The Invaders (1967–1968): Season 2, Episode 4 - Valley of the Shadow - full transcript
A series of mischances leads an alien to kill a human doctor, and get arrested in the small town of Carterville, Wyoming. His alien friends bungle his rescue, and the entire town sees him go up in red flames! Now, the entire town understands that aliens have come to Earth. And the aliens are desperate to keep that knowledge from spreading - so desperate that when David Vincent finds out what they plan to do, he desperately tries to strike a deal with them to stop it. If he fails, the town of Carterville may find itself under water - a lot of water.
If we're going to have any
kind of a honeymoon, Sam,
these early morning
calls have got to go.
Steady, Doc.
When we get back, I'll
pour you a tranquilizer.
Don't "Doc" me, Doc.
Anyway, I have nothing
to say for a physician
who's so jealous
of the competition
he has to ask her to marry him.
Come here and shut up.
Maria, call the highway patrol.
Then come help me.
One-eight-A, eight-six-one-one.
One-eight-A...
Don't try to move. I'm a doctor.
I'm-I'm okay.
Uh, just get me out of here.
What were you
doing driving like that?
My brakes went out, I guess.
Look, I'm all right.
Just help me to get out of here.
Please, just hold still.
Don't touch me!
Don't be a fool.
You'll kill yourself.
Sam, watch out!
Sam?
Sam?!
Starring Roy Thinnes as
architect David Vincent.
The invaders...
alien beings from
a dying planet.
Their destination... the Earth.
Their purpose... to
make it their world.
David Vincent has seen them.
For him, it began one lost night
on a lonely country road
looking for a shortcut
that he never found.
It began with a
closed, deserted diner
and a man too long without sleep
to continue his journey.
It began with the landing of
a craft from another galaxy.
Now David Vincent knows
that the invaders are here,
that they've taken human form.
Somehow, he must
convince a disbelieving world
that the nightmare
has already begun.
The guest stars
in tonight's story:
Nan Martin... Harry
Townes... Ron Hayes...
Joe Maross.
Carterville, Wyoming.
Once a processing center
for local copper mines--
Now a relic.
Population: 1,216.
Principal features:
The Laramie
Mountains on the south,
the North Platte
River on the north.
Principal industry:
Contemplation of the past.
In its 71 years, Carterville
has had only four murder cases.
The latest, committed by
a member of an alien race,
will never be recorded
in the history books.
I want to talk to him... now.
Not until he sees
his lawyer, Will.
We're not going to make
any mistakes with this one.
You owe me a favor from the
campaign, now don't you forget it.
Well, you should've
backed the competition.
I'm not much with favors.
Sheriff?
His name's Vincent.
He's been here for half an hour
and he wants to see Manners.
Are you his lawyer?
No, I'm not.
What is it you're selling?
The reason he
killed the doctor...
And it's free.
I accept the gift.
I want to see him first.
The picture in the
paper wasn't clear.
I'd like to be sure.
What is he to you?
He once tried to kill me.
Mind if I see your I.D.?
I take it you're in no hurry.
He isn't going anywhere.
In a couple of days,
he's going up in smoke.
I'd like someone to
see it when he does.
Look, Vincent, I
hate to upset you
but I have a murder
case to protect
and I'm not going to let
you turn it into a circus.
I'm just trying to help you.
Let me see him.
No circus.
Raise your hands.
All right, let's go.
He the one?
Yes.
Why did he kill Dr. Larousse?
He didn't want to be examined.
He has no pulse, no heartbeat.
Check it out.
Hey, Sheriff, who
is this character?
Vincent, you're beautiful.
It's a clever approach.
The city papers start screaming:
"Why did they examine
him against his will?"
And a clever lawyer to bring
in lots of smart testimony...
Look, I don't care
if you believe me.
But there's no law
against having that prisoner
examined by a recognized doctor.
Why doesn't he have a
pulse or a heartbeat, Vincent?
I'll explain that after
he's been examined.
Oh, come on now.
That's a pretty
wild thing to say.
What is he, some kind of freak?
All right.
He's different because he
wasn't born here on Earth.
He's from another planet.
Or he's really a frog
waiting to be kissed awake
but a beautiful princess.
Gentlemen, if you'll excuse me.
The man has no
pulse and no heartbeat.
Two days, three at the most,
he's going up in flames.
I don't know whether
to run you out of town
or lock you up.
Just let me use the telephone.
I have to call Captain
Taft at the air base.
You can use mine, Vincent.
Will...
Nope. I'd like to
hear more about this.
A little color
never hurt a story.
Will, don't forget
who your friends are.
My friends wouldn't let
me interview the prisoner.
They can't do much about
me interviewing a stranger.
After you, sir.
Sheriff!
Hey, hey, Sheriff!
What do you want, Manners?
My lawyer.
I want to call my lawyer now.
Stick your hands out.
You know, that guy Vincent...
He's the one that
ought to be locked up.
You can use my cell.
Right there.
Sheriff, I, uh...
I want to talk to my
lawyer... not you.
Manners?
Yeah.
Now, look, you've got to get
me out of here now. Right now.
They got an Air Force
captain on the way.
Which base is he from?
What planet's he from?
I don't know.
Well, what's he doing in
this part of the country?
I don't know that, either.
Well, look, you're not
trying hard enough, Vincent.
You got to use your
imagination a little.
Your phone, please.
You cooperate with me
and I'll cooperate with you.
Make you a big man.
Pictures, wire services...
Captain Taft.
Captain, this is
David Vincent calling.
You told me if I
ever "caught one"
I should give you a call.
Well, I'm calling.
Now, don't hang up yet.
Regulation 33-6 of
the UFO manual says
you've got to check it out.
