04x19 - The Morning of the Bride

[bunniefuu]

Good evening.

This is the most difficult and frustrating
game of croquet I've ever played.

I seem to be able to
drive the ball quite well,

but my shoulders keep
getting stuck in the wickets.

It's all very trying.

Actually, I've consented
to stand here like a watch fob

in order to dramatize the
subject of tonight's story.

It concerns one of our
oldest institutions.

An institution which
seeks to rehabilitate men

by keeping them
shut up for years.

Marriage.

But first, we have another
equally revered institution,

the television commercial.

Oh, I hope you like me.

When I show you
how much I love him,

you'll just have to like me.

It seems so strange.

I'll meet you for
the first time today,

and I've wanted to
for so long,

for almost five years.

Okay if I hang my slip
over the heater?

Oh, Pat.

For a minute, I thought
you were serious.

Oh, from the looks
of the place,

I'd say Philip and his
mother were coming to dinner.

Do you think everything
looks all right?

It looks wonderful,
just wonderful.

You're sure, now?

Well, I would make just
one small suggestion.

Well, what?

Put your shoes on.

Oh, Pat.

If you hadn't been here, I would
have forgotten them for sure.

Wouldn't that
have been awful?

Oh, I think it would have
made a nice, informal touch.

But to meet Mrs. Pryor without my
shoes on. Oh, I would have just d*ed.

You don't need shoes
when you're walking on air.

It shows, doesn't it?

Oh, it glows.

Yes, but not too much. I mean, not
so much that it'll frighten him away.

Well, it hasn't yet. Don't worry
about it. On you, it looks wonderful.

I'm gonna dress now
and scoot out the back way.

Relax now. I'll punch
you right in the nose.

Oh, Pat.

Hello, darling.
Hello, Philip.

Philip, your mother.

Oh, I'm sorry, Helen,
Mother couldn't come.

Oh.
She sent her apologies.

Well, of course, but
she's not ill, is she?

Oh, she's never very well,

but she did look forward to this
evening so much, to meeting you.

Oh, I wanted
to meet her, too.

Philip, if she's ill,
shouldn't you be with her?

Well, it's all
my fault, really.

I knew she'd be upset,
but I had to tell her.

Just the way
I have to tell you.

What? Tell me what?

I got my orders
this afternoon.

I leave for Korea
tonight.

Oh, Philip.
Oh, Philip.

I know, darling. I know.

We didn't think it would
happen so soon, did we?

Oh, I hoped
it never would.

Well, maybe it's a good thing
it's happening fast, then.

Because all I really have time
for is to tell you that I love you.

Oh, and I love you.

And all the time I'm gone,
I'll be loving you more.

Oh, I don't think I
could love you any more.

Well, you could try.

Oh, I don't have to try.

It won't be so bad, waiting.

As long as we know
we're both waiting.

Oh, Philip, I don't
want you to worry.

It's just awful worrying
about somebody you love.

No, we're not going
to worry, either of us.

Besides, you won't have time.
You'll be too busy writing to me.

Oh, of course I will.

I know, Philip, I'll go and
see your mother some Sunday.

I'll take the afternoon train
out and I'll introduce myself

and we can get to know each
other while you're gone.

Hey, that'd be great.

Do you think she'd
really like it?

She'd love it.

Only trouble is,
she's going up to Boston,

to stay with my aunt
while I'm gone.

Oh.

Well, that'll make
you feel better,

having somebody
to look after her.

Yeah, it sure will.

I'd hate to think of her all
alone in that big old house.

I know.

We won't say any more.

Just know that someday soon, you'll
answer the door and I'll be there.

Philip.

Helen, I'm sorry.

Oh, I'm all right, Pat.

I wish I could
do something.

I've only known him
four months.

Four months.

Maybe he won't be long.

The papers say the w*r
can't go on much longer.

You know, I... I guess
it sounds funny to say it,

but I never thought
I could love.

Really love, I mean.
Until Philip.

When you don't have a family
of your own to begin with,

it's like a part
that's left out of you.

You grow up knowing people a
little and getting to like them

and maybe getting
some affection,

but love, that's always something
that happens to somebody else.

Until Philip.

Until Philip.

You know, Pat, it bothers me, a little
of me, me being older than Philip.

Sometimes he seems
just like a little boy.

Little boys grow up.

I know, and I guess
he needs me.

Of course he needs you.

And you need to be loved.
It's a nice arrangement.

It's a nice feeling.

But, sometimes I'm... I'm just
afraid I don't deserve him.

