[Eerie music]
(Narrator) You unlock this door with the k e y of ima Gina t/on.
Beyond it is another dimension.
A dimension of sound.
A dimension of sight.
A dimension of mind.
You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance,
of things and ideas.
You've just crossed over into the twilight zone.
I thought you made an appointment.
I did.
Oh, come on, Alan. You're not in that much of a hurry, are you?
Yes.
Well, in that case, you tell them.
Tell them they're keeping the head of the mcclellan enterprises waiting. Tell them.
All right, all right.
Do you wanna forget the whole thing?
No, I don't wanna forget the whole thing.
I just wanna get this foolishness over with.
Can I have one?
Why, thank you.
Come on.
Hello.
Hello. May I help you?
My name is ransome. I believe my wife made an appointment with you.
Oh, yes.
I am Mr. Spiereto.
Now, exactly where do we intend to go?
We intend to go to London.
Splend/d. Of course, you've been.
Well, it's a charming place, utterl y charming.
Of course, you picked a ra ther bad time of the year.
Excuse me, Mr. Spiereto, but we're kind of rushed, and I'd appreciate it...
Well, we all are.
Now, have you decided on an airline?
Well, then, if I may, I'd like to suggest...
Oh, we're not going by plane.
I beg your pardon?
I say we're not going by plane.
Oh, but you must. That is, unless you're planning this for some time in the future.
No, no, we're leaving right away.
Then I'm afraid a ship is out of the question. You see, this is the off season,
and all the ships ha ve been booked. They're taken off the/r regular schedules.
All of them?
All theacceptable ones, yes.
I hope you won't mind my saying this, Mrs. Ransome,
but you know, airplanes are perfectl y safe nowada ys.
Why, I real/zea few people experiencea certain trep/da t/on, shall we sa y,
but there's absolutel y no reason...
You don't have to tell me about airplanes. I used to be a stewardess.
/t just happens tha t we don't wanna fl y.
Eileen, for heaven's sake, if it's the only way, it's the only way.
Could I see a list of the boats that are running?
As you wish.
Alan, you promised.
I know I promised.
It really is very important.
Now, we agreed on that, right?
I'm afraid these are the only passenger-carrying vessels
leaving for england in the next 30 days.
The mintrel is a freighter,
but I understand the accommodations are quite adequate.
Oh, excuse me. What about this one? The ladyanne?
Oh, / don't think so.
Why not?
For one thing, it's very nearl y the oldest boa t in the wa ter
and it's certainl y the slowest.
Thirteen da ys to le ha vre, another half da y to southampton
if there are fa vorable winds.
Well, forget it.
No, no, no, wait a minute.
It-it leaves on Thursday. That's less than a week.
Please, Mrs. Ransome, forget it. Take your husband's ad vice.
The lady Anne is an ant/oue, a rel/c.
Look we can relax when we get there if that's what you want.
Don't make such a big deal out of it.
Well, it is a big deal to me, a very big deal.
Give us two tickets.
For this?
Yeah, that's-that's right, the ladyanne.
[Softly] Very well.
A few extra days won't matter, will they?
No. I don't have anything better to do.
(Narrator) Portrait of a honeymoon couple getting read y for a journey
with a difference.
These newlyweds have been married for six years
and they're not taking this honeymoon to start their life
but rather to save it. Or so Eileen ransome thinks.
She doesn't know why she insisted on a ship for this voyage
except that it'd give them some time.
And she'd never been on one before.
Certainly never one like the ladyanne.
The tickets read "New York to southampton",
but this old liner is going somewhere else.
Its destination: The twilight zone.
Oh, Alan, Alan, it's beautiful.
It's urgent that schwimmer get these reports tonight or tomorrow
before the office opens. I'll call you when I get to London.
Well, it's beautiful.
Uh-uh, not it, madam, she. This ship happens to be a lady.
Oh, of course. Well, she's beautiful.
I'd say she's beautiful.
From the descriptions, we'd expected a cross
between a kayak and the fl ying dutchman.
You two seeing somebody off?
No, we're passengers.
What's that? What? What did you say?
We're passengers.
Oh, I hardly think so. I don't think that. This is the ladyanne.
There must be a mistake.
Toby, I haven't kept you waiting long enough to raise your temper. Come along.
Be quiet, Millie. You look at your tickets.
