On a country road, starring Howard Duff and Ida Lupino,
a tale well calculated to keep you in...
suspense.
Suspense.
Oh, come on, get with it.
Relax, David. We're not going to move any faster, so relax.
Who can relax in a traffic jam like this?
Bumper to bumper at 20 miles an hour.
Must be a wreck or something up ahead.
This keeps up, we'll get caught in the rain.
Yeah, it's like a big storm building up.
Hey, remember that shortcut?
Which one?
The little country road that goes across through center morraches
and comes out on the highway on the other side of the island.
Oh, yes, you mean the one we took last summer?
Yeah, yeah, I'll turn off there and duck this jam.
I'll be at home before that storm hits.
Turn on the radio, will you, honey?
Mm-hmm.
See if you can get the news in.
Police this afternoon issued two warnings to all residents of Long Island
to be on the lookout for Nellie Goller,
a middle-aged woman described as dangerous and insane.
What's that?
She escaped this morning from Restview Mental Hospital
after fatally butchering a doctor, a nurse,
and a ward attendant with a meat cleaver.
Ha-ha, my mother-in-law.
Just a few minutes ago, the decapitated bodies of an elderly man and woman
were found by police near center morraches on the west side of the island.
Well, at least we're not the only crazy people on Long Island.
Residents of the area are warned not to open their doors to strangers.
Motorists are cautioned to stay off lonely roads
and not pick up any hitchhikers.
All persons are asked to be on the lookout for this woman.
Here is her description again.
She is tall, gray hair, has broad shoulders, and long arms.
She is believed to be armed with a meat cleaver,
which she used in her escape from Restview Mental Hospital.
Turn that off, Dorothy, will you?
But you wanted to hear it.
Well, that's enough of that.
The shortcut will save us a lot of time.
David, didn't you hear what the radio said about staying off lonely roads?
Well, honey, we just have to go across to the other highway.
It won't take long.
Are you sure?
Of course.
We go past center morraches, then take the left road
and come out right by the highway bridge.
Center morraches is where she just killed those two people.
Oh, come on, honey. You're acting like a child.
What can happen to us while we're driving?
Besides, the whole island is full of men looking for this lunatic.
They'll catch you.
Well, here comes the storm.
David.
What?
The gas gauge says empty.
Well, there's still a couple of gallons left when it points to empty.
How long is it dead empty?
Well, that I don't know.
I'll get gas when we get across to the other highway.
Darling, I'm scared.
Come on, relax, honey.
Honey, rain and wind always makes you jumpy as a cat.
I wish we'd stayed on the highway.
Well, if I'd known you'd act like this, I would have.
Well, it's not that bad.
You're right.
Honey, it's not mine either.
I'm having trouble enough just trying to see through this storm.
Oh, darling, what are we fighting about?
Oh, I don't know.
Driving through these woods in this kind of weather
is enough to give anybody the willies.
It got dark so fast.
I can hardly see even in the headlights.
There's something ahead.
Well, don't stop, David.
Oh, it's only a sign.
But that crazy woman could be around here.
I'm not picking up anyone.
I just want to know where I am.
Please don't get out of the car.
I'm not picking up anyone.
Please don't get out of the car.
I'm not.
Now, calm down.
Center marches to the right.
I'm going to take this road here.
Center marches.
Well, this must be the road where she killed those people.
Oh, David, please.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm jumpy.
Oh, David, that woman, she could be anywhere in these woods.
But not necessarily where we are.
Oh, it's a...
Wouldn't you know?
Come on.
Well, that's that.
Are we out of gas?
Yeah.
Oh, no.
You mean we're stuck here?
For the time being, anyway.
That woman is in these woods.
She'll kill us.
She's nowhere near us.
Calm down.
David, quick.
I'm going to take this road.
Center marches to the right.
David, quick.
Turn off your headlights.
Why?
Did you see something?
I don't know.
I'm scared.
We should have gotten gas back in the main road.
Turn off the lights, please.
Why?
She'll see us if you don't.
Oh, for Pete's sake.
Please, David, turn them off.
Listen, Dorothy...
Oh, darling, look at those headlights
poking into the darkness at all the wet bushes and trees.
Please, David, turn them off.
Okay, all right, all right.
There.
Now they're off.
Feel better sitting in the dark?
Yes, if only the thunder and lightning
would stop in this rain.
Look, Dorothy, I'm going to walk up the road a bit.
Maybe I can find a house and...
You're not going to leave me here.
I won't let you go.
Dorothy, we can't sit here in the middle of nowhere
for the rest of the night.
But we're safer here than out there.
Darling, she's probably hiding out there,
just waiting for a chance to kill us.
Oh, come on, Dorothy.
Why should she be right where we've run out of gas?
