all right.

He's just completely out of his mind, that's all.

The trouble with you is you don't believe in anything.

And your trouble is that you believe in anything.

- You didn't see my kid this morning? - No.

(Chuckling) Imagine?

He walked off with his thermometer right out of his bag.

Yeah. What a problem.

One look at a girl and he takes her temperature.

Oh, God. That boy is going to be a real doctor. He is smart.

Over my dead body will he be a doctor.

- Huh! A good beginning too. - Why? It's an honorable profession.

Oh, Frank, will you stop talking like a civics book?

(Splutters) I saw a movie a couple weeks ago, reminded me of you.

Um... There was a doctor in that picture...

Oh! Um... Oh.

(Mumbling)

- Oh! - Um...

Oh, uh, Don Ameche?

I think that was it, yeah.

And he worked in his basement discovering things.

See? That's what you ought to do.

You, you could help humanity instead...

Oh, I would love to help humanity on a Warner Brothers salary.

Oh. That's a good one, Jim.

(Laughter)

Where's the beautiful girl? Was supposed to be here.

- Ooh. - Annie came?

Sure. She's sleepin' upstairs.

We picked her up last night on the one o'clock train.

Oh, it's such a wonderful thing.

(Laughs)

Girl leaves here a scrawny kid.

A couple years go by... (Whistles)

...she's a regular woman.

I hardly recognized her.

She was running in and out of this yard all her life.

(Laughs)

Ah, that was a very happy family that used to live in your house, Jim.

Well, I'd like to meet her.

The block can use a pretty girl.

In the whole neighborhood there's not a damned thing to look at.

Except my wife, of course.

(Audience laughs)

Mrs. Adams is on the phone, you dog.

Such is the condition which prevails.

- My love, my light. - Don't sniff around me.

And give her a nasty answer. I can smell her perfume over the phone.

- What's the matter now? - I don't know, dear.

It sounds like she's in terrible pain, unless her mouth is full of candy.

Why don't you tell her to lay down?

She enjoys it more when you tell her to lay down.

- When are you going to see Mr. Hubbard? - My dear, Mr. Hubbard is not sick.

And I have better things to do than to sit there and hold his hand.

It seems to me that for ten dollars you could hold his hand.

If your son wants to play golf, tell him I am ready.

Or if he'd like to take a trip around the world for about 30 years.

(Quiet chuckle)

Why do you needle him?

He's a doctor. Women are supposed to call him up.

All I said was Mrs. Adams is on the phone.

Yeah...

- Can I have some of your parsley? - Yeah, sure, sure.

You know, Susie, you were a nurse too long.

You're just...

too... too... realistic.

(Chuckling) Now you said it.

(Joe chuckles)

Frank! The toaster... Hiya.

- Hello! - The toaster is off again.

Well, plug it in. I just fixed it.

Please, dear, fix it back like it was before.

I don't know why you can't learn

to turn on a simple thing like a toaster.

(Laughs)

- Thomas Edison. - He's really very handy.

(Chuckling)

Woo. Did the wind get your tree?

- Yeah, last night. - Oh.

- What a pity. - Yeah.

- Annie get in? - Oh, she'll be down soon.

Wait till you meet her, Sue. She's a knockout.

(Sighs) I should've been a man.

People are always introducing me to beautiful women.

Tell her to come over later.

I imagine she'd like to see what we did with her house.

- Yeah. - And, oh, thanks.

Sure.

- Hm. - Is she still unhappy, Joe?

- What, Annie? - Mm.

Well, I don't suppose she goes around dancing on her toes, but...

...she seems to be over it.

- Is she going to get married? - Oh.

Is there anybody?

I suppose... Say, it's a couple years already.

She can't mourn a boy forever.

- It's so strange. - Hm.

Annie's here, and not even married,

and I've got three babies.

I always thought it'd be the other way around.

Oh.

- Well, that's what war does. - Hm.

I had two sons, now I've got one.

It just changed all the tallies.

You know, in my day, having sons was an honor.

Today, a doctor could make a million dollars

if he could figure out a way to bring a boy into the world

without a trigger finger.

You know,

I was just reading and...

Oh! Hiya, Chris.

(Frank) Lydia, come here!

If you want the toaster to work, don't plug in the malted mixer.

Did I? (Laughs)

And next time I fix something, don't tell me I'm crazy!

Now, come in here.

I'm never going to hear the end of this one.

What's the difference? Instead of toast, have a malted!

- Shush. - (Laughs)

- Hey. - Hey.

Boy. You want the paper?

Uh... That's all right, just the book section.

(Joe chuckles)

You know, you are always reading the book section

and you never buy a book.

Huh. Yeah. I like to keep abreast of my ignorance.

- (Joe chuckles) - (Audience laughs)

(Mumbles)

- Thank you. - Yeah.

- Mm. You good? - Yeah.

Well, what is that now?

Every week a new book comes out?

Mm-hm. Yeah. Lot of new books.

All different?

(Quiet laughter in audience)

All different.

(Whistles) Boy.

Hey, is Annie up yet?

Yeah. Mother's giving her breakfast in the dining room.

Ah. (Chuckles)

You saw what happened to the tree?

- Yeah. - What's Mother going to say?

- You're finally up! - Oh! Bert's here.

(Laughs) Hey! Where's Tommy?

You know, he's got his father's thermometer again.

- He's taking a reading. - What?

But it's only oral.

(Quiet laughter in audience)

Well, there's no harm in oral.

(Chuckles)

- So what's new this morning, Bert? - Nothin'.

Well, then you couldn't have made a complete inspection of the block.

You know, in the beginning, when I first made you a policeman,

oh, you used to come in here every morning

with something new.

Now nothing's ever new.

Except some kids from Thirtieth Street.

They started kicking a can down the block and I made them go away

because you were sleeping.

Now you're thinkin', Bert. Now you're on the ball.

Ooh! First thing you know I'm liable to make you a detective.

- (Gasps) Can I see the jail now? - Oh, no, no.

Seein' the jail ain't allowed. You know that.

Oh, I betcha there isn't even a jail.

I don't see any bars on the cellar windows.

Bert, you have my word of honor there is a jail in the basement.

Well, I showed you my gun, didn't I?

But that's a hunting gun.

That is an arresting gun.

Then why don't you ever arrest anybody?

Tommy said another dirty word to Doris yesterday

and you didn't even demote him.

Ah.

That's a dangerous character, that Tommy.

What word did he use?

- Oh, I can't say that. - Well, gimme an idea.

I can't. It's... It's not a nice word.

Oh.

Well, then just whisper it in my ear.

- I'll close my eyes. - (Audience laughs)

Maybe I won't even hear it.

- I can't, Mr. Keller! - Don't make him do that.

OK, Bert, I take your word.

Now, go on out there and keep both eyes peeled, huh?

- For what? - For what?

Bert, come here.

Look here.

The whole neighborhood is depending on you.

Now, a policeman don't ask questions.

Now, go on. (Whistles) Peel them eyes.

- OK. - And Bert...

- Mum's the word. - About what?

- Well, just in general. - (Audience laughs)

Oh, and Bert, Bert, Bert, Bert, be very careful.

- OK. - OK.

Go on!

(Wheezy laugh)

(Snorts) I got all the kids crazy!

One of these days, they'll all come in here and beat your brains out.

(Laughs) Yeah...

Oh, what's she going to say, huh?

Maybe we ought to tell her before she sees it.

- Uh... She saw it. - No. How could she have seen it?

I was the first one up. She was still in bed.

No, she was out here when it broke.

When?

About four this morning.

I heard it cracking. I woke up, looked out.

She was standing right here when it cracked.

What was she doing out here four in the morning?

I... I don't know. When it cracked,

she ran back into the house and cried in the kitchen.

Oh. You talked to her?

(Laughs) No. No, no. No.

I, uh... I figured the best thing was to leave her alone.

She cried hard?

Uh-huh. Yeah, I could hear her right through the floor of my room.

What the hell was she doing out here at that hour?

Well... You know.

She's dreaming about him again, walking around at night.

I guess she is.

She's getting just like after he died.

- Oh, what's the meaning of that? - I don't know the meaning of it,

but I know one thing, Dad, we made a terrible mistake with Mother.

What?

Being dishonest with her. That always pays off,

- now it's paying off. - What do you mean, dishonest?

You know Larry's not coming back.

- I know it. - Shh!

Why do we allow her to go on thinking we believe with her?

- You want to argue with her? - I don't, but it's time she realized

that nobody believes Larry is alive anymore.

Why shouldn't she dream of him, walk the nights waiting for him?

Do we contradict her?

Do we say straight out that we have no hope anymore?

That we haven't had any hope for years now?

- You can't say that to her. - We got to say it!

- How are you going to prove it? - For God's sake. Three years?

Nobody comes back after three years. It's insane.

To you it is. And to me.

But not to her.

Now, look, you can talk yourself blue in the face,

but there's no body and there's no grave, so where are ya?

Sit down, Dad. I want to talk to you.

The trouble is the goddamn newspapers.

Every month some boy turns up from nowhere,

so: "Oh, next one's gonna be Larry."

- All right, all right, just listen to me. - Oh.

You know why I asked Annie here, don't you?

Why?

You... You know.

Well, I got an idea, but what's the story?

I'm going to ask her to marry me.

Oh, well, that's only your business.

Dad, you know it's not only my business.

What do you want me to do? You're old enough to know your own mind.

Then it's all right? I'll go ahead with it?

You just have to make sure that Mother isn't shocked.

- Then it isn't just my business. - I'm just saying!

(Mocking him) I'm just saying!

Sometimes you infuriate me, you know that?

Isn't it your business too if I tell this to Mother

and she throws a fit about it?

You have such a talent for ignoring things.

Well, I ignore what I gotta ignore.

- Look, the girl is Larry's girl. - She's not Larry's girl!

From Mother's point of view, he is not dead

and you got no right to take his girl.

Now, you can go on from there if you know where to go,

but I'm tellin' you, I don't know where to go.

You see? I don't know.

Hey, come on. What can I do for you?

I don't know why it is, but every time I reach out for something I want,

I have to pull back because other people will suffer.

My whole bloody life, time after time after time.

That is because you're a very considerate fella.

- And there's nothing wrong in that. - To hell with that.

Did you ask Annie yet, huh?

I... I wanted to get this settled first.

Well, how do you know she'll marry you?

Maybe she feels the same way Mother does.

Well, if she does, then... yeah, that's the end of it.

- Well... - (Audience laughs)

But from her letters, I think she's forgotten him. I'll find out.

And then we'll thrash it out with Mother, right? Dad?

- Don't avoid me. - The trouble is you don't see enough women!

- You never did. - So what? I'm not fast with women.

I just don't see why it has to be Annie.

Because it is!

That's a...

- No, that's a good answer. - (Audience laughs)

But, really, it don't answer anything.

I mean, you haven't seen her since you went off to war.

It's, what, five years?

I can't help it. I know her best. I was brought up next door to her.

These years when I think of someone for my wife, I think of Annie.

What do you want, a diagram?

(Soft music continues)

No, I don't want a diagram, Chris. Li... Listen.

She thinks he's coming back. Huh? No?

You marry that girl,

you are pronouncing him dead.

Now, what's going to happen to Mother?

Do you know? I don't.

- All right, then, Dad. - Give it some more thought.

Yeah, I've given it three years of thought.

I'd hoped that if I waited, Mother would forget Larry

and then we'd have a regular wedding and everything happy.

But if that can't happen here, I'll have to get out.

- What the hell is this? - I'll get married,

live someplace else, maybe New York.

- Are you crazy? - I've been a good son too long, good sucker.

- I am through with it. - You've got a business here.

- What the hell is this? - The business! The business doesn't inspire me!

Oh! Must you be inspired?

Yeah.