Now, that's a lot
of nonsense.

Listen, I like Philip fine,

but when you get married,
I'm going to make it a point

to be around to remind him
that he's the lucky one.

Oh, I missed him so.
I know you must have, too.

If only we'd met that night, I could
have comforted you while Philip was away.

Remember how it was
when he came back?

Just to see him and touch
him and hear his voice.

Then you're
proud of me?

You know I am.

I feel like a kid with a good
report card. I want my head patted.

You mean, like this?

Just like that.

I have a whole box
of gold stars waiting

for when they make you a
vice president or something.

Oh, I don't think either
of us will live that long.

It's just a small
publishing house, Helen.

I don't think you get
promoted unless someone dies.

Well, maybe they'll
retire somebody, then.

Oh, not from the looks
of Mr. Pearson.

I'll bet he's ,
at least.

He was your father's
friend, wasn't he?

Mmm. And Mother's.

For years, Mr. Pearson
wouldn't publish a book

unless Mother
read it first.

She gets a kick
out of my job.

All the reading
I have to do.

I know she's
proud of you, too.

And of you.

I almost forgot, I told her
you were going to night school.

Hmm.

To improve myself?

Silly. Mother knows you
weren't able to go to college.

She thinks it's wonderful that you
want to go on with your studies.

Well, I'm glad
if she does.

It's all your fault,
you know. I mean,

I didn't mind not being well-read
and things like that, until you.

Darling, I like you
just the way you are.

Philip, have you
told her about us?

Well, sure. I've told
her all about you.

I said "about us,"
Philip.

Well, of course.

Philip, you're home again
and you've got a good job,

and if we're going to get married
soon, we ought to tell her.

I know, I know.

Just a little longer, Helen.
A couple more months.

She's just getting used to
having me around the house again.

You understand.
She needs me.

After all,
I'm all she's got.

A couple of months.
That's all.

Hey, I'm gonna have to
run all the way back.

We're very punctual
at the Pearson Company.

Philip...

I couldn't shake
the thought from my mind

that you and I, the ones who loved
him most, were pulling him apart.

I knew I had to meet you.

So, one day last spring,
after work,

I took the train
out from town.

I felt we had to talk, to get to
know each other, for Philip's sake.

Mrs. Pryor!

Mrs. Pryor,
I'm Helen Brewster.

There's no one home.
No one home at all.

I felt so frustrated,
so ashamed to think

that you wouldn't
even see me.

I thought I could
never tell Philip.

But that Wednesday, when
we had dinner together...

And the reason I think
it's going to be good is

because you never really
know until the last sentence

in the manuscript that he's
going to go back to his wife.

Sounds like one of
those sudden endings.

They always leave me
dangling, somehow.

Well, how would you
have it end?

"And they lived
happily ever after"?

Oh, Philip, there's nothing
wrong with a happy ending.

Well, now,
did I say there was?

I'm all for them, myself.

Well, it just seems to me that
there's enough realism in life.

You don't have to face up to
it every time you read a book.

Something's wrong, Helen, and
I don't know exactly what it is.

We were just talking
about a book.

I just don't think
I'd like it, that's all.

No. Before the book,
all evening.

Don't you feel well?

Oh, of course I feel well.

All right, darling,
we'll forget it, huh?

Oh.

Maybe this will
make you feel better.

Mother sent it.

Your mother?
Mmm-hmm.

I think she felt
a little sorry for you.

I told her that you were
struggling through w*r and Peace.

David Copperfield.
Mmm.

Mother loves Dickens.
That's one of her favorites.

She wanted you
to have it.

Philip, I just
don't understand.

Well, what's there to understand?
She just sent you a book.

I know, but...

Philip, I wasn't going
to tell you this,

but Monday, after work,
you stayed in town

to have dinner with Mr.
Pearson, remember? Mmm-hmm.

Well, I took the train to
go out and see your mother.

Oh, well, that was
a nice thing to do.

But, she didn't
tell me about it.

Because she didn't see me.
That is, she wouldn't see me.

She wouldn't?

Philip, she ran
from the house.

And I called to her and I told her
who I was, and then she just ran away.

She ran from the house?

Well, she stopped for a minute
when I called to her,

and then she said, "There's no one
home. There's no one home at all. "

And then she just ran off.

But Mother wouldn't
do that, she couldn't.

Well, it was so obvious that
she just doesn't want to meet me.

Oh, it couldn't be that, Helen.
Mother's very anxious to meet you.

You must know that.

I can't understand.

And you can't make me
understand it, Philip.

