So Sad About Gloria (1973) - full transcript

- Doctor, just how would you asses her chances?

- The mind is a very unpredictable thing, Mr. Wellman.

However, if I didn't think your niece was ready,
you wouldn't be here.

- I'm doing this badly doctor, but
I'm probably more concerned about

my reaction to her release than I am with hers.

Do you know what I mean?
How do I act?

- Look, you're making a big tihing out of this.
Just be natural, act yourself.

Gloria is perfectly aware of her condition.
Generally her condition is perfectly normal.

More normal than most of us.

All of us are afraid of death, Mr. Wellman.

Fortunately we have mechanism within the mind
to deal with this fear.



Gloria's mechanism broke down temporarily.

That's all.

You see, she was present at your brother's death.

Alone with him.
She watched him die.

That can be a profound emotional experience for a child.

Through the years she's kept that experience.

Closed up in her mind.
Years later that experience scraped to the surface.

But she confused her father's death with her own.

These are things I've discussed with Gloria many times.

- And she understands?

- Well, none of us really understand.

But she understands enough to deal with her fear.

Pardon me.

Yes, we'll be right down.



- Is she ready?
- You bet.

- Doctor, [what are] the normal circumstances?

- Certain degree of tranquility,
absence of unusual stressful situations.

Fear, Mr. Wellman, flowers from a variety of seeds.

Her life should be an older garden.

- Well, doctor, I'd suppose I'm what you might call an ordered person.

Since my brother's death
I tried to make some sorta order out of chaos.

The inheritance, the estate, what's left to the family.

- And Gloria.
- Gloria, and Gloria, yes.

- I would advise you to protect her from financial matters.

You know, she's extremely sensetive about her wealth.

She sees wealth as a thief,
an intruder on her personal identity.

As executor of her estate that shouldn't be too difficult.

For you to heal her from this sort of thing.

- Doctor, I'll try to make her life an older garden.

- Fine.

I'll be here. If you need me, please contact me at any time.

- Thank you, doctor, it's a pleasure to meet you,
thank you for your help.

Gloria, you look beautiful, how are you, dear?

- I don't feel much like the mad woman of [Shio].

- How do you feel?
- Afraid. A little.

- Maybe you two would like to
have a few minutes alone.

While I take the bags out to the car.

- I've already had a number of
delightful conversations with the good doctor.

Daily, for almost eighteen months.

- Take care of yourself.
- Doctor?

Thank you again. Let's...
Well, let's get started, shall we?

- Mary, I'll miss you.

- Imagine it spring.

- I see it green with life.

- It's time to go now, Gloria.

- Take care, Mary.

- Well do.
- Let's try spring time.

- Now you'll be glad to get home, dear.

- Oh, look. Can we watch them?

Oh, they're beautiful. They seem so terribly free.

I guess I feel a little giddy being away
from those watchful eyes.

But I feel free like that.

But there's still a fence around them.
I guess their freedom is just an illusion.

- Gloria, have you given any thought
as to what you like to do now?

- It's all I thought about.

- Cause Europe is cold, maybe Mexico?

The world is yours, you know, honey?

- I'll be more simple, I think.
Journey to Walden Pond.

I don't know.

Something terribly fundamental & quiet.

And free.

And then, that evening the strange horses came.
[from Edwin Muir - The Horses]

- What?
- Nothing, just, just a poem.

And then late in the summer the strange horses came.

We heard a distant tapping on the road.

A deepening drumming, it stopped, went on again.

And then at the corner changed into hollow thunder.

And we saw their heads. Like a wild wave,
charging & we were afraid.

We had sold our horses in our father's time to buy new tractors.

And now they were strange to us.

Strange as fabulous steeds set on an ancient shield,

or illustrations on a book of nights, and...

Well, so forth, so forth.

- You know you're crazy?
- He-he-he, yes, I think I am.

I'm crazy, he-he.

I've been getting by with a lot of years now.

- It's eternal, isn't it? It's always been there & always will be.

