All dressed up, huh? New suit?
Any good? Yeah, looks swell.
For Annie, huh? Yeah.
When does the train get here?
Oh, I got time. How's mom?
Better. She fell asleep early this morning, and I let her.
Yeah, I know. I heard her crying.
Yeah, she cried hard, all right.
Dad, we made a terrible mistake with her.
Somehow she's gotta be made to understand that Larry's dead. It's insane what she's doing.
Shhh. She might hear us.
Dad, walk over to the garage with me. I wanna talk to you.
You might as well get that out of your mind, because you'll never convince her.
But nobody comes back after three years.
Well, there's no body and there's no grave.
He was reported missing. That's all. So where are you?
You just have to look at the newspapers.
Every month some boy turns up somewhere,
so the next one's gonna be Larry.
Look, dad, I'm gonna ask Ann to marry me.
Well, Annie is Larry's girl. She was engaged to marry him.
She's not Larry's girl! How can she be Larry's girl when Larry's dead?
Well, from mother's point of view, he's not dead,
and you have no right to take his girl.
The world's full of girls, and you pick out Annie.
I happen to be in love with her.
You've hardly seen her since she moved away.
More than that, since you went to war.
I saw her in Chicago last year for two whole weeks.
Besides that, I was brought up next door to her.
I know her best, all my life.
When I think of someone for my wife, I think of Annie. What do you want, a diagram?
Well, you marry that girl, and you're pronouncing him dead. You've no right to do that!
All right, then.
Hello, Joe! Oh, hello, dick.
Give it some more thought, kid.
I have given it thought.
I hoped we could have a regular wedding and everything happy.
But if that can't be, then I'll have to get out. What are you talking about?
I'll get married and live some place else.
Are you crazy? I've got a right to live my own life.
Yes, but you've got a business here.
What is this? The business doesn't inspire me.
What do you mean "inspired"? Do you have to be inspired?
Ain't it enough you're sitting pretty?
One step behind me in a manufacturing plant that's turning in profits!
Inspired! The Keller machine works alone do not inspire me!
If I have to grub for my money, at least I want something for it.
I want a family, a home. I want some kids.
I want to build something I can give myself to.
Ann's in the middle of that. Do I find it here or elsewhere? You name it!
You mean... tell me something.
You mean you'd leave the business?
Yes, on this I would.
Well, don't think like that. Then help me to stay here.
All right, but don't think like that because...
What did I work for? It's all for you.
I know that, dad. Just help me to stay here. That's all I ask.
Well, don't think like that. I'm thinkin' like that.
Now, look, uh...
Let's leave it this way.
Don't do anything without Kate knowing about it. I don't want her to be hurt.
You know that way she is. I don't wanna hurt mom. You know that...
I know you don't, but you gotta be careful.
Just don't go running off and do something crazy. See what I mean?
I see.
Well, promise me you'll talk to her first.
All right, I promise.
I don't know you, kid, do I?
No, dad, you don't.
Hmm.
It's just like it used to be. Nothing's changed a bit.
It's only been three years, you know.
The sagendorfs finally painted their house. It's about time!
And there's us. Our house.
- Good morning. - Ann, Dr. Bayliss.
Jim, this is our Annie. How do you do?
How do you do? Tsk, tsk, tsk. She looks very intelligent.
What can I take for it?
Chris writes about you in his letters.
I could think of better things to write about. What's the matter with you?
Jim, come in here! Mrs. Adams is on the phone.
I told you, I don't wanna be disturbed. Sunday is my day off.
What do you mean you... No calls on Sunday.
- Hello! - Hello.
You must be Ann.
And you must be Mrs. Bayliss.
Guilty. But don't hold it against me. It was his bedside manner.
Well, go on in and talk to her.
She says she's in great pain.
She gives me a great pain! What's the matter with her now?
What do you think? She wants you to go over and hold her hand, beautiful.
So go! Such are the conditions which prevail.
Never marry a nurse, Chris.
Ohh, I better go in and see he doesn't muff that call. See you!
- Anme! - Joe!
Annie.
Hello, Joe. Annie.
Here, let me look at you. Annie, you're beautiful.
A dish if I ever saw one. Here, give us a kiss.
Uh-uh-uh-uh! They're still falling for me. How do you like that?
You're a regular dog. Here, let me help you. Come on in, Annie.
Welcome home! You're a sight for sore eyes.
You certainly look swell. Go on, Annie.
Here we are.
Uh, Kate. Kate?
Yes? Annie's here.
How does it look to you? It looks wonderful.
Still know your way around? I think I do.
Oh, the piano. I haven't touched one in years.
Oh, Annie, uh, you better not play on it.
Kate hasn't let anybody use it since... Larry, you know.
That's silly. Larry'd love to have me play it. Play, then.
Well, I'm just telling you that... go ahead, play it.
How nice.
It's been so long since anyone's played that piano.
Hello, Kate. Annie, darling, I'm so glad you could come.
It's so wonderful to be back again. I'll take your bags upstairs.
Seems like old times with Annie around, hey, Kate?
Almost like old times.
The piano still sounds good, in spite of the way Larry and I used to punish it.
You think of him! You see, Joe?
She still thinks of him. What do you mean, Kate?
Just that you remember him. He's in your thoughts.
That's a funny thing to say. How could I help remembering him?
I-I'll take you up to your room. I'll see you later, Annie.
You must be tired after that long train ride.
Oh, I don't mind. It was fun to be coming home.
Did you sleep well?
No, I couldn't. I was too excited.
Well! A room that doesn't look out on a court.
What a relief!
Isn't she the sweetest gal you ever saw?
Cut it out, Chris. You'll have me believing it.
Okay, then, you're not the sweetest gal I ever saw. Mom is.
Oh, Chris! Go away!
See you downstairs.
Chris feels just like a brother to you,
and I suppose in a way, he is.
How do you like Chicago? Still work at the same place?
Chicago's okay. I'm still pounding a typewriter...
For lubowitz and Cochrane, attorneys-at-law, bless 'em.
Hey, what's all this? These all belong to Chris?
No, this is Larry's room. Don't you remember?
You mean, they're Larry's?
Yes. Didn't you recognize them?
Well, it never occurred to me that you'd...
The shoes are all shined.
Yes, dear. For when he comes back.
Sometimes it's better to let things stay the way they are,
not disturb them,
no matter what.
Joe. Yeah?
Did you take a bag from under the sink?
Yeah. I put it in the garbage.
Would you do me a favor, Joe? Stop being helpful.
That was my potatoes.
I thought it was garbage.
If you'd make up your mind that every bag in the kitchen isn't garbage,
you wouldn't be throwing out my vegetables.
Last time it was the onions.
I don't like garbage.
Then stop eating.
When I was a little girl in the old country,
a bag of potatoes was like a bag of gold.
Where's Annie?
She's changing her dress.
I wish she hadn't come.
Why not? People will ask questions.
Let them. Well, we ought to know the answers.
What questions? What answers?
It's a good thing she come here.
Let people know there's no grudge and what's past is past.
It's a good thing.
I like that girl.
She's got a lot of spunk coming here at that.
- No flies on her. - You like every girl.
Well, no flies on me, either.
Don't move, anybody.
