Night Gallery (1969) s03e01 Episode Script
The Return of the Sorcerer
HOST: Tonight's stars, Bill Bixby, Patricia Sterling, and Vincent Price.
Good evening.
We are delighted that all of you could make it this evening, because we have something special on tap.
In the area of the occult, it's customary to preoccupy ourselves with witches.
And too infrequently, we dabble on the male side of that time honored profession, the Sorceror.
On display here is a painting, showing the natural habitat of this species of black eyed practitioner.
Dark alley, murky light, a few sundry skulls, and the gentleman himself on the right of the picture, with the upraised hand and the funny little goat horns.
Yes, indeed, this is a sorcerer.
And for those of you who disbelieve his existence, we invite you to check this out for a little while.
Our painting is called The Return of the Sorceror, and where better place to return than right here, 'm the Night Gallery.
(WIND HOWLING) I called about the ad.
I'm Noel Evans.
(RAIN PATTERING) He's here.
JOHN: Thank you, Fern.
Mr.
Carnby? I'm Noel Evans.
Sit down.
Write down your name.
Block letters.
Throw it back.
Your number is four.
You don't look four.
Fours are solid people, practical, uninspired.
Well, I'm afraid I won't be suitable.
Fours are not successful.
Four is the number of poverty and defeat.
Well, it was, uh, very nice talking with you, Mr.
Carnby.
Look it over.
Would you care for some brown sherry and walnuts? (sums) (NUT CRACKS) You making it out? Yes, I'm doing okay.
It's 15th century.
My guess would be the school of Samarkand.
JOHN: Have you ever read any um, early Arabic? Anything of Abdul-el-Peinir? Yes, I have.
Which book? Le satanisme et la magie.
If you work for me, the hours are awful but the money is great.
Well.
I'm, uh I'm not saying that I can translate this for you readily.
Um, I'll need my dictionaries.
I'd expect you to live in.
We haven't discussed salary.
(SCRAPING) The salary is $750 a week.
700 You will get your clothes and your And your dictionaries.
We'll start tonight.
(CLEARS THROAT) Uh Uh, look, I'm, uh I'm not into, uh, occultism or Satanism or anything like that.
I'm really a very square person.
I know Arabic.
I happen to have this inner thing for Arabic.
That's all.
That's exactly what I want.
Here's a month's salary.
(SIGHS) I'm delighted that you were able to start right away.
My My brother used to live here.
We always worked together.
But he passed away and well, I'm I'm swamped.
And I might say, a little lonely.
We were twins.
And we were very close.
(DOOR OPENS) Can you find your way out all right? Darling.
Maybe you shouldn't go through with it.
Maybe you shouldn't have it translated.
Shouldn't know.
No.
No! I must know! I must! Fern, I must.
(SOBBING) He's waiting in the study.
He wants you to come right away.
Tell me, uh Have there been any translators before me? Two.
They quit or were they fired? Quit.
Fern.
L, uh I don't mind telling you I'm, I'm a little, uh I'm a little spooked.
Can I depend on you, as a friend? Sure.
JOHN: I have made a life study of demonism and sorcery.
Much of the practice of sorcery is based on Latin work, the Necronomicon.
But that was based on this Arabic work.
This one here.
Hm But you see, some of the most, the most The most and I use this word literally, the most fiendish passages were Well, they were simply never rendered into the Latin.
Can you tell me why the two translators before me, quit after only one day? Well, there was one passage in here that they, just refused to translate.
(SCRAPING) Excuse me.
Whatever is in the passage must have terrified them.
They left.
What makes you think that I won't leave, after I've read it? Dinner? What a glorious bloody color.
Oh, I beg your pardon, I forgot to introduce you two.
Mr.
Evans, this is my father who built this house and who is back with us.
He goes by the name of "The Falling Tower.
" How do you do, Falling Tower? (BLEATING) Here's to you, darling.
Fern is indispensible to me.
FERN: Did you know, that for every sorcerer there must be at least a thousand sorceresses? Um You said that she was indispensible to you, in what way? FERN: In the Black Arts, women are always the dominant ones.
And enslaved by men, they developed sorcery as a way to power.
You see what Fern does for me.
I'm sorry, um I don't understand.
(STAMMERING) Exactly, what does she do for you? (SCRAPING) (WHISPERING) Listen.
Do you hear that? Rats.
I'm afraid we have rats.
No, it isn't rats, I tell you it isn't! FERN: Yes, it is, dear.
What else could it be? You see, it was despair that brought on the Black Mass.
Life in the Middle Ages was saturated with despair, and the feeling of helplessness against the establishment, and nobles, and the clergy and Fern, the way you say that.
