All language subtitles for They Came To A City

Won't never be like that.

YOUNG WOMAN:
Oh, Jimmy, you're so stupid.

But can't you see there's
got to be something like that or...

or else all this will just have been
a waste of time.

Maybe it has.

Oh, Jimmy, I know you don't mean that.

No, I suppose I don't, really.

But I think you've got your head
in the clouds.

And you've got your feet
so firmly fixed on the ground

you... you can't see any further
than the end of your nose.

HE LAUGHS
- Don't laugh at me.

I'm sorry, but after
all the nonsense you've been talking.

YOUNG WOMAN:
It's not nonsense.

you'll never convince me
that things will ever be different.

The trouble with you, Jimmy, is that
you're not willing to do anything about it.

All you can do is pull everything to pieces

instead of trying to help build things up.

Excuse me, have you a match?

My lighter's not working.
- Yes, sure.

Thanks.

Argument?

Very much of one.

Public or private?
- Oh, public. About after the war.

Ah.

I say that people will insist
on things being different.

And I say they won't.

What do you say?

Some will, some won't.

Oh, that's a dull answer.

It needn't be if you begin
to take a good look at it.

Let's suppose we took a little
cross-section of our people.

All with very different backgrounds
and surroundings.

A waitress. A landed baronet.

A charwoman. A businessman.

And let's imagine these people
suddenly found themselves

out of their ordinary surroundings.

Nine people, we'll say.

We'll begin with the waitress.

I don't mind work, not even
with manageresses like you around

but I do like to eat when I'm working.

So there's your uniform, such as it is

and there's your wonderful list
of rules and regulations

and you know what you can do with 'em.
- Well!

Give me a double gin and lime, Bert.

And not so much lime.

What she been doing to you, Alice?

Oh, I'm packing up, that's all.

What, got a better job?
- Nope.

Well, what are you going to do then?

Give us another one, Bert.

Even if I find another job,
I don't suppose it'll be any better.

Still, it'll be a change.
I like to keep moving.

I had six months in London,
out Hammersmith way

and then 18 months in Newcastle,
where they call you 'hinny.'

And then six months in Birmingham.

Here, go easy. You're upset.

So would you be. Oh, I'm alright.

So long, Bert.
- All the best, kid.

It's a dark night.
- It always is!

Whoops! Christmas!

GONG SOUNDS

Alright, Simpson, I admit it ought to be
a valuable little property

but what's your proposition?

I have the option,
you provide the money

and so we split 50/50.

I see, and I suppose
you think that's smart, eh?

It's good business, isn't it?
- Oh, I don't know about that.

No, you're out of your depth.

Where's your option?
- Don't worry about that, Cudworth.

I'll have that option first thing
in the morning.

Oh, no, you won't.

'Cause I've got it right here.
In me pocket.

Blast!
- Hey, be careful.

This thing's got a wonky connection.

Now you've done it.
- Oh, I'm sorry.

That's always the trouble with you,
Simpson.

You never think ahead.

Well, wait here while I go and get
the porter to fix it.

That is if he's not gone home.
He's never here when you want him.

Looks like the whole lot has fused.
Jenkins!

GONG SOUNDS

Oh, good evening, Miss Loxfield.
- Good evening.

I don't suppose there are
any letters for me, are there?

I'm sorry, miss.

I don't really know why I keep asking.

I... I'm not really expecting anything,
only, well...

don't you ever feel that something exciting
might suddenly come through the post?

Well, no, miss, I can't say that I ever do.

There you are, Philippa.
- Oh, good evening, my lady.

It's a bit dark for your walk tonight.

Indeed.

Come along, Philippa.
- Yes, Mother.

I don't like that young man as much
as the one we had before.

I hope you weren't talking to him.
- Oh, no, Mother.

I was just asking
if there were any letters.

Your bridge was abominable tonight.
You simply weren't paying any attention.

I'm sorry, Mother.
- I'm quite £2 down.

But, Mother, you know
I hate playing bridge

and those people are so dull...

GONG SOUNDS

I like the weight of her, d'you know,
Baker.

I like the weight very much.
- Yes, sir.

I heard Mr Truscott say
he's very pleased with that club.

Alright, tell him I'll take it
and he can put it down to my account.

MAN: I say, Gedney.
- Very good, sir.

Do you remember Sutton? Edgar Sutton?
Used to be a secretary fellow here?

I remember. In India, isn't he?
- That's right.

Dreamt about him the other night.
- As we are now talking about dreams

did I ever tell you about
my uncle Everard?

Well, as a matter of fact,
you've told me...

He was years in the Straits Settlements
and then came home

to be Joint Master
of the North Barsetshire.

Now, he used to dream regularly
once a month

that he was being chased
by a leopard.

The same leopard, mind you.
In North Barset.

Well, it just goes to show you
how queer things are

dreams and all that.

I say, is that the time?

It must be getting dark, I must be off.

Must you, really?

Good night, Barnaby.
- Good night, Gedney.

Good night, Baker.
Keep an eye on my club, won't you?

BAKER:
Very good, sir, I will.

I say, it is dark.

I never knew it to be dark quite so...

GONG SOUNDS

INDISTINCT YELLS

TRAFFIC NOISES OUTSIDE

How goes it, Mrs Batley?

Oh, not too good, Mr Smithers.

Got them rheumatic pains
in me legs again something cruel.

Well, you get off home
and have a nice lie-down.

Yes, I wish I could.

Help me on with this coat,
will you, Mr Smithers?

Certainly, Mrs Batley.
- Thank you.

And steady with that left arm.
That ain't too good neither.

Getting old, that's what it is.

Not you, you're as lively as a kitten.
- Ah, go on.

Nice cup of tea will you put right.

Yes, well, I've got a bit of shopping
to do first.

And a bit more cleaning when I get home.

Now, where's me shopping basket...

GONG SOUNDS

TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS

So I said to him,
'You're quite wrong, you know.

My name's Stritton and I'm in
the West Midland Bank of Leamington.'

Then he pretended he'd seen me there,
but of course he hadn't.

Well, I don't see why
he shouldn't have done.

Where's the box?
- I had it put in the van.

Well, do you think it's safe?
- I should think so. I don't see why...

Well, people are always stealing things

and Uncle will never forgive us
if we lose his precious engravings.

Well, I never wanted to have them,
they're so...

Yes, I know, Malcolm, but I knew he'd
be pleased if we borrowed them.

Remember, he has a lot of property
and no one to leave it to.

You must go and see if the box is there.

Now, Dorothy...
- Malcolm.

I've been worried about
something for the last half hour.

It must be the box.

You don't know,
it may have been stolen.

Please go and see.

Alright, Dorothy, but really, every time
we go to Tewkesbury it's fuss, fuss, fuss.

TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS

Malcolm! Malcolm!

Malcolm, where are you?

SHIP'S HORN BLOWS

FIGHTING GRUNTS

Anyone else want to get trouble?

Yes, I do.
- What?

You heard what I said.

You've been hazing us
all the way across

just for the pleasure of it.

Just because you and the blasted owners
have got us where you want us.

Well, I'm taking no more from you.

If you want any more,
you know where to come for it.

MAN:
You alright, Joe?

Yes, I'm alright.

I'll feel better
when I've had some fresh air.

MRS BATLEY:
Am I back here on purpose, am I?

DOROTHY:
Malcolm, where are you?

MALCOLM:
Alright, Dorothy.

