Approved | 30min | (Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, TV Series | Episode aired 10 January 1961
Director: John Newland
Writers: Merwin Gerard, Don Mankiewicz, Lawrence B. Marcus
Stars: Charles Bronson, Felix Deebank, Ronald Long
Director: John Newland
Writers: Merwin Gerard, Don Mankiewicz, Lawrence B. Marcus
Stars: Charles Bronson, Felix Deebank, Ronald Long
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00This is a small storeroom of the Lost Property Department of the London County Council.
00:07There are many such rooms, but they're rarely visited anymore, because the property stored
00:14dates back to the war.
00:16Property found on the streets or in the bombed-out buildings, all waiting for claimants, will
00:22never appear.
00:23Like this cheap copy of Venus de Milo, meant to stand in some garden.
00:30The ages have claimed her arms, the war claimed her head.
00:34Like on what mantelpiece do you suppose this old clock was standing when the bomb hit?
00:40Calmly ticking.
00:43Time stopped for it at 7.36 a.m. or p.m.
00:50What difference does it make?
00:52Baby strollers, cartons full of things, all tagged with the place and date of their destruction.
01:01The East End Arena, September 17th, 1944.
01:07Everything in this room could tell a hundred stories.
01:09But this boxing glove was involved in a most unusual occurrence.
01:16Then on September 17th, 1944, that dark and heavy curtain to the world beyond our five
01:23senses, the psychic world, was lifted for a moment.
01:47Hello, Mike.
01:52Hello, Yank.
01:57Sorry I'm late.
02:02No, it's all right.
02:05I had a bit of shopping to do, fish and chips.
02:08I know.
02:11But we're betting the purse, aren't we?
02:14I'm financing dinner out of my own pocket, you might say.
02:17Never mind.
02:18We'll have a real feed after the fight.
02:21What kind of odds you get?
02:23Three to one for the old 30 quid.
02:25That means we'll get 120 pounds if we win.
02:28That'll give us something in our pockets when we go up to the Midlands.
02:32Birmingham.
02:33Oh, they love light heavyweights up there.
02:36Did you see the doctor?
02:38Where do we go to eat?
02:39Well, in the dressing room.
02:41Get him coffee?
02:42Coffee costs extra.
02:44Well, I could show you something.
02:54This is sure crummy.
03:07Here.
03:08Did you see the doctor?
03:10Yeah, I saw him.
03:15Oh, Whitey.
03:17Please, go get some coffee.
03:19Oh, what do you want coffee for?
03:20It'll only keep you awake.
03:22I want you to have a couple of hours shut-eye before the fight.
03:25Coffee never bothered me.
03:26You know that.
03:29What doctor?
03:31How do I know what doctor?
03:33Well, you must remember something about him.
03:35I walked up the street and there was a doctor's office.
03:38What street?
03:39Queen Street.
03:41Oh.
03:42That would be Dr. Duggan.
03:44Yeah, I think so.
03:46Yes.
03:47He has a big sign hanging out over the walk, like a blink in cinema.
03:51Arthur A. Duggan.
03:53Sounds like him.
03:54Yeah.
03:55Only that sign was knocked down in a bombing raid six months ago.
04:00Well, then maybe it was someone else and maybe it wasn't Queen Street.
04:08All right, Whitey.
04:15I lied to you.
04:16I didn't see any doctor.
04:21You know, I'm getting too old to fight.
04:25It's the only trade I know.
04:29You know something, Whitey?
04:30The whole army wouldn't even have me.
04:33That's why I'm in the Merchant Marine now.
04:35Then why don't you ship out?
04:37Oh, I intend to.
04:39But I just wanted a little money.
04:40I got my eye on a bar and grill.
04:43You ought to see this place.
04:44It's a real pretty place.
04:45That's a pub.
04:47It's a nice little place up in Hoboken, Whitey.
04:50Yank, don't you realize you're risking your life?
04:54But it's my life, isn't it?
04:57What am I supposed to do?
04:59Sit out in front of some fight club with my cap on my knees saying,
05:03please help the poor?
05:05Well, I don't like it.
05:07Whitey, you don't have to like it.
05:16Never mind.
05:19I'll get you some coffee.
05:21Anybody need some coffee?
05:25Oh, I take it this is your fighter.
05:29Mr. Sanderson, Yank Dawson.
05:32He manages the other fella.
05:33How are you, Dawson?
05:35Sound in wind and limb, I hope.
05:37Well, I hope so.
05:40I really hope so.
05:43My boy's a bit of a savage, I'm afraid.
05:45Not much skill, but when he hits somebody, bang, bang.
05:50That's all she said, as you Americans would say.
05:56Here, drink up.
05:58My tiger's late.
05:59I'll get some fresh for him when he comes in.
