[waves crashing]
Soon off, we'll be ready.
I want a little statuefor my collection.
[screaming]
Scream. Scream hard.
You will be one of the piece
Oh, it's terrible.
Wait.
[laugh]
I grabbed.
My.
Monster you, youmonster, you, monster you
No.
No.
I know.
[laugh]
No, honestly.
[laugh]
You must, do you?
You know, they're showing that movieon television every night this week.
Oh, how awful.
You want some more coffee?
-Yeah. You know what's really awful-What?
Is that I don't get a dime for it.
Oh well.
Well, when I madethat picture, who in the
world ever thoughtof television, right?
-Yes, you know something?-What?
I must be in lovewith you to still want
to marry afterseeing you like that.
Listen, show a littlerespect. It was that very
character that establishedme as an actor in this town.
Hmm hmm.
Well, personally, I'mdelighted you don't
have to go in for thatsort of thing anymore.
-Why do you say that?-Because it's awful.
Anyway.
Get the effect it musthave on the children?
Oh, come on, now. Theydon't take it seriously?
No.
Just scares them halfout of their wits, that's all.
Then they oughtn't to look.
Well, maybe.
Well, why read that sortof junk in the first place?
Listen, that sort ofjunk, as you put it,
makes a lot ofmoney. Let me tell you.
I don't think I liked that kindof money
Going to be such a snob.
-What do you mean?-Well, I mean
that kind of money canvery well help pay the bills when
we're married.
Why? How?
Well, as a matter of fact,they've been talking to me about
making a new television seriesaround that very character.
Victor, you wouldn't.
-Why not?-You couldn't.
Well, sure I could.
I'd also own a piece of it.
So?
What do you mean by so?
what I mean is bad enoughfor grownups, but well, to
clutter up children's mindswithout unreal nonsense.
What did you say?
I said it's unreal nonsense.
I thought that's what you're unreal.
Yes.
Listen, what aboutthe stuff you write?
What about the stuff I write?
Have you looked at it lately? Imean, have you looked at the titles?
Well, certainly.
I suppose they'rereal, then. Janie and the
genie by Madge McEvoy.Janie and the Enchanted
Garden. Janie and theMadge McEvoy.
And these were writtenespecially for children.
Oh, honestly,Victor, there's quite a
difference in imaginativefanciful stories and
plain horror. Andthere's a big difference
in its effect onchildren, believe me.
But now you're making a noiselike an expert on child psychology.
Well, I am a mother.
And I've made a pretty goodliving writing books for children.
Yeah, but you'vetold me yourself many
times that Janiehad a lot of problems.
Oh, little ones.
Nothing more than you'd expect.
After all, she's she'sbeen cooped up
in a New York apartment all ofher life with very few playmates and
no place to play butin her imagination.
Darling, why doyou think I moved to
California? BecauseI wanted her to have a
real home with aswing in the backyard
and lots of otherchildren to play with.
Did your plans also include whenyou moved here to find her a father?
[laugh] No.
No, it never entered my mind.
-Really?-No.
How about after you met me?
[laugh]
Darling, when I met you, Ididn't think of you as a father.
-You better get out of here.-Why?
James plane is gettingin at six in the morning. If
I'm going to get anysleep at all, you have to go.
We will depart right now.
Excuse me, I'malways departing. Listen,
I want to ask yousomething serious.
What?
Have you writtento Janey about me?
No. I'm savingyou as a surprise.
-wonder if that's a good idea.-What do you mean?
How old was she when her papa d*ed?
Oh.
She has no recollection ofhim. That won't be any problem.
You think she'll like me?
Oh, now, what littlegirl wouldn't want
to handsome moviestar for a thought?
-Now, come on, I'm serious.-So am I.
You are a movie star and youare handsome. And you are leaving.
-I am?-Yes.
You're good to go to bed early.
-I don't want to go to bed.-Oh, you never want to go.
Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
Here, my dear.
You may read yourselfto sleep, eh? [laugh]
At least you're my favorite author.
-Good night.-Good night.
[door closing]
[music]
-Janey.-Mumma.
Darling.
Hello princess.
Let me take a look at you.
Oh, honey, you look wonderful.You look good enough to eat.
[Kissing]
Oh, your hair looks marvelous.
Did the steward braidedit for you last night?
I never unbraided it.
Oh, now, aren't you the smart one?
Grandma's have totell you, I've grown.
Oh, grandma doesn'thave to tell me that.
I can see for myself.
How is Grandma?
