A Fine Madness (1966) - full transcript

Samson Shillitoe, a frustrated poet and a magnet for women, is behind in his alimony payments, and lives with Rhoda, a waitress who stands by him through all his troubles. Samson becomes belligerent when he cannot find the inspiration to finish his big poem so Rhoda tries to get him to see the psychiatrist Dr. West, who claims to be able to cure writer's block. Samson ends up being pursued by various women while trying to evade the subpoena servers and finish his poem.

Samson.

Samson!

Samson, you up?

Samson.

Idiot!

Granite head!

I almost had it!

Your eggs are getting cold.

Oh, Samson.

Samson, I got to go.

I can't...

Easy...

Samson, I'm late.

You tell her... Now!

Morning,

Mrs. Shillitoe.

Good morning,

Mrs. Fitzgerald.

If you have a minute...

Well, I'm kind of late for work.

He insulted my husband

again yesterday.

Okay, well, I'll tell him

to lay off, all right?

You keep saying that,

only he's getting worse.

Well, it's this... you see,

this thing he's working on.

Have a nice sunstroke,

Mrs. agastini.

Mr. Shillitoe!

Mr. Shillitoe,

I must talk with you.

Mr. Shillitoe!

Mr. Shillitoe!

Mr. Shillitoe,

you're behind

with subsistence payments!

We'll have to take court action!

Mr. Shillitoe!

Mr...

children, please. Please!

Mr. Shillitoe.

Children!

Hey, can you help a fella out?

15 cents...

For the subway.

Mr. Shillitoe!

As of today,

you're four weeks behind

with subsistence payments... $300.

Aah!

Don't "aah" me.

Unless you pay up,

the former Mrs. Shillitoe

will have to take court action.

15 cents. 15 cents

for the subway.

And you know what will

happen if she does.

If they hadn't raised the fare,

you'd be settling for a nickel.

What foul typhoon

blows from the crib to this?

Mr. Shillitoe, please.

Think.

Use your imagination.

You've got to get

to... Baltimore,

Mr. Shillitoe, please.

And the fare is 10 bucks.

Listen to me, please.

Will you let me have 10 bucks

to go to Baltimore?

Mr. Shillitoe, I mean it.

You don't want to go

to jail again.

It could be

three months this time.

If you don't pay

the arrears by tonight,

I'll serve your with a...

I'll get you your blood money!

By tonight, or else!

Hey, 90 cents to get to Newark?

Oh, get away!

You can start in here.

Mr. bingham is out of town

for the week.

Stone walls

do not a prison make.

Do they make a prison?

I beg your pardon?

The hell they don't!

This is where they make them.

We don't make them here.

We're e.E.F.I.N.S.

Eefins?

Yes. E.E.F.I.N.S.

E-e-f-i-n-s...

electronic equipment

for interplanetary

navigational systems.

It's used in the rk-402.

You mean that this

is going to conquer all that?

Of course.

That's our universe.

Watch your step, pouty-mouth.

Stars are fragile stuff.

Miss walnicki...

Yes?

These are Mr. kussman's

estimates

of the zy101-4678w.

Thank you, Mr. lukov.

Sure.

I need your name

for our records.

Longfellow.

Hank longfellow.

I'm miss walnicki.

Hi.

Why did you call me pouty-mouth?

Forget it.

No. Why?

Because you are.

I've never been called

pouty-mouth before.

What factory turned you out...

Radcliffe, Smith, vassar?

I don't know what

you're talking about.

I went to secretarial school.

Really?

Red.

Everything's red.

Annatto sand,

fuchsin sky,

vermilion sun.

Merely different shades of red,

but they tell you

that it's a rainbow

so you won't know

you're in hell.

Ha ha ha!

Cochineal.

There's a tasty red,

made from the dried-up bodies

of female insects.

Ha ha!

Why don't you volunteer yours?

Why, Mr. longfellow.

I don't know why I'm doing this.

Miss walnicki...

Miss walnicki...

Do you have $300?

There doesn't seem

to be anyone in there,

but the doors are locked.

It feels like soap!

Where's miss walnicki?

There was someone

cleaning Mr. bingham's office.

Get the key!

Where's miss walnicki?

I'll find her!

Are you sure this

is the right key?

Will please someone check the

cafeteria for miss walnicki!

I've looked everywhere.

We'll find out

what's going on in here!

Mr. longfellow...

What going on in here?

Help! Help!

Help! Help!

Come on, folks.

Back to work, please.

Please, coming through!

Coming through!

Excuse me.

Excuse me.

Excuse me.

All right. Everyone,

get back to work.

Go back to your desks, please!

Foam?

Samson, what foam?

Rhoda, come and get your order.

Listen, Samson,

can't you apologize

or something?

Rhoda!

Yeah!

Yeah, I know. It's 300.

Samson, I can't borrow any more

money from him!

Will you stop yelling?

Rhoda!

All right!

Listen, I got to go.

I'll do the best I can.

All right.

Yeah. OK. Good-bye.

Hey, get me

my apple pie, will you?

What about my bologna sandwich?

Excuse me.

Yeah. You get pie with that.

He's got to call at noon?

Well, he's been laid off.

What did he do now?

Nothing. It's the slow season

for carpet cleaning.

Yeah, yeah. Sure.

For what, knocker?

75 bucks a week

alimony for what?

I don't even remember her name.

Beverly.

Yeah. Beverly.

I'll tell you

the secret of life, knocker.

Never marry a Beverly!

Why did you?

Why? She said it was

just a formality.

Just a formality...

Japan surrendered

with less formality.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Look, knocker,

you're my last hope.

Now, this is the big one,

it's beginning to flow.

But I need time and peace!

Look, I can't write

poetry in jail.

I've tried it.

I told you... Not another dime.

Knocker!

Hey, Samson!

Hi, Rhoda.

Hi, Angie.

Come on.

Hey, Samson, Mr. butter's got

some great news for you.

Hello, Samson.