I like it an hour a day.

If I have to grub for money all day long,

at least at evening I want it beautiful.

I want a family, I want some kids,

I want to build something I can give myself to.

Annie is in the middle of that. Where do I find it?

Tell me something. You mean you'd leave the business?

- Yeah. On this I would. - You don't want to think like that!

- Then help me stay here. - I will, but don't think like that.

Because what the hell did I work for? It's only for you, Chris.

- The whole shootin' match is for you. - I know that, Dad!

- Just you help me stay here. - I will! But don't think that way.

I am thinking that way!

(Both grunting)

(Audience laughs)

(Chris mumbles)

(Both laugh)

Come on.

Aw, God. I don't understand you at all, do I?

No.

- You don't. - (Both chuckle)

Ow!

- I'm a pretty tough guy. - I can see that.

- Back off. - You want a piece of me?

- Joe? - Hello, Mom.

- Get away from me! - Joe!

Did you take a bag from under the sink?

Yeah, I put it in the pail.

Well, get it out of the pail. That's my potatoes.

- (Men laugh) - I thought it was garbage.

- Will you do me a favor, Joe? - Huh?

Don't be helpful.

(Chris laughs)

Shh!

Look, I can afford another bag of potatoes.

Minnie scoured that pail in boiling water last night.

It's cleaner than your teeth.

All right, and I don't understand why,

after I worked 40 years and I got a maid,

why I have to take out the garbage.

If you would make up your mind

that every bag in the kitchen isn't full of garbage,

you wouldn't be throwing out my vegetables.

Last time it was the onions.

Well, I don't like garbage in the house.

Then don't eat.

(Joe sighs)

- That settles you for today. - Yeah.

- I'm in last place once again. - Mm-hm.

You know, once upon a time, boy, I thought that when I got money again,

I'd have a maid and my wife would take it easy.

Now I got money, I got a maid,

and my wife is workin' for the maid.

- It's her day off. - Jeez!

- What are you crabbing about? - Aahh!

Hey, isn't...? Isn't Annie finished eating?

She'll be right out.

Ooh.

- The wind did some job on this place. - Yeah.

- So much for that, thank God. - Sit down, take it easy.

Uh-uh. I've got such a funny pain on the top of my head.

Can I get you an aspirin?

(Sighs)

No more roses.

It's so funny. Everything decides to happen at the same time.

This month is his birthday, his tree blows down, Annie comes.

Everything that happened seems to be coming back.

I was just down the cellar and what do I stumble over?

- Huh? - His baseball glove.

- Oh. - I haven't seen it in a century.

Don't you think Annie looks... well?

(Audience laughs)

Fine. There's no question about it. She's a beauty.

I still don't know what brought her here. Not that I'm not glad to see her.

I just thought we'd all like to see each other again.

And I wanted to see her myself.

The only thing is I think her nose got longer.

But I'll always love that girl.

She was one that didn't jump into bed with somebody else

as soon as it happened with her fella.

- Oh, what are you talking about? - Never mind. Most of them didn't wait.

I'm just glad she came so you can see I'm not completely out of my mind.

Just 'cause she isn't married doesn't mean she's been mourning Larry.

- Why, then, isn't she? - Well, could be any number of things.

Like what, for instance?

I... I... I don't know.

Whatever it is, can I get you an aspirin?

(Audience laughs)

- It's not like a headache. - You don't sleep, that's why.

She's wearing out more bedroom slippers than shoes.

I had a terrible night.

I never had a night like that.

What was it, Mom? Did you dream?

More. More than a dream.

'Bout Larry?

I was fast asleep, and...

Remember the way he used to fly low past the house when he was in training?

(Chris) Mm-hm.

When we used to see his face in the cockpit as he was going by?

That's the way I saw him.

Only high up.

Way, way up, where the clouds are.

He was so real I could reach out and touch him.

(Melancholic humming and music)

Suddenly, he started to fall.

And crying.

Crying to me: "Mom! Mom!"

I... I could hear him like he was in the room.

"Mom!"

It was his voice.

I knew if I could touch him, I could stop him.

If only...

I woke up and it was so funny,

the wind was like the roaring of his engine.

I came out here, I must've still been half asleep.

I could just hear that roaring like he was going by.

The tree snapped right in front of me and I, like, came awake.

See?

We should never have planted that tree.

I said so in the first place.

- It was too soon to plant a tree for him. - Too soon?

We rushed into it.

Everybody was in such a hurry to bury him.

I said not to plant it yet. I told you to...

The wind blew it down. What significance has that got?

What? What are you talking about?

Mother, please, don't go through it all again, will you?

It's no good.

- Huh? - (Sighs)

It doesn't accomplish anything.

Mm?

I've been thinking, maybe we ought to put our minds to forgetting him.

That's the third time you've said that this week.

Because it's not right. We never took up our lives again.

We're like at a railroad station waiting for a train that never comes in.

- Get me an aspirin. - Yeah, sure.

Sure. Let's break out of this, huh?

Mom, I thought, uh, maybe the four of us

might go out to dinner.

- A couple of nights, huh? - (Joe) Yeah.

- Maybe go dancing, huh? - (Joe laughs)

- Out at the shore. - Fine!

Huh? Fine?

(Chris laughs)

- We can do it tonight. - Swell with me.

Sure. We'll have some fun!

(Joe laughs)

You can start with that aspirin, huh?

(Joe) Aah.

- Why did he invite her here? - Oh, why does that bother you?

She's been in New York three and a half years.

- Why all of a sudden? - Well, maybe he just wanted to see her.

Nobody comes 700 miles "just to see".

What do you mean? He lived next door to that girl all his life.

Why shouldn't he want to see her again?

Oh, no, no, no. Don't you look at me that way.

He didn't tell me any more than he told you.

(Audience laughs)

- He's not going to marry her. - How do you know he's thinking of it?

It's got that about it.

- Well? So what? - Oh, what's going on here, Joe?

- Now listen, kid... - She's not his girl. She knows she's not.

- You can't read her mind. - Then why is she still single?

New York is full of men. Why isn't she married?

Probably a hundred people told her she's foolish, but she waited.

- How do you know why she waited? - She knows what I know, that's why.

She's faithful as a rock.

In my worst moments, I think of her waiting, and I know again that I'm right.

All right, but look, it's a beautiful day, huh?

What are we arguing for? Come on.

Nobody in this house dast take her faith away, Joe.

Strangers might, but not his father, not his brother.

What do you want me to do? What do you want?

I want you to act like he's coming back, both of you.

Don't think I haven't noticed you since Chris invited her.

- I won't stand for any nonsense. - Kate...

Because if he's not coming back,

then I'll kill myself.

- Oh. - Yeah, laugh.

Laugh at me. But why does that happen the very night she came back?

Laugh, but there are meanings to such things.

She goes to bed in his room and his memorial breaks in pieces?

- Look at it! Look, Joe! - All right. Calm yourself.

Believe with me, Joe! I can't stand all alone.

- Calm yourself. - Only last week

a man turned up in Detroit, missing longer than Larry.

- You read it yourself. - Alright. Calm yourself.

- You above all have got to believe. - Why me above all?

- What...? - Just don't stop believing.

No, no. What's that mean, me above all?

Mr. Keller! Say, Mr. Keller, Tommy just said it again.

- Said what? Who? - The dirty word.

Aren't you going to arrest him? I warned him.

Stop that! Go home, Bert. There's no jail here.

- Kate... - There's no jail here!

I want you to stop that jail business.

- He's right across the street. - Go home, Bert!

I want you to stop that, Joe, that whole jail business.

- Look at you. Look at you, you're shaking! - I can't help it.

What have I got to hide, Kate? What the hell is the matter with you?

I didn't say you had anything to hide.

I'm just telling you to stop it. Now, stop it.

- All right. - Hiya, Joe.

(Chris) Take a breath of that air, kid.

You never get air like that in New York.

Annie, where did you get that dress?

Oh, I couldn't resist. I'm taking it right off before I ruin it.

How's that for three weeks' salary?

Isn't she the most?

- It's gorgeous. Simply gorgeous. - (Chris) No kidding.

Isn't she the prettiest girl you ever saw?

Gained a little weight, didn't you, darling?

(Laughter)

It comes and goes.

Look how nice her legs turned out!

(Audience laughs)

Boy, the poplars got thick, didn't they?

Huh? Oh, yeah. Well, you know, it's been three years, Annie.

We're gettin' old, kid.

How does your mom like New York?

- Why'd they take our hammock away? - They didn't. It broke a couple of years ago.

What broke?

He had one of his light lunches and flopped into it.

(All laugh)

(Ann) Oh. Uh...

- Excuse me. - How do you do?

Oh, she looks very intelligent.

Ann, Ann, this is Jim, Dr. Bayliss.

Oh, sure, he, uh... He writes a lot about you.

Oh, don't believe it. He likes everybody.

In the battalion he was known as Mother McKeller.

Oh, I can believe it.

You know,

it is so strange seeing him come out of that yard.

I guess I never grew up.

It almost seems that Mom and Pop are in there now and I...

And you and my brother doing algebra, and Larry trying to copy my homework.

Gosh, those dear dead days beyond recall.

Well, I hope that doesn't mean you want me to move out?

Jim, come in here. Mr. Hubbard is on the phone.

- I told you I don't want to speak to... - Dear, please.

(Sighs) All right, Susie. All right. All right.

Ann, I've only met you, but if I may offer you a piece of advice,

when you marry, never, even in your mind,

never count your husband's money.

Jim!

At once. At once.

(Kate laughs)

I told her to take up the guitar.

It'd be a common interest for them.

Well, he loves the guitar.

Hey! Hey, hey, hey, uh...

Let's, uh... Let's eat at the shore tonight, huh?

Raise some hell like we used to before Larry went...

You think of him.

- You see? She thinks of him. - What do you mean, Kate?

Nothing, dear, just that you remember him, he's in your thoughts.

That... That is a funny thing to say. How could I help remembering him?

- Did you hang up your things? - Yeah. Say, you...

You have sure gone in for clothes.

- I could hardly find room in the closet. - No!

Don't you remember? That's Larry's room.

- Oh, you mean they're Larry's? - Didn't you recognize them?

Well, no, it never occurred to me. I mean...

- The shoes are all shined. - Yes, dear.

For so long I've been aching for a nice conversation with you, Annie.

- Tell me something. - What?

- I don't know. Something nice. - She means: "Do you go out much?"

Oh, shut up!

(Joe) "And are any of them serious?"

Oh, why don't you both choke?

I'm telling you, Annie,

you can't go into a restaurant with this woman anymore.

In five minutes, 39 strange people are sitting at the table

telling her their life story.

- If I can't ask Annie a personal question... - Askin' is all right,

but don't beat her over the head.

- You were beatin' her. - Don't let them bulldoze you.

Oh, you ask me anything you like.

What do you want to know, Kate? Come on. Come on, let's gossip.

- She's the only one is got any sense. - Ha.

- Your mother. - Mm?

She's not getting a divorce.

No. No, she's, uh... She's calmed down about it now.

I think when he gets out, they'll probably live together.

- In New York, of course. - That's fine.

Because your father's still...

I mean, he's a decent man when all is said and done.

I don't care. She can take him back if she likes.

And you? You go out much?

(Audience laughs)

You mean, am I still waiting for him?

Well, no, I don't expect you to wait for him, but...

But that is what you mean, isn't it?

Well, yeah.

Well, I'm not, Kate.

You're not?

Isn't it ridiculous? You don't really imagine...

I know, dear, but don't say that it's ridiculous, the papers are full of it.

I don't know about New York,

but there was a half a page about a man missing even longer than Larry

turned up from Burma.

Well, he couldn't have wanted to come home very badly, Mom.

- Don't be so smart. - You can have a helluva time in Burma.