Say, Annie, I never noticed it before, but you've got pretty legs.
Joe! Well, she has.
Joe's getting gay, Kate. You oughta do something about him.
No fool like an old fool.
Hey, Kate! I've got the charts here for Larry's horoscope.
Came yesterday in the mail. Annie!
Frank. Lydia! Lydia!
- Yes? - Come on over. Annie's here!
Annie! Be right down.
Gee whiz! Good to see you, frank.
Long time no see, Annie. How's tricks?
Tricks are fine, frank. How's tricks with you? Oh, I got three kids.
So I've heard. Are you still haberdashering?
Why not? Maybe I, too, can get to be president.
My, you look wonderful. You've gotten sort of...
There, now, now. Take it easy. You're a married man.
Yeah, and how!
Oh, I think you'll be interested in this, Annie. It's Larry's horoscope.
Kate asked me to work on it. I sent for a chart.
Horoscope for what?
You see, the point is, if February 9... that's the day Larry disappeared...
Was a favorable day for him, then it's completely possible he's alive somewhere...
Because he couldn't have been killed on his favorable day.
Bilge! Oh, sure. Just because you don't believe in it.
There's lots of things you don't believe in that are true.
This isn't something I make up, you know.
It's all in the stars. Been goin' on forever.
- Annie! - Lydia, it's so good to see you.
Having babies agrees with you. Which one is this?
Meet my latest. We call him Rupert after frank's grandfather.
I think it's awful. Well, what's so awful about it?
Frank, the toaster won't work again. I fixed it this morning.
Oh, I know, honey. But fix it back the way it was.
Do you... how's your brother?
George is fine. He's got his own office now.
Full-fledged lawyer without clients.
And your dad? Is he getting along all right?
I don't know. Does he expect a parole soon?
You better go back to the house. I left gertrude in the kitchen...
When I get to think, sometimes, how an intelligent
man like your father can be put in prison...
When there are gangsters running loose all over...
Cut it out, frank.
Well, see you later.
I'm sorry, Annie. Frank's just a dope, I guess. But he means well.
Sure. I know. I'll drop in to see you.
Bye, now.
Oh, Kate, I'll have your hat finished by tomorrow. Just some trimming left to do.
That's nice.
Lydia still loves to make hats.
I don't know how she finds the time with three kids.
Haven't they stopped talking about it?
Nobody talks about it anymore, Ann. Honestly.
Gone and forgotten, kid. Believe me.
How do you think I could stay in business if they didn't?
But it's different with you. You were exonerated.
Annie's father is still in prison.
She might as well be prepared. People do talk about it.
The only one that still talks about it is my wife. She's sorry they let me go.
It certainly was more peaceful while you were away.
Now, there. Didn't I tell you?
Gosh, it's wonderful to hear you laughing about it.
It doesn't seem so awful when you laugh about it. Sure. What did you expect?
Say, I got a great idea.
Why don't we all go out to the lake tonight and have a shore dinner?
I think that'll be just fine. Annie?
I'd love it. You got our business.
I'll call up Swanson's and reserve a table.
Oh, no, you don't. I'll do the calling.
We're gonna have the works, wine and everything. We'll get mom stinko.
No, no, no. I couldn't drink another one.
Oh, come on, mom. Joe, you know I can't stand more than one.
Oh, this is a celebration. Come on. Where was I?
Uh... oh, yeah, yeah.
So this fellow begins to worry a little,
and so one day he decides to go home unexpectedly.
- And so... - Uh-uh, keep it clean now.
Oh, clean as a baby's thoughts!
One of the kids in the office told it to me.
Drink up, everybody. It'll seem a lot cleaner.
Table's ready, Mr. Keller. Oh, thank you.
Well, bring your drinks to the table.
- I'll send them over. - Thank you.
This way, please. Nice fellow, Pete. Good service.
Now, let's not have any trouble tonight. What do you say?
He's a murderer. So who ain't?
Good evening, Mr. Keller. Hiya, Henry.
Where have you been keeping yourself? Where are we, anyway?
- That's enough, now. - Best couple on the floor.
Will you teach me that step? Shake a mean leg, don't I?
Murderer.
Oh. Safety first, huh?
Aw, looks great, Pete.
Nothing but the best for you, Mr. Keller.
Anything you want, just holler for it.
Don't encourage him. Mr. Keller can have anything in the place.
We don't see him often enough. No, not like the old days.
Big shot, eh? Didn't know your old man had influence, did you?
Stick around me, kid, and you'll go places.
This is where I put on pounds. Oh, lobster's not fattening.
It is the way I eat it. So this fellow goes home unexpectedly...
Hey, Joe! Hi, ed.
How's things? Great.
And you? Oh, never felt better.
That's ed, uh... what's his name?
Can't think of his last name. Nice fellow.
Here, you're doing this all wrong. Let me do it for you.
I could never eat lobster right. You dig in like this, see?
And then you twist it like that.
It's all ready for eating.
It's too big, Joe.
So, uh, this fellow goes home unexpectedly...
- Who goes home? - This fellow.
This better be good.
It is good. So this fellow goes home unexpectedly,
and he knocks on the door and nobody answered.
So he goes around to the back. Joe, look who's at the bar.
Everybody is a point-killer around here. Who's at the bar?
Mrs. Hamilton. She's drunk too.
So what? Oh, so nothing. She's always drunk.
- Who's Mrs. Hamilton? - Oh, a lush, that's all.
She worked at the factory during the war when we were taking on extra help.
Her husband was killed in the invasion, in France.
Will you let a man finish his story?
So nobody answers the door, and he goes around to the back...
And he climbs in the window. Joe.
She's seen us. She's coming this way.
You're making a big thing out of nothing.
Pay no attention to her. She'll go away.
So when he gets inside,
there, uh, wearing his own pajamas...
And smoking one of his best cigars, is this guy and, uh...
So he says, "pardon me. I didn't know I was home."
Murderer. You cut it out. Do you hear?
- Murderer. - You cut it out, or I'll...
- Murderer! - Joe!
- What's going on here? - Get her out of here, quick!
It's all right, folks. Everything is all right.
Go back to your tables, please.
I'm sorry, Mr. Keller. It's okay, Pete.
She does that every time she gets drunk and she runs into me.
She's got some kind of a crazy bug in her head.
Don't mean nothin'. Sit down.
Joe, let's go home. I don't feel so good.
Yes, please, let's.
Okay.
You go along to the car, all of you, and I'll pay the check.
See you outside.
Oh, Annie.
You're not, uh, letting that upset you, are you?
Well, I guess things aren't the way I thought they'd be.
Perhaps I shouldn't have come back. That's what I told Chris.
Mom! Kate's right.
She's not right! You had to come, because this is where you belong.
Now, look, uh, listen to me, Annie.
You do like I did and you're gonna be all right.
The day I come home after the trial, I got out of my car.
But not in front of the house.
Oh, no. On the corner. You should've been here.
You, too, Chris. You'd have seen somethin'.
Everybody knew I was out that day.
Nobody believed I was really innocent. The porches were loaded.
So I got out of my car,
and I walked down the street.
But slow and with a smile on my face.
The beast. I was the beast.
I was the guy who sold defective cylinders to the army air force.
