Movie: A.Canterbury.Tale.1944. [Three modern day pilgrims investigate a bizarre crime in a small town on the way to Canterbury.]
[Bow Snaps]
[Bells Pealing]
[Man Narrating] "When that April with his showers sweet...
"the drought of March hath pierced to the root...
"and bathed every vein in such liqueur...
"from which virtue engendered is the flower;
"When Zephyrus seek with his swete breath...
"inspired hath in every holt and heath...
"the tender croppes...
"and the young sun hath in the Ram his half cours y-ronne...
"and smale foweles maken melody...
"that slepen all the night with open eye-
"so priketh them nature in their corages-
"then longen folk to go on pilgrimages...
"and palmers for to seken stranger strands...
"to distant shrines known in sundry lands;
"And especially from every shire's end of England...
"to Canterbury they wend...
"the holy blissful martyr for to seek...
that them hath helpen when that they were weak. "
[Laughing]
[Squawking]
[Narrator] 600 years have passed.
What would they see, Dan Chaucer and his goodly company today?
The hills and valleys are the same.
Gone are the forests since the enclosures came.
Hedgerows have sprung. The land is under plow...
and orchards bloom with blossom on the bough.
Sussex and Kent are like a garden fair...
but sheep still graze upon the ridges there.
The Pilgrims' Way still winds above the weald...
through wood and break and many a fertile field.
But though so little's changed since Chaucer's day...
another kind of pilgrim walks the way.
Alas, when on our pilgrimage we wend...
we modern pilgrims see no journey’s end.
Gone are the ring of hooves, the creak of wheel.
Down in the valley runs our road of steel.
No genial host at sinking of the sun welcomes us in.
Our journey’s just begun.
[Man] Chillingbourne!
Canterbury, next stop!
Chillingbourne!
- Canterbury, next stop! - [Whistle Blows]
Next stop, Canterbury!
[Man #2] Canterbury? Hey, that's my station.
- Sorry, folks. Thanks. - Watch it. Watch it.
Thanks, pop. I'll sit the next dance out.
Ah. You'll break someone's neck one of these days. Yourn too, I shouldn't wonder.
Don't you know there's a bylaw against getting out of a moving train, penalty 40 shillings?
Why don't you light up the names of your stations? How do you expect folks to read the signs?
I don't. Nor don't the company. I'm here to call out the name of the station.
Why wait till the train gets going?
Now look here. In the first place, I called out the name of the station...
loud, precise and clear, while the train was stationary.
You had ample time to alight. Ample.
I heard you with my own ears calling out Canterbury after the train started to move.
- He called out, "Canterbury, next stop." - See?
[Man #2] But I'm going to Canterbury, darn it.
- The train's going to Canterbury. - And you're stopping here at Chillingbourne.
Well, son of a gun.
- What time is the next - - 8:57.
- 8:57? - A.m.
- Here, what do those stripes mean? - Sergeant.
Well, they're the wrong way up. He's a sergeant. See?
[Man #2] Cut the quiz questions, pop. What kind of a place is this with no train all night?
This is the kind of place where people sleep at night.
- [Clears Throat] Are you all right, Sergeant? - Yeah. I'm for Chillingbourne Camp.
- Okay. Ticket, please. - Right. Here we are.
[Man #1] You can keep yourn. Miss.
[Woman] Here.
These two gentlemen will accompany you to town hall.
Why do you think I need an escort?
No young lady must go alone at night. Mr. Colpeper's orders.
This way, please.
- [Woman] Who is Mr. Colpeper? - Local magistrate, justice of the peace.
- [Man #2] Say, pop, is there a hotel in this place? - They'll tell you down at town hall.
Town hall?
- [Man #1] Eh? - I said don't tell me this whistle-stop is a town.
Chillingbourne was constituted a municipal borough in the year 1085...
407 years before Columbus discovered America.
[Man And Woman Chuckle]
I didn't mean to hurt your civic pride, pop.
Granted, sonny boy. And my name's Thomas Duckett, stationmaster, acting.
- Mine's Bob Johnson, sergeant, also acting. - Peter Gibbs, sergeant, underpaid.
Nice to know you both. Now, where's this hotel? I'll give your town hall a miss.
You can't do that. All visitors must report to town hall. Mr. Colpeper's orders.
- That guy again? - How do I get to the camp?
- Last bus. You'll catch it if you hurry. - Where?
- Marketplace by town hall. - How do we get there?
- Charing Street and follow your nose. - Where's Charing Street?
- Through that gate. - Right. Let's go.
- Here. Wait a minute. Have you all got torches? - Not me.
- I have. - I'll show you a real flashlight.
- Put that light out! - What's wrong with it?
- Everything. - It does the job, doesn't it?
It'll do your job if the police catch you flashing it on.
- You won't catch no 8:57. - A.m.
- Okay, okay. - Shall we go? If you're going to catch your bus.
- Yes. That's right. - [Bob] See you in the morning, pop.
[Duckett] You'll be clever if you do. I don't come on till 12:00.
- [Gibbs] P. m? - A.m.
- And keep an eye on young lady. - Check.
[Gibbs] Why do railway companies always have gates like this?
[Woman] I'll go ahead and shine my torch for you two.
[Gibbs] Don't blind us.
- [Scuffling] - [Woman] Oh.
- What are you doing? - [Bob] What's going on?
- [Woman] What's that? - [Gibbs] What's what?
- Oh, my goodness. It's my hair. - [Bob] Hair?
Somebody came out of nowhere and poured something on it.
- Hi! Where are you? - [Bob] What's wrong with your hair?
- It's some sticky stuff. - Sticky stuff?
- [Gibbs] Your hair's full of it. - [Bob] So this is England. Never a dull moment.
- [Gibbs] Listen. - [Can Rattling]
Somebody up the street. Quick, Bob. Searchlight.
[Gibbs] There he goes.
[Bob] Hey, soldier!
- [Gibbs] Can you run, miss? - Watch me.
- [Dog Barking] - [Bob] Ow!
[Gibbs] Hey, Bob.
- [Gibbs] There he goes, round that building. - Come on!
[Gibbs] This way. We'll head him off.
- Come on, Bob. You take the river. - Okay.
- [Splash] - [Gibbs] What's that?
Oh, it's me, darn it.
- Any luck? - [Gibbs] Not a sausage. Now, you wait here.
- [Woman] What, alone? No fear. - [Bob] Think we missed him?
- Well, we couldn't have. - It's a cinch he didn't double back.
[Creaking]
- [Bob] Shh! - [Creaking Continues]
[Bob Whispers] He's inside. Nowhere else he could be.
[Woman] Let's find the door.
- [Woman] Here it is. - [Vehicle Approaching]
- Is that a bus? - [Bob] Sounds like it.
- [Man] What's going on out here? - Is this the town hall?
- It is. - Then that's my bus. You can handle this, Bob?
- Sure. - Good hunting. Let me know what happens. Good evening. Where's my bag?
- In the road. - Peter Gibbs is my name, First Battalion, the Loamshires.
- Here. - A man is in this building. A soldier. He must have got in through one of the windows.
Just a minute, miss. And who might you be?
- My name's Alison Smith. - [Bob] She's going to work here.
- [Alison] I'm going to work on Mr. Colpeper's- - [Man] May I see your identity card?
[Bob] Identity card nothing! What kind of a cop are you?
- [Whispers] American. - [Man] Anything the matter, miss?
- Matter? - Somebody's poured some sticky stuff on my hair.
- Sergeant, the Glue Man's out again. - [Whistle Blows]
While you're looking us up in the Domesday Book, he's making a getaway.
- [Woman] Door there! - And what about my hair?
- Just a minute, if you please. One thing at a time. - [Groans]
- Are you the incident, miss? - Yes. Look. My hair's full of it.
- [Man] Oh, it's the Glue Man, all right. - Glue Man?
Let me have a look, deary. Oh, we'll soon see to that, all right.
What is this, an old Chillingbourne custom?
- He's in the town hall, Sergeant. - Who is?
Your Glue Man. We chased him down the street, and he's in this building.