So I've heard.

I'll bet you money you're the only woman in the country who, after three years...

- You're sure? - Yeah, I am.

Ha. Well, if you're sure, then you're sure.

They don't say it on the radio, but I'm sure

that in the dark at night they're still waiting for their sons.

- Mom, you're absolutely... - Don't be so damned smart! Now, stop it.

There are just a few things that you don't know. All of ya.

And I'll tell you one of them.

- Annie. - Mm?

Deep, deep in your heart...

...you've always been waiting for him.

No, Kate.

But deep in your heart, Annie.

- She ought to know, shouldn't she? - Don't let them tell you what to think.

Listen to your heart. Only your heart.

Why does your heart tell you he's alive?

Because he has to be.

But... But why, Kate?

Because certain things have to be and certain things can never be.

Like the sun has to be, has to rise.

That's why there's God. Otherwise, anything could happen.

But there's God, so certain things can never happen.

Ann, I would know.

Just like I knew the day he went into that terrible battle.

Did he write me?

Was it in the papers? No.

But that morning, I couldn't raise my head from the pillow.

Ask Joe. Suddenly, I knew. I knew!

And that day he was nearly killed.

Ann... you know I'm right.

No, Kate.

I have to have some tea.

Annie?

How are ya? Gee whiz!

- Why, Frank, you've lost so much weight! - He's got responsibility.

Gee whiz! Oh! (Chuckles)

Without Frank, the stars wouldn't know when to come out.

God, you look more womanly.

- Oh. - I mean, you have matured.

- Hey, hey, hey, Frank! - Oh.

- Take it easy, you're a married man! - (Ann laughs)

Hey, you still haberdashering?

Oh. Well, why not?

- Maybe I too can get to be president. - (Ann) Oh.

How's your brother? He got his degree, I hear.

- Oh, George has his own office now. - Don't say!

And...

And your dad, is he...?

Fine. I'll be in to see Lydia.

Wh...? How about it? Does Dad expect a parole soon?

- Oh, I really don't know. - I mean, because I feel, you know,

that if an intelligent man like your father is put in prison,

well, there ought to be a law to say either you execute him

- or let him go after a year. - Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Hey!

Hey, you want a hand with that ladder?

No, that's all right...

Oh! Sure! Um... Yeah.

Sorry. I'll get that horoscope to you tonight, Kate.

See you later, Ann.

- God, you look wonderful. - Oh.

(Whispering)

(Ann) Huh.

Haven't they stopped talking about Dad?

- Uh... Nobody talks about him anymore. - Gone and forgotten, kid.

Tell me. I don't want to meet anybody on the block if...

I don't want you to worry about it.

- Do they, uh...? - Uh.

Do they...? Do they remember the case, Joe?

Hey. Do they still talk about you?

Well, the only one who still talks about it is, uh...

- (Whistles) ...my wife. - Oh.

That's because you keep on playing policeman with the kids.

- That's true. - All their parents hear out of you

is jail, jail, jail.

Actually, what happened was that when I come home from the penitentiary,

the kids got very interested in me.

I mean, you know kids.

I became like the... the expert on the jail situation.

Ooh. But as time passed, they got it confused

and somehow I ended up a detective.

- Except they did not get it confused. - What?

He hands out police badges from the Post Toasties boxes.

To look official.

Gosh, it is wonderful to hear you laughing about it.

Why, why? What'd you expect?

Well, the last thing that I remember on this block was one word:

"murderers".

Do you...? Do you remember that, Kate?

Mrs. Hammond standing in front of our house yelling that word.

- She's still around, I suppose? - They're all still around.

Don't listen to her.

Every Saturday, the whole gang is playin' poker right here in this arbor.

Oh. All the ones who yelled "murderer" are takin' my money now.

- Oh, don't, Joe. - Yeah.

She's a sensitive girl. Don't fool her. They all still remember about Dad.

It's different for him. He was exonerated. Your father's still there.

- Listen... - That's why I wasn't so enthusiastic

about your coming.

- Listen... - Honestly, I know how sensitive you are.

- Listen... - And I told Chris, I said...

Listen, listen, listen.

You do like I did and you'll be all right.

Look, the day I come home, I get out of the car, I...

But not in front of the house. No, no. On the corner.

Oh, you should've been here, Annie, and you too, Chris. Oh!

Oh, you'd-a seen something. (Laughs)

Everybody knew I was getting out that day.

The porches were loaded.

Picture it now.

No one believed I was innocent.

The story goes that I pulled a fast one to get exonerated.

So... I get out of the car,

and I walk down the street, but...

...very slow.

And with a smile.

"Hey." (Laughs)

"Ah."

Oh.

The beast.

I was the beast.

The guy who sold cracked cylinder heads to the Army Air Force.

The guy who made 21 P-40s crash in Australia.

Kid, I'll tell you, walkin' down the street that day, boy,

I was guilty as hell.

Except I wasn't.

And there was a court paper in my pocket

to prove that I wasn't.

(Smacks lips)

So, I walked past the porches.

"Hey."

(Chuckles)

Result?

Fourteen months later, oh, boy,

I had one of the best shops in the state again!

Woo! A respected man again, bigger than ever.

(Chris) Joe McGuts!

That's the only way you lick 'em, is with guts!

(Chris) Yeah.

The worst thing you did, Annie, was move away from here.

You... You made it tough for your father when he gets out.

And that's why I tell you,

I'd like to see him move back, right on this block.

How could they move back?

It ain't gonna end till they move back.

Till... people play cards with him again.

And... And talk with him.

And... And smile with him.

You play cards with a man, you know he can't be a murderer.

And the next time you write Dad,

I want you to tell him just what I said. You hear me?

- Don't you hold anything against him? - I never believed in crucifying people.

No, but he was your partner. He dragged you through the mud.

I mean, he ain't my sweetheart, but you gotta forgive, don't you?

- You either, Kate? You don't feel...? - The next time you write Dad...

- No, I don't write him. - I mean, every now and then...

I've never written. Neither has my brother. Do you feel this way too?

- He murdered 21 pilots. - What the hell kinda talk is that?

What else can you say about him?

When they took him away, I followed him.

I went to him every visiting day. I was crying all the time.

Until the news came about Larry.

Then I realized it is... it is wrong to pity a man like that.

Father or no father, there is only one way to look at him.

He knowingly shipped out parts that would crash an airplane.

How do you know Larry wasn't one of them?

- No. - I was waiting for that.

As long as you're here, Annie,

I want to ask you to never say that again.

You... You surprise me. I thought you'd be mad at him.

What your father did had nothing to do with Larry. Nothing.

- We can't know that. - As long as you're here. Put it out of your head!

- 'Cause remember... - That's all, enough.

Come inside have some tea with me.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah. But Annie... - He's not dead!

- So there's no argument. Now, come! - In a minute!

- Now look, Annie, you gotta remember... - All right. Stop that, Dad.

No, no, no, no.

- She doesn't feel that way! - I'm sick of the whole subject.

- You want her to go on like that? - Cut it out!

Those cylinder heads went into P-40s only.

What's the matter with you? You know Larry never flew a P-40.

So... So, who flew those P-40s?

Uh... Pigs?

The man was a fool, but don't you make a murderer out of him.

What, you got no sense? Look what it does to her!

Listen, you gotta appreciate what was doin' in that shop in the war.

The both of ya. It was a madhouse!

Every 30 minutes the major callin' for cylinder heads!

They were whippin' us with the telephone!

The trucks were hauling 'em away hot, damn near.

I mean, just try to see it human.

See it human.

So, all of a sudden, a batch come out with a crack?

That happens, that's the business.

Just a... a fine, hairline crack.

All right, so... so he's a little man, your father.

Always scared of loud voices.

"Oh! What'll the major say?"

"Half a day's production shot. What'll I say?"

You know what I mean? Human. Human.

So, he... He takes out his tools

and he covers over the cracks.

OK, that's bad, it's wrong.

But that is what a little man does.

Now, if I could have gone in that day, I'd have told him:

"Junk 'em, Steve, we can afford it."

But alone he was afraid.

But I know he didn't mean no harm.

He believed they'd hold up, a hundred percent!

Now, that's a mistake, but it ain't murder.

And you mustn't feel that way about him. That ain't right.

- Joe, let's forget it. - No. Come here. Listen.

The day the news came about Larry

he was in the cell next to mine, Dad.

And he cried, Annie.

- He cried half the night. - Mm.

He shoulda cried all night.

- Why do you wanna do that? - Are you gonna stop?

(Ann) Don't!

Don't yell at him. He just...

Oh, he, uh... He just wants everybody happy.

- Right? - Yeah, that's my sentiments.

(Mumbles) Aw.

Hey. Oh, oh, oh. Hey.

Can you stand steak?

- Ha! - Huh?

Huh? Huh?

- And champagne. - Now you're operatin'!

OK. I'm gonna call Swanson's and get ourselves a table.

We have got a big night tonight, Annie!

Can't scare me.

Ooh, I like that girl. Wrap her up.

- (Ann) Ha. - (Joe chuckles)

- You know, you got nice legs, Annie. - Joe!

Sorry! I want to see everybody drunk tonight.

Look at him, he's blushin'.

- All right. Drink your tea, Casanova. - (Laughing) OK.

Isn't he a great guy?

Ha.

You are the only one I know who loves his parents.

(Laughs)

- I know. - Hm.

It went out of style, didn't it?

It's all right. It's a good thing.

(Soft instrumental music)

You know, it is lovely here. The, uh... The air is sweet.

You're, uh... You're not sorry you came?

Not sorry, no, but... I'm not going to stay.

What? Why?

In the first place, your mother as much as told me to go.

- Well... - You saw that. And then you...

- You've been kind of... - What?

Well...

kind of embarrassed ever since I got here.

I... The... The trouble is

I planned on kind of...

sneaking up on you over a period of a week or so.

But they take it for granted that we're all set.

Oh, I knew they would. Your mother anyway.

How did you know?

From her point of view, why else would I come?

Well...

Would you want to?

I guess you know this is why I asked you to come.

I guess this is why I came.

(Audience laughs)

Uh... Annie, Annie.

I love you.

I love you.

A great deal.

I love you.

I have no imagination, that's all.

I... I... I know to tell you...

I'm embarrassing you, I... I didn't want to tell it to you here.

I wanted some place we'd never been before,

a place where we'd be brand new to each other.

You feel it's wrong here, don't you? This... This yard.

I want you to be ready for me.

I don't want to win you away from anything.

(Ann) Oh.

(Clears her throat)

Chris, I've been ready a long, long time.

Then he's gone.

Forever. You're...? You're sure?

I almost got married two years ago.

What...? What...? Why didn't you?

You started to write me.

You...? You felt something that far back?

Every day since!

Annie, why didn't you let me know?

I was waiting for you, Chris.

Till then, you never wrote. And when you did, what did you say?

God, you sure can be ambiguous, you know?

Well, give me a kiss.

(Quiet laughter in audience)

Annie.

Give me a...

(Soft music continues)

(Audience laughs)

God.

I kissed you, Annie.

I kissed Annie.

How long, how long I've been waiting to kiss you.

I will never forgive you. Why did you wait all these years?

All I've done is sit and wonder if I was crazy for thinking of you.

No, Annie, Annie, Annie. We're going to live now.

- Oh. - I'm going to make you so happy.

(Audience laughs)

Not like that you're not.

- I kissed you. - Mm.

Like Larry's brother.

Do it...

Do it like you, Chris.

What is it, Chris?

I... Let's drive some place. I want to be alone with you.

No. What is it, Chris? Is it your mother?

- No, nothing like that. - Then what's wrong?

Even in your letters, there was something... ashamed.

Yeah. I suppose I have been. But it's going from me.

- You got to tell me. - I don't know how to start.