Well, thanks for telling me.
Where are you, Vincent?
Yes, I know where it is.
I'll be there.
I've always been a
book man, Corporal,
but there are some regulations
I just don't understand.
Call the motor pool,
have them send a car over.
I'm going to help
you anyway, Vincent.
There's another doctor in
this town... Maria McKinley.
She was engaged to
marry Sam Larousse.
Ordinarily, she wouldn't touch
the man that killed
him with a ten-foot pole.
It wouldn't even
be right to ask her.
But in the interest
of science...
In the interest
of selling papers.
I'm going to get her to
listen to his heartbeat,
check his pulse.
That doesn't worry you, does it?
No.
Good.
You help yourself to coffee.
I'll get right on it.
What do you know about
this, uh, Vincent, sir?
Only that he'll
do anything at all
to get his name in the papers.
I've never had the pleasure
of meeting the gentleman.
You mean he just picks
up the phone and calls you?
That takes a lot
of gall, Captain.
That it does, Sergeant.
Enough gall to be
divided into three parts.
Hello, Maria.
I'm sorry to bother you.
Will, what do you want?
Well, there's something going on
that I think you ought
to know about, Maria.
I think that the dignity
of Sam's memory
is in jeopardy.
Will... if you want
me to cry or swear
or throw you out of here,
just so you can get a
nice, juicy paragraph
in Sam's obituary... Maria...
there is a man in town
over in Gordon's
office right this minute
who says that Sam was
killed by a spaceman.
A spaceman?
Without any
heartbeat or any pulse.
I wouldn't lie to you, Maria,
especially not
at a time like this.
All right.
What do you want
me to do about it?
Well, I think it would
help stop these stories
if a doctor examined Manners,
as painful as that would be.
Prove the fellow's lying.
And I think Sam
would approve, too.
Will, you could no
more know Sam's mind
than the man in the moon.
Good to meet you, Mr. Clemens.
Glad to meet you, Captain.
There, uh... ought to be a law.
Well, if there were a law,
I'd have locked him up by now.
Well, Captain, I'm glad
we're finally getting to meet.
Briefly, and for the last time.
If you'll go ahead with
your demonstration,
I'd like to get back for lunch.
Well, first of all,
we need a doctor.
Amen.
You choose a doctor.
This is a two-doctor
town, Vincent.
One was murdered,
the other was his fiancée.
She saw it happen
and I'm not about to ask her.
You're the man with the story.
Dr. McKinley.
I wish I could have
told you in my own way.
It wouldn't have mattered.
You see, I don't believe
you've come here out
of delusion or paranoia
or anything like that.
You're his friend
and you've come to help him.
No, Doctor, I want to
have him examined.
If I'm wrong, you'll tell me
and I'll take your
word for it and leave.
Why... Why are you doing this?
What are you
going to get out of it?
He's making fools of you.
He'll have people laughing
so hysterically
at him and at you,
it'll make Sam's death a farce.
You better resolve this, Doctor,
or Mr. Hale will make
a Roman circus out of it.
Uh, Maria, I'll call the
coroner at the county office.
Why don't you go on home.
Sorry to wipe out
your story, Will.
You got me wrong, Gord.
Gordon, do you
want me to do this?
No, Maria.
I mean, would it help?
Does he have to be examined?
Well, I don't know any other way
to get rid of Vincent.
Look, Maria, I'm...
I'm walking a tightrope
to prevent a mistrial
or a change of venue.
We just have to be very careful.
Well, let's get it over with.
All right, Captain.
Sergeant, get my report forms
from the car, will you?
Yes, sir.
Not you, Will.
Mr. Hale says he has
no pulse or heartbeat.
That's true.
Let's get it over with.
He doesn't seem
to like the idea.
He is afraid.
I'm curious myself now.
Stand still, Manners,
or we'll have to put
the handcuffs on you.
Manners, you can't make it!
We have no choice, Clements.
Until this thing is cleared up,
I've got to see
that what happened
is kept inside the town.
I'm declaring martial law.
Well, what'll that do
except spread the hysteria?
There won't be hysteria
if you handle it right.
Keep the people
in their homes...
No public gatherings.
Gladys, an emergency's
been declared.
I want you to close
the switchboard
to all out-of-town calls.
Yeah, yeah.
Pull the plugs on every
line except this one.
Yes, yes. Right now.
I'll have my deputy
spread the word.
Jim?
Fine. Now I'd like
to call the air base.
Sit down.
Captain Taft here.
Get me UFO Investigation.
What's wrong?
This is a red call.
The Vincent report
was a flashing red.
I'll handle it from here.
What do you suggest?
Full investigation squad, full
shut-off, no news... the works.
Yes.
I'm taking measures to keep
the news from spreading.
I consider this an emergency.
You can't cut off
news just like that.
I didn't do it "just like that."
I declared martial law first.
Well, this is
important, Captain.
This is wire service
bulletin banner head news.
It'll make this town when
the AP and UPI get it.
What you mean,
Hale, is it'll make you.
You saw it happen, you took
the pictures, you wrote the copy.
You're thinking only of you.
Now, be nice, or I'll
suggest to the sheriff
that you're breaking the law.
All right, come on, break it up.
Break it up. Let's go.
How many are there, mister?
Say, where do these
people come from?
How come you know so much
about them? What do they want?
Look, the Air Force
is on top of it now.
Everything's
going to be all right.
Doctor...
What is it, Mr. Vincent?
Well, I came to
say that I'm sorry
you had to be put
through so much.
Thank you.
I didn't know Dr. Larousse...
but his death was important.
It's going to let
the world know...
Please stop it, Mr. Vincent.
