The Alligator People (1959)

1. - Eric. - Wayne.

2. Well, it was good of you to come, busy as you are.

3. Never too busy for an interesting case,

4. especially one of yours.

5. Thanks.

6. Appreciate your interest.

7. On the phone you said you were having

8. a serious problem with a young girl.

9. Yeah, nurse here, as a matter of fact.

10. Pretty?

11. Here's her case history.

12. Jane Marvin.

13. Yeah, that's the name she's using.

14. Very competent girl.

15. And pretty.

16. It happened when she volunteered to help me

17. in my research in narco-hypnosis techniques.

18. When do I get to see her?

19. - Right now if you want. - Fine.

20. Jane, would you come in, please?

21. Yes, sir.

22. She always appeared perfectly normal.

23. Pure accident that I discovered

24. this strange thing about her.

25. Yes, Doctor?

26. Jane, I'd like you to meet Dr. Lorimer.

27. He and I were half the football backfield at med school.

28. I did the blocking.

29. How do you do, sir?

30. Very happy to know you, Jane.

31. I wanted Dr. Lorimer to be present

32. at our research experiment today.

33. That is, if you have no objection.

34. No, why should I?

35. Fine.

36. Excuse me.

37. Well, Jane, here we go again.

38. Okay.

39. Got a nice sharp one for you this time.

40. Now, Jane, start counting backwards...

41. From 20, I know.

42. That's right.

43. 20, 19,

44. 18...

45. I've never known a subject under Pentothal to lie.

46. Nor have I.

47. W hy the lie detector?

48. You'll see later.

49. What is your name?

50. Joyce.

51. Hatten.

52. Joyce Hatten Webster.

53. Then you are married?

54. I was.

55. I was Mrs. Paul Webster.

56. That is...

57. Yes?

58. I'm not sure,

59. whether I am married or ever really was married.

60. I'm not sure.

61. I'm just not sure.

62. Would you tell us about it, Joyce?

63. Everything about it.

64. Everything?

65. That's right, Joyce.

66. From the beginning.

67. I met Paul overseas.

68. He was a lieutenant.

69. I was nursing in a hospital.

70. We made plans to be married after we were both discharged.

71. Oh.

72. Very well done, Steward.

73. Isn't he an expert, Paul?

74. Well, he gets lots of practice.

75. After all, we aren't the first newlyweds

76. on this train, Mrs. Webster.

77. Call me that again.

78. Mrs. Webster.

79. Mm, that sounds so wonderful.

80. You know, I was beginning to doubt

81. whether I was ever going to get to hear that.

82. You just try and get away now.

83. Will there be anything else, sir?

84. Oh no, no thanks.

85. Thank you very much. Thank you, sir.

86. Thank you.

87. - Goodnight, sir. - Goodnight.

88. Paul.

89. I love you so much.

90. Why did we have to wait so long?

91. Well, I wrote you after I cracked up my plane.

92. And scared me half out of my wits.

93. You wouldn't believe what that hospital

94. doctor told me when I called.

95. Well, what do you mean?

96. Well, according to him, you were more dead than alive.

97. Almost every bone broken.

98. Completely torn, mangled, smashed.

99. And you don't think it was true?

100. Well, now, how could I?

101. Look at you.

102. You haven't got a mark.

103. You haven't got a scar.

104. You're much more handsome than ever.

105. Do you know that nobody would believe

106. you were even in a plane crash?

107. But it was true, though Joyce.

108. By all rights, I should be dead.

109. You don't mean that.

110. Look Joyce, you have a right to know.

111. I should have told you before we were married.

112. Told me what?

113. How it was really.

114. Why I made us wait so long.

115. You see, honey...

116. - Who is it? - It's me again.

117. I have some more wires.

118. And nobody was supposed to know

119. we were even on this train.

120. Come in.

121. - Here you are, miss. - Thank you.

122. Here, you open these. All righty.

123. You folks certainly must be popular,

124. especially with the telegraph company.

125. Oh.

126. Is something wrong?

127. Well, it's from

128. the girls at the hospital where I worked.

