Original subtitles

[TIRES SCREECHING]

Look at those crazy kids. One headlight.

They're mine.

- I'll see you, Sam. - Okay.

[SIREN WAILING]

[SIREN STOPS]

Let's see your licence.

What did we do?

Get out and I'll show you. Leave your lights on.

We were only going 30 miles an hour.

- I mean, we were both watching here. - Out.

That'll cost you.

Oh, yeah. You're careful and you try to drive like an old lady,

and get stopped for a headlight.

[HEART BEATING]

What's that?

Oh, it's nothing.

- Look, officer, please? - Open it.

Now, listen, it's a girl.

It's a nice girl and she just--

She got a little oiled up at the beach.

We're gonna be in enough hot water with her old man as it is.

I said, open it.

Okay.

[HEART BEATING]

What is it? What is it?

[TIRES SCREECHING]

[ANNOUNCER READS ON-SCREEN TEXT]

ANNOUNCER: Starring Roy Thinnes as architect David Vincent.

NARRATOR: The invaders:

Alien beings from a dying planet.

Their destination: the Earth.

Their purpose: to make it their world.

David Vincent has seen them.

For him, it began one lost night on a lonely country road,

looking for a shortcut that he never found.

It began with a closed, deserted diner,

and a man too long without sleep to continue his journey.

It began with the landing of a craft from another galaxy.

Now David Vincent knows that the invaders are here.

That they have taken human form.

Somehow he must convince a disbelieving world

that the nightmare has already begun.

ANNOUNCER: The guest stars in tonight's story:

John Larch,

Carol Rossen,

Frank Overton.

[ANNOUNCER READS ON-SCREEN TEXT]

NARRATOR: A police officer has seen something so terrifying

that he had been driven to hysteria.

And from hysteria to the thin edge of madness.

His incoherent words describing a creature not of this world

and a strange, metallic disc

bring David Vincent to this Rhode Island city

and officer Hal Corman.

But why can't I stay with him and talk to him? You're his psychiatrist.

Now, believe me, he won't respond, Mrs. Corman, even if he hears you.

His mind has put up a barrier to shut out whatever happened to him.

Now we have to find a way to reach through that barrier

to bring him back to reality without frightening him,

without driving him deeper into himself.

How?

Well, we can't do it here. We don't have the facilities.

I have papers for you to sign that will give us permission to take him

where he'll get the help he needs.

No, I won't let him go to one of those places.

Joan.

Joan, you have to for Hal's sake, you do.

All right.

- Do what you have to do. - We'll go to my office.

You'd better stay here, lieutenant.

She needs someone to blame. Just be patient.

I'll wait for her down the hall.

- Hello. - Yes?

A friend of mine, Sergeant Hal Corman, was brought in last night.

- Is he allowed visitors? - No, I'm afraid not.

Do you think I could see his doctor for a moment?

Pardon me.

I'd like to talk to you, please. Over here.

- Name? - David Vincent.

Identification?

Where were you last night, Mr. Vincent?

Here's an airplane ticket, flight 402 this morning.

What's this all about?

One man knows what happened to Hal Corman, what he really saw.

That's the man driving that station wagon on the beach road last night.

I'm gonna find that man.

You're looking in the wrong place. Why would he come here?

Why did you come here?

I know most of Hal's friends. I've never seen you before.

Well, let's just say I'm interested.

The driver of that wagon would be too.

Tell you what, Mr. Vincent,

I'm gonna hang on to this until I check with the airline.

- Where are you staying? - The Shoreham.

Okay.

You'll hear from me.

Well, Joan, let me take you home.

- Thank you, I can get home. - I wanna help Hal.

Will you do me a favour and not help him anymore?

Just leave him alone.

Joan, I told you how sorry I am.

It's a little late for apologies.

If it hadn't been for you, if you hadn't talked Hal--

Joan, do we have to rehash that again?

Why, Greg, what's wrong?

Six months ago you were so proud.

You and your protege were gonna take this town apart,

clean it up, and to heck with the city-hall boys.

Nothing happened to you, Greg. Nothing at all.

But Hal lost everything. His rank, his future, and now--

Now blame me.

If it hadn't been for you,

he wouldn't have been on that beach patrol last night.

He'd have been at a desk at the precinct.

You can run away from it, Greg, but you can't change the truth.