06:01Thank you, Mr. Sanderson.
06:05Billy Yank, you do remind me of somebody.
06:10I was in the States for a bit before the war.
06:13Saw a man fight there.
06:16Looked very like him.
06:19Denver it was.
06:21Did you ever fight there?
06:24150 million Americans.
06:27Stands to reason two of them can look alike.
06:30No, couldn't be the same chap.
06:33The man in Denver had a terrible accident not long afterwards.
06:37They won't let him fight.
06:39Broke his head right open, I heard.
06:41Right there.
06:45Must have been someone else you saw in Denver, because I never fought in Denver.
06:51You're a fool to be fighting, you know.
06:54It's a nasty scar.
06:57Are you quite sure you're all right?
06:58Why don't you mind your own business?
07:00Of course he's all right.
07:02Well, I hope so.
07:03I really hope so.
07:05Why don't you get out of here?
07:07All right, your time's gone.
07:08Find my tiger.
07:10We don't worry about accidents here, do we, my dear?
07:15Not with old Paddy Terhune about.
07:19Who's Paddy Terhune?
07:21Oh, he's dead.
07:23In a manner of speaking.
07:27But you didn't tell him about Paddy.
07:29I was sure you had.
07:31Oh, inhospitable.
07:34Very inhospitable.
07:36Oh, come off it now.
07:37What do you mean, come off it?
07:39Here's a yank ready to fight at the old East End arena, and nobody tells him about Paddy.
07:45Now, Paddy's such a friendly ghost, too.
07:48Mr. Sanderson, I don't want to be rude, but I do want my yank to have a couple of hours sleep.
07:54So if you don't mind...
07:55All right, all right.
07:56If you don't want to tell him...
08:06Well, a little rub down is what you need.
08:10Help you to get some sleep.
08:15Tiger.
08:17Alfie Jones.
08:19Tiger, my...
08:20Mind you, he's very clever with his hands, though.
08:23You want to remember that?
08:24That's why I told you to crowd him.
08:26Understand?
08:27Keep crowding him all the time.
08:30What was all that about a ghost, Winnie?
08:33Oh, you don't want to pay no mind to Sanderson and that stupid story.
08:38It's just childish superstition.
08:40Well, tell me anyhow.
08:42Look, you're going to fight tonight.
08:44I'm not going to fill your head now with a lot of silly twaddle.
08:46Oh, I've had so much bad luck in the last few years, I guess I'm just going to jump you, Winnie.
08:51I'm sorry I acted like a kid.
08:55That's all right, boy.
08:57I don't know why I made such a fuss about it myself.
09:01Like Sanderson says, Paddy Tarun's a friendly sort of ghost anyway.
09:07He was Empire middleweight champion when he was only 18 years old.
09:11Back in 1905, that was.
09:14So when he fought Brian Cleary in 1931, he must have been 44.
09:21That's getting on a bit for a boxer, you know.
09:25And he wasn't Empire champ no more.
09:28He had a gold watch, a few good memories, and a blood clot.
09:34What nobody knew about.
09:38He fought Brian Cleary right here in the East End Arena.
09:42Brian liked the old boy, wanted to make it quick like, you know.
09:46So he knocked him out in the second round.
09:50That was an act of mercy, Brian thought.
09:53Only that blood clot of Paddy's got dislodged.
10:00He died before they could get him into the dressing room.
10:03Well, that upset Brian a bit.
10:05Of course, he soon got over it, you know.
10:07I mean, he knew it wasn't his fault.
10:10Only four years later, Brian went crackers.
10:14Just before a fight one night, he suddenly started raving and swearing something awful.
10:20He said he'd seen Paddy Tarun.
10:23Seen him, mind you, with Paddy dead four years already.
10:27Brian says that Paddy just stared at him and shook his head slowly from side to side.
10:35Like he was trying to tell him something.
10:38And Brian says, well, what could he be telling me?
10:41Except, don't you fight tonight, my boy, or you'll wind up like me.
10:47Well, he fought anyway.
10:50And he was winning too, hands down.
10:52Until Frankie Shane, fighting him back as best he could, suddenly caught him with a lucky right.
10:59What a whopper.
11:00Caught him eye on the forehead.
11:02And pitches Brian towards the ropes.
11:04And through the ropes.
11:06And he smashes his skull on the ring post.
11:09Well now, you know as well as I do.
11:12That could never happen again in a million years.
11:16But blimey, you should have seen the newspapers.
11:19Ghost of East End Arena, they said.
11:22Paddy Tarun back from the dead.
11:25And all that sort of tripe.
11:27See Paddy and die, they said.
11:31And there's talk of even some others, but I don't believe it.
11:35I don't believe any of it.
11:37Coincidence, that's all it is.
11:39Pure coincidence.
11:46Coincidence.