There's been an error. I repeat, this is the ladyanne.
And I repeat, we're passengers.
Show me your tickets.
Why should I do that?
I beg your pardon. I'm sorry. Call it curiosity.
Please, let me have a look at them.
All right.
Thank you.
"Mr. and Mrs. Alan ransome," is that what it says?
"New York, southampton." "Two one-way..."
Toby, you're not gonna read the small print.
These seem to be in order, Millie.
Thank you. I'm glad to know that.
No, but I tell you, there's a mistake. There's a mistake.
This is what you might call a private party, a private... an excursion.
A mistake. A terrible mistake. Millie, Millie, come along, come along.
I guess that means welcome aboard in British.
Well, don't let him get your back up.
You'll be twice as cranky when you're his age.
You can still turn back, you know.
Just think of being cooped up with me for 14 days.
I made a promise. I'm going to go through with it. Isn't that good enough?
Sure, sure, sure.
At least try to enjoy yourself.
One moment, please. Your names?
Ransome. You wanna see our tickets, too?
No, sir, that's quite all right. Thank you.
State room 24
is down that flight of stairs there and to your left.
You're not gonna let him do this?
I'm afraid it's out of my hands, sir.
Come on, come on.
Let's check the room. See if they got the luggage in. We're due to take off in ten minutes.
Take off?
Leave, sail.
Depart. Depart, depart.
[Eileen z'iz'z'ering]
[Door closes]
I don't believe it.
Oh, Alan!
Alan, isn't it marvelous?
[Gasps] Oh, Alan, thebed!
Oh, isn't it wonderful?
Oh, and stairs! Look, you have to go up and down to get in.
This is probably the most ridiculous room in the whole world.
Probably? Probably? It is!
And you like it, huh?
Oh, yes, yes, I like it!
Don't you?
No kidding. Can we even take this for two whole weeks? I mean...
Alan, the whistle! Come on, let's go up on deck.
Why?
Why? Because that's what people do.
Haven't you ever seen any movies?
Here they are.
Those are the ones I mean. They're coming with us.
Nonsense.
It's obviously a silly blunder.
I tell you, I've seen their tickets.
All right, keep calm.
There's plenty of time.
(Eheen) I wanna see it from the top deck.
You young people are probably unaware of the fact
that this is a sort of, uh, private cruise.
Yes.
Quite. There must be a slip-up somewhere.
Oh, no. There hasn't been any slip-up.
This is our ship and we're sailing to Europe on it.
Her.
Oh, her.
There you are, you see.
Oh, dear. This is very bad news indeed.
Oh, really?
This may sound odd to you, but, really, we want to help you.
Exactly. You see, there are certain things you don't know about the ship.
Now, what does that mean?
Well, for instance, it isn't generally known...
No, no, no, careful, careful.
No, no, no. No, no, my dear gentleman, I must tell them.
The ship is over 50 years old.
Oh, we knew that.
Oh, well, then, uh, possibly one or two things you don't know
because you haven't looked. She's falling apart.
Even the chairs. They wouldn't bear the weight of a baby.
And the staircase, the staircase. Look at it. Likely to collapse any moment.
And the food. You won't be able to eat it. It'll poison you, you get to main.
So you can see how impractical the whole idea is, can't you?
Uh-huh. Uh, there's just one thing.
If this is such an awfully dangerous boat, what are you two doing on it?
Uh, uh... oh, well, we're old and eccentric.
We're young and eccentric.
We like impractical things.
And besides, we think that this is an absolutely darling little boat.
[Ship whistle blows]
That's the last warning.
They'll be taking the gangplank down any moment.
You'll get seasick, you know. No stabilizers.
She rolls like an old washing machine.
It sounds like fun!
For Pete's sake, will you two gentlemen...
Just a moment, please.
Now, what's that for?
I'm prepared to pay you double the amount of your tickets if you'll abandon your plans.
Well?
Not a chance.
All right, then I'll triple the amount.
No!
Mrs. Ransome, you're driving me to extremes.
However, if you leave the ladyanne now,
I'll give you the equivalent of 5,000 amer/can dollars.
And I'll match that.
Making it a total of 10,000.
Well, now you gentlemen are talking my language.
Shall we make it an even 100,000?
Good gracious, we don't have that sort of money.
Sorry, no deal.