[DOORBELL RINGS]

Yes?

Mrs. Corman?

I'd like to talk to you about your husband.

Haven't you people written enough about him? Why can't you just--?

I'm not a reporter.

My name is David Vincent.

Now, your husband had an experience that I might know something about.

Now, if I could talk to him, maybe I could help him and myself.

What kind of an experience?

Could I have five minutes to talk to you?

Please?

All right.

[TYPEWRITER CLACKING]

This doesn't make sense.

- What's it supposed to mean? ANDY: Just what it says.

That David Vincent's some kind of a kook.

Claims that aliens from outer space are trying to take over the Earth.

And he was on flight 402 this morning.

[PHONE RINGING]

Hello?

Yes.

Uh-huh.

Just a minute, please.

Hey, Greg.

Dr. Grayson.

He says Joan Corman has brought this Vincent guy over to the hospital.

Dr. Grayson.

Lieutenant, you'd better get down here.

Yes. This Vincent's with her now.

If I don't let him see her husband, she'll have him taken out of my care.

Well, can she do that?

Of course she can do it. She committed him voluntarily.

Well, if nobody stops her, I will not be responsible for what happens.

Oh, if the captain asks for me, you don't know where I am.

Greg, wait a second, will you?

You know, if it hadn't been for the captain

you'd have been busted just like Hal was.

Now, you're gonna keep on operating like a one-man army,

and you're gonna wind up without a job, without a pension.

Exactly nothing.

Yeah.

Joan,

why can't you get it through your head?

You've read the report and he doesn't even deny it.

I don't care what the report says about me.

The facts behind it are true.

That's why I'm here.

GRAYSON: Mrs. Corman,

we know little enough about the human mind.

This man knows nothing.

One wrong word and he can push your husband so far into his own world

that we'll never be able to reach him.

And one right word and Hal might come back to me.

Can you guarantee me that much?

I'm not going to argue with you anymore.

Do we see my husband or do I take him out of your care?

Hal,

we're going to help you.

Please help us.

Do you understand?

Hal, you don't know me.

But I think we have something in common.

We may have been through the same kind of experience.

Hal,

try to remember the metal disc.

The metal disc you talked about last night.

A metal unknown to us.

Warm, very warm.

And when it touched you, it began vibrating.

Someone held this disc in the palm of his hand

and tried to press it against your neck.

Is that what happened?

It's all right, Hal. Now, if that's what happened, you're not alone.

I've seen it too.

Now, Hal, try to remember.

You saw something last night, what was it?

What did you see?

What was it, Hal?

Hal.

Out. All of you, get out.

- Hal. - I said, get out.

He heard. I know that he heard. What happened? Hal.

GRAYSON: Push that buzzer by the door and get out.

[JOAN SOBBING] [DOOR BUZZES]

Vincent.

Boy, I should have found some charge against you,

stopped you before this happened.

I got through to him.

Sure. Sure. Tricks.

What kind of a crackpot are you? What do you want?

The truth. And I've found it.

It's up to you to dig up a lead on that station wagon.

Until I find something to book you on, I'm gonna stay on your neck.

Fine. I might appreciate that later on.

But you'd better put a guard on Hal Corman.

You're out of your mind.

I got through to him.

If it happens again, if he talks, his life's not worth a cent.

Do you understand that?

He's seen them.

They can't afford to have him talk.

You've got to guard him.

I want you out of here now.

Lieutenant, that metal disc he saw,

all they need is one minute alone with him in that room and he's gone.

- It'll look like a cerebral haemorrhage. - And they'll do this?

I know what I'm talking about.

Go on back to your hotel and wait. I'm not done with you.

Even if you don't believe me, you'd better put a guard on him.

[KNOCKING]

- David Vincent? - Yes.

You'd better come with me to the station.

Why?

Hal Corman is dead.

- How? - Cerebral haemorrhage.

Straight ahead.

[BOTH GRUNTING]

[CAR APPROACHING]

Hey, what's going on here?

Look, I want this whole area clear.

But it's my hotel. Those were shots.

- What happened? - Shots?

No, a can of gas went up. That's all.

Look, I want them all out of here until I check the damage.

Now, come on, will you?

MANAGER: All right, folks, back upstairs.

Nothing here now. Go back upstairs. Go upstairs.

- You okay? - Yeah, I'll be all right.