Mr. butter,

when was the operation?

He don't mean anything.

I mean everything.

Samson!

Won't you at least listen

to what he's got to say?

Well, tell him what you told me.

I've arranged a cultural

luncheon

for the woman's league

for tomorrow afternoon

at Picasso hall.

Yeah. This guy playing the harp.

And endicott brown

reading his poetry,

but endicott's come down

with laryngitis.

Oh, poor dear.

No, no. No. You can

take his place,

and then you read your poetry.

Idiot!

You want me to read

to housewives and mothers?

These are

very intelligent women.

Then you read to them.

You've got a nice soprano voice.

All right.

But I thought you

could use the $200.

200 bucks, Samson.

You only got to recite

for 20 minutes.

Nothing doing!

You owe it to your work,

Shillitoe.

Your one book didn't reach

too many people.

How many copies did it sell?

128.

Deserved better.

I'm not a performer!

Samson, 200 bucks!

That's 10 bucks a minute!

I don't perform!

Mr. Shillitoe!

Hey, rollie, do you want

to make it 400?

200!

How about 300?

200.

Mr. Shillitoe!

Mr. Shillitoe!

I'll take it.

Mr. Shillitoe, I got a subpoena!

I don't know.

Perhaps I'd better have

lelage Davenport

read her poems.

Women don't like listening

to another woman.

No.

They sure don't.

He'll be all right.

You'll see.

They'll love him.

All right.

Noon tomorrow, then.

Sharp.

Rhoda.

Put on the fights.

Yeah. All right.

Don't worry, Rhoda.

He'll get another job.

Yeah.

He's very unusual.

Yeah.

No, I do understand.

You can not discuss

case histories that way.

Yes, well, doctor,

in your opinion...

it's not scientifically valid.

In your opinion, can analysis

really help the artist,

the man of genius?

Well, yes.

It depends on the artist.

It depends

on the analyst, of course.

Well, let's take

the classic example...

the writer who's dried-up.

The blocked writer?

Yeah.

Oh, yes. I've had great success

with that problem.

Rhoda, the fights!

All right already!

Well, now.

Oh, yes. Well...

As I said, the person of genius

is my special interest.

Well, he's an extreme

from so-called normality

in the same way that, well,

a man of evil is.

See, these are the edges...

Rhoda!

Of the human spectrum,

so to speak.

One thing I find to criticize

in my profession...

more and more psychiatrists

are dealing

only with the middle

of this spectrum.

They're confining themselves

to those fundamentals

of behavioral analyses

which are no longer challenging.

This is a dangerous sign.

Well, doctor, dangerous for who?

Who? The psychiatrist

or the patient?

From our point of view,

from the psychiatrist's.

You see, for our work now,

in the present

and the foreseeable future,

it really must be

largely intuitive.

Doctor, you mean

largely guesswork.

Seriously, Dave.

Dave, listen. No.

See, from there,

it isn't very far

to becoming

pill and serum dispensers.

See, I think

that psychiatrists must move

farther and farther towards

the ends of the spectrum.

Yes, but just a moment, doctor.

In a democracy like ours,

shouldn't we

be more concerned...

Morning, Ava.

Good morning.

I'll just have orange juice

with my coffee.

...eventually tackle

the two areas

about which we still

know next to nothing.

Scott's on a hunger strike.

Is that so?

I suppose we could always

feed him intravenously.

Did you read

my speech for tonight?

I'm talking about the extremes.

That's the important thing...

Not yet.

...merely keep

a neat little file

of cerebral symptoms,

motor symptoms,

sensory symptoms, visceral

symptoms, etcetera, etcetera.

Where do we go from there?

What's simsims?

Symptoms.

I'm going to be

out of town Friday.

What's symptom?

Well, a symptom is

something that...

don't give in to her.

Tell me! Tell me!

Tell me! Tell me!

You eat your breakfast.

I won't.

Oh! Can't we have

that thing off?

No harm done.

Look at this mess!

It's the school bus.

They are coming right now.

The school bus, Mrs. west.

All right.

I heard you.

Take them downstairs!

They're coming!

They're coming! Who?

Daddy, flip me!

Flip me!

Oh, all right.

Turn around.

Turn around.

Oh, excuse me.

It's Dr. Vorbeck.

Dr. Vorbeck on the phone.

I'll tickle you!

Dr. Vorbeck on the phone.

Oh, tell him to come right up.

He says to come right up.

Thank you.

Busy day today?

No.

Thought you had a harp lesson

this afternoon.

No.

Why not?

Because I'm a lousy harpist.

My teacher's giving a recital.

I'm going to that.

Well, that ought to be fun.

Hysterical.

All right.

Let's have it.

I'm sick of harp lessons,

I'm sick of modern dancing

lessons

and painting lessons,

and I'm sick of the kids!

I'm bored.

You know, for a moment,

you sounded like

one of my patients.

Maybe I should be.

At least I'd see you

once in a while.

Darling, if there's anyone

who doesn't need

psychoanalysis...

It's you.

Thanks.

We'll talk, really talk,

tonight.

Your banquet's tonight.

Oh, damn.

That's right.

Good morning, doctor.

Good morning!

See you tonight.

Hi.

Freddie.

Lydia...

Hello, Freddie.

Darling.

Oh, tense, darling, very tense.

You think so?

Oliver says I'm the one person

in the world

who doesn't need analysis.

Everybody needs psychoanalysis.

You think the inner recesses

of my mind

would be interesting?

Be at my office tomorrow, 10:00,

and we'll find out.

Freddie, if I ever think

she needs help,

I'll see that she gets it.

Now, come on.

Let's go.

Ha ha ha!

Ha ha ha ha!

Bravo!

Bravo!

Thank you, Mr. genkov.

Thank you.

That was absolutely brilliant.

Thank you.

And now, we, of the woman's

league of the seven arts

have a very special treat

in store for us...

Mr. Samson Shillitoe...

Poet.

Mr. Shillitoe has

most graciously consented

to read for us

from his own book of poems,

hellebore.

