01x16 - Inga

[bunniefuu]

[waves crashing]

[music]

Letter to Loretta.

Starring the Loretta Young.

Miss Loretta Young.

[clapping]

Hello.

Thank you foraccepting my invitation

to come back here again tonight.

Because tonight, well, I havea public confession to make.

Which, while it will come as nosurprise at all, to those who know

me, is a direct answer to a directquestion in this first letter.

Dear Loretta says,andby the way, it signed Ruth.

Do you do everythinglike you say.

In those quotations fromShakespeare and the Bible and all?

My husband sayshe doesn't think so.

Ruth.

Your husband's right.

These quotations from the

Bible and Shakespeare and all.

Are the ideals to which I aspire.

I certainly don't claim tohave accomplished them.

Now, I would say themost and the very best

that could be saidfor me is that I try.

Now, this letter is from ayoung man named Ben Cabot.

He sent it to us in the hope thatit would be an inspiration to us.

Well it was.

The letter tells a tale ofcourage. And it tells it so simply

and so well that we havemade no attempt to embellish it

Dear Loretta, he says thisis a story of Inga Hellborg.

From the first moment Imet her, I knew it was a

story that I would haveto follow to the very end.

There was somethingabout her, something which I

can only compare withwell, the exterior of a bank.

Not too fancy, perhaps, but givingpromise of great treasure within.

The truth is, I first sawher in the bank.

We were both waiting tosee the bank president.

But for very different reasons.

Next Wednesday, .I'll tell Mr. Lowell. Alright

Excuse me President.

Oh, good morning Mr. Mundie.

Hello, Pfeiffer. I want toget this escrow moving fast.

Yes, well, I have the papers here.

Oh, I'm sorry, sir.

But I'm here first.

Nonsense. I had an appointment.

But I am here first.

I phoned yesterday.

And I sent a letter two weeks ago.

You will have to be patient, miss.Mr. Mundie is a very busy man.

I've got a millionthings to do today.

Then I would suggestthat you do them.

Who are you to makesuggestions to me?

Who does one have to beto make suggestions to you?

I'll be back later.

Oh.

Poor man. I'm sure hedoes have his troubles.

But I am here first.

Just what did you want?

I want to see thepresident of your bank.

Mr.Lowell is busy.

A million things to do. Yeah?

-Yes.-good.

I am one of those million.

What's it about?

About somethingMr.Lowell should not do.

Your name?

Inga Helborg.

-Inga Helborg.-Yes.

-Your business.-Farmer.

- Farmer, Farmer?-Yes.

Oh yeah

Oh, yes, I remembernow. The Helborg farm.

-Yes.-Foreclose. Your unpaid note

Subject deceased.

File .

File is my father.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Oh, you don'tmean to be sorry, sir.

Spen Helborg was thebest farmer in Minnesota.

And if he had notbeen sick for so long.

It was only meanto look after him.

Your notes wouldhave been paid by now.

Ms. Helborg.The farmno longer belongs to you.

You have a rightto your own opinion.

Even if you were wrong.And you are wrong

Now, may I see yourpresident, please?

You may not.

-But I must see him.-You cannot see him.

Mr. Pfeiffer. I will see Mr. Lowellno matter what you say.

I will say no more.

Oh.

Well.

Good day sir.

You get to see Mr. Lowell.Over my dead body.

Well, we all have to go sometime.

What do you mean by that? Mr. Cabot?

She'll see Mr. Lowell, whateverthe condition of your body.

Don't you agree?

[music]

My second encounter with Inga.

Convinced me that I'dmet something unique.

An irresistible force.

The encounter took placeat the home of bank president

Lowell, whom we mightcall the immovable object.

As a member of the PrisonFarm Board, thad Lowell

always started the meetingswith the same remark.

Thad, for ten years you've startedevery meeting with the same remark.

Let's leave statisticsto Ben Cabot. By

the way, how is ouryoung brain mechanic?

Prison psychiatristis the title, Mr. lowell.

Ben Cabot, prison psychiatrist.

[laugh] Well, let's get going. I'vegot a million things to do today.

Here comes one of the things.

Refreshments?

-Are you Mr. Lowell?-Yes.

