The Twilight Zone (1959) s03e18 Episode Script

Dead Man's Shoes

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.
Your next stop, the twilight zone.
Okay, dump him.
Nathan edward bledsoe, of the bowery bledsoes, a man once, a specter now, one of those myriad, modern-day ghosts that haunt the reeking nights of this city in search of a flop, a handout, a glass of forgetfulness.
Nate doesn't know it, but his search is about to end because those shiny new shoes are going to carry him right into the capital of the twilight zone.
Hey, nate.
Yeah, what do you want? Nothin'.
Just wondered where you was going.
You, uh, make a little strike, nate? Nah.
So what's the hurry? I don't know.
Don't try to kid me, nate- you're after a jug.
Sam.
What has come of you? I see the whole thing is clearly a case of assault and battery.
Oh, what are you talking about? I just asked him where he was i will gladly testify for you in a court case.
Eh, forget it.
He didn't mean nothing.
Spoken like a true gentleman.
There, you see? Aren't you ashamed of yourself to think that a man of such honor would refuse to share his windfall with his old comrades.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Nathan, nathan, nathan, please, don't destroy the image that i have created.
It's quite obvious that you're on to something.
We couldn't mistake your steadfast walk, your sense of well-being.
And your new shoes.
They're a bit expensive, aren't they? I found 'em in a alley.
Yes.
It looks to me like, uh, british workmanship, but aren't they just, uh, a little bit snug? They do feel a little funny.
Yes, well, i would be glad ah, but they fit okay.
Uh, nathan, when you found the footgear, did you also, by the remotest chance, find? Just the shoes.
Now where are you headed, pal? Take your hand off me.
Dane? I'm glad you're back, honey.
I keep losing.
Well, what have you got? Who are you? What do you want? Look, you better get out of here.
That's dane's bottle.
Mm-hmm, that's why i'm drinking it.
You know, if he comes back and finds you here, he'll kill you.
Mister, don't you hear me? He'll kill you.
Wilma you'll never make it downstairs.
Fix me a drink.
Bernie? Wilma.
Is dane there? Oh, well look, if he comes back, will you tell him that would you tell him that i need him right away? I'm at the apartment.
Okay.
All right, mister, where's dane? Dane? I don't understand, lady.
Oh, yes, you do.
You've got his shoes, and no one else wears shoes like dane's.
Oh, the shoes.
I found the shoes.
You mean, you stole them.
Yeah, that's right, lady, i stole them.
Where? I don't i don't understand at the club? The what? Well, what was he doing there? I don't know, lady, honest.
Well, whatdo you know, mister? Nothing.
I don't know nothing, lady, i you know, i ought to kill you- busting in here like you own the place.
Lady, please, don't do that.
Please don't do that, please don't do that! Put on the shoes and get out of here.
Yeah.
Yes, lady, i'll go.
I thought i told you to mix me a drink.
Oh, look, mister do i have to break your arm? No.
How about that drink? Well, what'll it be? What'll it be? What do ialwayshave? I don't know what you always have, mister, i really don't.
Try tequila with a cube of sugar.
Do you want to tell me who you really are? You tell me.
You know, dane's coming back, and if you knew what was good for you oh, i, uh, know what's good for me.
You.
Don't touch me.
Don't touch me, don't now, who am i, baby? Dane.
No, you're not.
You're not, you're not! What have you done with him? And what have you done with him? What have you done with him? Now, look, i have some unfinished business.
But you be here when i get back.
I love that rhythm.
Yes, sir, what will it be? Tequila with a cube of sugar.
Yes, sir.
Friend of yours? Jimmy, that fellow at the bar- you know him? Negative.
Ben, what about you? I've never seen him before, why? Well, he seems to know us.
You like to live dangerously, do you? Am i? If you keep on staring at this woman.
It's not the woman i'm staring at.
Look- you're driving me crazy.
Why don't you get rid of the guy? Or invite him over, dosomething! Ben, get him over here.
Hey.
Mr.
Dagget would like to see you over there.
At his own personal table.
I don't know what to say.
Don't say anything, just do it.
All right, i accept.
Hey, sweetheart, sit over there.
Hello, bernie.
You know me? Oh, by reputation.
Oh oh, i get it.
Tequila with a lump of sugar, huh? Mmm.
That's kind of a funny coincidence.
How's that? Well, i, uh i had a good friend who drank the same stuff.
Oh? What's your name? Kilroy.
Look, buddy, when mr.
Dagget asks what's your business, mr.
Kilroy? Well, you might say, uh, i'm kind of a messenger.
I've got a message for you, bernie.
Well, let's have it.
No, i, uh, was given instructions to deliver this message privately.
Well, it's a touchy matter, you know how it is.
Oh.
Who's it from? Afraid i can't say.
It's a nice place.
Real nice.
The, um the fellow that gave you this message, what did he look like? Uh, bernie, my business is forgetting, not remembering.
Mm-hmm.
All right, messenger, let's go.
Oh, no, this has got to be private.
It will be.
This is my office.
You can't get any more private than this.
Even the walls are soundproof.
Take it easy.
Happy easter.
You still got a message for me? Oh, yes, but, uh, tell the easter bunny here i'd like my gun back afterwards.
Mm-hmm.
All right, boys.
Sit down.
Make yourself comfortable.
Well, well, well.
How did you get it cleaned so fast, bernie? What? The rug.
I understand blood's very hard to get out, isn't it? I don't know what you're talking about.
I'll tell you what i'll do, bernie.
I'll tell you what i'm talking about.
I'm talking about a guy who had a pretty nice thing going for him.
Plenty of dough, plenty of action.
Only he wasn't happy because he had a partner.
That meant he couldn't be number one.
Being number one was very important to him.
So he offered to buy the partner out.
When the partner refused to sell, he killed him right there.
You know, you'd never know.
It was a slick job.
Who are you? Oh, i told you.
I'm a messenger.
And, uh, here's the message.
You didn't think that'd work twice, did you? I'll be back, bernie and i'll keep coming back again and again and i'll get you.
So help me, i'll get you.
Who is he? It's d i don't know.
Oh, my dear nathan, you really are smashed, aren't you? Very careless of you.
As for these, we'll discuss them at some future date.
There's an old saying that goes, "if the shoe fits, wear it," but be careful.
If you happen to find a pair of size nine black and gray loafers made to order in the old country, be very careful.
You might walk right into the twilight zone.
Rod serling, creator ofthe twilight zone, will tell you about next week's story after this message.
And now, mr.
Serling.
Perhaps no character in or out of fiction has had as much notoriety or publicity as the so-called grim reaper.
Next week onthe twilight zone, through the good offices of mr.
Earl hamner, we present a unique story called "the hunt.
" It concerns the demise of an old hunter and his dog.
And this one we rather urgently recommend to people who have lost their senses of humor and who'd like to recover same.
As one of my kids says, there's a trillion, trillion ways of telling a story.
But there's really only one way to tell a chesterfield story and that's simply to say that great tobaccos make a wonderful smoke.
Try chesterfields.
They satisfy.
This is james arness.
You know, it's only a short hop fromthe twilight zone to dodge city ingunsmoke.
Saturday nights over most of these stations.

Previous EpisodeNext Episode