Creature of the Walking Dead (1965) - full transcript

The insurmountable
quest of scientists

has been to answer
the unanswerable.

Question the unknowable and
delve into the black regions

of darkness which surround the
mysteries that make up the small

world within man's limited
perception.

Is the world real? The thought
essentially a true reflection

or merely an illusion, brought
about by a mind separate

from the ultimate reality?

Thus, is the question of man.

In the year of discovery, 1881,
when science had found the first

leaves in the great volumes that
were to follow, Dr. John Malthus



my father's father, had not only
sired a son, but had undertaken

of himself the fleeting dream of
medical men, from his day and

before, down to my own. That of
producing everlasting life.

In a dark house and laboratory,
that would one day be inherited

by me, Dr. Malthus pondered
through the long hours of night

over beakers containing the
fluid of life.

Life, that to him, indicated one
thought alone, that it should be

continuous... and never ending.

(scream and dog barking)

(dogs barking)

(moaning)

(loud knocking at door)

Take a lot of abuse to whittle
that down very much. (Laughs)

My friend, you'll never know the
amount of abuse undertaken to



get it there in the first place
(laughs)

He's right, Inspector. That's,
uh, some kapoosis you've got

there. It's a good thing it
wasn't you instead of Dr.

Malthus up on the gallows. I
doubt if they'd of found a rope

large enough to carry out the
job.

Your humor overwhelms me, Mr.
Sims. I hope you can put it to

use in your own behalf the next
time your wife requests one of

my sergeants deliver you from
the floor of one of your

- favorite taverns.
- But your sergeant and I see

eye to eye, Inspector. Don't
forget, a policeman can't have

- too many friends.
- I won't forget.

Now that it's over, have you any
regrets? I mean in the way you

- handled the case.
- I never have any regrets when

justice is served. Justice is
part of my job. Even if it gets

- distasteful, ever so often.
- Well, it was short and sweet.

The slate looks clean. However,
I think the doctor was

responsible for a lot more
crimes than many of you

officials gave him credit for.
Hmmph, but you can only hang a

a man once. In his case, the
penalty happened to be too light.

Tell us, Mr. Detective, what you
might have uncovered that the.

- Inspector here didn't?
- Well, take my sister-in-law

for instance. Those gifts she
was receiving in the post,

the smelling water and the silk
things. Oh, she swore she didn't

know who was sending them and I
believe her.

- So.
- Well, just what would you make

- of it.
- Well, did you encourage her to

- keep these things?
- Certainly not. They're the

type of articles you'd find in
a brothel.

How exactly would you identify
your sister-in-law? In relation

to women? That is, women
connected with a brothel.

(laughs) I wouldn't identify her
at all in that respect.

But you automatically identified
Dr. Malthus with the whole

- business. On what grounds?
- I know what you're thinking.

It's a bit of a temptress in
every women and I suppose you're

right, but, well it takes a
certain caliber of man to bring

it out. And there's only one, uh
correction, there was only one

- of that kind around here.
- I take it you hold Malthus

responsible for about every
crime we've had lately.

Well, what about those
incidences that happened in.

Holmbly a couple of years ago,
involving three different women?

Now they never did come up with
anything in the way of evidence,

- did they?
- Mr. Sims, how many crimes were

written off long ago, as due to
a physical cause and nothing

more? Never should have been
referred to as crimes at all.

Aah, but the deaths were
attributed to something other

than 'natural' causes, weren't
they? I'll bet they didn't even

bother to find if they had any
blood left in them. We're just a

- bit late for that now.
- It's a bit late to pin it on

- the doctor, too.
- Oh, as I said, you can only

- hang him once.
- Ha, ha. Sounds like you'd like

to have a hanging once a week.
Ha, ha.

Eh, you know Inspector, I've
somehow had the feeling that you

sympathize with Malthus. I still
feel that way.

Don't confuse sympathy, Mr.
Sims, with fear. That's right,

I said fear. The insecurity of
those who come in contact with

something they cannot
rationally understand.