All right, would you mind telling me what I saw happen

a couple minutes ago?

Well, you told them. A can of gas went up.

Don't be funny, Vincent.

You know what you saw. What you wanna believe is up to you.

What we have to find out is what Hal Corman saw.

This is the car.

Well?

Who was that man I shot?

It wasn't a man.

Well, you have a report on me. A complete file.

You know what I've been tracking down. Invaders from another planet.

You just saw one die.

I found this in the front seat.

A ticket stub for the Ninth Street ferry.

It's stamped last night.

- We can trace it. - While you're at it.

The owner of the car, female, 28, Selene Lowell.

And thank you, lieutenant.

I said I'd be glad you were on my neck.

I was.

I came here to pick you up after Hal died.

He didn't just die.

He was murdered.

I'd better stop by the station,

have them check the stub, pick up the wagon.

Selene Lowell, huh?

Oh, Vincent.

Now, remember, this is police business.

I'm probably sticking my neck out by letting you in on it.

So don't louse me up.

Pardon me, could you tell me where I can find Miss Lowell?

You go all the way around the bend, take your first exit to the right.

She's outside by the fish tank.

I am not hysterical.

You're tired.

We all are.

But there is nothing wrong.

Ken, please.

You're so afraid if I say anything to the police

about Dr. Lanier's disappearance,

if it gets into the papers, that it'll jeopardise your precious grant.

Selene. Now, look.

Just give me a chance to check.

- Are you Miss Lowell? - Yes.

I'm Lieutenant Lucather and this is Mr. Vincent.

Excuse me.

Now, you said on the phone that you found my station wagon.

Where was it?

You mean, you didn't even know it was missing?

Well, no.

Everybody uses it. The keys are always in the ignition.

Well, then somebody here could have been driving it yesterday.

Oh, absolutely not. No.

Miss Lowell, we have proof that the car was used last night.

A ticket stub from the Ninth Street ferryboat.

Oh, please, what aren't you telling me?

What happened to him?

Who, Miss Lowell?

Well, I said I wouldn't say anything, but I guess I have to.

Dr. Lanier is missing.

He's the head of the sea lab.

Last night while we were working, he felt ill. He went home.

This morning I checked-- We live in the same building.

--but there was no answer.

All right, Miss Lowell, after we finish here,

why don't we go down to headquarters?

Then you can give us a complete rundown on Lanier.

All right, I hope I can be of some help.

Well, if you'll come with me.

Ken-- That is, Dr. Harrison is not going to be very happy

that I mentioned anything to you.

That feeding should have been done two hours ago.

Everything's been off schedule for weeks.

Are you trying to meet a deadline?

Trying but I don't know whether we're gonna make it.

That's why it's so unreasonable for Dr. Lanier to have gone.

Well, that new wing has got to be finished and--

Well, for some kind of a meeting next week.

If this kind of work you're doing isn't secret,

would you mind telling me about it?

Well, if you weren't policemen, I'd say no.

But maybe you'll see why we're under such strict orders about publicity.

Publicity, huh.

Now, that is something we didn't have to worry about under our last director.

And then he had a heart attack, and Dr. Lanier took over the lab,

and everything changed. Everything.

Ken and I are the only ones that are left from the old staff, and Ken--

Let me show you something.

SELENE: You know what that is?

No, but whatever it is, you can have it.

It's life.

Created life.

Dr. Lanier has had Ken experimenting with primordial conditions.

The way the Earth was when lightning hit the sea

and first life was born.

We've been duplicating these conditions

by sending electricity through a mixture of seawater,

amino acids and other compounds we know were in the sea then.

This is only on a very small scale.

Now I'll show you what our grant's giving us the money to do.

[TYPEWRITER CLACKING]

SELENE: This is the new wing.

Dr. Harrison is over there.

Do you mind if I wander around a bit?

I guess it's all right.

By the size of that cable, you could light a whole city.

Yeah, I guess you could.

Do you need all that power?

You have your own generators.

I don't work here, pal. I'm just with the power company.

You'll have to ask one of the brains there.

I'm sorry to be so abrupt, lieutenant, but I just don't have the time.

Ken, I'm going to headquarters

with Lieutenant Lucather and Mr. Vincent. I'll be back.

Selene, I wish you--

Don't worry about coming back, we're not gonna work late tonight.

I'll call you when we find out what's wrong.