Hellebore, incidentally,

is a medicinal herb

which, in ancient times,

was used to cure madness.

I looked it up.

Mr. Samson Shillitoe.

Samson.

Once upon a time,

a boy wrote,

"hail to thee, blithe spirit,"

and they kicked him

out of school.

And a man wrote...

"Here I am a poet

that does drink of life

as lesser men drink wine."

Him they locked in a cage.

So when another man wrote,

"put them all together,

and they spell...

Mother,"

him they gave respect,

reverence, money,

money...

Money.

What's wrong with a poem

to mothers?

I happen to be a mother.

Briar, briar, limberlock,

12 geese in a flock.

The old ones ride

the young ones' backs,

and they can't get over

the chimney stacks.

What's that supposed to mean?

It means stop passing the buck

to babies.

Oh!

But, Mr. Shillitoe...

Yeah?

Please, ladies, please.

I do think we should let

Mr. Shillitoe continue.

Shall we proceed?

Women.

Women...

Have you had love?

How was it told?

With diamonds and brocade?

Did he ever say

he loved your moments

of glad grace?

Or did he ever say,

"o my love is

like a red, red rose

that's newly sprung in June"?

Women you are.

Red, red roses you are.

Then blossom.

Unfold.

Open your corsets and bloom.

Let some metaphors...

Creep above your knees.

I don't like that a bit.

Now...

I'll read to you.

You!

Where do you think

you're going? Sit down.

Don't you walk out on me!

You puerile, insolent,

sniffy-snob,

culture-chasing vulture!

Go look for blossoms

in a hardware store!

You're dying for lack of this!

Go on to the gallows!

Run!

To the gallows!

Shut up!

Sit down!

Ladies of the moral rectitude

and seven sins society...

You tuberculin-tested hags,

I oppose the fabulous immensity

of your nothingness!

Rhoda!

He's doing what?

Rhoda, get off the phone!

I'll be right there.

One American on a kaiser.

Two goulash, hold the corn.

Easy on the Mayo.

What are you doing?

Rhoda, where you going?

Rhoda! Rhoda!

All right for you!

It's obvious he's no poet.

Watch that orchid!

I never was so embarrassed!

You leave him alone,

you silly bitches!

Come on, Samson!

Don't touch him, or I'll bash

you over the head!

You better watch out,

you old bags!

I'll let you have it

right across the head!

Spine snappers!

You don't want my poetry!

You want my liver!

Out! Out! Out!

You go away, you...

Finks!

Out!

You ought to be put away!

Ruining our lovely luncheon!

Get him out of here

before I call the police.

Samson, what happened?

They didn't like my reading.

You're gonna pay

for this damage.

Take it out of my 200 bucks.

He doesn't expect to be paid

for what he's done?

What do you mean?

You promised him 200 bucks.

I'll die first.

They'll never let me

be chairwoman

of anything again.

Now, lo... You invited him.

But he didn't recite

a single poem.

Everything he says is a poem.

Now give me my 200 bucks.

Don't give it to her!

Oh! You give me that money!

You better give me that money!

Don't give it to her!

Please! Please!

I can't take any more!

All right!

This is disgusting,

and you're immoral to take it.

He's finished! He can't write

anymore! He can't hold a job!

Whatever talent he did have

is gone!

You go drop dead, and I mean

right now, you fink!

Oh!

Ha ha ha!

Here I meet my mockers,

scorn for scorn.

Samson, what happened?

I tried to tell them, Rhoda.

I really did.

Why did I have to

be a poet, Rhoda?

Why a poet?

Why not a Saint?

Why this everlasting song?

Something's wrong somewhere.

All right, Leonard.

Excuse me.

Come on, honey.

Evelyn. Evelyn.

Leonard, will you

leave her alone?

Please! Evelyn. I'll take

care of her.

You'll tell everything

to mother later. Yes.

I've asked the patient

to have her husband come in.

It's possible that he's

encouraged her infidelity,

So I shall ascertain

any lack of virility

on his part.

You can't come in here...

lady, it's very important.

I told you, you must be referred

by your physician.

And I told you,

I'm not the patient!

Well, now, if you don't leave...

hey! Hey!

Hey, listen!

Dr. west?

Yes?

It's about Samson.

Everybody's been telling me

that he needs help...

you know... your kind of help.

Young lady, in order to take on

another patient,

I'd have to give up

one of my present cases.

Well, so?

That's impossible.

But he's very important!

Well, of course he is.

Doctor, you're due

at the institute.

In know. I know.

Miss bueler...

They called about

the article again.

Well, I'll finish that tonight.

Now, miss bueler, make an

appointment for Mr...

Shillitoe.

Samson Shillitoe.

Samson Shillitoe.

I think, maybe... Try

Dr. huddleson.

No, you don't understand!

It's got to be him!

Dr. west. Dr. west.

Now there's $200 there. How many

treatments will that buy?

No, no. Pay whoever the doctor

is as you go along.

Oh, no. I got to get rid

of this today.

Really?

Sure. If he finds

out about it, pow!

Sorry. You see,

Samson always says to me...

excuse me.

Wait a minute!

He doesn't really hit me.

He just comes close!

You must understand

I'm not complaining about it...

excuse me. Sorry. I'm late.

I have to go.

I saw you on television,

and you said

you could help writers.

I have helped writers

who've wanted to be helped,

but I've never heard of a writer

named Samson Shillitoe.

Well, you should have!

Now, now, listen.

T-this is the buffalo

courier express.

"With hellebore

by Samson Shillitoe,

"a new voice is heard

"throughout the land.

At last we have

a tendentious poet."

Tendentious means

he's got a cause.

I know.

Now, this one... this one in

the poetry journal

is a half a page long.

"Mr. Shillitoe seems determined

"to stand apart

"and to forge a new poetry,

and since poetry his

made from life..."

Hey, wait... Wait a minute!

Go away, will you?

What kind of a doctor are you?