DOROTHY:
Malcolm, this way.

VOICES OVERLAP

PHILIPPA:
I can't imagine where we are.

Philippa!

Philippa!

Where are you?

Alright, Mother, I'm coming.

Well, where are you?

Really, Philippa, how you can
leave me alone at a moment like this

when anything might happen.

But I wasn't leaving you alone, Mother.

I only stopped because I thought I heard
somebody else moving about.

All the more reason
why you shouldn't leave me.

We must stick together.
- Yes, Mother.

Can you still hear someone?
- No. Not now.

Where are we?
- I haven't the foggiest.

You haven't any idea?
- No.

None at all.

Look.

LADY LOXFIELD: What is it?
- PHILIPPA: I don't know.

But I do know it isn't Bournemouth.

Let's go up.

LADY LOXFIELD:
It might lead anywhere.

PHILIPPA:
But at least it'll lead somewhere.

We don't know where we are now,
so we may as well go up.

We won't be any worse off.

Come on, Mother.

Listen. I can hear somebody.

Philippa...
- Shh.

Yes. There's somebody behind us.

Oh, good evening.

I suppose it is evening, isn't it?

PHILIPPA:
I suppose so. Well, we're a bit mixed up.

So am I.

Well, we better introduce ourselves, eh?

Cudworth's my name.

I'm Philippa Loxfield
and this is my mother, Lady Loxfield.

How do you do.
- How do you do, Mr Cudworth.

Can you tell me if this is Bournemouth?

Bournemouth?
Oh, no, I don't suppose so.

I never go to Bournemouth,
I don't like the place.

Well, where are we, then?

Now you've got me.

You see, you're the first people I've seen.

Let's move on a bit, shall we?

Well, I suppose we might as well.

CUDWORTH:
It's a funny sort of place.

Looks like... a wall... steps.

PHILIPPA: It is a wall.
- That's right.

Better a wall than nothing if you ask me.

PHILIPPA:
Certainly.

Well, Mother, we're somewhere now.

What is the use of saying
we're somewhere if we don't know where?

Really, Philippa.

Did you say your name was Loxfield?
You're not in tin, are you?

I've never been in tin.

No, my husband was
in the Colonial Service.

Hmm. I'm a commercial man, myself.

Well, now what should we do?

Well, we'd better go up the steps.

Alright.

There are two or three very
important wires I'd like to send

as soon as I can find a post office
that's open.

SHE LAUGHS

CUDWORTH:
What's the joke, young lady?

I believe you've got it all wrong.

You won't find any post offices
round here.

You don't know anything about it,
Philippa.

And I daresay Mr Cudworth
will soon find a post office or something.

Oh, that reminds me.

I ought to have written to your Aunt Edith
to tell her to be sure

not to come and stay with us
till the end of next week.

Perhaps it is the end of next week now.

CUDWORTH:
That doesn't make sense, young lady.

PHILIPPA: Well, being here at all
doesn't make sense to me.

MRS BATLEY:
Excuse me?

Excuse me?

HER VOICE ECHOES

Well, they're talking English, they was.
There's one good thing.

None of that jabber-jabber-jabber

like them poor foreigners
in the tram the other day.

SIR GEORGE:
I say!

Who's there?

Oh! I say!
- Yes? Where are you?

SIR GEORGE:
I say, look here.

Can you tell me how far I am
from the clubhouse?

What clubhouse?

Well, the West Windlesham
Golf Club, of course.

Sorry, but I never heard of it.

I live out Walthamstow way, meself.

Walthamstow? Good heavens!
This isn't Walthamstow, is it?

No, t'aint a bit like it.

So I daresay it's what you say,
West-What's-It.

West Windlesham.

Ought to be, 'cause I was there.
Tell me, do you play golf? Mm-hm?

Me play golf, eh?

Nobody never asked me that before.

I had to come here to be asked that.
- Yes, very amusing.

Look, if anyone should ask for me,
I'm Sir George Gedney.

Sir George Gedney.
- Fancy.

You haven't seen anyone about,
have you?

Yes, there was two ladies and a gentleman
that just went up them steps.

Up those steps?
Thank you very much.

I suppose they will know
where they are.

Why, they live round here probably.
Sure to, eh?

Well, I'm a bit tired meself
or I'd have called up to them.

Yes, I assure you.

I say! I say! Anybody there?

Anybody about?

Malcolm!

HER VOICE ECHOES

It ain't Sir George Gedney you want, is it?

No.

I was calling for my husband.

I'm Mrs Stritton.
- I'm Mrs Batley.

Was your husband with you?
- Yes.

We were together till about
ten minutes ago.

We're always together.
We always have been.

Yeah, well, that's how some likes it
and some don't.

Perhaps we're dead.

No, we'd feel different
if we was dead.

Either we'd feel nothing at all
or we'd feel different

and I feel just the same as I did.

Feet achin', rheumatic pains in me legs
and all.

Just the same.

And besides, I've got me shopping basket.

And I wouldn't have that with me
if I was dead, that'd be silly.

I'm going to look for him.

Malcolm!

HER VOICES ECHOES

Malcolm!

Malcolm!

And then I told her exactly
what I thought of her

and it did me good.

So I walked down to the bar after having
had a couple of double gins a limes

it was pitch dark outside

and the next minute it seems like
I'm wandering around here

asking you where we are.

I'm no better off than you.

You see, I was in a train
going to Tewkesbury.

ALICE:
Tewkesbury?

I went there once to the Red Lion.

Hello, who's that?

Excuse me, but are you Mr Stritton?

Yes, I'm Stritton.

Well, your wife's looking for you.

Yes, of course. I've been looking for her.

Since when?
- No, really, I have.

Where is she?

She went on there somewhere.

Oh.

Er, Dorothy?

Well, say it as if you meant it.

Doro-thy!
- HER VOICE ECHOES

DOROTHY:
Malcolm!

Yes, dear, here I am.

Here he is!

Malcolm, I've been looking
for you everywhere.

I've been looking for you.
- Can't have been looking very hard.

Oh, he was.

Don't let's waste any more time, Malcolm.

We ought to find out exactly
where we are.

Unless, of course, your friend's
already told you.

Excuse me.
- Come along, Malcolm.

I've been looking for you everywhere.

I was dreadfully worried.

And then I find you with
that awful woman.

Really, Malcolm,
where did you pick her up?

I simply can't understand
you behaving like this...

Well, we know who wears
the trousers there, don't we?

I knew it 'fore I saw him.

Have a cigarette?
- No, thank you, dear.

Never took to it.

Well, I feel better.

I don't know where I am or what's
going to happen, but I feel better.

And anyhow I didn't know what was going
to happen before this happened.

So what's the odds?
- That's right, dear.

Ever been a waitress?
- No.

But my cousin's youngest is a waitress.

Looks nice in her uniform, too, she do.

That's a life, I'm telling you.

Talk about your feet.

I sometimes felt mine must be
as big as footballs.

And it's a mean life, too.
Gosh, it's mean.

You wouldn't believe.

Most of the time the management's
trying to cheat the customers

and half the time the customers
are trying to cheat the management.

You don't say.
- But the women...

Half of them think they're buying you

along with their pot of tea
and beans on toast.

I could've killed them.

Men aren't so bad.

Except, of course, half of them
got their pig's eyes sticking out their head

trying to imagine what
you've got under your uniform

and some of them pinch you, too.

That's right.
One of 'em pinched me once.