129. You know, there's such a thing as being too well informed.

130. - May I? - You may not.

131. Those devils.

132. Oh, very nice.

133. An old buddy of mine.

134. I didn't know we had so many friends.

135. Yeah, me, either.

136. W ell, that's nice.

137. Oh.

138. That's funny.

139. W hen's the next stop?

140. Well, let's see.

141. Yeah, 33 minutes.

142. No, it's 35 minutes.

143. We're two minutes behind time.

144. Not until then?

145. Actually, there's a mail pickup stop just up ahead.

146. That's why we're slowing down.

147. - But is there a phone? - Yes.

148. We only stop for a half a minute.

149. No time for anyone to leave the train.

150. Just so there's a phone.

151. Paul, what's wrong?

152. Please, honey, tell me what's so important?

153. Paul, I don't understand.

154. Please explain.

155. Paul.

156. Paul, hurry!

157. Paul!

158. Paul, hurry!

159. Hurry, hurry!

160. But,

161. we're moving.

162. What?

163. Conductor, you've got to stop the train!

164. Paul's not on!

165. It was supposed to be the happiest

166. moment of my life, my wedding.

167. And I'd just seen my husband's face for the last time.

168. What did you do then, Joyce?

169. I was frantic.

170. I got off at the next stop.

171. I went back to that platform,

172. but there was no sign of Paul.

173. Nothing.

174. No one had placed a call.

175. No one had seen him.

176. He'd just vanished.

177. And then what happened?

178. You wouldn't believe it was possible would you?

179. A man you thought you knew so well,

180. had married even, could just disappear completely.

181. Even after talking to all the people who knew him.

182. Finding nothing at his last address.

183. I told the police, hired private detectives,

184. checked with the army.

185. The only address they had was an apartment hotel.

186. What about where he was born?

187. His family?

188. The army records said Georgia.

189. Paul had never mentioned his family.

190. I never thought to ask him.

191. I loved him.

192. That's all that seemed to matter.

193. Still you did find something.

194. Months later.

195. Going through Paul's things as I had a hundred times.

196. His fraternity pin.

197. And how did that help?

198. I checked with the headquarters.

199. Wrote them.

200. They told me that Paul had belonged

201. to their chapter at Louisiana State University.

202. So I went there.

203. They let me look at the records.

204. I found an address Paul had given them

205. when he enrolled in college.

206. And where was that?

207. Bayou Landing,

208. a whistle-stop in the middle of the Louisiana swamp country.

209. I was the only passenger to get off.

210. Strangely, there wasn't another soul to be seen.

211. The only evidence of life was

212. a deserted day coach on the siding

213. looking as alone and out of place as I felt.

214. Well, I'll be.

215. Somebody meeting you here, sweetheart?

216. No, I thought, that is, I hoped

217. somebody would come to pick up this.

218. W ell, that's me.

219. You just didn't get off.

220. You must have had some good reason.

221. Do you know a place, I think

222. it's a plantation called The Cypresses?

223. Uh-huh.

224. Would it be too much trouble to take me there?

225. I'll gladly pay you.

226. They don't never have no visitors.

227. Was they expecting you?

228. No, not exactly, but they will know who I am.

229. Well, for you, sweetheart, I'll take a chance.

230. Go ahead, just climb in.

231. Go on, climb in.

232. Bet you never seen nothing like that before.

233. You ever been in the bayou country before?

234. It's so wild, so primitive.

235. Yeah, and deadly.

236. You know how long you'd last

237. if you got 100 yards off of this road?

238. Maybe 10 minutes.

239. If the quicksand didn't get you the moccasins would.

240. And then there's always the gators.

241. Dirty, nasty, slimy gators.

242. Why did you have to do that?

243. It wasn't doing you any harm.

244. No?

245. Well, how do you suppose I got this?

246. Anyway, baby, we didn't do him no harm.

247. - Yes, miss? - I beg your pardon.

248. I just arrived on the train.

249. - The train was hours ago. - I know.