- It would never work this way. - It's all mixed up with so many other things.

You remember, overseas, I was in command of a company?

Yeah, sure.

Well, I lost them.

How many?

- Just about all. - Oh, gee.

Yeah, it takes a little time to... toss that off

because they weren't just men.

For instance, um...

One time, it'd been raining several days

and this kid came to me,

and... and he gave me his last pair of dry socks.

- Ha. - He just put them in my pocket.

It's only a little thing, but... that's the kind of guys I had,

they didn't die, they... killed themselves for each other.

I mean that exactly.

A little more selfish and they'd have been here today.

And I... I got an idea

watching them go down.

Everything was... was being destroyed, see,

but it seemed to me that one new thing was made,

a kind of a... a responsibility.

Man for man. You understand me?

To show that,

to bring that onto the earth again

like some kind of a monument

and everyone would feel it standing there, behind him,

and it would make a difference to him.

And then I came home

and it was... incredible.

I... There was no meaning in it here.

The whole thing to them was a kind of a bus accident.

I went to work with Dad, and that rat race again.

And I felt... Uh...

What you said, ashamed somehow

'cause... 'cause nobody was changed!

Like, at all! It seemed to make suckers out of a lot of guys.

I felt wrong to be alive, to open the bankbook,

to drive a new car, to see a new refrigerator.

You can take those things out of a war,

but when you drive that car, you've got to know that it came

out of the love a man can have for a man.

You've got to be a little better because of that.

Otherwise, what you have is really...

...loot.

And there's blood on it.

I didn't want to take any of it.

And I guess that included you.

Hm.

And you still feel that way?

I want you now, Annie.

Because you mustn't feel that way anymore.

Because you... you have a right to whatever you have.

Everything, Chris. You understand that?

Hey. To me too.

And, uh... And the money?

There is nothing wrong in your money.

Your father put hundreds of planes in the air.

You should be proud.

A man should be paid for that.

Oh, Annie.

Yeah?

Annie, I'm going to make a fortune for you.

What'll I do with a fortune?

Annie, your brother's... Oh, sheesh!

(Audience laughs)

What is this, Labor Day?

- All right, all right. - You shouldn't burst out like that!

- No one told me it was Labor Day. - All right! You said it once.

- Where are the hot dogs? - (Chris) Oh, my God.

As long as I know it's Labor Day,

from now on, I'll just wear a bell around my neck.

- Oh, he's so subtle. - George Bernard Shaw as an elephant.

It's George. You kissed it out of my head. Your brother's on the phone.

- My brother? - Yeah, George. Long-distance.

What's the matter? Is anything wrong?

I don't know, Kate is talking to him. Hurry, she'll cost him five dollars.

Yeah. Oh. Hey, hey. I wonder if we ought to tell your mother yet.

I mean, I'm not very good in an argument.

We'll wait till tonight.

After dinner. Don't get tense.

I... Oh. Leave it to me.

- What are you gonna tell her? - Go, go, go! Go ahead, Ann.

(Quiet laughter in audience)

We're getting married, Dad.

Ah.

Well, don't you say anything?

Oh, God. Oh. No, I'm...

I'm glad for you, Chris.

Yeah. It's... It's just that, uh...

George, he's calling from Columbus.

- Columbus? - Yeah.

Now, did Annie tell you that her brother was going to see his father today?

Uh... No. No. I don't think she knew anything about it.

Chris, you... you think you know her pretty good?

- What kind of a question...? - No, I'm just wondering, see.

'Cause all these years George don't go see his father.

Suddenly he goes, she comes here.

Uh...

Well, what about it?

I mean, it's crazy, but it does come to my mind.

You don't think she holds nothin' against me, do you?

- I don't know what you're talking about. - No. I'm just... talkin'.

To his last last day in court, the man blamed it all on me.

And this is his daughter.

I mean, if she was sent here to find out something...

Why? What is there to find out?

Why are you so excited, George? What happened there?

If they want to open up the case again for the nuisance value, to hurt us.

Dad, how could you think that of her?

- It couldn't be, huh? - Dad!

- All right. - You amaze me.

- OK, forget it. - Come on.

Hey! Come on! Hey!

I want a clean start for you, Chris. OK? Oh. Ooh.

I'm gonna put a new sign over the plant:

Christopher Keller, Incorporated.

"J. O. Keller" is good enough.

We'll talk about it, eh?

(Both chuckle)

I'm going to build you a house.

Stone, with a... With a driveway from the road.

I want you to spread out, Chris, I want you to use what I made for you.

I mean, with joy. Without shame. With joy.

(Somber music)

I will, Dad.

All right. Would you just say it to me?

Why?

Because sometimes I think you're ashamed of the money.

- No, don't feel that. - It's good money.

There's nothing wrong with that money.

- I don't need you to tell me this. - All right. Yeah.

And I'm going to work on Mother for you, OK?

We will get her so drunk tonight, oh, boy,

we'll all get married.

Hey.

There's gonna be a wedding, kid.

(Chuckling) Ooh!

Like there never was seen.

With champagne and tuxedos!

Simply because when you get excited you don't control yourself.

Well, what did Dad tell you, for God's sake?

All right, come, then.

Yeah, they'll all be here.

No. Nobody is running away from you.

And... And try to get hold of yourself, will you?

All right.

All right. Goodbye.

(Somber music continues)

- (Chris) Something happen? - He's coming here, then, huh?

On the seven o'clock. He's in Columbus. I told him that would be all right.

Yeah, yeah, sure. So... So, what, your dad took sick or...?

Oh, no, no, George didn't say he was sick. I, um...

I don't know. I don't know. I suppose it's something stupid.

- You know my brother. Right? - Yeah. Oh, yeah!

(Awkward laughter)

Um... Hey, let's, uh... Let's go for a drive or something.

Oh. Oh. Ooh. Uh, sure. I'll get the keys, Dad.

(Kate) Drive through the park. It's beautiful now.

- See ya. - Be back right away.

No, take your time, huh.

(Joe chuckles)

(Joe sniffs)

So, what did George want, huh?

He's been in Columbus since this morning with Steve.

He's gotta see Annie right away, he says.

- Oh? What for? - I don't know.

- He's a lawyer now, Joe. - Yeah.

George is a lawyer. All these years he never even sent a postcard to Steve.

Since he got back from the war.

- Not a postcard. - So what?

Suddenly he takes an airplane from New York to see him?

- An airplane? - Well? So?

- Why? - Well, I don't read minds. Do you?

Why, Joe?

What has Steve suddenly got to tell him that he has to take an airplane to see him?

What do I care what Steve's got to tell him?

- You're sure, Joe? - Yeah, I'm sure.

- Ha. Be smart now, Joe. - Oh, please.

The boy is coming. Be smart.

Did you hear what I said? Once and for all, I'm sure.

- All right, Joe. - (Laughing) Jeez!

Just be smart.

(♪ Johnny Cash: "God's Gonna Cut You Down")

♪ You can run on for a long time

♪ Run on for a long time

♪ Run on for a long time

♪ Sooner or later God'll cut you down

♪ Sooner or later God'll cut you down

♪ Go tell that long-tongue liar

♪ Go and tell that midnight rider

♪ Tell the rambler the gambler, the back-biter

♪ Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down

♪ Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down

♪ Well, my goodness gracious let me tell you the news

♪ My head's been wet with the midnight dew

♪ I've been down on bended knee

♪ Talkin' to the man from Galilee ♪

You notice there's more light with that thing gone.

Why aren't you dressing?

It's suffocating upstairs.

I made a grape drink for Georgie. He always loved grape.

- Come on, have some. - Well, come on, get dressed.

And what's Dad sleeping so much for?

He's worried.

When he's worried he sleeps.

- We're dumb, Chris. - What?

Dad and I are stupid people. We don't know anything.

You have got to protect us.

You're silly. What's there to be afraid of?

To his last day in court,

Steve never gave up the idea that Dad made him do it.

If they open up the case again, I won't live through it.

George is just a damn fool, Mom. How can you take him seriously?

That family hates us!

- Maybe even Annie. - Oh, come on!

You think because you like everybody, they like you?

All right, stop working yourself up. Just leave everything to me.

When George goes home, tell her to go with him.

Don't worry about Annie.

- Steve's her father too! - Are you going to cut it out?

You just don't realize how people can hate, Chris.

They can hate so much they'll tear the world to pieces.

Look, look, look. She's dressed already.

I just got to put on a shirt.

- Are you feeling well, Kate? - What's the difference, dear?

There are certain people, you know,

the sicker they get, the longer they live.

- You look nice. - We're going to tell her tonight.

- Absolutely, don't worry. - I wish we could tell her now.

I can't stand scheming. My stomach gets hard.

It's not scheming, we'll get her in a better mood.

(Kate) Joe! Are you going to sleep all day?

The only one who's relaxed is your father. He's fast asleep.

- I'm relaxed. - Are you?

Mm-hm.

Look.

Let me know when George gets here.

(Slow intriguing music)

- Is my husband...? - (Gasps) Oh!

- Oh, God. - I am terribly sorry. Oh.

It's all right. Ooh.

Oh.

I'm a... I'm a little silly about the dark.

- It is getting dark. - Are you looking for your husband?

As usual. He spends so much time here, they'll be charging him rent.

Oh. Nobody was dressed, so he drove over to the depot to pick up my brother.

Oh, your brother's in?

Yeah, they ought to be here any minute now.

Oh, my husband. Too hot to drive me to the beach.

Men are like little boys.

For the neighbors, they'll always cut the grass.

People like to do things for the Kellers. It's been that way since I can remember.

It's amazing.

I guess your brother's coming to give you away, huh?

Uh... I don't know. I suppose.

You must be all nerved up.

It is always a problem getting yourself married, isn't it?

Depends on your shape, of course.

I don't see why you should have had a problem.

- Oh. I've had chances. - I'll bet.

- It's romantic. - Oh.

It is very unusual to me, marrying the brother of your sweetheart.

I don't know.

I think it's mostly, uh...

Whenever I need somebody to tell me the truth,

- I have always thought of Chris. - Mm.

When he tells you something, you know it's so. He...

- Oh. He relaxes me. - And he's got money. That's important, you know.

- It wouldn't matter to me. - You'd be surprised.

It makes all the difference.

I married an intern. On my salary.

That was bad.

As soon as a woman supports a man, he owes her something.

You can never owe somebody without resenting them.

Mm. It's true, you know.

Well, underneath, I think the doctor is very devoted.

Oh, certainly.

But it's bad when a man always sees the bars in front of him.

- Jim thinks he's in jail all the time. - Oh.

That's why I've been intending to ask you a small favor, Ann.

It's something very important to me.

(Ann mumbles)

Certainly, if I can do it.

- You can. - Hm.

When you take up housekeeping, try to find a place away from here.

- Are you fooling? - I'm very serious.

My husband is unhappy with Chris around.

- How is that? - Jim is a successful doctor.

But... Look, he's got an idea he'd like to do medical research...

- Discover things. See? - Well, isn't that good?

Research pays 25 dollars a week. Minus laundering the hair shirt.

- You got to give up your life to go into it. - How does Chris...?

Chris makes people want to be better than it is possible to be.

- Yep. He does that to people. - Is that bad?

My husband has a family, dear.

Every time he has a session with Chris, he feels he's compromising

by not giving up everything for research.

As though Chris or anybody else isn't compromising.

It happens with Jim every couple of years.

He meets a man, he makes a statue out of him.

Maybe he is right. I don't mean Chris is a statue...

- Darling, you know he's not right. - I don't agree with you. Chris...

Let's face it, dear. Chris is working with his father, isn't he?

He's taking money out of that business every week of the year.

- What of it? - You ask me what of it?

I certainly do ask you.

You oughtn't cast aspersions like that. I am surprised at you.