I don't take patients in the

middle of fifth Avenue.

Now go away, will ya?

Oh, no. You gotta listen to me.

Even the New York times

said they're looking

forward eagerly

to his next book.

Oh, lady!

I'm not talking about some phony

teaching at a girls' college.

Samson is a dedicated man!

He's a great poet!

You heard what

those reviews said,

and they were only about

a collection of small poems!

You see, he's writing

this big poem,

and now it just won't come out.

And it's bigger than anything

he's ever done!

Almost five years he's been

working on it,

but now, it just stopped.

Like you said, he's blocked.

Don't you understand?

You know, when the poem

is going right,

he's in another world,

and words are just bouncing

all over the place,

and there's just

nothing like it.

You know, sometimes it can start

in the middle of the night.

It can start anytime at all

and in the craziest places!

Don't you understand?

It's tearing him apart,

and there is nothing I can do

because I don't know

where his inspiration

comes from!

I mean, wherever it comes from,

it sure doesn't come from me.

Now, look, I couldn't possibly...

now listen! I haven't cried

since I was 3 years old,

but I'm afraid

he's going to do something dumb!

I mean, a lot of writers

kill themselves

when they get like that!

You got to help him!

Please!

You've got to help him!

All right! Mix it up!

Mix it up! Let's go!

What did I tell you, kid?

You've just got to...

He ain't here.

Thought I'd look around.

Just, keep doing

what you're doing.

Hey! Hey!

All right. Get up.

Get up!

Give it to him.

I hereby serve you

this subpoena,

and officer quirk is my witness.

Take it!

Take it!

Take it!

Oh!

Oh, now you've

done it, Shillitoe!

Assaulting

an officer of the law!

Shillitoe, you come back here!

Mr. Shillitoe,

you come back here!

Open this door!

Knocker!

You open this door!

Do you hear me?

Come on.

Open this door!

You better get out

of town, Samson.

I'll need 15 minutes.

OK, OK. Git.

In the name of the law,

you open this door!

Rhoda!

What?

Go borrow a suitcase

from the fitzgeralds!

Where are we going?

None of your business.

It's my business

if I'm going there, ain't it?

Cob city, Indiana. OK.?

Why?

I've got an uncle there.

Come on, hurry up!

Hurry up!

Listen, Samson, you can

run away from here,

but you can't run away

from yourself.

Now, get the suitcase!

Quick!

Hey! How we going to

get to Indiana?

By bus! Now, get packing!

And give me the 200 bucks!

No.

What?

Well, I haven't got it.

Give me that dough.

I can't.

I gave it to Dr. west.

You're pregnant?

No. He's a psychiatrist.

A psychiatrist?

Stop kidding around!

I'm not kidding.

You gave it to a psychiatrist?

Why? Did somebody tell you

a psychiatrist

can cure stupidity?

Samson, it's not for me.

It's for you.

For me?

And hitting me is not going

to get it back

because I already paid for 20

visits in advance.

You gave him my money?

Samson, it's only

10 bucks a visit.

Usually he charges

a lot more than that,

but he's interested

in your case, you see?

My case?

Yeah. There's his card.

It's 41-a park Avenue.

You're supposed to be there

at 3:00 tomorrow.

You decided that

I needed a psychiatrist?

Well, you need help.

You decided...

you, with a brain smaller

than a pygmy's gene?

You...

Poem's taking shape!

I need time, a place to work!

And you gave my money away!

Samson, I did it for you!

Samson! Oh!

See what's happening!

I did it for you!

The nerve!

Samson, you don't understand!

I did it for you!

Oh, come on! Help her!

Don't you hit her!

Stop it, or I'll

call the police!

Witch!

Samson!

Rhoda!

Rhoda!

Oh! Oh, my leg!

Oh!

Come on!

You rotten bully!

Get your hands off of me!

I've got to get out of town!

Lunatic!

You shouldn't be

walking around loose!

Go to Indiana!

I don't care where you go!

You're crazy!

You're nuts!

OK.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

Let's go?

I...

I'll walk you to the elevator.

You'll what?

Well, I've got to go

to the office.

Oh, no, Oliver.

Just for a little while.

No, Oliver. That's three

nights in a row.

I'll be back

in less than an hour.

Not tonight, please!

Oh, honey. Now, look.

I've got to finish dictating

that article.

You know how important it is.

After tonight it will be done.

Do it in the morning.

I'm at the institute

in the morning.

Oh, please.

The deadline is tomorrow.

It has to be typed

and delivered by noon.

Nuts with the article.

Let's go to bed!

All right. Get ready.

I'll be there in 45 minutes.

What the hell are you doing?

Dr. west?

Who are you?

Are you west?

Yes.

You owe me 200 bucks.

Oh!

Shillitoe.

Samson Shillitoe?

Right. 200 bucks.

Now I promised your wife

under no conditions

would I'd give you the money.

I'm pretty good at karate.

Oh, you would be.

Come on, west.

Give me my dough.

No.

Absolutely not.

You can't need

the money that much.

No. But I think you need me.

You idiot!

You really think so?

You appear to be much too

intelligent

to stoop to name-calling,

but if it helps you

relate to me,

call me anything you like.

Quack!

Quite frankly, I didn't want

you as a patient.

My schedule is

overcrowded as it is.

However, your wife told me

certain things

that made me change my mind.

What things?

Well, for one, that you've

been unable to write.

West, you stick to mending

scratches of disappointment.

One of the rules

of a tragic time

is that real enemies must

never meet in open combat.

But, I don't

think we're enemies.

No? You protect what is,

while I envision what can be.

We're not enemies?

That's nicely phrased.

Nicely phrased?

You sound just like a woman.

"Oh, you say things

so beautifully."

"I could listen to you forever!"

And by forever,

a woman means,

at most, 20 minutes.

Yeah, but you still get

involved with them.

No. They get involved with me

because they know I'm capable

of a beauty

more real and lasting

than theirs.