Thanks, you mustbe the new domestic.

-Oh, no, sir. I am a farmer.-You're a what?

Oh, for years Ihave been a farmer.

Mr. Lowell, whenyou have time, I

would like to talkwith you about it.

-With me?-Yes.

Oh, yes, of course.

-Sir?-Thank you.

You're very welcome.

Well, I left you down to business.

I brought my report onoccupational therapy with me.

Why don't you rate it Cabot?

Report on work therapy. AKing card in retention farm.

Retention farm?

It's a new word. Notas harsh as prison farm.

Excuse me please.

Mr. Lowell When you do get amoment, I'll be waiting outside.

[door closing]

Gentlemen.

As I was saying, retentionfarm is not as harsh as prison farm.

Excuse me.

[door opening]

[door closing]

Speak with me about what?

Ah.

Sit down, Mr Lowell, please.

I am Inga Helberg, adaughter of Sin, filed

foreclosure of unpaidnote, Subject deceased.

-Oh, so that's it.-Yeah.

Well, I can tell you right off,Miss. Helborg, the matter is legal.

There is not achance of contesting it.

But I am contesting it.Here. Now, this minute.

On what grounds?

That there are acres lying fallow,

waiting for seedand no one to sowing.

Really? We're not concernedwith seed, Ms helborg.

Oh, Not seed, people.A farm is people.

Ploughing and planting andworking and praying and fighting.

The stem dust and thewinter k*ll and the big wings.

You'll have to understand,a bank is a business.

Oh I agree.

And a good farm run by goodpeople is a good business.

Undoubtedly.

You'll have to realize that I owea responsibility to my depositors.

But they will get their money.

I have already solda livestock and that,

together with onegood crop, will do it.

The north in cornand the south in wheat.

But will there be a crop?

You bet.

-Trust me.-Trust you?

Yes.

Like your depositors trust you?

Well, I guarantee mydepositors a certain reserve.

And I guaranteeyou everything I have.

My promise.

I'm sorry Miss Helborg.

[door opening]

The knowledge that they are eatingfood produced by their own hands

has been most gratifying. Alongwith the sense of accomplishment.

Go on, cabot goon. Don't let me interrupt.

Ms. Helborg the matter issettled I've made up my mind.

I don't think we should discussit in front of these gentlemen.

But since you havestarted you're wrong. You

haven't made up yourmind. You are very uncertain.

Why shouldn't I beuncertain about trusting

a young girl to runa acre farm?

But you use that wordevery day of your life. It's

written on your buildingbank and Trust in gold letters.

That means you are to trust us.

But I do trust you.

Naturally you do.We're a solid institution.

We've proven thatthrough the years.

And what do theMinnesota farmers prove?

Your bank was builtwith those linear colonels

of corn and the hardred spring wheel.

She's got you there, Thad.

This is your Minnesota farmer?

You bet the years.

Alright.

years. Very well.

I'll give you daysto pay that notice.

All good.

-Six months.-yeah.

-Compound interest.-Yeah.

And don't you comecrying to me about

winter k*ll, droughtor the cinchbug.

If you lose your crop.

You lose the farm.

Oh, I don't lose my farm.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Lowell.

Now, if you don't mind, younglady, may we go on with our meeting?

But, sir, there's something more.

What is something more?

The meeting. They toldme about it at the bank.

-Who's chairman?-I'm chairman.

Good.

Yes, Ms. Helborg.

Permission to addressthe committee, please.

You've had the floor up tonow. You may as well continue.

Thank you.

Gentlemen.

Minnesota farm hand doesn'tlike to work for a woman.

And I am in much in needof experienced workers.

What in places has thisgot to do with a prison farm?

-I have the floor, sir?-Yes, you have the floor.

Thank you.

Now, in Sweden, we have nowalls around the prison farm.

We have an eight footcyclone fence around

Kim Carding withbarbed wire on the top.

Oh.

I have only dressedfence around my farm.

Are you suggestingthat we let you

have some prisonersto work your farm?

Yeah, but for good pay, of course.

Now, also in Sweden, prison farmershave a two week vacation with pay.

That's what I'vebeen saying for years.

The keystone of aprison farm is trust.

Tear down the fences.