You're surprised at me.

He would never take five cents out of that plant if there was anything wrong in it.

- You know that? - I know it. I resent everything you've said.

- You know what I resent, dear? - I don't want to argue.

I resent living next door to the holy family!

- It makes me look like a bum, you understand? - I can't do anything about that.

Who is he to ruin a man's life?

Everybody knows Joe pulled a fast one to get out of jail.

- That is not true! - Why don't you go out and talk to people?

Go on. There is not a person on the block that doesn't know the truth.

That's a lie. People come here all the time for cards.

So what? They give him credit for being smart!

I do too. Look, I've got nothing against Joe.

But if Chris wants people to put on the hair shirt,

let him take off his broadcloth.

He's driving my husband crazy with that phony idealism of his!

I'm at the end of my rope on it!

- (Sue) Hello, darling. How's Mother?

- I thought George came. - No, it was just us.

Huh. Uh, do me a favor, huh, Susie.

Go up to Mother and see if you can calm her. She's all worked up.

She still doesn't know about you two?

(Awkward laugh) She senses it.

- I guess. You know my mother. - Oh, yeah, she's psychic.

Yeah. Maybe there's something in the medicine chest.

I'll give her one of everything. And hey, don't worry about Kate.

Couple of drinks, dance her around a little,

she will love Ann.

'Cause you're the female version of him.

Don't be alarmed.

I said "version".

Interesting woman, isn't she?

Yeah, she is very interesting.

- She's a great nurse, you know, she... - Are you still doing that?

Doing what?

As soon as you get to know somebody, you find a distinction for them.

- How do you know she's a great nurse? - What's the matter?

Chris, that woman hates you. She despises you.

What hits you?

- What happened here? - Why didn't you tell me?

- Tell you what? - She says they think Joe is guilty?

- What difference does it make? - No. I don't care what they think.

I just don't understand why you took the trouble to deny it.

You said it was all forgotten.

I didn't want you to feel there was anything wrong in you coming here, that's all.

I know a lot of people think my father was guilty.

I assumed there might be some question in your mind.

- I never once said I suspected him. - Nobody says it.

Chris, I know how much you love him, but...

Do you think I could forgive him if he'd done that?

I am not here out of a blue sky, Chris.

I turned my back on my father. If there's anything wrong...

I know that, Ann!

Oh.

George is coming from Dad, and I don't think it's with a blessing.

He's welcome. You got nothing to fear from George.

- All right. Tell me that. Just tell me that. - The man is innocent!

Remember, he was falsely accused once and it put him through hell.

How would you behave if you were faced with the same thing again, hm?

Annie, believe me, there's nothing wrong for you here.

Believe me... kid.

- Aw. - Hm?

All right.

- All right? - (Chuckles)

All right, Chris.

(Audience laughs)

Every time I come out here it looks like Playland!

- I thought you were going to shave. - In a minute. I just woke up.

- I can't see nothin'. - You look shaved.

Huh? Oh, no, no.

Gotta be extra special tonight. Big time tonight, Annie!

(Laughs) So, tell me.

How does it feel to be a married woman?

Well... I don't know yet.

What's the matter, you slippin'?

Oh, the great roué.

- What is that, roué? - It's French.

- Mm-hm. - Don't talk dirty!

(Chuckles) You ever meet a bigger ignoramus?

- Somebody's got to make a living! - Oh, that's telling him.

I don't know.

Everybody's gettin' so goddamn educated in this country

there'll be nobody to take away the garbage.

It's gettin' so the only dumb ones left are the bosses.

- Ah, you're not so dumb, Joe. - I know, but...

You go into our plant, for instance, and...

I got so many lieutenants and majors and colonels

I'm ashamed to ask somebody to sweep the floor.

I gotta be careful I'll insult somebody. Ooh.

No, no kiddin'. It's a tragedy.

You stand on a street today and spit, you're gonna hit a college man.

Then... don't spit?

(Joe grunts)

I mean to say it's comin' to a pass, huh?

Yeah, Annie, I've been thinkin' about George.

I've been thinking about your brother George.

When he comes, I'd like you to brooch something to him.

(Laughs) It's "broach".

- What's the matter with brooch? - It's not... English.

(Quiet laughter)

When I went to night school it was brooch!

Well, in day school it's "broach".

Hey, don't surround me, will you?

Agh. But seriously, Annie,

you say he's not well, George?

And I've been thinkin',

why should he knock himself out in New York

with that strict competition

when... when... when I got so many friends here?

I'm very friendly with some big lawyers here in town.

- I could set George up here. - That is awfully nice of you, Joe.

Yeah. Well, look, it ain't nice of me. Uh...

I want you to understand me. I'm... I'm thinking of Chris.

It's... Well...

See? This is what I mean. Um...

You get older

and you want to feel that you accomplished something.

My only accomplishment is my son.

I ain't brainy.

That's all I accomplished.

Now, a year, 18 months from now,

your father will be a free man.

Who is he going to come to, Annie? His baby. You.

He will. He'll come, old and mad, into your house.

That can't matter anymore, Joe.

Well, I just don't want that hate to come between us.

No. I can only tell you that could never happen.

Aw.

You're in love now, Annie.

But believe me, I'm older than you and I know.

(Audience laughs)

A daughter is a daughter, and a father is a father.

And it could happen.

Now, I'd like you and George to go to him in prison and tell him:

"Dad, Joe wants to bring you into the business when you get out."

You would have him as a partner?

No! No partner.

Just a good job.

I want him to know, Annie, while he's sitting there...

I want him to know that when he gets out

he has got a place waitin' for him.

- It'll take his bitterness away. - Huh.

To know you got a place...

Oh, it just sweetens you.

Joe, you owe him nothing!

I owe him a good kick in the teeth, but he's your father.

Then kick him in the teeth. No, I don't want him in the plant.

So that's that. You understand me?

Abs besides, don't talk about him like that. People will misunderstand you.

I don't understand why she has to crucify the man.

- What's it to you? - No, no! A father is a father!

(Slow instrumental music)

Oh, sheesh, yeah. I better shave.

Look, I... I didn't mean to yell at you, Annie.

Let's forget the whole thing, Joe.

- Right. - Right.

Oh, she is likable.

- Shave, will you? - Oh. Right again. Yep.

I forgot all about it. Hiya!

I promised to fix Kate's hair for tonight.

Did she comb it yet?

- Always with a smile, hey, Lydia? - Sure, why not?

Yeah. Come on up and comb my Katie's hair.

She's got a big night, make her beautiful.

- I will. - (Both chuckle)

Ooh. You know what?

That could be a song.

♪ Oh, come on up and comb my Katie's hair

♪ Oh, come on up 'cause she's my lady fair ♪

Ooh. How's that for one year of night school?

Huh?

Hello?

(Audience laughs)

(Ann) Hey. Hey.

- What's the matter? Where is he? - Where's your mother?

- Uh... Upstairs, dressing. - What happened to George?

I asked him to wait in the car. Listen to me now.

- Can you take some advice? - Uh-huh.

Don't bring him in here.

- Why? - Kate is in bad shape.

You can't explode this in front of her.

- Explode what? - You know why he's here.

Don't try to kid it away. There's blood in his eye.

Just drive him somewhere and talk to him alone.

Don't be an old lady.

He's come to take her home.

Ah. What does that mean? You know what that means, huh?

Fight it out with him someplace else.

- I'll drive him somewhere. - No.

- Will you stop being an idiot? - Nobody's afraid of him! Cut that out!

(Sinister ticking)

(Chris) Uh...

Helluva way to do. What're you sitting out there for?

Doctor said your mother isn't well.

(Chris) So what? She'd want to see you, wouldn't she?

We've been waiting for you all afternoon.

(Ann) Oh, this is filthy. Didn't you bring another shirt?

- How about the beach, Jim? - Oh, it's too hot to drive.

How did you get to the station, Zeppelin?

This is, uh, Mrs. Bayliss, George.

Geo... George!

(Chris) Uh... Mrs. Bayliss. (Sue) How do you do?

You're the people who bought our house, aren't you?

That's right. Come and see what we did with it before you leave.

I liked it the way it was.

He's frank, isn't he?

- I'll see you later. Take it easy, fella. - (Chris) Yeah, thanks for driving him.

(Ticking continues)

How about some grape juice, George?

Mother made it especially for you.

Good old Kate, remembered my grape juice.

You drank enough of it in this house. (Chuckles)

Uh... How've you been, George?

- Sit down. - It takes me a minute.

Just...

Seems impossible.

- What? - That I'm back here.

Say, you've gotten a little nervous, haven't you?

Well, yeah.

Toward the end of the day.

What are you, big executive now, huh?

Uh... Kind of medium.

How's the law?

I don't know.

When I was studying in the hospital, it seemed sensible,

but outside there doesn't seem to be much of a law.

- The trees got thick, didn't they? - (Ann) Uh...

What's that?

Oh. Uh, blew down last night. We had it there for Larry, you know.

Why? Afraid you'll forget him?

- Kind of a remark is that? - Hey! When did you start wearing a hat?

Today.

From now on, I decided to look like a lawyer, anyway.

- Don't you recognize it? - Why? Where...?

Your father's. He asked me to wear it.

How is he?

He got smaller.

- Smaller? - Yeah. Little.

He's a little man.

That's what happens to suckers. It's good I went to him in time.

Another year, there'd be nothing left but his smell.

What's the matter? What's the trouble?

(George laughs)

- The trouble? - Yeah.

All right, the trouble is

when you make suckers out of people once, you shouldn't try and do it twice.

- What does that mean? - You're not married yet, are you?

- George, will you sit down and... - Are you married yet?

- No, I'm not married yet. - You're not going to marry him.

- Why am I not going to marry him? - Because his father destroyed your family.

- Look, George... - Cut it short, Chris.

Tell her to come home with me. Let's not argue.

- You know what I've got to say. - You don't want to be the voice of God.

That's been your trouble all your life, George, you dive into things.

What kind of a statement is that to make? You're a big boy now.

- I'm a big boy now? - Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- Huh? - Don't come bulling in here.

If you've got something to say, be civilized about it.

Don't civilize me!

Are you going to talk like a grown man or aren't you?

Hey, don't! Don't be angry. Now, what is the matter?

Huh? Georgie, what happened? You kissed me when I left you and now...

My life turned upside down since then!

I couldn't go back to work when you left!

I wanted to go to Dad, to tell him you were going to be married.

It seemed impossible not to tell him. He loved you so much.

Annie, we did a terrible thing. We can never be forgiven.

Not even to send him a card at Christmas.

I didn't see him once since I got home from the war.

Annie, you don't know what was done to that man. You don't know what happened.

- Of course I know! - You can't know! You wouldn't be here!

Dad came to work that day.

The night foreman showed him the cylinder heads.

They were coming out of the process with defects. There was something wrong with the process.

Dad went directly to the phone, called here, and told Joe to come down right away.

But the morning passed. No sign of Joe. So Dad called again.

By this time, he had over a hundred defectives.

The Army was screaming for stuff and Dad didn't have anything to ship,

so Joe told him on the phone, he told him to, uh, weld,

cover up the cracks in any way he could and ship them out.

- Are you through now? - No! No, I'm not through now!

Dad was afraid.

He wanted Joe there if he was going to do it,

but Joe can't come down, he's sick.

Right? Sick. He suddenly gets the flu. Suddenly.

But he promised to take responsibility. Do you understand what I'm saying?

On the telephone, you can't have responsibility.

In a court, you can always deny a phone call and that's exactly what he did.

They knew he was a liar the first time,

but in the appeal, they believed that rotten lie

and now Joe is a big shot and your father is the patsy.

Now, what are you going to do?

Eat his food? Sleep in his bed? Huh? Answer me. What are you going to do?

- What're you going to do, George? - He's too smart for me, I can't prove a phone call.