Upper Clapton Road, it was.
Outside a greengrocer's.

Well...

if you don't mind, dear, I'm just
going to see if there's something

a bit more comfortable
further up them steps.

ALICE:
What's the matter with people anyhow?

MRS BATLEY:
They're all strung up inside, dear

'cause they ain't getting
their little bits of happiness. That's all.

Yes, and then they try to take it out
on somebody else, eh?

MRS BATLEY:
That's right.

Hello! Who's this?

Hello, beautiful.

Yes, I might have known.

There'd have to be one of you
conquering heroes.

Talking to yourself, beautiful?
- Don't call me beautiful.

Why? Aren't you?
- No, I'm not.

Well, I've seen worse.
- So have I. Lots.

But I don't like that tone of voice,
so give it a rest, see?

And if you must know, I was talking
to my friend who's gone up here.

Why has she?
- Because she wants to sit down

have a rest and be quiet.

And so would you if you were a woman.

Huh. If I'd been a woman,
I'd have packed up years ago.

Yes? Well, women don't pack up.

If they pack up,
everything would pack up.

Well, it can for me.

Where are we?
- Search me.

You see, I was nursing a ship's engine.

I've been doing it right across
the South Atlantic.

It's an old engine. At least as old as I am.

In fact, I'd say older. Yes, older.

Oh, are you sure?

I feel we ought to get this thing settled.

No, beautiful.
- Oh, drop it.

Hey, you're not bad-tempered, are you?

No, not as a rule.
- Well, then, take it easy.

Nobody's trying to insult you.

Now, then, listen.

I've been a waitress
and I've been a barmaid.

For ten years I've had jobs where fellas
like you come up with your 'beautifuls'

and we have to pretend to think
you're very witty.

Customer's always right, eh?

Yes. And I can tell you plenty
about that, too.

But the point is, I want a rest
from this 'beautiful' line just now, see?

Certainly. What's your name?

Alice Foster. What's yours?

Joe Dinmore, Miss Foster.

Or is it Mrs Foster?

No, it isn't. What do you do?

I've done everything, Miss Foster,
except make money.

I was in Australia one time driving tractors.

I was in South America one time,
foreman on a railway gang.

Didn't you ever try England?
- Huh?

Now and then, between time.

I was saving England up
until I'd made me packet.

I've done a bit of docking.
I was on a coaster one time...

Alright, Mr Dinmore, alright,
I get the idea.

You've just tried this and that
and now you're trying this.

Well, I'm not trying this.

Last time I remember anything,
I was going on deck to get some fresh air.

I've been laying myself five to one
I'd wake up in the jug somewhere

with a head on me like an old boiler.

But if so, I don't see where you come in...

Miss Foster.

No, I don't either.

And this "Miss Foster's" getting me down.

Thought you wanted some politeness.

Yes, alright, but don't overdo it.

Hello, what's this?

Looks like a kind of sundial.

Hey, there's my friend. She's asleep.

Ah, good ol' Ma. Let her sleep.

What kind of a place is this?

Reminds me of a place I saw
in Peru one time.

Wouldn't be a kind of a castle,
would it?

Might be.
Then again, it might be a town.

Lots of these old towns have walls
all round 'em.

I've seen them all over the place.

And you can't see a thing here.
- HIS VOICE ECHOES

JOE:
Look a hell of a drop, though.

No getting in this way.

I say, Joe.

What if there were something
absolutely wonderful down there?

How do you mean, wonderful?

I don't know, quite.

I know if I'd saw it, though.

Something different.

Not a bit like London or Birmingham
or Newcastle.

Nor Liverpool, Glasgow, Port Said,
Aden, Bombay.

Singapore, Sydney, New York,
Los Angeles, Chicago.

Ever since I could remember

I've always wanted to come across,
suddenly, something wonderful.

Or different.

Don't laugh.
- I'm not laughing.

You were smiling.
- Oh, well, that's different, Alice.

That's friendly.
- Yes, that's different.

I used to carry a little book
of old Walt Whitman around with me.

I could spout it by the yard.
Do you know what he said?

'I dream'd in a dream I saw a city...'

Oh, no, what was it?

'...invincible to the attacks
of the whole of the rest of the earth.

I dream'd that was the new
City of Friends.'

Yes, Joe, that's it.
- Yeah.

Sounds fine, doesn't it?

I'm glad he said he only dreamt it, though.

Huh. What a hope.

Well, I'm a fool, I suppose,
but that's what I've always wanted.

And it's what, in a way,
because I'm a fool, I've always expected.

I think that's why I've never
settled down. You know?

I'm just the chap who does know, Alice.

I've always thought that if I moved on
and tried another job somewhere else

it might somehow be there.

And it never was. Was it?

No, Joe, it never was.

Ever call yourself a mug?
- Yes.

But don't you try calling me one.

OK. I've been calling myself one
for 15 years now.

No, longer.
- Here, steady.

You're not that old.
- I'm 35.

Well, what's that?
- Nothing. Yet.

Guess how old I am.

22.
- Go on. I'm 28.

I don't believe it.
- Yes, and I look it. You wait.

Mind you, I'm a bit tired, you know,
and the old face is feeling it

what with one thing and another.

You're alright, Alice.

Thanks, Joe.

I say! I say!
- What is it?

Do you happen to know
where I can find a post office?

SHE LAUGHS

Well, what's the joke? Well, go on, tell me.

No one can say I can't enjoy a joke.

I'm sorry, mister.
- Cudworth's the name.

Oh, well, I'm sorry Mr Cudworth,
but honestly, I don't know why I laughed.

It suddenly came over me,
seeing you standing there all fussed.

Wanting a post office?
- Yes!

I don't see anything funny about it!

What do you want a post office for?

'Cause I want to send
a couple of telegrams.

Very urgent business, you know.

Oh, business, making money.
- That's it.

Why? Do you need some money
very badly?

No, I've plenty, but that's not the point.
- Well, what is the point?

Oh, you're one of these
argumentative chaps, are you?

Well, the point is...
- Ah, stuff it.

Well, what are we all doing here,
anyhow?

Well, I'm having a nice rest.

What do you do when you're not
having a nice rest?

Look after a house full of people
and go out cleaning three days a week.

Yeah, aren't you sharp and nosey, eh?

Yes, and I'll bet you've never kept a job
for more than a year, have you?

You mind your own business.

Now, I'd say you're one of those chaps
who started out as a black-coated worker

clerk or what-not.
- Right.

And then by never missing a trick
and giving all your mind to it

pushed yourself pretty high up
into the boss and capitalist class.

And you wouldn't be
very far wrong neither.

What are you, a mechanic or something?

Right, mechanic or something.

Jack-of-all-trades, eh?
- Right.

Here today and gone tomorrow, eh?
- Right every time.

Where's it got you?

Well, it's got me here.
Where's your line got you?

If I told you what I was worth,
you'd be surprised.

Surprised? I wouldn't even be interested.

Now, Joe, don't be rude.

You don't look like a Joe. Does he?

No, he don't.

Here, what is this?
Are you women ganging up on me already?

Do you know much about women,
Mr what's-it?

Yes, I keep away from 'em.

Yeah, I'll bet you do, too. Take your
mind off your business, don't they?

That's right. Always interfering. Messy, too.

Messy? What do you mean, messy?

Ooh, I know what he means.
Mind you, he's wrong.

But I know what he means.

You know, you ask me,
I think there's a lot to be said

for that old idea about women's place
being in the home.

