Original subtitles

Tales of Tomorrow.

Presented by Maslin.

Beauty Blend Brothels.

Tonight's Tale of Tomorrow, The Fatal Flower.

Starring Victor Jory.

With Don Hanmer.

One of tonight's Tale of Tomorrow, The Fatal Flower.

Starring Victor Jory.

They seem to have a ravenous appetite for the common housefly.

Makes a person wonder where the vegetable kingdom stops and the animal

kingdom takes over.

Look at them, Merrimam.

The wonder of them.

While man fiddles around with his petty problems, the vegetable kingdom is

silently on the march.

patiently awaiting the right moment to take over and establish their kingdom.

Each day seems to get hotter.

You'll get used to it. Used to it?

Never.

Well, give yourself time.

You've only been here a month?

Well, it seems like years.

Whatever made me jump at this assignment must have been the allure of Brazil and

Amazon.

I'll never forget the day that Professor Hargrove asked which one of us wanted to

come down and...

It's just the eminent Dr. Alden on the Amazon.

I nearly broke a leg jumping forward. Now you're sorry you did?

It's a seclusion. I've never been so bored.

Bored? How can you possibly be bored?

Just look at that Venus flytrap.

It's kept me constantly amazed for eight long years.

It's practically human.

It's a pity you can't talk or play cards.

Jim, you don't play cards, doctor.

I'm devoted entirely to my work. Your work, yes, I know. Sitting up half the

night with that thing.

Why? I'll never know.

Trying to develop a carnivorous hybrid that size is impossible.

I've been fiddling around with that thing for two years now, and it still

derives its food from the earth, not from animal life. Maybe it's still

immature.

Perhaps it's sonnenland.

I suppose it wakes up. What good is a man-eating plant that size?

You honestly say that you don't realize the worth of such a discovery? Honestly,

no. Why, merriment would be a major scientific achievement.

Well, doctor, I wish you luck. Luck?

I don't believe in luck.

It just takes patience, that's all. It just takes patience.

That's a quality I lack entirely.

Oh, feeding these little devils gives me an appetite.

About supper time, isn't it?

Yeah.

How's the old chicken behaving, Doc?

Not quite as well as might be expected, but these pills keep him in line.

Pills. What a nuisance.

Guess I'll jot down the Bijou and see what's playing.

Yes, you, uh, you do that.

Mr. Doctor.

What is it?

The mail from the supply ship, sir.

All right, Gustavo, you just put it down.

Those letters for you, doctor?

What?

Oh, yes, yes. We only get mail once every three months, but when it comes,

it comes in a package. Oh, I sure envy you.

Why? If you wait until the next mail comes, you'll get plenty of letters.

Maybe.

Huh? It'll be months before I get any letters, and what'll I do in the

meantime? Come now, you're not as bored and homesick as all that.

I can't begin to tell you how bored I am, Dr. Alden.

Never mind, though.

I'll manage to live.

I'm sure you will.

Doctor? Hmm?

How about selling me one of your letters?

I'll give you $10 for it.

What? Don't you see? This will be the same as my getting mail from the States,

too. Well, Merriman, you're perfectly welcome to all of them when I finish.

Oh, that wouldn't be the same, don't you see? It wouldn't be mine. I'd just be

reading your mail.

Are you serious?

Absolutely. I'll give you $10 for one. Surely you can spare just one little

letter.

I can see you don't understand.

Sorry to interrupt your reading.

No, no. You wait a minute. Come on. Come back here. Come on, Merriman.

Here. Take your pick.

And you don't have to worry about the $10.

Oh, thanks.

I'll just pick one at random.

There.

Here.

Here's your $10. No,

no, no.

I insist.

and I only hope you get $10 with a pleasure out of it. Oh, I'm sure I will,

Doctor.

Morning, Marlin.

What's good about it? Doesn't a breeze ever stir itself up around here?

I'm afraid not.

By the way, you're going to complete that summary today, aren't you?

I guess so.

Oh, by the way, Merriman, I read through my mail last night and I discovered that

everything I expected and generally got was there.

You, uh, I hope you didn't... Get one of my bills.

No, I didn't.

Hmm?

I said it isn't a bill.

Well, I'm... I'm glad.

Uh... Who was it from, Merriman?

It was he.

Oh, can't I postpone the crypto today, doctor? I'll fold up out there in that

jungle.

Yes, if you want, you can take over in the plant house.

Oh, great.

Thanks a million.

About the letter.

Who was it from?

Oh, I hate to say this, Doctor, but it's none of your business. How's that?

I said... Yes, I heard what you said.

You must be joking. Oh, I'm sorry, Doctor. I'm not joking. Oh, I paid $10

for that letter and I'm not going to share it with anybody.

Well, if you'll excuse me, I'll go along and feed our little friends their

breakfast.

