Original subtitles

[music]

Jeremy, is it you?

Jeremy, why don't you speak?

[music]

Jeremy, in God's name, speak.

[screaming]

Don't be alarmed. The woman who just

screamed is perfectly quiet now. As sure

as my name is Boris Caroff. You see,

she's been dead for nearly a hundred

years.

Her bed is empty, and whatever it was

that frightened her so seems to be gone.

Seems to be. But I can tell you this

much, that bed won't be empty much

longer. Another screams will soon be

heard. Whose? perhaps yours or those who

will join us here,

Mr. Riptor,

[music]

Miss Patricia Barry,

Mr. Richard Anderson,

and

well, it seems the rest of our cast

cannot be raised. They're dead, you

know. But spend a night with us in the

purple room if you dare.

Let me assure you, my friends, this is a

thriller.

[music]

[music]

>> [music]

>> In willing the house to you, dear

brother, I am hopeful that you will fall

under the spell of it as I did when

first I saw it and knew I must possess

it.

>> Well, I'm sorry I'll have to disappoint

him there. My only interest in that

property is to dispose of it as soon as

possible for a profit. You haven't heard

the terms.

Should you decide after one night under

the roof of Black Oak that you do not

choose to take up residence there, the

estate will pass to our beloved cousin

Rachel Judson and her husband Oliver,

who have been my guests, confidence, and

faithful companions during these years

of my life at Black Oak, and who cherish

it as I do.

>> Just a minute. Does that mean I can't

sell the house?

>> After a period of one year's residence,

you will be free to dispose of the

estate in any manner you see fit. But I

believe that by that time only death

would part you from it,

as it has finally parted me from Black

Oak. You recognize your brother's

signature, of course.

>> Yes. But um I don't understand.

You say that I have to live in the house

for one year before I can sell it.

Right.

>> Mhm. [clears throat]

>> But you also say I have to decide if I

will live in it after only one night.

>> Your brother felt that one night would

be sufficient to make your decision. He

wanted you to feel as he felt about the

place. You see, he fell in love with

Black Oak at first sight. But uh some

people are repelled by their first

impressions of it. [snorts]

Well, it'll take a lot to repel me. I

happen to know that that property is in

the middle of an area to be developed by

Morland Enterprises.

I'll sit it out a year if I have to.

>> Then uh I take it you'll be leaving for

Baton Rouge within a week or so.

>> Well, I'll leave tonight. There's

nothing to keep me here.

>> [music]

[music]

[music]

[music]

>> Well, do you like it, Duncan?

>> Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you,

Cousin Rachel, but uh yes, I like it

very much.

>> Then it's all that you expected, eh?

>> Exactly. I must admit that uh you two

come as a pleasant surprise. I don't

know why I was expecting something out

of Charles Adams, I guess.

>> [laughter]

>> Well, we'll accept that as a compliment.

But wherever did you get that

impression?

>> Well, when uh Everett bought the house,

he uh described it to me in a letter,

and then later uh he wrote me that you

two were staying here, and I suppose I

simply extended the uh description of

the house to include you.

>> Well, we're not quite that old. I'll get

the bags.

>> Unless, of course, you'll change your

mind and spend.

>> No, I'm here. I might as well get it

over with.

>> You make it sound as if you think it's

going to be an ordeal.

>> Well, now let's be honest, Cousin

Rachel. You know, those stories you were

telling me down from the station weren't

exactly meant to reassure me.

>> Oh, come now, Duncan. Well, look, all of

that is part of the fun of having an old

house. It's history. It's its secrets.

All those ghosts. You inherit those

without

>> I mean, of course, neither one of you

would have any idea of attempting to uh

scare me out before the morning.

>> Well, now, why would we do a thing like

that?

>> Well, uh, Oliver, I just happen to have

a nasty mind, and I can't help

remembering that if I decide not to stay

here, that the place will belong to you.

>> You think it means that much to us?

Well, it mean that much to me to hold on

to it. You know, this uh place is going

to be worth a lot of money in the next

couple of years, as you both know.

[music]

[music]

>> If you'd given us a bit more notice, we

would have had the electricity turned

on.

Uh-huh. Oh, you don't believe us? I

suppose you think we arranged it this

way to make things a little more

difficult for you.

>> Well, Oliver, I'm certain I'd do the

same thing if I were in your position.

