All language subtitles for Alfred.Hitchcock.Presents.S05E22.Across.the.Threshold.1080p.PCOK.WEBRip.AAC.2.0.H.265.-EDGE2020_track3_[eng]

Good evening.

So glad you could join us.

We are holding a séance tonight.

At our last session,
we managed to get in touch

with the spirit of Marconi,

the inventor of radio.

But unfortunately,

it was impossible
to understand what he was saying

because of the static.

Now, if all of you will
place your hands palm down

on the tops
of your television sets

we shall attempt to speak
to Alexander Graham Bell.

Hello?

Hello!

[knocking]

I seem to have
reached him already.

Mr. Bell, do you--?

[knocking]

That’s peculiar,

it’s a woman.

She says,
"Mr. Bell is not in."

[knocking]

No, I’ll call later.

That was his answering service.

Now, if you will concentrate
on this little screen
in front of me,

there is someone I am positive
wants to get in touch with you.

And I am certain he’ll be in.

Listen.

[woman]
Hubert?

Yes, Mother?

Darling, you’ve been
sitting around all afternoon

in your suit jacket.

It’s so bad for it.

I brought you this.

Well, I thought
I might be going out,
but it seems I haven’t.

Well, there now,
I’ll just hang this away.

[chirping]

Cheep?

[chirping]

That’s my pretty.

-Cheep?
-[chirping]

Oh, darling,
I wanted to ask you.

Did you charge some things
at the drugstore?

Yes, I needed them.

Well, of course.
I’ll just write the check now.

Do you need any pocket money?

Mother, you’re gonna
wear yourself out

with all these little things.

Now, wouldn’t it be easier
for you

-if I had a checking account?
-Oh, no, dear, no.

You see,
you’re like your dear father.

You’re not very clever
with money.

-Whereas I am
a very careful person.
-[mouths along]

And anyway,
dear Arthur wanted it this way.

I don’t mind at all.

Oh, of course, I know that
you’re unhappy sometimes

because you’re not
earning anything just now.

But you mustn’t be.

I enjoy having you home
here with me.

And there is no hurry about
getting another position.

There.

You spoil me.

Well, of course I do.

It’s my occupation.

If I didn’t have it,
I’d just be fretting,

wishing I were with
your dear father.

Mother, Daddy’s been...
gone six years now.

Not gone, dear.
Never say that.

My Arthur is just across
the threshold, waiting.

Of course.

Oh, close the window
a little, like a good boy.

I-I do wish that I could somehow
get in touch with Arthur.

Oh, Mother,
don’t try that again.

That’s such a waste of money.

But I worry about him so.

I wonder if he’s lonely,
if he needs me.

It’d be simple enough
to go to him.

I’ve kept the medicine.

The last people you went to
were complete...

Medicine?

Yes, dear,
from your father’s last illness.

Taken in large quantities
it’s poison, you know.

-Oh.
-If anything happened to you,

I wouldn’t hesitate
for a moment.

You don’t mean
if I got married?

No. I’ve told you, dear,
when that time comes,

you just bring your wife
to live here.

No, I...

I just worry about Arthur.

I do miss him.

Do you think he misses me?

I don’t know, dearest.

I do know how much you want
to be in touch with him.

And that’s difficult,
as I said.

But I did hear
about a young woman
the other day.

Oh?

Now, I could look into that
for you.

But you mustn’t talk about it.

She doesn’t like
to exploit her gift.

Oh, Hubert, would you?

Darling, could you?

Like the dear thoughtful boy
that you are?

I could try.

[knocking on the door]

Oh.

I’m so glad you could get away.

Can we have dinner?

No, I’m afraid not.

I only have a few minutes.

Mother’s expecting me.

[Hubert] How are you?

Okay.

I waited at an agent’s office
for three hours today.

And I’m flat broke.

I just don’t know.

Oh, that’s too bad, dear.

I wish I could take you out
and buy you a wonderful dinner.

Mother’s a good cook,
I’ll bet, huh?

She could teach me.

Oh, Hubert,
why can’t I meet her?

Mother’s never liked any girl
I’ve ever taken home.

That’s why I hesitated
about asking you.

But now you may get to meet her.

How?

Listen. Do you remember that
play you did in Summer Stock

where you were a medium?

Yes.

Oh, boy, was that a flop show.

-Yeah. But you remember it?
-Well, sure.

Well, listen, my mother believes
in that kind of thing.

And she’s gonna try
to get in touch
with my dead father.

Now, could you do that?

You mean, put on an act?
Fool her?

Yeah. It’ll be easy,
because I’ll help you.

See, the point is this.
She’s going to go to somebody,

and who knows
what they’ll charge her.

This way you get the fee

and we’ll make her very happy.

Isn’t that a good idea?