- [Man] Door there! - [Panting]
What's up, Ernie?
- It's him, the Glue Man. - Where?
I heard the whistle, up on the church tower.
I ran all the way. [Panting]
I ran - I - I dropped - bumped into a soldier running across the square.
- He caught the Chartham bus. - Nuts! That was Peter Gibbs.
- And who may he be? - The soldier who was with us when it happened.
Well, why don't you search the building?
You leave that to us, miss. We may be slow in Chillingbourne compared with London ways...
and we ain't no G-men neither, but we know our duty and we have our methods.
Ernie Brooks, you get back to your fire-watching.
If you hear anything, blow your whistle, as arranged.
- All right, Bertie. - Sergeant Bassett when on duty, if you please.
Constable Ovenden, you will accompany me on a tour of the building.
You will kindly stay here with the young lady. Uh, sergeant, is it?
Yeah. Sergeant Johnson. Say, can't I come too?
This guy may be dangerous. Have you got a gun?
This is Chillingbourne, Sergeant Johnson, not Chicago.
- Better use your torch. - Say, what kind of a crack is that? I come from Oregon.
[Ovenden] Getting tired of this old Glue Man spoiling our games.
[Bassett] You shouldn't be. It saves you money the way you play.
[Ovenden Grumbles]
I wonder when they're gonna give us our electric light.
Oi. There's a light in the courtroom.
- There's someone in there. - Yeah.
- Ready? - Yes.
Come on. Let's take him by surprise.
- Anything wrong, Bassett? - Sorry, Mr. Colpeper.
[Ovenden] We didn't know you were still up here.
I see. All right. Can you make me a cup of tea? I'm sure you've got a kettle on downstairs.
- Here's my cup. - [Bassett] Yes, sir.
- Sir, the Glue Man's out again. - How do you know?
An American soldier and a girl chased him here, sir.
What girl? What American?
Well, the girl who was the incident, sir. Isn't that right?
Yes, Sergeant. She's come to work for you, sir.
On your farm. She's a land girl.
There must be some mistake. You say they chased the Glue Man here?
Yes, sir. They insist he's somewhere inside this building.
Well, what are you standing talking for, Bassett? Get on and search it.
Yes, sir.
[Whistles]
- Gee, what a job. - Is it coming out?
- Beg your pardon, ma'am? - Any better?
Well, I've got considerable on me, so there must be less on you...
but there's still plenty on you.
Here you are, miss.
[Groans]
[Sighs] What on earth am I to do?
Soap's no good. Hot water's the only thing.
- Miss Grainger's boiling a kettle. - You seem to be an expert.
- She's the 11th incident. - What about this glue-throwing character?
Captain, you don't mean to say you let him get away from you?
He got away- if ever he were inside.
- Now we shan't be long, deary. - Nice work.
Put another kettle on, Miss Grainger, and make some tea.
Mr. Colpeper's fire-watching. Oi. Here's his cup.
- Who's Mr. Colpeper? - Magistrate. Wants to see you.
Oh, he does? Okay, ma'am?
- Mmm. - Let's give it another whirl with the hot water.
I guess Mr. Colpeper can wait a while.
Here. We know how to handle this.
Still a bit sticky, sir. Glad to meet you.
Welcome to Chillingbourne. You're the first American soldier we've seen.
- Bad luck missing your train, Sergeant, uh - - Johnson, sir.
Johnson.
- Say, what's that? - That's the old ducking stool.
Very sensibly used for silencing talkative women.
[Footsteps Approaching]
[Pebbles Rattle Against Window]
- [Man] Hi! Hi! - [Dog Barking]
Are you there, Mr. Colpeper?
Excuse me.
- That you, Brooks? - [Brooks] You're showing a light, sir.
Sorry, Brooks.
Very careless of me. We take our blackout seriously in East Kent.
This your first time in England?
- Yes, sir. - Do you like it?
Sure, but I haven't seen much else but Salisbury.
You've seen something if you've seen Salisbury. It's a fine town.
Yeah. It's got some swell movies.
Really? You're a great moviegoer, Sergeant Johnson?
You bet. It's a great thing to sit back in an armchair...
and watch the world go by in front of you.
The drawback is, Sergeant Johnson...
that people may get used to looking at the world from the sitting position.
I don't quite get you.
Then when they really do pass through it, they don't see anything.
Shall you be going to a movie in Canterbury?
Is there anything good on?
This voucher will get you a room in the Hand of Glory. That's the inn.
One of the men will take you over. There's nothing to pay.
- Thanks. That's swell of you, but I can pay. - No, no. You're our guest for tonight.
Okay. Thanks a lot.
That's all right.
- Pity. - Pity?
Pity when you get home and people ask you what you've seen in England, you'll say...
"Well, I saw a movie in Salisbury...
and I made a pilgrimage to Canterbury and saw another one."
You've got me all wrong.
I know that in Canterbury I have to look out for a cathedral.
Do look out for it. It's just behind the movie theater. You can't miss it.
- Oh, take the sergeant over to Mrs. Foster. - Yes, Mr. Colpeper.
And ask the young lady to come in.
Good luck, Sergeant.
Good night, sir.
Colpeper.
- [Ovenden] Up here, miss. - [Alison] Thank you.
I'm sorry about the incident, miss, uh -
- Alison Smith. - Miss Smith.
I've been sent by the War Agricultural Committee.
I wish they'd telephone before they send people.
You wrote. They sent me.
I want a farm laborer.
You have to take what you can get these days.
You've got me. I can do the work.
I'm sorry, Miss Smith.
You refuse to employ me because I'm a girl?
Miss Smith, there's a camp near this village full of soldiers.
- I know. - Oh, you know?
I'm not interested in soldiers.
- Perhaps they're interested in you. - Let them. They mean nothing to me.
Aren't you afraid to stay here?
Why should I be afraid?
- After what's happened to you. - [Rustle]
- Didn't you hear it? - What?
Somebody moved. In there.
Nonsense.
It isn't nonsense.
- Somebody's there. - How could there be? I've been here the whole time.
Why don't you want to open it then?
Here's some more.
Uh, Mrs. Foster won't be long now, miss.
Can I help you?
Well, I've seen some topsy-turvy things in this war- and the last -
[Chuckles] but to see guests doing real work for me...
no, miss.
Uh - [Clears Throat]
Do you know Mr. Thomas Colpeper?
Do I know Mr. Colpeper?
- You a Londoner, miss? - Mmm.
Well, what would you say if I was to ask you, do you know who's the lord mayor of London?
- But I don't. - Ye -
- You don't? - No.
- Well, aren't you ashamed? - Not a bit.
I see.
That stone interest you, miss?
It comes from the old road...
what some folks call the Pilgrims'Road.
Yes. From the bend.
Up there on the hill.
What do you know about our bend?
- I've seen it. - When?
Three years ago.
Ah. Then it weren't our bend you saw. It weren't uncobbled then.
No, but the bend was there all the same.
- Is it excavated now? - Yeah. The whole bend.
- Who gave the money? - Council.
I'm glad they changed their minds.
They didn't. We changed our magistrate.
- For Mr. Colpeper. - For Mr. Colpeper.
Here. How do you know about our bend?
I spent the whole of my holiday here once.
I don't call you to mind.
We camped outside the village in a caravan.
Uh -There ain't been no caravanners up by our bend...
for the past, uh, eight years.
- That's all you know. - Ah. Except, uh -
You ain't a ge-geologist?
No. He was my fiancé.
Girl, you can come up now. Your room's ready.
Coming. Good night.
Good night.
If you're stopping tomorrow night I shall have the Elizabeth Room free. She slept there.
- Who? - Queen Elizabeth. There's an American in it now, but he's going in the morning.
- Is his name Johnson? - Are you the girl?
Yes. We washed it, but it's still full of glue.
Revolting.
- Extraordinary thing to do, isn't it? - Silly, I call it.
You'll have to wash your hair again, several times.
- I'll send you up a kettle. - Thank you.
This is your room.
- [Knocks] - Who is it?
[Alison Whispers] It's me. Alison.