I was the guy who made 21 planes crash in Australia.
Well, kid, walking down the street that day was somethin'.
But I walked past the porches...
Past every single one of them... with my head up.
Result? Fourteen months later I had one of the best shops in the state again.
A respected man again. Bigger than ever.
I'm afraid I haven't the courage, Joe.
Well, that's the only way to lick 'em. With courage. You gotta have guts.
Every Tuesday night the whole pack of 'em is playing poker up in my office.
All those who yelled "murder“ tryin' to take my money from me.
Annie, the worst thing you did was to move away from here.
And it ain't gonna end till you move back...
Till people start playing cards with your dad again...
And smile with him, talk with him.
Play cards with a man, you know he can't be a criminal.
Next time you write him, I'd like you to tell him just what I said.
But I don't write him.
Well, every now and then... Neither does George.
But why? Because he did murder 21 pilots!
What kind of talk is that? That's no thing to say about a man.
When they took him away, I followed him.
I went to see him every visiting day...
Until I learned the news about Larry.
Then I stopped.
What your father did had nothing to do with Larry. Nothing.
Because he's not dead. Do you hear?
He's not dead. Now, Kate, please. Kate!
He's not dead.
I think I'll turn in.
There's some cold things in the ice box,
if anybody's still hungry, and some grape juice.
Listen, Annie, there's no proof that Larry ever flew one of those planes.
Who flew them? Pigs?
The man was a fool, but don't make a killer out of him.
You got no sense? Look what it does to her.
Now, look, Annie, you've got to appreciate what he was doin' in the shop in the war.
I mean, just try to see it human. Just see it human.
All of a sudden, a batch of cylinders come out bad.
Something went wrong. A mistake. But it ain't murder.
You mustn't feel that way. You understand me? He didn't have to ship them.
All right, so he shipped them. He believed they'd hold up 100%, and some of them did!
The major screaming for delivery, me home sick, so he shipped them!
He shouldn't have. I don't say it was right.
But it wasn't murder. It wasn't murder!
Well, let's forget about it, Joe.
Annie, the day the news came about Larry,
he was in the cell next to mine... your dad.
And he cried, Annie. He cried half the night.
I guess the fathers of those boys cried too.
Don't talk like that. I don't understand why you...
Are you gonna cut it out? Chris, don't yell at him.
We've had too much of that kind of talk.
Yeah, Chris is right. Too much talk about it.
Now, look, uh, why don't you two go driving or something?
Stop in at a roadhouse. What's the matter with you anyway, Chris?
A pretty girl on your hands, and all you do is sit around.
Why don't you mind your own business? He's right. Let's go.
Now, there. What did I tell you? Too bad I'm not younger.
You're just the right age, Joe. Well, what do you know?
Beat it, you. You're competition. Well, have a good time.
Enjoy yourselves! Go to bed.
Hello?
Yes.
It's long distance. Somebody wants to talk to Annie.
Well, she went riding with Chris.
Uh, she's not in just now.
Oh, in an hour, maybe.
All right. I'll tell her.
That was George calling her.
George? From Springfield, Joe.
What's he doing there?
Went to see his father, I suppose. What else?
But Annie said they hadn't been in touch.
That's what I was thinking.
Tell her operator four.
Remember how we used to picnic here? You, Larry and I?
This is where I learned three was a crowd.
You were too sensitive. Are you still?
The army rubbed some of it off.
Not enough, I'm afraid. Chris, I'm not staying.
Well, why? What's happened?
For one thing, Kate doesn't want me here. Oh, she doesn't understand...
And then, ever since I got here, you've been a little... well, distant.
Am I embarrassing you by being here, Chris?
Why, no, Annie, no. You act like it.
Well, you see, I... The trouble is, I...
I sort of figured on working up to this...
I guess you know why I asked you to come.
I guess that's why I came.
I love you, Annie. Honest. I love you a great deal.
I love you.
Gee, I have no imagination.
That's all I know to tell you. Isn't it awful? I didn't want to tell you here.
I wanted some place we'd never been, a place brand new to each other...
I kissed you, Annie. I kissed Annie.
How long I've been waiting to kiss you.
We're gonna live now. I'll make you happy. So happy.
Oh, not like that, you're not.
You kissed me like Larry's brother.
Now kiss me like Chris.
How long have you loved me, Chris?
Always. Ever since we were kids.
You never said anything or showed it.
You were Larry's girl.
You're funny.
Oh, Annie, uh, there's a long distance call for you.
Ask for operator four in Springfield.
Springfield? Yes. It's George.
Operator four, please.
This is Ann Deever speaking. You had a call for me.
Hello, George? This is Ann.
What are you doing in Springfield?
I-I can't understand you. What are you so excited about?
You're not making sense.
But what did he say to you?
No, no, I won't discuss it with you any more on the phone. I'll see you in Chicago.
In Chicago!
Anything wrong? No.
How's George? He's all right. Went to see my father.
What is it? Your dad took sick or something?
No. George is just a little upset, that's all.
About what?
I think I'll turn in now. Good night, Joe.
Good night.
Good night, Chris. Good night, Annie.
Doc gave me these pills for you to take.
I told him about last night.
Sleeping pill? That's what he said.
I hate to take sleeping pills.
I don't like the kind of sleep they give you.
Oh, well, it's better than staying awake all night.
I think Rupert's cutting another tooth.
Lydia says no, but I think he is.
All these years he don't even write to herb...
And suddenly he goes to see him.
He's a lawyer now, Joe. What's that got to do with it?
Lawyers like to dig up things.
Well, let him dig. Can't scare me.
You sure, Joe?
Oh, sure, I'm sure.
I got a court paper that says so. Let him dig.
Then stop worrying.
I'm not worrying.
Joe, Chris is not gonna marry Annie. I won't have it.
Go to sleep.
Be smart, Joe. Get her out of here.
She means trouble for us. She and George both.
Go to sleep.
Be smart, Joe.
Turn it off.
No use kidding yourself, Tom. This baby'll never to the job.
I'll go to work on it in the morning. Meantime, use the old machine.
Okay, boss. Same old Joe!
"If you wanna know, ask Joe." That's what we used to say.
That's right, Charlie. That's what we used to say, all right.
"If you wanna know, ask Joe." Okay, fellas, get with it.
Knocking off time ain't until 5:00.
What I wanna know, Joe, is what's this all about? Nobody seems to know.
Have to come to the old man, huh?
Oh, uh, this is the stuff I picked up at the bankruptcy sale.
Must be a whole flatcar full of it. Send the trucks down, pick it up.
Tell us about these things. This isn't a one-armed joint you're running anymore.
I'll never get used to an office full of people nosing around in my business.
Where were you this morning? You come in late. I had breakfast with Annie.
Well, business before pleasure. You can dock yourself a couple of hours' pay.
Wait a minute! It was only an hour. Hour and 14 minutes.
"If you wanna know, ask Joe."
Annie feeling all right? Great.
Oh, uh, we need some more lave operators. We're short five or six.
Did, uh, Annie say why George called her up?
And, uh, some finishers. As many as we can get.
No. I guess it wasn't anything. Why? Does it bother you?
No. It's just that I don't want them raking up things that had better be forgotten.