Like a stolen myth.

- Welcome home, miss Wellman.
- Thank you, Alex.

- Shall I take the bags on up to the room?
- Yes, please.

Coming, Gloria?

- No, you go ahead, uncle Rick. I think I'll walk around a bit.

- Oh, I'll be inside.

- I was sent for you, ma'am, it's getting late.
- Yes, thank you, Alex.

I guess it's time to climb into that old womb.

- Hi, beautiful night, isn't it? Enjoy your walk?

- I think so, is that a new sexton?

- No, as a matter of fact this is quite old one.

This sexton went all way around the horn.

- Hm.

You know, you're really a backwards mariner.

Instead of sailing out into the world
you brought the seven seas into this room.

The mountain's come to Mohammed.

The ocean's come to uncle Rick.

Haven't you ever wanted to take a real voyage?

- Seven-league boots only belong to a man of means.

- We're rich.
- Not we, my dear.

- Well, a half is yours, you know that.

- Everything belongs to the queen, dear Isabella.

I'm but a poor Portuguese without a ship of my own.

- Then I give you my kingdom, Portuguese.
You can have it all.

But there is a condition.

I've been thinking about that strange horse that comes in the evening.

And I've decided I want one.

A horse to ride & love, & you can have my kingdom for it.

My kingdom for a horse.
- He-he-he.

Eh, you're crazy. He-he-he.

And that sounds just
like the little girl I used to know, honey.

It's nice.

[- Mike on four, queue him.]

- The governor has announced that a federal grant for establishment

of original medical research facility has been received.

And the doctor Max Swafford
will head up the initial planning team.

Now on the local level the metropolitan
criminal investigation division says that after five months

no leads have developed in the much publicized
brutal axe slaying of Linda Gains.

Public information officer Charles Malloy says that

the division is still conducting an intensive investigation

and will continue to do so,
until the case is solved.

And the public service commission has announced that

central gas company has been turned down

in it's bid for an initial rate increase for both
residential & commercial customers.

- Hi.

You look like a girl who's never met
a man in a tree before.

There's a precedent, you know.

Maid Marian & Mr. Hood, I think.

Beautiful animal.

I feel his name is Shadowfax.

Like the great winged horse Gandalf
The Magnificent rode across the winds.

- His name's Merlin.
- That's perfect.

- Do you always sit in trees?
- When I can.

- Can I walk with you?

You really quiet.

- I'm just dying to know why a grown man out in the middle of nowhere
would be sitting in a tree.

Especially that particular tree,
which happens to be my tree.

And I'm quiet because I have the good sense not to ask
a silly & absurd question like that.

- You asked.
- I did not.

Did I?

- Well, I sit in trees because it's...
Well, sorta philosophic.

Do you mind?

- Why should I mind?

- To sit in a tree is the only way that I have
to be both the part of earth & apart from it.

When you sit in the tree you got one foot
in heaven & the other on earth.

Besides trees are very sympathetic souls.

Remember Tolkin's phrase?

- The ants wandering around looking for the last wives.

- Tolkin knew about the soul of trees.
- So did Steinbeck.

- Is that actually your tree?
I mean have you climbed it & everything?

- I guess maybe a thousand times. I gotta be on my way.

- My name's Chris.
- Gloria is mine.

Goodbye, Chris.

- Tomorrow same time same tree.

- Oh, there's Alex with martinis.

- I just can't believe it, three years.

Forget about traveling all over the world,
I just can't keep up with you.

- I know, let's not let so much time go by again.

I'm so glad to see you.

I'm just dying to tell you something.
- About what?

- Well.

Thank you, Alex.

I met this man.
- Wow, sounds like old times.

I remember when I used to say that to you:
"I met this man".

Is he rich?

- Inside is, but not really.

He's a writer, a novelist.
- You love him?

- That was the question you were supposed to ask first.
- Well, do you?

- In comparison to what?

- Well, say in comparison to a fat Walter, that enormous Teddy bear,

who drooled on you in fifth grade.