12:06Oh.
12:14Who are you?
12:24What do you want?
12:31Buddy! Buddy! Buddy!
12:34What's going on here?
12:35He's in there, Whitey. I saw him.
12:36Who?
12:37The fellow you were telling me about. Paddy Tarun. He's standing in there.
12:39Ah, you must be dreaming.
12:40He's in there, I swear. Look for yourself.
12:48In where, did you say?
12:52Believe me, Whitey.
12:54He was standing right here.
12:56And I wasn't dreaming.
13:00You were dreaming, Yank.
13:02What kind of a ghost takes his leave by the window?
13:06I'll tell you what kind.
13:08Come on. I'll show you your ghost.
13:18Listen to him out there. You're going to ruin me.
13:21Well, don't look at me.
13:23He's the one what's ruining you. Him and his psychological warfare.
13:27I've got contracts with the both of you.
13:29Well, we are ready to fight.
13:31Then you two can fight.
13:33I'll tell you straight out. My boy isn't going into the ring until he admits what he's done and apologizes for it.
13:38And just what am I supposed to have done?
13:40I had somebody to impersonate Paddy Tarun. That's what you've done.
13:44Trying to scare my boy.
13:46What's all this about?
13:48That ghost was a fake.
13:50Well, maybe it was. But that doesn't prove that I had anything to do with it.
13:53Who else?
13:54Who else had reason?
13:56It's your boy we're fighting.
13:58And you was offering odds of five to one.
14:00Well, I've got confidence in Alfie. That's all.
14:03Well, that's another thing. Look at him.
14:05Cool as a cucumber. Quiet as can be.
14:08Yeah, it's got nothing to do with me. I'll say fight.
14:11Well, that's just it.
14:13Your opponent saw Paddy Tarun.
14:15And you say fight.
14:18Aren't you scared you're going to kill him?
14:20Cleary and Kawicki saw the ghost and they was killed in the ring.
14:24Why doesn't it bother you that the man you're fighting is going to die?
14:28I'll tell you why.
14:30Because it's a fake and you know it.
14:32If what you say is true, it's a case for the boxing control board.
14:35Unsportsmanlike conduct by your manager.
14:37You insisted that my boy heard about Paddy Tarun.
14:40And you knew he was going to take a few hours sleep.
14:42That gave you plenty of time.
14:44How long did it take to sew Paddy's name onto that sweater?
14:46Now, look here, Whitey.
14:48And who did you hire to do Paddy Tarun?
14:50Which one of your flunkies was it?
14:52Willie Davis? He's about the right age and size.
14:55Who's Willie Davis?
14:56Some used up old fighter who'll do anything for a few quid
14:59that he can take across the road to the red line and turn into whiskey.
15:02And we don't have to ask his permission to go over there and ask Willie to talk.
15:06And he'll talk.
15:07In the interest of justice and better boxing and a few more drinks.
15:11Come on.
15:12No, no. Wait, wait, wait.
15:13All right. All right.
15:15I did it.
15:17There you are, you see.
15:18Willie played the ghost.
15:20It was my idea.
15:22Well, I know I shouldn't have done it.
15:24But Willie looks almost exactly like Paddy.
15:27And with a little makeup.
15:29Well, I just couldn't resist it.
15:32There's nothing criminal in it, mind you.
15:34It was a psychological warfare.
15:36Just like we do on the Germans, that's all.
15:38Only that happens to be war.
15:40Where all is fair, so they say.
15:43But this is boxing.
15:44All right.
15:45Which is supposed to be a sport.
15:48Well, maybe it wasn't sport in there.
15:50Maybe.
15:51All right, then it wasn't sport.
15:53It wasn't sport.
15:55You've never done anything that you're sorry for?
15:57Well, if I did, I said I was sorry.
16:00Well, now I'm sorry.
16:04Sorry, Yank.
16:06If everybody's quite satisfied, let's have a fight.
16:10No.
16:23Me lords.
16:25Me lords.
16:26Ladies and gentlemen.
16:29Eastside's boxing crowd.
16:32Thank you, producer.
16:34Ten three-minute rounds.
16:37Streetside's own favorite.
16:39Eleven-stone Zion, Alvin Jones.
16:50His worthy opponent.
16:52U.S. version seaman.
16:54Eleven-stone six, Yank Dufresne.
17:22Ring the bell.
17:52Ring the bell.
18:23Ring the bell.
18:24Ring the bell.
18:25Ring the bell.
18:26Ring the bell.
18:27Ring the bell.
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19:00Ring the bell.
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19:16Ring the bell.
19:17Ring the bell.
19:18Ring the bell.
19:19Ring the bell.
19:20Ring the bell.
19:27Now then, what happened over there?
19:33Did you just get careless?
