Original subtitles

- I hardly know what to tell you about the next half hour,

except that it has been reported as true

by those to whom it happened.

It has been investigated, and no one as yet

has been able to explain it, or disprove it.

(dramatic music)

Stern, Harold.

Age, 53, died April 14th, no known next of kin.

Who could explain the inexplicable events

in the life of Harold Stern.

Certainly what happened to him,

and to those involved with him

has never happened before, and certainly

will never happen again.

(men murmuring)

(siren wailing)

- [Radio] Ladies and gentlemen, once again

we repeat the special bulletin regarding Harold Stern.

It is very urgent that Stern, who's last known address

was 127 West 16th Place, repeat 127 West 16th Place,

be located at once.

Anyone knowing his present whereabouts

is asked to immediately contact--

(ominous music)

- No.

(knocking at door)

- What a merry chase you led us.

- I beg your pardon?

- We've been tearing the city down

looking for you Mr Stern.

- 'Fraid you made a mistake.

My name is Jordan, Frank Jordan.

That's the name on the mailbox.

- No mistake, Mr Stern.

I'm Lieutenant Barry.

You dyed your hair, comb it differently,

but the description still fits.

Why did you do that, Mr Stern?

- I tell you, you made a mistake.

I don't understand this.

- I don't understand you.

You'd think you were public enemy number one.

- I'm telling you, you've made a mistake!

- Alright, now cut it out, will you?

Give me the lab.

We traced you through some tax accounts

you used to work for.

Manager said you'd pledged him to secrecy,

but in a case like this it--

This is Lieutenant Barry.

We finally located Harold Stern.

Yeah.

We'll have him over to the hospital in 15 minutes.

- You will not!

- Alright, get your coat, Mr Stern.

Pretty chilly outside.

- You can't tell me what to do.

You can't treat me as if I was a criminal or something.

Get out of my house!

- Now, now, now, wait a minute, wait a minute.

I'm sorry.

Guess I did barge in on you kind of impolitely,

but this girl in the hospital is unconscious,

she's libel to die any minute,

unless she gets a transfusion.

You have a pretty rare type of blood, Mr Stern.

The hospital told me you were

the only known donor in this whole area.

- There has to be others.

Instead of wasting your time here with me,

why don't you go out and find some other blood donor?

- No time.

- You're gonna have to find somebody else.

- Didn't you understand me?

The girl is dying.

- I'm sorry but--

- She's just a working kid, but if it's money

I guess you can--

- No, it's not money, I never took money.

- Then what is it?

- I don't have to explain.

- Look it's nothing to give blood,

thousands of people do it every day without any trouble.

- It isn't that.

- Then look at this card.

Now look at all the dates.

In the last 15 years you must've

given blood, what, 25 times?

- 31 times.

- Well then you know there's nothing to it.

- Is there anything on that card

about my giving blood the past three years?

- That's when you dropped out of sight isn't it?

- I don't want to talk about it.

- You changed your name, moved clear across town,

warned your friends not to tell anybody.

- Now look, Lieutenant, I've got a lot

of tax work to complete tonight.

Instead of wasting my time and yours,

why don't you go out and find another blood donor.

- I see you signed these tax returns

with this new name, Frank Jordan.

I suppose you changed it legally?

- Yes.

- Fine, got a copy of the court records around?

I mean, authorizing the change?

- No.

- Where do you keep them, bank vaults?

- Yes.

- Which bank?

- Well to be perfectly honest,

I haven't gotten around to changing it legally.

- Oh, what do you think of that?

Signing a false name to tax returns?

- Look, those reports are absolutely accurate.

I leaned over backwards to have my clients

file honest reports the name's only a technicality.

- Bet the federal boys have some

pretty strict rules about that.

- You can't blame me--

- Of course, sir, that's their headache.

All I've got to worry about is finding Harold Stern,

and getting him over to General Hospital.

- I get it.

And if I give you the blood...

- It's like you say, if the reports are honest,

the name's only a technicality.

- No!

- What kind of a crumb are you?

- I can't do it, I can't go through that again,

It would kill me.

I just can't do it.

- What's the matter with you?

What're you talking about?

- Don't you think I wanna help the girl?

You think I'm some kind of insensitive monster?

