Original subtitles

Good evening.

I’m looking to see what lies ahead.

The old Romans used to tell the future

by cutting animals open

and examining their entrails.

Due to some objections by anti-vivisectionists,

we have to omit the butchering.

But through the wonders of modern science,

we are not denied a glimpse into the future.

Besides, it’s much more tidy this way.

This is an X-ray of a goat,

an animal which the ancients found to be full of strange portents.

Hmm, it looks like rain.

I can see this will also give one insight about the past.

For example,

I now know what happened to those care keys I lost last summer.

As to the immediate future...

either this X-ray print wasn’t properly developed,

or else we are in for a very dismal time of it for the next minute.

[carnival music]

Hey, wake up. This is no place to sleep.

Come on, wake up. You’ll freeze to death.

[knocks] Hey, Milt. Come out here, quick.

Oh, it’s you, Sadini. What’s the matter?

-Some kid’s passed out. -[Milt] Another drunk?

No, I think he’s sick. Take a look.

He’s sick all right.

Give me a lift, we’re getting him into my trailer.

Right over there on the bed, Milt.

-I can manage now. -All right.

-Hi, Milt. -Hi.

Who’s that?

I found him lying outside passed out.

He looks half-starved to me.

Maybe you’d better heat him up some milk.

If you think I’m gonna start playing nursemaid to some crummy tramp,

-You’ve got another guess coming. -Oh, be reasonable, Irene.

Looks like the poor kid hasn’t had a square meal in days.

So, call a wagon. There’s charity hospitals, aren’t there?

I’m not gonna spend all my time in between shows cooped up with him.

You can’t just throw him out. Maybe he is in trouble.

There’s no identification on him, nothing.

He gives me the creeps.

Vic, I think he is waking up.

What happened?

Where am I?

Feeling better, kid?

Yes.

How did I get here?

Am I dead?

-What made you think that? -Because of you.

You look like an angel.

You hear that, Vic?

And you-- you look like the devil.

Not me, chum. Victor Sadini’s the name.

I’m a magician.

This is my wife, Irene. She helps me in my act.

Act? What act?

Well, don’t worry about that now, kid.

-My name is Hugo. -Hugo what?

Just Hugo, that’s all ever called me at the home.

What kind of home is that, Hugo?

Oh, it’s a big place.

I shouldn’t have told you.

-You see, I ran away. -[Irene] What did I tell you, Vic? Trouble.

Let him talk.

What are you doing here in Toledo, Hugo?

Oh, there’s this man I met.

And he let’s me sell newspapers for him on the street.

And at night I sleep under the bridge.

-[Sadini] On this weather? -I haven’t any money. The man took it.

His name is Fred.

I think he is a bad man.

[Irene] How come you got sick?

Oh, I’m not sick.

s-Not much you aren’t. -I-It’s just that I’m so hungry.

I haven’t eaten in two days...

Two days!

Irene, tell Milt to give you some hamburgers and see if he has some hot soup to take out.

[Irene sighs] OK...

it’s your party.

You’re going to be all right, Hugo, just rest and get your strength back.

What’s the matter?

You are not afraid of me, are you?

You’re a magician.

I’ve heard all about them.

-They can put spells on you. -I see.

Now, well, somebody’s gonna have to put you straight about a few things, Hugo.

I’ll tell you what, just as soon as you’re feeling better,

I’ll let you watch the show.

-Is Miss Irene on the show? -Of course.

Oh, then I want to watch it.

I like to watch her. She’s pretty.

Good.

[laughs]

[gasp] Hugo!

-Feeling better? -Oh yes, much better, thanks.

I wanted to see the show.

I’m not doing anything wrong, am I?

Of course not. Uh...

George, this is Hugo.

Hugo, this is George Morris. He’s a high wire artist.

Oh, very happy to meet you.

I like artists very much.

This is the one I was telling you about. You know, Vic picked him up.

-Oh, simple Simon. -Oh no, my name isn’t Simon.

It’s Hugo.

Right... Well I’ve--

I’ve gotta go find Vic. We’re on in five minutes.

I-I’ll see you latter.

-[George] Don’t forget what I told you. -I won’t.

An angel.

She looks just like an angel.

What do you know about angels, Hugo?

Oh, they’ve told me about them at the home.

About the devil, too.

What does an angel like her have to do with the devil?

You know, sometimes I wonder, too.

Come on, let’s go watch the great Sadini.

We’re going to see the magic now.

Yes, Hugo, we’re gonna see the magic.

[Sadini] My friends...

I’ll conclude this little demonstration of mystery and magic

with the celebrated illusion...

of sawing a woman in half!

[applause]

I always save this little trick for the last...

-just in case it doesn’t work. -[laughs]

All right, if you’re ready, please...

-Is he really gonna do it? -[George] Just watch and see.

Are you ready?

[Irene] Yes.

Ladies and gentlemen...

[saw engine starts]

Stop him, his hurting her.

No. Hugo is only a trick. See?

-He has killed her. The devil’s killed her! -Calm down.

-[applause] -It’s all right.

It’s all right, I tell you.

[applause continues]

[man] Encore.

Look... she’s smiling.

[fanfare]

[applause]

I tell you, I feed up with taking all this from him.

Now, he says he wants to put Hugo in the act to take care of the props.

But the kid worships you.

It bugs me, just to see him stare.

I tell you, I’ve had it.

So, so why don’t we blow out of here,

head to the coast, just the two of us?

Talk sense, Georgie boy.

I’m crazy about you, but that won’t pay the rent.