How many girls have you got
in your office?

Six.

How many women have you got
in your home?

I haven't got any.

Then what's the good of telling I should
think the woman's place is in the home?

You don't believe a word of it.

If you did, you'd pop those six girls
from your office in your home

and make a start that way.
- Oh, talk sense!

Most extraordinary, Lady Loxfield.
Never known anything like it.

Those Logan girls!
Which one was it? Kitty?

No, Dolly. Kitty came rather
a nasty cropper, you remember.

I used to go duck shooting
with their brother, Piggy Logan.

There used to be a Logan around
the Thames and Medway Trust.

Very sharp he was, too.

You couldn't put anything past that Logan.

Not the same family.
Not very brainy, these Logans.

Excuse me. I'm Sir George Gedney.
- My name's Cudworth.

Are you in the City?
- Yes, you?

Oh, Lord, no. I often wish I was.

I've got two or three
potty little directorships

that take me up to town now and then.

That's all.
- Really?

By the way, do you ever run across
Buster Clayhorn?

He used to command the Blues.

No, I never knew these Army men,
I've spent me life in the City.

Queer. I thought you might
have run across Buster.

You might have lent him a hundred
now and again.

Good Lord, I'm not a moneylender.
- No, of course not.

Er, I'm sorry.

Lady Loxfield, did you ever run across
Buster Clayhorn?

There were some Dorset Clayhorns
I used to know.

Oh, not the same.

Buster was one of the Leicester Clayhorns.

You sound as if you are
talking about cattle.

Not at all, I'm talking about
a dear old friend of mine.

Look, look! I say, look!

JOE: What is it?
- There's a city down there!

A city! Oh, let's have a look!
- LADY LOXFIELD: Philippa!

There's a city down there!
- A city?

It's all misty yet, but I can just see it.
Look, Joe.

JOE:
I am looking, Alice.

I can't see anything
but a lot of ground mist.

I'm not arguing, Dorothy.

There's no point in having an argument

when we don't know what's happened
to us or where we've got to.

Well, that's what I've been
saying to you all along.

Hello, what's happening?

We think there's a city down there.
- Oh, really? A city!

Well, go on, see if you can see it.
- Well, wouldn't you like to see it?

No, I don't believe anybody
can see anything.

Well, what do you think of it, Joe?

I don't know.
- What do you mean, you don't know?

Well, I've seen places before
that look good at first.

You'd see 'em

from a long way off after weeks at sea

and you'd think you were
sailing into heaven.

When you got inside 'em, God, they stank.

Well, we're not talking about smells now.

I'm not either. I mean the carry-on
there was so terrible.

Poor devils sitting about in rags
with their ribs all showing through.

Kids crawling around the gutters
with their faces running sores.

Oh, shut up.

Don't spoil it.

Alright, I won't, but that's what I meant
when I said I didn't know.

Christians awake!

Look! All of you, look!

Look!

Well, nobody's going to break
that door down in a hurry.

No bell or knocker or anything.

Well, even if there was

I don't see what right we have
to go ringing or banging at it.

We don't know who lives there.

Well, we can ask where we are, can't we?

Well, there's nothing to open it with.

No handle or anything.

No, it's not that sort of door.

Not what sort of door?

This door's either tight shut as it is now
or else it's wide open.

That's the sort of door it is.

It's sure to open, sooner or later.

Queer.

Malcolm, if you don't bang on that door
then I will.

Oh, well, of course. I will.

I wouldn't bother, pal, they won't reply.

You heard what he said, dear.

Of course I heard what he said!

MRS BATLEY:
It's no use, my dear.

That door,
it'll open when it wants to open.

And not before.

You'll go in, of course?

Oh, rather, a place that size,
well worth looking at.

Don't you think so, Mr, erm...?
- Stritton.

London?
- No, Leamington.

I'm in the West Midland Bank there.
- Can't say I know it.

I've heard of it, of course,
but I can't really say I know it.

I bank at Barclays, myself,
have done for years.

And where do you bank, Miss Foster?

Post Office Savings, Mr Dinmore.
How 'bout you?

The London and Wide World
Rolling Stone No Moss Limited.

Very fun.
- Can't see it, myself.

You know, Cudworth, there ought to be
something in your lane down here.

Rather, nothing like having
a good look round.

Used to spend me holidays keeping
me eyes and ears open.

Picked up a controlling interest
that way once in the Tormouth Trams.

Sold out afterwards, of course.

Tram's no good to me.
- Quite right.

Tram's no good to anybody.

What is any good to you?

CUDWORTH: Trying to be smart?
- Not especially.

Never pays with me, you know.
- I daresay.

But what is any good to you?

Money is.
- Why? What do you do with it?

Make more money!
- So what?

Now, listen, and don't think
you know it all.

Have you been kicked about?
- Yes, plenty.

Well, I haven't. Why? Too much money!

Now who's laughing?
- Well, I'm not crying.

No, but he has you there, though.
Must have money. Don't I know it.

Are you what they call an aristocrat?

I don't know about that.

I'm seventh baronet if that's anything.

I've got a place in Wiltshire.
Landed gentry, I suppose. Why?

I wasn't sure.

The way you people made the mistake
was in ganging up with these money boys.

You ought to have ganged up with us,
the crowd, the mob

the people without any money.

But you didn't.

It's too late now.
- Quite.

I haven't the foggiest notion
what you're talking about. Sorry.

Do you know what he's talking about,
Cudworth?

Yes, and he's wrong.

Care for a stroll, Lady Loxfield?
It's no use hanging around here.

I quite agree. Come along, Philippa.
- I'd rather stay, Mother.

I want you to come Philippa.
- Yes, Mother.

Ought to be plenty of money around here.
- You don't say.

Oh, no doubt about that.

Chance to get in on the ground floor.

You know, some of these people
have the assets

and they don't know how to use 'em.
Now, you take South America...

Did you hear those two?

Typical specimens of the boss class.

Grab, grab, grab.
It's all they care about.

ALICE:
So what do you care about?

That's not the point.
- Well, then, what is the point?

The point is, here's two
typical specimens...

Oh, shut up with your 'typical specimens.'
- What's the matter with you?

It isn't what the matter with me.
It's what the matter with you.

Here we are and down there
is a wonderful place

like nothing we've ever seen before.

And all you can do
is to shake your fat head

and say you don't know
what it's like

and then pay no more attention

because you're bothering with
your typical specimens of the boss class.

Well, so what?
- So I say you're as bad as they are.

If not worse!
- Like hell I am!

Oh, I might have known,
I might have known!

Here, listen!
- Oh, shut up!

What's the matter with her?

MALCOLM: I don't know, I'm sure.
- I'm surprised at that.

You talked to her for long enough.

Now, Dorothy, you know perfectly well
I was looking for you.

Yes, you told me that before.
- Alright, alright.

It isn't alright!

My wife's rather upset.
She's not too strong, you know.

And this queer business, well,
you can imagine.

She's bad-tempered,
that's what's the matter with her.

So's that other Judy, Alice.

Women seem to lose their temper
so suddenly without any real reason.

Oh, no, Mr Stritton,
there's always a reason.

Now, Mrs Stritton, she went off in a huff,
as you might say, like that

'cause as you said,
she's upset and worried

and I expect she's one of them
who went they start worrying

soon begin to worry about everything.

So when she catches you talking
to that young woman, Alice

she feels more uncertain still

and then she loses her temper with you
'cause you made her feel like that.

