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00:00...of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone.
00:07You're looking at Act One, Scene One, of a nightmare. One not restricted to witching hours and dark, rain-swept nights.
00:33Professor Walter Jameson, popular beyond words. Who talks of the past as if it were the present. Who conjures up the dead as if they were alive.
00:45The Union soldiers burned Atlanta, but I assure you they took no pleasure in their work. They were forced to it by a man they hated more than they could ever hate the rebels.
00:57An ugly, sullen, unbelievably brutal man named William Tecumseh Sherman.
01:07To give you a more comprehensive idea of this great hero, let me read you a few extracts from the diary of Major Skelton.
01:19The date is Tuesday, September 11th, 1864.
01:27The city was ours. There was no need to destroy art save that which could be of use in the fight against us.
01:35But Sherman was drunk with victory. He himself started the awful fires. The fires that destroyed that great citadel of grace and beauty.
01:47In the view of this man, Professor Samuel Kitteridge, Walter Jameson has access to knowledge that couldn't come out of a volume of history.
01:57But rather from a book on black magic, which is to say that this nightmare begins at noon.
02:05Very vivid, Walter. You had me on the edge of my seat.
02:19Thank you, Sam.
02:20I begin to see why these lectures of yours are so popular.
02:22Is that why you sat in?
02:24Well, partially. Tell me something. Who is this Major Skelton?
02:28Oh, just a lawyer who happened to amiss.
02:30Uh, what regiment?
02:32123rd Illinois Infantry.
02:34Well, I must say, this diary of his is a fascinating document.
02:37Uh, may I see it?
02:47I, uh...
02:49I don't suppose I could borrow it.
02:51I never lend book stamps in mind to professors.
02:54Remember the last time?
02:56Yes.
02:57You're right.
02:58Anything wrong, Sam?
03:00No.
03:01Could you come for dinner tonight?
03:03Whose invitation?
03:05Yours or Susanna's?
03:06Mine this time.
03:08Say, seven o'clock?
03:10All right.
03:11Good.
03:12Good.
03:13Good.
03:14Good.
03:15Good.
03:17Good, movie.
03:18Sure bit.
03:19Good.
03:21Good, ma'am.
03:24Good.
03:29Good.
03:32Good, Joe.
03:33Good.
03:34Good.
03:35Good.
03:36Good.
03:40really darling must you always be on time always please remember you're a PhD not yet I'm not
04:01there's a little matter of an examination remember a technicality anyway you're gonna
04:05be a housewife the devil she is I'm giving you my daughter's hand not a brain she's going to get
04:12that PhD if I have to spank her I know don't tell me you're the cook again tonight indeed and why not
04:19well I think it's time that I tried Susanna's cooking don't worry you will I'm sure well shall
04:26we sit down a lady I take it back Sam she'll never be the cook you are what do you think you're doing
04:45young lady oh I'll do the dishes later it's not the dishes I'm talking about it's books and study
04:51upstairs besides Walter and I have something to discuss you're not going to treat me this way are
04:59you worse who knows you may have to support us you ought to be ashamed of yourself Sam
05:14Suzanne is almost 30 years old and I'm almost 70 my move isn't it
05:44what's that for look at them extraordinary isn't it they look very much alike 12 years ago those two
05:59hands time marches on for some of us Walter tell me something will you of course how old are you
06:1044 I seem to recall that when you applied for a post on the university staff you listed your age
06:23as 39 that was let me see 1947 which would make you 51 come on Sam all right I'm 51 too old for
06:38this is Anna is that it in a sense water in 1947 I was 58 I had most of my hair all my teeth and
06:56hardly a wrinkle look at me now in 12 short years I've turned into an old man while you haven't aged at
07:06all it happens that way sometime I know but why don't ask me Sam you're the chemist I teach history
07:17yes and you teach it very well you know what the students say they say it's almost as though you'd