Sure.

Listen, she mustn’t know
that you know me.

You understand that?

Mmm-hmm.

Look, can you do this?

With the trance,
and a man’s voice, all that?

Of course I can do it.
If you tell me what to say.

Oh, I’ll tell you what to say.
I promise you.

Listen, I’m gonna make
an appointment, then,
for this week.

Is that all right?

Yeah.

There is too much light.

Just the one lamp?
Of course. Of course.

Dimmer, please.

Is that all right?

Yes, thank you.

Whatever you say, Miss Coulette.
We are in your hands.

Shall we sit down, Mother?

[Coulette] You must understand
that I, myself,

become unconscious.

The Princess Artiti
speaks through me.

Oh, she is your control, is she?

Yes.

She was an Egyptian princess
of the 18th dynasty

who lived in Egypt
in 1375 BC.

She married her brother.

They all did, you know.

Mother, will you sit there?
And I’ll sit here.

Will you try to make contact?

I will try.

I do not know what will happen.

Sometimes, nothing.

Please...

concentrate on the one
you wish to contact.

Think hard. That helps.

-Think, darling. I am thinking.
-Shh.

[humming]

[high-pitched]
I am the Princess Artiti.

Why am I being called?

The power is not strong tonight.

I cannot help you.

Oh, please.

Oh, they are crowding.

No, go away.

He wants to speak,
but he is not the one.

[humming]

So many.

So many.

Princess, if you could
just find the one.

But the one who is wanted

knows he is being called.

I see him.

He is elderly.

He has hair

of masses of silver.

Arthur.

He is trying to say something.

Something about his...

His comfortable,
old sofa.

[gasps]

He cannot speak.

[Sophia]
Oh, please.

[mouthing words]

The forces are restraining him.

He is fading.

Fading.

I can’t tell you more.

It was Arthur!
Don’t you see it?

Miss Coulette,
my name is Sophia.

And my husband
used to call me his...

Comfy old Sofie.

She could never have known that.

Oh, my dear,
you were marvelous!

Will you come again soon?

Very soon?

Of course, Mrs. Winter...

if you wish it.

Oh, I do. I do.

[chirping]

That’s my girl.

That’s my baby.

Cheep. Cheep.

Is everything just so?

I’m sure it is, Mother.
Don’t fuss so.

Just so the environment’s
all right.

That’s all that
Miss Coulette required.

[chirping]

I like her very much,
don’t you?

Oh, she has great gifts.

I somehow sense

that tonight,
we’ll be able to talk together,

your father and I.

Yes, I sense that, too, dearest.

[high-pitched]
Now he is coming.

I see him.

He is standing at the end
of a long, dark passage,

holding out his hands.

Ready to receive you.

The lady is waiting.

[low-pitched]
Sofie.

Arthur.

Now listen to me tonight.

There’s something
I must ask you.

Dear Sofie.

Listen to me, please.

I worry about you.

I know that you always
depended on me for everything.

And I so loved doing
everything for you.

Are you all right, my dear?

Are you happy?

Mother, I think
if you’ll just be silent,

Father will speak.

I am here, dearest Sofie,

and I love you as ever.

And, oh, how I miss you.

I am lonely on this shore.

-I wait for you.
-[mouthing words]

I need you.

Then I’ll come, Arthur.

I swear I will.

And quickly.

I promise you.

I know now...

I know now what I must do.

Okay, that’s fine.
You’d better go now.

[Sophia]
Hubert?

You see, I was right.

He is lonely.

I had the instinct.
I seemed to know he...

He does need me.

You do understand.

Yes, I understand.

I shall miss you terribly.

When?

Isn’t it fortunate
that I am not inclined
to throw things away?

-The medicine?
-Oh, yes, much the best way.

Now, let me see.
There’ll be several things
to attend to.

But I think I can do that
tomorrow in the daytime.

And then... in the evening,

one of our nice,
quiet evenings.

Yes, that will be best.

Tomorrow evening then, Arthur.

Tomorrow evening
at this time, my son.

There.

That’s every penny
I owe anybody.

Now, let me see.

I’ve checked the linen
and the silver, and the china.

I’ve put my clothes
in moth bags,

I’ve stopped
my library subscription.

I’m sure you’ve seen
to everything, Mother.

Dust on the piano!
Well, now, I can’t have that.

-Mother.
-Yes, dear?

[chuckles]

I’m just going
to fetch a dust cloth.

Perhaps if I went out
for a breath of air.

Oh, poor child,

I’ve kept you with me
all this long, last day.

It must have been
very difficult for you.

No, dearest, it’s just that
this waiting is so painful.

You know where the poison is,
you haven’t mislaid it?

Of course I haven’t.
I know exactly where it is.