250. W ere you expected?

251. I did write, but my letter came back unopened.

252. So I decided... What is it, Toby?

253. This young person, ma'am, she just arrived.

254. Have her come in.

255. Yes, what is it?

256. This is your place?

257. Of course.

258. Well, maybe you can help me.

259. You see, for a long time I've been looking for my husband.

260. He disappeared the night we were married.

261. I've searched everywhere.

262. I've tried everything and this is my last hope.

263. But why should you come here?

264. At the university I checked the records.

265. And at one time he gave this as his address.

266. The Cypresses.

267. What is your name, my dear?

268. Mrs. Paul Webster.

269. And you say that your husband,

270. this Paul Webster, gave this as his address?

271. According to the records.

272. Whoever you are, I don't know what your game is

273. coming here, making up fantastic stories.

274. Why, it's the truth, I can prove it.

275. You can ask anyone...

276. Why should I ask anyone or care one way or the other?

277. Of what possible interest

278. could your sordid little lie be to me?

279. I was hoping your name was Webster.

280. I am Mrs. Henry Hawthorne.

281. And your husband?

282. I'm a widow.

283. I'm sorry to bother you, Mrs. Hawthorne,

284. but I had to know.

285. Perhaps you are telling the truth.

286. It really doesn't matter.

287. However, I must ask you to leave at once.

288. Toby, get ahold of Manon.

289. Have him drive her back to the station.

290. - But, ma'am. - What is it, Toby?

291. There won't be a train till tomorrow.

292. Oh, you're right, of course.

293. May we offer you the hospitality

294. of The Cypresses for the night?

295. I don't seem to have any choice, do I?

296. Luann!

297. Yes, ma'am?

298. Show Misses, what was your name again?

299. Mrs. Paul Webster.

300. Show Mrs. W ebster to the guest room.

301. Yes, ma'am.

302. Anything you need to be comfortable just ask Luann.

303. Thank you.

304. One minute, Mrs. Webster.

305. While you're our guest for the night only

306. I must insist on one thing.

307. Yes?

308. Under no circumstances will you leave your room.

309. As I said before I don't seem to have any choice, do I?

310. There was something sinister about The Cypresses.

311. As night darkened the house, all the doubts and fears

312. which had haunted the long,

313. lonely miles of my search returned.

314. What secret was Mrs. Hawthorne hiding

315. in this strange unfriendly house?

316. Why had she told me not to leave my room?

317. Toby!

318. Toby!

319. Find the drunken fool.

320. Tell him to stop that shooting.

321. But, ma'am...

322. Doesn't he realize the girl's still here?

323. I'll try, ma'am.

324. Dirty, stinking, slimy gators.

325. You bit my hand off, didn't you?

326. I'm gonna spend the rest of my life killing gators.

327. The rest of my life killing 'em.

328. Mr. Manon, now you better stop it.

329. Huh?

330. Mrs. Hawthorne says stop.

331. She says she don't want you shooting

332. at gators around here with that girl here.

333. The one you brought.

334. I ain't never gonna stop shootin' gators.

335. Why, they bit my hand off, didn't they?

336. I ain't never gonna stop shootin' gators!

337. No, not never!

338. Sure, sure.

339. I know just how you feel.

340. I don't like 'em, either, but not tonight.

341. Come on.

342. Do all the guests get room service?

343. I only do what Mrs. Hawthorne tell me, ma'am.

344. Now, will there be anything else?

345. Luann, those gunshots.

346. What were they all about?

347. I don't know, ma'am.

348. I must go now. Luann, wait, wait, please.

349. Somebody has to help me.

350. How, ma'am?

351. Is it true, everything she told me?

352. Have I come to the wrong place?

353. I can't, I wouldn't like to say anything, ma'am.

354. Well, can't you tell me anything?

355. I can tell you this.

356. This is a trouble house.

357. Real deep, big trouble.

358. Like the old country woman in Big Bayou say.

359. Mrs. Hawthorne, she deal with the evil one.

360. She got big sorrow.

361. Just like you'll get if you stay here.

362. Go, child, please go.

363. This is a trouble house.

364. Real deep, big trouble.

365. Yes.

366. Oh, thank goodness you're back, Mark.

367. Anything wrong, Vinnie?

368. She's here, Mark.

369. Paul's wife.

370. How did she find us?

371. School records.

372. It was like being struck by lightning.

373. We've got to decide what we're going to do about her.

374. You wait there for me.

375. I'll be right over.

376. - You ready, Doctor? - Yes.

