The Twilight Zone (1959–1964): Season 2, Episode 27 - The Mind and the Matter - full transcript

Using the power of mind over matter, Archibald Beechcroft remakes the world to his own specifications.

YOU'RE TRAVELING
THROUGH ANOTHER DIMENSION

A DIMENSION NOT ONLY OF
SIGHT AND SOUND, BUT OF MIND

A JOURNEY INTO A WONDROUS LAND

WHOSE BOUNDARIES
ARE THAT OF IMAGINATION.

THAT'S THE SIGNPOST UP AHEAD.

YOUR NEXT STOP,
THE TWILIGHT ZONE.

A BRIEF IF FRENETIC INTRODUCTION
TO MR. ARCHIBALD BEECHCROFT

A CHILD OF THE 20th CENTURY

A PRODUCT OF THE
POPULATION EXPLOSION

AND ONE OF THE INHERITORS
OF THE LEGACY OF PROGRESS.

MR. BEECHCROFT AGAIN.



THIS TIME ACT II OF HIS
DAILY BATTLE FOR SURVIVAL.

AND IN JUST A MOMENT

OUR HERO WILL BEGIN HIS
PERSONAL ONE-MAN REBELLION

AGAINST THE MECHANICS OF HIS AGE

AND TO DO SO HE WILL
ENLIST CERTAIN AIDS

AVAILABLE ONLY IN
THE TWILIGHT ZONE.

WHY, YOU CLUMSY CLOD!

OH, I'M SORRY, MR. BEECHCROFT.

I DIDN'T NOTICE
WHERE I WAS GOING.

THAT'S PRECISELY YOUR PROBLEM.

FEELING ILL, BEECHCROFT?

IF YOU'LL FORGIVE A
PERSONAL OBSERVATION

YOU'RE NOT LOOKING TOO WELL.

I'M ALL RIGHT, MR. ROGERS.



KEEPING YOURSELF FIT

IS NOT ONLY A
PERSONAL OBLIGATION.

OH, NO, IN A LARGER SENSE

IT'S PART OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

TO YOUR JOB

AND TO THE FIRM
THAT EMPLOYS YOU.

I'M NOT UNAWARE
OF THAT, MR. ROGERS.

WELL, THEN WHY DON'T YOU

PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER, MAN?

GET SOME SLEEP AT NIGHT.

EAT REGULAR MEALS, LOTS OF
MILK AND FRESH VEGETABLES.

GREENS! OH, YOU CAN'T BEAT
THOSE GREENS FOR VITAMINS.

I'M A SPINACH AND
LETTUCE MAN MYSELF.

I EVEN HAVE THEM FOR BREAKFAST.

WELL, IF PEOPLE WOULDN'T
LOOK AT ME A LITTLE TILT.

BUT THE POWER'S IN THE
GREENS, BEECHCROFT.

THE POWER'S DEFINITELY
IN THE GREENS.

YOU'RE NOT DRINKING,
ARE YOU, BEECHCROFT?

I DON'T DRINK, MR. ROGERS.

WELL, THEN, YOU DON'T DRINK

AND YOU DON'T STAY
OUT LATE AT NIGHT...

ARE YOU WATCHING YOUR DIET?

IF YOU'D REALLY LIKE
TO KNOW, MR. ROGERS

IF YOU'D REALLY LIKE
TO KNOW PRECISELY

WHY I AM SO DEAD TIRED

YOU OUGHT TO TRY COMING
TO WORK ON THE SUBWAY

AT 7:30 EVERY MORNING

THEN JAMMING INTO AN ELEVATOR

LIKE PART OF A HERD OF CATTLE

THEN WORKING IN THAT...

IN THAT CACOPHONOUS DIN
THAT YOU CALL AN OFFICE.

ALWAYS GET JOSTLED,
ALWAYS GET SHOVED

ALWAYS GET PUSHED AROUND.

TAKE HOLD OF
YOURSELF, BEECHCROFT.

FOR GOODNESS
SAKES, MAN, TAKE HOLD.

I'LL TAKE HOLD, MR. ROGERS.

I'LL TAKE HOLD

WHEN I CAN ACHIEVE
THAT MILLENNIUM

THAT ABSOLUTE PERFECTION
THAT COMES WITH SOLITUDE.