To his last day in court, that man blamed it all on me.
This is his daughter. Dad! Annie's gonna be my wife.
You asked her? Last night.
Well, I'm glad. I'm glad for you, kid.
And I'm glad Annie's gonna be part of the family.
It's gonna make it better all the way around.
I want a clean start for you, kid.
I want a new sign over the plant:
"J.e. Keller and son." How does that sound?
Sounds important. It is important.
I'm gonna build you a house. Stone.
With a driveway from the road.
I want you to spread out. I want you to use what I made for you.
With joy, I mean. Without shame, with joy.
Of course, dad.
Sometimes I think you're ashamed of the money.
Ashamed of it. I'm sorry.
Because it's good money. There's nothing wrong with that money.
Well, you don't have to tell me this, dad.
Oh, well, forget it, kid. Forget it.
- Am I interrupting big business? - Annie!
I came to drive you both home. Hello, Annie.
What, at 4:30? What kind of a plant do you think we run?
You've been here long enough. That's right, tell him.
Annie, Chris just told me the good news.
And I'm glad. Really glad.
Thank you, Joe.
You know, you belong with us, in the same family.
You and George... and dad.
I hope that, uh, George found him a little less bitter toward me...
When he saw him yesterday.
He didn't say.
Well, how about it? Am I going to drive you home?
Not me. I've got to stay till closing time. I'm only the boss.
Slave! Come on, Chris. Let's leave him to his moneymaking.
Now, don't knock it. It comes in handy.
Now, look, uh, there's one thing that you kids'll have to consider,
and that's Kate.
You can't do this thing over her head. You understand that, don't you?
It's going to be hard. Well, hard or not, you've got to do it.
You'll have to talk to her. I'll talk to her.
Come on, Annie. Let's go before he thinks up something for me to do.
I suppose you think that's a bad idea.
Who do you think you are anyway,
coming in late and going home early?
The boss's son?
Well, how do you like the place, Annie? Some difference, huh?
It's big, Joe. And all yours someday. Yours and his.
I want you to tell that to George next time you see him so he can tell your dad.
It might make him feel happy to know that.
You're a good man, Joe.
I'll see you for dinner.
George phoned you, Annie. He's at the depot.
Here? Yes. He wouldn't take a taxi to come out.
He wanted you to meet him there.
I can't imagine what's gotten into him.
I finally got Jim bayliss to go down and make him come.
I'll phone the station and see if he's still there.
If he's coming to reopen the case, I won't live through it.
Now, mom... we can't go through with that thing again!
Now, morn, it's not half as bad as you're making it out to be.
When George goes, tell her to go with him.
Annie's different, mom, no matter what the others may think or do.
He's her father too.
She's different.
You'll see.
He's not there.
Well, Jim must have picked him up.
I'd better go in and look after the dinner.
No matter how much help you've got, you have to look after things yourself.
She's upset.
She's worried about George.
She thinks he's coming here to make trouble.
George isn't friendly, Chris. Might as well warn you.
You'd better be prepared for a lot of wild talk.
George can be such an awful fool sometimes.
It won't change anything between us, will it, Chris?
No matter what he says.
- No matter what anybody says. - Jim!
Oh, say, have you seen Jim? I've been looking for him.
Yes. He went to the station to pick up my brother. Well, how do you like that?
If I ask him to drive me to the store, he hasn't got time.
If anybody else asks him, that's all he's got.
That's what you get for marrying such a bighearted guy. Yeah.
Chris. Yeah?
Come in here, please.
No matter what anybody says.
I guess your brother's coming to give the bride away, huh?
You mean, people are gossiping?
Well, people can put two and two together.
What's your father going to say to all this? Why should he say anything?
Well, why shouldn't he? After all, Joe outsmarted him, didn't he?
That's not true! Oh, I'm sorry, Ann.
You know me. I always talk too much. Have you told Kate?
Not yet. It's a lie, isn't it? What you just said.
There isn't a person on the block that doesn't believe it.
But people always think the worst.
But it can't be. They're on the best terms with everyone on the block.
So what? They just give Joe credit for being clever, that's all.
I guess I do myself.
Susie, go on in and see if you can calm mother. She's all worked up.
Did she find out about you two?
Mind your own business. Go see what you can do. Okay.
You'll find something in the medicine cabinet.
I'll give her two of everything. That's all Jim ever does.
She says they think Joe's guilty. She talks too much.
I'm not here out of a blue sky, Chris.
I turned my back on my father.
If there's anything wrong here now... Annie!
He's innocent. Do you think I could forgive him if he were guilty?
Believe me, there's nothing wrong for you here.
He's outside in the car. Well, ask him to come in.
Don't bring him in here. Why not?
I better see if... no, wait. I'll go get him.
Stop being an idiot. Fight it out somewhere else. Nobody's afraid of him here.
Chris!
George. Hello, Annie.
Kate asked me to bring this grape juice out to you.
Susie. This is Ann's brother, George.
This is Mrs. Bayliss, Jim's wife. Hello.
So you're George! Well, I'm pleased to meet you at last.
I've heard a lot about you too.
Somebody take this grape juice away from me so I can shake hands with a man.
Well, it's time we had some new men around here.
That'll do, sue. We have to go. Do we?
Yes. Oh. I...
You don't have to push me. I can take a hint.
Good-bye, Annie's brother George! So long.
- Thanks for the lift. - See you later.
How about some grape juice? Kate made it especially for you.
No, thanks.
Seems impossible that I'm back here.
How's the law, George?
I don't know. When I was studying, it seemed sensible,
but outside there doesn't seem to be much of a law.
You're not gonna marry him.
Why not? Because his father destroyed your family. That's why not.
Well, look here, George... cut it short, Chris. Tell her to come with me.
Who are you to come bullying your way in here like this?
If you've got something to say, say it!
I went to see dad to tell him you were going to be married.
It seemed impossible not to tell him.
Annie, I've been thinking maybe we've been wrong not to go see him.
Whatever he did, Annie, he's our father. We've gotta remember that.
That's not what you said when you came back from overseas.
I know what I said, and I did a terrible thing. I can never be forgiven.
It wasn't all dad's fault. Joe knew about those cylinders.
That's a lie, and you know it! He was home, sick.
Sick? He stayed home to give himself an alibi so the blame would fall on dad.
But all this came out at the trial.
Dad told the whole story. The jury didn't believe him. The jury didn't know him.
Yesterday I heard it from his mouth.
From his mouth it's altogether different from the court record.
Anybody who knows him and knows your father will believe it from his mouth.
Your father tricked him. He took everything we had.
I can't beat that. But this I can.
She's one item he's not gonna grab.
Get your things and come with me.
No, George. I'm staying here with Chris.
Everything they have is covered with blood!
You're not the kind of a girl who can live like that!
Georgie!
My Georgie!
Hello, Kate.
Georgie, they made an old man out of you. Well, I...
I told you when you went away, don't try for medals.
I didn't have to try, Kate. They made it easy for me.
Aw, go on! You're all alike.
Look at him. Why did you say he looks fine? He looks like a ghost.
What's the matter with you? It must be those restaurants.
Oh, I feel all right. I just don't have much appetite these days.
If you ate in my house, you'd have an appetite.