I imagine the scars go deep for
those on the inside of it.

Aah, it's always difficult to
keep a proper perspective when

dealing with a basic criminal
mind. However, there is little

difference in the prosecution
of one who seeks to destroy.

Whether it be physically or in a
more subtle manner.

Are you referring to a state of
mind or the realm beyond our

- comprehension?
- In my opinion, the two are

inseparable. Only that the
degree of comprehending the

so-called mysteries of life,
varies in each individual.

Surely, you don't believe a man
can possess supernatural powers?

I'd say that one could have a
superior understanding of what

is. He therefore, is capable of
exercising many things.

You know something that never
came out in the papers and got

my curiosity aroused, was the,
the length of time. That is,

how long was he actually
involved with these experiments?

Why I know of three or four
people who were going to his

office right up to the time of
his arrest.

Uh, we don't know when he
actually started. A lot of us

would like to.

It's a pity, I'd say, that a man
like Dr. Malthus got into such

deep water in the first place.
He was a good doctor. Seemed

dedicated, too. Many's the time
that he came at midnight and

even later when Jenny was
ailing.

Well, maybe she didn't have the
type of blood he was looking for.

Well, all the same, he's going
to be difficult to replace.

- Even though he did go balmy.
- Ah, it's a good question to be

raised about the extent of his
condition.

- Do you think he wasn't insane?
- Well, he refused to be

examined by all the court
physicians. Perhaps that's, uh,

- explanation in itself, hmm?
- Well, here's one, imagine he

wanted to be hanged. Now, no man
would ask for that, crazy or not.

He made no effort whatsoever,
to do anything about his guilt.

- Could be his conscience.
- Ha. Oh, that's one thing we

established quite firmly. Dr.
Malthus didn't feel himself

guilty at all. He believed
himself absolutely justified

- in everything he carried out.
- You still question the fact

whether he was balmy or not. Ho,
ho, Inspector, I'm surprised.

Oh, to be honest, I'm a little
surprised myself. So it seems

were many others. All those that
involved themselves to the

extent of seeing really inside
the case. There was much to be

observed once you got beneath
the surface. How old do you

- think Dr. Malthus was?
- Oh, I don't know. Thirty,

- thirty-three maybe.
- We uncovered the fact that it

was twenty-seven years ago that
he graduated from medical school.

Now that means he'd been
practicing here for at least

twelve. Matter of fact, I was
still a sergeant when he first

- lanced a carbuncle on my neck.
- You know, my wife Jenny used

to say the doctor always looked
so young. You, you're turning

into an old man but the doctor
looks so young.

Hmmph, she wasn't the only one
to notice.

And you honestly believe that
these, his experiments with

bloodlines gave him some sort of
a fountain of youth?

Well, I don't know what's
possible and what isn't.

A policeman looks for facts and
lets the experts do the uh,

analyzing. In the case of Dr.
Malthus, why, uh, the facts

unfortunately, are still in that
laboratory somewhere.

The reports and his notes and
such haven't been seen by any

of us. His family absolutely
refuses to let anybody in the

house and we have no legal
right to search it.

I'd say a lot of those doctors
would like to take a look.

Hmm, you can bet on it. They all
agree on one thing. Malthus was

a most unusual man. He had
secrets that perhaps none of us

could believe possible. Whether
or not there was any good in

them, is a question for the
scientists. And it will take the

best of them. Ha, ha. As far as
I'm concerned, it's a question

that even the best of them,
probably, will never be able to

answer.

Thank you.

(phone rings) Oh, I'll get it.

Hello, Beth. This is Janie at
the office. Doctor's been

completely tied up with
appointments since morning and

it looks like a full house for
the rest of the day. He asked

me if I'd please call his
fiancee for him and explain

that due to his heavy schedule,
which you'd surely understand,

he can't make dinner at your
house tonight.