The cunning little beasts

can't stand it.

They interfere with your work.

Oh, look!

Give me my money and let me get

out of here!

Shillitoe, listen,

do you have any idea

how dull most

of my patients are?

But of course.

Look at it

from my point of view.

Do you realize how rarely

I get a case

that's any real challenge?

May I?

Help yourself.

Thank you.

What could psychiatry have done

against the rages of Beethoven?

Could I have cured

Edgar Allen poe of drink

or saved Van gogh?

What is this poetry that you

sacrifice everything for?

Why do you write it?

We can only get the answer

from the artist himself,

and here you are.

Perhaps a writer

of great potential...

Or maybe a phony.

Well, there's nothing I can do

but take the time to find out.

After all, I have been

paid in advance.

"Do not confuse the difficult

with suffering.

To be sad is easier

than going mad."

Look, west, I'm in a jam

with the cops.

I need my dough to get

out of town, honest.

You don't believe me, do you?

No, I don't.

"We've come a long way

toward ignorance,

and all uphill."

What does that mean?

That could put you

out of business.

Shillitoe, I've heard

enough to know

that you have a good mind.

It's alive, alert, inquisitive.

Give me my money!

There has to be

no reason for despair.

What despair?

Your wife has told me

about your moods.

She's afraid

you might kill yourself.

What?

Oh, women.

Somewhere they got the idea

that laughter means happiness.

So from the moment you're born,

they tickle your feet

and Chuck you under the chin

till you laugh yourself sick.

And the moment you stop,

the moment you have

one serious thought,

you're on the brink of suicide.

Mind if I borrow your book?

No, help yourself.

Look, west, if you're

so interested

in making me me happy,

give me my money back.

Now, go home.

Either you give me back my dough

or start earning it right now!

You know what time it is?

"Then a sigh,

"like the caves of hell sighed

"when the incestuous mother

"uttered the name death.

"The sound

reverberated... farewell...

"And again and again...

farewell, farewell."

What does that mean?

Where are you going?

Good night.

What do you mean, good night?

If you can't interpret

a simple dream,

I want my money back.

Good night.

Where am I supposed to go?

Go home.

I told you I can't.

A cop's after me.

What did you do?

I couldn't pay my alimony.

West, tonight,

the third part of my poem

began to take shape.

I need a place to work.

Let me stay here,

just until morning.

I'll dedicate it

to you, to west.

Dr. west.

My secretary gets here at 9:30.

I'll be gone by 9:00.

Cleaned up, locked up, gone.

You'll be back for your

appointment at 3:00?

Don't worry. I still

want my 200 bucks.

It's only 190 now.

You just had your first session.

All right, Samson.

Come on in and see

what you did to me.

Who the hell are you?

I said, "who the hell are you?"

I'm looking for

Samson Shillitoe.

Well, you're wasting your time

because he never

discusses his poetry.

Where is he?

How in the hell should I know?

Where is he?

Right now he's about

halfway to Indiana,

and if you don't get out

in about 2 seconds,

I'm going to start screaming,

cop or no cop, you understand?

1... 2...

3!

Look out!

I'm going to report you

to the precinct,

you fascist finkhead!

Maybe you'd all like

to come in and watch!

Leonard, change your attitude?

Keep quiet.

Don't tell me to keep quiet.

He's doing it to mock me.

Your fancy doctor wants

to see me, so I'm here.

And our son and your

wonderful mother

are witnesses.

That mensch.

He's got a heart

as black as the Ace of diamonds.

Dr. west?

He's not here.

When's he expected?

What time's your appointment?

I don't have one yet.

You got to have an appointment.

You work with Dr. west?

You one of his patients?

In a way.

What's wrong with you?

Nothing. What's wrong with you?

I am not a patient.

Don't be smug. It could

happen just like that.

My wife Evelyn,

she's the patient.

Yeah?

My name's tupperman.

Mine's swinburne.

Dr. west told my wife

to ask me to stop here.

325.

Nah. She wasn't married,

just pregnant.

218.

No. Let me see.

The embezzler, peeping Tom...

331.

It was nice meeting you.

Come here.

What's that?

I think it's your wife.

My wife?

Not until we're sure she's 331.

How do I know

what number she is?

How many times she been here?

4.

Suffers from mild hysteria.

It ain't so mild.

Must be her.

File 3311, 4th visit.

Today, the patient admitted

that she'd recently

committed adultery.

It was this act

which caused her hysteria

and her coming to me.

Dana, take a little stroll

so your mother and I can talk?

I'm tired!

Dana, I said stroll.

Evelyn, you're

holding out on me.

I have nothing to say...

Except to Dr. west.

Dr. west.

Suddenly, he knows better

than your own mother.

Oh!

Oh!

I've asked the patient to

have her husband come in.

It's possible that he's

encouraged her infidelity,

so I shall try to ascertain

any lack

of virility on his part.

Virility?

Lack of...

that's you.

Lack of... Lack of virility?

You're going to ascertain

my virility!

How is this for virility?

How is this?

Virility?

Virility?

How's this...

Take it easy.

Easy, now.

Oh!

Oh, Evelyn.

Evelyn.

Evelyn!

Everything she wanted

I gave her.

The diamond wrist watch,

a mink coat.

Not a jacket, a full-length.

She wants a psychiatrist,

so I let her have

a psychiatrist.

Did I ever complain

about the $35 a visit?

He only charges me 10.

10?!

Come on. She's outside

in the car.

You tell her everything

you heard, swinburne.

Nah. I don't want

to get involved.

Oh, please? Please?

I'll do you a favor someday.

I'm in real estate.

You need an apartment?

I need a room to work in,

but I got to have it today.

Done! Come on.

We'll throw her mother out.

You can have her room!

You thought you'd get

away with something?

Again, you underestimated me!

You and your fancy doctor!

I know everything!

Everything!

And swinburne here will

back me up, won't you?

Evelyn! Evelyn!

Evelyn!

It's him! Get him!

It's him!

