01x13 - The Four of Us Are Dying

Episode transcripts for the TV show "The Twilight Zone". Aired: October 1959 to June 1964.*
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Collection of fantasy and suspenseful stories.
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01x13 - The Four of Us Are Dying

Post by bunniefuu »

[eerie music]

(male presenter)
There is a fifth dimension

Beyond that which
Is known to man.

It is a dimension
As vast as space

And as timeless
As infinity.

It is the middle ground
Between light and shadow.

Between science
And superstition.

And it lies between
The pit of man's fears

And the summit
Of his knowledge.

This is the dimension
Of imagination.

It is an area which we
Call the twilight zone.

His name is Arch Hammer.

He's years old.
He's been a salesman,
A dispatcher,

A truck driver
A con man, a bookie
And a part-time bartender.

This is a cheap man,
A nickel-and-dime man

With a cheapness that
Goes past the suit
And the shirt.

A cheapness of mind,
A cheapness of taste.

A tawdry little
Shine on the seat
Of his conscience

And a dark, groomed squint
In a world whose sunlight

Has never gotten
Through to him.

But Mr. Hammer has
A talent discovered
At a very early age.

This much he does have.

He can make
His face change.

He can twitch a muscle.

Move a jaw.

Concentrate on
The cast of his eyes.

And he can
Change his face.

He can change it
Into anything he wants.

Mr. Archie Hammer,
Jack of all trades,

Has just checked in
At $ . a night

With two bags, some
Newspaper clippings,

A most odd talent,

And a master plan
To destroy some lives.

[playing jazz]

? So thanks
For the cheer ?

? I hope you
Didn't mind ?

? My bending your ear ?

This torch
That I've found

Must be drowned

Or just--

It just
Might explode.

? Make it one
For my baby ?

? And one more ?

? For the road ?

[applause]

Hey, Maggie!
[laughs]

Hey, sport,
Unravel the flesh.

Come on, Maggie,
Have a little drink.

I'd love one.

Very, very solitary.
All by my lonesome
If you don't mind.

Oh.

If you don't
Drink well,

Don't drink.

Johnny!

Johnny, are
You a ghost?

Sure, a ghost.

I just came down to
Check the mourners,
Read the obituaries.

How did they feel
About the deceased, huh?

What kind of tears?

You came to the
Right place, Johnny.

I have a roomful
Of buckets.

I heard it on the
Radio one night.
Just like that.

"Death as it must
Come to all men,

"Came to talented
Musician Johnny Foster.

Tragic accident,
Train hitting car."

I just sat there
And I cried.

And then I--

And then I washed
My face and--

Put on some makeup
And went to work.

But everything
Had changed for me.

My repertoire
Became very limited.

Only booze.

Only sad songs
For piano or bourbon.

Oh, Johnny.

I don't care
If you area ghost.

Nah.

It was another guy.

My car, my suit.

Maybe we even had
The same dentist.

Why didn't you
Tell people that?

Nah.

I wanted to get
Way from the world.

From that.

I decided
To trade in
The old name.

Turn it in
For something new,
Something different.

You were always
A funny guy, Johnny.

Way-out Johnny Foster.

Well,

Are you satisfied
With the reaction?

Mourning becomes you, Mag.

Me and Electra.

So how long
You with us?

Is this a stop
Between trains, Johnny?

In a way,
For me, it is.

For you, it's
Get-out-of-town night.

You've got time
For six choruses
And a check-out?

You're going
With me, Mag.

We'll go to
Chicago or Detroit.

We'll go to
San francisco, huh?

We'll have
A ball, Maggie.

Everything by ear.
But great, Maggie,
I mean, great.

Just the two of us.

Oh!

Oh, hey, Johnny,
I love you.

You name it, Johnny,
You've got it.

Hey, Johnny!

You put me back together
Again, Johnny. And
I love you.

I love you.

You finish up here.

You tell him
You're cutting out.

I'll meet you at
The railroad station.
I'll get the tickets.

: , Maggie,
Westbound for Chicago.

Be there.

I'll be there, Johnny.

Johnny!
Hey, Johnny!

[inaudible]

Man, I thought you
Was out of the world.

Johnny, wait.
We all got the
Wrong word.

They said you were
Removed by a locomotive.
[laughs]

Oh, Johnny, it's so
Great to see you. Here.

Let me light you
A cigarette.

I'll take the light but
You got the wrong guy.

I'm really
Sorry, buddy, I--

I thought you
Were the guy

I'd just seen
In the bar.

I'm really sorry.

Why not a
Beautiful dame?

Why not?

I never had
A dish like that.

I've never been
Loved like that.

Why shouldn't I?

(Maggie)
? It's all too wonderful ?

? I'll never
Find the words ?

Yeah, Maggie.

Yeah!

Why not?

How was the water,
Baby? Was it cold?

When did it hurt?
When you laughed?

[laughs]

Excuse me, sir.
Mr. Penell is not
At home this evening.

[noise from tv]

Who is it, Ramon?

It's me, Mr. Penell.

Picture tubes
Are expensive.

You can always
Get yourself
Another beer.

Imported, isn't it?

I always liked your
Taste, Mr. Penell.

You always had
The taste of a
Very rich man.

Neat but not gaudy.

Please. Don't.

Just sit down there
And we'll talk, huh?

We'll have a business
Meeting, you and me.

Virgil.

Virgil, this is
The happiest day
Of my life!

[laughs]

If this is the
Happiest day
Of your life,

How come you look like
Somebody just stuck lemon
Juice in your beer, huh?

No, Mr. Penell,
You're not so happy.

You got no
Reason to be happy.

Believe me,
Mr. Penell, I know.

You've got no
Reason to be happy.

No reason at all.