Look, I'll show you what I'm talking about.

Here.

I have these clippings.

Man, slain in robbery.

Drowned in pool.

Inherits millions in surprise bequest.

It was no surprise to me.

- Inherits millions in surprise bequest.

Man slain in robbery.

What are these?

- I gave my blood five times that last year.

And those clippings related to three of them.

There were two others.

One of the two just got a divorce a few months ago,

the other is doing well, thank God.

I knew he would.

- What are you talking about?

- I don't expect you to believe me.

- Believe what?

- Something went wrong that year.

Whenever I gave my blood, somehow I became

involved in their lives, I knew in advance

what was going to happen to them.

- You mean you knew this poor guy

was going to drown in a pool?

- Yes.

Yes.

Well not exactly.

- Well did you or didn't you?

- Well I knew something was going to happen to him.

When or how or where, no I didn't know that

but I knew that something terrible,

I had a premonition, a voice.

I don't care whether you believe me or not.

- I don't care about anything but your blood.

Now come on.

Get your jacket and let's go.

- No, can't you understand?

I can't go on living with a thing like this.

Knowing in advance something was gonna happen to somebody

oh well, it'll be something good.

Well that's fine, but if it isn't

then you can't do anything about it,

it's a living hell, I just can't do it, I can't do it.

Now there must be some other blood donor with my type.

You've got to find him.

- Williams, come in here a minute.

We're taking Mr Stern down to headquarters.

Booking him on a charge of using

a false name on government documents.

I'll call the hospital and tell them it's all off.

(slow music)

Get me General Hospital.

- I'm sorry.

- Get in the car.

Hello, Mr Wozinski, I'm Lieutenant Barry.

- Yeah, they drove me right over.

Is this the man?

- Yes.

This is the girl's father.

- What kind of a cheap trick is this?

So that's the call you made to the hospital,

to have him here so I change my mind?

Well, it won't work!

- Look, Mister, she's just a kid.

She's just 19.

- I can't help her.

- She's all I got in the world.

Her Ma died when she was a baby.

- No!

- She's a sweet, good-natured kid.

You want money, you tell me how much

and I'll go out and get it for you,

I don't care what I have to do.

- No, it's not the money.

- Well then what is it?

Tell me, what is it?

- [Harold] I have my reasons.

- Mister, she's dying.

You don't wanna let her die.

She's dying!

- I can't, I can't, I can't.

- Make him do it.

- I can't make him.

- You're just gonna let her die?

Murderer!

(dramatic music)

- You can go home now, Stern.

I said get out.

- I thought you were going to arrest me.

- Get out!

I wanna congratulate you, Mr Stern.

You're a citizen we can all be proud of.

- Why did you have to find me?

Alright.

Alright.

Alright.

(soft jazzy music)

(knock on door)

- Mr Stern?

- Yes?

- Well I just came by to thank you.

- For what?

- Nothin' just my life.

I'm the girl that was in the hospital.

- Oh, I'm surprised to see you up and about so quickly.

- Quickly, almost a month.

A whole month in that creep joint.

- How'd you find me?

- The people in the lab.

- Well they shouldn't have given you my name.

Oh and no thanks necessary.

- Ha, modest.

That's cute.

Well at least there's one thing that's rare about me, huh?

My blood type?

- I am happy to see you up and about, Miss.

- Lynn, Marta Lynn, Marta without the H.

You busy?

- No, no, won't you come in and have some coffee?

I was just having some.

- I guess I could use some.

- You still weak?

- Oh, I'll live.

- Is your father taking care of you?

- Oh you got quite a sense of humor.

- Beg your pardon?

- Soon as my old man found out I was gonna live,

zoom, off he went somewhere to celebrate.

That's the last I saw of him.

- He seemed quite devoted to you.

- Oh, he's a big fake.

Tears flow like wine, then wine flows like tears.

He's been celebrating one thing or another since 1940.

I mean like World War II, the flu epidemic, the recession.

Well, he'll come back, crying, but only

if he finds out I've been hit by a truck

or somebody shot me.

- You shouldn't talk that way.

- Why not, what's the big tragedy?

- Nothing like that's gonna happen to you.

- Oh, how do you know?

- I mean you shouldn't be morbid.

