Approved | 30min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, TV Series | Episode aired 14 April 1959
The crew of a nineteenth century sailing ship find that somebody has altered its course before catching a stowaway, a mute, soaking wet Oriental whom they clap in irons. The alteration in course leads them to rescue survivors of a ship sunk by an ice berg, though that ship's navigator is dead and is the spitting image of the Oriental, who has mysteriously disappeared.
Director: John Newland
Writers: Merwin Gerard, Don Mankiewicz, Lawrence B. Marcus
Stars: Don Dubbins, Robert Ellenstein, Don Womack
The crew of a nineteenth century sailing ship find that somebody has altered its course before catching a stowaway, a mute, soaking wet Oriental whom they clap in irons. The alteration in course leads them to rescue survivors of a ship sunk by an ice berg, though that ship's navigator is dead and is the spitting image of the Oriental, who has mysteriously disappeared.
Director: John Newland
Writers: Merwin Gerard, Don Mankiewicz, Lawrence B. Marcus
Stars: Don Dubbins, Robert Ellenstein, Don Womack
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00The amazing drama you're about to see is a matter of human record.
00:07You may believe it or not, but the real people who lived this story, they believe it.
00:14They know.
00:16They took that one step beyond.
00:30From the very earliest days, the sea and the unknown have been linked in men's minds.
00:36The strange, fire-breathing monsters with which primitive mapmakers filled in the unknown
00:41areas have proved to be figments of their imagination.
00:46Most of the strange tales of the sea have yielded quite reasonable explanations.
00:52But others are part of that irreducible mystery for which every man is free to devise his
00:58own explanation.
01:01Devise one, that is, if he can.
01:13As per my instructions, I've kept the captain under closest surveillance.
01:18Observation.
01:19Mr. Blake?
01:20Mr. Blake.
01:21You got 10 minutes, Mr. Blake.
01:27You want some coffee?
01:32Yes, come on in.
01:39Well, I figured you could use some of this before you go on watch.
01:44Well, you figured right, cookie.
01:46How we doing?
01:48Like lightning, smooth as silk, since we haven't seen our back.
01:52Since what?
01:53Well, it's been like that since, well, just about midnight.
01:56Is anything wrong?
01:57What's the matter?
01:58No.
01:59There must be some reason.
02:09I don't know, except maybe the captain.
02:14Maybe the captain what?
02:19Nothing.
02:20Well, everybody knows about the captain.
02:23He's old.
02:24Yes, he is.
02:29Go down to his cabin, give him my compliments, and ask him if he'd be kind enough to meet
02:33me on deck.
02:34Yes, sir.
02:35And, cookie.
02:36Sir?
02:37Don't mention this to anybody.
02:38Very well, sir.
03:09Mr. Dibble!
03:22What's the matter?
03:23Can't a man read?
03:24I don't care what you read.
03:25I'm only the mate.
03:26But I'd like to be informed when the course has been changed.
03:27What are you talking about?
03:28Nobody's changed the course.
03:29We've been west for northwest for the last four hours.
03:30Well, of course we have.
03:31Do you know how far off course that takes us?
03:32I wouldn't know.
03:33I'm not to navigate.
03:34Well, just try to remember that.
03:36I'll try to remember, Mr. Blake.
03:39You just try to remember what course you put down, and don't blame others.
03:42I put down?
03:43Take a look.
03:44Who put that course down?
03:51When I go on watch, I'm not supposed to ask who set the course.
03:55I'm just supposed to see the helmsman steers the course that's on that board, and that's
03:59just what I've done.
04:00Ford will tell you.
04:01He's had the wheel the whole watch.
04:04He'll tell you that board read west by northwest when we came on.
04:08That's impossible.
04:09I gave the order myself.
04:10Then the next time, be more careful when you go around.
04:12Don't tell me to be more careful.
04:13Turn around!
04:24You asked to see me, mate?
04:25What is it?
04:26Captain, our course has been changed.
04:36So I see.
04:40Change the course to south by southwest, helmsman.
04:43South by southwest.
04:44Aye, aye, sir.
04:45May I remind you, Mr. Blake, that while the duties of the mate on this vessel are also
04:52the duties of the navigator, those duties are executed at the approval of the captain,
04:59who is to be consulted prior to a change in course.
05:03Captain, we've been west by northwest for the last four hours.
05:06Four hours?
05:07Upon whose authority did you do such a thing?
05:09No authority.
05:10That's enough!
05:11All I want to hear from you is why you saw fit to change my vessel's course.
05:15I never changed that course.
05:17Then who did?
05:18Captain, somebody sneaked in and put a new course on the board, probably during the last
05:22change of watch.
05:24It's possible.
05:29Well, do, Mr. Dibble.
05:38Aye, sir.