Oh, no, no, please recons/der. You don't understand.
Now look, my dear sir, ever since we picked this tub,
people have been trying their best to discourage us.
I don't know why, and I don't care.
But if you're worried that the brash Americans
are going to try to crash your cozy little tea party, forget it.
No, laddie, it isn't that at all.
Forget it.
And leave us alone.
[Ship whistle blowing]
[Short whistle blasts]
You thought I'd take the money, didn't you?
I honestly didn't know.
Oh, look, Alan!
We're off to a great start.
Well... we tried.
We should have tried harder.
We should have kept them off this ship.
Alan?
Oh, Alan.
What are you doing up so early, hm?
It's almost 11:00.
So?
Good morning.
[Chuckles]
All right.
You're not getting nervous already, are you?
Come on, Alan, let's not let two cranky old men spoil our honeymoon.
How many?
Hm?
Get dressed.
Fire drill's in 15 minutes.
Oh, Alan, I wish you would tell me what this is all about.
I feel as though I'm climbing the scaffold on my way to my execut...
(Man) All right, pay attention, please.
Call for fire drill practice.
Oh, Alan.
Now, see to it
tha t your straps are firml y pulled across the chestand tied.
And that the jackets flt snugl yacross your body.
Alan, you don't suppose that everybody...
Everybody.
I checked this morning.
I didn't see a person under 75.
Oh, that's silly.
It must just be the first class section.
There's only one section. It's all first class.
Do you mean that, that they're the only...
Now, then, in the event that the balloon should go up,
the alarm will sound.
In a calm and orderly fashion,
you will Don your belts.
Over there, please.
And assemble here, "b" deck,
where you will await further instructions.
Groups will be divided up in the following manner:
Group "a," Mr. and Mrs. Hunter small,
Mr. and Mrs. McKenzie, Mr. and Mrs. Scott esprey.
Now, remember, dear, getting there is half the fun.
Looks like we're on time for the orgy.
Shh.
This is not a boat, it's a floating rest home.
Alan.
Bartender.
Could you fix us up with a couple of, uh, double martinis, very dry?
Could I have one?
Alan?
I'm sorry.
I didn't know it was going to be like-like this.
Yeah.
No, I really mean it. I-I am sorry.
Listen, you know, it really doesn't make that much difference.
I mean, we really didn't wanna meet anyone anyway. What we really wanted...
Stop saying "we," will you?
If you'd listened to me, we'd be in London right now.
Yeah, and you'd be at a business conference.
Yes. Thank you.
And you would be there the next day and the day after.
Oh, Alan, tha t's what? t this trip is all about. Don't you see that?
Look, I know you've been unhappy.
But do you think I enjoy working 28 hours a day?
Well, it comes to the same thing, doesn't it?
We never see each other, we never talk, we never...
Look, I told you before,
right after I put this deal across, I'm gonna start taking it easy.
Oh, sure, sure. That's what you said two years ago.
And you put the deal across and it didn't make any difference
because there are always more deals and there will always be more deals
because that's all that matters to you anymore, isn't it? Isn't it?
[Sighs]
Could I have another drink, please?
You're supposed to sip those things, not guzzle them down.
I'll tell you something, I am so tired of begging for a little bit of your time.
You're not interested in me anyway. You are interested in success.
You have to fight to get to the top, fight to stay there. You just fight, fight, fight.
Stop making a scene.
Why? Does it take your mind off mergers and board meetings?
No, it takes my mind off the fact that I was taking a trip and having a good time.
Oh, come on, Alan, you took me on this trip because I asked to be taken, that's all.
Otherwise, you would have gone alone.
Isn't that right? I want you to admit that. Isn't that the truth?
I cannot talk to you when you act like this. I cannot talk to you.
[Sighs]
You don't care about me anymore.
Oh, I was really stupid to think that, uh, that a few days alone
was gonna make any difference.
Oh, you are a flaming success now.
Alan ransome, the successful financier.
And I am your nagging wife who doesn't understand.
Oh, what's the matter, Alan? Don't get nervous.
You think they're gonna catch on? They'll be like everyone else.
They'll think tha t we're a happil y married couple just made for...
Just shut up. Just shut up!
Oh, yes, sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir!
Well.
You can stop worrying,
because when this tub finally gets there,
you can relax
because I'm gonna leave.