- Of the two, I think I love fat Walter.

Second.

- Seriously

- I love him as a human being.

He makes me feel so happy when I'm with him.

Jenny, I'm 29, I can't think of a man without also thinking
about marriage.

- I always wondered about that, why you never married.

Well, it's not that you haven't had plenty of chances,
even besides fat Walter.

- Are you asking?
- I guess so.

- Well, I guess it sounds like a soap opera, but I never really was sure
if a man loved me or my money.

- Well, what about Mr. Mysterious?

- Chris? I don't know.

Really hasn't gone that far,
as far as I know I'm the only one in love.

He just sorta says nice things.

But I know he couldn't be that kind of man.
Money doesn't mean that much to him.

- When do you see him again?

- Tomorrow... And tomorrow... And tomorrow.

* Attention all units, attention all units *

* Any unit in the vacinity of 1600 Chackleford road *

* Investigate a prior report, code two *

- That's the house where that axe murder took place.

Car 42 we're in the area, we'll take it.

- You take the front, I'll take the back.

- Hey! What happened? Are you okay?
Didn't you see him?

- I didn't see anybody.
- Let's get him.

- Ah, it's probably just a wino, we better go report it though.

- It's been two weeks since I had my dream.

- What dream?

- It's not exactly a dream. Sort of something
I see behind my eyes.

There's a railroad station.

All empty & old.

There's a man.

And a crate.

It's all mysterious & weird.

- Was it a bad dream?

- I don't know, I think so.

But I met a man in the tree & the dream went away.

- He-he-he, I'm glad.

My bad dreams have gone away too.

- Chris, there are a load of things you should know about me.

- I know everything I need to know.

There's a garden blooming inside you.
Sometimes people know too much about each other.

For us there's no past, just the moment.

Two human beings sharing a series of moments.

- What I feel is acceptance, it's kinda rare I think.

With you I can be me.

I wore a lot of masks.

But I've thrown them all away.

- Um, wait a minute.

We... We need to talk about something.

Right now.

Um...

I think, that, uh...

Well.

We need to...

Um...

Don't you know what I'm trying to say?

I think that we...

I would like for you to...

Be my wife.

I think we ought to get married.

You think so?

Okay.

Obviously he wasn't crazy about the idea.

Gave me all kinds of reasons, why marriage was out of the question.

Somewhere along the line he would use the word "forbid".

- My illness, I suppose.
- That was the main thing.

- What did he say?
- Nothing you haven't told me, except

how much you've lived alone these last years,
how vulnerable you are, and

how you might simply rushed out for the first man of kingdom.

- Chris, you don't think--
- No, crazy lady, I don't think.

- What brought him around?

- Charm.

I buried him beneath an avalanche of charm.

I said: "yes, sir", "no, sir".

And I was able to guess
the brand of the sherry he served.

- You sconedraw, I told you that.

- All spare as they say, crazy lady.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.

- Fredrick.

- Thank you.

- Oh, Janey.

- Come on.

- Bye.
- Bye-bye.

[Try to enjoy yourself.]
- Okay.

- Thank you.

- Tell me about the house.

- Well, not your average "run of the mill" lovers bungalow,

it's a little bit smaller than the Chrysler Building.

- We'll feel it, you and I, I have enough love
to fill the Chrysler Building.

With plenty leftover for the Taj Mahal.

- We can spend a lot of time together,

when we're not in bed I can work on my novel.

- Can't you type in bed?
- Slows me down some.

- Could be a labor of love.

- We'll have our nights together.

You know, I... I think if I really work at it,
I can finish the book in a moment.

- I'll bring you coffee & slippers, & a robe, & all my love
to keep you warm.

- There she is.

That many have stormed that old house, and she'd be good for many another.

Used to villain to last in those days.

- How long has it been wrecked?

- Six months, but don't worry,
she's as clean as a whistle.

I've had plenty of time to fix it up from top to bottom.