- Morbid.

- Who is taking care of you?

- Same person who's been looking after me since age 10, me.

Hey, you got any sugar?

- Sugar.

- Oh do you know anything about the Kitten Club?

- Kitten Club?

- Yeah, I got an appointment for a job there.

It's on this side of town.

- No, I don't think I know--

- It's that strip joint over on seventh street.

- Strip, you mean you...

- Oh, no, I'm just a camera girl,

but thanks for the compliment.

- It was nice of you to drop by.

- Well, thanks for the blood.

I hope it brings me luck.

- I hope so, Miss Lynn, I hope so.

- You know you're really very nice.

And it's not Lynn, it's Wozinski like my old man,

and Martha with an H.

(slow trumpets play)

(gasping)

- No

No.

No, please God, No!

- Yeah, George, that's right.

Yeah, I'll meet you at court at 9:30 in the morning,

yeah both men'll be there.

- Where's the girl!

- Uh, just a second George.

- Where's the girl, Lieutenant.

- What girl?

Well I don't know she's still in the hospital I guess.

- No, she's not there, she left a week ago.

Where does she live?

- Uh, George hold on a second.

Look Mr Stern, are you alright?

- Something's gonna happen Lieutenant.

- George, George I'll call you back in the morning.

- Lieutenant, that girl's gonna die.

- Well it happens to the best of us.

- No, I mean violently and soon.

- That your little crystal ball?

- I tell you Lieutenant, this is no joke--

- How's she going to die?

- I don't know how!

- Mr Stern, maybe you oughta see a doctor.

- Please, where does she live?

- I don't know.

- Call the hospital.

- You call the hospital.

- I can't they wouldn't tell me.

- Mr Stern, it's late and I'm tired.

- Look Lieutenant, you came to me

and made me do something I didn't wanna do.

You tricked me into it, and now you're involved too.

- Alright.

You wanna play crystal gazer, fortune teller.

Get me General Hospital.

Take it easy, relax.

- Fine time of night to come busting into a person's house.

(banging on door)

- No answer.

- She's in there, she came in a couple of hours ago,

and I didn't see her leave.

- Well she's not in there now.

Come on, I've wasted enough time.

- It's the silliest thing I've ever heard.

She's in there I tell you.

- Wait, I smell gas.

- Gas?

- I know it's gas.

- Got your pass key?

- Downstairs.

- Well get it.

- Go back to bed.

- It is gas!

(Banging on door)

(dramatic music)

I told you something was gonna happen, I told you.

I told you, I knew it.

I knew this would happen.

- She's perfectly alright.

Come on, let's get her out of here.

- Oh will you look at that door,

the landlady'll absolutely kill me.

What I'd tell you, she wants to see me

first thing in the morning, the old heave-ho.

You know I wish you'd do me a favor

and stop saving my life.

- You mustn't talk that way.

- Well why can't you find yourself another hobby?

Why don't you take up stamp collecting?

You want a cup of coffee?

- Don't you think it's too late?

- Oh it's too late for a lot of things.

That dumb Lieutenant with all his funny questions.

It was an accident.

- It was, of course.

- Oh don't say of course like that.

If I was gonna kill myself, I wouldn't

do it with a lot of smelly gas.

Besides I'm always having accidents.

Couple of nights ago I fell asleep

with a cigarette in my mouth, burned a hole in the blanket.

Wait 'til Mrs Sommers sees that.

- You must be more careful.

- Why couldn't the world struggle along without me?

I mean if it really tried.

What made you stop by tonight anyhow?

- I wanted to see how you were.

- No change, still lousy.

- Did you get that job as a camera girl?

- No, don't you read the papers?

Some more of the famous Wozinski luck.

That very night some hold-up guy shot up the place.

Now they're closed down for repairs.

- Well you shouldn't try to get a job

in a place where there's so much danger.

- Danger?

- You shouldn't, you really shouldn't, you shouldn't!

- Look, Mr Stern, you just gave me some blood,

you didn't adopt me.

- I'm sorry.

- Oh I'm sorry too.

It's just that I'm not used to having

somebody worry about me.

It makes me nervous.

- I've got an idea.

- What?

- I'm a tax accountant, you know.

- So?

- Can you type?