Is that you, Bob?
Gee, ma'am. I didn't know you were stopping here too.
- Why didn't you tell me last night? - Well, I didn't know myself. I didn't get that job.
- Sorry about the job. - Oh, never mind about that. What I want -
Let's see now. Since you didn't get the job...
that means you're going in with me on the 8:57?
That's just what I wanted to talk to you about.
Bob, would you mind very much not catching the 8:57?
Would I mind? I've got to meet a buddy in London.
- Well - - And I want to get to Canterbury first.
- I promised Ma. - Well, we can go in on the evening train together.
- And I've written to Peter Gibbs. - What's he got to do with it?
"Dear Sergeant Gibbs, you'll have heard by now that the Glue Man got away.
- But he didn't get far." - Hmm? You mean they've got him?
- No. - What kind of a quiz is this?
You met Mr. Colpeper, didn't you?
Yes. He got me this room. And a swell room it is. What about him?
There's something about him I don't like.
- And he's got a Home Guard uniform. - [Chuckles]
Oh, don't laugh, Bob. What I want to do is to snoop around in the village.
Peter can do that at the camp.
And I want you to help me, Bob.
You need about as much help as a flying fortress.
[Crow Squawks]
[Rooster Crows]
- 8:00, sir. - A.m. or p. m?
What? [Giggles]
- Tea, sir. - I take coffee for breakfast.
You can have coffee for breakfast, sir.
- [Rooster Crows] - That's early morning tea.
- Can't I have early morning coffee? - Oh, no, sir.
Oh.
What's that?
- What, sir? - That window there.
House the other side of the street.
- That street seems kind of narrow. - The upper story overhangs.
They do say two six-foot men could shake hands across the street, sir.
Why would they want to do that?
It's only what they say, sir.
- [Door Closes] - [Woman Giggles]
Oh come, come, come
To the church in the wildwood
Come, come, come to the church in the vale
[Hoofbeats Approaching]
Morning.
Limey mirror.
Ah!
- Hello there. - Hello.
- What are you doing? - Standing.
- What's your name? - Leslie. What's yours?
- Bob. - Are you a soldier?
Sure. Can't you see my uniform?
I've never seen a uniform like that. What do those stripes mean?
I seem to have heard this one.
I tell you they mean sergeant, and you tell me what?
- They're the wrong way up. - Correct.
- Could you use a quarter? - Quarter what?
- A quarter of a dollar. - That's a shilling.
Catch.
- Thank you very much. - You're welcome.
- Are you an American soldier? - I have that honor.
- Mother. - Yes. What?
- This is an American soldier. - Don't point, dear. It's rude.
[Man] Gee-up now. Come on.
- See ya later. - [Leslie] Okay.
- Good morning. - Good morning, ma'am.
- Sleep well? - Yes, thanks.
Sure is mighty lonesome lying in the middle of that bed.
There are only three like it in all England.
They say that two six-foot men couldn't shake hands across that bed.
- Why would they want to do that, ma'am? - Depends on who's in it, young man.
You'll miss the Canterbury train.
Thought I might take a ride in with Miss Alison this evening.
Well, you better think again, because she's stopping.
I woke up this morning saying to myself...
"Susanna Foster, are you mad to let a great, strong girl like that go...
when you need someone yourself on the farm?"
- Was I right? - I guess you ain't often wrong, ma'am.
- She's a nice girl. - Is she having breakfast?
No. She's at wheelwright's.
- Up north, was you? - Yes.
- Northumberland? - Yes.
- Sheep farming mostly. - Yes.
Ah, they don't know nothing about farming up there.
You'll find things a sight different down here.
Yes.
Jim had to cut the tire off. Know what the tire is?
- Yes. - Then he had to sole it down.
- Know what soling down means? - No.
Ah, well, soling down means, uh...
- soling down, see? - [All Laugh]
Jim gouged out the ends of the spokes. Then he had to look at them felly joints.
- Do you know what felly joints is? - No.
Ah. You ought to know that.
He had to open them felly joints three-eighths of an inch.
[Chuckles] You better remember that...
just in case Susanna Foster asks you what was wrong with the wheel.
Thank you.
Mr. Horton, what was your job before the war?
Mine? I've been a blacksmith for 37 years.
My father was a blacksmith and his before him.
I was selling things in a department store before the war.
I wonder how you would look behind a counter, Mr. Horton.
- [Man] Horton behind a counter? - [All Laughing]
- American army, eh? - Bob Johnson’s the name.
- Sergeant, ain't ya? - Mmm.
[Chuckles] This is, uh, Sergeant Bob Johnson of the American army.
- Morning, folks. - [All] Morning.
- Morning. - Morning.
Nice place you've got here.
- So you didn't catch the 8:57. - No, ma'am.
You look as though you belong around here already.
- Do I? - Sure do.
I thought I'd stick around today myself.
Thought I might have a chat with Mr. Colpeper.
I hear he knows a lot about the old Pilgrims'Road.
Ah. So you're interested in that old road, are you?
Well, the wheel's finished. What are you standing round for? Put her on the cart.
Yes, sir. I'm crazy about that old road and... those old Canterbury pilgrims.
Ah. Them was the days for a wheelwright.
Mind that strut, boy. Have you got the linchpin, Ned?
- Yeah. - [Jim] George?
[Man] Yes?
- Did you hear the news last night, Mr. Horton? - There wasn't nothing on the wireless.
Oh, no. I didn't mean that sort of news. I mean what happened here last night.
We get all our local news at 6:00, miss.
You got a local newspaper?
- No. That's when the pub opens. - [All Laughing]
What happened?
- Your Glue Man was on the warpath last night. - Who was he after this time?
- [Alison] Me. - Oh. You.
I suppose that'll learn you not to run around at night.
On the contrary. I shall go out every night until I catch him.
Aren't likely.
Come on then. Get her down.
[Alison] Back.
Can I give you a hand there, ma'am?
[Alison] Thanks, Bob. I'd rather do it alone.
Back.
[Bob] Elm.
[Jim] Yeah. And chestnut.
- Do you get much sweating in your elm planks? - Oh, average.
At home we build two at a time.
For steadiness. Side by side.
Well, so do us. To tie them longer strips together.
- Sewn last winter. - Is that how you do it in America?
It's how we do it in my part of America.
But we take off the strips when we put the planks away in stock.
Well, so do us.
How long do you allow for seasoning timber?
- A year for every inch of thickness. - Same here. [Chuckles]
You can't hurry an elm.
- No. But some folks try to, all the same. - Yeah. Capitalists.
Can't stand to see their money lie idle a piece.
- And the war. - Why the war?
Folks go mad. They cut oak at midsummer.
- No. - I'm telling you, yes.
- Oak should be cut in winter. - Course.
- Or the spring. - That's right.
- And beech in the fall. - And plank it out -
- At Christmas. - Yeah.
- That's how my dad taught me. - Ah. You was well brought up.
- In the timber business, was you? - Lumber.
- Oh. - My granddad had the first mill in our parts.
- Yeah. - Dad - He was a cabinetmaker.
I cut my teeth on wood shavings.
[Jim Chuckles] Cut his teeth on wood-[Chuckles]
Dad - He made my cradle out of cedar of Lebanon.
He said what was good enough for Solomon...
was good enough for a Johnson of Johnson County.
Gee, I can smell that cedar now.
Ah.
Can I bum a ride off you, ma'am?
- Jump in. - Looks like a good way to see the sights.
Just a minute, missy. We have our dinner at midday.
I'd like to have you join us, Sergeant. That is if you ain't got nothing better to do.
- Thanks a lot. I'd be glad to. - Ah, that'll be fine.
Get up.
Hey, Mother?
- Yes, Jim? - One extra for dinner.
- I was thinking of a cottage pie, Jim. - Ah, well, think of a good big un.
Nice piece of weatherboarding, that water mill.
I must ask the old gentleman who built it.
I'll bet it was a Horton.
How did you manage to get round Mr. Horton in that way?
I believe you are a detective.
We speak the same language.
I'm English, and I don't speak their language.