>> Oh my. You do have a nasty mind.

>> Thank you, Rachel.

>> Well, it doesn't matter. I can explore

this place in the morning. Uh, all I

need now is a room this way. We closed

the house after Everett's death. I'm

afraid the only bed that's made up is in

the

purple room. Of course, you wouldn't

like that one. Oh, is that a challenge?

The purple room? By all means, there's

nothing that you have to prove here.

It's very easy to change the bedding

from one room to the other. Well,

listen, I don't want to put you in any

trouble, and I'm I'm certain it'd be

much more difficult for you if I didn't

stay in the purple room.

Here

it is.

[music]

>> Welcome home.

after you.

[music]

[music]

>> Oh, a nice place to visit,

>> but you wouldn't want to die here.

Uh, will you hold that just a moment?

Oh,

>> sure.

>> I still don't have any matches.

>> Oh, perhaps you'd like to borrow my

lighter.

>> Oh, no. The candle will be fine until I

go to bed. And then uh Well, I uh I

never smoke before breakfast. And uh I

never sleep with the lights on.

>> You mean you're actually going to sleep

here? Well, if you don't keep me away.

>> Well, we told you we can't spend the

night.

>> Oh, yes. That's right. You did tell me

that, didn't you?

>> Uh, you excuse me just a moment, please.

You know, they say that these old

Victorian mansions are just riddled with

secret passageways, but uh in case

anyone uh thinks of popping out of some

panel during the night, I'll welcome

them with this.

>> Now, look, that's going entirely too

far.

>> Put that thing away. Well, I think it's

only fair that any ghost uh within sound

of my voice should be advised of my

intention.

>> My good fellow, if what is haunting this

house is something human, you'll be

doing a favor to everyone in the

district if you put a few bullets in it.

If not,

>> if not what, Oliver?

>> If not, you've done everything you can

to announce your antagonism,

your lack of sympathy

to them.

the outset. You've been smug and

provocative.

>> I don't. I'm not afraid of dying. If

they're not.

>> Would you please stop waving that thing

around?

>> Oh, I'm sorry. I just didn't want you to

be concerned over me. And uh will you

please tell any ghosts you happen to

meet on the way out? Ghosts only appear

to those who are fool enough to believe

in them,

and those who are fool enough not to.

Any other words of comfort in parting?

>> Well, at least let's all part as

friends.

>> Let's have a drink.

>> I would love a drink. So, what?

>> We can drink to the success of the

living over the dead.

Duncan

Oliver.

>> Cheers.

>> Uh, just a moment. Uh, um, if you don't

mind, let's exchange glasses.

You think we were trying to drug you?

>> Well, I just can't help judging others

by myself. And uh I'm sure if I were you

that uh I'd slip something in the drink

to slow the reflexes and stimulate the

imagination.

>> Come on, Oliver. Humoring.

Now,

>> uh,

[laughter]

So this is where it's happened, huh?

Nearly 100 years ago. If you believe it,

it started right in that bed.

>> What's your version, Oliver?

>> That was their bed. Captain Jeremy

Ransom and his wife Caroline, his bride

of only seven days. They were alone in

the house, as people on a honeymoon

prefer to be. But in the middle of the

night, Caroline awoke, hearing the sound

of footsteps on the floor below.

Caroline was terrified. But Jeremy,

hardened by years of war, didn't know

the meaning of fear. If a prowler had

gotten in, he'd throw him out bodily. He

started for the door. Caroline begged

him not to leave it there alone. So

Jeremy stopped. Then he went to the

mantle and took down his pistol, loaded

it, and put it into her hands.

If the fellow should slip past him,

penetrate the bedroom.

Jeremy told her to shoot and shoot to

kill.

Then he went out out to the stairs.

He took no light to warn the prowler

and started down the stairs slowly

searching.

There in the bed, Caroline waited,

clutching the gun. She waited and waited

till she wanted [music] to scream.

Instead, she hardly breathed. She heard

nothing. Nothing at all. She just

waited. She began to pray.

And then she heard it. The footsteps

again coming [music] up the stairs.

But they weren't his footsteps. Not her

husband's. Not Jeremy's. [music]

They shuffled, dragged, groped, fumbled.

coming [music] closer, closer,

reaching the door.

They started in,

she couldn't see who or what it was

moving toward her out of the dark,

her fingers tightened on the gun.