(laughs) Yes, yes. How well I
know. But you'd better get used

to it if you want to marry a
doctor. Actually, the papers

just came through on the house
he inherited. His aunt's

attorney recorded the deed
yesterday and he plans to look

over the rooms tonight, right
after he makes a house call.

Don't ask me. He wants to see it
tonight.

The feeling of a cold, deathless
wave of something unnatural

seemed to reach out from the
very beginning.

This, the house of Malthus, was
his house. And his presence in

it was unmistakable.

(thunder claps)

(police whistle)

(moan of pain)

- It's not possible.
- Possible.

Fool. Miser. Coward.

You haven't the
strength to take life.

I'll teach you of it. Mine, you
see is immortal.

- (sigh) Where is he?
- I'm sorry miss. I don't know

when the doctor will be back. If
he wasn't expecting you, perhaps

it would be best to leave a
message. He went after blood

plasma or something like that, I
think.

Beth had become concerned over
my behavior of secrecy and I

knew an explanation to her was
something I had to face up to.

She was greatly disturbed with
my sudden attitude of aloofness,

as she put it. And wanted a
precise answer to her flat

accusation that I was no longer
interested in her and our plans

for marriage. In realizing that
a woman's concept of any unusual

circumstances is generally ruled
by the emotional scream of

reaction, and in Beth's case,
would be considerably more than

average. I knew it would be
asking for unnecessary problems

and possible disastrous
complications if I would reveal

any inkling of the situation I
have become involved in.

Beth's reasoning, that I had
gotten myself preoccupied

to the degree that I had
forgotten my social obligations

to her family, as well as to
herself, was valid enough.

And I found it most difficult
to explain away my actions in

such a way as to be convincing.
And at the same time, find the

real nature of what had been
consuming the majority of my

hours inside the laboratory,
that only I knew existed beyond

the upstairs library. The fact
that I had begun to act in this

mysterious manner, since moving
into the house, was interpreted

by Beth as a bad omen. Not only
for the present but in regard to

our life together after
marriage. She felt assured that,

in some way, the house itself
was to blame and could never

become a place of happiness.
I've merely pointed out that in

the years that were to come,
all talk of omens, good or bad,

would long be forgotten.

Dr. Malthus had found himself in
an environment, that to him,

would, without doubt, bring
about the final, complete

success of his long-awaited
experiments. His delight over

modern day apparatus had brought
such optimism that he flatly

stated that the time was fast
approaching in which he would

have the answer to his problem
of blood separation. And soon

would provide a continuous
supply of cells that inherently

would never break down within
the body, no matter what the

circumstances. These would, in
turn, provide each organ with

the necessary nourishment to
regrow themselves perpetually.

As a scientist, I was of course,
greatly intrigued.

Beth had assumed a new attitude,
and somehow convinced herself

that a doctor involved deeply in
the many problems of research

should be viewed with a great
emphasis upon patience and

understanding. Even to her
mother, who was beginning to

doubt the sincerity of my
intentions. Beth persisted in

the defense of that in which,
even though she knew nothing of

the details, she felt was a
legitimate and necessay part

of my medical probings. As fate
would have it, the time arrived

when the first real clue to my
actions would be heard

first-hand.

The visitor was a colleague of
mine, Dr. Clinton Bernard, who

had for years worked side by
side with me at the hospital in

which we both devoted two days a
week to the charity patients.

Dr. Bernard felt uneasy about
his visit and wanted to

apologize in advance for
bringing news that was not only

unpleasant but perhaps, a breach
of faith that is held so highly

by those in our profession. In
coming to Beth at this time,

Dr. Bernard hoped that the two
of them could, in some way,

derive upon a plan that would
influence me to the realization

that my entire medical career
was in jeopardy via the

circumstances he had become
aware of.

He told Beth, quite frankly,
that I have been observed on

two occasions inside the
hospital lab, during the hours

in which everything is normally
dark and such entrance is

strictly forbidden by anyone
in the hospital employ.

It was found that several vials
of rarest drug combinations

were missing from the shelf. And
also a great amount of plasma.