What a waste ofgood cyclone fence.

But what the saving of people?

Why don't you pick threeor four men to start with?

-Give them a chance.-And if it fails Cabot, what then?

Defenses stay up.

Well.

Well, I move we make Cabotresponsible for this experiment.

-So moved.-Seconded.

Oh, thank you.

Thank you Gentleman.

And good day.

[music]

[door opening]

Good morning, Inga.

Well, Mr. Cabot.

Well, they're here.

-Oh.-I think it's only fair to tell you.

Yes.

One was a confidence man, anothera petty thief. Another stole car.

Are they good workers?

-They're willing to try.-Bring them in.

[music]

Okay boys.

[music]

How do you do?

I am Inga Helborg,and I want you to

know that you areall very welcome here.

This is your home.

[music]

Spring turned into summer, and withit the miracle of corn and wheat.

which was, as Inga said, themiracle of people who grew there.

All my brothers.

Save your breathy. I get them.

[bell ringing]

[door closing]

Oh, Ben.

Well, I heard you wererenting rooms for the fishings.

Oh, nice to see you.

But Jesse's alreadytold me that the

crops are good andit looks like grains.

So there's nothing to askexcept how are you, Inga?

Ah.

This time of year, Ben, a farmerfeels no better than the weather.

The gold is there,waiting to be mined.

But you wonderif some trick of the

wind, like a thiefwill steal it away.

There are More thief aroundhere than the wind, believe me.

Yes, we have a gift.

-Awesome.-Yeah

if I find you then

Then look out for yourpossessions. Mr. Cabot.

Our friend inga hasYampers in the house.

Yes, Mr. Cabotbrought those men here.

-Oh, Yes?-Yes.

And does he know that his friendshave been stealing food from me?

Oh, you're some cookies.Like a little child with candy.

Do you still trust them Inga?

Of course.

They have made a wonderfulcrop. They are the Helborg farm.

And what's about Charlie? Life? Isnot very pertaining for Tim around?

Yes, he is.

Hi, Charlie.

Gifts Cabot shut him up.

With a fishing rod.

I do my job.

I give a full day's work.

Not necessarily so. No man coulddo more sound. Sit down Charles.

[sitting on chair]

oh.

Dear Lord, we thank you forthis food, for the blessings we

have had today, and for thoseabout to come. We thank you. Amen.

Now we eat. Mr. Charlie

-Milk, Charlie?-Oh, thank you.

I hear they got a newmachine that counts

the barley to make surenone has been swiped.

-I hadn't heard.-Charlie.

Maybe the machine's been swiped.

[laugh] Having any troublelike that since Charlie left?

You guys get funnier all the time.

Shhh...

[lighting sound]

The rain.

It's not too heavy, Ms. Halborg?

And no wind.

Hey, Jessie, did youever find them cookies?

No, I didn't. Then I do.

Sh... wait.

[Rain drop sound]

It's heavy.

[rain drop sound]

We're being held out.

[music]

Inga.

[music]

Inga.

Ben.

Did you ever see what Haledoes to a stock of wheat?

It's very interesting.

One moment it's there,and the next gone.

Think of a pizza and cry ifyou want to blunt yourself.

Cabot.

Good to listen to me. You think thisnever happened to Farmer before.

I want you all to knowthe wheat is gone,

But the corn is there.And that is good.

And tomorrow we willstart plying the south .

And we will put it to mill it.

Yes.

Yes.

Now we shall eat huh.

[music]

The indomitablecourage of Inga Helborg

met the impossibleand conquered it.

Yet her greatesttest was still to come.

, , , , , , , ,

, Thistogether with this

and we have enoughto pay off the note.

But you neverthought we could do it.

But I always knewyou could do it.

Someday you will allhave land of your own.

And you will do itover and over and over.

What's next, Miss Halborg?

Next we work the ground toput in the rye and the barley.

But first, we deliver the money.

Charlie, is the heap enough gas?

Yeah. Fill the roof,just like you said.

That's good.

Hey, you're not going to letCharlie deliver all that money?

Oh, no. I thoughtyou could drive me.

But now that youmentioned the t*nk

there's plenty forme to do around here.

Charlie, do youmind going alone?

