Miss Leslie's Dolls (1973) - full transcript

Oh my God, help me!

Enraged gods and demons
clash in eternal battle,

integrating essence, matter,
into new forms of life.

I too shall be able to
attain this metamorphosis.

Tonight, perhaps.

What now?

We're out of gas.

Well I don't know about you,

but I'm not spending one
more minute in this cemetery.

What can we do?

Start walking.



There must be a town
or a village somewhere.

You want to risk it on
foot through this swamp

in the middle of a storm?

Yes, I do, Mr. Sanders.

With or without you.

Come on girls, get your luggage.

- Hurry up, Roy!
- I am, I'm hurrying!

I'm hurrying, all right?

Okay Miss Frost, you're the
boss, where do we go from here?

I haven't the faintest idea,
but there must be someplace.

Let's go this way.

Look!

A farmhouse!

In this wilderness?



I wonder what kind of
people live in there?

Who cares?

Maybe it's empty.

It scares me, Miss Frost.

Me too, it looks old and deserted.

Well, anything's better
than being in this storm.

Come on.

This storm's getting worse.
It's awful.

A double shot of bourbon

would come in good right now.

There's that bird again.

Have you got any matches?

Just my cigarette lighter.

You're not going in there, are you?

Of course I am.

Come on, girls.

Are you nuts?

God!

Please excuse this intrusion, Miss.

But we're in desperate need of help.

I wasn't expecting any visitors.

Least of all on a night like this.

How did you get in?

Your door was unlocked.

We knocked, and then we
took the liberty to, uh,

we're stranded Miss, uh, Miss?

The door?

Nobody ever comes through that door.

No living creature.

The cat gets restless in
the presence of strangers.

Let's get out of here, Roy.

Uh, Miss Frost, I believe
we're not welcome here.

Wait.

Please, we need your help.

Miss, um, Miss?

Leslie.

Leslie Lamont.

It's all right, Tom.

They're nice people.

I am hardly prepared
to accommodate guests.

And yet...

No, I can't put you out in the rain.

Thank you.

Are from any
of the neighboring towns?

Uh, no ma'am, we're from Boston.

Boston?

Boston...

That's a long way from here.

Uh, the girls and I are students.

And uh, Miss Frost is one of our teachers.

Boston...

I lived in Boston many years ago.

My mother owned a small
toy factory, dolls.

Dolls mainly, in the
old section of the city.

Why are you so far away from home?

You see, Miss Lamont,

we traveled south with
our football team...

Please, be seated.

Over here.

Miss Leslie, we can still be on our way

if we could phone a gas station

in one of the surrounding towns.

I'm sure they could help us.

No, child.

Unfortunately, my phone is out of order.

Oh, no.

The storm knocked the
lines down in the area.

Besides, they wouldn't dare come tonight.

The roads are impassable.

And the old bridge to the north

was washed away by the river.

Goodness, what can we do?

Storms fascinate me.

In moments like these,

I feel my spirit reinvigorated

by the outbursts of such powerful forces.

My, we can guess.

Imagine what would have happened to us

if we stayed out there, huh?

Yeah, we get the picture.

Our good fortune brought
us to your door, Miss Leslie.

I believe so.

And you're welcome to stay, of course.

But the house is so dreary.

I live alone.

I have very little to offer
you in the way of comfort.

That's all right, we'll manage.

Yes, you're very kind.

Thank you, Miss Leslie.

My name is Alma Frost.

This is Roy Sanders.

And the girls...

I'm Lily.

I'm Martha.

Martha?

No...

No, it-it's not possible...

Her name...

The startling resemblance...

As if again I was in the
presence of the same girl...

Miss Leslie?

Is anything wrong?

Oh, it's incredible.

This girl, she...

She's identical.

Who are you, child?

How old are you?

Almost 20.

But...

Why do you ask?

What's this all about?

20 years.

She's back...

It's her, alive again...

Reincarnated.

It has to be true!

Oh, I recognise you now.

Your eyes, your voice, your face,

everything about you is the same.

You are Martha.

Yes, yes.

My Martha.

What do you mean?

Oh...

Oh, I'm sorry.

I sh...

I shouldn't have said that.

You wouldn't understand.

I do.

You're deeply moved by Martha's
resemblance to another girl.

A dead girl.

It's been a shock to you.

Who was she, Miss Leslie?

My dearest friend.