You're really into this.
Don't you really hear that? (SCRAPING CONTINUES) Are you expecting somebody? Is he expecting somebody? (BLEATING) (CROAKING) Are you gonna give mommy a kiss, huh? (CROAKING) NOEL: Well, uh, I have it.
Well, go ahead.
NOEL: It's grisly.
Read it! Mr.
Carnby, I, uh I can see why they quit, and in fact, if you don't mind Here's your check.
If you don't read that you'll never leave this house.
Sit down, Noel.
"It is verily known by few "that the will of a dead sorcerer "has powers upon his own body, "and can raise it up from the tomb "and perform therewith whatever actions were unfulfilled in his life.
" You see? Those were the sounds you said were the rats! "Such resurrections are invariably for the detriment of others.
" And this part is really incredible.
"But he can only do this damage to another person "if that person knows of his peculiar power.
" Go on.
"There are cases in which the will of the wizard was so powerful "that even though his body had been "Hewn in many "Fragments or segments, "these fragments can rise either separately, "or in concert to serve the Wizard's end.
" Uh, well, that's it.
Mr.
Carnby? Is there anything we can do for him? Have you finished with the passage? Where there is a Preamble, it's a curse.
I suppose that's why the other two left.
Well, let's hear it.
"By all the Dark Powers of this world, "may he who reveals this secret "be flayed slowly over burning coals.
" Uh "And then "thoroughly dismembered.
" Well, it's been quite an evening.
I think I'll leave now.
NOEL: Fern? Don't you feel as if there's some hidden horror in this house? (MOUTHING) He killed his brother.
He cut his twin brother up into pieces.
Oh, my God.
He buried the pieces in the oak grove.
Except for his head.
His head? (SHUSHING) What did he do with his head? Cool it, man.
Believe in the oneness.
Terror is joy, joy is terror.
Life is death and torture is ecstasy! We're holding Black Mass later.
(SOFTLY) I'll see you then.
Uh, no, I, I can't kiss you with that frog.
But it's beauty.
I mean, life is beauty.
Kiss the toad.
(CROAKING) Oh, some other time maybe.
You didn't finish the translation, dear boy.
JOHN: Astoroth, protect me.
Three.
Three.
Three.
Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu, Asmodeus, destroy him! Five, five, five, five, five.
Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu.
Baal, protect me! Nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine (SCRAPING) (THUMPING) Mr.
Carnby? (THUMPING ON DOOR) Mr.
Carnby.
What is that? You heard what Fern said? It's the rats! It's only the rats, I tell you.
(GASPS) You saw them? Shh! It's my brother.
(THUMPING ON DOOR) Your brother's dead.
Don't you think I know that? I buried him in pieces in the oak grove! Except his head! His head is in the closet! I hated him.
He was stronger than me! His magic was stronger! But it was Fern.
Fern, she caused that.
She wanted to be stronger than both of us! The woman is insatiable! She taunted me by loving him! For power! For power over both of us! Well, I can put a stop to that! Mr.
Carnby! No, don't do it! Go to the study.
Your brother is waiting.
(THUMPING) That's my brother! He's calling me to Mass! And you will preside! For power! Don't I always? The woman is insatiable.
(THUMPING CONTINUES) Come in, Noel.
It's an experience one ought not to miss.
Uh, If it's all the same to you, um (THUMPING LOUDLY) (CRASHING) (FERN CHANTING) Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu.
Abracadabra.
(DOOR SLAMS) (FERN CHANTING) Arepo-opera! Arepo-opera! Arepo-opera! Arepo-opera! Arepo-opera! Arepo-opera! Arepo-opera! Arepo-opera! Arepo-opera! Sartor-Rotras! Sartor-Rotras! Sartor-Rotras! Sartor-Rotras! Sartor-Rotras! Sartor-Rotras! Sartor-Rotras! (FERN AND JOHN CHANTING) Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu, Abracadabra! Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu, Abracadabra! Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu, Astoroth, my body and my blood! Astoroth, my body, my blood! Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu, Abracadabra! Astoroth, my soul and my suffering! Astoroth, my body and my blood! Astoroth, my body, my blood! (SHOUTS) Mr.
Carnby? (BLEATING) Fern? (BLEATING CONTINUES) You're too late for Mass.
I'm sorry you missed it.
It was far out.
The brothers are together again.
Fragmented, but together.
Oneness, is all.
Let's go to my room.
You wouldn't want to leave me on a night like this, would you? I mean Not after everything that's happened.
Uh, Fern? Darling? In the Preamble, in the Necronomicon, threatening anyone who translated the passages from Arabic with fire and dismemberment? You don't suppose there's anything to that, do you? (BLEATING)
Good evening.
