The Ray Bradbury Theater (1985–1992): Season 2, Episode 2 - Skeleton - full transcript

[music playing]

RAY BRADBURY
(VOICEOVER): People ask,

where do you get your ideas?

Well, right here.

All this is my
martian landscape.

Somewhere in this room
is an African veldt.

Just beyond perhaps is a small
Illinois town where I grew up.

And I'm surrounded on every
side by my magician's toy shop.

I'll never starve here.

I just look around, find
what I need, and begin.

I'm Ray Bradbury, and this is--



Well, then, right
now, what will it be?

Out of all this, what do
I choose to make a story?

I never know where
the next will take me.

But the trip, exactly
one half acceleration,

exactly one half terror.

[music playing]

[RECEPTIONIST TALKING IN
BACKGROUND]

[music continues]

[squeaking of window cleaning]

Give me a chance to
call the other lady

back and see if we can do it.

[bell tolling]

Weight.

186.



Doctor, those other
patients are ahead of me.

I can wait.

It's all I need.

They're nervous
enough just being here

without you staring at them.

Here.

Fill this out.

You know all the questions.

Fill this.

DOCTOR: Now, what is it
this time, professor?

In January, you thought
you had colon cancer.

February, you saw a
documentary on tuberculosis

and came in with coughing fits.

March, blood pressure.

July, heart.

And now, varicose veins.

Future of death, teaching
that to your students?

Say ah.

Ah.

What am I supposed to find?

Well, I'm not sure, but my
throat feels very peculiar.

Peculiar?

You know you're suffering from?
- Suffering?

Discovery of the larynx.

Doctor I think it's
more than my throat,

because my elbow
and my wrist, my--

my bones-- you know I've
been reading where--

Bert.

Bert, have you had a sore muscle
and continue to irritate it,

fuss with it or rub it, and
the more you bother with it

the worse it gets?

And you realize that
you've been causing

most of the soreness yourself.

Well, son, that's
what's with you.

My advice to you is
to take two aspirin

and call me in two months.

You still here?

Yeah you know what else
I've discovered today doctor?

Your office doesn't look at
all like a doctor's office.

What do you want?

Pictures of germs on the walls?

And Bert, one more thing
you're going to discover

is that my fee has gone way up
if you don't get out of here.

There is nothing wrong with you.

Now out.

The man is a certified quack.

Bones, bones, bones, bones,
going to find a real doctor.

Specialist, specialist,
specialist, specialist,

osteopath.

Of course, osteopath.

Now that's more like it.

[music playing]

Yes.

Yes what?

Dr. Munigant?

Mun-i-ant.

He of the extraordinary cures.

Pleased to make your
acquaintance, Mr--

Uh, Harris.

Bert Harris.

I'm having a problem--

With your skeleton.

Well, not the whole thing.

Why not?

It's all one architecture.

The knee bone connected
to the thigh bone.

The thigh bone connected
to the hip bone.

You know, that old song.

Come.

[music playing]

It's like visiting a museum.

This--

A spinal cord.

And these--

Metacarpal,
metacarpal phalanges.

And these?

Cuspids.

Bicuspids.

I've been doing some reading.

From Caesar and Cleopatra.

I thought they never
found those bodies.

True, they didn't,
because I have them.

Ah.

But now you.

Do your clothes fit
wrong on your flesh?

Does your flesh fit
wrong on your bones?

I never thought of about it.

Think.

Perhaps you came into this
world with the wrong size skin.

So your skeleton
is being smothered

by your ill fitting flesh.

Do you wish help?

Yes.

Hop up.

Lie down.

[buzzing of light]

What kind of machine is that?

Special.

I created it myself.

And what are you
planning to do?

Teach you.

Educate you about your very own,
lovely architectural beauty,

your skeleton.

Arms straight.

Head up.

Breathe deep.

And hold.

DOCTOR: Now look up, Mr. Harris.

Look up into the mirror.

Ah, ha.

What?

Bad news?

Easy Hold.

Now, open wide.

Wider.

DOCTOR: Wider.

Cooperation, Mr.
Harris, please.

It's no use.

How am I supposed to help you
if you won't help yourself.

You must need my help.

If you don't trust me.

Oh, no, no, that's
not it, really.

I just got nervous.

That's all, really.

Look, go ahead.

I'm ready.

See?

No.

This will take time.

Much of your problem
is psychological.

DOCTOR: You must learn to relax.

You must be educated.

Before we can proceed,
you must get to know this.

DOCTOR: And this.

Go home, look, study,
prepare your mind.

Get to know him.

Then come back.

Understand?

CLARISSE: Sweetheart,
it's awfully warm in here.

Why don't you take
your sweater off?

I'm cold.

I think I'm coming
down with something.

You will if you
don't eat something.

Listen to the expert here.

You're fine.