Quick, lock the doors from the inside.
Why?
Lock them so that that crazy woman can't get in here.
She's nowhere near here, I tell you.
Please don't be mad at me.
I know I'm being silly, but I can't help it.
Come here, come here.
Let me put my armor on you.
Darling.
Put your head on my shoulder.
Please forgive me.
Of course, I'll forgive you.
Would you turn on the radio?
Maybe they've caught her.
Okay.
Pressing their search for the escaped insane woman
who has killed five persons since fleeing
from a Long Island mental hospital.
Rain and darkness are hampering the search.
Over 100 police are combing the wooded area...
Turn it off.
Fine.
Now, look, Dorothy, we can't sit here all night.
I'll run up the road. There might be a house.
No, David, please, please don't leave me.
Listen.
Do you hear that?
What? I don't hear anything.
Listen.
There it is.
I don't hear...
It's a dog. Just a little dog barking.
Oh, David.
Maybe it's lost or maybe there's a house nearby.
Call that woman.
David! She's out there!
Something hit the back of the car.
It's her. She'll kill us.
Is the door locked on your side?
Yes, yes, but what if she breaks the window?
She has the cleave.
I had a flash of lightning. I saw somebody.
Is that her?
Can't tell. It's lying on the road.
Can you see her? Is she still there?
It's too dark to see.
We'll have to wait for the lightning.
There she is. She's getting up now.
She'll kill us! She'll kill us, David!
Calm down, calm down. Please, please.
What is she doing?
I don't know. She must have been running.
She didn't see the car. She ran right into it.
Ah! Look at the window, David, right next to you!
Good Lord!
Get away from that window!
Let me in! Let me in! Let me in!
Let me in! I'm not crazy!
The crazy woman is after me!
David!
Go away! Leave us alone!
Please, let me in! Please!
That woman will kill me! Please!
David, take your pipe. Hold it like a gun.
It'll look like a gun.
Where is it?
Dardie, in the glove compartment. Quick.
I have it. Here it is.
Look! I've got a gun!
I'm going to shoot!
She's backing away.
I'll keep on going before I start shooting.
David! She's gone! She disappeared!
We can't get out now.
All we can do is sit here all night and wait for help.
Can you see her? Where did she go?
I don't know. She's out there somewhere.
Probably planning on how to get into this car.
Darling, what are we going to do?
She's the one. I know. Our face was completely insane.
You saw it.
Yeah. She's probably back there looking for that cleaver now.
She'll kill us! She'll kill us!
Dorothy, Dorothy, stop! Please!
She'll kill us, David!
David!
The window! She broke the window!
Get away from there! Stay out of the car!
I'm coming in! I can't stand it out here!
Stay out of the car! I warn you! I've got a gun!
You wouldn't shoot me!
Go away! Do you hear? You're crazy! We know all about you!
I'm not the crazy woman! Listen to me, please!
My car is stuck in the ditch back there!
How far back?
I don't know. It seems like miles.
I heard about the crazy woman on the radio.
I was afraid to stay in that car alone. Let me in! Please!
No, don't, David.
Go back to your own car.
I can't! It's so dark and so lonely!
And this storm!
I locked the doors, but I was afraid.
I could see things and hear things in the darkness.
I couldn't stand it anymore. I got out and I ran.
It's the rain! That's why I look like this!
I'm not the crazy woman!
Oh, for the love of heaven, let me in! Please!
Let me in!
I don't...
No, David, don't let her in!
Oh, the crazy woman had a cleaver! I'm not armed!
Listen, the three of us will be safer together!
I don't know. What do you think, Dorothy?
I don't know. I don't know.
Let me in, please! I'm wet to the skin!
All right. Get in.
Oh, thank you. Thank you.
You make one move and I'll shoot you.
So good to sit down.
There's a blanket on the floor back there.
You can dry yourself off with it.
The darkness and the rain...
It was enough to drive me out of my mind.
Just take it easy.
Do you live near here?
I live farther out, near Restview.
Restview is the mental hospital.
I know. I'm used to the crazy people,
but not at night in a lonely place like this.
Not the kind you kill people.
You, uh, you live at Restview?
No, I live just near there.
David, we can't sit here not knowing.
We could just get to a phone.
A phone? Why? To call the police? Get some help?
No. No, don't do that.
Why not? Why don't you want the police?
Oh, oh, I do.
But you'll be killed. What do you mean?
That woman. She'll kill him if he goes away from this car.
David, listen. There's that dog again.
Do you hear her? Somebody's out there.
Might be a house nearby.
I mean, it's barking to be let in.
It senses somebody.
There's somebody out there.
That's why it's barking.
That woman's out there. Quick!
Let's get away before we're caught.
David, look out.
Quick, quick, get away.