A lovely creature employed by my mother

in our little doll factory.

Martha.

She was the only one
that knew and understood

the painful sorrows of
my innermost secrets.

We loved each other.

Had she survived the horrible occurrences

of that awful night,

my life would have been a happy one.

Miss Leslie...

I hate myself for being
the cause of your sadness,

but how was I to know?

Oh, that's all right, child.

It's over now.

Well, I'm sorry.

Thank you, my dear.

Thank you.

Please, accept my apologies.

I shouldn't be bothering you

with my painful recollections.

You're my guests.

Can I offer you anything to eat or drink?

That would be great, I'm starving.

Yeah, a shot of bourbon
would do me a world of good.

Oh, very well.

Then let's go into the kitchen.

Would you mind helping me?

Poor woman, she seemed so confused.

I felt sorry for the poor
thing, that's why I kissed her.

Hey, don't I get a kiss too?

Since Miss Frost isn't around...

Hey later, later, we can,

we'll still find a chance
to, uh, you know, sleep.

Yeah, but how?

Ah, don't worry.

We'll find a way, that's
what you want, isn't it?

Huh?

It'll be a frugal supper, I'm afraid.

Oh, that's quite enough, Miss Leslie.

That girl, I can't get over it.

Does she really resemble
that dead girl that much?

Oh, she's identical.

Believe me, she could be the same girl

that ceased to exist
physically 20 odd years ago.

Her body was consumed by fire.

How dreadful!

Miss Leslie, do you really believe

that after death comes to us
that we're again reincarnated?

Positively.

Eternally.

We never die, Miss Frost.

That which we call death
is only the transition

from one life into another one.

This undeniable truth is
known to those who delve

into the secretes depths of the occult.

Do you?

Yes.

I'm a profound student
of the supernatural.

According to those theories,

I could choose who and what I want to be

every time I reincarnate.

It's not that simple, my dear.

Well, enough of this.

Enjoy your supper.

There, meanwhile, I'll arrange
for your accommodations.

I'll give you a hand.

Miss Frost?

What do you make of all that crazy stuff?

Pure nonsense.

Sweet, silly Miss Leslie
is a gullible fool.

The storm is over.

That's a relief.

Yeah.

Miss Leslie, aren't you
afraid on a night like this,

living alone in all this wilderness?

Wouldn't it be better if you
had some sort of companionship?

A maid, perhaps?

I've been very unlucky with maids.

Usually old women, tired and clumsy.

There was a girl.

Recently.

A lovely girl from one of
the neighboring farms.

She would come here on weekends

to help me with the chores.

I was growing very fond of her.

She seemed so strong, so healthy.

And yet...

Oh, it was so unexpected.

A strange and paralysing
illness confined her to bed

only a few days ago.

She was, she was buried yesterday.

Are you coming, Miss Frost?

Yes.

My seclusion, however,
is good for the spirit.

Nothing disturbs me.

In loneliness, I can devote
most of my time to my studies,

to meditation, prayer,

and the pursuit of the glorious goal

which I have imposed upon myself.

Besides, I'm not entirely
alone, Miss Frost.

I have the satisfaction
of my precious dolls.

And the jolly company of Tom.

My cat.

Well, what do you know?

The old witch has a heart.

She's a bit off her rocker though.

Tell me darling, do you
remember any of your past lives?

Silly.

Hey uh, listen, I'm gonna go see

if Miss Leslie keeps the
booze under the kitchen sink.

These retired hot mamas

are secretly fond of the bottle, you know?

Okay.

Gee, I like Roy.

So do I.

When I suggested travelling with him,

I had visions of a cosy motel room,

with Roy to keep my company.

What a coincidence, I was
hoping for the same setup.

Well, if only Miss Frost
hadn't imposed herself upon us

with her crazy ideas of morality.

Yeah, she's a dry prune.

Come on, let's get some sandwiches ready.

What the hell is this?

You know, Roy must down in the cellar

searching for that bottle.

Yeah.

Weird, ya think?

Roy, where were you?

Hey honey, what's wrong?

You look pale, as if
you'd just seen a ghost.

Don't you feel well?

I'd feel better if I were
10,000 miles away from here.

What's wrong, doll?

This dame, Miss Leslie,
she's some kind of an oddball,

a cult fan or something.

Come on, just get a load of this.

Come on.

- Wow.
- Miss Leslie's fancy.

This place gives me the creeps.