Let me out!

Get out! Come here!

Evelyn! Evelyn!

I'm sorry!

Oh, Evelyn, darling!

I'm sorry for everything I said!

I know who that was.

He shampooed our carpets.

Get a doctor!

I'm sorry.

I didn't mean anything I said.

We'll talk about it.

Everything will be all right.

No, I think we should build.

As we're on our way up

with the glissando,

build more.

Keep building.

Down one and build together.

Together.

That's it. Build.

Excuse me.

Hello.

Oh, Dr. longfellow,

he isn't here.

He said something

about a meeting

at the institute.

And as so often happens

with chimpanzees

upon reaching maturity,

Jo-Jo became savage.

He killed two other

chimps, an orangutan,

and a big baboon.

So what do we do with Jo-Jo?

What do we do with such

a dangerous creature?

Do we isolate him forever?

Do we kill him?

No.

There is another way

of eliminating

this catatonic state.

So the zoo authorities

gave me permission

to use my method.

The Menken transorbital

prefrontal technique.

The procedure is simple

and exactly the same

as I use on humans.

I lift the eyelid

and make the insertion

through the conjunctival sac

and orbital plate

into the orbital surface

of the frontal lobe

to a depth of exactly...

4 centimeters.

I will not appreciably

damage any of the cortex,

but with an arc swing

of the instrument,

I cut the inferior

quadrant of the lobe,

passing just anterior...

thank you.

Just anterior to the tip

of the lateral ventricles.

Of course, this must be done

to both major and minor lobes

for the operation

to be effective.

But the beauty of this technique

is that it can be

done almost anywhere,

even in the doctor's office.

Ha ha! Marvelous!

So I vote we let Dr. Menken

leucotomize all

the nasty chimpanzees

we have as patients.

I've never appreciated

the prussian sense of humor.

I'm not prussian.

I'm viennese.

Dr. Menken,

why have you insisted

on showing us this?

I thought it obvious, doctor.

You the head para park.

Dr. Kropotkin

is resident director.

The rest of us are

members of the board.

You want to use

psychosurgery at para park?

On violent cases, yes.

But this is a creature

from the jungle.

If it had been raised in

a healthy environment...

nonsense. As I've just told you,

he was a destructive...

what you have told us

proves nothing.

There are organic differences

between the ape's

brain and the human's.

My technique has had the same

success on humans.

I've already done it

more than 30 times.

But in a well-organized

organic society...

I thought we'd progressed

beyond lobotomies.

This is not

the old-style lobotomy!

It's the Menken technique.

Anyway, you talk of progress.

You've still got them

on couches.

I resent that.

Why? How far have you progressed

from your precious Sigmund?

Dr. Freud!

He wasn't Sigmund to me,

and he isn't Sigmund to you.

I demand an apology.

Oh, come on.

Are we scientists or diplomats?

All right, let's

keep it scientific.

Whether you call it

lobotomy or leucotomy,

or the Menken technique,

the method is imprecise

and always destroys

brain tissue.

The patients live in

a lower emotional level,

and the damage is irreparable.

So what alternative

do you offer?

Love?

Understanding their fathers?

These were destructive people,

and years of wallowing

in self-pity

while you held their hands,

isn't going to

make them any less so.

If you give these people

a congenial environment,

then the stresses and

strains of everyday life

will not affect them.

Let me go! Let me go!

Let me go!

West!

Give... give me that money!

I need it!

You mercenary freak!

No, it's all right.

It's OK.

Let him go!

Give me that money!

- Let him go!

- It's all right!

West, my money.

Excuse me.

I want to talk to you.

Come here. Come here.

Listen, I just might be able

to get you into para park.

Para park?

It's a private hospital.

There's nothing you won't do

to keep my money, is there?

No. You'd be one of

the special cases

admitted free.

Oh, yeah.

Bargain basement.

Of course you realize the police

couldn't touch you as long

as you're at para park.

Or maybe you prefer prison

to a quiet room

where you can work.

See, it depends on me

getting my colleagues

to go along.

Dr. west comes out on Saturdays,

and he'll want

a session with you.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays,

you will have group therapy,

but remember,

if there is anything

that you should

want to thresh out,

I am available.

Are you sure I'll

have a private room?

Oh, yes.

And I'll be left alone to work?

Of course. Communicate

with your muse.

Don't worry.

No one will disturb you.

Did you call him today?

Yeah. He's progressing

nicely, thank you.

They've been telling you

that for two weeks.

They'll never cure him.

Shut up. They're doing

miracles these days.

Maybe you ought

to go out and visit him.

No. They said not yet.

Well, don't worry.

These doctors know

what they're doing.

Yeah.

It... it says surgery there.

Technical term.

Now, that's not so technical.

I know what that means.

In medical terminology,

many things come under

the heading of surgery

which you might not think so.

The extraction of

a tooth, for example.

You call that surgery?

So if you'll just sign here...

Believe me, it's

the right thing to do.

I don't want to do anything

that's gonna hurt him.

Of course not.

Like I said, it's just like

having a tooth out.

Listen, I had one out

right here, you see...

Mrs. Shillitoe.

And it hurt like hell.

You'd like

your husband home again

as soon as possible,

wouldn't you?

Yeah, but I think I ought to

talk to Dr. west about him.

Because he's the one

who's taking care of him.

Yes, but as I've explained,

Dr. west is the head

of para park hospital,

so even with your signature,

no treatment can be

given to your husband

unless Dr. west and his fellow

specialists approve.

So, what are we?

Are we doctors, or are we

a part of the disease?

The others...

Mechanics.

They fix leaks in the plumbing.

I say tear out all the pipes

and start from scratch.

Thanks, Vera.

If you want better people,

then you must give them

a better world.

Please, Sammy,

don't work any more today.

...I got to work,

Vera.

Oh, but you should relax

just a little.

You're right.

I know.

Dr. Kropotkin?

Yes?

Dr. Kropotkin,

Dr. west is arriving.

