01x12 - What You Need

Episode transcripts for the TV show "The Twilight Zone". Aired: October 1959 to June 1964.*
Watch/Buy Amazon  Merchandise


Collection of fantasy and suspenseful stories.
Post Reply

01x12 - What You Need

Post by bunniefuu »

[eerie music]

(male presenter, off)
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.

[jazzy piano music]

You ready
For another?

I'm fine.

You been fine
For an hour.

We sell booze
Here, mister. We
Don't just rent space.

Is that a fact?

That's a
Fact, buddy.

How would you like
To take a flying
Jump at the moon?

All kinds. We
Get all kinds.

(Rod Serling, off)
You're looking at
Mr. Fred Renard,

Who carries
On his shoulder

A chip the size of
The national debt.

This is a sour man,
A friendless man

A lonely man, a grasping,
Compulsive, nervous man.

This is a man
Who has lived

undistinguished,
Meaningless, pointless,
Failure-laden years

And who at this moment
Looks for an escape,
Any escape.

Any way, anything,
Anybody, to get
Out of the rut.

And this little old man
Is just what Mr. Renard
Is waiting for.

Something for
You, miss?

I guess I need
Some matches.

[musical burst]

You don't need
Matches, miss.

I'll tell you
What you need.

Yes, I think I know
What it is you need.

What is it?

Cleaning fluid--

Oh, very good
Cleaning fluid.

Guaranteed to
Remove spots of
Any and all kinds.

It's what
You need.

(bartender)
That'll be
cents, lefty.

What do you
Got, pop?

Many things,
Many odds
And ends--

Things you need.

Things I need?

Well, what do you
Think I need, pop?

Well, shoelaces
Perhaps, or matches.

Uh--no, I'm
Afraid not, pop.

They wouldn't
Help me.

No, what I need
You haven't got.

Tell him, lefty,
Tell him what
You need.

The old coot comes
In here every night

Bugging everybody
He's got what
They need.

Tell him
What you need.

Tell him what
You really need.

What do
You need?

A new left arm.

A new
Left arm?

Yeah, lefty was
Quite a pitcher
In his time.

He pitched for a
Couple of years
For the Cubs.

Then his arm
Went sour.

Didn't it, lefty?

I ought
To know.

I dropped a
Bundle on him
On a sunday

A couple of
Years ago.

What do
You do now?

What does
He do now?

He comes in here
Seven nights
A week,

Looking for a
Baseball career

At the bottom
Of a bottle.

Of course, there
Are alternatives.

There are
Things instead.

Instead?

Instead of pitching?

Instead of baseball?

Let's go
Back to
Shoelaces, pop.

I think I know
What it is
You need.

[musical burst]

Go ahead,
Take it.

A bus ticket.

That's right.

That's what it
Is, a bus ticket.

A bus ticket to
Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Now, what's in Scranton,
Pennsylvania, old man?

One never knows.

Coal mines, that's
What's in Scranton,
Pennsylvania.

Nice, lovely,
Beautiful coal mines.

You can't pitch
With that arm
Anymore, lefty,

[telephone rings]

Maybe you can
Dig with it.

(man)
Lefty.

Yeah?

Telephone.

[no audio]

What-- dead
Rich uncle?

Or your
Horse come in?

No, crazy,
Real crazy.

Old manager of mine.

Been looking for me
For three weeks.

Got me a job,
Coaching job.

Minor league club
In Scrant--
[musical burst]

Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Wants me to take
A bus there.

He wants me
To take a
Bus there.

How about that?

How'd you
Know, pop?

Coincidence maybe.

Or just
Good fortune.

But why question it?
It's there for you.

You just take it.

I don't get it.

Wow.

Gee, I wish I could
Get that thing out.

I'd like to look
Halfway decent

When I meet the
General manager.

That's who I'm
Gonna meet, the
General manager.

I'd hate to look
Like a tramp. I
Can get a shave.

It's the only
Coat I got.

Excuse me.