I'm sorry I couldn't be more help, lieutenant.

Thanks, anyway.

Naturally, I wish Selene hadn't involved the police.

But she was right to be concerned.

I've been afraid that Dr. Lanier was pushing himself too hard.

The strain of rushing to get the lab ready may have been too much.

Instead of worrying about Dr. Lanier, all I did was worry about publicity.

You know, I should go down to headquarters.

There might be something I can tell the police that'd help find him.

No, Ken.

Your place is here.

Without the knowledge he gave you, without your skill, he's lost, Ken.

He needs you.

He told you about the meeting next week.

Those coming to that meeting, my people,

will not be able to reach their goal without his contribution.

He's the key. Do you understand, Ken?

If we lose Lanier, his scientific genius,

our timetable for this planet will be set back months, years.

It's why we came to this laboratory, why we put in the new wing.

For him, Ken. For him.

What does he want me to do?

He wants you to bring him back,

to give him human form again.

No, I'm sorry, but he hasn't come back yet.

Well, sure, I'll have him call you the minute he comes in.

Right. Wait a second.

Oh, he just walked in.

Greg, it's Joan Corman. It's the second time she's called.

Thanks.

Yeah, Joan, what is it? What's the matter?

Now, look, Joan, just take it easy now.

What?

Where, Joan? Where did they come from?

All right, look, you just take it easy. Stay where you are.

I'll get back to you as soon as I can, okay?

She's at home. Half out of her mind.

She's been trying to reach me for hours.

She's just given us the lead we've been looking for.

Just before he died, Hal told her

where to find the people responsible for his murder.

- What, he told her? - Yeah.

There's a warehouse across the river, Allyson Street.

Just one block from the Ninth Street ferry.

- The one we found the ticket for? - That's right.

Wait a minute now.

A man in deep shock, so deep that he blocks out the whole world,

comes to just long enough to give you the exact information you need, huh?

And his wife comes to you with the information.

The woman who considers you responsible for her husband's death.

- Come off it, Vincent. - It's a trap.

- Trap? That was Joan Corman. - Check it out.

I don't have to. I know her. It was Joan.

It could be one of them.

It's not hard for them to duplicate her voice.

- Now, if you go, you'll-- - I have to go.

If it hadn't been for me and my stinking crusade,

Hal wouldn't have been on the beach that night.

Mrs. Corman, please.

Are you sure about that?

No, no. Thank you.

That was Mrs. Corman's landlady.

She left town an hour ago.

She went to see her husband's relatives in Illinois.

Do you know where that warehouse is?

Yes, I could see it from the dock when I took Dr. Lanier to the ferry.

Wait a minute. You mean to tell me you were in that station wagon?

No, not last night. It was a week ago.

Dr. Lanier was feeling sick just like he felt last night.

And he begged me to get him to the ferry.

He said that his doctor was somewhere across the river.

I know I should have said something, but the way everyone's been acting,

you know, nothing has made any sense.

- Mr. Vincent, what's happened? - Sergeant, I need some help.

What kind of help, Mr. Vincent?

Lieutenant Lucather's in danger. Grave danger.

Oh, he sure is. When the captain gets through with him,

- he's gonna think its danger. DAVID: This is no joke.

Oh, look, pal. All the lieutenant told me when he called in

was to turn the girl's wagon over to her.

He didn't say anything to me about listening to your nightmares.

Now, the wagon's outside and the keys are in it.

Do me a favour, will you? Be my guest.

Show me where that warehouse is.

Dr. Harrison, now, the only way I can get you that much current

is to change every relay at the power station.

That means to suck all the electricity from the border to here

right through that line.

Now, that would blow every transformer in the city.

Ken?

One burst of power. I must have it.

Yes, but if the power system blows--

Then our generators can take over.

Go to the power company.

Do it.

Now.

We're too late to catch the last ferry.

Is there another way across?

There's a bridge about a half-mile down.

Mr. Vincent, I don't know what's going on,

and I think I'm entitled to some explanation.

Well, I wonder whose explanation you'll believe.

Mine or Dr. Lanier's.

Try me.

All right.

We're being invaded by beings from another world.

I believe they've already taken over the sea lab.

[HEART BEATING]

We're ready, Dr. Lanier.

Ken.

Yes.

Now.

- Mr. Vincent. - Give me five minutes.