- How dare you come in here with that rot? - George, the court...

The court didn't know your father!

But you know him. You know in your heart Joe did it!

- Lower your voice or I'll throw you out! - She knows! She knows!

- Get him out of here! - Georgie, I know everything you've said. OK?

- Dad, he told that whole thing in court. - The court did not know him, Annie!

But Georgie, he will say anything, OK? You know how quick he can lie!

I'll ask you something, and look me in the eye when you answer me.

- I'll look you in the eye. - You know your father.

- I know him well. - And he's the kind of boss

to let 121 cylinder heads

be repaired and shipped out of his shop without even knowing about it?

- He's that kind of boss. - The same Joe Keller who never left his shop

without first going around to see all the lights were out.

The same Joe Keller.

The man who knows how many minutes his workers spend in the toilet.

- The same man. - And my father, that frightened mouse

who'd never buy a shirt without somebody along

would dare do such a thing on his own?

On his own, and because he's a frightened mouse,

this is another thing he'd do, throw the blame on somebody else!

He's not man enough to take it himself!

He tried it. In court!

It didn't work, but with a fool like you it works!

- Oh, Chris, you're a liar to yourself! - Don't talk like that!

Tell me, George, what happened?

The court record was good enough for you all these years.

Why isn't it good now? Huh? Why did you believe it all these years?

Because you believed it.

(Ticking stops)

That's the truth, Chris.

I believed everything because I thought you did.

But today I heard it from his mouth.

From his mouth it's altogether different than the record.

Anyone who knows him and knows your father

will believe it from his mouth.

Your Dad took everything we have!

I can't beat that.

But she's one item he's not going to grab.

Get your things. Everything they have is covered with blood.

You're not the kind of a girl who can live with that. Get your things.

Annie, you're not going to believe that, are you?

- You know it's not true, don't you? - How can he tell you? It's his father!

None of these things ever cross your mind?

Yeah, it crossed my mind because anything can cross your mind!

- He knows, Annie! He knows! - Oh, the voice of God!

Then why isn't your name on the business? Explain that to me.

What the hell is that got to do with it? Even when I don't own it?

Who are you kidding? Who gets it when he dies?

- Huh? - So?

Open your eyes. You know the both of them.

Isn't that the first thing they'd do, the way they love each other?

J. O. Keller & Son.

Huh?

No. I'll settle it. Do you want to settle it or are you afraid to?

- What do you mean? - Let me go up and talk to your father.

In ten minutes you'll have the answer. Are you afraid of the answer?

I'm not afraid of the answer. I know the answer.

But my mother isn't well.

- I don't want to fight here. - Let me go to him.

Hey, no! You're not going to start a fight here now!

- What more do you want? - Someone's coming.

- You won't say anything now. - You'll go soon. I'll call a cab.

- You're coming with me. - Don't mention marriage. We haven't told her yet.

- You're coming with me! - You understand? Georgie, please don't.

You are not going to start anything here now!

- Annie. - (Kate) Georgie!

(Soft music)

Georgie. Aw.

- Georgie. - Hey.

- Aw. - Hey.

- Hello, Kate. - Georgie. Aw.

They made an old man out of you.

- Huh? - Look, you're gray.

Oh, I know.

Oh. I told you when you went away, don't try for medals.

I didn't try, Kate. They made it very easy for me.

Oh, go on. You're all alike.

Look at him. I thought you said he was fine.

- He looks like a ghost. - I feel all right.

I'm sick to look at ya.

What's the matter with your mother? Why don't she feed you?

Oh, he just hasn't any appetite.

If he ate in my house, he'd have an appetite.

I pity your husband.

Sit down. I'll make you a sandwich.

Oh, I'm really not hungry.

Honest to God, it breaks my heart to see what happened to all the children.

How we worked and planned for ya.

- Hm. - And you end up no better than us.

Oh, you... You haven't changed at all, you know that, Kate?

None of us changed, Georgie. We all love you.

Joe was just talking about the day you were born

and the water got shut off.

People were carrying basins from a block away.

A stranger would have thought the whole neighborhood was on fire.

(Ann laughs)

Why didn't you give him some juice?

- Oh, I offered it to him. - You offered it to him.

Give it to him.

(Quiet laughter in audience)

- And now you're going to sit here... - What? Oh.

...drink some juice and look like something.

Oh, Kate, I feel hungry already.

Yeah, she could turn, uh, Mahatma Gandhi into a heavyweight.

Listen, to hell with the restaurant.

I got a ham in the icebox, and frozen strawberries, and avocados.

Train leaves at 8:30, Ann.

- You're leaving? - No, Mom, she's not leaving.

You hardly got here. Just give yourself a chance to get acquainted again.

Yeah, sure, you don't even know us anymore.

Well, if they can't stay, don't...

- It's just a question of George... - Now wait a minute, Chris.

Hey, hey! If you want to go, I'll drive you to the station now.

But if you're staying, no arguments while you're here.

Well, why should he argue?

Georgie and us have got no arguments.

How can we have an argument, Georgie? We all got hit by the same lightning.

How can you...?

(Soft music continues)

Did you see what happened to Larry's tree?

- Yeah. - Imagine.

While I'm dreaming of him in the middle of the night,

- the wind comes along and... - Hey.

Georgie.

Georgie, Georgie, Georgie, Georgie, Georgie.

Hello, Laughy.

What'd you do, grow?

- I'm a big girl now. - Look what she can do to a hat.

- Did you make that? - In ten minutes.

- I only rearranged it. - (George) Still make your own clothes?

Ain't she classy? All she needs now is a Russian wolfhound.

- Feels like somebody's sitting on my head. - Oh, no, it's beautiful, Kate.

She's a genius. You should've married her. This one can feed you.

- Stop that, Kate. - Didn't I hear you had a baby?

Oh, you didn't hear so good. She got three babies.

Ah.

No kidding. Three.

- Yeah. - (George chuckles)

Yeah, it was one.

Two, three.

- You've been away a long time, Georgie. - I'm beginning to realize.

The trouble with you kids is you think too much.

Well, we think too.

- Yeah, but not all the time. - They never took Frank, huh?

(Soft music continues)

No, he was, uh, always one year ahead of the draft.

It's amazing. When they were calling boys 27, Frank was just 28.

When they made it 28, he was just 29.

That's why he took up astrology.

It's all in when you were born, it goes to show.

What does it go to show?

Don't be so intelligent!

(Audience laughs)

Some superstitions are very nice!

Did he finish Larry's horoscope?

I'll go ask him now. I'm going in.

Um...

Would you... like to come see my babies?

Come on.

I don't think so, Lydia.

All right.

(George) Oh.

(Clears her throat)

Uh, good luck to you, George.

Yeah. Thank you. And to you.

(Soft music continues)

- And Frank. - Oh.

- Frank. - Yeah.

- She got pretty, eh? - Yeah, very pretty.

Oh, she's beautiful, you damned fool!

She makes it seem so nice around here.

Look what happened because you wouldn't listen to me.

- Huh? - I told you to marry that girl

and stay out of the war.

- She used to laugh too much. - And you didn't laugh enough.

While you were getting all mad about fascism,

Frank was getting into her bed.

- He won the war, Frank. - All the battles.

I told you, Georgie, when they started the draft,

that you loved that girl.

- (Chris) And truer love hath no man. - I'm smarter than any of yous.

- (George) She's wonderful. - And now you're going to listen to me.

You had big principles.

- Eagle Scouts the three of you. - (Chris) Yes.

So now I got a tree, and this one.

When the weather's bad, he can't stand on his feet.

And that big dope next door who never reads anything but Andy Gump

has got three children and his house paid off.

Stop being a philosopher and look after yourself.

Like Joe was saying,

you move back here, he'll help you get set,

and I'll find you a girl and put a smile on your face.

Wait, Joe? Joe wants me here?

Yeah. Yeah. He asked me to tell you, and I think it's a good idea.

Certainly.

Why must you make believe that you hate us?

Is that another principle?

That you have to hate us?

You don't hate us, Georgie.

I know you, you can't fool me.

- I diapered you. - Hey.

Ooh! You remember Mr. Marcy's daughter?

Oh! She's got you hooked already.

You look her over, George, you'll see she's the most beautiful...

She's got warts, George.

She hasn't got warts!

So the girl's got a little beauty mark on her chin...

Yeah, she got two on her nose.

You remember her father's the retired police inspector.

He's a sergeant, George.

- Oh, he's a very kind man. - He looks like a gorilla.

Well, he never shot anybody!

- Hey. Hey. - Well! Look who's here!

(Laughs)

Georgie! Oh!

Good to see ya!

- How are you, Joe? - Eh.

Yep. So-so.

Gettin' old.

- You comin' out to dinner with us? - No, got to be back in New York.

I'll, uh... I'll call you a cab.

Well, it's too bad you can't stay, George.

Hey. He looks fine.

He looks terrible.

That's what I said. You look terrible, George.

I wear the pants, she beats me with the belt.

I, uh... I saw your factory on the way from the station.

- It looks like General Motors. - Oof.

I wish it was General Motors, but it ain't.

So, uh...

You finally went to see your father, I hear.

Yeah. Yeah. This morning. What kind of stuff do you make now?

Oh, uh... little of everything, you know.

Pressure cookers, an assembly line for washing machines.

We got a nice flexible plant now, you know.

So, tell me, how'd you find Dad? Is he feeling all right?

No.

No, he's not well, Joe.

Oh. It's not his heart again, is it?

(Somber instrumental music)

Uh... Well, it's everything, Joe.

- It's his soul. - His soul?

How about seeing what they did with your house?

- Leave him be. - I'd like to talk to him.

Sure, he just got here. Boy, that's what they do, huh, George?

A little man makes a mistake, they hang him by the thumbs.

The big ones become ambassadors, right?

Ah. You know, I wish I knew you were going to see Dad today.

- I didn't know you were interested. - Yeah. Yeah, in a way I am.

You see, George, I'd like him to know,

as far as I'm concerned, any time he wants,

he has got a place with me. I'd like him to know that.

He hates your guts, Joe. Don't you know that?

Well, I imagined it, but... Hey, that could change too.

Steve was never like that.

- Oh, he's like that now. - Oh.

He'd like to take every man who made money in the war

and put 'em up against a wall.

(Chris) He'll need a lot of bullets. (George) He'd better not get any.

That's a sad thing to hear.

Why? What'd you expect him to think of you?

I'm sad to see that he hasn't changed.

All the time I've known him, 25 years,

the man has never learned how to take the blame.

- You know that, George. - Well, I...

But you do know that.

'Cause the way you come in here you don't look like you remember it.

Hm?

I mean, like the time we had that shop on Flood Street

and he damn near blew us all up with that heater

he left burning for three days without water.

He wouldn't accept that was his fault either.

I had to fire a mechanic to save his face. You remember that.

- Yeah, but... - I'm just mentioning it, George,

because it's just another one of a lot of things.

Oh, like... like the time he gave Frank that money to invest in oil stock.

I knew that.

It's important to remember those things, kid.

I mean, the way he cursed Frank because the stock went down.

Was...? (Chuckles) Was that Frank's fault?

To listen to him Frank was a swindler.

And all the man did was give him a bad tip.

- I know those things. - Well, then, remember them.

Remember them, son.

(Somber music continues)

Why, there... there are certain men in the world

who'd rather see everybody hung before they'll take blame.

You understand me, don't you, George?

The cab's on its way. Would you like to wash?

Why must he go? Make the midnight, George.

Sure. You'll have dinner with us.

(Ann) Hey! How about it? Why not?

We're eating at the lake, we could have a swell time.

(Percussion beat)

- All right. - (Percussion beat)

Now you're talking!

I've got a shirt that'll go right with that suit.

Size 15 and a half, right, George?