She cried out, "Jeremy, is it you?"

There was no answer, so she fired point

blank again and again at the shape. She

heard a moan, then a fall,

and she lit the candle.

And then she began to scream

and scream

[music] and scream.

Is that the punchline?

When the servants found them, Caroline

was raving mad.

Jeremy was lying in a pool of blood at

the foot of the bed,

a knife buried in his chest.

He had been stabbed by the prowler.

Then he forced his way up those stairs,

step by step,

unable to speak,

more dead than alive.

to get help from Caroline.

Instead, his bride had shot him dead.

>> She never regained her sanity.

>> Well, it's no joke to lose a husband

like that, especially one you like.

>> It's all at the old newspaper files in

Baton Rouge. Perhaps you'd like to check

on in the morning.

>> Oh, why awake the morning? Won't I be

able to check it out tonight with old

Captain Jeremy himself? Or uh or do you

think maybe he's going to take the night

off, you know, after all he's been

through? Maybe he's going to be a bit

gunshy.

>> Duncan, I have had enough of your smirky

superiority and bad manners. You can

believe what you like. This place is all

yours

and everything it contains.

Let's go, Rachel.

And uh you would uh better lock this. Uh

keeps out the draft.

[music]

[music]

>> [music]

[music]

[music]

>> Fine. Back so soon.

Well, make yourselves at home, dear

cousins. We have a long night ahead of

us.

Now, what would brave Captain Jeremy

have done? Huh?

Oh, yes. Started down the stairs to

investigate.

Well, not me. I I've had a long trip.

I'm going to get some sleep. I'm sorry.

You hear me?

Why don't you just uh give it up and

forget it? I'm I'm going to be here for

the night.

Oh, come on. Knock it off. That sort of

thing went out with bustles and buggy

whips.

Ah, the old creaking stare. That's uh

truly a creative touch.

Uh but don't you have a squeaking door?

Surely you must have a good old

squeaking door around the place.

>> Thank you. YOU NEVER DISAPPOINT ME.

All right. If you have nothing further

to offer me, I'm about to get me some

sleep.

I'm sorry. I can't say the same for you.

First one little more night cap.

Sure you won't join me?

No,

Biddy.

Oh, we have the rapping noises. The

rapping sounds. Oh, fine. Fine. Have

your fun. I want the whole familiar

routine. I want rapping sounds, sudden

gust of wind, musty odors. You haven't

forgotten the musty odors, have you?

Hey, you did you did put something in

that drink, DIDN'T YOU?

>> I WON'T DO YOU ANY GOOD.

BARBUATES HAVE NO EFFECT ON ME.

>> No effect at all.

There. There. You see? I'm better.

I told you it wouldn't work. Even

Novacane doesn't do the job on me.

Unless I let it.

It is simply

a matter of willpower.

Either you let it or you don't let it.

[sighs]

All

>> [music]

[music]

>> right. that I know you're in there.

That was a cheap trick. You could at

least let me get my cigarette lit.

What the devil you put in a drink, huh?

I warned you.

Too many people know where I am.

Too many people.

Anything happens to me, you'll be the

first.

You'll be the first, I suspect.

>> [music]

[laughter]

>> Oh, what All

right. I CAME OUT OF IT JUST IN TIME.

OH,

>> all right. You

You didn't have to pick the luck, you

know. I would have let you in. Why

didn't you knock? Huh?

>> [music]

[music]

[music]

[music]

>> Are you hear me?

I'm all right again. And I'm on my feet

and I've got the gun.

All right, that's enough.

That's enough.

You hear me?

All right. I know you're there.

I want to tell you

I have stopped thinking this is funny.

I'm not very amused.

Oliver.

All right, Rachel.

All right, whatever you are, Jeremy.

Caroline. All right. Look at this gun.

You see it?

Yeah, you can see it.

Don't you think I won't use it?

Oliver, Jeremy, uh, Rachel, Caroline,

I'm going to shoot the first thing that

moves. Animal, vegetable, mineral, or

what have you.

All right.

All right,

that does it. From now on, I take no

responsibility for what happens.

>> [snorts]

>> All right. I hear you.

I hear you over there.

Hey, look.

Hey, I don't want to shoot you, but you

you're pushing us too far.

Uh, I see you now. I see you. Look,

don't make me do it.