377. Poor devil.

378. You didn't have to hit him.

379. Quickest, simplest way, Doctor.

380. But these are people.

381. You don't handle them like animals.

382. How did it happen?

383. Only thing I can figure out is someone

384. forgot to wet him down on time.

385. When he comes to

386. give him additional hydro-spray therapy

387. Yes, sir.

388. Mark!

389. Oh, hello, Vinnie.

390. We've just had an emergency with number six.

391. - Is he all right now? - He's quiet, yes.

392. But the girl, what are we going to do about her?

393. So she found his school records.

394. The one thing we hadn't thought of.

395. - Such bad luck. - Not entirely.

396. I think we both knew she was bound to find out eventually.

397. It's just unfortunate it happened

398. to be so soon when we need time.

399. So much time.

400. If she should tell anyone, the police,

401. it would spoil our last chance.

402. Do we have a chance?

403. I don't really know.

404. I feel so helpless, Vinnie.

405. We know so little.

406. So little.

407. What about the cobalt treatment?

408. I said reaction to x-ray was encouraging.

409. Massive radiation from cobalt 6O

410. might be even more effective.

411. Well, you have the cobalt bomb.

412. It arrived today.

413. But don't you see, Vinnie?

414. Before I can take the chance with a human being

415. there must be months of tests.

416. Hundreds of animal experiments.

417. We took a chance once before, Vinnie.

418. No one knows better than you the tragic result.

419. I have confidence in you, Mark.

420. Every confidence.

421. You'll have time.

422. All the time you need.

423. The girl will leave on the morning train.

424. I'll be over before that to talk to her.

425. I'm as anxious as you are to have her go,

426. but we must make absolutely sure

427. that she doesn't know anything.

428. Somehow I seemed drawn to the music.

429. A theme that I had heard before somewhere.

430. Who else lived in this strange household?

431. Who could be playing in the dead of night?

432. I couldn't rid myself of the premonition

433. that each step was taking me closer

434. to the secret contained in this shadowy house.

435. I had to know.

436. I had to find out.

437. Who was he, this man who had been playing?

438. And why would he run away into the swamp when he saw me?

439. Muddy footprints, yet there had been no rain.

440. And the piano keys still wet from his fingers.

441. - What's she doing here? - I don't know.

442. She came on the train today.

443. No notice, no warning. And you let her stay?

444. W hat could I do?

445. I couldn't turn her out in the swamp.

446. Do you think I wanted her here?

447. There's no train until tomorrow.

448. How'd you find out? She was in the hall.

449. Downstairs?

450. I locked her in her room.

451. She's got to leave on that morning train tomorrow.

452. I'm Dr. Sinclair.

453. Mark Sinclair.

454. I'm sort of the swamp doctor.

455. That's my swamp buggy.

456. I need to get around.

457. I see.

458. You must keep busy, Doctor.

459. W ell, why do you say that?

460. I mean, in an unhealthy environment like this.

461. Oh, you mean the swamp.

462. Well, actually, if it were as you say unhealthy

463. none of us would be here.

464. Why?

465. Well, a few million years ago

466. most of the land of the Earth

467. must've looked just about like this.

468. One great, vast swamp.

469. It was the cradle of life where we all started

470. in the slime and ooze at the bottom of a swamp.

471. You're completely cynical, aren't you, Doctor?

472. I imagine that did sound a bit depressing.

473. I didn't mean it to.

474. I'm sorry.

475. Oh, is Mrs. Hawthorne inside?

476. Well, she hasn't come down yet.

477. Has she been ill, Doctor?

478. W ell, not exactly.

479. Vinnie, Mrs. Hawthorne, has a few emotional problems.

480. I like to look in from time to time.

481. Well, maybe that explains it.

482. Explains what?

483. Why she locked me in my room last night.

484. I don't understand.

485. I took you for a guest of Vinnie's.

486. I suppose I am, in a way.

487. I'm Mrs. Webster.

488. Mrs. Paul Webster.

489. That name doesn't mean anything to you?

490. No, should it?

491. I don't know.

492. Let me explain, Doctor.

493. Since my husband disappeared,

494. I've done nothing but search for him

495. and I'm going to keep on asking questions.