Is Lydia...? I mean, are Frank and Lydia coming?

Ooh! I'll find you a date that'll make her look like...

- No, I don't want a date. - I know somebody just for you.

Uh... Charlotte Tanner.

- Sure! Call her up! - Go up and pick out a shirt and tie.

I never felt at home anywhere but here.

I feel so...

- Kate, you look so young. - Ooh! (Laughs)

You didn't change at all. It rings an old bell.

You too, Joe, you're amazingly the same.

- The whole atmosphere is. - Heck, I ain't got time to get sick.

He hasn't been laid up in 15 years.

(Percussion beat)

Except for my flu during the war.

(Kate) Huh?

My flu, when I was sick during the war.

Well, sure. I meant except for that flu.

- Well, it slipped my mind. - (Chuckling) I know.

- What...? - No. Don't look at me that way.

- Huh? - He wanted to go into the shop.

But he couldn't lift himself from the bed. I thought he had pneumonia.

- Why did you say he's never...? - Listen, kid, I know how you feel.

I'll never forgive myself. If I could've gone in that day,

I never would've allowed Dad to touch those heads.

She said you've never been sick. Annie, didn't you hear?

- Do you remember every time you were sick? - I'd remember pneumonia.

Especially if I got it just the day my partner was going to patch up cylinder heads.

- What happened that day, Joe? - Kate! Kate!

- Frank, did you see George? - Oh!

Lydia told me.

Uh, I'm very glad... Sorry, you'll have to pardon me.

I have got something amazing for you, Kate.

I finished Larry's horoscope.

Oh, this'll interest you, George. It's wonderful.

George, the girl's on the phone!

- He finished Larry's horoscope! - Frank, can't you pick a better time than this?

The greatest men who ever lived believed in the stars!

(Chris) Stop filling her head with that junk.

Is it junk to believe there's a greater power than ourselves?

I have studied the stars of his life. I won't argue with you.

I am telling you, somewhere in this world

your brother is alive.

- Why isn't it possible? - Because it's insane.

Just a minute now. I will tell you something.

You can do as you please. Just let me say it.

He was supposed to have died on November 25th,

but November 25th was his favorable day.

- Mother. - Listen to him!

It was a day where everything good was shining on him,

the kind of day he should've married on.

No, you can laugh at a lot of it, I can understand you laughing.

But the odds are a million to one

that a man won't die on his favorable day.

I mean, that is known. That is known.

Chris!

Why isn't it possible? Why isn't it possible, Chris?

Don't you understand what she's saying? She's telling you to go!

- What are you waiting for? - Nobody can tell her to go!

- (Horn honking) - Thank you darling, for your troubles.

- Will you tell him to wait, Frank? - Yeah, sure thing.

- Driver, they'll be right out! - She's not leaving, Mom!

- You heard her, he's never been sick. - He misunderstood me, Chris!

He simply told your father to kill pilots, and covered himself in bed!

- You'd better answer him. Answer him, Annie! - I packed your bag, darling.

What?

I packed your bag. All you have to do is close it.

Huh.

- I am not closing anything. - (Chris) Oh.

He asked me here and I'm staying until he tells me to go.

Until Chris tells me.

- That's all. Now get out of here, George. - But if that's how he feels...

That's all. Nothing more till Christ comes,

about the case or Larry as long as I'm here!

Now get out of here, George!

You tell me.

I want to hear you tell me.

(Somber music continues)

Go, George.

- (Ann) Hey, Georgie. Georgie. - No, no, Annie. Annie.

Georgie, please, don't take it that way!

What do you mean, you packed her bag? How dare you pack her bag?

- How dare you pack her bag? - She doesn't belong here!

Then I don't belong here?

God.

She's Larry's girl.

And I'm his brother and he's dead!

I'm marrying his girl.

- Never. - Um...

Never in this world!

- You lost your mind? - You have nothing to say!

I've got plenty to say!

Three and a half years you've been talking like a maniac!

Nothing! You have nothing to say!

Now I say he's coming back!

- And everybody has got to wait! - Mother! Mother!

- Wait! Wait! - How long? How long?

Until he comes! Forever and ever till he comes!

Mother, I am going ahead with it!

Chris,

I have never said no to you in my life.

Now I say no.

You'll never let him go until I do it.

I'll never let him go! You'll never let him go!

I have let him go! I let him go a long...

- Then let your father go! - (Joe) What?

Altogether!

Your brother... is alive, darling.

(Soft chanting)

Because if he's dead,

your father killed him.

Do you understand me now?

As long as you live,

that boy is alive.

God does not let a son be killed by his father.

Now you see.

Don't you?

Now you see.

(Sniffs)

(Joe) She's out of her mind.

Then you did it?

He never flew a P-40.

- But the others... - She's out of her mind.

Dad...

You did it?

He never flew a P-40. What's the matter with you?

Then you did it to the others.

What's the matter with you? What the hell is the matter with you?

- How could you do that? - What is the matter with you?

- Dad, you killed 21 men. - What, killed?

- You killed them. You murdered them, Dad. - I didn't kill anybody!

Then explain it to me! What did you do?

Explain it to me or I'll tear you to pieces!

- Oh, come on, Chris. - I want to know what you did!

Now what did you do? You had 120 cracked engine heads!

- What did you do? - If you're going to hang me...

- I'm listening. - I can't defend myself.

God almighty, I am listening!

(Somber music and chanting)

You're a boy.

I'm in business.

A man... is in business.

You got 120 cracked, you're out of business.

You got a process and the process don't work,

you're out of business.

You don't know how to operate, your stuff is no good,

they'll close you up.

They'll tear up your contracts! What the hell's it to them?

You lay 40 years into a business

and they knock you out in five minutes.

What could I do?

Let them just take 40 years? Let them take my life away?

Chris, I never thought that they would install 'em.

I swear to God, I thought they'd stop 'em before anybody took off.

- Why'd you ship them out? - By the time they'd spot 'em,

I thought I'd get the process going again,

and I'd show them that they needed me

and they would let it go by, but weeks passed

and I got no kick-back, and I was going to tell them.

- Then why didn't you tell them? - Because it was too late.

It was in the paper, it was all over the front page, it was...

Twenty-one went down.

It was too late.

Chris, they came with handcuffs into the shop. What could I do?

(Nervous chuckle)

No, no, no. I did it for you, Chris.

It was a chance and I took it for you.

Look, I'm 61 years old.

When would I have another chance to make something for ya, huh?

At 61 years old, you don't get another chance, do ya?

- You knew they wouldn't hold up in the air. - I didn't say that.

- You were going to warn them not to use them. - That don't mean they wouldn't...

- It means you knew they'd crash. - It don't mean that!

- Then you thought they'd crash! - I was afraid maybe.

(Shouting) Oh! You were afraid!

Maybe!

God in heaven, what kind of a man are you?

Kids were hanging in the air by those heads. You knew that.

For you, Chris.

A business for you!

- For me? - Yeah.

(Laughing)

Where...? Where...? Where do you...?

Where...? Where...? Where do you live...?

I was dying!

Every day!

You were killing my boys and you did it for me?

What the hell do you think I was thinking of, the goddamn business?

Is that as far as your mind can see, the business?

What is that, huh? The world, the business...

What the hell do you mean, you did it for me?

Don't you have a country?

Don't you live in the world?

What the hell are you?

You're not even an animal!

No animal kills his own!

What are you?

What must I do to you?

I ought to tear the tongue out of your mouth!

- No, no, no! - What must I do, huh?

- What must I do? - No, no, no. No. No.

Oh.

(Chris crying)

OK.

Oh, Jesus.

(Deep somber music)

What must I do?

- Chris. - No.

- No. - Chris.

Chris!

(♪ Leonard Cohen: "It Seemed the Better Way")

♪ Seemed the better way

♪ When first I heard him speak

♪ Now it's much too late

♪ To turn the other cheek

♪ Sounded like the truth

♪ Seemed the better way

♪ Sounded like the truth

♪ But it's not the truth today

♪ I wonder what it was

♪ I wonder what it meant

♪ First he touched on love

♪ Then he touched on death

♪ Sounded like the truth

♪ Seemed the better way

♪ Sounded like the truth

♪ But it's not the truth today... ♪

- Any news? - No news.

(Kate sniffs)

You can't stay here all night, dear. Why don't you go to bed?

I'm waiting for Chris.

Don't worry about me, Jim, I'm perfectly all right.

- It's almost two o'clock. - I can't sleep.

- You have an emergency? - Uh...

Somebody had a headache and thought he was dying.

Half my patients are quite mad.

Nobody realizes how many people are walking around loose,

and they are cracked as coconuts.

Agh! Money.

Money, money, money, money, money, money.

You... You say it long enough it doesn't mean anything.

Ha! Oh, how I'd love to be around when that happens.

You're so childish, Jim. Sometimes you are.

Kate, what happened?

I told you.

He had an argument with Joe.

Then he got in the car and drove away.

- What kind of an argument? - An argument.

Joe... (Sniffs)

He was crying like a child before.

- They argued about Ann? - No, not Ann.

Imagine.

She hasn't come out of that room since he left.

All night in that room.

What did Joe do?

Tell him?

Tell him what?

Don't be afraid, Kate.

I know.

I've always known.

How?

Uh, it occurred to me a long time ago.

(Sighs) I've always had the feeling that,

somewhere at the back of his head, Chris almost knew.

I didn't think it would come as such a shock.

Chris would never know how to live with a thing like that.

Oh.

It takes a certain talent for lying.

You have it, and I do.

But not him.

What do you mean, he's not coming back?

Oh, no, he'll come back.

We all come back, Kate.

These private little revolutions, they always die.

The... compromise is always made.

Ah, in a peculiar way, Frank is right.

Every man does have a star.

It's the star of one's honesty.

And you spend your life groping for it,

but... once it's out,

it never lights again.

I don't think he went very far.

He probably just wanted to be alone to watch his star go out.

Just as long as he comes back.

(Sniffs)

I wish he wouldn't, Kate.

One year, I simply took off, I... I went to New Orleans.

For two months, I lived on bananas and milk,

and studied a certain disease.

It was beautiful.

And then she came, and she cried.

And I went back home with her.

Now I live in the usual darkness.

I... can't find myself.

It's even hard sometimes to remember the kind of man I wanted to be.

I'm...

I'm a good husband.

And Chris is a good son. He'll come back.

I have a feeling he's in the park.

I'll look around for him.

Put her to bed, Joe. This is no good for what she's got.

What does he want here?

His friend's not home.

- I don't like him mixing in so much. - It's too late, Joe. He knows.

How does he know?

He guessed a long time ago.

- I don't like that. - Oh. What you don't like.

Yeah, what I don't like!

You can't go bulling yourself through this one, Joe.

You better be smart now. This thing is not over yet.

And what's she doing up there? She don't come out of the room.

I don't know. What is she doing?

Sit down.

Stop being mad.

You want to live? You better figure out your life.

She don't know, does she?

She saw Chris storming out of here. It's one and one. She knows how to add.

- You think I ought to talk to her? - Don't ask me, Joe.

Then who do I ask?

I don't think she'll do nothing about it. Huh?

- You're asking me again. - Yeah, I'm askin' you!

What am I, a stranger? I thought I had a family here.

- What happened to my family? - You've got a family.

I'm simply telling you I have no strength left to think anymore.

You have no strength!

The moment there's trouble you have no strength!

You're doing the same thing again, Joe.

All your life, whenever there's trouble,

you yell at me and think that settles it.

Then what do I do?

Huh?

Tell me, talk to me. What do I do?

- Hey. - Joe, I've been thinking this way.

- If he comes back... - What do you mean, if?

He's comin' back!

I think if you sit him down

and you explain yourself...

I mean, you ought to make it clear to him

that you know you did a terrible thing.