I never felt so rejected.

Helen, listen to me.
It couldn't have been Mother.

You say this woman ran
from the house.

Mother's practically
bed-ridden.

She can't walk without
support, let alone run.

Well, I wouldn't know.
I've never met her.

I'll bet it was Mrs. Beasley.

It must have been
Mrs. Beasley.

She comes to clean
three days a week.

But the woman said
there was nobody at home.

If your mother can't walk
without support, how could she...

Wait a minute.
You said this was Monday?

Yes, this past Monday.

Well, that explains it.

Mrs. Fairbain and Connie came
over to take Mother for a drive.

She's an old friend
and her daughter.

Connie can manage Mother
almost as well as I can.

I'm sorry, darling,
after that long train ride.

You're sure she wasn't home?

She really wasn't
home on Monday?

I just told you.

Here.

That's Mother.

Is she the one you saw?

No. Oh, Philip.

Of course
it isn't your mother.

Oh, how silly I've been.

She wouldn't run away
from you. No one would.

Oh, about Mother,
I've had some bad news.

I spoke to her doctor
yesterday.

He told me her heart
isn't so good.

But he warned me,
any shock...

Well, it's my duty to guard
her against them if I can.

I don't know what
makes this a holiday.

I never work
this hard at the office.

It's a change. It's
supposed to be diverting.

Oh, keen.

Helen, this is
a furnished apartment.

Save your energies for when
you take over the Pryor mansion.

The thought's never
crossed your mind?

Well, I never thought of "taking
over," if that's what you mean.

All right.
Marrying Philip, then.

Well, of course
I think of it. But...

But hooey.

Listen, there's a trite old expression
that fits like a you-know-what.

"You're not getting
any younger. "

Well, do you know
anybody that is?

All right. I'm not getting
any younger, either.

But at least
I'm playing the field,

keeping the old eye peeled
for somebody really eligible.

Well, Philip's really
eligible. It's just that he...

It's just that he's
all his mother's got.

Listen, I'm all for mothers.

But there's a special breed of women
with only sons that lingers on for years.

If I were you, I'd give
that a little thought.

I've given it
a lot of thought.

But I just don't
know what to do.

Lay it on the line.

You get married right away,
or farewell Philip.

It's just no good
anymore, Philip.

Just these few evenings
together, Saturday afternoons.

Do you realize that this has
been going on for four years?

I know I can't remember
not knowing you.

I don't want to.

Soon it'll be five years.

That's a long time
to wait for something.

Well, there was the w*r.

Oh, Philip, that was
a long time ago.

Well, all right,
there's Mother.

You've always
understood about her.

I can't change that, Helen.

Well, you don't have to.

That's what I'm trying
to tell you, I guess.

You don't have to change,
but I do.

You mean, you don't want
to see me anymore?

Well, the way it is
now, no. No, I don't.

Helen, it won't be much
longer. I promise you, it won't.

Mother's beginning
to perk up now.

It won't be any
longer, Philip.

I'm not going to be
seeing you anymore.

But I don't know
what I'd do without you.

I mean it. I don't know
what I'd do without you.

Helen! Helen!

We won't wait any longer.
We'll get married tonight.

Tonight?

Yes, right now, tonight.

People drive across the
state line all the time.

There aren't any delays.
And we don't want any.

Oh, Philip.

Mother's room.

She's sure to be sleeping. I don't
think we ought to bother her tonight.

Unless, of course,
you insist, darling.

After all,
you're the boss now.

No. No, tomorrow will be fine.
We'll tell her tomorrow.

Tomorrow is here,
Mrs. Pryor.

Perhaps Philip's
already told you,

but I know that I can't
wait any longer.

Mrs. Pryor?

Mrs. Pryor?

"Mrs. Mary Langley Pryor d*ed

"at her Elmville Lane
residence early today.

"Native of Boston,
widowed three years ago.

"Only survivor, a son,
Philip, of the home. "

Philip.

Philip,
I don't understand.

She's been dead
for seven years.

You never remember
to keep warm, Mother.

You'll get another chill if I
don't watch over you every minute.

Oh.

Oh, no.

No.

No, no.

Ah, there you are again.

These may look
like rocks to you,

but they're really
clusters of atoms.

This is a very
important job.

And now, here's a scene
from next week's show.

After which, you will find me
still firmly anchored here.

If you liked that sample, you
will love next week's show,

for it will contain
three such scenes.

After seeing that one,
however,

I've put in an order
for a set of these

for each of our viewers.

Good night.