She's coming tovisit us next summer.
Oh, it's wonderful. I'm delighted.
Why don't we sit on herefor a while? There'll be a
little time in getting yourluggage off the plane.
Well, tell me all about your trip .
On the plane, They servedus breakfast on little tray.
They did?
And they gave me gum too. Free.
Oh, that sounds like a bargain. Youmust have had a wonderful flight.
It was all right. I could have gottenhere faster, you know, Mama.
Oh, How?
I know the magic words.
The magic words?
Oh, you mean like Janie in my book?
Like me in your book.
[laugh]
All right, dear. Likeyou in my book.
Instead of getting onthe plane last night,
-Yes.-I could have picked up my suitcase.
His grandma goodbye.
opened the windowof our apartment
and I could fly allthe way out here.
-Just like that.-Sure, Mommy, You know that.
Well.
Honey.
I know. That'swhat I write in my
books. But they'reonly make believe.
You know, they're just stories.They don't really happen.
I sure they do. Of course, youhave to know the magic words.
Oh.
Yes.
Well.
Maybe I better use afew magic words and
try to get your luggage.Now, you wait right
here for me. Don'tmove. Don't fly away.
Just wait right therefor me. I'll be back.
And with those words, the tinyFairy Queen picked up a magic
wand, touched the little girlon top of her head. Janie looked
around, her eyes wide withwonder for the tall buildings and
the busy streets and the honkingtaxi cabs had all disappeared.
Janie found herself standing infront of a white gate. She turned to
the Fairy Queen. Where are we? Sheasked. But the Fairy Queen was gone.
Everything seemed so quiet andJenny lift the latch, open the gate
and walked into a beautiful gardenfilled with sweet felling flowers.
And trees swept clean by the wind.
[laugh]
You ought to read this to me.You don't even need the book.
I told her she should haveput a fountain in that garden.
I mean, you told your mother?
No, The Fairy Queen.
Oh, well, you should have toldyour mother. She made up the story.
Mama doesn't have awand. Fairy Queen has it.
Oh.
She's going to giveit to me someday.
Yeah, sure.
I'm sorry, darling,but it's bedtime.
I like the way you read stories.
You do?
But I like the way you listen to.
All right, sweetie. Callme when you're ready.
Will I see you tomorrow?
You bet you will.
And the day after?
The day after. The dayafter. The day after that.
Which is your house?
That way or that way?
That way. Just next door.
Is that why you boughtthis house, Mama?
Ah, you see, now it comes out!
No darling I didn't even knowVictor when I bought this house.
One day I walked nextdoor to borrow a hammer
and who do yousupposed to opened the door?
Mr. Conrad.
Mr. Conrad, That'sright. Now, off with you.
If you have any troublewith your mother in the future,
just whistle and I'll jumpover the fence and come fly.
But I don't know how to whistle.
I'll teach you tomorrow. Good night.
[music]
Good night, Mr. Conrad.
Good night, Janey.
[music]
That's quite a child you got there.
I like it.
I think she loves you already.
I think you've done avery good job Madge.
Thank you.
She's a very imaginativechild, isn't she?
Oh, that she is.
Listen, I've got somegood news for you.
I talked to the producers thismorning about the television series.
The contract's all drawn up.I'm going over to mine. Look at it.
Oh, Victor. Now,you're not really
going to play thatstupid monster again.
Come on, Madge. Pleasedon't start that again.
Well, I didn't start it, you did.
But it's certainly worth givingsome consideration to all.
Oh, I don't know that.
sort of thingmay have been all
right when youwere just starting out. But
well, for heaven'ssake, what sort of
satisfaction could youget out of that now?
Financial satisfaction.
Well, who needs it?
Listen.
Well no, you're doingall right without it.
Aren't you?
Or have you been bragging to me?
-I don't be fresh.-Well.
Marriage is the responsibility.
Oh, now, don't you be stuffy.
Janey and I aren'tgoing to cost you much.
And Anyway, I'mnot broke, you know.
Mama.
Oh. I'll be rightback. Coming honey.
[walking]
You're all brushedand everything.
I said my prayers,too.
Good girl, in you go.
You know something angel?
This has been a verylonely house without you.
-Has it? Mommy.-Hmm.
Mommy. It's fun to havea man read your story.
[laugh] Isn't it though.
Well.
Goodnight, mummy.Sleep well.
Lily is right acrossthe hall. But would
you like to leave thedoor open anyway?
Yes, please.
Oh, oh.
No, no no.
I want a little statueto my collection.