We are delighted that all of you could make it this evening, because we have something special on tap.
In the area of the occult, it's customary to preoccupy ourselves with witches.
And too infrequently, we dabble on the male side of that time honored profession, the Sorceror.
On display here is a painting, showing the natural habitat of this species of black eyed practitioner.
Dark alley, murky light, a few sundry skulls, and the gentleman himself on the right of the picture, with the upraised hand and the funny little goat horns.
Yes, indeed, this is a sorcerer.
And for those of you who disbelieve his existence, we invite you to check this out for a little while.
Our painting is called The Return of the Sorceror, and where better place to return than right here, 'm the Night Gallery.
(WIND HOWLING) I called about the ad.
I'm Noel Evans.
(RAIN PATTERING) He's here.
JOHN: Thank you, Fern.
Mr.
Carnby? I'm Noel Evans.
Sit down.
Write down your name.
Block letters.
Throw it back.
Your number is four.
You don't look four.
Fours are solid people, practical, uninspired.
Well, I'm afraid I won't be suitable.
Fours are not successful.
Four is the number of poverty and defeat.
Well, it was, uh, very nice talking with you, Mr.
Carnby.
Look it over.
Would you care for some brown sherry and walnuts? (sums) (NUT CRACKS) You making it out? Yes, I'm doing okay.
It's 15th century.
My guess would be the school of Samarkand.
JOHN: Have you ever read any um, early Arabic? Anything of Abdul-el-Peinir? Yes, I have.
Which book? Le satanisme et la magie.
If you work for me, the hours are awful but the money is great.
Well.
I'm, uh I'm not saying that I can translate this for you readily.
Um, I'll need my dictionaries.
I'd expect you to live in.
We haven't discussed salary.
(SCRAPING) The salary is $750 a week.
700 You will get your clothes and your And your dictionaries.
We'll start tonight.
(CLEARS THROAT) Uh Uh, look, I'm, uh I'm not into, uh, occultism or Satanism or anything like that.
I'm really a very square person.
I know Arabic.
I happen to have this inner thing for Arabic.
That's all.
That's exactly what I want.
Here's a month's salary.
(SIGHS) I'm delighted that you were able to start right away.
My My brother used to live here.
We always worked together.
But he passed away and well, I'm I'm swamped.
And I might say, a little lonely.
We were twins.
And we were very close.
(DOOR OPENS) Can you find your way out all right? Darling.
Maybe you shouldn't go through with it.
Maybe you shouldn't have it translated.
Shouldn't know.
No.
No! I must know! I must! Fern, I must.
(SOBBING) He's waiting in the study.
He wants you to come right away.
Tell me, uh Have there been any translators before me? Two.
They quit or were they fired? Quit.
Fern.
L, uh I don't mind telling you I'm, I'm a little, uh I'm a little spooked.
Can I depend on you, as a friend? Sure.
JOHN: I have made a life study of demonism and sorcery.
Much of the practice of sorcery is based on Latin work, the Necronomicon.
But that was based on this Arabic work.
This one here.
Hm But you see, some of the most, the most The most and I use this word literally, the most fiendish passages were Well, they were simply never rendered into the Latin.
Can you tell me why the two translators before me, quit after only one day? Well, there was one passage in here that they, just refused to translate.
(SCRAPING) Excuse me.
Whatever is in the passage must have terrified them.
They left.
What makes you think that I won't leave, after I've read it? Dinner? What a glorious bloody color.
Oh, I beg your pardon, I forgot to introduce you two.
Mr.
Evans, this is my father who built this house and who is back with us.
He goes by the name of "The Falling Tower.
" How do you do, Falling Tower? (BLEATING) Here's to you, darling.
Fern is indispensible to me.
FERN: Did you know, that for every sorcerer there must be at least a thousand sorceresses? Um You said that she was indispensible to you, in what way? FERN: In the Black Arts, women are always the dominant ones.
And enslaved by men, they developed sorcery as a way to power.
You see what Fern does for me.
I'm sorry, um I don't understand.
(STAMMERING) Exactly, what does she do for you? (SCRAPING) (WHISPERING) Listen.
Do you hear that? Rats.
I'm afraid we have rats.
No, it isn't rats, I tell you it isn't! FERN: Yes, it is, dear.
What else could it be? You see, it was despair that brought on the Black Mass.
Life in the Middle Ages was saturated with despair, and the feeling of helplessness against the establishment, and nobles, and the clergy and Fern, the way you say that.
You're really into this.