Merriman. Now, about that Merriman.

I say, Merriman, about the letter I gave you. I sold, Doctor, not gave.

If you couldn't possibly be interested in the contents of that letter, just

tell me who it's from and I won't bother you any longer. Oh, I'm sorry, Doctor.

That letter's legally mine. It's duly bid and paid for.

Oh, it ceased being any concern of yours unless you sold it.

I no longer consider this funny, Merriman. Give me the letter.

Merriman, give... I don't wish to argue...

This is about time for a little nap.

Give me my letter. Doctor, I wouldn't do that if I were you.

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And now we return to the second act of The Fatal Flower, starring Victor Jory.

There's a... There's a lock on the plant house door, doctor.

That's right.

May I have the key, please? I have some work to do in there.

No.

The supply ship is due here in a week.

When it leaves for Manaus, you'll be on it.

You mean you're firing me, doctor?

That's right.

Aren't you forgetting about our little contract?

No, no, no, I'm not forgetting.

You'll be paid for a year's work in full.

It'll look very good on my record, will it? No, no, it won't, Merriman.

Matter of fact, I doubt if you'll ever get a job in this field again.

Dr. Alden?

If I give the letter back to you, will you forget about all this?

No,

you keep the letter. It's yours.

The letter is your property, not mine.

You paid for it.

It's legally yours.

Day a second.

The hybrid consumed.

Four wild hens and a suckling pig.

The hybrid... Hybrid?

That name will never do.

I think it's time we give you a proper name.

The letter, it's from Emily.

Oh, this is an unexpected pleasure.

Merriman, I've been thinking. I've decided to give you another chance.

Yeah?

Why? Well, I feel now that the punishment was unjustly severe.

You'll just return my letter. It's awfully generous of you doctor Huh?

Well, I'm grateful anyway What's that?

Well, I've been thinking I'm not really cut out to be a botanist. It's dull

boring work It's clearly not for a man with my temperament.

I Can take it The idea of going back to the States with whole years pay in my

pocket really appeals to me I go into another line? Anything you wish. Only

just give me my letter. Oh, that's my letter, doctor. Remember what you said

this morning?

It's legally mine. Give me my letter.

Oh, calm yourself.

Listen, listen.

Well,

I... Oh, now, take it easy. Remember, you're hardened. I'm a sick man.

I am a sick man.

Madam, listen to me. I have a wife in America.

Her name is...

Emily.

I deeply love her.

I was unjust to leave her, and I expected she would divorce me, Merriman.

Now, as far as I can learn to my own knowledge after eight long years, we're

still married.

I still love her, Merriman.

That's terrible, Doc.

Tom, I beg of you.

Just tell me, is the letter from Emily?

Please, for pity's sake, Tom.

If it is from Emily, just... just nod your head.

That's all I ask.

Well, you can bank on it, Doctor.

The minute I read that letter, I'll give you the sign.

You haven't read it? No.

Haven't even opened it yet.

Then how?

How could you be so sure it wasn't a bill if you haven't opened it? First

place, the envelope's much too small for a bill.

Then the handwriting.

Dainty-like.

Gentle, sort of.

No, it's not a bill. I'm sure of that. Tom, when... When will you...

When will you open it? Oh, I don't know. Maybe tomorrow.

Maybe next month.

Remember what you said, doctor.

It just takes patience.

Tomorrow, maybe.

through the jungle for me.

I'll be good mushroom hunting after that morning shower.

Maybe I can run into some nice, uh, juicy amanitopsis.

Or some chanderelles.

Nothing like chanderelles fried in butter, uh, Doctor?

Hmm? Hmm.

Day the night.

I have made the hybrid go three full

days without food.

It must be ravenously hungry.

When I come in, doctor, is this place still off limits to me?

Yes, you.

You may come in.

You may be happy to hear that we're going to have mushrooms for supper.

Oh, by the way, I see you searched my room.

Not a very neat job.

You knew that I would. Of course.

That's why I went on the mushroom expedition. Is that so? Of course. I

always carry it with me.

Why are you doing this to me?

What have I ever done to harm you?

Nothing personal, Doctor.

Let's just... Mark it down as boredom.

I was going to give you your letter back in a couple of days, but then you fired

me, and, well, you know how it is.

One thing leads to another.

For the last time, Merriman, will you give me my letter?

I'm sorry.

Have sent you Tom Merriman.

Fine mind.

First-rate student.

But unstable.

Neurotic. Practical joker.

Nearly flunked out for bad conduct.

Needs discipline.

Which I'm sure he'll get with you.

More later.

Hargrove.

While man fiddles around with his petty problems, the vegetables are

silently on the move.

patiently awaiting the right moment to take over and establish

their...

The preceding program, originally telecast by ABC in New York, has come to

you by special video recording. This is ABC, the American Broadcasting Company.