496. What brings you here?

497. An old address, the Cypresses,

498. that I found in Paul's college records.

499. You came way down here, traveled hundreds of miles

500. on nothing more tangible than that?

501. I'd travel much farther on even less.

502. I find that difficult to believe.

503. You must've found other evidence.

504. Why?

505. Unless there is other evidence.

506. Is that what you mean?

507. Of course not, I was only trying to say...

508. You did know Paul, didn't you, Doctor?

509. I can tell.

510. What is it, Doctor?

511. Why won't any of you tell me about him?

512. What are you all trying to hide?

513. My dear young lady, you're obviously overwrought.

514. Well, that's understandable in the circumstances.

515. I wish I could help.

516. Will you tell Mrs. Hawthorne I couldn't wait,

517. but I will drop back later?

518. Thank you.

519. Be extremely careful.

520. It generates 3,000 curie units of gamma ray energy.

521. This is the equivalent

522. of six million electron volts of x-ray.

523. A few seconds of direct exposure would be fatal.

524. Stand by for lowering position.

525. Luann, come here.

526. Yes, ma'am.

527. Her things are still in her room.

528. Yes, ma'am.

529. You mean she didn't leave?

530. Well, Toby, he brought the car at train time,

531. but Mrs. Webster, she wouldn't go.

532. W ell, where is she?

533. Well, I believe she in there.

534. W hat are you doing?

535. Looking for answers.

536. Answers?

537. You abuse my hospitality.

538. You were to stay in your room.

539. You left it.

540. You promised to leave on the train.

541. I made no promise.

542. I was told.

543. I'm not leaving here, Mrs. Hawthorne until I get

544. the answers to the questions that brought me here.

545. I told you yesterday you were mistaken.

546. I think you're lying.

547. You can't talk to me like that.

548. I can say a lot worse.

549. You had Dr. Sinclair come and talk to me today, didn't you?

550. Why?

551. To find out how much I knew?

552. - I know nothing about that. - And another thing-

553. Who was playing the piano in here last night in the dark?

554. Someone who left wet footprints in the carpet?

555. - Oh, you're imagining things. - No, I'm not-

556. Any more than I'm imagining you want to get rid of me,

557. that you've got something to hide.

558. Hide?

559. Oh, what could I possibly have to hide?

560. What have you done with my husband?

561. I still don't know what you're talking about.

562. You did a good job, Mrs. Hawthorne

563. wiping out every trace of Paul in his own home

564. and you almost got away with it.

565. Got away with it?

566. Got away with what?

567. Whatever terrible thing you've done with Paul.

568. Done to him, me?

569. Oh, my god, that's funny.

570. That really is funny.

571. I'd be the last one ever to hurt Paul.

572. I'm his mother.

573. His mother?

574. Mother, has she gone?

575. No, Paul, she hasn't.

576. Paul, what is it?

577. What happened?

578. Paul.

579. Paul, come back!

580. Paul, please!

581. Paul!

582. Paul!

583. Paul!

584. Paul!

585. Paul!

586. Paul!

587. Paul!

588. Paul!

589. Paul!

590. Paul!

591. Paul!

592. You ought to have better sense, sweetheart.

593. Nobody goes out in a swamp on a night like this.

594. Especially a night like this.

595. Come on, I'll take you back to the house.

596. There, now.

597. Now you sit down.

598. You sit down.

599. That's it.

600. What you need's a drink.

601. Me too.

602. I don't understand why you brought me here.

603. Why, I just naturally figured you'd

604. appreciate me saving you from that snake.