It has smell of death.

What is this?

What goes on in here?

I don't know, but I suppose
that our charming host

is practicing some extravagant religion.

She's some kind of a girl
worshipper or something.

See for yourselves.

Wild, ain't it?

Wax figures, look like.

Goddesses of a weird love cult.

I've never seen
anything like this before.

Me neither.

The statues, Roy.

They're real girls!

Nonsense.

Dead girls!

Don't be silly.

They-they're wax dummies.

Dolls, like the ones
you'd see in a museum.

Come in, Miss Frost.

Roy and the girls are
admiring my sanctuary.

Oh, Miss Leslie, you must forgive us.

We wandered in here.

Oh, that's all right young man.

Every one of us needs a secluded spot.

A temple, to worship according
to our own religious fervour.

This is mine.

Everything in here is
representative of my beliefs.

The altar symbolises the
ever-expanding universe.

And the perennial flame is eternal life.

And what about the dolls?

Symbols, my child.

Symbols.

Manifestations of my creative longings.

I adore beauty.

They're magnificent works of art.

You flatter me, Miss Frost.

All my life, I've been
surrounded by beautiful dolls.

Ever since childhood.

I believe I mentioned that my mother owned

a small doll factory in Boston.

Where Martha and I mastered
the art of making them.

Rag dolls...

Rubber, plastic, paste.

But they were only toys.

Playthings that ceased to
satisfy me as I grew older.

But I wanted more.

The real human quality.

Wax is a very viable substance.

My dolls are not made of wax.

No?

What'd I tell you?

They're made of...

Oh.

No, it's...

It's a well-guarded secret.

The thought occurred to
me when I was convalescing

at a sanitarium, after the tragedy.

Nothing critical though.

Just minor wounds.

Shock.

Sadness.

You see, our little doll factory

was totally destroyed by fire.

Oh...

I survived.

But mother and Martha didn't.

After that...

Mama's precious dolls, as
dear mother used to call me,

was never the same.

However, I had become aware of myself.

My real, true self.

So, being well-to-do financially, I,

I bought this old property,

excluded myself almost completely

from the ways of the world,

and devoted my life to
search deeper and deeper

into the possibilities of things unknown.

Occultism.

Yes.

The mysteries of everlasting existence.

Its forms...

Its transmutations...

The multiple changes of essence and matter

which take place within the
vastness of the universe.

It's a most absorbing and
fascinating subject, I assure you.

But you must be tired, and hungry.

Can I offer you a bottle
of wine with your supper?

I could do with a
double shot of bourbon.

I need it.

Bourbon?

Yes, I believe I have a bottle somewhere.

Wait.

Can you believe that?

I need a drink as much
as you do, a strong one.

We'll have one.

There's something about Miss Leslie

that gives me the creeps.

Oh, that's ridiculous.

Oh come on, don't be silly.

It's better to spend the
night with our hostess

than to be out in that lonely cemetery.

Yeah, but those dolls...

Well, what are we waiting for?

First she had that crazy
idea about my reincarnation.

And now this, the dolls, the sanctuary.

And all that weird talk about
the spirit world or something.

You're not afraid, are you?

Yes, as a matter of fact!

Ah, come on.

Let's eat, huh?

Yeah, let's get
that drink we were promised.

Yeah, some good bourbon, huh?

Are you coming, Miss Frost?

Oh!

Yes, of course.

Where's Miss Leslie?

With the dolls, she locked herself in.

Is there any coffee for me?

It's on the stove.

Such beauty...

It could have been mine.

Only a corpse now.

I failed...

Again, I failed...

Damned be the spirit that
dwelled in this flesh.

Damn you!

Damn you, spirit, for not yielding to me

while I had you under
the spell of my power!

Damn you!

May you be destroyed,
diluted into nothingness,

and damned forever!

I must speak to my mother.

She's to blame for this.

Yes, she keeps on haunting me.

Interfering.

Yes...

Yes, I must talk to her.

Ham and cheese, Miss Frost.

Thanks, Lily.

Mmm, this coffee's reheated.

Here, take a shot of this.

Whiskey.

No thanks.

Alcohol's a very pernicious habit.

Ah, the same can be
said about that stuff.

It'll keep you awake.

It never does.

Don't drink that,
Miss Frost, put it down.

There's some
wine in the refrigerator.

You can have some of that instead.

Why all this fuss?