This... cheap joke of
yours is in horrible taste.
I don't know how you did it,
but Manners will be caught again
and executed, and
you'll be punished
for helping him escape.
Doctor, Manners is dead.
You can fool all the
people in this town
all the time, Mr. Vincent
and you obviously have, but...
I'm a doctor, and I know
what is and is not
scientifically possible.
But you've seen the pictures.
You've talked to
people who were there.
Please. I'm sorry.
I don't want to talk anymore.
Sam's funeral is in an hour.
I just wish you'd come.
I just wish you'd
see for yourself
how important he
was to this town.
How loved he was.
I will be there.
And then maybe
you'll have the decency
to end this hoax.
Out of all the sick he healed,
not one came.
He loved this town.
He devoted his life to it.
And not one person came.
They're afraid.
They've seen something.
Something you refuse to see.
I came here to speak
to a full congregation
about my... friend, Sam Larousse
and the town he loved.
Everyone knew of the funeral?
Maria?
I simply don't
understand this. I...
May God have mercy on all of us.
"The Lord is my shepherd.
"I shall not want.
"He maketh me to lie
down in green pastures.
"He leadeth me
beside the still waters.
"He restoreth my soul.
"He leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness for His name's sake.
"Yea, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for Thou art..."
"Thy..."
"For Thou art...
Thy rod and Thy
staff, they comfort me."
The dam! It's going!
The dam! The dam!
The dam! The dam!
No, wait a minute.
What's that about the dam?
There's a crack in
it clear to the top,
and the water's
starting to come through.
Did you hear that?
About the dam?
I heard, Will.
The earthquake must
have put that crack in it.
You going to do
anything about it?
That's what I get paid for.
Well, what? What are
you going to do about it?
What about the
electricity going off?
Our phones, our
radios, the cars?
Just settle down.
I'll get us some help.
You people were
told to stay at home.
Everybody else
is following orders.
I expect you to do the same.
We'll let you know
what's happening.
Jimmy, get your brother.
Get out of town any way you can.
Bring back the Army,
the state police, anybody.
Jimmy... Don't let me down.
Captain?
I was just curious.
Why didn't you come here two
days ago, when I called you?
I told you. I was busy then.
What have you
done to Captain Taft?
Are you insane?
I am Captain Taft.
I never called two days ago.
Oh, yes, it had to be.
The power failure...
the earthquake...
and you're the only
new face in town.
What are you doing here?
Cutting them off
from the outside world.
Keeping them here so
they can't spread the word.
You can't cut off
communications forever.
What are you doing here?
They know the
truth, Mr. Vincent.
I'm only doing
what I have to do.
No.
Not the whole town.
You're not going to
murder the whole town...
They've got guns.
Pistols.
I don't care who they are.
If they can hit us at this
range, good luck to them.
I'm going up there.
Who are you?!
There must be another way.
You just can't wipe
out a whole town.
No other way.
The people believe;
you saw to that.
Look, it's too big a risk.
You'll draw too much attention.
We're not looking
forward to it, Vincent.
If it'll make you feel better,
I'll have my accounting to do...
for bungling Manners' escape.
I'll pay for that.
And how do you murder
a thousand people?
A harmless mist
will put them to sleep.
My people,
unaffected by the mist,
will escape before
the flood hits.
A natural disaster.
Look, you don't
want to kill them.
There'd be too much talk.
There'd be investigations.
Maybe I can talk them out of it.
This time, they
won't believe you.
If I can convince them
that there was attempt
to break Manners out of jail.
How you going to explain
what happened to him?
Fumes from the gas
tank, a flash of fire,
uh, uh... an optical illusion.
I don't know, but it's
worth a try for both of us.
What about the
electricity going off?
I'll think of something.
Good luck.
How much time do I have?
An hour.
Two at the most.
My people are on their way.
Every living soul?
I knew it was something
pretty bad, but that...
that's hard to believe.
I just need one
person to believe.
We have to make the
rest of the town think
I pulled some stunt to
get Manners out of jail.
Then they can be saved.
What do we have to do?
Maria's a doctor, a scientist.
She's respected
and she thinks I lied.
If she can convince the
rest, then they have a chance.
You're safe for six more hours.
Insulin will last that
long unrefrigerated.
And after that?
After that, I'll drive
you to Casper.
In what?!
He lied.
The whole thing was a hoax.
Tell her.
Tell me.
All right, he's
a friend of mine.
That's not all you told me.
He offered me $500
if I got him out of jail.
I was broke. Try it sometime.
I'm sorry you got
involved in this
but, uh, I needed the money.
You won't spend it
for ten years, Vincent.
Come on.
Oh, Maria...
Can you think of some way
for me to quiet down the town?
Thanks to Will Hale
and Vincent here,
they took it all seriously.
They're still jumpy.
I know they are.
You want me to talk to them?
Hale has a handpress
that's still working, maybe...
Oh, I hate to ask
you to do that.
I'll... I'll do it myself.
Gordon... I'm a doctor.
They trust me.
We'll print up some bulletins
and, and distribute
them around town.
Please, I want to do this.
If you think you're up to it.
Sheriff, we're going
to pack up our things
and get out of here.
What for?
It's all over, Will.
It was a jailbreak.
Vincent staged it
to get Manners out.
Ask him.
What are you trying
to do? Get me lynched?
Will.
Maria thought
you might print up
a special bulletin,
tell everybody in town
what really happened.
She's consented to
fill in a few of the facts.
Your paper.
You'd be the one responsible
for bringing this town
back to sanity again.
Yeah. Sure.
I'll get on it right away.
Come on, Maria.
It's your baby, Captain.
It's all yours now.
It won't work, Vincent.