I mean, if he saw that you realized what you did. Do you see?

What ice would that cut?

I mean, if you told him that you wanted to pay for what you did.

How can I pay?

Tell him... Tell him you're willing to go to prison.

(Laughing)

Oh! Whoa! I'm willing to go...?

You wouldn't have to go! He wouldn't ask you to.

But if you told him that you wanted to,

if he could feel that you wanted to pay, maybe he'd forgive you.

He'd forgive me? For what?

You know what I mean.

No, I don't know what you mean.

You wanted money, so I made money.

What must I be forgiven? You wanted money, didn't you?

I didn't want it that way!

I didn't want it that way either! What difference is it what you want?

I spoiled you, the both of you!

I should have put him out when he was ten

like I was put out!

Make him earn his keep!

Then he'd know how a buck is made in this world!

Gee! Huh! Forgiven!

I could live off a quarter a day myself!

But I got a family, so I work!

Joe, it don't excuse it that you did it for the family!

- It's got to excuse it. - There is something bigger than family to him.

- There's nothing bigger! - To him!

There's nothin' he could do I wouldn't forgive,

'cause he's my son.

Because I'm his father and he's my son.

- I tell you... - There's nothing bigger than that!

You're gonna tell him, you understand?

Because I'm his father and he's my son.

If there's something bigger, I'll put a bullet in my head.

- You stop that. - No, you heard me.

Now you know what to tell him.

But he...

He wouldn't... put me away, though.

Would he? He wouldn't do that.

He loved you, Joe. You broke his heart.

But to put me away...

(Somber instrumental music)

- I don't know. - Ah.

I'm beginning to think that we don't really know him.

They say in the war he was such a killer. Here he was always afraid of mice.

I don't know.

I don't know what he'll do.

Goddamn.

If Larry was alive, he wouldn't act like this.

He understood the way the world was made.

He listened to me.

To him, the world had a 40-foot front.

It ended at the building line.

This one... Ha! Everything bothers him.

You make a deal, overcharge two cents,

and his hair falls out!

He don't understand money.

It was too easy. It came too easy.

Ah.

Yes, sir.

Larry.

That was a boy we lost.

Larry.

Larry.

What am I gonna do, Kate?

Huh? What am I gonna do?

Joe.

- Joe, please. - Huh?

Come on. You'll be all right, nothing's going to happen.

It's only for you, Kate, the both of you.

- That's all I ever lived for. - I know, darling.

I know. I know.

I know.

(Ann) Why do you stay up? I'll tell you when he comes.

You didn't eat no supper, did you?

- Why don't you make her something? - Sure.

Never mind, Kate, I'm all right.

There's something I want to tell you.

I'm not going to do anything about it.

She's a good girl. See? She's...

I'll do nothing about Joe,

but you're going to do something for me.

You made Chris feel guilty with me.

Whether you wanted to or not,

you crippled him in front of me.

I would like you to tell him that Larry is dead

and that you know it.

You understand me?

I am not going out of here alone. There's no life for me that way. I...

I want you to set him free.

And then I promise you everything will end,

and we'll go away, and...

that's all.

Hey.

You'll do that, huh? You'll... You'll tell him.

I know what I'm asking, Kate. You had two sons.

But you've only got one now.

You'll tell him, huh?

And you have got to say it to him so he knows you mean it.

My dear,

if the boy was dead,

it wouldn't depend on my words to make Chris know it.

The night he gets in your bed, his heart will dry up

because he knows and you know

to his dying day he'll wait for his brother.

No, dear. No such thing.

You're going in the morning, and you're going alone.

That's your life.

That's your lonely life.

Larry is dead, Kate!

- Don't speak to me! - I said he's dead. I know.

He crashed off the coast of China November 25th.

His engine didn't fail him, but he died.

I know.

How did he die?

You're lying to me.

If you know, how did he die?

I loved him. You know that I loved him.

Would I have looked at anyone else if I wasn't sure? That's enough for you!

- What's enough for me? What're you talking about? - You're hurting my wrist!

- What are you talking about? - Joe, go in the house.

- Why should I...? - Please! Go.

(Melancholic stringed music)

You let me know when he comes, though, huh?

- What's that? - First you've got to understand,

when I came, I didn't have any idea that Joe...

I had nothing against him or you.

I came to get married. I hoped...

So...

So, I didn't bring this to hurt you, Kate.

I thought that I would show it to you only if there was no other way

to settle Larry... in your mind.

Larry?

He wrote it to me just before he...

I'm not trying to hurt you, Kate.

You're making me do this. Now, just remember...

Remember.

No!

I have been so lonely, Kate. I can't leave here alone again.

- Oh, my God, no! - You made me show it to you.

I told you a hundred times and you wouldn't believe me.

Why wouldn't you believe me? Oh. Kate, dear.

Kate, please.

Kate, I'm so sorry.

I'm so sorry.

What's the matter?

Where were you? Huh?

You're all perspired. Where were you?

Drove around a little.

Thought you'd be gone.

Where do I go? I have nowhere to go.

Where's Dad?

He's, uh... He's inside lying down.

Sit down, both of you. I'll say what there is to say.

(Kate) I didn't hear the car.

- I left it in the garage. - (Sobbing) Jim's out looking for you.

I'm going away.

There are a couple of firms in Cleveland, I think I can get a place. I mean...

I'm going away for good.

I know what you're thinking, Annie. It's true.

I'm yellow.

I was made yellow in this house 'cause I suspected my father

and I did nothing about it.

If I knew that night when I came home what I know now,

he'd be in the district attorney's office by this time.

I'd have brought him there.

Now if I look at him, all I'm able to do is cry.

What are you talking about? What else can you do?

(Kate sniffs)

I could jail him.

I could jail him if I were human anymore.

But I'm like everybody else now.

I'm practical now. You made me practical.

- But you have to be. - The cats in that alley are practical!

The bums who ran away when we were fighting were practical!

Only the dead ones weren't practical!

But now I'm practical, and I spit on myself!

I'm going away. I'm going now.

- No, I'm coming with you. - No, Ann.

Chris, I don't ask you to do anything about Joe.

- You do, you do. - No, I swear I never will.

In your heart you always will.

- Then do what you have to do. - Do what?

Huh? What is there to do?

I looked all night for a reason to make him suffer.

- There's reason, there's reason. - What?

Do I raise the dead when I put him behind bars?

Then what'll I do it for?

We used to shoot a man who acted like a dog!

But honor was real there. You were protecting something.

But here? This is the land of the great big dogs!

You don't love a man here, you eat him!

That's the principle.

It's the only one we live by.

Just happened to kill a few people this time, that's all.

The world's that way.

How can I take it out on him? What sense does that make?

This is a zoo.

- A zoo. - You know what he's got to do. Tell him.

- Let him go. - I won't let him go!

Tell him what he's got to do! Then I will.

(Joe) Hey.

Listen.

No, no, hey.

What's the matter with you? I want to talk to you.

I got nothing to say to you.

I want to...

Hey, come here.

I want to talk to you.

Don't do that! I'm going to hurt you if you do that.

There is nothing to say.

So say it quick.

All right.

What exactly is the matter?

What's the matter?

Have you got too much money? Is that what bothers you?

It bothers me.

If you can't get used to it,

then just throw it away.

You hear me?

Take every cent and... and give it to charity.

Throw it in the sewer.

Does that settle it? In the sewer, that's all.

You think I'm kidding.

Uh-uh.

I'm tellin' you what to do.

If it's dirty, just burn it.

It's your money, that's not my money.

I'm a dead man.

I'm an old, dead man.

Nothing is mine.

(Melancholic music continues)

Hey.

Come on. Talk to me, huh? Come on.

What do you want to do?

It's not what I want to do.

It's what you want to do.

What should I want to do?

Oh.

Jail.

You want me to go to jail?

All right.

If you want me to go, say so.

Is that where I belong?

Then tell me so.

What's the matter? Why can't you tell me?

You say everything else to me, say that.

I'll tell you why you can't say it.

It's because you know I don't belong there.

Because you know.

I mean, who...? Who worked for nothin' in that war? Huh?

When they work for nothin', I'll work for nothin'.

You think they shipped a gun

or a truck outta Detroit before they got their price?

Is that clean? Pss!

It's dollars and cents.

Nickels and dimes.

War and peace.

Nickels and dimes.

What's clean?

Half the goddamn country has gotta go if I go.

Yeah. And that's why you can't tell me.

Yeah, that's exactly why.

Then why am I bad?

Oh, I know you're no worse than most men, but...

...I thought you were better.

I never saw you as a man.

I saw you... as my father.

And I can't look at you this way, I...

- I can't look at myself. - Come on.

- Oh, no, give me that! - No, he's going to read it.

Larry.

- He wrote it to me the day he died. - Larry?

Chris, that's not for you. Joe, go away.

- No. She said something about Larry. - Joe, go to the street. Just go to the street.

Chris, don't. Don't tell him.

Three and one half years talking.

Talking.

Now you tell me what you must do.

This is how he died. Huh?

Now tell me where you belong.

Huh?

- Chris... (Mumbles) - What?

A man can't be a Jesus in this world!

Oh, no, no. I know all about the world, I...

I know the whole crap story.

Now listen to this

and tell me what a man has got to be.

"My dear Ann..."

Are you...? Are you listening?

Huh?

He wrote this the day he died!

So, listen! Don't cry!

- Listen! - OK. OK.

"My dear Ann...

...it is impossible to put down the things I feel,

but I got to tell you something.

Yesterday, they flew in a load of papers from the States

and I read about Dad and your father being convicted.

I can't express myself.

I can't tell you how I feel. I can't bear to live anymore."

(Sobbing)

"Last night, I circled the base for 20 minutes

before I could bring myself in.

How could he have done that?

Every day, three or four men never come back

and he sits back there doing business.

I don't know how to tell you how I feel.

I can't face anybody.

I'm going out on a mission in a couple of minutes.

They will probably report me missing.

If they do, I want you to know that you mustn't wait for me.

I tell you, Ann...

...if I had him here now, I could kill him."

(Sorrowful music slowly building)

Now blame the world.

Do you understand that letter?

Yes, I...

I think I do.

Get the car. I'll put on my jacket.

(Kate) Why are you going?

You'll sleep. Why are you going?

No. No.

I...

I can't sleep here. No.

I'll feel better if I go.

You're so foolish.

Larry was your son too, wasn't he?

You know he would never tell you to do this.

Then...

...what is this if it isn't telling me?

Yes, he was my son.

But I think, to him...

...they were all my sons.

And I guess they were.

I guess they were.

I'll... I'll be right down.

(Coughing)

You're not taking him.

I'm taking him.

It's up to you.

If you tell him to stay, he'll stay. Now go and tell him.

Nobody could stop him now.

You'll stop him.

How long do you think he'll live in prison? Are you trying to kill him?

- I thought you read this. - The war is over.

Didn't you hear? It's over.

Then what was Larry to you? A stone that fell into the water?

Huh?

It's not enough for him to be sorry.

(Music becomes sinister)

Larry didn't kill himself to make you and Dad sorry.

What more can we be?

You can be better!

Once and for all you can know

that there's a universe of people outside

and you are responsible to it.

And unless you know that,

you threw away your son 'cause that's why he died!

(Gunshot)

- No. No, no, no. - (Kate) Joe!

Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad. Dad!

(Kate) Joe!

Joe! Joe!

(Sobbing) Mom, I didn't mean to...!

(Kate) Don't.

Don't, dear.

- Don't take it on yourself. - (Chris sobbing)

Forget now.

Live.

Shh.

(Chris sobbing)

(Kate) Shh.

Hush, hush.

(Kate and Chris sobbing)

(Sobbing and music stop)

(Applause)

(Cheering)

Subtitling by MPS