Wait till you see the dinner I've spread out for you. I'm not staying for dinner.
Of course you're staying for dinner. No, Kate. I can't.
Now, you don't start telling me what you can do and what you can't do.
Going around making believe you hate us.
You can't hate us, Georgie. Not in your heart.
I know you. You can't fool me.
I diapered you!
You... you haven't changed.
None of us have changed, Georgie. We're all the same.
Why don't you give him some grape juice?
No, thanks. You always liked grape juice the way I made it.
You came for it all the time. Don't you remember? Now, here, you drink it.
There.
Kate, I'm feeling hungry already.
I think I will stay for dinner.
Nobody can resist Kate.
Why should he resist me? Georgie's like one of my own.
One of my very own.
I practically raised you... You and Ann both...
From the day your poor mother died.
- Geor ' gle! - Lydia!
What did you do to yourself?
Just grew up, I guess.
You got prettier.
Here's your hat. I just finished it.
Thanks. It's lovely. She's so clever, that one.
I hear you have a baby.
Oh, you don't hear so good. I got three.
Three?
You've been away a long time, Georgie.
I'm beginning to realize that.
You going to be around for a while?
No. I've gotta get back tonight.
There goes my youngest again. He cries all the time.
I've got to go. So long, Georgie.
So long, Lydia.
Be seein' you.
She got pretty, that one.
She makes things seem so nice around here.
They didn't take frank, huh?
He was always one year ahead of the draft.
When they were calling boys 27, he was 28,
and when they made it 28, he was just 29.
I guess frank won the war.
Well, well, well, look who's here.
Well, good to see you.
How are you, Joe? Oh, so-so. Getting on.
You look fine, George. He looks terrible!
Yeah, that's what I said. You look terrible, George.
I wear the pants, and she beats me with the belt.
Oh, boy. Now I feel tired.
You stay too long at the plant.
Well, somebody's got to make the dough. How's your dad?
Feel all right? No. He's not well, Joe.
Well, that's too bad.
That's the way they do, George.
A man makes an honest mistake, and they hang him by the thumbs.
I wish you'd let me know you were going to see him.
I didn't think you were interested.
Of course, I'm interested. Why shouldn't I be? I think about him a lot.
And I'd like him to know that as far as I'm concerned,
any time he wants, he's got a place with me.
Not as my partner, of course, but a job. You don't owe him anything, dad.
Of course, I don't. Butjust the same...
He hates your guts, Joe. Don't you know that?
Yeah. I imagined it.
But that can change too.
- Herb was never like that. - He's like that now.
Well, that's a sad thing to hear.
Why? What'd you expect him to think of you?
Well, a thing can be sad even if you expected it.
I expected it because I happen to know your father,
and I'm sad to see that he hasn't changed.
As long as I've known him... 25 years...
That part of him made me sad.
The man never learned to take the blame.
You know that, George. Well, I...
Yes, but you do know it.
Because by the way you come in here, you don't look like you remembered it.
I mean, like in '37, when we had the shop on flood street,
and he near blew it up with that heater he left burning for two days without water.
He wouldn't admit it was his fault, either.
I had to fire a mechanic to save his face.
You remember that, don't you? Yes, but...
I'm just mentioning this because this is just another one of a lot of things.
Like when he gave frank next door that money to invest in oil stock.
I know... well, it's good to remember those things.
The way he cursed frank when that stock went down.
Now, is that frank's fault? To listen to him, you'd think frank was a swindler.
All the man did was give him a bad tip. I know, but...
Well, remember them! Remember them.
- Dinner's ready, everybody! - We'll be right in, minnie.
You know, uh, there are certain men in this world...
Who just haven't got the guts to take the blame.
Do you understand me?
Come on in. Let's eat, kid.
So this fellow says, "he can talk, but he can't bark."
No, thanks.
I made all the things Georgie likes.
Oh, no, not again. Go on, eat.
There's lots more in the kitchen. I'll bust!
Mom operates on the theory that if there's more food you're still hungry.
I notice you're not starving. Uh, Georgie, go on now. Take some, will you?
Leave a little for me, 'cause I've just started.
Remember the time we went on the picnic and Kate made so much food...
We had to stop and give away sandwiches?
Yes! A whole truck full of food. Enough for an army!
Well, I don't like seeing people go hungry. Anyway, it was a small truck.
I could've used you in our outfit overseas.
You aren't kidding. Me too!
It wouldn't be such a bad idea to have the mothers go along to feed the boys.
Mr. Macy's daughter! That's the girl for Georgie! She's got you hooked.
Who's Mr. Macy's daughter? A drip!
She's not a drip. She's nice.
And very intelligent. Wrong thing to say, Kate.
Now, you come back here to live the way Joe says...
Yes, uh, I'll talk to judge Collins in the morning.
Have him take you in with him. Great spot for you, Georgie.
And I'll find a girl for you and put a smile back on that face.
I feel so... so wonderful.
I've never felt at home anywhere but here.
Why shouldn't you, Georgie? We have no argument.
Why should we have an argument?
We were all hit by the same lightning. All of us.
You know, Kate, you look so young.
You know, you haven't changed a bit.
I-It rings an old bell.
And you, too, Joe. You're amazingly the same.
Still healthy and strong as an ox.
I haven't got time to be sick. That's for old people.
Joe hasn't been to a doctor as long as I can remember.
Never been sick a day in my whole life!
Knock wood.
- Is that a fact, Joe? - Yeah, sure.
Except for that time when you...
Oh, yes, yes! Except for that time when I had the flu.
I thought he had pneumonia. He couldn't leave the bed.
- Never sick a day, you said? - Mm-mm.
Not a day in your whole life. George, please.
- Do you remember every time you were sick? - I'd remember that time.
George! Especially if that was the day when my partner...
Was going to ship defective airplane parts out to the army!
What happened that day, Joe?
Please don't talk so loud. Minnie might come in.
That's enough out of you. I've had just about enough.
I don't have to tell you anything.
Ask the court what happened that day, if you're curious.
Ask the jury! It's all written down, and it says I'm innocent!
You had me fooled for a minute, Joe,
with all this food and your talk aboutjobs and girls.
You had me fooled.
We're getting out of here. Listen, George...
Now! I'll wait for you outside. Get your things.
I'll go talk to him.
Put the dessert in the ice box. We'll have it later, minnie.
I told you not to bring her here, Chris. She doesn't belong here.
Why doesn't she belong here? Because she's Larry's girl!
She's not Larry's girl! Larry is dead! He's dead, and he can't come back!
Now cut it out, Chris!
Never. Never in this world. He's not dead.
As long as we're alive... your father and I... he's not dead.
Do you understand? He can't be dead!
What did she mean by that?
Oh, I don't know.
That was a funny thing for her to say.
Well, you know the way she talks.
What's the matter? What are you driving at?
If it ever turned out that you weren't telling the truth, I'd kill you.
What kind of a thing is that to say?
What kind of...
I don't have to defend myself to you or nobody!
Do you understand me? Not to you or nobody!
No hard feelings, kid.
What kind of happiness are you gonna have...
With all that rottenness underneath?
Use your head, Ann. It can't be.
George, I want you to go away and never come back to this house as long as you live.
Ann?
Wait for me, George.