19:36That fellow I saw in the dressing
19:37room...
19:38You know Davis?
19:40Well, what about him?
19:41He's sitting up there in the last
19:43row.
19:44I saw him, it kind of confused me I guess.
19:46So Sanderson's still up to his tricks, is he?
19:48I'll flay him alive!
19:50Here, what kind of scum are you?
20:02Oh, what's the matter?
20:03That's what's the matter.
20:04Look up there.
20:05What's all this about?
20:06He's gone and done it again, hasn't he?
20:08He's got his phony ghost up there, as big as life, and it's scaring my boy.
20:12I want him out of there.
20:13Well, I don't see him.
20:14Oh, yes, he's there, all right.
20:15You bet your life he is, right up there in the back row.
20:18But I didn't tell him to.
20:19He must have bought a ticket.
20:20There's no crime in that.
20:21I've had enough of this.
20:22Well, I want him out of there.
20:23Oh, go on, finish him.
20:24Finish him.
20:25Don't worry.
20:26Protect yourself, Yank.
20:27One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
20:28Ten.
20:29Ten.
20:30Ten.
20:31Ten.
20:32Ten.
20:33Ten.
20:34Ten.
20:35Ten.
20:36Ten.
20:37Ten.
20:38Ten.
20:39Ten.
20:40Ten.
20:41Ten.
20:42Ten.
20:43Ten.
20:44Ten.
20:45Ten.
20:46Ten.
20:47Ten.
20:48Ten.
20:49Don't touch him.
20:50He mustn't move.
20:51Let's get him to the restaurant.
20:52Oh, he must not be moved.
20:53Get a doctor's ticket.
20:54Easy, Yank.
20:55How do you feel?
20:56All right I guess.
20:57Do you want to try to sit up?
21:03Yes.
21:05He's going to be all right, doctor.
21:11He is?
21:13Yes.
21:14Yeah.
21:15Will he be all right, doctor?
21:16Yeah, he's had a slight concussion.
21:18But he'll definitely be all right.
21:20Did you hear that?
21:21Yank, you're gonna be fine, boy.
21:23I didn't say he'd be fine.
21:24I said he'd be all right.
21:26No more fighting, Yank.
21:27You hear that?
21:28I guess you're right, doc.
21:30Now let him rest here for a few minutes.
21:31Then he can get dressed and go home.
21:33Oh, um...
21:34Bring him in to see me tomorrow.
21:36Right-o, doc.
21:37Oh, look here, Whitey.
21:44I'm sorry about all this.
21:47So you should be.
21:48What a nonsense.
21:50Your boy would never have beat him if he hadn't been distracted.
21:53Is there a Mr. Sanderson here?
21:55I'm Sanderson.
21:57Mr. Sanderson?
21:58Yes?
21:59It's the devil's own time finding you, sir.
22:01Do you know this man?
22:03Yes, Willie Davis.
22:06Why were you sitting in the back row, Willie?
22:09I beg your pardon, sir, but the only place he's been sitting is at the police station.
22:12Under the influence, as you can see.
22:14But he couldn't have...
22:16I picked him up in the Red Line pub.
22:18There was some there that said he stole the money he spent there.
22:21But Willie said that you'd vouched for him.
22:23That you gave him the money.
22:24Well, that's true, but I...
22:25How long has he been in custody?
22:26For the last hour, I'd say.
22:28That's impossible.
22:30Why, we saw him sitting here in this very arena,
22:32wearing that foolish sweater, not ten minutes ago.
22:35Couldn't have been him, sir.
22:37Ten minutes ago, he was still unconscious.
22:39Come on, Willie.
22:41But I saw him too, between rounds.
22:43I thought Mr. Sanderson was still using psychological warfare.
22:47Well, it couldn't have been Willie.
22:49Then it was Paddy Trehewn himself.
22:51I saw Paddy. I'm going to die.
22:54Oh, shut up.
22:56There must be some explanation.
22:59I saw him twice.
23:01We all saw him.
23:03Not me, remember?
23:04I didn't see him.
23:06The rest of us aren't all going to die.
23:09Oh, don't be ridiculous.
23:24The German bomb, aimed presumably at the waterfront,
23:28struck the East End arena about 12 o'clock.
23:32The newspapers called it good fortune
23:36that only five people were in a building
23:39that only a few hours before had held so many more.
23:43Four were killed.
23:45The promoter Collins survived to tell what happened.
23:49And thus the legend of Paddy Trehewn was once more revived.
23:55If you see Paddy, you die.
23:59But is that all it really was?
24:01I mean, a legend?
24:03Well, of the five men,
24:07the promoter Collins was the only one who didn't see Paddy.
24:12He was also the only one who didn't die.
24:25© BF-WATCH TV 2021
24:55© BF-WATCH TV 2021