All right, come on. Get it.

Oh, give me credit. I figured you right,

didn't I, Oliver? It is Cousin Oliver,

isn't it? Well, of course it has to be.

I mean, Rachel wouldn't be caught dead

in that night gown. What is that? A

knife in your chest, huh?

That's very clever. That's very clever

idea for a tie pin. I might merchandise

that.

[music]

All right, Oliver, let's just knock it

off. The party's over. I'm not going to

scare. All right, let's just take off

the mask and and we'll have our little

laugh. All

right, that's close enough, Oliver.

I mean it. Stay back.

Rachel, call him off. Listen, if you're

here, I listen. Use your hand. I'm not

afraid of your comic opera ghost, but I

am afraid I'm going to have to kill him.

I'll kill him.

All right, Oliver. Don't

look, Oliver.

Jeremy,

no. Stop it. I mean what I say. Look, if

you think I'm going to let you put those

hands on me, you just All right. What do

I What do you got there? Some kind of

glove? Oh, stop it. Please stop it.

[music]

Stop it.

[music]

>> [music]

>> Rachel.

Rachel, come here quick.

He's dead. [music]

[music]

His cigarette. I'll bet you forgot his

cigarettes.

>> I did not. I put them in his pocket. You

never give me credit for anything.

>> There's one thing I'll give you credit

for. The whole idea. Such an obvious,

childish, transparent stunt. Well, even

Duncan saw straight through it before it

even got off the ground.

>> Oh, yes. Well, if he was so smart, why

did he have a heart attack? Why didn't

you tell us you had a weak heart?

>> He didn't know. Don't talk to him like

that. gives me the creeps.

>> No, don't put him in the luggage. I want

him in the front seat.

>> If you think I'm going to sit in the

front seat with him sitting between us,

>> it's not necessary for you to come along

at all. You know,

>> if you think I intend to stay in that

house alone after what's happened,

>> would you stop this debate? I'm holding

a heavy end.

>> [music]

>> You might as well get out. No need to

get your feet wet.

And please be careful. I don't want

anything to happen to my car.

>> Now, that's the quality I fell in love

with. Tenderness.

You forgot to turn off the lights.

My dear girl, if a man has a heart

attack while driving to Baton Rouge and

runs off the road in a dead condition,

he'd hardly consider turning off the

lights just to keep your battery from

running down.

>> Hurry up, can't you? I'm getting a

chill. Well, I'll be getting double

pneumonia if I don't get my feet dry.

>> Oliver,

>> what?

>> Do we have to go back to that house

tonight?

>> Certainly, that's the whole idea. Now,

we picked Duncan up at the station,

drove him out to Black Rockck. He took a

look around, decided he wanted to stay

at the hotel. We were tired, gave him

the car, and we stayed on.

>> I dare say we are committed to that

story now,

>> right? It wouldn't do for us to be

anywhere close to him when it happened.

It might arouse suspicion.

>> Suspicion?

>> No, but you yourself said that that we

haven't committed any crime.

>> Yes, but that we profit by what's

happened.

>> If anybody would think that perhaps we

might have deliberately scared him to

death.

>> Don't say such a thing. Don't even

suggest it.

>> I'm sorry, darling. I realize how

delicate you are. Now, come on. If we go

this way, we'll be home in 10 minutes.

>> Oh,

Oliver. What?

>> I'd give up the whole thing right now.

The property, the profit, all of it. If

only I didn't have to spend another

night in that house.

>> What? After sticking with Everett all

these years?

>> I mean it, Oliver. I'm afraid to go back

there.

>> Darling, you are so wonderfully

impractical.

Next thing you know, you'll be believing

it's haunted, too.

>> It is.

Now,

>> come on. Before someone finds us here,

[music]

now will you stop all this nonsense?

We know this house inside out. There any

ghosts knocking about? I'm sure we'd

have stirred one up before tonight.

>> Before tonight, we never did anything to

stir one up.

>> Well, that's a fine enlightened

statement.

>> Father,

>> what?

>> Please, I

I know I'm being foolish and female, but

please humor me.

We've always felt the same about things

before.

Don't you feel something

something different tonight?

>> Of course I do. We've been through a

harrowing experience.

It went far beyond anything we intended,

but it's over and it's finished and

that's the end of it.

>> No.