Just when she needed a bit of comfort.

Ma, I can see you know it all.

Well, what about the other one, Alice?
What made her fly off the handle?

Oh, I don't know that I ought to let on
about her.

JOE:
Oh, go on, Ma.

Well, you see, that Alice is one
that's had a lot of disappointments.

She meets you here and fancies you

and then she's disappointed in you

and that makes her mad at herself
for expecting anything

and being disappointed again.

And then she gets mad at you
'cause you made her mad at herself.

JOE: That's too simple altogether.
- It's better if it's simple.

Not with me it isn't. And I'll tell you why.

I'm not a simple character,
I'm complicated, I am. Are you?

Well... no, I wouldn't say I was.

But not simple either.

Somewhere between the two, I suppose.

My trouble is I don't believe
in the revolution.

I'm a revolutionary who can't
believe in the revolution.

You can see where that lands a fellow.
Nowhere. Or here.

What you want's a nice little home.

I don't want a nice little home.

I spent my life running away
from nice little homes.

And where's it got you?
- I just said that. I'm nowhere.

But that's because I can't believe
in the revolution.

MALCOLM: What revolution?
- The one that's on its way.

Hoo, you're for it, alright.

And wait till you see what it does to
Leamington and the West Midland Bank

and I'll bet you're very, very fond
of Leamington

and the West Midland Bank, aren't you?
- No, I'm not.

Well, you surprise me.

Leamington doesn't suit me,
never has done.

As for the West Midland Bank,
well, to be frank

I consider it to be completely
out of date and...

Go on, tell me the worst.

And an obstacle to true
economic progress.

Well, well, well.
- And another thing

I consider the chairman of the bank,
Sir Herbert Groosby-Perkins

a mean and contemptible old toad.

Well, that's fine, then why just
whisper it to me?

Tell everybody!
Shout it at the top of your voice!

I'll bet you daren't.
Do you good, you know.

Time you let off steam after pussy-footing
in that Leamington bank for years.

Go on, tell 'em! Let it rip!
I'll dare you to!

Alright.

I consider the chairman of the bank

Sir Herbert Groosby-Perkins

a mean and contemptible old toad!

HIS VOICE ECHOES

Good! How do you feel?
- I feel better.

Malcolm, what on earth are you doing
shouting like that?

I thought you'd gone mad.
- No.

What's the good of saying no?
Tell her you have gone mad.

What do you mean?

I thought you might like him better mad.

You've had him sane long enough,
didn't seem to make much of it.

Malcolm, are you alright?

Tell me, why can't you believe
in the revolution?

JOE: I can't believe in the revolution
because I've gone sour.

I don't see people making
anything good together.

They always end up making
something bad.

When they do make
anything good

they don't do it together
but by themselves.

But if the revolution's to be any use

they've got to make
something good together.

See what I mean?
- Yes, I see.

My pals say, 'Look at the conditions,
look at the system, all wrong.'

I agree, the conditions are stinking.
The system's hell.

Yeah, but that still don't
convince me that people

can make anything good together.

It just doesn't seem to happen that way.

I've gone sour.

You talk a lot, don't you?
- Yes, I talk and talk.

What for?
- Because I like it.

And because I'm not sure of myself.

Because I'm always finding things out.

Why are you so disappointed?
What is it you want?

I want children and a garden of my own.

Must they be your own children?
Your own garden?

Yes, of course.
What do you think I want?

To work in a day nursery
in a public park?

I want my own children
and my own place.

Yeah, well, that's how it is, you see.

Nearly everybody wants their own.

You see... things have been difficult.

Heh, you say things have been difficult.

My pals say the conditions are terrible.
I say the system's all wrong.

So let's change 'em! Up the revolution!

But nearly everybody still wants
their own this and that.

They still can't make anything
good together.

So what chance have we
with a revolution?

And what chance have we without it?
See what I mean?

Up to a point, yes,
but I've never thought on those lines.

What lines have you thought on?
- Private control of public credit.

And that simply won't do,
we oughtn't to have it.

I wouldn't say this to everybody, of course.
- Why not? Say it to everybody!

Have it out with your chairman,
Sir Herbert Boogie-Boogie.

If I had it out with Sir Herbert,
he'd jolly soon have me out.

Well, you're probably be out soon anyway.
Perhaps you're out now.

After all, what are we doing here?
What are we all doing here?

Now you're beginning to talk sense.
That's what I want to know.

That's what's been worrying me.

Everyone's standing around here
chattering and arguing about nothing

when all the time we don't know
where we are or why we're here

how we got here,
or how we'll ever get back.

My...

Look!

Well, I'm going to have a nice look round.

Well, if you ask me, there's more in Ma
than meets the eye.

First in without turning a hair.

Perhaps because she doesn't
talk so much.

I wouldn't be surprised.
- Malcolm! Be careful!

Yes, alright, dear.
I just want to see what happens.

It's alright. There are some steps here

that go down to a road
that leads right into the city.

Do you think we should go down?

Well, I don't see why not.

After all, they opened the door

as if they expected people
to come in this way.

It all seems a civilised sort of place.

Alright, then.

I'm sure the people will be wonderful, too.

Philippa, we don't know what they're like.
They may be awful.

It's open!

Wide open.

Come on, Mother. Let's go.

But, Philippa, we don't know
what this place is or who the people are.

They might kill us.
- Why should they?

And, anyway, the people in
Bournemouth were killing me.

Well, I think at any rate we ought
to wait for Sir George and Mr Cudworth.

Mother, I'm going down there.

If you'll come with me, I'll be glad.

But whether you do or not

I'm going.

Very well, then.

Come on.

I thought you would have been the first in.

Aren't you coming?

I don't know yet. Might.

Might not.

Wonder how long it's been open.
Well, we'd better go down, get in first.

You never know.
- You never know what?

Well, you never know!

Quite.

Where are the others?
- Gone through. You going?

Rather. Ought to be able to get a bath
and some sort of breakfast.

SIR GEORGE:
Cudworth, wait for me!

Hello, Joe.

Hello, Alice.

Sorry I told you to shut up, Joe.

That's alright.

I talk too much.

No, I went and lost my temper.

I wouldn't have done if I hadn't thought
I was going to like you.

I'm no treat, you know.

It comes to that, neither am I.

Oh, yes, you are.

I said that to myself the first moment
I set eyes on you

the first time I heard you talking.

'Joe', I said, 'this one's a treat.'

I'll bet you didn't.

That's what I said.

And I've been thinking it ever since.

Look.

It's open!
- Yes, it's open.

Come on!

Well, what are we waiting for?

Well, I told you before,
I've seen a lot of places.

Well, so have I for that matter.

Yeah, but not the way I have.

Sailing in at dawn...
- Oh, yes, and they looked wonderful.

Then when you walked round a bit and
had a couple of beers, it looked terrible.

All ribs and running sores. I heard you.

Alright, you heard me.

But it isn't going to be like that
down there.

How do you know?
- Because I feel it isn't.

What's the matter with you, Joe?

I'm like you.

I've had a lot of disappointments.

I don't want many more.

Come here.

Oh, no, you don't.

What, never?

Never just by grabbing?

OK. I'll remember.

But you're coming with me
to look at the city?

Yes, I'm coming with you.

Oh, Joe!

NARRATOR:
And there you are

our last two people go down
into the city.

We know what kind of people they are

we've seen in what frame of mind
they've gone down

and now what?