Nobody has lived there since the murder.

- Murder?

- Well now, looks like I let the cat outta the bag.

Figured you told her.

- What murder?

- Well, I didn't think it was worth mentioning,
it's just that there was a murder here once.

It was a long time ago, it's over & done.

I'm sorry I didn't tell ya, just didn't think it was important.

- I love you.

- Never did catch him, though. Ever seen hiding a hair of him or his axe.

- How's the weather been, Mr. Ballinger?

- Don't wanna talk about the murder, do you?
Well, you better get used to it,

folks don't talk about anything else around here.

- Damn it, Ballinger, just
give us the key & go tell somebody else about it.

- It's alright, Chris.

- If you don't want the house just say so, couldn't care less.

Don't see why two people wanna rattle around
a big old house like that anyway.

- Up we go, he-he-he.
- Oh.

- Behold.

- Charles Boyer, my friend.

- You should see me light two cigarettes at once.

Like Charles Boyer.

- Really?
- You know, I set my nose on fire once.

Here we go.
- Oh, just kiss me.

- Behold.

- Houses have souls, did you know that?
- Uh-huh, like our tree.

You don't wondered what happened here?

- A little.

- There are other houses.

- Look, Chris, can't protect me forever,
besides I don't need protection.

Well, maybe just a little.

Now & then everyone's afraid of something.

Chris?

Chris?

Chris?

Chris?

No! Oh, oh.

- Gloria?
- You scared me.

- Come on, watch it.

It's spooky down here.

It's all on these walls.

Here it is, here it is.
- Okay.
- I want you to watch it.

Here hold this. Okay, let's see...
We better turn this thing off.

Yeah, put it around.

See it, that's it. Okay, that's a good one.

Here we take this off.

So... I get it.

Yeah, okay.

Let's go upstairs, get some dry clothes, freezing.

- Well, it's close.

When you work, you really work, don't you?

- I'm sorry, I sort of get involved.

- Do you hear music?

- I hear...

Great anthems of bells & celestial choirs

singing [bucking] ring tone.

- No, I mean really, like little bells.

Sometimes I think it's the wind.

- I hear your heart, it's a two-step,
have you been running?

- I ran downstairs.

And the reason I ran downstairs is...

Well, probably doesn't mean anything.
There's man in the yard with an axe.

Doesn't have to be THE man with THE axe.

I mean there are an awful load of men with axes.

- And what can I say?
- Well, you don't have to say anything.

What you might do... is go outside & chase away
the man with the axe.

- You want me to go outside, okay.
You think there's a man outside with an axe.

- I saw him from the window.

- Come on, come on.

Alright.

I'm gonna take you outside & proof to you

that there couldn't possibly be a big old bad man
with an axe.

- Looks to me like you got a problem with a Mrs there.

Must have figured I was Jack the Ripper.

- What the hell do you want, Ballinger?

- Just thought I'd chop some logs, cold nights coming on.

- Thank you, Mr. Ballinger, that would be very nice.

- I'm always around, Mrs,
if you need just call me, number's there in the book.

- I'm sorry, Chris. I really am.

- It's alright.

- Chris?

Listen, Chris, can you hear it?

- What do you hear, Gloria?

- The music.

- Tell me how it sounds.

- Oh, Chris, I do hear it.

It's like a musicbox.

A tiny carousel.

Oh, Chris, you must hear it.

- Baby, there's no music.

- Oh, Chris, what's happening?
Is it starting all over?

- No, it's just house.
I never should have brought you here.

Tomorrow we'll pack up & find another place.

- I can't live my life running away
from every little noise I hear.

I'll be okay.

If not, I won't be okay anywhere.

- Do you want to talk to your doctor?

- No.

I'll be okay.

- Try to get some sleep.

Royal service, madam.

- I haven't had breakfast in the bed
since I was a little girl.

- I hope it's not too bad.

You know, I was the only guy in college
who ever flunked home economics for men.

- Yeah, you didn't take it.