605. I do.

606. Here, have a drink.

607. I don't think I want it.

608. Go on, baby.

609. It'll do you good.

610. That's it.

611. Made it myself.

612. Hey, you're cold.

613. You ought to get them wet things off.

614. Go ahead.

615. Well, come on.

616. Get 'em off.

617. I'll be all right.

618. Thanks.

619. All right, baby.

620. Here.

621. You get up.

622. We'll wrap this around you so you won't catch cold.

623. Now, come on, get up.

624. That's it.

625. That's it.

626. Stop, let go of me!

627. What's the matter, baby?

628. Huh, didn't I save your life?

629. Don't you feel like you owe me something?

630. Why, sure, you do.

631. You be nice to me.

632. Maybe I'll tell you some things about this place.

633. Don't do that.

634. Don't ever do that.

635. You're dead.

636. I'll kill you alligator man,

637. just like I'd kill any four legged gator!

638. You hear me?

639. I'll kill you!

640. Oh, Paul, what happened?

641. She's not dead? Manon, he was drunk.

642. We should've fired him before.

643. Toby, carry her upstairs.

644. Luann, try and take care of her.

645. Yes, ma'am.

646. We can't keep her in the dark any longer, Paul.

647. I can't do anything.

648. She could've been killed tonight.

649. Is that what you want?

650. I love her, Mother.

651. Well, that's why she has to know.

652. Are you going to tell her?

653. I couldn't.

654. I'll phone Dr. Sinclair.

655. He'll know what to say.

656. Oh, why didn't he just let me die?

657. It'll work out somehow, Paul.

658. There has to be an answer.

659. There just has to be.

660. Mark?

661. Paul.

662. I understand it came.

663. The cobalt 60?

664. Arrived yesterday.

665. W hen do we try it?

666. Not for months.

667. I explained to your mother.

668. Combined with the x-ray generator

669. the bomb will approach the power of a betatron,

670. a billion electron volts.

671. So without extensive experimentation...

672. But there's no time for that.

673. I want it now.

674. You don't think I'd take the risk

675. after the tragedy I've caused already?

676. But you're causing a worse one to my wife.

677. You said yourself the x-ray was definitely helping.

678. Light positive indications, yes.

679. Then combining x-ray with gamma radiation

680. from the cobalt might cure me completely.

681. And it might kill you.

682. Paul, who knows?

683. I just can't do it, Paul.

684. It's too great a risk.

685. We wouldn't be alive at all, any of us, except for you.

686. We'd probably be better off dead,

687. but you can't turn me down.

688. You owe me this chance, whatever chance there is.

689. For my wife's sake, I want it now.

690. Not tonight.

691. I'll need at least a day to test it on live alligators

692. to establish some sort of control standards.

693. You've just got to understand, Paul.

694. I haven't the slightest idea what will happen.

695. Tomorrow night.

696. Tomorrow night.

697. Paul, your mother phoned about your wife.

698. You should've told her, Paul.

699. I couldn't.

700. The thought of Joyce ever seeing me like this.

701. I just couldn't.

702. I've agreed to talk to Joyce in the morning.

703. But...

704. She's going to know everything.

705. Yeah, get the big one.

706. You're Mrs. Webster?

707. Yes.

708. Dr. Sinclair is expecting me.

709. Oh, the doctor said for you to wait in his office.

710. Take him out.

711. Put him in a cage alone.

712. We'll run the test series on him in an hour.

713. And bring in another specimen.

714. I hope you'll excuse me, Mrs. Webster keeping you waiting.

715. This experiment was urgent.

716. The most urgent of my life.

717. So, you're a trained nurse, Mrs. W ebster?

718. Yes, yes that's right.

719. Good.

720. Then you know something of the life processes

721. of the higher and lower orders.

722. In species like ourselves with a highly developed

723. nervous system bodily functions

724. are controlled principally by the brain and the nerves.

725. But in creatures with a less complex

726. nervous development life processes are governed

727. by chemical substances secreted by ductless glands.

728. And carried in their bloodstream.

729. Like hormones?

730. Being a doctor, I was tremendously impressed

731. by the healing power of just one hormone, hydrocortisone.

732. And it occurred to me how much more potent

733. this hormone would be in a creature

734. with a simpler nervous system,

735. one that depended on that hormone to live.