Either you're out of your mind,

or if everything you've said is true, we should be going to the police.

Just five minutes.

You.

Come with me.

For what it's worth, I apologise.

Now you know.

What's that supposed to be?

This is a regeneration station.

To keep themselves in a human form.

And to get rid of us.

Without leaving a mark or a trace,

they can induce a simple heart attack.

[ALL GRUNTING]

ALIEN: Hold it.

Over there.

Give me full force.

[GUNSHOTS]

[GUNSHOTS]

The sea lab. Quick.

[TYRES SCREECH]

- What were those shots? - Just keep driving.

It looks like every light in the city's out.

Those power lines I saw at the sea lab could draw enough current

to black out a city twice this size.

But those lines weren't connected. The lab isn't even operating.

They have their own generators.

Maybe they have to develop something more important than a handful of jelly.

What are you talking about?

Dr. Lanier was sick last night.

The station wagon picked him up, took him to that regeneration station.

The ticket stub proves that much.

Well, something must have gone wrong,

because usually when regeneration fails, they die and they burn up.

But suppose something else started to happen.

Like what?

Suppose he started to slip back,

suppose he was losing his human form

and the regeneration tubes didn't work.

Look, Hal saw something that was so terrifying that it drove him mad.

That something has been at the sea lab all day.

- Dr. Lanier? - Dr. Lanier.

Hold the level. Hold it.

That meeting next week must be very important.

So must Dr. Lanier.

Or they wouldn't risk blacking out a whole city.

I don't understand. Ken wouldn't work with them. I know that.

Well, he may have no choice. They might be controlling him.

GRAYSON: It's working, Ken. What do we need now?

Ken?

Nothing but time.

Nothing but time.

Ten minutes.

Ten minutes.

Is there another way in?

There's a door behind the control room.

A stairway inside leads directly to the new wing.

Distract that guard long enough for us to get in that door.

- The whole staff might be-- - Just let us get inside that door.

One thing, Vincent,

what happens when we get inside?

If I'm right, you make a quick phone call

and become a hero back at headquarters.

And if you're wrong,

do you know where a 51-year-old ex-cop can get a job?

SELENE: Jimmy.

What are you doing around so late?

Just waiting for my ride, Miss Lowell.

Oh, well, why don't you come with me? I'll drop you off as soon as I get Ken.

No matter what he said, I know he's still working.

No he isn't, Miss Lowell. He left a while ago.

Well, I'm glad to hear that.

You can just push yourself so far, can't you?

Are you sure you don't want a ride?

No, thanks, Miss Lowell, I'll wait.

Okay, I'll see you tomorrow morning.

You wanted to meet Dr. Lanier?

There he is.

LUCATHER: Grayson.

Now you know who killed Hal Corman.

Make your call.

- The salinity level. Raise it. Raise it. - Doctor--

I told you to forget about Miss Lowell.

You're distracting him.

Andy, Greg. Let me talk to the captain.

ALIEN: Open it.

Get them out of here.

Get them out of here.

It's all right, Ken.

No guns, no noise.

Cut the generators. Cut the generators.

Kill him.

Don't, Ken.

You must for Dr. Lanier.

Please.

[SOBBING]

You'll be needing this.

Oh, the return flight isn't marked on it.

I'll be leaving in an hour.

Now, are you sure you don't want me to go with you to the FBI?

I'm not going there.

Why not? I mean, after all of this?

How is she?

Well, she's asleep again. Having bad dreams, though.

They think she'll have them for a while.

What did the doctor say?

Well, the doctor called it a small breakdown.

She'll be here for a couple of months.

Well... Now, if you'll excuse me,

I think I'll go home and get some rest myself.

Will you ever tell him what happened?

What good would it do?

Now, look, David,

she's had a breakdown and he can't remember anything,

but you still got me. I'm willing to stick my neck out.

You'd only regret it.

The only proof we have is that fire at the sea lab.

Now, the power company says that was due to a faulty relay.

How about some coffee?

Why not?

If I'm late again, well, I'm in trouble with the captain anyway.

But my conscience is clear. I did what I had to do.

I found out what happened to Hal.

And maybe I found out a little more than that.

Coffee sounds good.

NARRATOR: One cup of coffee,

a few stolen minutes,

a last small gesture of defiance for a crusader

who fought and won a crusade

and knows he can never claim the victory.