The Twilight Zone (1959–1964): Season 1, Episode 33 - Mr. Bevis - full transcript

James B.W. Bevis is, by almost any definition, eccentric. He drives a car that once was Henry Ford's dream, he likes zither music and makes model ships. He's a bookkeeper by profession and his desk at work is always cluttered. He likes to bring in children at Christmas-time to sing carols. It all leads to him being fired. While drowning his sorrows at a nearby bar, he meets none other than his guardian angel who shows him that life can be considerably different for him if he wishes it....but is he prepared to make the changes necessary to obtain that lifestyle?

Mr. Bevis
First Aired: 3 June 1960

English Subtitles by
Pandorafilm - Heerlen

You're about to enter
another dimension.

A dimension not only of sight
and sound, but of mind.

A journey into a wondrous land
of imagination.

Next stop: The Twilight Zone

In the parlance of the 20th century,
this is an oddball.

His name is James B.W. Bevis. His
tastes lean toward stuffed animals...

zither music, Charles Dickens,
carnivals, dogs, and young ladies.

Mr Bevis is accident-prone, a little
vague, a little discombooberated.

With a life that possesses all the
security of a floating crap game.



But this can be said
of our Mr Bevis:

Without him, his warmth, his kindness,
the world would be a poorer place.

Albeit perhaps a little saner.

Hi, Michelle.
-Good morning, Mr Bevis.

Why not, Mr Bevis?
-Why not?

Okay.

Hey, Tony.
-Lovely morning, ain't it?

Should it not be obvious by now,
James B.W. Bevis is a fixture...

in his own private, optimistic,
hopeful little world.

A world which has long ceased
being surprised by him.

Hey, come on.
Come on.

James B.W. Bevis on whom Dame
Fortune will shortly turn her back.

Mr James B.W. Bevis,
just one block away...

from the Twilight Zone.



Tell the gentleman who occupies this
museum I should like to see him...

when he finally deigns
to report for work.

Hi, Earl. Hi, Dwayne.
Hi, Maude. Hi, Margaret.

Mr Bevis,
Mr Peckinpaugh wants to see you.

Thanks.

I'll be brief, Bevis. Your desk is
an affront to any orderly symmetry.

Your eccentricities are
beyond any understanding.

Your bringing zither music
to play during the afternoon.

Your hiring Christmas carolers to
serenade during our busiest hour.

Thanks.

The sack, Mr Bevis?

This is the sixth job
I've lost this year, Margaret.

Well, the best-laid plans of
mice and men and Bevis.

I'll help you pack.

I was building this for one of
the kids. It's 'Old Ironsides'

Well, she won't get launched today.
-Old Ironsides will get launched.

You'll get another job.
You always have.

The only job I've held was during the
last war, when I was in the Navy.

Here. This is me next
to the fantail.

Oh, he's fat, isn't he?
-That's the Bosun's mate.

This is the Fantail.

Yours?

Does it do this often?
-Well, it never has before.

It's always been kind of like
an old friend to me.

I'll phone for the tow truck.
-Do that.

Would you be interested in purchasing
a Rickenbacker? It's a late '24.

No, thanks.
I kinda got my eye on a '27 Maxwell.

I'm gonna wait until the new models
come out. Then you get a better deal.

Did you ever have one of those days?

Not like this.

Hi, Bud.

Hello, Mrs Chetfield.

That's right, Bevis.
You're being evicted.

Six weeks in arrears on
your rent and that's it.

You wanted something to fortify a man
in the darkest hour. Are them it?

'Those' are it. You can't use
'Them' in the nominative case.

Live and learn, huh?
-Yep, live and learn.

Bartender.
-You all right, bud?

Would you kindly tell me what are
the ingredients of this drink?

You wanted to get fortified. It has
everything but atomic energy.

Does that explain why I can see him
in the mirror but not in the booth?

See who?
-'Whom.' Objective case.

Quite right, Mr Bevis.
Whom. Objective case.

Well, Mr Bevis, we meet at last, eh?

That's very nice. Who might you be?
-Whom. Objective case.

The name is J. Hardy Hempstead.

I'm your guardian angel.

My friend, Mr J. Hardy Hempstead.
See what he's having.

Him?

And a happy Thanksgiving to you.

Cheers, Mr Hempstead.
To better days.

Oh, aren't you drinking?

You were saying you were my...?
-Guardian angel.

Here's the way the cookie crumbles.

Ages ago one of your ancestors
performed an act of great courage.

His reward was to have a guardian
angel assigned to his descendants.

In each generation.

Current subject: James B.W. Bevis.
That's you.

In the past generations I've handled
solid citizens among your progenitors.

For instance, Magellan Bevis.

An intrepid explorer
of the 16th century.

Parnell Bevis, a member of
the British parliament.

Who fought for home rule against
insurmountable odds.

And more recently, gunner Lou Bevis.

The first marine in Nicaragua.
-That's Uncle Louie.

I tell you what, I'll close my eyes
real tight and you disappear.

And go away and haunt somebody else.
-I am not a figment.

As of now, you are being watched
over by the same guardian angel.

J. Hardy Hempstead, your servant.
-Watched over?

Assisted by minor miracles.
When the situation calls for them.

Getting it, Mr Bevis?
Watched over.