Don't leave me, Annie.
It's no good, Chris. It's no good.
Sometimes... you have to leave things the way they are...
And not disturb them.
That's what Kate said... And she was right.
I've disturbed them too much already.
Let me go with you. No, Chris. No.
Just take a seat. Thank you.
He'll be along any minute now.
Chris.
You look fine, Chris. You've...
You've grown up.
Thanks. You look... now don't... don't try to tell me.
I've changed.
Some ways for the better, Chris.
Some ways for the better.
Lost it here and... Gained it here.
And here.
You always seemed to me to have plenty of both, Mr. Deever.
Not enough, Chris. Not enough.
Not enough brain.
Not enough heart.
Oh, no time to talk of me, boy.
You've come about Annie.
George was here and told me. You and Annie wanna get married, he said.
We're not getting married, Mr. Deever. Not?
Annie broke it off. George came to our house...
After he'd seen you, and she went away with him.
Why?
Because he convinced her that my father was guilty.
Well, I'm... I'm sorry for you, Chris. Very sorry.
I don't believe my father is guilty, Mr. Deever.
Go away, Chris.
Go away and forget all about it.
All about us.
Don't dig into this thing.
You'll be hurt by what you find.
Go away.
I want you to tell me that dad is not guilty.
It's important.
My happiness, and Annie's, depends on your courage to admit the truth.
Admit it and free us.
Chris,
as god is my witness,
what I am going to tell you is the truth.
We were in the midst of all that... war business,
turning out stuff for the army and Navy.
Night and day, night and day. No end to it.
The place was going full blast.
We only worked till midnight on Saturday.
We were going 24 hours the rest of the week.
The foreman stopped me as I was making my way through the shop.
He was also the government inspector.
Herb, you seen Joe? He's in the office, I guess.
You looked at those cylinders we turned out today? Why should I?
That's Joe's job. I don't know anything about 'em.
They're defective. Defective? What's the matter with 'em?
Nothing you could see with the naked eye, but it shows up in the X-ray.
I'll have to reject the whole batch. You can't reject them!
They've gotta be shipped outta here Monday morning. They have to pass!
What can I do? They're no good. I've warned Joe.
He's been cutting the process too fine.
I'll talk to him.
Joe, have you seen Stan?
He says there's something the matter with the cylinders.
Yeah, I know. What happened, Joe?
What happened? They came out bad, that's all.
It happens. They came out bad.
Can they be fixed? No.
Start all over again. By that time, we're out of business.
We shouldn't have gotten into this.
We're way over our head. We're not big enough.
We had no right to take on those contracts.
I don't remember you saying that when I came back from Washington with them.
You looked at the profits at the bottom of the page and thought we were big enough.
I relied on you. You said we could handle it.
And we can! Just because a batch of cylinders come out bad?
Stan's an old lady. Ever since they made him the army inspector...
And gave him that X-ray machine, he's been seeing things.
What are we gonna do, Joe?
What can we do? Take the rap.
Or ship them.
Ship them? How can we?
Ship them, that's all.
It isn't the first time we've shipped stuff outta here that wasn't 100%.
Do you think every stove we sent outta here before the war was perfect?
Nobody turns out a perfect product.
But this is different, Joe.
Do you want to not ship them and have them cancel?
Put us out of business? You know what they'll do if we don't deliver.
Will they be all right? They'll have to be.
I don't like it. We're taking an awful chance. If something happens...
Okay, you think of something better.
Either we take the chance or we're through, good and through. Broke!
Joe, I've got every cent in the world tied up in this place.
It'd be the end of everything for me.
I wouldn't even be able to keep the house.
What makes you think I'm any better off?
I've got more than my money tied up in this; I've got me.
Me! My flesh and blood! My heart! My brains!
Forty years of it! Forty hard years!
Keller and Deever.
You don't know what that means because you... never had to get it the way I did.
It was all there for you. All you had to do was just reach out for it.
Me? I had to grab it.
Grab it and hold on!
When you were working for your father,
living in the best house in town, I was collecting scrap iron in the back alleys.
Ajunk man. Old cars, old sinks, old stoves.
I picked up a stove from you once.
Paid you for it too.
I guess you wouldn't remember. It was only $3.50.
But I would, because it was my last $3.50.
I beat it into scrap with my bare hands and sold it for five.
Dollar and a half profit. Nice turnover.
No. The tough times were finished when you joined up with me.
We were on the way then.
There were times when I couldn't meet the payroll.
Yes, and the times that the workmen left on Saturday...
With more money in their pockets than I took home.
The time when Kate took a job to pay the interest on the notes.
Kate.
Kate, the foreign girl who worked for your mother.
You're only losing money. Only money.
It's a crime to ship those cylinders out of here. You must realize that.
It's only a crime if you get caught. The main thing is to survive.
Joe Keller is going to survive.
So ship them outta here. I say they're okay. Ship them.
Just the same, I didn't ship them.
On Monday, Joe was home sick. I was scared.
I should like to say I didn't because of honesty and principle,
but it isn't so.
I was merely frightened.
And so Monday passed.
Next day was... Tuesday.
Black Tuesday.
There 'd been the devil to pay.
We were late in shipping the cylinders we promised,
and the army men were raising Cain.
When they left, I called up Joe on the phone.
He was home sick.
The first time since I'd known Joe, to stay home sick.
Joe, is that you? It's herb. They were just here. They want the stuff.
Did you tell them they'd get them? No, of course I didn't.
Why didn't you? I'm scared to take the responsibility.
Who says you have to? Will you do like I say and stop acting like an old woman?
I'm frightened. Can't you come down here and handle it?
How can I when I'm sick? But if something happens...
Nothing's going to happen. I'll take full responsibility. Do you hear me?
Yes, you'll take full responsibility. I heard you.
Butjust the same, Joe...
Full responsibility, I said! Ship them!
- Ship them! - Joe...
Joe!
What are we gonna do about them cylinders, herb?
They're piling up on the loading platform. Do they go or don't they?
Will somebody kindly make up their mind?
Ship them, Eddie.
Ship them. It's about time.
Ship them.
"Full responsibility," he said.
He'd take full responsibility.
But you told them this in court and they didn't believe you.
The judge, jury, all those men didn't believe you. Why?
On the telephone you can't have responsibility.
In a court... You can always deny it.
He couldn't be like that. He couldn't be.
I know him. He's my father.
This is something you've brooded about until it's become real to you.
But it isn't the truth. You know it's not.
It's the truth, Chris. It's the truth.
Time's up.
Do the men at the plant still say,
“if you want to know, ask Joe"?
All right.
It's all right, minnie. I'll see who it is.
Annie. Yes, it's me.
May I come in? Of course.
You surprised me.
I thought you were in Chicago. I was.
Is Chris here? I phoned him at the office. They said he hadn't been there.
He's out of town for a few days on a vacation. Oh, that's too bad.
I wanted to talk to him before I spoke to you.
But perhaps it's just as well.
Annie, I don't know what brought you back here, but I'm sorry you came.
I'm not going to pretend. You're not welcome here.
I expected that you'd feel that way, Kate.
But it's not important. What's important is what I have to say.
You have nothing to say to me.
When I left here last week, it was for good. I thought I should never come back.