No. I

Oh, I never gave any more credence to

that story about Jeremy Ransom and

what's her name? Carolyn any more than

you did.

Not until tonight.

When I was waiting downstairs

watching Duncan

and you in that silly outfit,

I swear I was almost as frightened as he

was.

>> I always knew that I should have been on

the stage.

>> No, Oliver.

No, it wasn't you

or him.

was if somebody else was in that room,

some other presence.

>> Didn't you feel it at all?

>> Of course, I was scared stiff, but not

of the bullets. I knew I had switched

them to blanks after he passed out. What

I was really afraid of was that he'd

figure that out and come after me with a

fireplace poker or something.

Then you didn't feel it

as if Jeremy Ransom and Caroline were in

that room backing you up, egging you on.

>> The man had a stroke, a heart attack.

There's no way in the world that we can

be blamed for this. There no signs of

violence in the body. No stab wounds, no

bullet wounds.

>> You sound so coldblooded.

>> Well, you're making my blood cold with

this infernal

>> Oliver. Please,

please, let's not quarrel.

Not tonight.

Not tonight of all nights.

>> I'm sorry. We're all on edge.

Everything will look different in

daylight.

>> Yes,

I guess there isn't anything to do now.

But

but wait

for the daylight.

[music]

[music]

Oliver, wake up. What?

>> What? Huh?

>> Wake up.

>> Oh, Rachel, what now?

>> Listen.

>> There's somebody downstairs

>> or something.

Rachel,

>> what are you going to do?

>> I'm going downstairs to find out who's

sulking about.

Don't you know?

>> What do you mean,

>> Oliver?

It's Jeremy.

>> Oh, snap out of it, Rich.

>> Oliver,

please don't leave me alone here.

Please.

No. No. Oliver.

Now you hold on to this and remember

they're not blanks this time.

>> Oliver.

Oliver, please don't go down there.

Please. Please don't.

>> Who's there?

What do you want?

Who are you?

Now, I know there's someone in here.

If you just tell me what you want,

perhaps I can arrange for you to have

it.

I mean, there's

there's no need for any mystery about

this.

I'm uh well, I'm perfectly willing to

[music]

Perfect.

[music]

[music]

Oliver.

Oliver.

Oliver, is that you?

Oh, Oliver,

it is you.

[gasps] It is you, isn't it? I I I

couldn't see you.

I

Oliver. [music]

Oliver.

Oliver. Say something.

I can't see you. I can't see you.

Oliver.

>> [music]

[screaming]

[laughter]

[crying]

[gasps]

>> Oh no.

[screaming]

Oh no.

Oliver. Oliver.

Oliver. Oliver. Are you all right? Are

you all right?

>> Yes. Yes.

I'm all right.

>> Oh, thank

I killed you.

>> He didn't even touch me.

>> I had to shoot him, Oliver.

I had to. He's dead.

I killed him. I killed him. [gasps]

>> Judson, [clears throat] that you Mr.

Judson.

Ma'am, are you all right?

>> Where did you come from?

>> Well, we heard the shots.

>> How did you get here so soon? We found

your wagon ma'am down by the bio with

some stranger in it. Fell said his name

was Ransom. Jeremy Ransom was out of his

head. Said someone was trying to kill

him and his wife. So he run off and

we're looking for him. He come this way.

>> No, no, no, no, no. He He's not here.

>> No.

We have swore them shots come upstairs

there.

>> You were mistaken.

Maybe so, but I think we better have a

look see. Just a second.

>> No, no, no. There's nothing to see up

there. There's nobody. There's nothing

to see.

>> It's no use, Rachel.

He's here and they'll find him.

Nobody will ever believe that it was all

all a mistake.

>> Mistake?

>> Yes. Yes. You see, we thought he was a

prowler, a trespasser. You see, his name

isn't Ransom. He's our cousin.

>> Cousin?

>> Our cousin? Duncan. But you see,

>> now hold on, man. I think you made a

mighty big mistake, man.

>> I mean, if ever left in the house like

you meant to, I don't see how you could

take him for a trespasser. I mean, it

wasn't your house, now was it?

>> No.

No, it wasn't.

what it is now.

All of it,

this house,

everything in it,

it's ours.

>> [music]

[music]

[music]

>> Heat.

Heat. [music]

>> [music]

[music]

[music]

[music]