He knows about wood, see, and so do I.
- That's it. - That was it.
Oh, look at that house.
What a perfect place.
I wonder whose it is... and what it's like at the back.
Whoa.
[Crows Squawking]
What wouldn't I give to grow old in a place like that.
[Bell Clanging]
[Woman] Tom.
Breakfast.
[Clicks Tongue]
[Alison] Beats me.
Last night I could have believed anything.
But this morning...
if ever a man looked - looked right, he did.
[Bob] Yeah. It don't add up.
[Alison] Whoa.
[Bob] But, you know, Alison, things don't add up in life.
Look, Bob. Are you positively off tonight?
Positively. But I'll see you before I go...
and tell you what I find out from old Jim Horton.
What I'll find to do the rest of the afternoon I don't know.
There's a movie. It's Saturday. They have a matinee.
What? Go to a single feature? Not me.
- Write some postcards. - I'll have to do that to the folks from Canterbury.
- Write to your girl. - I don't write my girl anymore.
How do you expect her to write to you if you don't write to her?
You've got that in reverse English.
She doesn't write to me anymore, so I don't write to her.
- That's the way it is. - That's the way it is.
Perhaps she has written.
I haven't had a letter in seven weeks.
Sometimes the mail's lost by enemy action. A ship might have gone down.
Yes. A ship might have gone down...
the address might have been wrong...
there are a hell of a lot of Johnsons in the army...
maybe she was ill, maybe her mother was ill.
I've had all the maybes.
I cabled her. I haven't heard a thing.
She was a swell girl, Alison.
We used to talk.
She liked the woods.
She learned some of the birdcalls I taught her real well for a girl.
She caught her first rainbow with my rod.
Two and a half pounds.
She broiled it herself.
We've been walking in the woods often, following the trail...
and haven't said a word for two hours...
and then both said the same thing together.
What do you figure it means when that happens?
It means love.
It means no letter in seven weeks.
I don't believe this enemy action stuff.
All the other fellas get letters from their girls.
If a ship goes down, it can't just be...
that particular part of the ship where my letters are dumped that goes down, can it?
Well...
so long, Alison.
I hope you don't mind my calling you by your first name.
I shall miss being called ma'am.
Time marches on. Which way does your road go...
ma'am?
He knows. I hope up that hill.
- [Bob] Why that hill? - That's where the Pilgrims'Road runs.
- Along that hill? - Yes.
From the bend at the eastern edge of the hill...
pilgrims saw Canterbury for the first time.
- You've seen it? - Yes.
With a friend of mine.
- Boy or a girl? - Boy.
I hope he writes to you.
No, he doesn't.
Maybe the mail was lost by enemy action.
No, Bob.
As it happens, he was lost by enemy action.
- He was a pilot. - Shot down?
- Yes. - Sorry.
[Clicks Tongue]
[Alison] I hope you'll have better luck.
Get up.
[Alison] Whoa.
I'm Prudence Honeywood. My sister telephoned you were coming.
Glad to see you. We're shorthanded here.
- Smiler brought you along all right, I hope. - Yes, Miss Honeywood.
- Not afraid of work, are you? - No.
- Can you tie sheaves? - Yes.
- Cart muck? - Yes.
- Lift potatoes? - Yes.
- Lead a harrow? - Not very straight.
Neither can I. Can you spud wheat?
- Yes. - Spread lime?
- If I have to. - You'll have to. Know anything about hops?
- Not a thing. - Hmm.
Most of the hands are in the fields today. You'd better stay here this morning.
You can put your bag in that shed. See you a little later.
Sue tells me you had a frightening experience last night.
Wasn't frightening. It was just unpleasant.
- Hmm. - And annoying.
I thought so. It's happened to other girls. None of them died.
My sister likes to dramatize things. You know the type.
- Do I know them. - Well, do you or don't you?
- I worked in a London store before the war. - Selling things?
Yes. Garden furniture.
Picnic baskets. All that sort of thing.
- Did you like the job? - Not much.
It was better than selling ordinary furniture.
I used to imagine my deck chairs in beautiful gardens...
and my picnic baskets opened in the woods and fields.
So you like gardens and the country?
Mmm.
[Cow Moos]
Hope you won't miss your London store here.
I shan't.
You get up at sunrise.
But you don't have to queue for the bus. It's hot and sweaty this time of the year.
- You should see the stores in August. - Hmm.
- The flies are the very devil. - So were the customers.
That's your room over there. The end one.
- You won't get much of a view, I'm afraid. - You should have seen the view from my room in London.
Was it a long street with every house a different sort of sadness in it?
It was a long row of back gardens...
and the tall, sad houses were all the same.
- Ghastly in winter. - Airless in summer.
- You seem to know them. - The only man who ever asked me to marry him wanted me to live in a house like that.
I'm still a maid.
- Miss Honeywood. - Call me Pru. You might as well.
I don't like Prudence - name or quality.
Pru and Sue we've always been. She likes Susanna.
You spoke of other girls who had the same experience as I had last night.
- Do you know any of them? - Yes, I have one working in the hopyards.
- Fee Baker. - I'd like to talk to her.
Well, you'll see her when you take their dinner down.
- [Chicken Clucking] - [Whistling]
[Prudence] That way.
Whoa there. Hold it.
[Gasps]
- What's for dinner? - Scotch eggs and apple dumplings.
Good.
- You're Fee Baker, aren't you? - And you're Alison Smith.
- Yes. - Are you working for Pru?
Yes.
- Where are you from? - London.
Oh, I've got an uncle in London. He's a policeman.
His father was a policeman too. Very good dancer. The uncle, not the father.
Are you fond of dancing?
Am I! There aren't many boys around here who can tell their own feet from their partner's.
Lots of soldiers. No good dancers among them?
I wouldn't go out with a soldier for a hundred pounds.
- Why? - The Glue Man's a soldier. Everybody knows that.
- He wears a soldier's uniform. - And what makes a civilian a soldier? A uniform.
Besides, there weren't any old Glue Man here before the soldiers came.
Suppose he isn't a soldier.
What are you driving at?
Suppose he's a civilian.
- Someone in the village. - In uniform?
Supposing he wore a uniform to make the girls afraid to go out with soldiers.
[Chuckles] That might be any one of a dozen.
- Might be a glue woman. - Why?
Don't be soft.
- Take Ernie's family. - Who's Ernie? Another uncle?
No. My Ernie. He's with the Eighth Army.
Do you think his family like me going out with strange soldiers? But a girl must live.
I'm sure I'm right.
Well, suppose you are. Where does it get you?
And why worry? You weren't the first.
- Do you know the other girls? - Of course.
There's Dorothy Bird. She's the post-girl. Susan Cummings, Polly Finn -
Hold on a tick. If nobody else cares...
I'm going to find out what can be done about this glue business.
- I can tell you that. - You can?
Hot water. Plenty of hot water.
- [Alison] What's the idea, frightening my horse? - I suppose you weren't scared.
Why don't you keep your beastly carriers off the Pilgrims' Road?
I know that voice. Hey, Alison. This is Peter Gibbs.
I thought you didn't get that job. Who'd you steal this cart from?
I'm working for Mrs. Foster.
And if you don't take your carriers out of the road at once...
I'll tell her what happened, and she'll report you to your C.O.
- [All Laugh] - It was the C.O.'s idea.
We didn't know who was in the cart. I didn't even know it was a girl.
- You're just an objective. - I don't believe a word. And I'm in a hurry.
Well, we're not. You're our prisoner, but we'll exchange you for some information.
What have you been up to? Have you got a plan? What's Bob doing to earn his keep? Archie!
This is Miss Alison Smith I told you about.
- Archie here had an Agnes. - A Gwladys.
- Go on, Archie. Tell the tale. - Well, that's all there was to it. Love's young dream.
- Glue. - What next?
There wasn't any next. She went home like a scalded cat.
- And that was after dark? - Conditions were perfect - until the Glue Man came.
- What was the girl's name? - Gwladys. She spelt it with a "W." Class.