But in Chicago, I began to figure things out,
and I realized that I'd merely run away and that it wouldn't do.
It isn't better to leave things the way they are, Kate.
Sometimes they've got to be disturbed.
What do you want of us? Why do you come back?
You, George and your father. What do you want? I want to marry Chris.
That's impossible, and you know it.
Chris would never marry you as long as Larry's alive. He wouldn't do such a thing.
Why won't you learn to face the truth, Kate?
The truth, the truth. What good is the truth if it destroys us all?
What good is it?
Chris asked me to marry him, Kate.
He had no right to do that, and you had no right to let him.
It was wicked of you... both of you... and you know it.
We love each other. You're engaged to Larry.
Larry's not coming back.
No such thing. No such thing, you hear?
He is coming back, and when he does,
if you want to break it off, that's all right.
But you've got to wait till he comes back.
We can't wait forever. Chris and I have a right to live too.
It doesn't depend on me. I can't change the way things are.
I don't wanna do it without your consent. It would make Chris unhappy.
He loves you so. It would break his heart.
You owe him this much happiness. Tell him it's all right.
It would take more than my words.
The night you marry him, Larry will be with you.
Your hearts will dry up thinking of him. And every night afterwards as long as he lives!
Larry's dead. No!
He crashed off the coast of China February 9, 1944.
You've got no proof. You say that, but you have no proof.
Not even the army had proof!
I have proof, Kate.
This is a letter from Larry. His last letter.
It was written the day he died. No!
Read it, Kate. No!
I tried not to show it to you.
Larry.
Now you know why it was... I had to keep it from you.
When Chris comes, I'll be at Lydia's.
Larry.
Annie!
Annie.
Joe must never see that letter.
Do you hear? Whatever happens.
Aw, that's Joe. Raise him.
- What? Oh, well. I'm in this far. - Too stiff for me.
Freshen my drink, will ya, Charlie?
No, no, no, no. Joe doesn't need any coaching.
He's winners now.
Play to win. That's my motto. But I raise you. Stay.
Don't you ever lose, Joe? Cards.
One, please.
He's drawing to a flush again.
Somebody come in. See who it is, Charlie.
Did you fill it?
Cost you money to find out.
Hello, Charlie. Chris.
When'd you get back? I thought you were going to stay away for a while.
I just got in. I stopped by to pick you up.
I won't be long. This is my last hand.
You know everybody here, don't you?
This is Mr. Ellsworth, big customer.
My son Chris. How are ya, Chris?
Let's get this thing over with. It's getting late.
Where were we? I'll call ya, Joe.
What have you got? Four ladies.
Four queens! Didn't think you had 'em, Joe.
See how easy it is to make money, Chris?
Collect, Charlie. Give 'em the bad news.
Don't brag, Joe. I'll get ya next Tuesday. Ya gotta lose sometime.
He pays me wages, and I give it back to him in poker.
See ya next Tuesday. Good night.
Good night. What cards! A man has no luck.
See you in the morning, Joe, Chris.
Good night, Swede.
Good game, Joe. It was fun. Invite me again.
I certainly will. Pleasure to take your money.
I told you to play that hand, Joe.
You certainly did, Charlie. You certainly did.
Good night, Joe. Good night.
Do you play poker as well as your father?
I can't do anything as well as my father.
D'ya hear that? And he's got an education.
I never went to school. An ignoramus, he calls me.
By the way, Joe, we're getting complaints from the retailers.
Seems to be something the matter with the doors. Got any ideas?
It's that stamping machine. We had a bad stamping machine.
You ship them back, and I'll refit them. No cost to you.
Fair enough. And here's something else you don't know...
And none of your experts know, either.
They're not exactly to specifications. They're not?
I changed them. If I'd followed those highbrow blueprints, you'd have gone broke.
Joe, you're a wonder. I'll bet there isn't a nail in the place you don't know about.
I wouldn't be against that.
"If you wanna know, ask Joe." Isn't that what they say in the trade?
That's right! "If you wanna know, ask Joe."
- Good night, Joe. See ya. - Good night.
Glad to have met you. Good night, sir.
Better luck next time!
That's a big man.
Head of united service.
We're makin' plenty with him.
"If you wanna know, ask Joe."
What do you know about that? Even he heard it.
I'm getting famous.
Put the chairs back, will you?
What's the matter? You don't look happy. Didn't you have a good time?
Is it really true, dad? "If you wanna know, ask Joe"?
Sure. "Every nail in the joint, “ just like he said.
That's how I built this place... by knowing what's going on, knowing it good.
Then I wanna ask you a straight question. Shoot. Go ahead.
How did those cylinders get shipped out of here without your knowing about them?
So you're on that again, huh? Well, how did they?
Why don't you say I'm guilty? Go ahead. You might as well.
I don't want you to be guilty. I want you to be innocent.
People have put doubts in my mind. Help me to get rid of them.
Isn't it enough that I told you so? Can't you trust your own father?
You're right. I should. But somehow I can't.
I can't let it go at that! You've got to help me!
What can I do? I've told you a million times. I've told the jury.
Dad, I saw herb Deever today.
You... I went to Springfield and saw him.
What did you go and do a thing like that for?
He told me his side. Now I want to hear yours.
My own son. I want to hear yours and judge for myself.
My own son spying on me, going behind my back.
I've got a right to know what happened! You owe it to me to explain!
Explain! Explain!
That's all I've been doing. I'm tired of explaining.
Sick and tired of it! I don't have to explain. Not to you!
You're my son. You're in it with me. My flesh and blood.
You wear my clothes, eat my food, live in my home.
I don't have to explain to you! If I'm guilty, you're guilty too!
Do you understand? You're guilty too!
Then you... you did know.
A man is in business. I'm in business.
A batch of bad cylinders and you're out of business!
You don't know how to operate, they tell you.
They close you up, tear up your contracts. Your stuff is no good.
What's it to them?
You put 40 years into a business, and they cut off your head in five minutes!
What could I do? Let 'em take 40 years away?
Let 'em take my life away?
I... I never thought they'd install them.
Honest, I didn't.
I thought they'd be stopped somewhere along the line.
Why didn't you tell them? You knew they were defective. You knew they wouldn't hold up.
It was too late. The newspapers...
It was all over the front page.
Twenty-one planes crashed. It was too late.
They came with handcuffs to the factory.
What could I do?
I ask you: What could I do?
Chris. Chris, I did it for you.
I'm an old man. When would I have another chance to make something for you?
For me? Yes!
I was dyin' every day, and my boys were dyin'. And you did it for me?
What kind of a man are you?
Kid hangin' in the air by those cylinders, and you knew it!
I was so proud. You were helping us to win. And you were worried about business.
Don't you have a country? Don't you think about people?
Don't you live in the world? Haven't you got a heart?
Chris! What must I do to you?
Chris. Chris.
Dad. Dad.
Chris.
Chris. Chris.
Why don't you go to bed, Kate? It's almost 1:00.
You know why.
I'm waiting for Chris.
Don't worry about me, Jim. I'm perfectly all right.
Would you like some coffee? It's too late for coffee.
It's too late for you too. No wonder you don't sleep.
I don't want to go to sleep tonight.