I am a very careful person,

as Arthur used to say.

Now, I’ll just
dust the piano. And...

[chirping]

Oh! Oh, dear.

Oh!

[chirping]

Could you run an errand for me?

I’d be glad to.

Oh, it was a nasty,
old piece of newspaper, baby.

The drugstore has shelf paper.

Would you get me
something pretty?

You want me to buy paper
for the canary now?

Yes, dear. Would you?

And will you mail these?

I must have everything just so.

Yes, I suppose you must.

Are you frightened?

No. No.

You mustn’t be.
It’s nothing.

It’s just a transition.

I know that.
I believe that.

Well then, run along out.

I’ll be here.

I promise you.

I could never go
unless you were near me.

So have no fear of that.

Well then, I’ll be right back.

[knocking on the door]

Come in.

What happened?

Congratulations.

Is she...

Everything is going to be
all right.

-When?
-Tonight.

Now, Hubert,
you can’t let her do this.

Just let me go and tell her
that we were kidding.

No!

No, you mustn’t.

But, you just can’t--

Listen, if you tell her now

that wasn’t my father
last night

you’d break her heart.

All right, then you do it
some other way.

You tell her that
you need her here.

Now, you can do that.

But I don’t need her.

I’m not a child, you know.

Hubert...

What is this?

That’s paper for the bottom
of her canary cage.

Hubert, I don’t think we ought
to let her do it.

I do. I think it’s the best
thing for everybody

all the way ’round.

Dearest, this is murder.

You know that, don’t you?

The law can’t touch us.

Well, they can touch us
if they know about it.

Listen, if this is murder,

you’re in on it
just as much as I am.

So you’re not
going to interfere.

How are you gonna explain

your part in this to the police?

Or anybody else?

My part?

You’re the one that set her off
with that act of yours.

And that’s fraud,
criminal fraud!

I was acting.

Listen,
there’s nothing you can do

except sit and wait
and be patient.

Now, you understand that?

Yeah.

Let’s look at it this way.

My mother will be happy.
I’ll be rich.

We can get married,
go to Europe on our honeymoon.

And nobody’ll know
the difference.

[door closes]

Mother?

Mother!

Here I am.

What’s that?

I have brought you
your jacket.

Now, I want this to be

just like one of our usual
lovely evenings.

You in your chair
and I in mine.

I don’t want
to be found in bed.

I want to be here,
where we’ve had
so many happy times.

-Do you understand?
-Yes, I understand.

I meant,
what’s that in the glass?

That’s the medicine.

It was exactly
where I had put it.

A place for everything
and everything in its place.

That is how Arthur
used to tease me.

Now, I will just
put this away.

Ma...

Well...

Now, I wonder if I’ve
forgotten anything.

I can’t imagine what.

Oh, what a tangled...

Oh, dear.

Mother, does that matter now?

It won’t take a minute, dear.

[sighs]

Get me the police.

Dearest, I don’t like to ask,
but have you left a note
of any kind?

Oh, yes,
I’ve taken care of that.

I’ve written everything down
and explained it most clearly.

And your will, I suppose,
is in order?

Oh, yes. There’s a copy
in the desk drawer

and the lawyers
have the original.

Well, I do believe I have
thought of everything now.

Forgive me, darling,
but I do need this.

Well, of course, dear.

Oh, Hubert, now,
you’re not going to cry?

There’s no need to,
believe me.

I do believe you.

And I won’t cry.

Mother, I’d like to
propose a toast.

-To Daddy.
-Ah!

Dear.

Mother, I did think you’d drink
that toast with me.

Oh, I will, dear. I will.

Dearest, I have tried
to understand everything.

Now, won’t you try?

Have pity on me.
Don’t drag this thing out.

Can’t you see that I can’t
stand much more of this?

If you are going to do it...

I-If you are going to do it,
then, please do it.

Don’t drag it out.
For my sake. For...

For...

It doesn’t hurt,
does it, darling?

I’ve only been waiting to see
you safely over the threshold.

Well, you didn’t think

I was going to leave you here
all alone,

did you, darling?

I’ve poisoned you, darling.

Now you’ll be with Mommy
and Daddy for always.

You’re not afraid, are you?

It won’t be long.

[sirens approaching]

There.

Well, Arthur,

I think I have attended
to everything.

Just so.

[tires screeching,
door closes]

[doorbell buzzing]

What in the world is that?

That concludes our tribute
to mother love.

I shall return after we
reveal our sponsor’s identity.

There is an epilogue
to tonight’s story.

Mrs. Winter decided to trade
spiritual togetherness

for solitary confinement

and discovered
she preferred it that way.

After seeing Hubert,
I can’t say I blame her.

Next week, we shall make
our own attempt

at togetherness with you.

Until then, goodnight.