That might be a good idea.
Well, it is. It is a good idea.
And then you'll have all your business deals to keep you warm
and you won't have any silly woman picking at you.
Now, won't that be marvelous, huh?
Yes.
Yes, it will be.
[Bills rustling]
(Toby) Mr. Ra nsome? Excuse me.
What for this time?
Oh, Millie... oh, Mrs. Ransome, I didn't see you.
We were wondering whether you cared to join us
for a cup of tea this afternoon and a chat, perhaps.
No, uh, I don't think so.
Yes, yes, of course, we'd be delighted.
It's at 4:00, isn't it?
Yes, 4:00 at the imperial lounge.
All right, we'll see you then.
Good, good. Come along, Millie.
Why did you do that?
Because you and I have nothing more to say to each other,
and you said it yourself, we're gonna be stuck together for a whole week,
so we might as well call a truce and make the best of it.
Okay?
Okay.
"Housey housey."
Sounds funsy-wunsy, doesn't it?
(Toby) Oh, here they are, Millie.
Come on, Mr. and Mrs. Ransome.
Tea's ready, the kettle's boiling. Come and sit down.
So glad you could make it.
It's nice of you to have tea with us.
It's our pleasure.
I don't know if you've really met my wife, have you?
Millie, Mr. and Mrs. Ransome.
Hello.
I'll have another cup of tea, old girl, if I may.
[Clears throat]
Uh, nasty day, I'm afraid.
Now, then, the reason why we asked you to have a cup of tea with us,
apart, of course, from having the pleasure of your company, was because
Millie, Mrs. McKenzie,
thought we'd been a little inhospitable,
a little standoffish, rude, rude,
so, uh, I expect I ought to apologize.
Do you, Mr. McKenzie?
I beg your pardon? Do I apologize? Yes, of course, most sincerely.
Now, another thing. Great news, great news. Very important,
since we've been talking it over Millie and old burgess and the rest of us
and we've come to the conclusion that you won't have to leave the ship after all.
Oh, we won't have...
Oh, say, that is good news. We were afraid we'd have to swim back
and that had us sick with worry.
Oh, my dear. He thought he'd got to swim. We'd never allow that. Of course we wouldn't.
But-but we were a little bit embarrassed, you know,
because it never entered our heads that any stranger, outsider,
would want to travel on the ladyanne. Primarily she's a cruise ship,
and last time she picked up a new passenger
was, according to captain protheroe... ha ve you met the captain?
According to him, the last time they picked up a new passenger
was the summer of '48. So, you see...
Well, no need to fuss, is there?
Because everything's settled now.
What's all settled?
What my husband is trying to say
is that you won't have to die after all.
(Male presenter) Twilight zone will continue after sta t/on ident/f/ca t/on.
What did you say?
I said you won't have to die after all.
Of boredom, Millie means. Don't you, dear?
Oh!
Yes, of course. Yes.
Oh, yes, I'm afraid we haven't been very good company so far.
Well, no. No, frankly, frankly, you haven't.
Oh, please forgive us.
You see, the fact is that old Millie and I
have spent many fine hours on this old scow.
Hours one can't forget easily.
When we heard they were going to retire her,
we thought we might joined her for her last two-way sailing.
Yeah. Bas/cally/t's true most of the others.
That's why there's so many old parties on board.
Oh. Oh, well, we didn't understand.
And they still don't understand.
Would you like some more tea? It's very refreshing.
Yes, thank you.
One thing hasn't changed. It's still the best cup of tea in the world.
What about all the others Mr. McKenzie?
Well, as I said, same reason as ourselves, really.
Sentiment, you know.
Of course they know. Why should they choose the ladyanne?
Blessed if I know.
Well, it isn't really such a different story.
Sentiment.
Uh, of course there are all different kinds of sentiment.
And partly, it was because Alan I haven't really been alone in six years.
Excuse me. I'm going to get us a drink.
Good idea.
Scotch all around?
Thank you.
No, not for me, thank you.
Excuse me.
He's embarrassed, isn't he?
I'm seem to be doing that to him all the time lately.
You said that you two hadn't been alone.
No, no, uh,
Alan is a very busy man and...
Anyway, when he told me that he was, that he was going to england on business,
I made him promise to take me,
wh/chever way I decided to go.
But why did you choose the ladyanne?