Had an emergency? Somebody had a bellyache and thought he was dying.
How's Joe?
He cried like a child before.
I never saw him that way.
Since when did you know it, Jim?
Since always, I guess, Kate.
You're smart.
I always had the feeling that...
In the back of his head Chris knew.
I didn't think it would be such a shock.
You don't know your own son.
You don't think he'd...
Go away without...
I mean, for good? He'll be back.
Chris is a good son. He'll come back.
I, uh, heard voices.
Hello, doc. Hi, Joe.
- What are you doing here? - I was just going.
Put her to bed, Joe. Both of you go to bed.
Staying up won't help. Sleep will.
Sleep's a wonderful thing. Best thing about living.
What did he want?
I don't like him mixing in so much.
Joe, he knows.
How does he know?
Guessed a long time ago.
I don't like that.
I guess Annie knows too.
You heard from her? No, she's still over at Lydia's.
Funny thing, her not coming back here.
Maybe Chris is with her. No.
Frank was just here.
What is this? Open house in the middle of the night?
Would you like a cup? You know what it does to me.
I thought I had a family.
What happened to my family, Kate?
Joe, I was thinking this way.
If he comes back... he is coming back. What do you mean, "if"?
I think... if you could sit him down and explain yourself...
I mean, you ought to make it clear to him that...
You know you did a terrible thing.
I mean,
if he saw that you realized what you did.
You see?
Ask him to forgive me, you mean?
Something like that, Joe.
Ask my son to forgive me.
Hmph.
I don't know what happened.
You wanted money, so I made money. A man has to take care of his family.
That's the first thing... he has to take care of his family.
What must I be forgiven? You needed money, didn't you?
To buy clothes, food, to send the children to school. You had to have money, didn't you?
Not that way. I didn't want it that way either.
What difference is it so long as you've got it?
I spoiled the both of you.
I should have put him out when he was ten like I was put out.
Made him earn his keep, then he'd know how a buck is made in this world.
Forgive me. I could live on a buck a day myself, but I've got a family so I...
It doesn't excuse it that you did it for the family. It's got to.
There's something bigger than the family to him.
No, there's nothing bigger than that.
There's nothing he could do that I couldn't forgive.
Because I'm his father and he's my son. There's nothing bigger.
And you're going to tell him that, you understand?
You don't...
You don't think he'd go to the police? Joe, please.
No. No, he wouldn't do a thing like that, not without telling me.
Where is he?
Going away like this without saying a word, and not coming back.
He'll be all right, Joe. Nothing's going to happen.
For you, Kate.
For both of you.
That's all I ever lived for.
I know, Joe.
I know.
I know. I know.
Annie. Chris.
Chris, darling. I knew you'd be here.
He's guilty, Ann.
Jim bayliss told me what happened.
I've been sittin' out here lookin' at the stars and tryin' to figure it out.
Looking and looking and trying to figure it out.
I almost killed him, Ann.
Chris, no.
I love him, Annie. I love him and I almost killed him.
I still don't know how it was I didn't.
Only it would have been useless because he doesn't know what he did.
He doesn't know how awful a thing it was.
He lied to himself and he doesn't know.
He'll have to suffer to know.
He'll have to suffer in some horrible way to know.
Come away with me, Chris. Leave them all and come away with me.
We'll forget everything and start fresh.
No, I can't run away. It's too easy.
We've all been running away, and it's too easy.
What can you do but go to the police and give him up?
It's not enough to give him up, Annie, to put him in jail.
He's got to see it himself, to understand what he did. Do you see?
He's got to see it and be his own judge. Yes, Chris.
But how do you make a man see into himself?
How do you explain such a thing to a man like dad?
A man who's forgotten about other men, living as if he were alone in the world.
How do you tell him such a thing and make him understand?
You show him this.
So you decided to come back, huh?
What do you mean, frightening your mother half to death?
What kind of a thing is that to do? You know she's not well.
I wanna talk to you, dad. I wanna talk to you.
Something bothers you, huh? Got too much money?
Is that what bothers you? The way you got it bothers me.
Well then, what's the problem?
When something bothers you, either get used to it or get rid of it.
If you can't get used to it, then throw it away.
Do you hear me? Take every cent and give it to charity.
Throw it in the sewer! Does that settle it? In the sewer, that's all!
That's not enough, dad. What's the matter? You think I'm kidding?
I'm telling you what to do. If it's dirty, then burn it.
It's your money, not mine.
I'm a dead man. I'm an old, dead man. Nothing is mine.
What do you want me to do?
It's not what I want; It's what you want to do.
What should I want to do? You want me to go to prison?
Is that where I belong? Well then, tell me so!
What's the matter? Why can't you tell me?
You say everything else to me. Say that!
I'll tell you why you can't say it.
Because you know I don't belong there. You know!
Read this, dad.
Then tell yourself what you must do.
What is it? What have you got there?
Chris. Chris, where have you been?
No, Chris, no! It's from Larry.
Give it to me. He wrote it the day he died.
Don't read it, Joe. “My dear Ann...
Don't listen. Be quiet, Kate.
I want to hear what he has to say.
"It's impossible to put down the things I feel,
“but I've got to tell you something.
"Yesterday they flew in a load of papers from the states,
"and I read about dad and your father.
"I'm not clever the way you are and the way Chris is,
"and I cannot understand or make myself understand how this could have happened.
"We get to be proud of the planes we fly.
"They come to be piece by piece, bit by bit,
"something of you at home who have made them.
"We are not alone.
"But my father has made me alone.
"He has betrayed us all...
"You at home who have kept faith with us...
“And we who have kept faith with you.
"I'm ashamed.
"I can't face the other men.
"I can't face anybody.
"I don't know how to tell you, Annie,
"but I'm going out on a mission in a few minutes,
"and I will not come back.
"I want you to forgive me, Annie, for doing this,
but it's the only way I know to pay for what he has done."
Do you understand what this means, dad?
Yes. I understand.
I didn't like doing this, dad. You know?
Sure, kid. I know.
You did right.
Joe.
No, it's no use, Kate.
No use.
Maybe I've known it all along.
A man... can be defective too,
like a machine part, a cylinder.
Little pressure and he cracks.
A lot of innocent people die.
A lot of innocent people...
You paid for it, Joe!
Larry paid for it! He was your son!
There's nothing more you can do!
Sure, he was my son.
But I think, to him,
they were all my sons.
And I guess they were...
All my sons.
He's your father. You can't send your own father to prison!
It's with him now. It's whatever he thinks.
Have you gone crazy? What's accomplished if he goes to jail?
Will it raise the dead? The war's over! Don't say that, mom.
What was Larry to you? A stone that fell into the water?
It's not enough to be sorry. Larry didn't kill himself so you and dad could be sorry.
He did it to show you. What more can we be than sorry?
You can be better!
Once and for all, you can know that the whole earth comes in through those fences.
That there's a universe outside, and you're responsible to it.
And if you're not, then you threw your son away.
Because that's why he died. You understand? That's why.
Joe!
Don't go in, mom.
Why not?
I took care of him all his life,
whenever he needed me.
I can take care of him now too.
Make a good life for yourselves.
And never look back. Never.
Larry is dead, and Joe is dead.
So live. Live.