YOU READ ME, MR. ROGERS?

PEOPLE.

PEOPLE, PEOPLE!

IF I HAD MY WAY

HERE'S HOW I'D FIX THE UNIVERSE.

I'D ELIMINATE THE PEOPLE.

I MEAN, CROSS THEM OFF

GET RID OF THEM, DESTROY
THEM, DECIMATE THEM

AND THERE'D ONLY
BE ONE MAN LEFT...

ME, ARCHIBALD
BEECHCROFT, ESQUIRE.

WHY, YOU ARE QUITE
MAD, BEECHCROFT.

DO YOU KNOW THAT?

PEOPLE!

MR. BEECHCROFT.

MR. BEECHCROFT!

HERE'S A PLACE FOR YOU, SIR.

I'VE BEEN SAVING IT.

I AM OBLIGED, HENRY.

OH, THINK NOTHING OF IT.

I WAS...

WELL, I WAS JUST
TRYING TO MAKE UP

FOR THIS MORNING.

THIS MORNING?

WHEN I SPILLED
COFFEE ON YOUR COAT.

I'M REALLY VERY SORRY

ABOUT THAT, MR. BEECHCROFT.

OH, IT'S ALL RIGHT.

A FRIEND OF MINE
WORKS IN A BOOKSTORE

AROUND THE CORNER.

I WENT THERE FIRST
PART OF THE LUNCH BREAK.

I GOT YOU THIS.

THE MIND AND THE MATTER:

HOW YOU CAN ACHIEVE

THE ULTIMATE POWER
OF CONCENTRATION.

A LITTLE ON THE OCCULT SIDE

ISN'T THAT, HENRY?

MAYBE SO, MR. BEECHCROFT

BUT THIS FRIEND OF MINE IS...

WELL, YOU MIGHT SAY HE'S
A STUDENT OF THE MIND.

MM-HMM.

OH, HE SWEARS BY THAT BOOK.

HE SAYS, TO THE BEST
OF HIS KNOWLEDGE

IT'S THE ONLY ONE IN EXISTENCE.

WOULD YOU BELIEVE
IT, MR. BEECHCROFT

I'VE SEEN MY FRIEND
CAUSE A WOMAN

TO PURCHASE A CHARTREUSE
AND ORANGE SCARF.

HOW'S THAT?

THAT'S RIGHT.

WE WERE IN A DEPARTMENT STORE

AND HE SAW SOME
WOMAN PICKING OVER

A TABLE FULL OF SCARVES
THAT WERE ON SALE.

AND HE CONCENTRATED REAL HARD

ON THE CHARTREUSE
AND ORANGE ONE...

AND AS SURE AS I'M SITTING HERE

IN THE CAFETERIA OF THE PARK
CENTRAL INSURANCE COMPANY

THAT WOMAN PICKED UP

THE CHARTREUSE AND ORANGE SCARF.

WHY IT'S THE ABSOLUTE,
UNVARNISHED TRUTH.

OH, MR. BEECHCROFT,
I'M SO SORRY.

OH, I...

I THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR THE BOOK, HENRY.

I... I AM INDEBTED.

WELL... THERE.

UH, MR. BEECHCROFT,
CHAPTER THREE...

THAT'S THE ONE ON
INITIAL PHENOMENA

OF INTENSE CONCENTRATION.

CHAPTER THREE.

CHAPTER THREE,
RIGHT, CHAPTER THREE.

THEY'RE RIGHT.

THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY,
UNEQUIVOCALLY RIGHT.

CONCENTRATION IS THE MOST
UNDERRATED, UNKNOWN POWER

IN THE UNIVERSE.

WHY, A PERSON COULD...

A PERSON COULD MOVE MOUNTAINS.

THERE'S REALLY NO LIMIT

TO WHAT A MAN COULD DO
USING THE POWER PROPERLY.

NO LIMIT AT ALL.

PEOPLE.

IF I COULD JUST CONCENTRATE
HARD ENOUGH TO GET RID OF THEM.

CONCENTRATION,
THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES.

CONCENTRATE ON
GETTING RID OF THE PEOPLE.

MR. BEECHCROFT!

YOUR RENT IS DUE,
MR. BEECHCROFT.

MR. BEECHCROFT!