Give it a chance.
I will.
This one time, we both
want the same thing.
I'm a scientist.
Now, I know it's
easy to be fooled
by natural phenomena
just because it's...
Well, it's unusual...
But don't be.
Don't let yourselves be.
Maria, I saw him burn up.
I took pictures, remember?
An optical illusion.
It's perfectly possible.
What about the
earthquake? The dam?
And the electricity going off?
An electrical disturbance.
Baloney.
You should be
ashamed of yourself.
Do you want to
remember Sam's death
as the time you all went mad?
How do you make a
fresh battery stop working?
Now, tell me that.
I have a car with
just 500 miles on it.
It doesn't work either.
Well, there is a reason.
There has to be a reason.
Just because I don't
know what it is...
Maria?
Before God and man,
could you be wrong?
Is it possible you
could be wrong?
Sheriff?
I'm sorry I let you down, Gord.
We couldn't get out.
What happened?
They're all around us.
They knocked out the bridge,
they're flooding the
valley, everything.
They've got this
machine out there
that's sucking up
all the electricity.
We can't get out of here.
Why did you lie to us, Maria?
I didn't mean to lie, Reverend.
I didn't think it could be.
I didn't see how it
was poss... possible.
Hey, look!
Detail, halt.
At ease.
What's going on
here? What's wrong?
Our trucks lost power
just outside of town.
Yeah. We're in the same fix.
Electricity's off,
all our cars have stopped...
He's your superior.
You've had your chance.
Now, please, don't
cause any more alarm
until it's over.
The people are more serene now.
It will be better for them
and better for us
if it stays that way.
Cooperate and I'll let you live.
Sure, you will.
There's got to be a
better way for both of us.
That's not my decision anymore,
and it's certainly not yours.
There's too much to explain.
Why can't you make
them forget it happened?
That's not possible.
Well, try.
Hypnotize them.
No.
Eventually, they'd replay
the day in their minds.
It would happen the same way.
Not even mind drugs could do it.
I've ordered preparations.
Ten minutes more.
You'll have a great
many questions to answer
when it's over.
David.
How much time do we have?
What do you mean?
No more acting, David.
You fooled me this afternoon.
No more.
A few minutes, I guess.
I'm sorry if I said
things... No, no.
If only there were
something I could do.
If I could organize the men
we could to resist somehow.
No, I know these people.
There'd be panic and bloodshed.
Just leave them alone.
For everyone else,
time stopped at
1:00 this afternoon.
For me it stopped yesterday.
Only Sam counted.
Today never happened.
Good-bye, David.
Good-bye.
Look, there might be a way.
Now, you said turning back
the clock through hypnosis
was impossible
because the events
would repeat themselves
exactly as they were.
But you can go back to Monday...
Make it happen
again, but differently.
Change one element... and
you can change the outcome.
I'll be that element.
Carterville, and all the
human souls within it,
hear this voice.
Obey this voice.
This voice communicates
to and commands you
for as long as you hear it.
To the town square, you
will bring every last item
you have acquired
since 9:00 this morning...
Every item... every paper,
every letter, every memory,
every thought, every artifact...
Everything since
9:00 this morning.
People will come and ask
you about a radio silence
which lasted for a day.
You will tell of an unusual
magnetic disturbance
which will be
spoken of for years.
Certain things
will have changed.
The road bridge
collapsed in an earthquake.
You will remember
the sound of it.
Tomorrow, at 9:00 in the
morning, you will awaken.
You will have lost one whole
day but you will not realize it.
Everything will
be as I have said.
Go now to where you
were at 9:00 this morning,
for that is where you
will begin tomorrow.
I want to talk to him... now.
Not till he sees
his lawyer, Will.
We're not going to make
any mistakes in this one.
You owe me a favor from the
campaign now, don't you forget it.
Will, you should've
backed the competition.
I'm not much with favors.
Sheriff?
His name's Vincent.
He's been here for half an hour
and he wants to see Manners.
Are you his lawyer?
No, I'm not.
What is it you're selling?
The reason he killed the doctor.
And it's free.
I accept the gift.
I want to see him first.
The picture in the
paper wasn't clear.
I'd like to be sure.
What is he to you?
He once tried to kill me.
Mind if I see your I.D.?
All right.
Raise your hands.
Let's go.
No. I'm sorry to
trouble you, Sheriff.
I've never seen
him before in my life.
"The Lord is my shepherd.
"I shall not want.
"He maketh me to lie
down in green pastures.
"He leadeth me
beside the still waters.
"He restoreth my soul.
"He leadeth me in the
paths of righteousness
"for His name's sake.
"Yea, though I walk through
"the valley of the
shadow of death,
"I will fear no evil.
"For Thou art with me.
"Thy rod and Thy
staff, they comfort me.
"Thou preparest
a table before me
"in the presence
of mine enemies.
"Thou anointest
my head with oil.
"My cup runneth over.
"Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me
"all the days of my life,
"and I will dwell in the
house of the Lord forever.
Amen."
He was a fine man, Maria.
A credit to his
profession and to you
and to this town, too.
It means a lot to
hear you say that, Will.
Thank you.
Maria, I feel worse
than any man here.
I liked Sam.
I really thought we
had the man who...
No, that wasn't the man, Gordon.
I knew the moment I saw him.
You had to let him go.
Yeah. Well, we're raising
Cain with the highway patrol.
They brought us the wrong man
and I want to find out why.
Doctor...
I came to pay my respects.
I'm sorry.
I can't place...
Were you a friend of Sam's?
No, I wasn't.
I had heard a great
deal about him.
Well, thank you.
It means so much to me
that everybody showed up.
It shows how loved
Sam really was.