No.
Scream. Scream hard.
you will be
Have join beauty for ever.
Soon your lipswill be sealed, my
darling, for I shallturn you into stone.
You monster, you youmonster you, monster you
[screaming]
Forvever more.
[screaming]
I know.
No, mama.
[screaming]
[laugh]
Mama.
What honey?
Mama.
Mama let get out of herehe conrad is a monster.
Baby, what happened?
He well make youstatus, turn you into stone.
Get out get out of the house.
Get out , get out, get out,get out he is a monster.
Hey, honey.
Mummy, he will turn you into stone.
-Honey.-Get out, get out of my house.
Get out of the house.
[music]
How is she?
Should be all right, I guess.
Finally got into sleep.
That was certainlysomething, wasn't it?
Yes.
Now you see the effect that kindof picture can have on children.
Oh, come on now,Mad. You're not going to
blame me for a picture Imade eleven years ago.
No, of course not.
But now you're thinkingyou're making more of them.
A whole series of them.
The problem hereis not the movie she
saw. The problemis Janey herself.
Now, what's the matter with Janey?
Well, there's nothing to matterwith her. She's a very sweet little
girl. It's just that she's neverlearned the difference between
reality make believe and youhaven't helped her make the
distinctions. Anythingyou've added to her confusion.
Victor.
Children have to havea make believe world.
Why it's the best part of childhood.
Surely even you remember that.
Well, sure, I remember. But Ialso remember that when I was her
age, I knew that the villain inthe movie was only an actor.
Well, I will admit that.
She has lived ratherisolated kind of life and
perhaps she has identifiedherself with my books.
more than necessary.
Darling, her world is a...
well, it was a beautifulmake believe world and
I just didn't want todestroy it, that's all.
Don't you see baby,that's that's not right.
And the longer you let it go on,the more damage it's going to do.
The damage was done by your mad
scientist. Now,let's not forget that.
That's not the point, mad.
The point is that shehas to learn the difference
between an unrealthing and a real thing.
And if she doesn'tlearn it soon,
she's going to bein serious trouble.
Victor, I am very tired. Doyou mind if I just let it go at that
Darling now, I don't meanthat she can't read fairy tale,
and enjoy them. I simplymean that she ought to.
Look, you have made your pointover and over again. Just let it go.
Alright
No, it isn't all right. I'mnot going to let it go. Listen,
she needs more preparationthan you're going to get.
Now, just a minute.
You're not her father yet.
[door opening]
[door closing]
[music]
Going to get you alldeath. And then you
can fly away to the magic gardenwhere the prince is waiting for you.
Janey.
Honey come overhere for minute, will you?
You know this is another Janeybook that I'm writing, don't you?
-Yes, mummy.-Good. Well,
Now, you see all these words?
Well, I wrotethem all down and I
made them up rightout of my own head.
Now, these are all things thatwell, they couldn't really happen.
Then how did you know about them?
I imagined them.
Hmm.
They had to happen sometime oryou wouldn't know to imagine them.
Well, no, not really.This is the way it works.
You think of thingsthat you know could
happen and then youthink of things that you'd
like to happen andthen you put them all
together and well,that's how you imagine.
Well, all your books areabout me. And I'm real?
Yes, of course you are, honey.
And the magic words are real words.
So if I wanted to use them,all I'd have to do is use them.
Why don't we go outside andsee what kind of a day it is, huh?
Good. Oh, bread and butter.
What goes up a chimney?
Smoke.
[music]
[door knocking]
[putting telephone down]
[door opening]
Oh.
I was just thinkingabout you. Come in.
I don't know if I haveto. Where is Janey?
Shes' upstairsgetting ready for bed.
I missed you so much.
Victor. I missed you too.
Victor.
You are right.
I think I was, but
so were you.
Well, no, listen, I haven't
Sit down, I want totell you something
Just sit down for second.I've given this a lot of thought.
Yes.
If I thought that I wereresponsible for kids
having nightmares fromanything that I was making on
Television or anywhere, well.
I just what I'm trying tosay is I called my agent
this morning and I told himthat the whole deal is off.
I'm glad.
Well.
And now I've gotsomething to tell you.
What?
Well.
this morning I tried to talk toJaney. You know darling, you were
terribly right. That child is soconfused, it isn't even funny.
And I'm going to needso much help with her.
You know what worries me?
I'm not sure that afterwhat happened yesterday.
well, I'm not sureI'm the one to help.
Oh, I think you're just the one.