Well, we ought to look at the city.

Oh, no, Jimmy, don't you see?
That's not it at all.

No, I don't see.
- Well...

Well, it's not just a question
of bricks and mortar.

Why, the city may just be
a collection of mud huts

but if it's run right...

Oh, you tell him.
- She's right, you know.

Remember what it all started from.

People's attitude of mind.

It's not a question of wood floors
or rubber floors

glass walls or steel walls.

We're not town planning now.

It's a question of how people
would react

to something that represented
a new way of life.

That's it!

I see.

They had the opportunity of seeing
a city entirely owned and run

by the people who live in it.

A place where men and women
don't work for machines and money

but machines and money work
for men and women.

Where everybody
has a reasonable chance

but nobody has special privileges.

And what we want to know is
what they'll feel about it

and what they'll do about it.

I get you.

Some would want to stay, others to go.

And one or two might want to stay,
and yet might go.

But let's see.
Now, who'll be first out?

YOUNG GIRL:
Mrs Stritton, I'll bet.

Did you like the city?

No, I couldn't stand the place.

No, I didn't like it either.
- Don't blame you.

Some good-looking girls
down there, though.

Mm-hm.
- Oh, did you think so? I didn't.

No, I don't suppose you would.

Have you seen my husband?
- No.

You look as though you'd had
quite enough, Cudworth.

I have, too.
- I'm not surprised.

I must say, some of the things
I heard and saw quite shocked me.

I mean, no proper privacy or niceness
or anything.

Didn't you notice that, Mr Cudworth?
- Well, up to a point.

I don't know about niceness.
I'm not sure what niceness is.

Don't care much, anyhow.

What got me down were the people.

Bit peculiar, eh?
- Peculiar? Barmy.

Why, I said to one chap this morning,
'Wouldn't suit me, this, at all.

Never get any proper work done.'

So he said,
'Oh, what is your work?'

So I told him and do you know
what he said?

No idea. I bet it was something
damned insulting.

He said, 'We don't call that work here,
we call it crime.'

He didn't!
- He did.

Then he said if they caught me at it,
I'd be sentenced to a year's road-making.

You see, they're not civilised, Cudworth.

Fellow in that bureau sort of place
said to me, he says

'What can you do?'

I said to him, 'Damn it, I used
to do a good deal of hunting.

I still do some shooting and fishing.'

The fellow laughed and said,
'Are you a savage?'

Joe hasn't come up here, has he?

DOROTHY: No.
- Oh, that's alright, then.

I'll go back and find him as soon
as I've had a bit of a rest.

Have you seen my husband?

Yes, I passed him on the way.
He was talking to some people back there.

Oh, what a day we've had.

What a day we've all had.

Why, didn't you like the city?
- Like it?

Like it?

But surely you...
- I hate it.

You don't.
- Of course I do.

I hate it, I hate it!

I wish I'd never set eyes
on the beastly city!

I loathe every bit of it!
I'd like to...

I'd like to burn it down!

I think I could kill you for saying that.

And I loathe you, too.

You should've seen yourself,
grinning and screeching

and making a fool of yourself
down there.

I was having the best day of my life.

I was among people who were happy
and I was happy.

I was in a wonderful place at last.

And all you can do is to spit on it.

I could tear it down with my own hands.

I'll tell you what's the matter with you.

You're so jealous
you can hardly breathe.

You're not only jealous of your husband,
you're jealous of everybody and everything.

And you can't enjoy anything
unless you grab it for yourself.

And you can't bear to see anybody else
enjoying themselves.

I saw you down there, hating it all,
jealous of it.

Trying to spoil your husband's pleasure.
- Shut up!

Turning everything sour.
- Shut up! Don't!

I'd always hoped in a... silly sort of a way

to come across something wonderful
just around the corner.

But I never thought there could be
a place as good as this.

I didn't think people had it in them
to build a city like this.

I didn't think people could work
and play together like these people can.

I'll do anything for these people.

I'd die for this place.

Now, look here, young woman...

I wasn't talking to you.

I wouldn't know how to talk to you.
I don't know what you mean.

You don't know what I mean?
I speak plain English, don't I?

When I say I don't know what you mean

I'm telling you that I can't
make head or tail of you

so can't talk to you properly.

To me you're like something stuffed
in a glass case.

Extremely rude.

I wish I had her under my orders
for a few weeks.

I daresay you do, Cudworth,
but what are you worrying about?

She didn't tell you that you were stuffed
and in a glass case, did she?

As a matter of fact, though,
I like a girl with a bit of devil in her.

But she's... so common.

What a relief to see civilised people again.

Did you enjoy yourself down there?
- Certainly not.

I think I care too much for
certain standards.

I'm used to being treated in...
well, in a certain way, you understand.

I understand perfectly.
I know exactly what you mean.

Such rudeness everywhere.
- I quite agree.

Well, I'm going back.
I don't know why I was brought here at all.

Are you coming, Cudworth?
- You know the way back?

Yes, they told us down there.
Only sensible thing about the place.

But they didn't tell me.
- I asked.

I told them it was the only thing
I wanted to know.

Well, we might all go together.
Mm-hm?

I must wait for Philippa.
- She'd better hurry.

What do you mean?

The sun's setting.

Well, when it has set,
that door will be shut

and nobody can get in
and nobody can come out.

Didn't expect to see you come out.
- No, rather not.

Thought that place would be just your style.

It is just my style.

In fact, it's a lot better than my style.

I've seen something today
I never expected to see.

Something I'd given up all hope of seeing.

SIR GEORGE:
Really? What's that?

A city full of happy people, healthy people
and busy people.

A really civilised city.

A real city at last.

Better not say much more
because none of us here agrees with you.

No, I can believe that.

When I enquired about charities
down there, I was laughed at.

Why, I can't imagine.

I've done a great deal of voluntary
charitable work.

I consider it to be my duty.

JOE: That's OK, and I'm not saying
you're hard-hearted.

But, you see, in this city,
they don't believe in that kind of charity.

They believe in social justice
and they've got it.

That's what you people
just don't understand.

You don't even like the look of it.

So long as you're sitting pretty yourselves,
you don't mind being surrounded by people

who are wondering where
their next meal's coming from

when the next job will turn up,
how their kids are going to live

how you're going to keep up
your strength to see 'em through.

What you say to yourselves all the time is,
'Damn you, Jack, I'm alright!'

Now, wait a minute,
I'm an individualist.

You're a little pirate and you know it!

Look here, I've had enough of this.

I want to get back.
There was no point in coming here anyway.

What about shoving off, Sir George?
- Yes, good idea.

Oh, no. Please wait.

Then we can all go back together.

It'd be much safer.
- Safer? There's no danger.

It's just as safe going back there
as it was coming here.

It won't be, you know.

HIS VOICE ECHOES

Won't be what?

As safe going back as it was coming.

Why not?

JOE:
You wouldn't understand if I told you.

Are you trying to frighten me?

Oh, no, you'll be safe enough.

You'd be safer still if you were dead.

Dead?

Haven't you ever wished you were
nicely, safely dead, Mrs Stritton?

Yes... Sometimes I have.

I thought you had.

Well, haven't you?
- No. Not that way.

Not nicely and safely. Just dead.

I need to look for my husband.

Come along, Cudworth, let's get away
from this infernally stupid place.

Just a minute, Sir George.

I know why Cudworth doesn't like this city,
they wouldn't have him there anyway.