Now, if you could have
Kept me in the river,

A cold, clammy little
Item without a voice,

Then you could
Have been happy.

But this is one double
Cross that came back
To bite you.

Virg, Virg, you
Got me wrong, Virg.

I held up my end
Of the bargain,

And instead of the payoff,
All I got was the river.

And that river
Was cold, Mr. Penell.

Far too cold for
This time of the year.

Lousy swimming,
Mr. Penell,

Especially when you're
Almost out of blood.

I brought back a satchel
For you, Mr. Penell.

There was a lot
Of money in it. It
Was a real risky job.

Now, I figure my cut
Is more than a cold swim!

Virg, please,
Listen to me.

Virg, Virg, I got
Your cut, kid.

It's right over
There in the desk.

I'll take care of my
Own cut, Mr. Penell.
What drawer?

It's in the center drawer.
There's an envelope
Full of money.

Why don't you let me
Get it for you?

Why don't you shut up?

You said this was
For me, didn't you?

Twenty per cent
Of it, Virg.

The cut is still
The same, Mr. Penell.

I always live up
To my contracts.

Only now there's interest.

For floating
Facedown in the river
I charge interest.

For getting three
b*ll*ts in my belly
I charge interest.

I'll take it all.

Virg.

Yeah?

Did-did somebody--

Did somebody fish
You out before--

Did somebody fish me
Out before I'd had it?

Is that the question?

No, Mr. Penell.
That's not the way
It happened at all.

I'm a ghost.

Get that guy,
He's a fake!
Get him!

I've got to make it.

Change my face.

Gotta look different.

Think of a face!
Think of a face!

What the--

What did I do?

Why are you
Guys trying to
Finger me, huh?

I mean, what goes?

I didn't do
Nothing to you guys.

Nothing, buddy.

We thought you
Were somebody else.

Andy.

Andy!

Who?

Andy! Andy, what's
The matter with you?

Oh, uh, Andy, yeah.
Yeah, I get it, yeah.

Uh, what's new with you?

How's the, uh,
Journalism business, huh?

What's the matter
With you?

Something wrong
With your mind?

You punchy, Andy?

Yeah, I'm punchy.

Why, am I supposed
To recognize you?

Yeah.

I guess you would.

We, uh, we met
Someplace before, huh?

That's right.


It was a long
Time ago, though.

I don't remember
You, old man. How
Do I know you?

How do you know me?

As a son should
Know his father.

What kind of a game
Are you playing, Andy?

I'm your son?

You were.

You were before
You ran out.

You were before
You broke your
Mother's heart.

Before you did
Dirt to a sweet,
Decent little girl

Who would have cut
Off an arm for you.

But now you
Ain't my son.

Now you ain't
Nothing to me.

You're nothing.

I hate your guts.

Do you hear me?
I hate your guts.

If things go down hard,
You just walk away,
Huh, Andy?

People get in your way
You just step on them,
Just kick them away, huh?

Hey, everybody, look,
Look what we got here.

Andy Marshak!
A dirty little punk!

Look at him, look at
The dirty little punk!
Everybody, look!

Spit in his mother's
Eye, this one.

Ruined a girl's
Life, this one.

Hurt people, all
The time hurt people.

Hey, everybody, look!

Look at him!

Look at the punk.

Look at Andy Marshak.

Look at the monster.

Look at...my son!

[rattling of door handle]

That where you
Generally stand,
Behind the door?

When somebody I don't know
Unlocks my door, yeah,
That's where I stand.

Arch Hammer, huh?
Detroit, Michigan.

I never been there.

Of course you haven't.
Neither was Henry Ford.

You're down for
A bunco rap, Hammer.

I gotta put you
On the book.

You can make two
Calls when you get
To the station.

Can I get my coat?

Be my guest.

Where is it, Hammer?
Up on the roof?

In the closet.

Let's go.

Hey, wait a minute!

What do you
Think you're do--

I'm sorry.
Did you see a guy
Come out of there?

No.

Hey, old man.

You've got
Such a debt, Andy.

You owe her
For so many years.

You owe her for
So many things.

And now, you
Pay off, son.

Hey, now,
Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.

You got the wrong guy.
I swear to you, you
Got the wrong guy!

I got the right guy.

No, please.
Please, wait.

Put the-put the
g*n down now.

I'll show you.
I'll show you, honest.

But I gotta think!
I gotta concentrate!

Just put the g*n
Down. You'll see.

I gotta concentrate!

(male presenter)
It was Arch Hammer,
A cheap little man

Who had just checked in.
He was Johnny Foster

Who played a trumpet and
Was loved beyond words.

He was Virgil Sterig,
With money in his pocket.

He was Andy Marshak,

Who got some of his
Agony back on a sidewalk
In front of a cheap hotel.

Hammer, Foster,
Sterig, Marshak.

And all four of
Them were dying.

(male presenter, off)
Rod Serling, the creator
Of twilight zone

Will tell you about next
Week's story after this word
From our alternate sponsor.

And now, Mr. Serling.

Next week we'll give you
A lesson in astronomy.

But a kind of lesson
Not taught in schools.

Fritz Weaver, Edward Andrews
And Joe Maross appear in
"Third from the Sun."

This is a story
That takes place on
The eve of doomsday.

We hope you'll join us
On the twilight zone.

Thank you, and goodnight.

[eerie music]

(maie presenter, off)
Kimberly Clark invites you
To watch Steve McQueen

In "Wanted Dead or Alive."

Saturday nights over
Most of the same stations.

Twilight zone is being
Brought to you tonight

By Kimberly Clark,

Whose handy Kleenex
Paper products

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Today, a woman's
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A maid of all work,
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As well as the fresh young
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And still get
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You called, madam?
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Especially at your three
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They're another good
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Good day!
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