I like coffee.

At any rate, it's less
harmful than whiskey.

You know, Miss Frost,
for a woman of our time,

young and pretty, you always seem to be

very much out of place.

You don't smoke, you don't drink,

you refuse to enjoy yourself.

You're as cold and lifeless
as Miss Leslie's dolls.

Roy, stop it.

Come on, teach.

Why don't you relax that
rigid attitude of yours

for a change?

Become more human, more of a companion.

I've already reminded you,
we're not in a classroom.

You're drunk.

Roy, please.

Here.

Try it.

It's strong stuff.

It might even turn you on.

It might help you overcome
your prudish inhibitions.

That's enough, Roy!

Why don't you grow up?

If you ever do that again, I'll...

Miss Leslie?

It's getting late, I...

You want to retire.

Of course, dear.

Later, you promised, okay?

Yeah.

Midnight.

I'm usually in bed by 10.

It will be a quiet and peaceful night.

After the storm.

You girls can decide
on the rooms you want.

And the boy can sleep on
the couch in the parlour.

- Good night.
- Good night.

Good night, Miss Leslie.

Oh, I'll take this one.

I want to be alone.

But Martha, wouldn't it be better

if we shared the double bed...

Shh.

So Miss Frost
can have the other one

all to herself?

No.

I'm not accustomed to
sharing my room with anybody.

Martha, it's just for one night!

Shh.

- No.
- She's here.

All right Lily, we'll manage.

Oh, who's mad now?

Isn't it wonderful?

You know, uh...

Lily could have been in on this.

No.

Not tonight.

Tonight I want you for myself, Roy.

I want you too.

I've been waiting
for a moment like this.

You're a selfish,
sex-starved little kitten, huh?

Don't you suppose the others
get wise to our little game?

I want you, Roy.

What's bugging you, honey?

I don't snore, I promise you.

Would it be any different
if Martha were here?

Miss Frost, please, I'm very tired.

All right, honey.

All right.

Roy?

Come here, Roy.

I could stay here with you forever.

In this house?

Won't Miss Leslie's
peculiarities bother you?

Who cares?

What about the dolls, hmm?

Dummies.

They're dummies, Roy.

We're alive.

Oh...

Oh my...

Oh God!

Oh!

Roy!

The open grave, the car.

I must be careful.

I have always been careful.

Look at me.

You gotta inhale it, baby.

Inhale it.

Good.

Miss Frost, you've changed.

Have I?

You suddenly look prettier.

You're beautiful.

Not as lovely as you.

I suppose you're used to
seeing me in a different light.

The stern schoolteacher.

But I'm just another girl, darling.

With the aspirations and
the cravings that you have.

Perhaps a little more intense.

A little more unsatisfied.

Well?

Good night, Miss Frost.

Good night, honey.

Good night.

I'm so sleepy.

You know...

We ought to get acquainted.

Really acquainted.

There must be 1,000 things

that we don't know about each other.

It's rather late, Miss Frost.

Let's talk.

Let's pretend that you
and I are the only ones

left in the world.

Nothing else matters.

Because nothing else exists.

Would you like that?

That's a weird kind
of thought, Miss Frost.

Shh...

Listen.

Everything seems to be standing still.

Mmm, isn't it wonderful?

The house is so quiet.

So quiet that I can hear your heartbeat.

It's racing madly.

Miss Frost, no...

Just call me Alma, darling.

Call me Alma.

Alma?

Alma?

Mmm, no more Lily, no more...

Oh, I'm so tired.

I'm dying, I-I'm dying...

What?

I feel like I've taken a drug.

And it's just now
beginning to take effect.

The coffee you had, it made you ill!

Ooh, my body...

I feel like I'm floating...

Oh, it's so marvelous...

Beautiful...

Alma, you frighten me!

Oh, Lily, go to sleep.

Alma?

Oh, God.

Lily!

Mmhmm, just as I thought.

Oh, welcome aboard, doll.

We missed you.

How's Miss Frost?

She's asleep.

Well, that figures.

Did she ask you to say your
prayers before retiring?

No, not exactly.

But we did have some sort
of a, an understanding.

Can I stay for a while?

Of course.

Of course.

You shall not rot.

I promise you.

I'll make you into another
one of my beautiful,

precious dolls.

I must see mother now.

Talk to her.

Mother?

Mother, I'm here.

Martha's back!