A hypochondriac
married to a nurse.

Perfect marriage, huh, Bert?

Well, what have you
brought home with you?

A present?

No.

Honey, it's nothing.

Good god, who is that?

Me.

No resemblance.

The other me.

Other?

There's only one of you.

Two I never thought.

I'd just discovered today.

Most people don't
consider, think,

imagine what's inside them.

In every one of us, that
terrible representative

of death, a skeleton.

Get rid of it.

It?

You mean me?

It's not you.

My god, it's just what holds you
up when I'm not holding you up.

No.

If I want to conquer it and
all its aches and pains,

then I have to understand it.

I have to know what--

I finally found a
doctor who understands.

Hm?

My ribs don't go
all the way down.

They stop right here.

And I found these funny ones
that just dangle in mid-air.

Sweetheart,
you're being silly.

Everyone's ribs stop
at a given point.

And those funny ones
are floating ribs.

Really?

Mm, hm.

Well, I hope they don't
float around too much.

[music playing]

Hm.

You know your nose
bone stops right here?

And gristly tissue
fills out the rest.

Yes, I did.

Darling.

And our teeth are literally--

Goodnight.

Skeletons showing
themselves to the world.

COMPUTER VOICE:
Step on the scale.

Your weight is 169 pounds.

You have lost 16 pounds.

BERT (VOICEOVER): 169.

COMPUTER VOICE: Have a nice day.

BERT (VOICEOVER): I'm
losing so much weight.

You're beginning to show.

Damn you.

You think you can starve
me, make me lose weight,

leave nothing but skin on bone?

I have to do something
to stop that.

Yes, stop it.

After all, I'm the
part that thinks.

My god, the pain,
my head, my ribs.

In, in, crushing, I
can hardly breathe.

Don't rip.

Stop.

Stay away from my heart.

Good morning.

Why are you shaving in the dark?

What's the matter?

Something inside me.

I think it's something I ate.

Oh, no you don't.

I'm fed up with your pills
and syrups and your sprains.

It's house cleaning
time around here.

Either your friends are
leaving or I'm leaving.

Clean up day, garage sale
day, garbage disposal day.

There and there.

You don't eat out.

You don't eat home.

All you eat is pills.

Well, that's it.

Starting tonight I'm going to
put deserved fat on your bones.

Speaking of bones--

No.

Oh, yes.

You can't.

Watch me.

Oh my god.

BERT (VOICEOVER):
Clarisse is right.

Fat's the answer.

Come on, I'll buy you a beer.

Two can play this game.

[foot steps]

Fill her up, Harry.

Bucket of suds coming up.

I'll have the same, Harry.

Glands?

Or is it some kind of
special diet that you're on?

You talking to me?

I beg your pardon.

You see, I'm having a
problem putting on weight.

And I thought maybe you
could give me some hints.

You want to gain
weight, do you?

Yes.

Well listen here.

Inch by inch, layer
by layer, year

on year, I have
built this bounty,

this battleship of the body.

Ice creams, pies, banana
fritters, Monte Cristo

sandwiches dripping in butter.

Good.

See, I need this.

I need to know this.

But prepare yourself to
meet every vile and terrible

person you can possibly meet.

And pretty soon you'll
be adding a good old fat.

Day by day, you'll be
building an epidermal buffer

between yourself and them.

Layer some fat to shield
you from their abuse.

You'll be cured.

Prepared.

Cured.

That's what Munigant said.

Pardon?

[eerie music playing]

Should have done this sooner.

It's all psychological.

That's what he said.

Oh, yeah, you want
out don't you?

Hm?

Because if I die, then
you can be out me open.

Huh, free.

Yeah.

Well, not on your life.

Or mine.

I'm keeping you
right where you are.

DR MUNIGANT (ON PHONE): Yes.

Dr. Munigant?

I need your help.

[eerie music playing]

So, Bert, you have
prepared yourself.

Yes.

I've lost all this weight.

It's psychological.

Just like you said.

Yes Yes, of course.

You will sit.

Ever since that
day in your office,

my bones have ached
more than ever.

I can't eat.

My wife thinks I'm
losing my mind.

She could be right.

Shall I rid you
of your trouble?

Help you?

Cure you?

Yeah, anything.

Eyes shut.

Quiet.

Mouth wide.

There's' this old joke.

What did the man in
the dentist's chair--

Cooperation, Mr. Harris.

Sorry.

[eerie music playing]

Out.

Dr. Munigant?

Where are you?

DR MUNIGANT (DISEMBODIED
VOICE): Out.

[cracking sound]

[eerie music playing]

Help me.

Sweetheart, I'm home.

I just saw the strangest man--

Clarisse.

[eerie music playing]

[screams]

MAN: Excuse me, Dr. Munigant?

Mun-i-ant, he of the
extraordinary cures.

[music playing]