And pure blood had been taken
from the refrigerated vaults in

in which very few individuals
had access to.

But Beth was conservative in
her evaluation of what she heard

and was relieved that Dr.
Bernard had come to her instead

of the authorities.

Her faith in me was admired by
Dr. Bernard but unfortunately

not shared. As one who had not,
himself, actually seen the act

of theft taking place, there
was little doubt in his mind as

to who was responsible.

Beth promised that she would
take definate action at the

earliest possibility in
relieving all suspicion, that to

her mind were not at all
justified.

Don't turn on the light.

- What's wrong?
- I've begun to age. You weren't

fast enough with the blood
supply.

- I have it.
- Your plasma compounds are no

use to me. Did you get it in
the natural state?

- No.
- Idiot. Poor, weak fool.

I should let you die.

( Car honking)

Doctor, Doctor. Doctor, wake up,
Doctor, Doctor.

Malthus. Malthus.

(screaming)

(knock at door)

(knock at door)

- So what do you make of it, Ed?
- I don't know.

Could be a simple case of
elopement. Could be those people

reported it to the police,
overplayed everything.

Then again, all this hullabaloo
in the papers could be legit.

Ah, but the trouble with the
papers, they always play every

story to the hilt. Always go the
same route.

Well, I double-checked every
crank call that came in last

night. Especially those out of
the Hancock Park area. Nothing.

Did get one though that kind of
made me sit up and do a double-

- take.
- Oh.

Well, it's the kind of a thing
you'd throw me out of the office

- for.
- Well come on, let's hear it.

Look Ed, I don't want to wake
your ulcer this early in the

morning. Ed, it probably has
nothing to do with the

disappearance of the Benson
girl anyway, even if it did turn

- out to be more than a crank.
- Sergeant, I've been running

this office for a long time.
When someone digs into the

crank file, I know what to
expect. Now let's hear it.

All right. I got a call from a
woman. Now she claimed that she

saw some character drag a girl
off, down the street. The time

was exactly right and it was
smack in the center of Hancock.

- Park.
- And you call this a crank call?

Right. Because that's not the
whole story.

- Oh.
- Well Ed, she claimed that,

she claimed the guy didn't look
human somehow. She claimed he

was some sort of a monster, a
vampire.

- A vampire.
- Ed, I told you...

All right, Sergeant, all right.
I asked for it and I got it.

Boy, the trouble with this job
is ya grab at straws and you

come up with broken fingernails.

So what did you come up with at
the house? Any leads on her

- parents? A boyfriend maybe.
- Well, we located the employer

through her paycheck. I sent
Richards over there to check out

some of the girls who might
have worked with her.

(phone rings)

Lieutenant Jamison. Yeah,
Richards. Uh, huh.

Right. Ok, I got it. Yeah, you
stay with her. Bye.

- So.
- Well, there was no particular

boyfriend, so that rules out the
elopement angle. But, uh, I want

to talk to that woman. The one
who claims she saw that vampire.

Bring her in. I want to talk to
her.

- Why, what did he turn up?
- Well, one of the girlfriends

from work went to church with
her last night and before they

went home in opposite
directions, she claims she saw a

figure behind some trees. But
she thought it was a teenage

prank because of the face mask.
You know, one of those monster

- faces.
- What time was that?

About 10:15. What time did you
make it?

- Right around 10:30.
- Uh, huh.

You know, Ed, it sounds as if,
it sounds as if he'd almost gone

- there to wait for her.
- Who were the officers who made

- the call?
- Delaney and Fisk.

Now they ran a patrol around the
entire circumference of Hancock.

Park between 10:40 and 11:00.
They double-checked with the

patrolman on duty on the
grounds. He'd just gone on his

shift but he told them that the
man before him had reported

everything was quiet. You know
there's no possible place to

park around there. There's none
permitted. None for miles around.

Now that would pretty well rule
out the possibility that uh, she

was dragged off in a car,
wouldn't it?

Then maybe she's still in the
neighborhood.