RENT'S DUE.

MR. BEECHCROFT!

GO AWAY, DISAPPEAR BE EXTINCT!

MR. BEECHCROFT!

GO AWAY, BE EXTINCT, DISAPPEAR.

CONCENTRATION.

MIND OVER MATTER.

TODAY THE LANDLADY,
TOMORROW THE WORLD.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S GET GOING.

THAT'LL BE JUST
ABOUT ENOUGH OF THAT.

♪ FOR LOVE... ♪

♪ FOR LOVE... ♪

ALL WELL AND GOOD.

ALL WELL AND GOOD, TO BE SURE.

BUT WHAT'S TO DO.

HOW DOES ONE OCCUPY HIS TIME?

Man: TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING?

WELL, I WOULDN'T, UH,
I WOULDN'T SAY THAT.

BUT YOU'RE THINKING IT.

BORED TO DEATH, AREN'T YOU?

WELL, UH, LET'S
JUST SAY THAT, UM...

LET'S JUST SAY THAT
I AM TEMPORARILY

SOMEWHAT ACCESSIBLE
TO SUGGESTIONS AS TO, UH...

HOW TO OCCUPY MY TIME.

SO?

LET'S FACE IT.

YOU ARE BORED TO TEARS.

SOLITUDE IS ONE
THING BUT LONELINESS...

LONELINESS IS QUITE ANOTHER.

LONELINESS NOTHING.

I DESPISE PEOPLE.

I LOATHE THEM.

AND I, ARCHIBALD BEECHCROFT,
HAVE DONE AWAY WITH THEM

FOR GOOD AND ALL, MIND YOU?

FOR GOOD AND ALL.

Double: THOUGHT ABOUT
ANY ALTERNATIVES?

ALTERNATIVES TO WHAT?

ALTERNATIVES TO THIS.

YOU'RE BORED.

YOU DON'T HAVE IDEA ONE

HOW TO OCCUPY YOUR TIME.

PEOPLE ARE BAD ENOUGH

BUT INACTIVITY IS EVEN WORSE.

HOW ABOUT IT?

OH, DON'T TALK NONSENSE, PLEASE.

I'M CONTENT.

I AM HONESTLY AND TRULY CONTENT
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE.

I'VE RID MYSELF OF THE
WORST SCOURGE THERE IS:

THE POPULACE.

WELL... WHAT ABOUT THE THING

THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO YOU

IN THE AFTER... SHUT UP.

ALTHOUGH, IF THE
TRUTH BE KNOWN...

I WOULD LIKE A LITTLE
DIVERSION OF SOME KIND

ANY SORT OF
DIVERSION... LIKE, UM...

LIKE, UM, AN EARTHQUAKE.

UH, FOR GOODNESS
SAKES, NO, NO, NO, NOT THAT!

HOW ABOUT A NICE
LITTLE ELECTRICAL STORM?

FORGET IT!

I BELIEVE I'VE HAD
IT FOR THE DAY.

IT'S PREYING ON
YOU NOW, ISN'T IT?

I MEAN, THE QUIET,
THE EMPTINESS.

WELL, THE THING OF
IT IS... IT'S JUST THAT

WHILE I DON'T CARE
MUCH FOR PEOPLE

IT'S DIFFICULT NOT
HAVING ANYONE.

WHY NOT GET SOMEONE?

THAT'S THE POINT,
SOMEONE IS EVERYONE.

AND I CAN'T STAND EVERYONE

OR ANYONE FOR THAT MATTER.

THERE FRANKLY ISN'T A BREED

OR A SPECIE OF HUMAN BEING

THAT I CAN STOMACH.

EVER THOUGHT OF
A COCKER SPANIEL?

WELL...

I NEVER CARED MUCH
FOR ANIMALS EITHER.

OF COURSE, OF COURSE!

WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF IT BEFORE?

THINK OF WHAT?

PEOPLE!

PEOPLE WHO I CAN STAND.

PEOPLE LIKE...
PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF.

THAT'S WHAT I'LL DO.

I'LL CREATE PEOPLE,
BUT THEY'LL BE LIKE ME.

A WORLD FULL OF
ARCHIBALD BEECHCROFTS.

NOW, THAT'S A THOUGHT.