- Gwladys what? - How should I know? Wasn't a lasting friendship.
- [Gibbs] It happened to her. - What date?
Half a mo. Archie's my witness. I'll get all the dope. Okay, Archie.
- And talking of dope. - [Alison] What's that?
"Colpeper Institute, Chillingbourne. Admission free.
"Each Saturday at 7:30 p.m. a lecture illustrated by lantern slides...
"will be given by Thomas Colpeper...
"J.P.
"For members of H.M. forces only. After the lecture an open discussion will be held.
Smoking permitted. Attend the whole series and bring your friends. Admission free."
- They're stuck up all over the camp. That's the fourth in the series. - Well?
- Well, how about it? Be useful. - It says members of H.M. forces only.
Aren't you in the army? Women's Land Army? Isn't that H.M. forces too?
- Yes, it is, but - but the lecture's tonight. - What's wrong with tonight?
- I've got a job. I'm working here. - You are? Good.
- And it's my first day. - Well, what's wrong with it?
- Nothing. - Well, can you be there?
- Yes. I suppose I can, if I finish in time. - Well, can you finish in time?
- Yes. If it's important. - Important? To detective work, every clue's important.
- What clue? - Did I say clue?
- You did. - I meant glue. Don't be late.
[Bob] "Not heaven itself upon the past has power...
"but what has been has been...
and I have had my hour. "
[Chattering]
Are you from the States?
- Yes. - I got a brother there.
- That so? - "Butt" City.
"Butt" City?
"Butt" City, Montana.
Oh, yes. Of course.
Name of Isaac Wells. Maybe you know him.
- Tall fellow? - Short and fat.
- Can't place him. - Pity.
- Good evening. - Evening.
- Coming to the lecture? - Yes. In a minute, sir.
I come from Three Sisters Falls, Oregon.
I come from the Seven Sisters Road, London. Put it there.
Pleased to meet you. You sure are a whole mess of sisters ahead of me.
[Chattering]
- Good evening. - [All] Good evening.
I'm glad to see such a big house.
The last time I was to speak- It was July the 11th, I think- there was an audience of one.
He was reading his evening paper. I waited for a bit. Then I asked him, "Uh, shall I start?"
He said, "Start what?" I said, "Didn't you come to hear me lecture?"
- He said, "No, I'm waiting for the pubs to open." - [All Laugh]
- We waited till 5:30, then we adjourned the lecture and both went to the pub. - [All Laugh]
Uh, would some of you mind doing the blackout, please?
And I hope there are going to be plenty of questions.
Will somebody start the ball rolling now?
[Man] Yes, sir. May I ask why you want to lecture us at all, sir?
[All Laugh]
Well, you see, it's a form of human weakness.
It's only human nature when you hear something interesting to want to pass it on to somebody else.
Well, I know a lot of interesting things about this part of the country...
and I feel the urge to pass some of them on to you.
Good evening. You'll find a place at the back there, I think.
- Good evening, Sergeant Johnson. Would you like to join your two friends? - [Wolf Whistle]
- Yes, sir. - [Colpeper] Good evening, Miss Smith.
- Good evening, Mr. Colpeper. - Say, won't you come back and join us?
Well, uh, I wouldn't like to, uh, presume.
- Sure. Come on. We'd like it. - Straight?
- Sure. - Oh, that's very kind of you, I'm sure. Don't mind if I do.
- Friend of mine. - Good evening, all.
- [All] Evening. - Good evening, Sergeant.
- [Whispers] Big news. - [Together] What?
- Tell you later. - What about your train?
- Brother, you can take my- - Shh!
I was born here, and my father was born here.
You're here because there's a war on.
- You'd rather be in your own part of the country. - [Man] You're telling us!
- [Laughing] - That's why none of you like being here very much.
- But suppose there was peace again. - [All Groan]
- And holidays again. - [Chuckling]
Well, you'd like to spend your holidays in a beautiful and interesting part of the country.
And if you were to ask any man who knew England well, "Where shall I go to?"
10-to-one he'd say, "Go to Kent."
- Well, you're in Kent. - [Man] And how! - [Man #2] Don't rub it in.
- Where's the wife and kid? - Only passing through. I know.
- [Man #3] Who named Old Kent Road? - [All] Watch yourself.
[Colpeper] I don't know what you are in civil life. You might be cook, clerk...
a doctor, a lawyer, a merchant.
Let me remind you that as much as 600 years ago...
doctors and lawyers and clerks and merchants...
were passing through here on the old road which we call the Pilgrims' Way.
- And cooks. - Yes. And cooks too.
- [Man] Blimey. Cook's tour! - [All Laughing]
These ancient pilgrims came to Canterbury to ask for a blessing or to do penance.
You, I hope, are on your way to secure blessings for the future.
- Any questions? - Uh, I was thinking, sir.
- Yes? - What have we got to do with this old road...
and the people who traveled along it 600 years ago?
- Hear! Hear! - Isn't the house you were born in the most interesting house in the world for you?
Don't you want to know how your father lived? And his father?
That's all right, but how do we know it really happened?
Well, there are more ways than one of getting close to your ancestors.
Follow the old road, and as you walk...
think of them and of the old England.
They climbed Chillingbourne Hill, just as you did.
They sweated and paused for breath, just as you did today.
When you see the bluebells in the spring and the wild thyme...
and the broom and the heather...
you're only seeing what their eyes saw.
You ford the same rivers. The same birds are singing.
When you lie flat on your back and rest...
and watch the clouds sailing, as I often do...
you're so close to those other people...
that you can hear the thrumming of the hoofs of their horses...
and the sound of the wheels on the road...
and their laughter and talk...
and the music of the instruments they carried.
And when I turn the bend of the road...
where they too saw the towers of Canterbury...
I feel I've only to turn my head...
to see them on the road behind me.
[Murmuring]
Like it?
Mmm.
How about you?
Makes a nice change.
Now I'd like to show you some drawings and photographs...
of things we found in recent excavations.
Hey, Bob. Movies.
I don't like free shows. Something always goes wrong.
First I'll show you the bend on the Pilgrims' Road.
- See? - [All Whistling]
[Colpeper] Sorry. I always do that. Somebody mind undoing the blackout?
[Murmuring]
Oh, thanks.
Perhaps our friend will be able to fix it.
He only looks after three Bren carriers.
Pity. I shall only be able to show half the slides.
By the way, if any of you are really interested, drop in at my house at any time and have a chat.
- Thank you. - Are you interested, Miss Smith?
Why shouldn't she be? I'm interested too.
- Otherwise we wouldn't be here. Right? - Right.
What interests you especially?
Well, what you were saying.
- Of course, we know we don't know anything about that sort of thing. - Oh, yes, we do.
- Do we? - We know all about the old road.
We know that the pilgrims weren't the first to use it.
Quite right. In Surrey it was used by the Romans.
- Here in Kent it certainly goes back to the Iron Age. - I thought this was the Iron Age.
- [Men Laughing] - Pipe down. It's very interesting.
A geologist found some Belgian coins not far from here some time ago.
Last time I was in London I inquired at the British Museum about them, but...
I'm afraid they have no record.
- I have them. - You have them?
Yes. They were left to me by the man who found them.
I'd be very grateful if one day you let me see the coins.
Anytime. After my luggage gets here.
- I wouldn't keep them very long. - I'm going to give them to this museum.
Not for you.
Thank you.
Very much obliged.
May I ask for the blackout again, please?
Here we go. The bend on the Pilgrims'Road.
[Bell Tolling In Distance]
[All] Put that light out!
[Bob] Okay, okay. Why pick on me?
- Gee! I forgot! - [Gibbs] What?
- [Bob] The proof. I've got it! - [Gibbs] Tell us about it.
[Bob] Not here. Topography plays an important part in my exposé.
Hi, buddy.
- Have a cigar? - Mmm.
- Is this Charing Street? - I - I - I -Th-That -Th-That's right.
- Leading into marketplace? - Uh, the - I - I -That -Th-That's right.
- That building there is the town hall? - I - I - I -That's right.
Now, Mr. Colpeper's office is the second story window?