- I did too. I've finally passed it
after the third time around.

- What time is it, anyway?

- It's almost 7.

Uh, Gloria, I'm sorry I got you up so early,

but I made a decision last night.

I think we should leave this house, it was
unfair to bring you here, I just wasn't thinking.

- I told you it was alright.
- We're leaving.

- What about your book?
- I'm giving it to my agent, it's almost finished.

There's enough there to spark a publisher's interest,

if he's going to be interested at all.

- Chris, don't do this on my account.

- Listen, I'm tired of working on the damn thing.

Now, here's what we'll do.

I call your uncle Rick and get him to come
stay with you while I'm gone.

Probably just tonight, I'll be back before you know it.

And when I get back we'll go find us a place

that doesn't have ghosts.

- Hailey!
- Hi.

Can you take time out of your honeymoon for a visitor?

- Come on in.

- Wow, just the two of you in that castle?

- Just the two of us.

- I'm glad you came by.
- How've you been? You look beautiful.

Love I suppose.

Hi, Chris.

- Oh, Jenny, what brings you out today?

- Just thought I'd drop by today and check up on you.

See if you're being mean to Gloria or beating her with chains.

- Coffee?
- I'd love some.

How's the novel?

- Well, it's just finished as it's going to get,

I'm taking it to New York this afternoon.

- I'm not delaying you, am I?
- No, if you don't mind I will have to pack.

- This place feels really strange, it isn't haunted or anything, is it?

- Of course not.
- Me thinks that protest is too much.

- Jenny, there was a murder here.

- Well, not today, I hope.
- No, a girl upstairs in the bedroom...

- How?
- Just skip it, Janie.

- Of course!

I remember, there was an axe man, they never did catch him.

Wow, it was here.

- Well, have you seen anything--
- Leave her alone, Janie.

- Oh, but I didn't--
- Damn it, leave her alone!

I'm sorry, Janie, I didn't mean to be abrupt.
It's just this...

Murder business is getting on our nerves.

I've got to pack, I'll be back in a minute.

- Hey, what's going on here, Gloria?

- We're moving out.
- Why?

- Is it Chris?
- Oh, no, he's been beautiful. We've been beautiful.

It's...

- The murder?..

- Maybe so.

It's the atmosphere or something.

I hear things, I see things...

Oh, Jenie, I'm frightened, I feel like a little girl in the spook-house.

- What do you hear?

- Probably nothing, but Chris was right,
let's talk about something else.

- I remember once when we were in college
I hid under your bed, remember that?

Then you came in, got in bed, and then when I thought
you were asleep I started moaning

and pulling on your covers.

- I remember.
- Never seen anyone so frightened.

I think about that every once in a while
and I always feel so ashamed.

- That was a long time ago.

- I don't ever wanna see you frightened again.

If there anything I could do...
Could I stay with you until Chris gets back,

or you come and stay with me.

- No, thank you, Jenie. Uncle Rick is gonna be here.

If there's anything to be afraid of, uncle Rick will chase
it away with a volley of rhetoric.

- You sure?
- I'm sure.

- Well... Then I've got to run.
Now, you tell Chris goodbye for me & I wish his novel well.

We'll give you a call as soon as we get better,
be happy, Gloria.

I know you will be, but if you ever need me,
please, give me a call. Promise?

- I promise.

- Goodbye.
- Goodbye.

- Everybody's leaving.

- I'm sorry, Gloria, I've gotta do this.

And when I get back we'll have a whole lifetime together.

Now don't worry. I'll go back up here before you know.

- Goodbye, Chris.
- I'll see you soon.

- Relax.

Who is there?

Hello?

Uncle Rick, where are you?

You can't? Not at all?

Well, how much later?

Oh, no. It's just I have this lovely dinner prepared.

With candle-light, even your favorite Sherry.

Of course I'm alright.

Yes, I understand.

Come when you can, uncle Rick.

Yes.

Goodbye.

Relax.

- Hello there, little lady.