YOU BET YOUR
LIFE IT'S A THOUGHT.

YOU BET YOUR SWEET LIFE.

THAT'S WHAT I'LL DO.

I'LL WILL IT.

I'LL CONCENTRATE AND I'LL WILL

THAT FROM NOW ON

EVERYONE I SEE WILL BE LIKE ME.

IT'S REALLY QUITE SIMPLE.

Man: PEOPLE.

IT'S NOT ENOUGH
THEY'RE JUST A MOB.

THEY'RE A DISHONEST MOB.

KINDLY DEPOSIT TEN CENTS
PLEASE OR SHALL I CALL THE POLICE.

WILL YOU PLEASE GET OFF MY FOOT

YOU UGLY LITTLE MAN.

12th FLOOR,
EVERYBODY OUT, PLEASE.

SARDINES!

THE NOISE, THE MISERABLE NOISE.

I'LL GO OUT OF MY MIND.

I'LL GO OUT OF MY
EVER-LOVING MIND.

A STY, THAT'S WHAT IT IS.

NOTHING BUT PEOPLE
AND PEOPLE ARE PIGS.

PEOPLE, PEOPLE, PEOPLE, PEOPLE.

IS THERE NO RESPITE?

IS THERE NO RELIEF?

HERDS, DROVES, HOSTS
AND BEVIES OF PEOPLE.

WILL YOU PEOPLE STOP
MUTTERING BACK THERE?

I'M TRYING TO WORK.

HAD IT?

UNDENIABLY.

COMING THROUGH TO YOU, HUH?

WITHOUT A DOUBT.

A LOT OF ME IS JUST AS BAD

AS A LOT OF THEM.

SO... WHAT'S TO DO NOW?

I'LL JUST PUT IT
BACK THE WAY IT WAS.

JUST THE WAY IT WAS.

OH!

OH, MR. BEECHCROFT,
SIR, FORGIVE ME...

UH, NOTHING SERIOUS, HENRY.

JUST, UH, FORGET IT.

YES?

I WAS WONDERING...
THAT BOOK I GAVE YOU.

DID YOU GET ANYTHING OUT OF IT?

WELL, UH... NOT
REALLY, HENRY, I, UH...

FRANKLY, I THOUGHT
IT WAS A LOT OF PAP.

IT WAS INTERESTING, BUT
TOTALLY UNBELIEVABLE.

MR. ARCHIBALD BEECHCROFT,
A CHILD OF THE 20th CENTURY

WHO HAS FOUND OUT
THROUGH TRIAL AND ERROR...

AND MOSTLY ERROR...

THAT WITH ALL ITS
FAULTS IT MAY WELL BE

THAT THIS IS THE BEST
OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS.

PEOPLE NOTWITHSTANDING,
IT HAS MUCH TO OFFER.

TONIGHT'S CASE IN POINT
IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE.

Announcer: ROD SERLING,
CREATOR OF THE TWILIGHT ZONE

WILL TELL YOU ABOUT
NEXT WEEK'S STORY

AFTER THIS WORD FROM
OUR ALTERNATE SPONSOR.

AND NOW, MR. SERLING.

IT'S BEEN SAID THAT SINGULARLY,
THE MOST DIFFICULT FEAT

OF ALL MANKIND IS TO FIND
A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK.

ON THE TWILIGHT ZONE NEXT
TIME, WE DO IT ONE BETTER.

WE POSE A PROBLEM OF FINDING
A MARTIAN IN A SNOW BANK.

IT ALL ADDS UP TO A KIND OF
EXTRATERRESTRIAL WHO'S WHO

WITH A COUPLE OF LAUGHS, AND
MORE THAN A COUPLE OF TENSIONS.

WE RECOMMEND THIS
TO THE SPACE BUFFS

AND THE JIGSAW PUZZLE ADDICTS.

NEXT TIME ON THE TWILIGHT
ZONE, OUR STORY IS CALLED

"WILL THE REAL MARTIAN
PLEASE STAND UP."

HI, THIS IS ED SULLIVAN

REMINDING YOU THAT THE
COLGATE-PALMOLIVE COMPANY

ALSO BRINGS YOU STAR-STUDDED
ENTERTAINMENT ON OUR SHOW

ON MOST OF THESE SAME STATIONS.