- I -That -That - I -That's right. - Thanks.
[Gibbs] Are you by any chance the village idiot?
I -That's right.
- [Laughing] - There. [Raspberry]
[All Laughing]
Anyway, he is right. I checked it this afternoon.
- So where does it get us? - You'll see.
Now, we came down this street.
- Th-Th-That's right. - That's right.
- We didn't see a light in the town hall. - [All] Th-That's right.
You're killing me.
When we were in the town hall the police found Mr. Colpeper in his office.
- Later I saw him there, and so did you. - That's right.
- [Snickering] - Oh!
When I was with him in his office...
the janitor, or somebody, tapped on the window...
and said we were showing a light outside.
I saw him pull the curtain myself.
- That's very interesting. - We hadn't seen a light, so it follows -
- That he wasn't in his office. - Right!
- Maybe he was in such a hurry to draw the curtain when he got back that he never noticed - - That's right.
Ah. That's the first real clue we've had, Alison.
Yes.
[Sighs] I still can't believe that he's the Glue Man.
- [Vehicle Approaching] - Well, what motive could he possibly-
- Is that a bus? - Sounds like it.
- Come on. We must run. See you tomorrow after church, Alison. - Good night.
[Gibbs] Don't worry about a motive. Good night.
Peter's like the Campbells in reverse - always going and never coming.
- [Chuckles] - Cigarette?
Thank you.
That was clever of you to work that out.
Yes. Wasn't it?
Make a swell letter home.
"Bob Johnson solves village mystery."
But I forgot. I - I don't write home anymore.
We shall need the watchman's evidence.
- Hmm. - You didn't even hear what I said.
I'm sorry, Alison, but I just can't forget that girl.
A fella goes to war and into all kinds of dangers and -
What do you find so dangerous just now?
I don't mean just now.
But I mean, you -you go and fight in a foreign country and -
I bought her some writing paper.
I write her every time we stop.
And not one line from that blonde.
I guess Ma was right.
She says blondes are no good.
What color's your hair, Alison?
- Blonde. - No kidding!
Come on. I'll take you home.
And tomorrow I'm going to organize the local guerrillas.
[Cuckoo Clock Chimes]
Hello there. Can I speak to you for a minute?
- Excuse me. Do you mind not shouting? - You bet. What's cooking?
A battle. Combined operation. Backpedal.
I get it. Say, Colonel -
General. General Holmes.
This is Commander Topp, in charge of our landing craft.
- Mind if I come aboard? - Not at all.
- At your own risk of course. - Sure.
Bring her aside.
Here I come.
- Can we have a talk now? - Shh-shh-shh-shh.
I'll put a scout ashore.
Okay, onto the bank.
Would you mind taking a paddle?
Sure.
Fire, boys, fire!
[Boys Shouting]
Surprise attack!
Take cover! Take cover!
[Wailing]
[Shouting Continues]
Aim at the cannon! Aim at the cannon!
[Wailing Continues]
- Ow! - Come on! Charge the gap!
Come on! Follow me!
Quick! The river!
Surrender, General. You are outnumbered. It's useless to fight on.
All right. [Whistles]
[Wailing Continues]
Hello, General. Nice work.
- They've four more than us. - Sure. Why didn't you pick sides?
'Cause my men must have berets and I've only got six handkerchiefs.
Well, that's different.
Now the battle's over, would your two armies lease-lend you two generals for a while?
- What's lease-lend? - Never ask that question again, son.
If the isolationists were to hear you back home, they'd be mighty sore.
Who are the isolationists?
- Shortsighted folks. - Why don't they buy spectacles?
From what I hear, that's just what they are doing.
- Now, here's two quarters. - He means two shillings.
One for each army.
The smaller army will get a bigger share, but that's right too.
Catch.
- Thank you very much. - Thank you.
Is there some place around here we could have a powwow?
On the hill.
Yahoo!
Looks like this isn't the first time this place has seen a battle.
- No. - No.
Now see here, you've heard about the Glue Man, haven't you?
Don't be scared.
- I'm not scared. - Nor am I.
Good, because I'm on his trail.
- The Glue Man? - Yes.
- You want to catch him? - That's the idea.
Now, if this was the States every kid in the village would lend a hand to get him.
- How? - I'll tell you.
I want you to help me check some things.
- Are you game? - Yes.
First, I wanna know how many drugstores there are in Chillingbourne.
- What stores? - Drugstores.
Where you buy soap and razor blades and ice cream.
- You mean the grocer's! - Call it what you like.
Now, if you wanted to stick something together...
and needed the stuff to stick it with, where would you buy it?
- At the grocer's. - Is there only one?
Only one.
Next, I want to find out who's been buying sticky stuff at the grocer's.
- Is he a friendly sort of guy? - Mr. Holmes?
If that's his name. Is he human?
He's his father! [Laughing]
[Bell Tolling]
Holy smoke! Is it that time already? I've got a date for church.
Show me the shortest way from here, and on the way we'll map out a plan of campaign.
[Bell Continues Tolling]
Excuse me. Can you tell me anything -
- Ask at the office. They'll tell you. - Oh, no. It isn't bus information I want.
It's about - about the Glue Man.
What about him? Who are you?
- You are Polly Finn, aren't you? - Yes.
What if I am?
[Alison] Miss Swinton!
Gwladys Swinton!
- Yes? - Have you got a minute?
- Five, if you want them. - Can I come up?
No, stay where you are. I'll come down.
You can't come in the box, you know. It's against regulations.
- Well, what is it? - I only want to ask you one or two questions.
Oh, well, fire away.
- Morning. - Morning.
- Are you Dorothy Bird? - That's me.
I got your name from Fee Baker. I'm the new land girl working at Foster's.
Blimey.
August 27.
There.
Fee Baker, Susan Cummings, Dorothy Bird, Polly Finn, Gwladys Swinton and me.
Each time the thing happened after half past 11:00, but never later than midnight.
Did it ever happen after midnight to anybody?
- As far as I can check, no. - I've checked that my end.
- They all say it never happened after midnight. - That's important.
- Why? - Facts are always important.
What about dates?
Fee Baker, June 8. Susan Cummings, June 24.
Gwladys Swinton - Oh, not sure.
And me, August 27.
Of course. Bertha Rogers on the 11th of August.
Well, wait a minute.
No. False alarm.
Well, I can fill in some dates.
Now, Gwladys Swinton was July 10.
Two other girls, anonymous, July 2 and August 3.
Well, let's see.
That gives us two on Tuesday, one on Wednesday...
one on Thursday, two on Friday...
one on Saturday, blank on Sunday and Monday.
Well, what do you make of that?
I don't know.
[Alison] Well, anyway, our dates are still incomplete. There were 11 cases in all.
So what?
You know, I'm beginning to think the whole village is cracked.
Just look at that boy.
Ninety degrees in the shade, and he's wearing a winter overcoat.
[Bob] Hello, Leslie, Terry.
Come on up. Ask for me.
They'll never get past old Albert.
I'll fix that.
Kids and almanacs. This won't get us anywhere.
Have you got a better idea?
Yes. I'm gonna call on Mr. Colpeper this afternoon, and I want you to come with me.
You can't crash in without being asked.
He has asked me. Last night. Anyone really interested, he said.
- Well, I'm interested. - Yes, that's clever.
Well, will you come?
- I'm not very keen. Take Bob. - No, he's got a date.
Meet General Terry...
General Leslie.
Also Commander Todd- he's the delicate one.
- Do you all like lemonade? - [Boys] Yes.
- You too, Commander? - Yes.
You can take this coat off now, Commander.
You're through the enemy's lines.
Meet the account book of Mr. Holmes...
the general's father and Chillingbourne drugstore keeper.
- You mean the grocer. - Beg pardon.
"'A,' 'B,' 'C.' Thomas.
Flower, soap, sugar, bacon."
A week's rations.
Here, you look at it. You know the names.
- Any sticky stuff? - [Todd Muttering]
Do some of the richer people here, like the rector, Mr. Colpeper...
buy everything in Chillingbourne?