Me? With all that money?

Yeah, you with all this money.

Do you know where a bank is?

For sure.

Good you go directly toMr. Pfeiffer or Mr. Lowell

And be sure you get the receipt.

And don't stop for anythinguntil you deliver the money.

And.

And carry it in a safe place

Yeah. Now go.

Charlie,

[running]

look, this is prettyimportant for many reasons.

Is it?

Yes, you see?

Forget it.

[music]

Something wrong?

No.

Yes. Gosh blame it. Ingo.Why did you have to do it?

Because at that moment,Charlie needed an answer.

But you could have delivered themoney. I could have delivered it?

You could have sent it by wire.

And leave Charlie in doubtfor the rest of his life? No.

Do we trust him or don't we?

Well, of course we trusthim. That isn't the point.

Nothing must dissuadethe prison board.

Not even one slipby, one person.

The temptationsto great for Charlie.

The whole cause is loss.

Yeah, I know, I know. That too ben.

But before we can tear downany fences at Kim Carding.

We must tear down thefences in our own minds.

Are you accusingme of a lack of trust?

Look, I've made a studyof the criminal mind.

Who are you to decide whatthe boundaries of trust are?

Oh, Ben.

Who does one have to be?

Calm down. Now, wehave some coffee huh.

[music]

No, your man wasn'tin here yesterday.

No.

No, he didn't call.

Thank you. [putting down telephone]

-No word from Charlie?-No.

That's it.

Charlie would have deliveredthe money if he could have.

The something hashappened to him.

You're amazing.

No, Ben. Charlie and Ihave worked together.

I have felt his back ache and I haveseen his fingers blister. I know.

The fact remains that Charlieis missing and so is the money.

[telephone rings]

Hello.

Yeah, yes,

Are you sure?

Yes, I'll tell him. No, we'llcall you back. Thank you.

[putting down telephone]

What he has said?

He found a Jeep wrecked in a gully.

Bam.

Oh, no.

Charlie.

Charlie was supposed tobe here yesterday

-Yeah.-Instead he has mysteriously absent.

yes.

Your car is foundwrecked by the roadside.

I know

what happened?

Logic should tell you.

He ran the car offthe road in a desolate

spot and abscondedwith the money.

Proving, among otherthings, that bankers

should not trust theimpulsive young ladies.

Mr. Lowell, you arewrong about Charlie.

I know him I have worked with him.

You're wrong.

What do you do with astubborn young lady like this?

If you're me a believe here.

You realize thatthere are fences in

your own mind thathave to be torn down.

Fences you never knew were there.

Pfeiffer, Take a memo.

regarding file . Foreclosure.

What's up, Gillis?

A man just fainted.His badly hurt.

Badly hurt? Get a doctor.

Holly, he said hewanted to see you.

Charlie.

Oh, Charlie you're hurt.

I had an accident.

Skin it off the road.

I know, I know.

I hitched a ride andthen I feigned in.

-Oh.-I'm sorry I'm late.

You did fine, Charlie.No man could do better.

Oh, here's the money.

[breathing loudly]

Thank you, Charlie.

Here's your money, Mr. Lowell

Charlie.

Pfeiffer, Take a memo.

There'll be anemergency meeting of the

prison farm boardto discuss the matter.

I'm sorry, Ms. Hilborg.

Don't you worry.

We will take you home, Charlie.And soon, you will be well again.

You can help me withthe rye and the barley.

Yeah, you bet.

[music]

Mr. Cabot finishes his letter with

somehow, Loretta,of all the people

I've ever met, IngaHelborg would be the

hardest to forget.And I just thought

that you too mightlike to know about her.

Sincerely benjamin Cabot.

Oh, thanks very much, Mr. Cabot.

I not only liked hearing abouther, but I loved playing her.

because she's the kindof uncluttered person

who is honest enoughnot to pigeonhole people.

Emerson, in one of his essays,

takes the reverse att*ck on this.

Listen to this quote

trust men and theywill be true to you. Treat

them greatly and they willshow themselves. Great.

Oh, I like that.

Don't you?

Well, goodnight. I'llsee you next week.

[claping]

Visit Loretta Young again nextweek, same time, same station.

[music]