05:44Meaning it's also possible that I'm a liar.
05:47You said it, Mr. Blake, not I.
05:50But you meant it.
05:52Perhaps, Mr. Blake.
05:55I resent that.
05:57You can resent it all you like, but while you're resenting it, you'll keep your mouth
06:02shut.
06:03And that's an order, Mr. Blake.
06:04Very...
06:05An order!
06:06Captain!
06:07Yes?
06:08We'll be calm.
06:09Let a breath of wind.
06:17That's not necessary yet, Mr. Blake.
06:22To whomever changed our course, my compliments.
06:37Not only have we lost the wind, we've found ice.
06:42Ice?
06:43Where?
06:44Can't you feel it, Mr. Blake?
06:46It's all around us.
06:48Ice off the port bow!
06:51Ice off the port bow!
06:58Now, do you feel it, Mr. Blake?
07:01Now, whoever played this idiotic trick made one little mistake.
07:20After he finished with his mutinous joke, he forgot to put the chalk back.
07:26See?
07:27He probably was so thrilled with putting one over on the old captain that he got carried
07:33away, and in the excitement, he dropped the chalk in his pocket.
07:38Now, since we've got nothing better to do, we'll have a little court of inquiry right
07:45here.
07:46Your pockets.
07:47Empty them out right here.
07:50Be quick about it.
07:53And turn the linings out so I can see that they're empty.
07:56You hear me, Mr. Blake?
07:58Yes, sir.
07:59Then move.
08:00I don't think it's a lawful order, Captain.
08:03You don't?
08:05An officer has no right to inspect a brother officer's private property.
08:09You know, you may be right.
08:13But surely you're aware that even if an order is unlawful, it still must be obeyed.
08:21Your remedy is to take it up with higher authority when we reach port.
08:26You have a legal right to refuse to obey only such unlawful orders as you believe menace
08:32the safety of the ship.
08:34Are you aware of that?
08:36I am.
08:38And surely you do not believe that my exercising my curiosity in this way, even if unlawful,
08:45menaces the safety of the ship.
08:48Well?
08:49Do you?
08:52No, sir.
08:53Then I order you to empty your pockets on this table right now.
09:03All right.
09:04All right, pick it up.
09:18Lord, I want every man not actually on duty assembled on the deck at once.
09:23Mr. Dibble, you will inspect the contents of the pockets of every man on duty.
09:29Get going, both of you.
09:30Aye, aye, sir.
09:31Aye, aye, sir.
09:32You two, cookie out.
09:40This certifies that Walter Blake is a security officer for the time being.
09:47Security officer for the Triport Shipping Company.
09:52And is authorized to investigate conditions aboard the barque Triport Queen.
10:00And so on.
10:04Pick it up.
10:06In other words, you're a spy.
10:12Don't you think I can guess what conditions you're investigating?
10:18Me, that's what.
10:20Look, it's nothing personal.
10:22But you've had cargo damage, and you've been late.
10:25Bad weather, bad luck.
10:28Three trips out of three.
10:31And you've been late.
10:32Bad weather, bad luck.
10:34Three trips out of six.
10:36Four trips out of seven.
10:38You're forgetting our present situation, Mr. Blake.
10:41There must be some reason.
10:43Surely, there always has to be a reason.
10:46Everything has to fit together.
10:49Maybe that's true on dry land.
10:52But there are things that happen at sea that just don't have any reason.
10:56Like how our course was changed?
10:58Maybe.
11:01You care to empty your pockets, Captain?
11:06You're hesitating.
11:08Are you sure?
11:10Could you have done it and forgotten about it?
11:17You see any chalk there?
11:20There?
11:22Perhaps you think I've hidden it.
11:25Go ahead, look.
11:27No.
11:28I may be an old man.
11:30And perhaps I forget things now and then.
11:32But I keep my ship on course.
11:35Unless some cheap company spy is so anxious to turn in a nice fat report
11:40that he doesn't mind tricking me.
11:43Hmm?
11:44That's not my handwriting.
11:46Here, look, I'll show you.
11:48You could have had somebody else do it for you.
11:52You can put that in your report.
11:55You can say that I think people are picking on me.
12:00Now, there's lots of us old ones that think that.
12:05Ah, no doubt.
12:07Your report will put me on the beach.
12:11But you won't write it until you reach port.
12:14Until then, you're my first mate and subject to my orders.
12:18Which are to get out of here and help round up the crew.
12:24Get on with it.
12:26Yes, sir.
12:41What have you checked?
12:43Checked the forward hold and galley.
12:45I'll take this hatch.
12:56Anybody working down there?
13:26Mr. Blake?
13:31Mr. Dibble said the crew's assembled on the stern.
13:33All that aren't working.
13:35All of them?
13:36That's what he said.
13:37All present or accounted for.