No, they get lots of things from outside.
- How do you know? - We collect salvage from the houses.
Salvage!
Good afternoon. You want my son.
Yes, as a matter of fact. I was at his lecture last night.
And you want to talk to him about it. Of course. Come in.
Thanks.
[Bell Clangs]
- He'll be here in a moment. - Thanks.
Good afternoon, Sergeant.
Oh, how do you do, sir? Sorry to bother you on a Sunday.
Oh, don't mention it. I expect your weekdays are pretty fully occupied.
- Yes, they are. - Do sit down.
- What do you drink? Beer, whiskey or cider? - Nothing for me.
- Oh, do have something. - Oh, cider, please.
Emma? Cider.
Well, how's the army going? You seem to be busy from morning till night.
- It's a bit like your job. - Mine?
You put a great deal in to get very little out.
Are you a farmer in civil life?
Me? No.
May I ask what part of the country you come from?
London.
- Not much material there for your lectures. - More there than anywhere.
What about the British Museum?
Yeah, I suppose it is pretty good.
Yes, very good. Nearly a day's walk from Chillingbourne.
What, 50 miles? Some walk.
Not if you like walking. Do you like walking?
Not if I can help it. Why walk if there's a train?
- Oh, Mother. - Go on with your talking. I can manage.
I see, sir, you're interested in mountaineering.
Yes, I do a bit of it.
I suppose you'd recommend me to wait at the bottom till somebody builds a funicular railway.
I'd say, why climb to the top at all? What's wrong with the valley?
- The answer's in yourself. - You're dead right.
And the trouble with this country is that every second man thinks he's born to be a missionary...
and every third man has a bee in his bonnet.
Thank you. Look at you. You don't mind?
No, of course not.
You're a gentleman farmer with a fine house.
I'm sure you've got a first-class farm and run it well.
Yet the first chance you get, you're off climbing mountains or digging up stuff...
which 600 years ago was thrown out as junk.
No bee in your bonnet.
No. I've got my job - £30 a week.
I've got my flat. I meet my friends when I want to meet them.
That's good enough for me.
Don't you want a bigger flat, better job - £40 a week?
I've got the best job a man in my business can have.
May I ask, what is your job?
I'm an organist.
In St. Paul's Cathedral?
No, in a cinema. West End.
I'm a cinema organist. A good one.
I'm sure you are.
Have you always wanted to be a cinema organist?
Not when I was a kid.
I wanted to be a church organist.
I studied for nine years.
Then, luckily for me, I met a chap who told me about a job -
a new theater, brand-new organ.
You see, I never really had the chance to play on any big organ...
except the one at the academy.
- You never played a church organ? - Not a big one.
It seems to me, Sergeant, there are two kinds of men -
one who learns to play Bach and Handel...
only to play "I Kiss Your Little Hand, Madame"...
and the man who learns to walk step by step...
so that one day he might climb Mount Everest.
[Knocking]
Perhaps another convert to the study of ancient Kent.
- I'm afraid I have gone rather off the rails. - Never mind. There's plenty of time.
Not much to do in Chillingbourne. How do you find it?
- I haven't seen much of it. - Oh, how's that?
- I only arrived on Friday night. - Oh, yes.
I remember seeing you at my lecture with Miss Smith and our American ally, Sgt. Johnson.
- Did you walk in together from the station? - Yes.
I was with them when the attack took place.
This fellow must be a tough sort of customer. About your height.
As a matter of fact, I had some excitement myself that night.
- They searched the town hall. I was on fire guard. - Do you have to do fire-watching?
- Oh, yes. - As well as Home Guard?
Twice a week Home Guard, and fire-watching every eighth day.
- Tom? - Yes, Mother?
The salvage boys are here again.
- Why, they were here last week. - Well, they say it's a paper drive.
But maybe it's my homemade toffee.
There are six boys and Ovendon's donkey.
I'll go and talk to them. Excuse me.
- Hello. Salvage again? - [Terry] Yes, sir. Wastepaper.
[Leslie] We've got a lot of sacks, sir.
- [Colpeper] Did you go round to the old scullery last time? - No, sir.
You'd better go round by the back way. Emma will show you.
Round the back way.
- How's your father's lumbago, Terry? - Awful, sir.
Oh, too bad.
- Well, I'm afraid I must be going now, sir. - Nonsense.
I'm enjoying our talk. Let's have another mug.
[Knocking]
Hello? Coming, ma'am.
Four and five and six and seven.
Two shillings and seven pence. That okay, ma'am?
Now what? Press button "A." Okay.
[Coins Jangling]
Looks like I hit the jackpot.
- Pressed the wrong button. - What's that, ma'am?
I pressed button "B"? Check.
Reinsert coins and press button "A."
Check again.
[Sighs]
"A" buttons, "B" buttons...
mirrors, tea drinking...
left-hand driving...
stripes upside down.
Yes, ma'am. It sure is difficult. And hot.
Here I come, button "A."
[Coins Fall]
[Sighs] Made it.
Hello? Sergeant Michael Roczinsky, please.
R- O-C-Z-I- That's correct.
U.S. Army.
He said what? Now see here, ma'am.
I don't care what Mickey Roczinsky told you. He's a buddy of mine.
We come from the same company.
Wake him up. It's 4:00.
He can't sleep out his whole leave in London.
You can't? You won't?
Say, you give good service in your hotel.
Well, tell him Bob Johnson rang.
Bob. B-O-B. Bob.
Call it what you like.
Tell him I can't get to London. He's to meet me in Canterbury.
I'm not in Canterbury now, but I'll be in Canterbury tomorrow.
Where will he meet me?
Holy cats! I don't know where. I've never even seen the place.
Where can he meet me in Canterbury?
- Cathedral. - That's right.
Tell him to meet me in Canterbury Cathedral at 11:00.
Thanks.
Whew!
These London dames have plenty on the ball.
Now, look, forget sex for a little while, will you?
I've either solved the whole thing or wasted a perfectly good Sunday.
What about me and my whole furlough?
- See that? - Without difficulty.
Now where's that list you made today of the dates of the crimes?
- Right here, but - - Now I'll tell you when the crimes were committed.
- Why tell me? I have them here. - Yes, but I haven't.
Now check. The last one was Friday, August 27.
Considering we were both there -
Before that, Thursday the 19th.
- Unproven. - Well, take it from me, it's right.
- Shandy? - No, thanks.
Before that, Wednesday the 11th. Tuesday, 3rd of August.
Say, that's right.
July 26, a Monday. July 18, a Sunday.
Tenth of July, a Saturday. Second of July, a Friday.
- All correct. - Twenty-fourth of June, a Thursday.
Then one on Wednesday, the 16th of June and Tuesday, the eighth of June.
Altogether, 11.
Say, what have you got there?
This, my fine feathered friend, is the fire guard rota from Mr. Colpeper's house...
and the dates that I've quoted to you are the nights that he was on duty.
- Every eighth day. - Gee!
Then Ernie Brooks clinches it.
- What does he say? - Same as me.
He saw the light in Mr. Colpeper's office around midnight, but not before.
[Bell Dinging]
Halt! Who goes there? Friend or foe?
[Bob] Friend.
Sentry, let him come up!
- Hello. - Hello.
- How are you doing, General? - Okay. Four up to now.
Well, here is something.
The name of a firm - Rymans Limited. Who are they?
They're a London firm. Lot of branches. They sell office accessories.
Paper, ink...
and gum.
Well, that's that.
The rest is just routine.
Yes, we've got him cold.
[Bob] Let's see now. It was a new football we agreed on, wasn't it?
You sure that's enough? You've earned it.
Thank you very much.
The pleasure, General, is entirely mine.
Hey! Catch!
- [Jingling] - [Hoofbeats]
[People Laughing]
[Colpeper] Glorious, isn't it?
Is anybody there?
It's a real voice you heard. You're not dreaming.
You know, just now I -
I heard sounds.
What sounds did you hear?
Horses' hooves, voices...
and a lute.
Or an instrument like a lute. Did you hear anything?
Those sounds come from inside, not outside.