Thank you.

Doctor?

Arnold.

Good afternoon, Mrs. west.

Doctor, could I talk to

you for a minute?

Yeah. Come over here.

Exactly what has he done?

What ain't he done?

Have you been bothering him?

No. You know the group

therapy meetings...

yes.

Well, they ain't

meetings no more.

They're lectures.

And how about

the new ripple bath.

It's supposed to be for

all the patients,

only he's always sittin'

in there writing.

Well, suppose we let

Dr. Kropotkin deal with that.

Dr. west!

If you ask me, they're having

an extra-marital relationship.

Thanks.

Hello, doctor.

Dr. west, Mrs. west.

I'm so glad that you

got here before Dr. Menken.

We should talk about his

wanting to operate.

Don't worry. There won't be

any surgery here. Excuse me.

Lydia, this whole thing

shouldn't

take more than an hour.

Well, let's see.

One hour your time's

about 6 hours standard time.

Excuse me.

I'll, see you inside.

Come on, now.

Be a good girl.

As soon as the meeting's over,

we'll go down to the bay

and find a special place

for dinner.

Talk to the patients.

They like company.

Maybe I should have

brought my harp.

All right!

All right!

Hello, Freddie!

Lydia, darling!

So good to see you.

Where's Oliver?

With Dr. Kropotkin, I think.

And left you all alone?

Lydia!

If you were my wife, I...

Freddie.

You wouldn't be out of

my sight for a second.

I think your meeting

is ready to start.

Menken with his knife.

If Freud knew.

See you later, darling.

Good-bye, Freddie.

Oh, excuse me!

What's so fascinating?

Nothing.

The ripple bath. I was curious.

If you want to go first,

go right ahead,

but don't dawdle.

No, thank you.

Don't let me disturb you.

We've met before, sort of.

I know.

You're one of them.

One of what?

Intake valves with

maternal tendencies.

We can't all live in

the world of Apollo.

What would you know

about Apollo?

Oh, some of us intake valves

have read a little.

Well, this place seems

to be agreeing with him.

Oh, yes. He's

adjusting very well.

He's been working

very hard on his poem.

He's on the third part.

I'll show it to you.

You know, this might be

a great help at the meeting.

Oh, no. I...

I'll get his permission.

Very well. You want

I should look for him?

No. I'll find him.

You might look

in the hydrotherapy room.

All right, don't worry.

I'll talk to her.

Thank you, doctor.

Oliver.

I thought the meeting

was ready to start.

Yeah. In Dr. Kropotkin's office.

Aren't you coming?

I'll be there

in a few minutes, yes.

Oliver. I...

Nothing.

Yeah!

Hee hee hee hee!

Ha ha ha ha!

Whee!

Ha ha ha!

Ha ha ha ha!

Ha ha ha!

Ha ha ha ha!

And what does this place

offer as a cure?

Painting, ping-pong,

and whirlpool baths.

How has the patient

been responding?

He seems to be happy.

Happiness is not

a psychiatric term.

I mean, he is functioning,

he's identifying,

and he is actually writing.

Oliver, we are

discussing Mr. Shillitoe

and his accomplishments.

Dr. Menken

has proposed surgery.

I have insisted!

He is not a chimpanzee!

He's destructive!

I've been investigating...

But he's responding

to treatment!

Dr. west, tell him.

Yes, tell me.

How are you curing

his violent spells?

Well, it's really...

it's much too early to say.

We have been helping him

with understanding,

with encouragement,

and with his environment.

Environment?

I appeal to you as scientists.

I demand a chance

to prove I'm right!

He is not violent now!

Of course! Not here in a cocoon!

But could he stay here

for the rest of his life?

But your technique

is a form of castration.

You will make him a vegetable.

You will destroy his passion.

And what about his gift?

What gift?

His poetry.

To hell with his poetry!

I want to make him a useful

social human being!

I think maybe the poetry

is a substitute for sex.

Yes, the man's obviously

not successful with women.

His wife has given her consent.

She wants to help him.

I insist we take a vote.

I vote yes.

I vote an emphatic no.

I say no.

Dr. Vorbeck?

I'm considering.

If I say no, no operation.

And if I say yes, then...

Dr. west has the deciding vote.

I think under the circumstances,

I say...

Yes.

Thank you, Dr. Vorbeck.

You are another mechanic.

Well, you have lost, anyway.

We all know what Dr. west feels.

Your methods have

failed on this man.

Make it official,

Oliver. Vote.

Oliver, for the well-being

of the patient,

for his wife,

for society, you must vote yes.

It's two for, two against.

Give them your

"no" vote, doctor.

I say...

Yes.

Thank you.

76 degrees.

81%.

71.

29.85 and falling.

There's a 90% probability

of thundershowers

commencing in late afternoon

and continuing through the night

with little prospect

of clearing by morning.

The weekend forecast

is for intermittent showers

with an expected drop

in temperature.

Sammy... Run!

What's happened?

Oh.

Was that his wife?

You've got to get out

of here! Run!

You guys ought to be ashamed.

You know, you got dirty minds.

I was just asking

the guy for a match.

Oh, shut up, will you?

Some job for grown men.

Compared to you,

I'm a shining example!

It's him!

Stop! Pull up!

I can't till we get

to the other end.

Call the other side.

Keep your grubby hands off!

My poem!

They took it! My poem!

Hey, you! Stop!

Where's Rhoda?

She's busy.

One American on a kaiser.

Rhoda!

Samson.

They took my poem.

I got to get it back.

Did you hear?

I heard you.

It's only 30 miles.

You can get there and back

in a couple of hours.

I'll draw you a map.

Hey!

I'm not going anywhere.

Come on, Samson.

She's busy.

You gotta go.

You walk out once more,

Rhoda, you're through.

Don't worry.

Don't worry.

You got to go!

I've got to finish that poem.

Well, then you go

get it yourself!

You come marching in here!

You haven't even seen me

since you threw me

down the stairs!