After all, you see theproblem so clearly.
Yes, I know, but
[laugh]
just dawned on me.
We're liable to have a veryhappy marriage, you know. Why?
last night we couldn'thave disagreed more. Now
Well.
Here we are.
Here we are.
Well, we're pretty grown up people.
I hope so.
Victor.
I want to try somethingin my new book.
Well, I want to try to
to show the children who read mybooks the difference between the
real and the unreal. Now, I don'tknow whether I can do that or not.
Well, sure you can do it.
Oh I hope so.
Of course our,
Our first job as Janey.
Okay,
but Janie won't be hard.
No.
And it'll help a greatdeal if she starts playing
with other childrenfirst, don't you think?
Certainly. It wouldcertainly help me to grow up.
Took me ten yearsto forgive that little
girl who told me therewas no Santa Claus.
[laugh]
Come here. I want to showyou what I've done so far.
Mama.
Mama.
-Janey.-Madge.
All right, all right.
-Janey.-Mama.
Mama.
What is it, honey? What?
Don't let him touch you. He's amonster he will turn you in a stone.
Oh, honey, don't say that.
He's a monster.
Janey.
-he's not, honey.-No.
Come over here,sweetheart. Let me try to...
-monster.-No, darling, he's not.
Now, listen tome for a minute.
I want you to try to understandthis because it's very important.
Now, Mr. Conradis an actor, you see.
and he was pretendingto be a monster in
the picture. But hewas only pretending.
He's a monster.
No, darling, he'snot. He's your friend.
Oh, darling, that picturewas make believe.
And make believeisn't real, you know.
It's true.
Janey, look.
All the Jeney's that I've writtenin the books I make believe
and all the magic gardenhad been make believe
And all the magic wordshave been make believe.
Yes, they are, darling.But you, you're not.
You're real.
And I'm real.
And Mr. Conrad, He's real, too.
Oh, darling, we love youvery much. And nothing's
going to hurt you,Jamey. You know that.
Try to understand that,won't you? Please, sweetheart.
Please, Janey. Please, darling.
[music]
Sorry, victor.
Don't mind.
Listen.
What do you think I ought to do?
Gee, I don't know.
I don't know either.
It sure would be a heck of a life to
live with a baby that youscared the heck out of
just because you madea couple of old television.
Don't talk about it.
What I?
Listen.
You really are worried, arent' you?.
Come on.
Come on. Just don't worry.
You know we're working out stuff.
[music]
[door opening]
[music]
Don't you fret?
Mama.
Don't let him touch you. He'llturn you into stone. He's a monster.
Janey, get back.
He'll turn you into stone.
Janey, Get back
Keep yor voice down.Don't frighten her.
Mama, don't let himtouch you. He's a monster.
Janey, get back.
Janey, get back in your roomand shut the window, darling.
I'll show you. I'll show you.
Janey.
I'm going to fly away fromhere and I won't come back.
Janey, get back in your roomand shut the window, darling.
I won't come back ever.
Janey.
Fairy queen, up in the sky.
Janey.
give me the power now to fly.
Janey, get back.
Oh.
My doll. She is broken.
Just she is dead.
It's all right [crying]
My doll.
She's broken.
My doll.
She is just fall down.
You all have to dois to take a sleep.
Honey it's all rightdarling it's all right.
We can get anotherdoll Janey don't cry.
The magic words didn't work.
I know, darling, Iknow. I tried to tell you.
They just make believewords. Janey, They're not real.
Jeney, listen darling,your mother made
up the stories outof her imagination.
She has a beautifulimagination. That's
why the stories arebeautiful, you see?
But they're not real.
No, darling. No, they're not real.
But, Janey.
In the real world, there's somewonderful things, too. And you
know, one of the most excitingthings is just searching for truth.
Trying to find out what is real.
You see, you haveto have imagination to
do that, darling, weall need imagination
and truth both things.And you just got
them a little mixedup. That's true.
You weren't really goingto turn me into stone?
You were just pretending?
Well, of course I wasjust pretending. I act,
I just have to usetheir imagination, too.
I'm glad you're real. AndI'm glad you saved me, too.
Because I really do like you.
Well, I really do like you, too.
And you like himtoo, don't you mama?
Well, I do. And for real, too.
[music]
04x19 - My Favorite Monster
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The program began with the premise that each drama was an answer to a question asked in her fan mail; the program's original title was Letter to Loretta.
The program began with the premise that each drama was an answer to a question asked in her fan mail; the program's original title was Letter to Loretta.