Yes, he was.
Are you sure we haven't
met before, mister...?
Vincent. David Vincent.
Yes, I'm sure.
Thank you so much for coming.
Carterville, Wyoming.
Principle industry:
Contemplation of the past.
Population: 1,216 people--
All unaware that they have
been given back their future.
kind of a honeymoon, Sam,
these early morning
calls have got to go.
Steady, Doc.
When we get back, I'll
pour you a tranquilizer.
Don't "Doc" me, Doc.
Anyway, I have nothing
to say for a physician
who's so jealous
of the competition
he has to ask her to marry him.
Come here and shut up.
Maria, call the highway patrol.
Then come help me.
One-eight-A, eight-six-one-one.
One-eight-A...
Don't try to move. I'm a doctor.
I'm-I'm okay.
Uh, just get me out of here.
What were you
doing driving like that?
My brakes went out, I guess.
Look, I'm all right.
Just help me to get out of here.
Please, just hold still.
Don't touch me!
Don't be a fool.
You'll kill yourself.
Sam, watch out!
Sam?
Sam?!
Starring Roy Thinnes as
architect David Vincent.
The invaders...
alien beings from
a dying planet.
Their destination... the Earth.
Their purpose... to
make it their world.
David Vincent has seen them.
For him, it began one lost night
on a lonely country road
looking for a shortcut
that he never found.
It began with a
closed, deserted diner
and a man too long without sleep
to continue his journey.
It began with the landing of
a craft from another galaxy.
Now David Vincent knows
that the invaders are here,
that they've taken human form.
Somehow, he must
convince a disbelieving world
that the nightmare
has already begun.
The guest stars
in tonight's story:
Nan Martin... Harry
Townes... Ron Hayes...
Joe Maross.
Carterville, Wyoming.
Once a processing center
for local copper mines--
Now a relic.
Population: 1,216.
Principal features:
The Laramie
Mountains on the south,
the North Platte
River on the north.
Principal industry:
Contemplation of the past.
In its 71 years, Carterville
has had only four murder cases.
The latest, committed by
a member of an alien race,
will never be recorded
in the history books.
I want to talk to him... now.
Not until he sees
his lawyer, Will.
We're not going to make
any mistakes with this one.
You owe me a favor from the
campaign, now don't you forget it.
Well, you should've
backed the competition.
I'm not much with favors.
Sheriff?
His name's Vincent.
He's been here for half an hour
and he wants to see Manners.
Are you his lawyer?
No, I'm not.
What is it you're selling?
The reason he
killed the doctor...
And it's free.
I accept the gift.
I want to see him first.
The picture in the
paper wasn't clear.
I'd like to be sure.
What is he to you?
He once tried to kill me.
Mind if I see your I.D.?
I take it you're in no hurry.
He isn't going anywhere.
In a couple of days,
he's going up in smoke.
I'd like someone to
see it when he does.
Look, Vincent, I
hate to upset you
but I have a murder
case to protect
and I'm not going to let
you turn it into a circus.
I'm just trying to help you.
Let me see him.
No circus.
Raise your hands.
All right, let's go.
He the one?
Yes.
Why did he kill Dr. Larousse?
He didn't want to be examined.
He has no pulse, no heartbeat.
Check it out.
Hey, Sheriff, who
is this character?
Vincent, you're beautiful.
It's a clever approach.
The city papers start screaming:
"Why did they examine
him against his will?"
And a clever lawyer to bring
in lots of smart testimony...
Look, I don't care
if you believe me.
But there's no law
against having that prisoner
examined by a recognized doctor.
Why doesn't he have a
pulse or a heartbeat, Vincent?
I'll explain that after
he's been examined.
Oh, come on now.
That's a pretty
wild thing to say.
What is he, some kind of freak?
All right.
He's different because he
wasn't born here on Earth.
He's from another planet.
Or he's really a frog
waiting to be kissed awake
but a beautiful princess.
Gentlemen, if you'll excuse me.
The man has no
pulse and no heartbeat.
Two days, three at the most,
he's going up in flames.
I don't know whether
to run you out of town
or lock you up.
Just let me use the telephone.
I have to call Captain
Taft at the air base.
You can use mine, Vincent.
Will...
Nope. I'd like to
hear more about this.
A little color
never hurt a story.
Will, don't forget
who your friends are.
My friends wouldn't let
me interview the prisoner.
They can't do much about
me interviewing a stranger.
After you, sir.
Sheriff!
Hey, hey, Sheriff!
What do you want, Manners?
My lawyer.
I want to call my lawyer now.
Stick your hands out.
You know, that guy Vincent...
He's the one that
ought to be locked up.
You can use my cell.
Right there.
Sheriff, I, uh...
I want to talk to my
lawyer... not you.
Manners?
Yeah.
Now, look, you've got to get
me out of here now. Right now.
They got an Air Force
captain on the way.
Which base is he from?
What planet's he from?
I don't know.
Well, what's he doing in
this part of the country?
I don't know that, either.
Well, look, you're not
trying hard enough, Vincent.
You got to use your
imagination a little.
Your phone, please.
You cooperate with me
and I'll cooperate with you.
Make you a big man.
Pictures, wire services...
Captain Taft.
Captain, this is
David Vincent calling.
You told me if I
ever "caught one"
I should give you a call.
Well, I'm calling.
Now, don't hang up yet.
Regulation 33-6 of
the UFO manual says
you've got to check it out.
Well, thanks for telling me.
Where are you, Vincent?
Yes, I know where it is.
I'll be there.
I've always been a
book man, Corporal,
but there are some regulations
I just don't understand.
Call the motor pool,
have them send a car over.
I'm going to help
you anyway, Vincent.