I didn't throw you!

My ankle was like a grapefruit!

Did you care?

Did you wonder if I was hurt?

Did you even bother to call me?

We haven't got a telephone.

Or send me a post card?

A post card?

No!

And then you come

marching in here

and you start drawing me maps!

You ignorant, ungrateful lump!

I'm asking you to save my poem!

I don't give a damn

about your poem!

Samson!

Rhoda!

Samson!

Well, it's mine.

You see, Arnold, I told you

he'd come back for this.

Who is it?

Your dear Freddie.

Oh. Hello.

Good morning.

He' isn't here. He left

about half an hour ago.

Dr. Menken picked him up.

Really?

Aren't you going to para park?

I have better things to do.

Oh, Lydia.

Even in the morning, you...

You look so lovely.

Freddie, don't be silly!

The maid.

It's her day off,

and your children are at school,

and Oliver is at para park.

Let go!

All right, all right.

Let's talk a little first?

I have to get dressed.

I'm late for an appointment.

Suddenly, you are afraid

of a little talk.

It wasn't so long ago,

you were begging me

to analyze you.

I was just trying

to make Oliver jealous.

Oh, I understand.

An American making love

is like a Hungarian

playing baseball. Ha ha!

Lydia...

Is this any good?

Get out of here!

No more acting aloof with me!

Stop it!

Freddie, stop it!

Stop struggling.

You're hurting me!

Stop struggling.

Lydia, I...

what are you afraid of?

We are only two nervous systems

reacting to each other.

Stop struggling.

Lydia, darling.

Oh.

Oh, Freddie.

Don't laugh at me.

If you don't leave now,

I'll tell Oliver.

You wouldn't do that.

Oh, wouldn't I?

No.

No.

Oh.

You don't want...

He should have Menken

cut me up, too?

Is that why they went

to para park?

Oh...

I thought you knew.

I mean...

Lydia, he saw you

in the ripple bath.

I mean...

What went on didn't influence

Oliver's decision.

Where is he?

Who?

Dr. west.

Dr. west is

in the examination room.

Let me in!

Let me in!

Lydia.

I thought there was

going to be an operation.

Oh, Mrs. west.

If I knew you were

interested in psychosurgery,

I would have invited you.

Dr. Menken.

Mr. Shillitoe is

coming out of anesthetic.

Good. Good.

Perhaps the next time.

Murderer.

Butcher!

I hate you.

I always find this

an intensely moving moment...

science walking

hand in hand with humanity...

To have changed a destructive,

antisocial creature

into a responsible citizen.

Now...

He'll be able to make a living,

to provide for his loved ones,

to take his rightful

place in the community.

Mr. Shillitoe.

Mr. Shillitoe.

You feel better?

You feel...

More relaxed.

Yes?

Give me back my poem!

Thieves!

Orderly! Orderly!

Quickly!

We need some help!

You parasites!

Dirty thieves!

Assassins!

Murderers!

Give me my poem!

Give me my poem!

I don't understand.

It works on most people.

OK. I'll tell her.

Two goulash, hold the corn.

Bologna on kaiser.

Bananas and berries.

Two burgers.

Hey, where's the ketchup?

What does that

look like, marmalade?

Rhoda.

What?

You better take

the afternoon off.

What for?

What did I do?

Nothing, but your

neighbor just called.

Your husband's home.

Where are

those c.B. Platters?

Don't!

Don't, Shillitoe!

Don't! I warn you!

Bloodsucking legal hyena!

That thing's going to cost!

Stuff your courts,

your subpoenas,

your decrees, your judges!

Let me go!

Let me go!

There!

Now you have to be in court

at 10:00 tomorrow morning.

And if you don't have

the alimony,

you're going to prison

for 6 months! 6 months!

Let me go!

All right!

That mirror... 50 bucks.

How much does he owe you?

How much?

$525!

Who do I make it out to?

Beverly Shillitoe.

Who's that?

Shut up.

There.

This won't bounce?

No.

Well...

Don't forget. There's another

75 due next week.

Hey, what was that check for?

Rhoda, Lydia.

What was it for?

She's a patron of the arts,

and she believes in my poetry.

Well, so do I.

You? You said you didn't

care about it anymore.

She doesn't understand my work.

I do, too!

Yeah?

Yeah, I understand

a lot of your stuff!

Are you all right?

Never better.

You just got me out of jail.

Now I'm going to finish

this damn poem.

Please, I have to talk to you.

Go ahead.

Alone.

Nothing doing!

Keep out of this!

I'm leaving my husband.

Good.

What are you going to do?

Join Apollo?

Hey, did you hear that, knocker?

The only hope for the world

is for everybody

to move in with me.

What?

Don't make fun of me.

I'm not! Where's your luggage?

Now wait a minute!

She can have the couch.

No!

Then you can have the couch.

Samson, there's no room...

you're out all day!

She can help with the

cleaning, the cooking.

What are you talking about?

You want to join Apollo.

You're out of your mind!

Oh, the words of Mercury

are harsh after

the songs of Apollo.

Samson, I want to talk to you.

Come on.

Hey, Samson!

Samson!

Samson!

Hey, Samson!

You didn't mean that about her

moving in with us, did you?

I mean everything.

Samson.

Samson!

I think your poetry's

the most important thing

in the world, sure,

but now with the alimony

and everything,

I think you ought to get a job.

Not until I finish the poem.

Well, sure, I know

you got to finish it, but...

Samson, there's something else

I got to tell you!

Samson!

Remember when you asked me

if I was pregnant?

Well, I was afraid

to tell you before,

but it's been more

than 4 months now.

Well, I got to stop work soon.

Samson, say something.

Samson, say you ain't mad at me.

I'm not mad at you.

Come on.

Samson, are you sorry?

No.

Well, show me you're not sorry.

Later.

No, now.

Come on, Samson.

How long does it take

to throw one?

Oh, I missed!

Here. Hold this.

Shut up!

Get out!

Out!

Out! Out!