I couldn't help
But overhear.

Why don't
You try this?

It's supposed
To be very good
For that sort of thing.

Oh, I don't want
To bother you, miss.

Oh, no,
Let me try.

All right.

[musical burst]

Now, when
This dries,

You won't even know
You had a spot there.

Thank you, miss.

That's all right.

I was lucky
You were around.

Oh, not
Really lucky.

The old gentleman
Over there--

[shaky voice]
Something for
You, sir?

Shoelaces, maybe?

Is that
What I need?

That's for you
To say, sir.

If--if not shoelaces,
Some nice matches.

I... I have
Several different
Designs here.

Now, come on.

What do I need?

You tell me,
Old man.

One needs many
Different things.

Yeah, yeah, yeah,
But what do I
Need now? Huh?

What do I
Need tonight?

It's late.

What do I need?

[musical burst]

Scissors?

What is this,
Some kind of gag?

I want you to level
With me, old man,
I mean it.

I'll spread you all
Over the street.

They're what
You need.

They really are.

Take them.

Gimme my
Hey. Hey.

Hey!

H-help!

[musical burst]

Yeah.

What I needed.

Yeah... Yeah...

That's just
What I needed.

What's this?
Something else
I need?

No. Look, I've
Already given you

Everything that
You needed.

Why do you
Come around here
Bothering me?

That was a nice
Pair of scissors I
Got from you tonight.

They saved my hide.

What do you
Got in there?

Some kind
Of machine,
Crystal ball?

You can
See ahead,
Can't you?

You can look
Into the future.

You dummy.

You poor dummy.

You got a million
Dollar talent

And you dribble it
Away on nickels
And dimes.

Wanna know something?

You got a
Partner now.

I don't
Need a partner.

I don't
Need anything.

I'm content.

I... I have this
Talent, but I use
It sparingly.

I must use
It sparingly.

On cleaning fluid
And bus tickets.

You got cheap
Taste, papa, but
Not your partner.

Your partner don't
Satisfy so easy.

What satisfies him?

What satisfies him
Comes long and low

And drives
On four wheels,

Drapes nice and smooth
Around the shoulders,

Fits easy, comes
From expensive shops--

Looks uptown.

Luxury, papa, luxury.

Now, come
On, concentrate.

Go into a trance
Or whatever you do

And tell me what
I need for tomorrow.

What's for the
Next day? What's
For Wednesday?

Come on, old
Man, concentrate!

What do I need?

[musical burst]

A pen?

What is it, a
Gag or something?

A leaky pen.

I'm supposed to
Need a leaky pen,
Is that it?

A pen
That drips
All over the--

Wait a minute.

Hey, this
Is wild.

This is
Really wild.

Look, it dropped
Right alongside
Of a horse's name.

"Staunch soldier
Runs in the first
Race tomorrow."

Hey, old man,
You're all right.

That's what I
Needed all right--

A leaky
Fountain pen.
See you later.

bucks.

Yeah, it could've been
A million, two million.

Yeah, and
It's gonna be.

[knocking]

Got it?

This what
You wanted?

You got tomorrow
Morning's paper?

That's what
She is.

Tomorrow's races
In it?

It usually does.

Here it is.

Yeah?

Did you ever
Hear of a tip?

A tip?

Oh yeah,
Here's a tip.

Don't play
With matches.

Jerk.

This doesn't
Have to stop at
The races either.

It could be
Football games,
Baseball, basketball--

What is this?

Why, that
Old crum bum.

I'll fix him.

I'll take it out of
His lousy old hide.


He is a
Little crum bum--
To try this on me.

Thank you.

Hey, you.

Hey, partner.

You, whatever
Your name is.

Pidott, that's
My name.

Well, Pidott,
You came a
Cropper tonight.

Oh?

How is that,
Mr. Renard?

That pen,
It don't work,
No ink comes out.

I can't pick
Any winners.

Well, you
Want a great
Deal, Mr. Renard.

The things you need,
You only need once.