There's another doctor in
this town... Maria McKinley.
She was engaged to
marry Sam Larousse.
Ordinarily, she wouldn't touch
the man that killed
him with a ten-foot pole.
It wouldn't even
be right to ask her.
But in the interest
of science...
In the interest
of selling papers.
I'm going to get her to
listen to his heartbeat,
check his pulse.
That doesn't worry you, does it?
No.
Good.
You help yourself to coffee.
I'll get right on it.
What do you know about
this, uh, Vincent, sir?
Only that he'll
do anything at all
to get his name in the papers.
I've never had the pleasure
of meeting the gentleman.
You mean he just picks
up the phone and calls you?
That takes a lot
of gall, Captain.
That it does, Sergeant.
Enough gall to be
divided into three parts.
Hello, Maria.
I'm sorry to bother you.
Will, what do you want?
Well, there's something going on
that I think you ought
to know about, Maria.
I think that the dignity
of Sam's memory
is in jeopardy.
Will... if you want
me to cry or swear
or throw you out of here,
just so you can get a
nice, juicy paragraph
in Sam's obituary... Maria...
there is a man in town
over in Gordon's
office right this minute
who says that Sam was
killed by a spaceman.
A spaceman?
Without any
heartbeat or any pulse.
I wouldn't lie to you, Maria,
especially not
at a time like this.
All right.
What do you want
me to do about it?
Well, I think it would
help stop these stories
if a doctor examined Manners,
as painful as that would be.
Prove the fellow's lying.
And I think Sam
would approve, too.
Will, you could no
more know Sam's mind
than the man in the moon.
Good to meet you, Mr. Clemens.
Glad to meet you, Captain.
There, uh... ought to be a law.
Well, if there were a law,
I'd have locked him up by now.
Well, Captain, I'm glad
we're finally getting to meet.
Briefly, and for the last time.
If you'll go ahead with
your demonstration,
I'd like to get back for lunch.
Well, first of all,
we need a doctor.
Amen.
You choose a doctor.
This is a two-doctor
town, Vincent.
One was murdered,
the other was his fiancée.
She saw it happen
and I'm not about to ask her.
You're the man with the story.
Dr. McKinley.
I wish I could have
told you in my own way.
It wouldn't have mattered.
You see, I don't believe
you've come here out
of delusion or paranoia
or anything like that.
You're his friend
and you've come to help him.
No, Doctor, I want to
have him examined.
If I'm wrong, you'll tell me
and I'll take your
word for it and leave.
Why... Why are you doing this?
What are you
going to get out of it?
He's making fools of you.
He'll have people laughing
so hysterically
at him and at you,
it'll make Sam's death a farce.
You better resolve this, Doctor,
or Mr. Hale will make
a Roman circus out of it.
Uh, Maria, I'll call the
coroner at the county office.
Why don't you go on home.
Sorry to wipe out
your story, Will.
You got me wrong, Gord.
Gordon, do you
want me to do this?
No, Maria.
I mean, would it help?
Does he have to be examined?
Well, I don't know any other way
to get rid of Vincent.
Look, Maria, I'm...
I'm walking a tightrope
to prevent a mistrial
or a change of venue.
We just have to be very careful.
Well, let's get it over with.
All right, Captain.
Sergeant, get my report forms
from the car, will you?
Yes, sir.
Not you, Will.
Mr. Hale says he has
no pulse or heartbeat.
That's true.
Let's get it over with.
He doesn't seem
to like the idea.
He is afraid.
I'm curious myself now.
Stand still, Manners,
or we'll have to put
the handcuffs on you.
Manners, you can't make it!
We have no choice, Clements.
Until this thing is cleared up,
I've got to see
that what happened
is kept inside the town.
I'm declaring martial law.
Well, what'll that do
except spread the hysteria?
There won't be hysteria
if you handle it right.
Keep the people
in their homes...
No public gatherings.
Gladys, an emergency's
been declared.
I want you to close
the switchboard
to all out-of-town calls.
Yeah, yeah.
Pull the plugs on every
line except this one.
Yes, yes. Right now.
I'll have my deputy
spread the word.
Jim?
Fine. Now I'd like
to call the air base.
Sit down.
Captain Taft here.
Get me UFO Investigation.
What's wrong?
This is a red call.
The Vincent report
was a flashing red.
I'll handle it from here.
What do you suggest?
Full investigation squad, full
shut-off, no news... the works.
Yes.
I'm taking measures to keep
the news from spreading.
I consider this an emergency.
You can't cut off
news just like that.
I didn't do it "just like that."
I declared martial law first.
Well, this is
important, Captain.
This is wire service
bulletin banner head news.
It'll make this town when
the AP and UPI get it.
What you mean,
Hale, is it'll make you.
You saw it happen, you took
the pictures, you wrote the copy.
You're thinking only of you.
Now, be nice, or I'll
suggest to the sheriff
that you're breaking the law.
All right, come on, break it up.
Break it up. Let's go.
How many are there, mister?
Say, where do these
people come from?
How come you know so much
about them? What do they want?
Look, the Air Force
is on top of it now.
Everything's
going to be all right.
Doctor...
What is it, Mr. Vincent?
Well, I came to
say that I'm sorry
you had to be put
through so much.
Thank you.
I didn't know Dr. Larousse...
but his death was important.
It's going to let
the world know...
Please stop it, Mr. Vincent.
This... cheap joke of
yours is in horrible taste.
I don't know how you did it,
but Manners will be caught again
and executed, and
you'll be punished
for helping him escape.
Doctor, Manners is dead.
You can fool all the
people in this town
all the time, Mr. Vincent
and you obviously have, but...