But why don't you like it?
- Hey?

What's wrong with it
from your point of view?

Fact is, I can't stand people.

Always enjoyed myself best
where there haven't been people.

Even when I come to town,
I sit quietly in the club.

Sensible, old-fashioned club, you know.

Nobody talks, you still get
a decent glass of wine.

But no people. I can't stand people.

Yes, I see.

Well, come along, Cudworth.

Sure you won't join us, Lady Loxfield?

No, I must wait for Philippa.
- Quite.

Well, get her away from here.
- Quite agree.

SIR GEORGE:
That's right, you know.

I don't mind a few old pals, decent fellows,
and one or two reliable servants

that sort of thing,
but not mobs of people.

It's getting darker.

Yes.

Mother...
- Philippa dear!

I'm so glad you've come.

The others have gone, but if we hurry
we can catch them up.

So much better if we all go together.
Come along.

Mother, I'm not coming back.

Don't be absurd, darling.

I'm not coming back, I'm staying here.

But it's quite impossible.
Nothing would induce me to remain here.

I'm not talking about you, Mother,
I'm talking about me.

You're tired, darling.

I'm not tired and I'm not absurd!
- Philippa!

I'm not any of things you've been
telling me I was for years and years!

Every time I tried to find some life
of my own.

You're talking to your own mother now,
Philippa, not to a stranger.

No need to glare and shout.

I'm sorry, Mother. I didn't mean to.

But I can't go back with you.
I'd rather die.

Going back there would only be
a kind of slow death.

Philippa, I'm getting old.

I've lost your father,
I've lost the life we had together.

But I try to keep what's left.

But there isn't anything left.

Not even for you, there isn't.

For me, it's not living at all.

Look, Mother. That lovely city.

Now that I've seen it,
being among those people down there

I just couldn't go back.

Oh, Mother, can't you understand?

All I understand, Philippa,
is that you're my only child.

That I have nothing left now but you.

And that you must have some
sense of duty towards me.

That's just it, I have a sense of duty.

I want you to come with me into the city.

For your own sake as well as mine.
I know you'd be happy there.

I know I shouldn't.
- Oh, Mother.

I don't want to leave.

I hate to think of you going
back there alone.

I'm glad of it.

And remember, darling, I'm your mother.

I brought you into the world,
I've loved you, I've looked after you.

Mother... Look...

No, Philippa.

I'm too old to change.

Goodbye, Mother.
- Don't go, darling!

Goodbye, Mother.

Philippa, you can't leave me!
You won't leave me, darling!

I must, Mother.

Goodbye.

Mrs Stritton, this is serious.
- What is?

Are you going to give that chap
of yours a break?

I don't know what you mean.
- You don't know what I mean.

And you don't know
what he means either.

Stonewalling, eh?

Well, you'll win.
Stonewalling always wins.

Except, of course, that it always loses.

'Cause that's all you're left with
in the end, stone walls.

You wouldn't know what
I was talking about, would you?

No, I haven't the slightest idea.
Something silly.

To sum up, you'll pick up
any bit of happiness

as though it was a chicken
and then wring its neck!

Why do you keep on insulting me?

Because I'm trying to save your life!

Well, my life isn't in danger!
- You've got a knife in its throat now!

Don't be so beastly!

Anyway, what's it to do with you?
You don't even like me.

No, but I like life and don't want to see it
poured down the drain like dirty water.

Ma, I thought some of these others
would want to go back, but not you.

I'm disappointed in you.
I thought better of you.

Now what are you talking about, eh?

I'm talking about you, Ma.

I thought you at least would want
to stay down there

and not come creeping back.

You do like to hear yourself talk,
don't you?

Don't take any notice of him, Mrs Batley.
- I don't.

Have you seen my husband?
- No, Mrs Stritton.

Did they tell you the way to go back?

No, I never asked 'em.

You see, I ain't going that way.

I'm stopping here.
- That's the girl.

I only come back to get me basket.

I might as well have it.

But I'm surprised at you, Mrs Batley.
- How's that?

Well, I thought you said
you had a lot of responsibilities.

Looking after people, taking care
of a home, going out cleaning.

That's it. Had years and years of it.

Could have done with half a dozen
pairs of hands sometimes.

Well, you can't leave it all to stay here.

Can't I? Who says I can't?

So long as I can remember

they've been telling me what I can do
and what I can't do.

And no thanks for it, neither,
when I did what I could do.

Well, some of 'em can look
after themselves now for a change.

It'll do 'em good.

You like it here, don't you, Ma?

When I first saw them children
comin' out of them fine houses

and all their mothers lookin'
so nice and smilin'

and everything so clean and pretty
I could've cried.

I fancy I dreamt about it once
when I was a girl.

And all them bright streets.

And the gardens,
and the children's faces.

I remember being quite upset at the time

thinking it was nothing but a dream

just tormenting myself
as you might say.

But it ain't.

It's real.

It's here.

Behave yourself, young man.

Well, I suppose you're delighted.

Yes, I'm delighted.

MALCOLM:
Dorothy!

Are you going to give him a break?

I don't know what you mean.

I hope by the time I get back
you'll have got rid of the body.

They say that's the most difficult part.

Dorothy, where have you been?

I've been here waiting for you.
- I wish you'd stayed on.

I want to get away from here.
I want to home.

But why should we go?

You know, if you'd only stayed on
a little and seen...

I saw all I wanted to see
and I told you what I thought about it.

Yes, but, my dear...

I tell you I hate it, I hate it, I loathe it.

But why, Dorothy? Why do you?

It's silly, it's common.
- Common?

It seems to me very uncommon.
- Oh, you know what I mean, Malcolm.

And everyone looking so pleased
with themselves.

Well, why shouldn't they look pleased
with themselves?

They've something to look pleased about.

I was asking one chap...
- Oh, don't go on and on about them!

I saw what they were like!
I've got eyes and ears as well as you!

Not when you don't want to,
you haven't.

What does that mean?

I means that you made up your mind

you wouldn't like this city
and all the people in it.

I don't know why.

It was as strange to me at first
as it was to you

but I wanted to find out about it
and you didn't.

You'd made up your mind.
- Well...

And now you're ready to make up
my mind for me.

You want to make me dislike it, too.

And you can't do that, Dorothy.
Do you see? I won't have it.

You'd do anything rather than
ever admit that you were wrong

or try to change yourself

or open your heart and mind
and be generous.

You hate me now, don't you, Malcolm?

No, I don't. But I easily could.

You've done this before,
but this is the worst.

And I won't be bullied and cheated
out of what I think and feel.

I like that place and those people.

It's a much better place
than we've ever known before

and they're much better people.

They're alive.

They're doing the things
I've always wanted people to do.

I'm going to help them.
- Malcolm!

Malcolm!

Malcolm!

Malcolm, don't leave me!

Malcolm!

Alright, Dorothy. Don't cry.

Malcolm! Oh, Malcolm!

Alright, Dorothy.

Malcolm, you were going to leave me!

Well, I haven't left you. I'm here.

You don't love me.
- Yes, I do.

Oh, I know I'm silly
and sometimes I behave stupidly

but somehow I can't help it!

Sometimes I hate myself!

Sometimes I wish I were dead!

HER VOICE ECHOES

That man Joe Dinmore said that.

Somehow he knew.

He said, 'Haven't you ever wished
you were nicely, safely dead, Mrs Stritton?'

I don't see how he could know that,
especially about me

but somehow he did.