Well, uh, I guess it was time, really.
You know, more time to, to be alone together and, uh...
I don't know. It just seemed special.
Oh, my dear, she is special.
Much more special than you and your husband could ever imagine.
Well, for one thing, Toby and I sailed on her when we got married.
That was, um, 52 years ago.
Fifty-three, as a matter of fact.
Oh, you should have seen her then.
Splendid specimen, she was. The ship I mean, not old...
Oh, Toby, really.
I thought you told me it was an old rust bucket.
Not it, dear. She, she, she. Did I say that?
I should have been struck by lightning for telling such a fearful lie.
Listen to me, do you know the ladyanne
was the fairest boat that ever crossed the seas? Queen of the fleet, she was.
Is, old boy. Is. No other ship can touch her.
I beg your pardon. Quite right is. Yes, yes.
Oh, this is old Ian burgess. You haven't met him properly.
Mrs. Ransome.
How do you do?
Well, don't stand there like a ninny. Sit yourself down.
Please go on. You were telling me how special she is.
"She," she said. Did you hear?
Good show. Congratulations.
She was the only one of her kind, Mrs. Ransome.
She specialized... oh, no, existed for honeymooners.
Her cargo:
Young people in love.
Yes. That's what makes your presence... oh, here he is.
Come and sit around here. Can you manage? Good, good.
That's what makes your presence on board is so ironic.
Ironic. No, that's not the word. Not ironic. What's the word?
Sweet.
No, that isn't it. Doesn't matter.
The fact is that this ship was a-was a-was a regular floating wedding barge.
No one on board except young married couples
full of juice, and the moon in their eyes.
Oh, dear me, you'd have laughed.
It was funny to see them try to pretend they'd been married for years,
and all the time they were as nervous as kittens.
Do you remember, burgess?
Of course I do. But all the nervousness vanished
once the ladyanne had given them enough time to know each other.
She was sucha w/se lady. She understood these themes.
(Millie) Everything was done for young people.
I expect, to the others, the ship seemed a bit ridiculous.
Love has its own particular point of view.
It sees everything larger than life.
Nothing is too ornate, too fanciful, too dramatic.
Love demands the theatrical.
And then transfigures it.
It turns the grotesoue into the lovel y,
as a child does.
With it, we can see what we wish to see in other people.
Without it, we can't see anything at all.
We can search forever and never find.
How a shipping company ever had that particular point of view, I cannot imagine.
But they turned the lady Anne into an enchanted gondola
and took that moment of happiness
and made it live for two unspeakably wonderful weeks.
I think they get the drift, Millie. No need to go all sticky on us.
I feel sticky.
Yes, we all love this ship.
When we heard she was going to be retired,
we thought it only right to join her on her last journey.
Most the people are here for the same reason.
Major Jones is just behind me, the bald man,
with his wife. He was an engineer,
and a very good one, in his day.
And the couple on the left there,
the whitea wa ys. Charming couple.
They were married on the ship 47 years ago tomorrow.
Oh. The chap sitting over there alone
is Otto champ/on, the writer.
Surel y you've heard about h I m.
We used to call him Otto of roses in the old days.
He was such a one with the ladies.
You wouldn't think so to lookat the poor old chap now, would you?
He's a widower. His wife died in '28. Uh, no, '29.
Yeah, '29, tha t's right. The da y trigo won the derby.
What are you talking about? She died in '33,
the year hyper/on won the derby.
Oh, anyway, it was round about tha t time.
Good hea vens, look. There's old lord Bristol. He can hardl y walk.
Is he alone?
Decent sort of fellow. Yes, I'm afraid he is. Yes.
What about you, Mr. Burgess?
The same.
She's lovely.
We intended to do this trip together but, uh...
Oh, no, my dear. Please. I'm so sorry.
We'll be together again soon.
I'm sorry.
It's all right, my dear. Nothing matters if you're in love.
You are in love, aren't you?
Yes. Of course.
Well, tha t's all tha t ma tters.
Are-are you better now, dear?
Yes, yes, I'm-i'm...
I'm sorry.
It's quite all right.
I cry myself sometimes, don't I, tob y?
Sometimes? All the time.
Oh, no.
Well, I don't. It depresses me.
I say, why don't you two go out and get some fresh air?
It'll do you good.
Thank you so much.