Anyway, Vic’s a headliner. You’re just another carney act.

A girl has to think of her future.

Vic. What’s that phony got?

Just a couple of trunks full of props.

Anybody can do a magic act, honey,

even I could if I had a stake for the gimmicks.

Look, you know all his routines. We could build our own act.

-How’s that for an angle? -What’s the use? We haven’t got a dime.

And anyway, Vic would never let me go.

We belong together, kid.

I can see it now, the Great George and company.

There’s got to be some way.

[both chuckling]

[gasps] George!

-What’s the big idea? -Let me handle this.

Hugo... I think it’s time you and I have a little talk.

Yes, Hugo, it’s true.

I love George.

And we’re going away together.

Oh, but Mr. Sadini...

he’s such a nice man, even if he does look that way.

How do you mean?

Well, when I first saw him, I thought he was the devil.

-But now... -You mean...

you thought he looked like the devil?

Yes. You know, at the home,

the wanted to send me away because I couldn’t understand things.

-But I’m all right now. -Oh yes, y-you’re fine.

I know Sadini isn’t the devil. He just does tricks.

-And you believed him? -Yes.

Oh, Hugo...

I was the same way once. I trusted him.

But now I’m his slave.

I’ll tell you a secret.

Sadini is the devil.

Oh no, no, George said it’s all tricks.

[Irene] That’s the way he fools people.

He makes them think they’re tricks.

Hugo, when I go out there on that stage and float...

it really happens.

And when he saws me in half, it’s because he really wants to.

Oh, Hugo, I’m so afraid of him.

Oh, please, help me.

[sobbing] Please.

-[Irene crying] -No, please,

please, don’t cry.

-[Irene continues crying] -[Hugo] Please.

What is it?

This is it. This is what does the magic.

The wand?

He waves it, and the magic happens.

That’s his power. Do you think you could steal it?

-Steal it? -Then you’d have his power.

Oh, Hugo-- Hugo, nothing can’t help me as long as he’s still alive.

As long as he’s still alive. But...

You got to help me. You must.

It wouldn’t be wrong.

No... No.

Oh, Hugo, please.

Hugo, please. No one will ever know. I’ll tell you the way.

Please.

All right.

I’ll help you.

Just tell me what to do.

Yes, Hugo.

I’ll tell you what to do.

[knocking on the door]

[Sadini] Irene, are you there?

Where’s Irene?

I haven’t seen her.

That’s funny.

Yes.

What’s the matter with you?

-[Hugo] Nothing. -What are you hanging around here for?

Everybody is in bed.

You’re supposed to bunk with the roustabouts

over in the prop tent.

I was waiting for you to get back.

What do you want me for?

I needed the keys,

the keys to your trunk.

Is there something you wanted to get out of it?

No...

there’s something I wanted to--

Hugo!

[knocking on the door]

[knocking on the door]

[George] Hugo...

Hugo, I gotta talk to you.

-No, not now, please, no. -She told what was up.

She tried to get me drunk, but I’m wise to her.

I sneaked out.

-I gotta stop you before you do anything foolish. -I know what I’m doing!

No, you don’t, Hugo-boy. No, you don’t.

She’s gonna frame you. That’s the bit.

She’s got it all figured...

-No, no, you’re lying. -You kill Sadini, she’ll tell the cops. Deny everything.

You see, you’re supposed to be...

Well, you just ain’t with it, kid.

-I’m all right. You know I’m all right. -Sure, pal, sure.

But you tell the cops that line about the devil...

they’ll have their own ideas.

You can get locked up for murder.

I had to come and warn you, before...

What’s-- What’s the matter?

I-- I-- I gotta get some air.

I don’t feel so good.

Hugo... don’t do it, listen to me.

Don’t do it, Hugo.

George?

George!

[door opens]

Is that you, George?

Where did you sneak off to?

Hm?

You see? I have it.

I have it. now.

Never mind that thing.

-Did you do it? -Yes.

-Where is he? -In the trailer.

Have you seen George?

-Does he know? -Yes, but it won’t matter.

Won’t matter?

All that matters is the wand.

-The magic wand. -What are you talking about?

You told me yourself.

Whoever has the wand, has the power.

-Where’s George? -With Sadini.

-No, Hugo, no. -He went to sleep...

so I locked him in the trailer with Sadini.

But if the police find him in there with Sadini, they’ll think that--

Doesn’t matter what they think.

All that matters is this.

Now the two of us can go away together.

We’ll have a wonderful act. You’ll see.

I can do all the things Sadini did...

all the magic.

No, Hugo, you-- you-- you d-don’t understand.

I-I’ll be greater than Sadini. I’ll show you.

-[Hugo] Irene. -[Irene] Ah!

[Hugo] Irene?

Irene, I didn’t mean to hurt you.

I didn’t mean to frightened you.

Don’t you believe me?

Well, then I’ll show you.

I’ll show you I can use the wand.

When you wake up... you’ll know it’s true.

You see?

I have the wand now.

Don’t be afraid.

Ladies and gentlemen...

presenting Hugo the Great!

[screaming in fear]

Smile, Irene, smile. Smile.

I don’t know quite how to put this.

However, I must tell you the truth.

The saw worked excellently, but the wand didn’t.

Hugo was terribly upset,

and Irene was beside herself.

As for the police,

they misunderstood the whole thing

and arrested Hugo for murder.

There’s not much more to say,

but I shall say it after the following commercial break.

The foregoing has made it obvious to me

that we’ve had quite enough for one evening.

We shall save the rest until next week,

when I shall reappear. Until then, goodnight.