I don't think I'm going to like it
when we get back.

Malcolm!
You are coming back with me?

Yes, I'm coming back with you.

You know the way back?

Yes, I know the way back.

Oh, darling, you are good to me.

You'll forget all this.

I'll do everything I can
to make it better.

We'll... we'll try and meet more people,
the sort of people you like.

I'll make friends.

No, I know I don't find it easy,
but I will, I'll make friends.

It'll all be different, you'll see.
You'll see!

Timed it alright, haven't I?
- Yes.

Come along, Malcolm.

Well, I knew it'd happen,
but I'm sorry.

Thank you. Goodbye.

You may see me again.

It'd be alright if I do,
but I don't think that's likely.

You never know.

I might remind then of what
you've seen and heard today.

Don't go dead and cold on it.
Keep it warm and alive inside, pal.

All the best.

DOROTHY:
Malcolm.

And all the best to you, too. Pal.

DOROTHY: Malcolm, perhaps
you could leave the bank altogether.

I'm sure Mr Cudworth
would give you a job.

MALCOLM:
I don't want to work for him.

DOROTHY: Oh, but Malcolm...
- MALCOLM: Drop it, Dorothy.

I'm coming back. That's enough.
- DOROTHY: Yes, Malcolm.

Well, Alice, you made it!
- Oh, I could kill you!

What for?
- For making me come out.

Well, why did you?

Because I'm a woman
and a damned fool!

Go on!

I don't go on from there.

I've said enough. Too much.

You liked it down there.
- You know I did.

It's good, isn't it?
- It's what I've always hoped for.

What I've always believed was
somewhere round the corner

if we could only find it.

And there it is!

I've always hoped that men and women
could live like that if they tried.

Life hadn't got to be a dog fight
round a dustbin.

We made it like that
but it needn't be like that.

No, it needn't be like that.

Here they don't work to keep themselves
out of the gutter.

They work 'cause they've got
something big and exciting to do.

They can see their life growing.

They're building it up
and they're enjoying it all.

You told us this morning
before we went down there

that you didn't believe in this and that.
- I know. I take it all back.

I've seen it for myself.
- Those kids.

Do you remember, Joe?

I shan't ever forget it, not for a
single minute, as long as I live, Alice.

I'm going to sit down.
My knees are going.

Go on, Alice.
- Go on?

I've said enough.
It's about time you started talking.

Not yet.

You've got to tell me.

You make it hard for a girl,
I must say, Joe.

I've taken the hard road, too.
You'll see.

Before that door opened,
when we were all up here talking

I liked you a lot, Joe.

Only I wished you believed in something.

Then, when we went down there
and saw what it was like

you were different.

You were what I wanted you to be.

You were so eager and so happy.

You believed everything
you saw and heard.

That's true, isn't it?
- That's true, Alice.

So then I knew I loved you, Joe.

I hoped you loved me.

You looked as if you did.

I did.

I still do.

Are you sure?

Certain.

Oh, that's alright.

I wasn't worried until it began to get late

and then I started looking for you
and asking about you.

Nobody seemed to know.

Until I met Mrs Batley.

She said you were up here.
Waiting for me, she said.

So I ran and ran.
I was blazing wild, you heard me.

But I had to come out
if you'd come out, Joe.

It wouldn't have been at all the same
without you.

I had to be with you, Joe.

That's what I hoped.

That's why I waited and waited.
- But why?

I daren't go back
once I made up my mind to come out.

You see, I felt if I went back,
you'd persuade me to stay.

Or even if you didn't, I'd never have
guts enough to come out again.

But what's the matter with you?
Why shouldn't we stay?

For God's sake, don't tell me
that this isn't what you wanted either.

Don't you see
somebody's got to go back?

No, I don't see.

Some of them have gone back,
haven't they?

Yes, some of them have gone back.

And what good will it do anyone
that they have?

If ever they say a word about this place
they'll swear blind it's terrible

so somebody's got to go back
and tell the truth about it.

Yes. And that's got to be the bloke
that I go and fall for and tack myself onto.

It'd just have to be, wouldn't it?

Yes, it must be,
that's just what it must be.

You wouldn't want a chap
who could keep this to himself.

I see.

I've got to tell 'em!
I've got to go on telling 'em!

Day and night, wherever I am!
- Wherever we are.

Wherever we are, I've got to tell 'em!

We've go to tell 'em, Joe!

But how do we get back?

Well, how did we come here?

Some kind of... miracle got us here.

If we're ready to go,
it'll get us back.

It's not going to be easy, you know,
Alice, when we are back.

It'll be a hard road.

Some of 'em will laugh and jeer,
just 'cause they don't want to understand.

They'll be frightened of losing
some miserable little advantage

they've schemed and worked for.

They won't want to lose the whip hand
they've got over somebody.

They'd rather have their little
privilege and prestige in an ashpit

than take a chance and share alike
in a new world.

Some of 'em, poor devils

are so twisted and tormented
inside themselves

that they envy and hate
other people's happiness.

We'll have to talk to plenty of 'em.

It's going to be tough.

You don't know the half of it.

Then there are all the smart boys,
the kind I was

who've had to take plenty
and know it's all rotten

and won't have it that you can see it
getting any better.

They get big laughs at your expense.

I know, I've been one of them.

And there are plenty of them, too.

And that's not all either, Alice.

There will be days, dark days, rainy days

when nobody wants to listen.

When the butcher hasn't been paid
and the grocer looks at you sideways

and you've nothing to smoke.

And they're asking you
when you're moving on to the next town.

And then we...

we shan't be sure ourselves
that we were ever here.

Joe.

The light's going.

We must have one last look.

Must we go, Joe?

Can't we stay?

You could. I must go.

You're not going without me.
- Then you can't stay.

I don't want to go back, Joe!
- Take it easy, kid.

It'll seem so much worse
when we get back!

No, it won't.

Because, to begin with,
we'll remember.

That's why we've got to back

'cause we're the ones who've been
and seen it all.

And then we'll hope.

And we'll keep on hoping.

And every time we see a spark of vision
or hope in anybody

we'll blow it into a blaze.

They'll tell us we can't change
human nature.

That's the oldest excuse in the world
for doing nothing

and it isn't true.

We've been changing human nature
for thousands of years.

But what you can't change in it, Alice

is man's eternal desire
and vision and hope

of making the world a better place
to live in.

Wherever you go now

up and down across the seven seas
from Poplar to Chungking

you can see that desire
and vision and hope

bigger and stronger than ever before

beginning to light up men's faces,
bringing a lift to their voices.

Not every man or every woman
wants to...

to cry out for it,
to work for it, to live for it...

if necessary, to die for it.

But there's one here and one there.

There's a few down this street,
a few down that street.

Until you begin to see there
are millions of us.

Armies and armies of us.

Enough to build 10,000 new cities.

Like our city?

Yes, like our city.

Goodbye, my lovely city.

I don't know when I'll ever
see you again.

Come on, Joe.

Let's get going.

There you are.
That's how it is, you see.

Some like it, some won't.

And some are ready to go out
and fight for it.

Yes, you might hear them one night
at a street corner.

I'll listen when I do.

Oh, Jimmy.

I believe we've convinced him.

Well, I must be on my way.

Good luck, and thanks for listening.

Goodbye.

JOE:
' I dream'd in a dream

I saw a city invincible to the attacks
of the whole of the rest of the earth.

I dream'd that was the new
City of Friends. '