13:38You coming?
13:39Yeah, in a moment.
13:40Mr. Blake!
13:44Mr. Blake!
13:46Would you mind joining us topside?
13:49Captain, would you come down here?
13:51Mr. Blake!
13:53Mr. Blake!
13:55Mr. Blake!
14:03You may not have to search through any more pockets.
14:06I think we've got a stowaway down here.
14:08If this is some kind of a trick...
14:25Mr. Blake!
14:52What are you doing here?
14:55You're soaking wet. Where'd you come from?
14:57What's your name?
14:59Speak up!
15:01You speak English?
15:03Maybe he's got papers on him.
15:05Put your hands up in the air and turn around.
15:11What do you got in your hand?
15:13Open it! Open it!
15:15It's the chalk.
15:19You changed that course.
15:21Why? Speak up!
15:23Why did you change that course?
15:25We've got to win, Captain.
15:29We're under way.
15:33Put the irons on him, Mr. Blake.
15:43Keep a sharp lookout for ice!
15:53Keep a sharp lookout for ice!
16:03Trim the main!
16:06Ahoy!
16:12Ahoy!
16:18Ahoy!
16:23Ahoy!
16:29Captain, did you hear that?
16:31I heard. Answer them.
16:35We're away!
16:37Where are you?
16:39Keep shouting!
16:41We'll find you!
16:45Ahoy!
16:47What would you do, Mr. Blake?
16:49Shall we try and save him?
16:52Of course.
16:54You sure?
16:56There's ice all around us.
16:58Will it damage the vessel or worse?
17:02What would the company advise
17:04in such a matter?
17:08It's your ship, Captain.
17:12All right, Mr. Blake.
17:14Launch the workboat.
17:16Aye, aye, sir.
17:18Get the workboat over the side.
17:20Get the workboat over the side!
17:22Be quick!
17:48Ahoy!
17:50Where are you?
17:52Keep shouting!
17:54Ahoy!
17:56Hold water.
18:00Over here!
18:02Harness starboard!
18:10Ahoy!
18:15There they are!
18:17Hey! Hey, God!
18:27Swanson, second mate, the Flying Eagle.
18:30We struck an iceberg five, six, seven hours ago.
18:33Blake, first mate, Triport Queen. Where are the rest of your men?
18:37God knows. She went down fast. That's all that's left.
18:41What about him?
18:44Navigator, he'd die almost immediately.
18:47Well, pull him aboard. He's entitled to a decent burial. Cut him loose, quick!
19:13Come on.
19:44Come on.
19:58Oh, no!
20:08No. No! No! No! No!
20:11What's the matter? Mr. Blake!
20:13What do you think's the matter?
20:15This lad hasn't been to sea 40 years like you and me.
20:18He drags a body from the water and it takes the belly out of him.
20:22That's right, isn't it, Mr. Blake? Isn't that it?
20:25Isn't that it?
20:27Mr. Dibble, I want you to take these men below and get them some dry clothes and some hot food.
20:34Aye, aye, sir.
20:58Oh, my God.
21:04Oh, my God.
21:28It was the same man.
21:30Yes?
21:36He was dead.
21:40Dead for hours.
21:42Yes.
21:48Oh, my God.
21:50Oh, my God.
21:52Oh, my God.
21:55Oh, the course was changed.
21:58Men's lives were saved.
22:01Do you want a reason, Mr. Blake?
22:03A dry land reason?
22:07I don't have one.
22:09You saw him.
22:12What did you think?
22:14What did I think?
22:19I thought that the company was right.
22:25I was a very old man.
22:32But you're quite a young man.
22:35And you saw him, too.
22:40There must be some explanation.
22:43Some answer.
22:45And if there is no answer, what do you do, Mr. Blake?
22:51But I'm sure by the time you hand in your report,
22:56you'll have found an answer to satisfy the gentleman in Boston.
23:01Report?
23:09What report, Captain?
23:20I don't know.
23:42The Flying Eagle went down here.
23:45Off the tip of Greenland.
23:47The Queen was here and headed for Boston.
23:52Now, exactly what happened to make the Queen change her course?
23:58A parapsychologist, that is, those whose profession is the study of psychic processes,
24:03will tell you that at the instant of death,
24:07the navigator of the stricken vessel somehow managed to do something
24:11to save the lives of his shipmates.
24:15Or was the course on the blackboard a coincidence,
24:19and the stowaway an hallucination?
24:22Who knows?
24:24In any event, the fact is
24:27that three men who otherwise would have perished were saved.
24:32In a moment, I hint about next week.
24:37For a long time, Sylvia Aykroyd was a lonely, neglected woman.
24:41Then suddenly, inexplicably, she wasn't lonely anymore,
24:46for she met a most amazing companion.
24:49You'll meet him next week.
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