What, in a house a few blocks
from her own apartment? You'd

have to be a nut to pulll a
stunt like that.

Well, who else would wear a
face mask?

Well, anyway you look at it,
kidnapping isn't what the well

balanced citizen would
participate in for sport.

- Right. (Phone rings)
- Lieutenant Jamison.

Well, how long's she been
waiting?

All right, all right. Send her
in. I'll talk to her.

No, stick around. Let's see
what this one has to say.

Come in.

Uh, won't you have a chair,
Miss...

- I'm Mrs. Vernon.
- Mrs. Vernon.

- Mrs. Roger Vernon.
- Well, Mrs. Vernon, what uh,

- what can I do for you?
- Well, I really didn't want to

bother you and I still don't
know if my coming here might not

be in haste. But, after reading
the morning paper about this

poor Benson girl's disappearance
well, I thought it would be best

- under the circumstances.
- You uh, know something about

- the Benson girl?
- No, I'm afraid not. It's just

that it touched off a wave of
fear about my maid.

Well, what is it you fear about
your maid?

Well, it seems she's also
disappeared. You see, she's been

missing for several days. And
at first I told myself that

whatever she did was her own
business. And except for my

being without help, well, I
shouldn't interfere in her

private doings. Even if I did
feel they were a little strange.

- Strange.
- Well, I thought it was

somewhat unusual when several
nights ago, she told me she was

going to see a doctor she knew
to donate blood for some kind of

transfusion. Well, it sounded
odd but then she seemed to know

him quite well and had been
doing part-time work for him in

exchange for medical bills or
something.

Now don't misunderstand me. I
don't in any way believe the

doctor has done something wrong
or anything like that. It's just

that, I'm frankly concerned that
she may not have gotten there.

You see, she left late at night
without even changing into her

street clothes.

And didn't she uh, pack
anything, a suitcase?

Well, I've told you. She was
wearing the uniform she works in.

She put on a coat and went out
the door.

I see. Well, we'll look into it
for you, Mrs. Vernon. Uh, uh,

just give me the name of the
doctor she went to see uh,

- please.
- Well, I, I wish I knew. If I

did, I would have called him
myself.

Hmmph. All right then uh, will
you kindly give us some

information about her, name,
age, family. We'll start with

the address. So, I assume that
she had a room with you.

Yes, she did. Our address is 409
Elmwood Lane, north center of

the Hancock Park district.

Give it up, Malthus. Malthus,
you can't get away with it.

Malthus, listen to me. I know
what you plan to do. I've read

your notes. But what you have
in mind will never work.

Sure, you have three people now
and you require a total of four,

so you think. But the blood
types won't mix the way you

think they will. Malthus, you
can't just lock people up as if

they were animals. When are you
going to stop? You monster! You

monster! Monster!

Taking over my identity had
provided everything necessary.

And every facility to ensure the
successful propagation of his

continued fortune.

A ready made life was his to
step inside of.

When a definate date had
actually been made for the

wedding, even Beth's mother was
happier than she had been in

years. Everything seemed in
perfect order until Beth

wondered why a scarf should be
worn indoors.

Martin, what is it!

Let us touch our hands lightly
upon the table. And concentrate

fully on the forces that will
bring help to each individual

present this evening.

Let us pool our strength and
our vibrations so that each one

may concentrate his mind
completely and without

reservation into the one channel
of harmony that will lead us

into the realms of ether.

Let us put our minds into the
one channel and our bodily

vibrations into one unified
force.

Let us concentrate with our
being. With all our thought

power.

Until it is directed toward the
one point of combined strength

and harmony that will allow us
penetration into the realms

beyond.

I believe the current is forming
in which our minds may travel

upon.

May we have the first question
please?

I'd like to know if it's
possible to locate three missing

documents pertaining to the
estate of my uncle? It seems he

was the only one who knew where
the documents were hidden. Can I

- have some information on this?
- We will try.

Something is wrong with our
channel. I don't get anything

- at all.
- Maybe I'm trying too hard.