I'm a doctor, and I know
what is and is not
scientifically possible.
But you've seen the pictures.
You've talked to
people who were there.
Please. I'm sorry.
I don't want to talk anymore.
Sam's funeral is in an hour.
I just wish you'd come.
I just wish you'd
see for yourself
how important he
was to this town.
How loved he was.
I will be there.
And then maybe
you'll have the decency
to end this hoax.
Out of all the sick he healed,
not one came.
He loved this town.
He devoted his life to it.
And not one person came.
They're afraid.
They've seen something.
Something you refuse to see.
I came here to speak
to a full congregation
about my... friend, Sam Larousse
and the town he loved.
Everyone knew of the funeral?
Maria?
I simply don't
understand this. I...
May God have mercy on all of us.
"The Lord is my shepherd.
"I shall not want.
"He maketh me to lie
down in green pastures.
"He leadeth me
beside the still waters.
"He restoreth my soul.
"He leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness for His name's sake.
"Yea, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for Thou art..."
"Thy..."
"For Thou art...
Thy rod and Thy
staff, they comfort me."
The dam! It's going!
The dam! The dam!
The dam! The dam!
No, wait a minute.
What's that about the dam?
There's a crack in
it clear to the top,
and the water's
starting to come through.
Did you hear that?
About the dam?
I heard, Will.
The earthquake must
have put that crack in it.
You going to do
anything about it?
That's what I get paid for.
Well, what? What are
you going to do about it?
What about the
electricity going off?
Our phones, our
radios, the cars?
Just settle down.
I'll get us some help.
You people were
told to stay at home.
Everybody else
is following orders.
I expect you to do the same.
We'll let you know
what's happening.
Jimmy, get your brother.
Get out of town any way you can.
Bring back the Army,
the state police, anybody.
Jimmy... Don't let me down.
Captain?
I was just curious.
Why didn't you come here two
days ago, when I called you?
I told you. I was busy then.
What have you
done to Captain Taft?
Are you insane?
I am Captain Taft.
I never called two days ago.
Oh, yes, it had to be.
The power failure...
the earthquake...
and you're the only
new face in town.
What are you doing here?
Cutting them off
from the outside world.
Keeping them here so
they can't spread the word.
You can't cut off
communications forever.
What are you doing here?
They know the
truth, Mr. Vincent.
I'm only doing
what I have to do.
No.
Not the whole town.
You're not going to
murder the whole town...
They've got guns.
Pistols.
I don't care who they are.
If they can hit us at this
range, good luck to them.
I'm going up there.
Who are you?!
There must be another way.
You just can't wipe
out a whole town.
No other way.
The people believe;
you saw to that.
Look, it's too big a risk.
You'll draw too much attention.
We're not looking
forward to it, Vincent.
If it'll make you feel better,
I'll have my accounting to do...
for bungling Manners' escape.
I'll pay for that.
And how do you murder
a thousand people?
A harmless mist
will put them to sleep.
My people,
unaffected by the mist,
will escape before
the flood hits.
A natural disaster.
Look, you don't
want to kill them.
There'd be too much talk.
There'd be investigations.
Maybe I can talk them out of it.
This time, they
won't believe you.
If I can convince them
that there was attempt
to break Manners out of jail.
How you going to explain
what happened to him?
Fumes from the gas
tank, a flash of fire,
uh, uh... an optical illusion.
I don't know, but it's
worth a try for both of us.
What about the
electricity going off?
I'll think of something.
Good luck.
How much time do I have?
An hour.
Two at the most.
My people are on their way.
Every living soul?
I knew it was something
pretty bad, but that...
that's hard to believe.
I just need one
person to believe.
We have to make the
rest of the town think
I pulled some stunt to
get Manners out of jail.
Then they can be saved.
What do we have to do?
Maria's a doctor, a scientist.
She's respected
and she thinks I lied.
If she can convince the
rest, then they have a chance.
You're safe for six more hours.
Insulin will last that
long unrefrigerated.
And after that?
After that, I'll drive
you to Casper.
In what?!
He lied.
The whole thing was a hoax.
Tell her.
Tell me.
All right, he's
a friend of mine.
That's not all you told me.
He offered me $500
if I got him out of jail.
I was broke. Try it sometime.
I'm sorry you got
involved in this
but, uh, I needed the money.
You won't spend it
for ten years, Vincent.
Come on.
Oh, Maria...
Can you think of some way
for me to quiet down the town?
Thanks to Will Hale
and Vincent here,
they took it all seriously.
They're still jumpy.
I know they are.
You want me to talk to them?
Hale has a handpress
that's still working, maybe...
Oh, I hate to ask
you to do that.
I'll... I'll do it myself.
Gordon... I'm a doctor.
They trust me.
We'll print up some bulletins
and, and distribute
them around town.
Please, I want to do this.
If you think you're up to it.
Sheriff, we're going
to pack up our things
and get out of here.
What for?
It's all over, Will.
It was a jailbreak.
Vincent staged it
to get Manners out.
Ask him.
What are you trying
to do? Get me lynched?
Will.
Maria thought
you might print up
a special bulletin,
tell everybody in town
what really happened.
She's consented to
fill in a few of the facts.
Your paper.
You'd be the one responsible
for bringing this town
back to sanity again.
Yeah. Sure.
I'll get on it right away.
Come on, Maria.
It's your baby, Captain.
It's all yours now.
It won't work, Vincent.
Give it a chance.
I will.
This one time, we both
want the same thing.
I'm a scientist.
Now, I know it's
easy to be fooled
by natural phenomena
just because it's...
Well, it's unusual...
But don't be.
Don't let yourselves be.
Maria, I saw him burn up.
I took pictures, remember?