She's back, mother, isn't that wonderful?

You do understand, don't you?

No.

No, you never understood or cared for me!

Why, mother?

Why?

Why, mother?

Answer me, damn you!

Oh, forgive me.

Forgive me mother, I,
I didn't mean to yell.

All these years you've been
haunting me, interfering,

persistently trying to
deprive me of my happiness.

My kind of happiness.

You're a demon, you hear?

A demon.

And tonight, you are at it again.

You forced the spirit
of the cataleptic girl

to surrender the flesh.

You caused her to die just
as you've done in the past

with the others.

As you did with Martha, 20 years ago,

preventing me from taking
spiritual possession

of her precious body when she
too is in a death-like trance

which I had brought upon her with this!

You accused me of murdering
her, and I killed you.

I had to, mother, I had to.

You were going to call the
police and have me committed.

But I stopped you, remember?

A match.

A simple little match
thrown into our chemicals

and I stood there in awe,

watching as the whole
shop went up in flames.

But now Martha's back.

She's back.

She's here and she's mine, you understand?

Mine!

You won't take her away from me, mother.

No...

No, mother, please.

No...

No, no...

Yes...

Tonight, I'll cease to be the undesired,

the unfortunate creature
to whom you gave birth,

mother dear.

I'll die.

I'll die, but only to be reborn instantly.

Reincarnated in the wholesome,

youthful body of that beautiful girl.

A body capable of giving
and receiving the pleasures

of physical love in all
its joyous manifestations.

The love and the happiness
that I never had.

Tonight, mother.

This time you shall bear witness.

Don't go, Roy.

I need another drink.

Besides, I gotta get some sleep,

or I won't be able to
drive in the morning.

Hey, be nice, girls.

Roy?

What now, Lily?

I want a drink too.

Go to bed, I'll bring
it up to you, okay?

Hey, Charlie.

Why aren't you out catchin'
mice or somethin', huh?

What's the matter, huh?

Okay, Tiger, beat it.

Oh my God!

My God!

You killed her!

Help!

Dear God, help!

Oh, you killed her!

You struck her with the axe!

Because it's you
I want, Martha, your body,

your beautiful body!

Oh, let me go!

Yes, you shall go, your spirit.

And I'll take possession of your body.

Sleep.

I need it.

Your spirit.

And I'll take possession of your body.

Sleep now.

Sleep now.

Sleep now.

Sleep now.

Go away!

No!

No, please, no!

No!

No, please!

Please!

Lily?

Miss Leslie?

Miss Leslie?

It's just a dream.

A bad dream.

Miss Leslie?

Girls, where are you?

Where is everybody?

She's dead...

She's dead, mother.

It was you again.

Why did you take her away from me?

Why do you punish me?

Why?

I realise now that I'll
never achieve the impossible.

You won't let me.

I'll remain what I am
for as long as I live...

Lily?

Lily!

Lily?

There's only you now, Miss Frost.

Only you.

I can try it again.

Murderer!

And you are so young, and so beautiful.

You're mad!

Stay away from me!

Oh, don't say that.

Don't say that.

Miss Frost, you are my only hope.

There's only you now, your
body, your beautiful body...

No!

You raving maniac!

I want you.

I want you.

I want you.
No!

No!

I want you, Alma.

I want you.
Please!

A man!

You're a man!
Damn you, damn!

I'll kill you for this!

Nobody's ever seen my face,
not since the hospital.

Nobody's ever known...

That was crazy...

Hey, somebody!

Get me out of here!

Hey, come on, get me out of here!

Get me out of here!

Oh my God, help me!

I can't...

I can't go on...

Roy?

Roy...

I might as well lay down...

Oh...

Look at me!

Look at me now!

A woman!

Miss Frost?

- Are you all right?
- I guess so.

That old witch slugged me.

- I know.
- And locked me in here.

She's some kind of a nut
or something, I think.

Not anymore, Roy.

Hey, where is she?

Where are the girls?

Asleep.

Oh, that's a relief.

What am I doing here?

I still don't understand.

You don't have to.

You've been with girls.

You've made love to them.

So?

Let's pretend that
they've ceased to exist.

That the whole world
surrounding us is dead.

Miss Frost...

Your voice, you sound like Miss Leslie.

Do I?

I don't understand.

I thought you didn't like me.

Oh, but I do, darling.

I want you, I need you.

All my life I've been longing
for a moment like this...