736. For example, there are some small lizards

737. that when attacked detach their tails completely.

738. Yet, in a very short time,

739. well, this little fella was well on his way

740. to growing a new one.

741. There are even one or two species

742. that can replace an entire limb if they've lost one.

743. Here's something intriguing,

744. two similar muscular charts.

745. You might think they were the same animal,

746. but as you know this is a man,

747. this is an alligator.

748. This is all very interesting, Doctor,

749. but you were going to tell me about Paul.

750. Everything I've said concerns Paul.

751. I knew I'd found my life's work.

752. I wanted to extract this wonderful reptilian substance

753. and use it to cure human injuries.

754. Mrs. Hawthorne-

755. She was still Mrs. Webster then,

756. she remarried after Paul's father died.

757. Mrs. Hawthorne financed my researches

758. and set up this clinic.

759. Well, did you succeed?

760. I isolated a protein chemical from the

761. anterior pituitary glands of crocodilians.

762. Our common variety is the alligator.

763. Alligator?

764. I injected this substance into the veins of volunteers.

765. Horribly injured, hopelessly mangled

766. accident victims on the point of death.

767. It was miraculous, Mrs. Webster.

768. Not only did those dying men and women live,

769. but in an incredibly short time they were completely whole.

770. Mangled limbs as good as new

771. as if they'd never been injured.

772. And Paul was one of these?

773. The worst of the lot.

774. There was scarcely a bone in his body that wasn't broken,

775. face completely gone, horribly burned.

776. "Nobody would even know you were in a plane crash."

777. That's what I said to Paul the night we were married.

778. Can you imagine my feelings?

779. I thought I'd stumbled on the medical miracle of the ages.

780. It certainly seems so.

781. Then, over a year later...

782. Doctor, can you come right away?

783. It's number six again. Excuse me.

784. I'll be back soon.

785. Maybe you'd better come along, too.

786. Another sedative, Doctor?

787. No.

788. I'm afraid the brain tissues have been affected.

789. - Try the sun ray. - Yes, Doctor.

790. W ho are these?

791. My prize patients.

792. My medical miracles.

793. Well, then, these symptoms are...

794. The aftereffects.

795. They began to appear in varying degrees

796. about a year after the treatment.

797. Why?

798. How?

799. Isn't it obvious?

800. There was an additional secretion in the pituitary injection

801. besides the healing hormone,

802. something I didn't know about,

803. but in its way, even more powerful

804. And the sun ray?

805. The sun ray has a strong depressant effect on reptiles.

806. Makes them lethargic, dormant.

807. Reptiles?

808. But these aren't...

809. They are, aren't they?

810. Your patients are turning into,

811. alligators.

812. In effect, you can say that.

813. - Alligator people. - And Paul?

814. His symptoms were the last to appear.

815. When his final test proved positive

816. I had to wire him on the train.

817. He's quiet now.

818. We can go.

819. Is there any hope for the people?

820. There may be a possible chance, but a slight one.

821. A shot in the dark and very dangerous.

822. Your husband insists upon taking that chance tonight.

823. What is it?

824. Massive radiation.

825. Gamma rays from a cobalt bomb

826. combined with high intensity x-rays.

827. We've already noted in Paul definite

828. positive reactions to x-ray treatment,

829. but what will happen with this I don't know.

830. I want to be here.

831. I don't think that's wise.

832. I want to be here.

833. I want to see Paul.

834. I want to talk to him before.

835. You can't keep me away, Doctor.

836. No, I guess I can't.

837. Maybe I haven't even got the right.

838. Paul, please.

839. Don't run away again.

840. Dr. Sinclair explained you were coming tonight and why.

841. I wanted to be here.

842. Oh.

843. Paul, it doesn't make any difference.

844. I'm your wife, and I love you.

845. Oh, Paul, darling.

846. You know all about tonight?

847. Dr. Sinclair explained.

848. He told me about the x-ray treatments

849. and how much better you are.

850. I know this'll do it, Paul.

851. Why, radiation therapy works wonders.

852. It'll have to.

853. Why, you'll come out of that

854. laboratory as handsome as ever.