Don't you really hear that? (SCRAPING CONTINUES) Are you expecting somebody? Is he expecting somebody? (BLEATING) (CROAKING) Are you gonna give mommy a kiss, huh? (CROAKING) NOEL: Well, uh, I have it.
Well, go ahead.
NOEL: It's grisly.
Read it! Mr.
Carnby, I, uh I can see why they quit, and in fact, if you don't mind Here's your check.
If you don't read that you'll never leave this house.
Sit down, Noel.
"It is verily known by few "that the will of a dead sorcerer "has powers upon his own body, "and can raise it up from the tomb "and perform therewith whatever actions were unfulfilled in his life.
" You see? Those were the sounds you said were the rats! "Such resurrections are invariably for the detriment of others.
" And this part is really incredible.
"But he can only do this damage to another person "if that person knows of his peculiar power.
" Go on.
"There are cases in which the will of the wizard was so powerful "that even though his body had been "Hewn in many "Fragments or segments, "these fragments can rise either separately, "or in concert to serve the Wizard's end.
" Uh, well, that's it.
Mr.
Carnby? Is there anything we can do for him? Have you finished with the passage? Where there is a Preamble, it's a curse.
I suppose that's why the other two left.
Well, let's hear it.
"By all the Dark Powers of this world, "may he who reveals this secret "be flayed slowly over burning coals.
" Uh "And then "thoroughly dismembered.
" Well, it's been quite an evening.
I think I'll leave now.
NOEL: Fern? Don't you feel as if there's some hidden horror in this house? (MOUTHING) He killed his brother.
He cut his twin brother up into pieces.
Oh, my God.
He buried the pieces in the oak grove.
Except for his head.
His head? (SHUSHING) What did he do with his head? Cool it, man.
Believe in the oneness.
Terror is joy, joy is terror.
Life is death and torture is ecstasy! We're holding Black Mass later.
(SOFTLY) I'll see you then.
Uh, no, I, I can't kiss you with that frog.
But it's beauty.
I mean, life is beauty.
Kiss the toad.
(CROAKING) Oh, some other time maybe.
You didn't finish the translation, dear boy.
JOHN: Astoroth, protect me.
Three.
Three.
Three.
Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu, Asmodeus, destroy him! Five, five, five, five, five.
Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu.
Baal, protect me! Nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine (SCRAPING) (THUMPING) Mr.
Carnby? (THUMPING ON DOOR) Mr.
Carnby.
What is that? You heard what Fern said? It's the rats! It's only the rats, I tell you.
(GASPS) You saw them? Shh! It's my brother.
(THUMPING ON DOOR) Your brother's dead.
Don't you think I know that? I buried him in pieces in the oak grove! Except his head! His head is in the closet! I hated him.
He was stronger than me! His magic was stronger! But it was Fern.
Fern, she caused that.
She wanted to be stronger than both of us! The woman is insatiable! She taunted me by loving him! For power! For power over both of us! Well, I can put a stop to that! Mr.
Carnby! No, don't do it! Go to the study.
Your brother is waiting.
(THUMPING) That's my brother! He's calling me to Mass! And you will preside! For power! Don't I always? The woman is insatiable.
(THUMPING CONTINUES) Come in, Noel.
It's an experience one ought not to miss.
Uh, If it's all the same to you, um (THUMPING LOUDLY) (CRASHING) (FERN CHANTING) Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu.
Abracadabra.
(DOOR SLAMS) (FERN CHANTING) Arepo-opera! Arepo-opera! Arepo-opera! Arepo-opera! Arepo-opera! Arepo-opera! Arepo-opera! Arepo-opera! Arepo-opera! Sartor-Rotras! Sartor-Rotras! Sartor-Rotras! Sartor-Rotras! Sartor-Rotras! Sartor-Rotras! Sartor-Rotras! (FERN AND JOHN CHANTING) Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu, Abracadabra! Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu, Abracadabra! Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu, Astoroth, my body and my blood! Astoroth, my body, my blood! Eleheu, Eleheu, Eleheu, Abracadabra! Astoroth, my soul and my suffering! Astoroth, my body and my blood! Astoroth, my body, my blood! (SHOUTS) Mr.
Carnby? (BLEATING) Fern? (BLEATING CONTINUES) You're too late for Mass.
I'm sorry you missed it.
It was far out.
The brothers are together again.
Fragmented, but together.
Oneness, is all.
Let's go to my room.
You wouldn't want to leave me on a night like this, would you? I mean Not after everything that's happened.
Uh, Fern? Darling? In the Preamble, in the Necronomicon, threatening anyone who translated the passages from Arabic with fire and dismemberment? You don't suppose there's anything to that, do you? (BLEATING)