Just once.

That's all
They're ever needed.

Okay. What's
Next, then?

Nothing is next.

I'd rather not sell
You anything more.

Is that a fact?

Pidott, I want to
Tell you something
About me.

I was born under
A lousy zodiac
Or something.

I've been
Getting the dirty
End of the stick

Ever since I was
Four years old.

I feel
Sorry for you,
I really do.

I don't
Want you to.

I don't want
You to go to that
Kind of trouble.

I just want you to
Keep supplying me
With what I need.

I don't care
What it is--

Scissors to save
My lousy hide,

Or a leaky fountain pen
So I can pick winners.

Whatever it is, I want
It to keep coming.

I don't want
It to stop.

That's a pity.

Because it
Must stop.

It must stop now.

Who? Why?

Why does it
Have to stop?

Because the
Things you
Need most,

I can't supply.

W-w-what are they?

Serenity, peace
Of mind, humor--

The ability to
Laugh at oneself.

Those are
The things
You need most.

But it's
Beyond my power
To give them to you.

Now, look,
Look deep.

Look deep and tell me
What's for tomorrow.

You can see ahead,
I know you can.
Now, look deep.

What do you see?

Oh, please,
Please, don't.

Shoes?

These shoes
Are too tight.

These shoes
Are too tight!

And they got
Leather soles.

I hate
Leather soles,
They're slippery.

But they're
What I need,
Aren't they?

Yeah, I put
'em on, then
I walk someplace.

Is that it?

I walk someplace
Where I find
What I need.

What's with it,
Old man?

What happens?

I'm waiting.

Patience, that's
Another thing

That you need,
Mr. Renard--

Patience.

What are you
Doing, giving
Me the business?

Is that what you're
Doing-- giving me
The business?

I can come over
There and take you
Apart bone by bone.

Come on, old
Man, tell me.

Are these
What I need?

I didn't
Say they were.

But I'll tell
You something--

They happen to
Be what I need.

Mr. Renard,

What I saw in your
Eyes at that bar--

Was death--

My death.

You were
Going to
k*ll me.

So what
Was needed--

For Mr. Renard--
Was slippery shoes.

That's what
Was needed.

Slippery shoes.

What happened?
Did anybody
See it?

Did you
See it?

Hit and run.
That's what
It was.

Could I sell
You something
Tonight, sir?

Shoelaces, matches.
Anything?

Are you kidding,
Old timer?

What would
I need?

I'll tell you
What you need.

This is
What you need.
[musical burst]

It's yours. No
Charge tonight.

Loony, that's
What he is.

He might be. At
This time of night
He gives me a comb.

Says it's
What I need.

(man)
Will you please
Hold it, folks?

I'd like
To take
Your picture.

Goodness. Try to make
Yourself presentable.

Our picture's
Gonna be in
The paper.

The comb!

Oh, yeah!

Thanks, folks.

[musical burst]

(Mr. Serling)
Street scene:
Night, traffic accident.

Victim named Fred Renard,
Gentleman with a sour face

To whom contentment
Came with difficulty.

Fred Renard who took
All that was needed
In the twilight zone.

(male presenter, off)
Rod Serling, the
Creator oftwilight zone

Will tell
You about next
Week's story

After this word from
Our alternate sponsor.

And now Mr. Serling.

(rod serling)
Next week on
The twilight zone,

One of the most bizarre
And unusual tales
We've told yet.

One man
With four faces.

Four separate and
Adventuresome lives

That must
Be seen to
Be believed.

Harry Townes, Phillip Pine,
Ross Martin and Don Gordon

Star in "The Four
of Us are Dying."

This is a
Story designed
For goosebumps.

I hope we'll see
You next week.
Good night.

[eerie music]

.:: team unit d ::.
Www.Hd-united.Com

(male presenter, off)
Be sure to see the
Fun-filled family life

Of one of America's
Greatest entertainers.
The Danny Thomas show,

Monday nights
Over most of
These stations.
Post Reply