07:24live through the period you were discussing I try to make it interesting fake it you mean
07:31you could call it that yes that's what I thought but somehow that didn't seem like you you're such a
07:39precise sort
07:40what have you got there a book of photographs taken by a fellow named Matthew Brady during the time of
07:50the Civil War
07:51well what is it you look as though you'd seen a ghost maybe I have water was was your grandfather in the
08:05Civil War by any chance no then I'd say we have something of a mystery here how so you made me curious about
08:15this major Skelton today I thought it would be interesting to see what he looked like so I went
08:20through my Brady pictures not really expecting to find anything these are three of Sherman's staff
08:27officers the one seated at the table is identified as major Hugh Skelton
08:33that picture was taken almost a hundred years ago
08:43you shouldn't have kept that ring you know it's a dead giveaway
08:59what are you getting at Sam oh come all do you know exactly what I'm getting at
09:05you're joking just because I happen to look like somebody in a photograph and happen to be wearing the
09:12same ring and happen to have the same small mole on the left side of your face
09:16Walter you and I have been very close for 12 years tell me the truth you
09:26you are that man in the photograph aren't you
09:31yes
09:44I've suspected a long time but it seemed fantastic it is yes how old are you Walter
10:04you wouldn't believe me I can believe anything now all right
10:12let's say that I'm old enough to have known this gentleman personally
10:16play to
10:18but that was over 2000 years ago
10:24I knew you wouldn't believe me
10:29no no it's it isn't that it's
10:32two thousand years
10:36how Walter how in heaven's name Walter this is what mankind has been dreaming of
10:44Sam
10:44tell me the secret
10:46I can't tell you the secret Sam
10:49because I don't know it myself
10:52I was like you Sam
10:57afraid of death
11:00and when I thought of all the things there were to know in the miserable few years that
11:05a man had to know them
11:06it seemed senseless
11:08at night
11:10every night I dreamed as you dream of immortality
11:13only if a man lived forever I thought
11:16could there be any point in living at all
11:19I talked to priests
11:21philosophers
11:23then one day
11:26I met an alchemist
11:28told him these things
11:30he said that he could grant my wish
11:33only of course it would cost a great deal of money
11:35I was desperate I paid him his money and submitted to his experiments
11:38I remember
11:40very little about it
11:42I lay in a coma for many weeks
11:44and when I revived
11:45I was alone
11:48the alchemist had disappeared
11:51go on
11:52there's really very little more to tell
12:00I thought of course that the experiment had failed because
12:04I didn't feel any differently
12:06but then
12:08I saw my wife
12:11and my children
12:13aging
12:14my friends dying
12:17this was something that I hadn't considered you see
12:23but surely
12:25there's some answer to that problem
12:28is there
12:29think about it
12:30I tell you that somehow I can
12:33stop you from aging
12:34where do you want to stop at 30
12:35then you watch everyone around you grow old
12:38at 70
12:39do you want to live forever
12:42the way you are now
12:43old
12:45sick
12:46it's better than dying
12:47no
12:48you're wrong Sam
12:50I was wrong
12:53it's
12:55death
12:56that gives this world its point
12:59we love a rose
13:03because we know it'll soon be gone
13:04whoever loved a stone
13:07I'm not a rose
13:08I'm not a stone
13:09I'm a man
13:10very old
13:11and very frightened
13:14of what
13:14death
13:15yes of death
13:16you're a fool Sam
13:17I want to die
13:18then why don't you
13:19because I'm a coward
13:22I haven't changed
13:24you see
13:24I'm the same man I was
13:26I was a coward then
13:27I'm a coward now
13:28I'm tired of living
13:31in my desk
13:35I have a revolver Sam
13:37and every night I take it out
13:39and pray for the courage to pull the trigger
13:40I can't
13:42you mean say that you survived over 2,000 years
13:45without an accident