No, it's not you. But we're
being blocked.

Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't hear
you come in.

We'll have to start again in a
few moments.

- I'm glad you came.
- I had a radio call to come.

But, I didn't expect anything
quite like this. Frankly, I'm a

- bit surprised.
- Won't you sit down?

- Thank you.
- I telephoned your captain and

explained what we're doing here.
Have you had a talk with him

- about it?
- No, I tried to call him a few

minutes ago but he wasn't in.
The desk clerk at the hotel told

me where I'd find you and he
gave me a message from the

- captain. You mind?
- No, go right ahead.

Tell me, do you have any new
information on your maid?

- Not yet.
- Well then, why did you call?

Well, aren't you curious about
what you've seen here?

Mrs. Vernon, when I'm told to go
to a place, I go. I've seen a

lot of peculiar things in my
life but, I try not to let my

personal opinions interfere with
the job.

What is your opinion of this
group here tonight?

Well, I really don't think
that's important, do you?

I've only been doing this sort
of thing a short time.

I attended a few sessions as a
sitter and one of the best

mediums in the country, told me
that I would be able to do

exactly the same as herself,
if I'd work at it. Now, I

certainly don't claim to know
everything there is to know

about it. But, I've already met
with a certain degree of success.

Well I'm very glad to hear that,
Mrs. Vernon.

I was able to get a vision of
Freda. Now it was only

fragmentary but I saw her locked
up, behind bars of steel.

Now Mrs. Vernon, I'd think we'd
know if she was in jail

- somewhere, vision or no vision.
- Well I didn't say I saw her in

jail. But, definately inside
some kind of cage or cell.

Well, it was Freda I saw, I'm
certain of it.

Now, I don't know how you saw
what you say you saw. Or if in

fact, you saw anything at all.
I think some kind of a scientist

would be better qualified to
discuss that with you anyway.

What I am interested in is some
information on your maid.

Some information based in fact
and some information that I can

follow up on an intelligent
basis.

Are you familiar with the work
being done in Europe by mediums

connected with police
departments?

Yes, I've heard a little about
it.

Well, there was a case in
Holland where the criminal was

found within ten hours after the
search began.

Yes, you're talking about the
uh, Sebastian murder. Yes, there

was a good deal of noise about
that.

I'm also aware that the wire
services tend to pick up a story

like that and capitalize on it
if they can. Unfortunately, they

tend to play up those items that
are hottest in news value and to

play down the routine matters
that are a little bit dull by

comparison.

I'm not completely familiar with
the Dutch police or all of their

procedures. But, I'm sure that
this medium was not the only

factor that brought the killer
in.

Well, I think you'd find it
interesting if you went a little

deeper into what actually
happened.

You see, the police had only
one clue to go on. A button that

was torn off the shirt of the
murderer.

Yes, and then the medium went
into some kind of a trance and

- described the murderer, right?
- A full and factual description.

It was unusual because the man
was something of a giant,

- 6 foot, 7 or so.
- Now they have mug books over

there, the same as we have over
here. And how long do you think

it would take any police
department to filter out all of

the suspects that are 6 foot 7?
If you remember the case, that

man turned out to have a
criminal record as long as your

- arm.
- So you'll just admit it, it

was really based upon the
medium's work and nothing else.

Well how could they know to look
for a man of those proportions

- without the information?
- I don't know Mrs. Vernon,

I've told you I'm only vaguely
familiar with the case.

I'm really not interested in it.
What I am interested in

is some information on your
maid. Now do you have some for

- me or don't you?
- Well I told you I haven't,

- not yet.
- Then that's the way I'll

write it in my report.

Miss. Wake up.

Wake up! You're the only one
who can reach the keys.

Try it.

- I need you now.
- All right.

(scream)

Life. Life.

Life. Life. Life. Life.

You fools. Eternal, never-ending
life. Life. I have the answer.

Eternal life. Eternal life. I
have the answer. Life. Life...