We're out of gas. Out of gas?
We just can't sit here. We've got to get away.
I'm not a magician, lady.
I can't make gasoline out of rain.
We can't stay here all night. Do you hear me?
Now let go of me. There's nothing I can do.
Try something, anything. Don't just sit there.
She scares me, David. Stop her.
Now, cut it out. You'll have us all in hysterics.
All right. All right, I'm sorry.
Ayala, look, I've got an idea.
Give me your gun. What?
Give it to me. What's the matter with you?
I can't sit here all night. I'll go crazy.
Give me the gun. I'll go for help.
I won't be afraid in the dark with the gun.
No, no, sit back. Go on.
I'll go right now. Just give me the gun.
We don't have a gun. It's only a pipe. Dorothy!
A pipe? A smoking pipe?
Oh, David, I'm sorry.
Then...
Then you're unarmed.
I'm sorry, David.
It's all right. It's all right.
Why did you tell me you had a gun?
Why does it make a difference to you whether I'm armed or not?
I don't know you.
Maybe you two are more dangerous than the crazy woman.
I'll tell you what I think. I think you're the crazy woman.
The way you grabbed David when you wanted him to start the car.
Dorothy, Dorothy, stop it. Don't excite her.
Don't excite me? Why?
What can I do?
Just an old woman you took into your car.
Two of you, and you're afraid of me.
We're not afraid of you. Now sit back in the seat and don't try anything.
And remember that I'm watching you all the time.
David, the storm's dying down.
The moon's coming out.
Maybe now's the time. The time for what?
What are you going to do? You two are up to something.
My wife meant that now is the time to go for help.
No, I didn't. I meant now's the time for us to escape.
David, can't you see it? She's the one. She'll kill him.
Stop it. Sit back in that seat.
You haven't got a gun.
No, but I've got a knife.
David.
It's my pocket knife, but it's sharp. Now don't you try any tricks.
All right. Threaten me. Watch me while that woman is out there.
Oh, you'll make me sick.
All you can do is sit and wait for her to make the next move.
She'll kill us, David, like she did that old man and woman.
It must have been on the same road.
They were in their car too. They must have let her in.
Oh, stop it.
We'll leave then. The three of us. We'll walk.
We'll stay close together. See? We'll be quiet.
Anyone hiding in the woods won't hear us.
Don't get out of the car, David. We'll be killed.
Easy, dear. How would we find our way? It's too dark.
We'll find our way.
Look out there. Roads full of shadows.
Get her out of the car, David. I tell you, she wants to kill us.
Kill you.
If you want to go, why don't you leave? You don't need us.
We're willing to stay here until help comes.
I'd be helpless alone if I had a gun or something.
Your knife.
Why doesn't somebody come? Where are the police? I can't stand this.
Nobody will come. There's no one in these woods.
No one but us.
David, in her hand. I saw it in the moonlight. It glittered.
What?
Your wife is hysterical.
How she was holding it. A long piece of broken glass, long and pointed.
She's the crazy woman.
You think I'm going to sit here defenseless?
David, she's going to attack us.
Don't be silly. It was all right for you to have a knife.
Why can't I protect myself?
Give me that piece of glass.
I will not. You couldn't protect us from anything.
Give me that piece of glass.
I won't.
I won. You give it to me.
Stay away from me.
Once I left the car, you're going to stab my wife with a broken glass.
No. No.
Give me that glass.
You're crazy.
Give it to me.
Let me go.
Hold her, David. Hold her. Don't let her free.
She's strong. She's got my arm.
You killed me.
Drop that glass.
She dropped it. She dropped it, David. Have you both gone crazy trying to kill me?
Like you were going to murder us.
I wasn't. Don't let her get free.
I can't hold her much longer. She's strong.
If you have a knife, then I'll have glass.
Hold her, David. Hold her.
I can't. Not much longer.
I'm not crazy. I'm not. I'm not.
She's got my throat. She's choking me.
You're nice. David, you're nice.
You killed her. David, you killed her.
I couldn't help it. She was choking me.
Darling, you're covered with blood.
She's going to kill us.
Listen. Listen. Car's coming.
It's all right, darling. Help's coming.
Hey there. You in the car. What are you doing parked here?
It's the police at last.
Well, you see, officer, we ran out of gas.
One night to run out of gas. What a spot with that woman running around loose.
Officer, we want to tell you.
Farmer up the road called us, said his dog's been barking at something.
We caught her.
Who'd you catch?
The crazy woman. She's in the back seat. Dead.
What?
No, no. She's still alive. Badly hurt, though.
She was trying to kill us.
Well, we'll get her to the hospital. You come with me.
Lucky you didn't kill her.
We captured that crazy woman a half hour ago.
You know who this lady is.
Suspense.