13:45without being wounded
13:46some people are lucky that way
13:48they go through life without ever breaking a bone
13:51or
13:52seeing the inside of a hospital
13:53oh I've been close to death
13:56many times
13:58but never
14:00close enough
14:02thank you
14:07for what
14:08I thought if a man lived forever
14:11he'd grow wiser
14:13but that isn't true is it
14:17you just go on living
14:19that's all
14:20it must be lonely
14:22I suppose you've been married
14:34several times
14:36yes
14:37how long with each woman Walter
14:3910 years
14:4115 years
14:43I see
14:44Sam I tried to resign 6 months ago
14:47you talked me out of it
14:48do you remember that
14:49yes
14:50I knew Susanna was falling in love with me
14:52and I knew what would happen
14:54it's happened before
14:56a few years of happiness
14:58and then
14:58I tried to warn her
15:01I did everything in my power
15:03to discourage her
15:04except tell her the truth
15:05how could I do that
15:06she'd have thought I was mad
15:07then why didn't you leave
15:09because by then it was too late
15:11I was in love with her
15:13I need her
15:16everything is against it
15:18all my reason and experience
15:20but that doesn't matter now
15:23it doesn't matter
15:24it does to me Walter
15:26I can't let you marry my daughter
15:29and why not
15:31well come on
15:37your father seems to think
15:39I'm too old for you darling
15:41that's the silliest thing
15:44I ever heard of
15:45good
15:46and you'll marry me
15:48tonight
15:49I think you mean it
15:52I do
15:52you go upstairs
15:53pack your prettiest things
15:54I'll pick you up in 15 minutes
15:56but
15:58go
15:59go
16:00I'll tell her
16:08she won't believe you
16:10nobody would
16:12you won't believe it yourself
16:15by tomorrow morning
16:16I think
16:21if
16:25you
16:26go
16:33go
16:36go
16:38go
16:38go
16:38go
16:43go
16:43go
16:44go
16:44go
16:45go
16:45Hello, Tommy.
17:15Who are you?
17:27Don't you recognize me, Tommy?
17:34Look hard.
17:36Look into my eyes.
17:38You called them the most beautiful you'd ever seen once a long time ago.
17:45I'm afraid you're making a mistake.
17:53No, Tommy.
17:55My name is Jameson, Professor Walter Jameson.
17:59Don't pretend.
18:01I know who you are.
18:03And who am I?
18:17You're Tom Bowen, my husband.
18:20Your husband.
18:25My dear woman, perhaps if you'll tell me who you're looking for.
18:29Oh, stop it.
18:30I saw the picture in the newspaper announcing your engagement.
18:35I have to come to see if it was true.
18:39It is.
18:41I can't explain it.
18:42I only know it's happened.
18:44I've grown old and you haven't.
18:49Now you're going to marry someone else
18:51and leave her the way you left me.
18:56Lorette.
18:58Lorette.
18:58I can't let you marry her, Tommy.
19:04You're mine.
19:05Lorette.
19:14Lorette.
19:17Tommy, it's Rob.
19:20You can't go on hurting people.
19:23What is it?
19:46What's happened?
19:53Lorette.
20:02Hello, Sam.
20:04I thought I heard.
20:06Are you all right?
20:09I don't know.
20:12It doesn't matter.
20:15Either way, you'll be rid of me.
20:20What do you mean?
20:23I mean, I've come to my senses at last.
20:34Tell Suzanne that...
20:39Oh, no.
20:40Stay away.
20:44You're hurt.
20:49I'll call the doctor.
20:51No.
20:53Your hand.
21:04It's happening.
21:08At last.
21:13Lorette, what is it?
21:15What's happening?
21:18Oh, my God.
21:19Oh, my God.
21:19Oh, my God.
21:23Nothing lasts forever.
21:26Thank God.
21:27I don't know.
21:57Dad! Walter!
22:16Go home, Susanna!
22:17That's not what the shot! Walter's hurt!
22:19Please, Susanna, go home!
22:23Walter!
22:25He's gone!
22:26Where?
22:28I don't know, my dear.
22:34His clothes?
22:46Dad?
22:48What is that on the floor?
22:51Dust.
22:54Only dust.
23:06Last stop on a long journey.
23:09As yet another human being returns to the vast nothingness that is the beginning and into the dust that is always the end.
23:19Remember that?
23:19Oh, here we are.
23:21I'm going to open it.
23:21I'm going to open it.
23:24It looks like a lot.
23:25I'm going to open it.
23:27Oh, my dear.
23:27Oh, my dear.
23:28I'm going to open it.
23:28Okay.
23:28Oh, my dear.
23:29Oh, my dear.
23:29So, my dear.