Now what's going on?
Hm?
The, uh, sun.
Well, what about it?
It's, uh, behind us.
So, it's behind us.
Well, it was over there yesterday.
That means we're heading north.
So we're heading north.
We should be heading east.
Blame it on me.
I'm responsible for everything else.
Why not this?
I don't know what I'm doing on this crazy boat.
Really, Eileen, this is ridiculous.
Eileen?
Where are you? Eileen?
Eileen?
Oh, for Pete's sake.
Oh, I'm sorry.
(Toby) Is something wrong?
Have you seen Eileen? I can't find her.
No. Haven't you?
No. We were, we were standing over here
and, uh, uh, she-she was right behind me, and I...
You don't think anything happened to her?
I doubt it. It's not easy to fall overboard, you know.
She may be looking for you even now.
Have you seen her?
Sorry, sir, but I wouldn't worry if I were you.
Where's the captain? I want to have this ship searched.
Captain protheroe is extremely busy, sir.
I've already taken the Liberty of alerting the crew.
Have you tried the library?
Eileen!
Have you found her?
Beg your pardon, sir?
My wife. Have you found her? You were searching.
No, sir.
Not turned up, yet?
In that case, why not, why not let's go and have a drink, eh?
Come along, my boy.
Two whiskeys, please.
Better make 'em large ones.
Thank you.
Now, then. [Chuckles]
Ah!
She's gone.
No, she hasn't really. It just seems like that.
But you've missed her. That's all, my boy.
A toast.
To th e ladyanne.
The finest and loveliest ship that ever sailed the seas.
[Chuckles]
Th e ladyanne.
It's a pity what's going to happen.
It isn't a pity.
It's a crime!
[Slurring] A crime perpetrated by stupid men in bow ties.
Now, now, easy, burgess. Nothing to get overheated about.
Nothing?
Are you so-so feeble minded
that you can't see the truth?
Don't you realize why they're going to scrap the ladyanne?
Outlived her usefulness, I suppose.
Oh, nonsense.
She's the finest ship afloat. You deny it?
Certainly not.
Oh. She may be a little slow, perhaps,
but 13 or 14 days
ought to be quite fast enough for anyone in their right minds.
That's just it.
People aren't in their right minds anymore.
They sacrifice leisure for speed. And speed's the onl y thing tha t ma tters.
Come, quick, hurry, hurry, hurry. Fast, faster, faster.
Get it over with. Why? Why the rush?
Don't get so querulous, old man. It's bad for you.
I am not querulous. I am merely trying to point out
the true reason for this disgraceful decision.
Which is?
A plot. Obviously of communistic origin.
They're going to condemn the lady Anne
because she represents a wayof life. The old way.
She has grace, manners,
tradition.
And now they're going to scrap her.
Oh, I say! Somebody turn him off.
Nothing is sacred anymore.
The beasts are at the gates, but we're too old to fight them,
so we have to stand around like a lot of pathetic statues
with our medals tarnished and our swords broken,
while the vandals turn our castles into sideshows
and stick up nasty little advertisements for soap all along the roadside.
And now they're going to scrap the ladyanne.
But I warn you,
how are we going to stop them from scrapping the whole world?
Poor old boy. You mustn't blame him.
You see, he'd planned to make this trip with his wife.
And then, a few weeks ago, she had to go and die on him, poor old boy.
Well, we'll have the party tomorrow night.
He ma y feel better then.
Another drink, Mr. Ransome?
No? All right.
Drinking al one?
Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you.
I've been here, Alan.
But I I...
Oh, Alan.
Alan, you must be drunk.
I'm not drunk.
Where did this come from?
Mrs. McKenzie gave it to me.
She wore it on her honeymoon.
Do you like it?
It's beautiful.
And you're beautiful.
Oh, Alan.
Alan, what happened?
I don't know what happened.
But I'm gonna try very hard not to forget it.
See that?
What have you got there, dear?
Don't you remember? They're your letters.
I've had them how long a time?
What are you gonna do with them, eh?
Bury them.
I don't need them anymore.
(Toby) It won't be very long now.
Oh, here they are.
Come along, Mr. and Mrs. Ransome. Champagne's getting warm.
You know my wife, don't you?
That's the captain. Have you met captain protheroe?
No, no. There he is, Mr. and Mrs. Ransome.