Now today you were fired from what
was your 11th job in 18 months.

Peckinpaugh didn't like zither music.
-I can't say I blame him for that.

I can reconstitute the whole day,
exactly opposite to what it was.

So let's go back to this morning
and start all over again?

I can have the day to live over again
and it won't be the way it was?

We'd change some aspects.

Inevitably, we'd have to change
certain characteristics of your own.

Your clothes, for instance.

Are you serious?

I look like an undertaker.

If you want the day to end differently
you have to change yourself.

Let's go. There isn't much time.

I want to thank you for taking this
trouble with me, Mr Hempstead.

Hi, Michelle.
-Good morning.

That nonsense is for the old Bevis.
You are the new Bevis.

Coming, Mr Hempstead?
-Yes, I'm coming, Mr Bevis.

Mrs Chetfield...
Look, about the rent...

I found it in the box.
Three weeks in advance.

You're a wonderful,
wonderful roomer.

Okay there, boys.
Let's go.

Hey, Tony.
How are you, Tony?

Well, where's my apple?
-For free, I give-a nobody nothing.

Bananas.

What are you looking for?
-My car, my Rickenbacker.

Correction. You don't drive a
Rickenbacker. That's your car.

That little thing?
Gee, do you think it fits?

Live it up, will you?

But have you ever driven a
1924 Rickenbacker?

I've driven a chariot with 11 horses.
I'm responsible for Ben Hur winning.

The old car went out with the old
Bevis. You're a different person now.

No more bow ties, zither music and
Christmas carolers in the office.

Though the latter idiosyncrasy met
approval from the organization.

Shall we, Mr Bevis?

Sorry, pal.
-You'll get on to it.

Look, somebody cleared off my desk.
-Nothing of the kind.

You'll see.

'morning. Maude.

'morning. Margaret.
-Good morning, Mr Bevis.

What happened to the clock I won?
Where's the ship I was building?

What ship? I don't know what
you're talking about.

Good morning, Bevis.
Associates, one moment.

I want you all to share
this bit of good news.

As of this moment, Mr James Bevis
has been given a raise in salary.

$10 a week,
starting from this very moment.

And I might add,
your work has been admirable.

Since you've been here for 11 months
I think it's time you got a raise.

A raise, Mr Peckinpaugh?
-Quite right, Bevis.

Well, Mr Peckinpaugh...
-Yes, Bevis?

What about the zither music?
What about the Christmas carols?

I don't know what you're
talking about.

You no longer have an interest in
zither music or Christmas carolers.

'Oh,' what, Bevis?
-Nothing, Mr Peckinpaugh.

It looks nude.
It doesn't look decent.

I'm going to go get a little air.

I got a raise.
-Things are looking up for you.

Yeah, I guess they are.
-Where are you going?

Oh, I'm going get a little air.
Or I may go over to my place.

And play football with
the kids in the street.

They won't play with you.
Not anymore.

You're not the same Bevis.

I see.

What do you say we level, hmm?

What is it that you really want?

For a fellow like you A $10 raise is
the most that I can get for you.

To use the vernacular.
Frankly, I don't dig you.

I'm used to Bevises with big dreams,
fantastic aspirations.

Magellan Bevis,
sailing around the Horn.

Parnell Bevis, standing
alone in parliament.

Gunner Lou Bevis, 'Semper Fidelis.
Over the top, boys.'

'Nobody lives forever.
Let's go.'

I don't like to appear ungracious,
but...

the things I like, and I believe in,
they're odd, but...

they are worth considerably
more than $10 a week.

So I'm to take it that you prefer
the bow tie and Old Ironsides?

I'm afraid that seems
to be the case.

Then it's going to be the way it was:
No job, no car, no place to live?

It's been that way before.

It's complicated, is it?
-Hardly.

Take a good look.
Won't be around very long.

The cars will hook bumpers just
as it was ordained they should.

Better get it over with. Here comes
Peckinpaugh. And not for a raise.

It doesn't make a bit of difference.

Tell the gentleman who occupies this
museum I should like to see him...

when he finally deigns
to report for work.

Hi, Earl. Hi, Dwayne.
Hi, Maude. Hi, Margaret.

Mr Bevis,
Mr Peckinpaugh wants to see you.

Thanks.

You feel fortified now, pal?
-I certainly do.

You know, I lost my job today.
And my car, and I was evicted.

But you know what? I love zither
music and model shipbuilding.

If you can't bring kids into an office
at Christmastime to sing carols...

then what's the point of being alive?
-Beats me.

Well, there is no point.

I'm gonna go out and try to find
myself another job, and an apartment.

And then I'm gonna start
finishing Old Ironsides.

For an eight years old kid,
who loves model shipbuilding too.

$5.00, pal.

Still with me, Mr Hempstead?

Officer, officer...
-Your car, mister?

We take a dim view of parking
in front of a hydrant.

Still with me, huh, Mr Hempstead?
-Still with you, Mr Bevis.

Mr James B.W. Bevis, who believes
in a magic all his own.

The magic of a child's smile.

The magic of liking and being liked.

The strange and wondrous mysticism
that is a simple act of living.

Mr James B.W. Bevis,
specie of 20th century male...

who has his own private
and special...

Twilight Zone.

English Subtitles by
B. Cornelis - Pandorafilm - Heerlen