(laughs)

- I'm hardly the secretarial type.

- Well really it doesn't matter very much.

I mean if you can print carefully with pen and ink.

- You offering me a job?

- Yes.

- Why?

- I feel a sort of responsibility for you.

- Why?

- Just do.

- You really mean that don't you?

- Yes.

- For crying out loud.

- Look, it would be easy.

You could move into my house and then--

- Oh, ho, ho.

- Oh no.

Please don't misunderstand me.

You see it's not a very big house.

But there's plenty of room.

I could sleep in the attic or get a room next door.

I just thought it would be easier.

Will you do it?

I'd very much like to help you.

- Well I sure don't have any better offers,

and it would be a pleasure to get out of this dump.

- Thank you, Miss Lynn.

- Wozinski.

- Wozinski.

- I thought guys like you went out of style

a couple of centuries ago.

(jazzy music)

Help, Help.

Help!

- Martha!

Martha.

Marta!

(water splashes)

Martha, I told you not to go swimming so soon after lunch.

Well you ask me not to do so many things, I lost track.

Besides I was only kidding.

I fooled him too.

- Well, your friend looked a little upset.

I thought I'd make like a hero.

- Why shouldn't I be upset?

Thank you very much young man.

- For what?

Big laugh, I swim ten times better than he does.

- Oh yeah?

Prove it.

- Please don't go in, you might get a cramp, go under.

- This don't do this, don't do that routine

is beginning to bug me now will you let go.

Martha please, don't go in.

- I'm getting a little bored with being treated

like a six year old child Mr Stern.

(water splashes)

- Marta!

Marta.

- Oh, hi, Grandpa.

I forgot my key.

You remember old Fearless Fozdick.

- Where were you?

- We went for a drive.

- Fearless and me went for a little drive.

- You're both drunk.

- 100% super duper trooper drunk.

- What're you doing, driving when you're drunk?

Don't you know it's dangerous?

You wanna end up in a morgue?

- Worry, worry, worry, you know

you're like a little old lady, sitting in a rocking chair

worrying about this and worrying about that.

- Get out.

- Just a cotton-picking second, Grandpa.

I did something wrong.

I do more things wrong.

- Go to bed!

- Wait outside

- [Fearless] Maybe I oughta go.

- You better wait outside.

- Okay, Gramps.

(door slams)

- What's the matter with you?

Always going out of your way to put yourself in danger.

- What big teeth you have, Grandpa.

(trumpet wailing)

- Martha, I'm sorry.

- Would you believe it?

At first I got a bang out of this kindergarten routine.

- Martha if you'd only listen to me

perhaps I could explain--

- Oh, Mr Stern.

- Alright, I'll show you.

Marta I want you to look at these

and then you'll understand what I'm trying to say.

Martha, please look at these, I can't let it happen to you.

Every one of them.

I knew what was going to happen to every one of them,

both the good and the bad.

Marta, I know what's going to happen to you.

- So do I, I'm leaving.

- Unless we do something to prevent it Martha,

you're going to die in a terrible way.

- Now knock it off, will you?

- Believe me, I know.

- Marta are you coming or not?

- He's waiting for me.

- If you go with this young man

something will happen, I know it will.

Martha, please look at these.

- Will you please stop acting like this, it's embarrassing.

Don't you think I know why you're doing it?

- What're you talking about?

- Oh at first I thought it was cute,

but who's kidding whom, Mr Stern

you're 25 years older than I am.

- What do you mean?

- [Martha] You know what I mean now stop acting like that.

- What do you mean?

What're you talking about?

You've got to believe me!

(shouting)

- Let go of me!

(dramatic music crescendos)

(banging on door)

- Marta died, violently, fulfilling Harold Stern's prophecy,

though certainly not as he'd expected.

A few months later, Mr Stern passed away

in an asylum for the the criminally insane,

and there the matter ended.

And yet there are those who still speculate

about his fantastic power of clairvoyance.

The woman who unexpectedly inherited a great fortune,

the man who drowned, or his intuition

that took him to Marta's room before the gas could kill her.

Explain it we cannot.

We can only wonder.

Another enigma in the world that

thus far remains, one step beyond.

In a moment, something about next week.

(eerie orchestral music)