855. Joyce.

856. I love you.

857. You know that.

858. I wouldn't have done this to you, let you see me.

859. I'd rather have died.

860. Oh, Paul, please.

861. Don't say that.

862. W e're ready, Paul.

863. If you still want to.

864. I still want to.

865. Very well.

866. Stand by for lowering position.

867. Ready, Paul?

868. Ready.

869. Oh, Paul, do you have to do this,

870. take this chance, knowing the danger?

871. Whatever happens, either way

872. I'm better off than the way I am now.

873. Oh, Paul.

874. I'm sorry for the way I treated you.

875. Paul was so desperate to keep you from knowing.

876. We did everything we could.

877. Now that I know you, I'm sure we were wrong.

878. I'm sorry.

879. Terribly sorry.

880. Oh.

881. Manon!

882. Where is he?

883. Who?

884. Paul.

885. He's not here.

886. You get out of here.

887. Mrs. Hawthorne ordered you off this place for good.

888. I know where he is, where he's got to be.

889. With the others.

890. Now you go on.

891. Get out.

892. Controls and timing must be precise.

893. When you're dealing with radioactivity

894. and billions of volts of energy,

895. the slightest deviational standard

896. even a few seconds of excess time and anything might happen.

897. What's the exposure interval, Doctor?

898. No more than 30 seconds.

899. Absolute maximum.

900. I determined that on my test alligators.

901. Definitely.

902. 30 seconds.

903. No more.

904. Paul.

905. Yes?

906. I'll never be able to tell you how sorry I am.

907. Don't blame yourself.

908. I certainly don't.

909. Who can know everything?

910. You're not God, Mark.

911. I feel as if I've been playing at it and been punished.

912. Forget it.

913. You all right?

914. Fine.

915. Keep your eyes closed.

916. Just relax.

917. - Where is he? - Who do you want?

918. That two legged gator, Paul.

919. You better get out of here.

920. Wait!

921. - You can't go in there. - Manon.

922. You were ordered to leave.

923. You have no right here.

924. - Now get out. - Where is he?

925. I know you got him here someplace.

926. I forbid you to go in there.

927. Oh.

928. So he is here, huh?

929. - Get him out of here. - Why, you...

930. You drunken slob, get out of here!

931. So that's where you are.

932. You can't.

933. You can't go in there.

934. No, you ain't him.

935. You can't be him.

936. You stay away from me!

937. Paul.

938. Paul.

939. Paul.

940. Paul.

941. Paul!

942. Paul!

943. Paul!

944. Paul!

945. Paul!

946. Paul!

947. No, don't!

948. No!

949. Well, now that you've heard the tape again,

950. what do you think?

951. You know, this indicates that everything she said is true.

952. She was married to a Paul Webster who did crash in a plane

953. and there was a Dr. Mark Sinclair who since disappeared.

954. Do you believe her story?

955. That's not important.

956. Eric, we were both taught that psychiatrist's function

957. is to find mental illness and to cure it.

958. - As simple as that. - Obviously.

959. Now, Jane's case.

960. This girl has lived through a horrible experience,

961. true or not, but she has made a satisfactory adjustment.

962. She lives a normal, useful, happy life

963. by completely suppressing it.

964. An obvious anxiety neurosis and amnesia suppression.

965. You didn't need me to tell you that.

966. No, of course not.

967. But what am I gonna do, Eric?

968. Shall I let her go on as she is now or attempt a cure?

969. Now, all I've got to do is bring her back in here

970. and play back that tape.

971. Yes, and perhaps shock her into a complete withdrawal.

972. Yes.

973. I don't know, Wayne.

974. I honestly don't know.

975. Excuse me, Doctor.

976. I'm going off duty unless there's something else.

977. All right.

978. Thank you.

979. Oh, Jane.

980. One moment.

981. Well?

982. Yes, Doctor?

983. That's all, Jane.

984. - Goodnight. - Goodnight, Doctor.

985. - Goodnight, Dr. Lorimer. - Goodnight, Jane.