It ain't no job to a lady, where's the old man?

- He's inside.
- That's funny.

His car ain't here. Anyway, let me give you a hand
with these logs.

Men's work, that's what it is.
- You can't come in.

- That's alright.
- Really, I don't need any help.

- That's alright.
- Just give me the wood.

I, ah... I said you can't come in.

- I don't see how these logs I'm carrying
are gonna get in if I don't come in.

- My husband wouldn't like it if he knew you were in the house.

- Really have a bad case of the scare, don't you, little lady?

I mean you no harm.

- Why are you always looking at me and sneaking around?

Why can't you leave me alone?

- Seems to me "alone" is something you already got enough of.

- My husband's gonna be home soon.

- So I leave with an overnight bag.

- You see everything, don't you?!

- Most things. But what I can't see is why he'd leave you alone.

Now give me the poker, we'll see what we can do
about this trouble you got.

I'm not gonna hurt you.

- I suppose you saw fear in her eyes too.

- Poor little lady, many things have but not that.

To make you more afraid, I'll leave. But I wouldn't wanna be alone if I were you.

Tell me what I can do.

- I want you to... go. I'm sorry, but I want you to leave me alone!

I'm sorry.

- I'm sorry too.

- Uncle Rick?

Can't you please hurry?

No, I'm not alright, I need you!

Why does it have to break down that night of all nights?

I'm trying, I'm trying...

I can't hear you because of the damn musicbox!

It's all over the house!

And it's getting very... It's getting louder and louder!

Uncle Rick?

Why can't you tell why?

Uncle Rick!

Daddy...

Answer me...

Oh, please, daddy... Answer me...

- Gloria!

- It's done.

- Where is she?

- Upstairs, in the bedroom.

She's in another world now.

I doubt if she feels any pain.

Now we collect our reward.

- Oh, dear God, I'm sorry I ever had anything to do with this, please...

Forgive me, God.

Now we can collect our reward, all that money...

All my life I dreamed & thought about all that money,
and now I don't want it, I don't want any part of it.

You take it. It's legally yours anyway, you take it.

You diabolical, saidstic...

No-good son of a bitch, you take it!

- Then I really don't need you anymore.

Do I?

- I might as well be candid, Chris.

I doubt very much that we'll ever see Gloria again.

Not the Gloria that left here a few months ago.

You see, she's in a catatonic state.

Shock was simply too great.

You see, the mind's resistance of fear is like a tree's resistance of wind.

The wind may blow, blow a few branches down,

no permanent damage is done.

The branches will grow again.

But when the wind blows high enough so that the whole trunk goes down.

Well...

That's a different matter.

- But you will try?

- Of course, will try, but I'd be deceiving you if we gave you any hope.

I fully expect that Gloria will be here for the rest of her life, I'm sorry.

- Thank you for your honesty, doctor.

I appreciate it, more than you know.

Goodbye, doctor.

- Goodbye, Chris, I really am sorry.

THERE IS AN INTERESTING ITEM:

THE PROSECUTING ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ANNOUNCED THIS AFTERNOON THAT THE BRUTAL MURDER OF FREDRICK WELLMAN

WAS APPARENTLY COMMITTED BY HIS NIECE.

FORMER GLORIA WELLMAN.

MISS WELLMAN HAS A HISTORY OF MENTAL DISORDERS AND HAD BEEN RELEASED FROM A SANITARIUM ONLY A SHORT TIME AGO.

A SIMILAR MURDER TOOK PLACE IN THE SAME HOUSE ONLY TWO YEARS AGO,

WITH NO ARREST BEING MADE ON THAT CASE.

WELL, THAT SHOULD BE AN INTERESTING HOUSE TO RENT.

THIS IS FRANK HATHAWAY, AND NOW BACK TO MUSIC.

- I left some things in the house: folders and the typewriter, get them for me, will ya?

- Get 'em yourself.
- Goodluck.

- Lucks never have that much good in that place.

Left that stuff in the basement.