Sit down. Make yourselves comfortable.
I'm very happy to meet you.
You've had a pleasant voyage?
Oh, yes, sir. We're...
We're grateful to have been part of it.
Indeed?
Well, that's very nice.
I suppose you've, uh, packed your things?
Hm?
They don't know, yet.
Oh?
Well, I suppose it's all the same.
Don't know what, sir?
Oh, nothing.
We thought it would be better this way, captain.
You know, your presence aboard has been rather,
how shall I say? Symbolic.
Us ending, as it were,
and you beginning.
Our captain's quite a romantic, isn't he? Extraordinary man.
[Laughing]
Well, if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to.
You'll be back?
Very shortly. Yes.
Well, look at me.
[All laughing]
That's cute.
I see the ladyanne has worked her magic on you.
Oh, yes. She and you.
All of you.
I can't tell you how grateful we are.
See, we'd forgotten so many things.
As Mr. Burgess said, people don't know how to relax anymore.
Rush, rush, rush.
I guess I was rushing. I forgot the most important things in my life.
[Engines booming]
But I won't lose sight of them again.
I say, let's drink to that, shall we?
Yes, here we are. Cheers.
Good luck to you.
[Engines stop]
What's that?
What's what?
The engines. They've stopped.
Some slight difficulty. Nothing, nothing, nothing.
[Slow dance music begins]
Mrs. Ransome, may I ha ve the pleasure of this dance?
Oh! I was hoping you'd ask me.
Thank you.
Mrs. McKenzie, I'm not very good, but, uh...
Delighted, Mr. Ransome.
Good old Millie. Got your hands full.
Not so much of the "old," dear.
Had enough of it, did you?
Thank you. I see they haven't got them fixed.
What fixed?
The engines.
Oh? No.
Your things have been gathered together.
What things?
Why, your luggage.
Really, McKenzie, I'd have thought you'd have told them by now.
Yes. Well, we're all having such a fine time, I didn't want to spoil the fun.
Excuse me, but what are you talking about?
Why should we gather our things together?
Because, my friends, we're putting you off the ship.
You're what?
Putting you off the ship.
What do you mean?
Just that.
Why? Are we in trouble?
No, no.
Well, then why?
There's no time for explanations.
If Mr. McKenzie had done as he promised, they wouldn't even be necessary.
Skip the explanation. They'll understand eventually.
Maybe so, but we don't understand. We're not going anywhere until we do.
I'm afraid you haven't any choice. Follow me, please.
Unless this is some sort of gag.
Oh, it is. It is, isn't it?
I mean, you don't just put passengers off a ship in mid-ocean.
He's kidding, isn't he?
Follow the captain, please.
We'll come along with you.
A bit of the way, anyhow.
Better bring your coat, Millie.
My boy, mustn't worry too much.
(Toby) Yo ur exa c t pos/t/on's been rad/oed.
Even now, help's on the way.
(Captain) Your luggage is in the boat, you see as you can see.
Biscuits, flares.
(Toby) And some champagne for you. I saw to that.
The coats and provisions are in the boat.
Oh, and it sends out an automatic signal.
Really, everything you need.
Except a reason.
I'm sorry. It's time we were off.
Into the boat, please.
But why? Is it something we've done?
No, not a bit of it.
Then for heaven's sake, why? Tell us.
You can't just put someone off a ship in the middle of the ocean without a reason.
There's a reason, my boy.
We like you people.
We thought you liked us.
They do.
Lower away!
(Toby) Better put on those coa ts. You'll get cold.
(Millie) Wra p up wa rm.
Yes, wrap up warm.
(All) Goodbye! Bye-bye!
(Man) St/ff upper lip! Keep it up!
(Burgess) Cheers!
[Faint cheering, cries of fare well]
Cold?
I've never felt so warm in my whole life.
(Narrator) The lady an n e never rea ched port.
After they were picked up bya cutter a few hours later
as captain protheroe had promised,
the ransomes searched the newspapers for news, but there wasn'tany news.
The lady Anne, with all her crew and all her passengers, vanished withouta trace.
But the ransomes knew what? t had happened.
They knew tha t the ship had sailed off to a better port.
A place called the twilight zone.
[Eerie music]
- (Male presenter) Twilight zone, brought to you by - (male presenter) How can we charge $3.50 for this new permanent