An optical illusion.
It's perfectly possible.
What about the
earthquake? The dam?
And the electricity going off?
An electrical disturbance.
Baloney.
You should be
ashamed of yourself.
Do you want to
remember Sam's death
as the time you all went mad?
How do you make a
fresh battery stop working?
Now, tell me that.
I have a car with
just 500 miles on it.
It doesn't work either.
Well, there is a reason.
There has to be a reason.
Just because I don't
know what it is...
Maria?
Before God and man,
could you be wrong?
Is it possible you
could be wrong?
Sheriff?
I'm sorry I let you down, Gord.
We couldn't get out.
What happened?
They're all around us.
They knocked out the bridge,
they're flooding the
valley, everything.
They've got this
machine out there
that's sucking up
all the electricity.
We can't get out of here.
Why did you lie to us, Maria?
I didn't mean to lie, Reverend.
I didn't think it could be.
I didn't see how it
was poss... possible.
Hey, look!
Detail, halt.
At ease.
What's going on
here? What's wrong?
Our trucks lost power
just outside of town.
Yeah. We're in the same fix.
Electricity's off,
all our cars have stopped...
He's your superior.
You've had your chance.
Now, please, don't
cause any more alarm
until it's over.
The people are more serene now.
It will be better for them
and better for us
if it stays that way.
Cooperate and I'll let you live.
Sure, you will.
There's got to be a
better way for both of us.
That's not my decision anymore,
and it's certainly not yours.
There's too much to explain.
Why can't you make
them forget it happened?
That's not possible.
Well, try.
Hypnotize them.
No.
Eventually, they'd replay
the day in their minds.
It would happen the same way.
Not even mind drugs could do it.
I've ordered preparations.
Ten minutes more.
You'll have a great
many questions to answer
when it's over.
David.
How much time do we have?
What do you mean?
No more acting, David.
You fooled me this afternoon.
No more.
A few minutes, I guess.
I'm sorry if I said
things... No, no.
If only there were
something I could do.
If I could organize the men
we could to resist somehow.
No, I know these people.
There'd be panic and bloodshed.
Just leave them alone.
For everyone else,
time stopped at
1:00 this afternoon.
For me it stopped yesterday.
Only Sam counted.
Today never happened.
Good-bye, David.
Good-bye.
Look, there might be a way.
Now, you said turning back
the clock through hypnosis
was impossible
because the events
would repeat themselves
exactly as they were.
But you can go back to Monday...
Make it happen
again, but differently.
Change one element... and
you can change the outcome.
I'll be that element.
Carterville, and all the
human souls within it,
hear this voice.
Obey this voice.
This voice communicates
to and commands you
for as long as you hear it.
To the town square, you
will bring every last item
you have acquired
since 9:00 this morning...
Every item... every paper,
every letter, every memory,
every thought, every artifact...
Everything since
9:00 this morning.
People will come and ask
you about a radio silence
which lasted for a day.
You will tell of an unusual
magnetic disturbance
which will be
spoken of for years.
Certain things
will have changed.
The road bridge
collapsed in an earthquake.
You will remember
the sound of it.
Tomorrow, at 9:00 in the
morning, you will awaken.
You will have lost one whole
day but you will not realize it.
Everything will
be as I have said.
Go now to where you
were at 9:00 this morning,
for that is where you
will begin tomorrow.
I want to talk to him... now.
Not till he sees
his lawyer, Will.
We're not going to make
any mistakes in this one.
You owe me a favor from the
campaign now, don't you forget it.
Will, you should've
backed the competition.
I'm not much with favors.
Sheriff?
His name's Vincent.
He's been here for half an hour
and he wants to see Manners.
Are you his lawyer?
No, I'm not.
What is it you're selling?
The reason he killed the doctor.
And it's free.
I accept the gift.
I want to see him first.
The picture in the
paper wasn't clear.
I'd like to be sure.
What is he to you?
He once tried to kill me.
Mind if I see your I.D.?
All right.
Raise your hands.
Let's go.
No. I'm sorry to
trouble you, Sheriff.
I've never seen
him before in my life.
"The Lord is my shepherd.
"I shall not want.
"He maketh me to lie
down in green pastures.
"He leadeth me
beside the still waters.
"He restoreth my soul.
"He leadeth me in the
paths of righteousness
"for His name's sake.
"Yea, though I walk through
"the valley of the
shadow of death,
"I will fear no evil.
"For Thou art with me.
"Thy rod and Thy
staff, they comfort me.
"Thou preparest
a table before me
"in the presence
of mine enemies.
"Thou anointest
my head with oil.
"My cup runneth over.
"Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me
"all the days of my life,
"and I will dwell in the
house of the Lord forever.
Amen."
He was a fine man, Maria.
A credit to his
profession and to you
and to this town, too.
It means a lot to
hear you say that, Will.
Thank you.
Maria, I feel worse
than any man here.
I liked Sam.
I really thought we
had the man who...
No, that wasn't the man, Gordon.
I knew the moment I saw him.
You had to let him go.
Yeah. Well, we're raising
Cain with the highway patrol.
They brought us the wrong man
and I want to find out why.
Doctor...
I came to pay my respects.
I'm sorry.
I can't place...
Were you a friend of Sam's?
No, I wasn't.
I had heard a great
deal about him.
Well, thank you.
It means so much to me
that everybody showed up.
It shows how loved
Sam really was.
Yes, he was.
Are you sure we haven't
met before, mister...?
Vincent. David Vincent.
Yes, I'm sure.
Thank you so much for coming.
Carterville, Wyoming.
Principle industry:
Contemplation of the past.
Population: 1,216 people--
All unaware that they have
been given back their future.