Then only when you're concentrating, when you believe strongly in something.
Just now I was concentrating on who was coming up the hill to disturb me.
Disturb you? At what?
Breathing the air, smelling the earth, watching the clouds.
Why don't you sit down?
You know, I was very mistaken about you.
I'm sorry.
I was mistaken about you too.
You have to dig to find out about people, as well as roads.
Do you know why I wanted to stay so much?
- I wanted to be here again. - You've been here before?
Do you see that clump of trees?
I spent 13 perfect days there in a caravan.
Your caravan?
- It belongs to me now. - And the owner?
If there's such a thing as a soul, he must be here somewhere.
He loved this hill so much.
I love it too.
May I ask, were you engaged?
- Three years. - A long time.
His father was the trouble.
- Did you ever meet each other? - Oh, yes.
We didn't dislike each other.
They were a very good family...
and he thought his son should marry someone better than a shopgirl.
"Good family." "Shopgirl."
Rather dilapidated phrases for wartime.
Not for Geoffrey's father. It would have taken an earthquake.
We're having one.
Too late for me.
- There are a lot of funny things in the world. - What, for instance?
For instance, why should people who love the country have to live in big cities?
Something's wrong.
Miracles still happen, you know.
Do you believe in miracles?
When I was your age, I didn't believe in anything. Now I believe in miracles.
- For shopgirls? - For everybody.
You know, I think a shopgirl has a bigger chance of a miracle than a millionaire.
- I can see you've never been a shopgirl. - Nor a millionaire.
See those clouds forming? It'll be a warm day tomorrow.
Tomorrow I've got to go into Canterbury, to the Agricultural Committee.
- I shall visit my property. - You've property in Canterbury?
My caravan. It's jacked up there in a garage. I pay half a crown a week for it.
Quite a lot for a jacked-up caravan.
Not for my caravan.
Shall you bring it here?
I hope so.
Pilgrims to Canterbury often receive blessings.
Do you think even a visit to the Agricultural Committee...
could be the instrument of a blessing?
Who knows? If not, I might have a word with them.
[Bob] Yes, sir, I was born with an open mind.
- [Gibbs] And mouth. - And mouth, as you remark.
But it sure is a surprise to me to find how much I like everything over here.
- Must they see us? - Everything, I may add, but one thing.
- [Gibbs] What's that? - Not if you keep low.
Why do you, from sunrise to sunset, and at odd hours throughout the night...
have to drink tea?
- I shouldn't be too noisy about it if I were you. - But I hate the stuff.
Well, after Pearl Harbor you Americans joined the honorable company of tea drinkers.
Don't forget that the Nazis and Japs have knocked down every country they've tried to, except the tea drinkers -
China, Russia and England.
So, long live drinking tea.
Drinking tea doesn't appear to be much good for the wind.
If anybody'd made me walk three miles before the war and then climb a hill...
I'd say he could bury me at the top.
- I thought organists, as a race, were climbers. - Of what?
- [Bob] Church towers. - [Gibbs] I use a lift.
Boy! Cast your eye around that noble prospect!
Wasn't it worth the climb?
Nearly.
Of course, I freely admit...
it's nothing to compare with the view from Three Sisters Mountains.
Now, don't start to tell me that you've got higher hills and broader rivers.
- I don't see any river. - There.
- That's the River Stour. - [Bob] That?
- [Gibbs] It goes to Canterbury. - Going to Canterbury is no proof it's a river.
I'm going to Canterbury, and I ain't no river.
Well, I'll admit it's no Mississippi.
And I'll admit I've never seen the Mississippi.
Then be happy to tell your folks you've seen the River Stour...
and English blackberries.
I am happy. Ours are bigger than these.
I feel fine.
The whole time, ever since we sailed, something's been wrong with me.
Maybe it was my girl. Maybe I was homesick.
Now, for the first time, I feel swell.
Maybe it was because my mind was preoccupied.
In the army, they think mostly about keeping your body occupied.
They've not much time to worry about your mind.
No.
The air here is as good as Hyde Park.
Hyde Park? That's in London?
Very much in London.
What would you be doing this afternoon in London, if there wasn't any war?
[Gibbs] Sunday afternoon?
Reading, playing cards with the boys, waiting for the pubs to open...
occupying the mind, letting the body take care of itself.
You don't fancy the countryside much, do you?
Tell you the truth, I'd hardly realized there was a countryside before the war.
[Bob] Funny that -
how the war can open your eyes to a lot of things.
[Gibbs] That sounds like the Glue Man's lecture.
[Bob] Take me, for instance. I was no G-man before the war.
Imagine me, Bob Johnson of Johnson County, Oregon...
coming over here and solving the Glue Man mystery.
[Gibbs] While you're throwing bouquets at yourself, don't forget me and Alison.
[Bob] The nutty thing about it is, I like him.
- [Gibbs] Who? - [Bob] Old Gluepeper.
[Gibbs] He's a bit cracked, but I like him too.
- [Bob] Come on, Pete. I'll race you down. - [Gibbs] You're on.
[Duckett] Chillingbourne! Chillingbourne!
Canterbury, next stop! Next stop, Canterbury!
Well, it's just as well he knows. He didn't deny it, did he?
- Didn't say a word. - No, he wouldn't. Are you going to tell the police?
Certainly. He's called the tune. Now he's got to pay the piper.
- Say, what's the holdup, George? - Mr. Colpeper's a bit late.
Did you get that? Well, how do you know he's going to Canterbury?
It's Monday. His day on the bench.
- On the bench? Hello, pop. - Hello, sonny boy.
- Bench of magistrates. - The district law court.
- Good morning, Mr. Duckett. - Morning, miss.
I warned you to keep an eye on her Friday night. Oh, here he comes.
[Duckett] Here you are, Mr. Colpeper.
[Colpeper] Thanks, Duckett.
[Door Closes]
Thank goodness he didn't come in here.
[Train Whistle Toots]
Good morning. You don't mind my sitting with you. It's only 10 minutes to Canterbury.
- There's plenty of room. - You bet.
I'm glad to meet you all together.
You, I suppose, are on your way to rejoin your unit, Sergeant Johnson.
Yes, sir.
And you're off to the Agricultural Committee.
And you're going to sit on the bench.
- And you, Sergeant Gibbs? - I'm going to the police station.
I see.
An excellent police force, the Kent constabulary.
They solve every crime sooner or later.
- Do you think the Glue Man knew that? - He knew it all right.
- But he didn't think what he did was a crime. - What else can you call it?
Upsetting the whole village, giving the soldiers a bad name with everyone.
Some children hate going to school. Their parents have to force them to go.
Is that a crime?
- Pouring glue on girls' hair is. - It's awful to get out.
You're not going to defend pouring glue on people?
Certainly not.
But I'm going to defend pouring knowledge into people's heads, by force if necessary.
- What knowledge? - Knowledge of our country and love of its beauty.
Beauty of the countryside! Who cares about these things in wartime?
Who cares about them in peacetime?
I've tried it before this war. Why should it be any better after it?
I've written articles that didn't get further than the county papers.
I rented a hall in London to speak from, but nobody came to listen.
I even held a meeting in Hyde Park.
- That's no subject for Hyde Park. - I found that out.
Then the war came, and just as I was thinking, like you...
that all the things I'd been preaching about would have to wait until peacetime...
a miracle happened.
That's the trouble. You believe in miracles.
Yes, I do.
The miracle was that the army decided to build a camp just outside our village.
Young men flowed in from every part of the country.
I felt as a missionary must feel...
when one day he finds there's no need to travel into the jungle...
to find converts...
because the savages are coming to him.
- Thanks for the compliment. - There's no sin in being a savage.
But a missionary who doesn't try to do his duty is a bad missionary.
- Well? - Well, here was a chance for them and for me.
I planned a series of lectures - no one came. I tried again and again - nobody turned up.
I went to see their C.O. He sympathized.
Said when the men had finished their work, they had dates with the girls in the village...
or they went to the movies to see glamour girls on the screen, or they got up dances.
- They were always with girls or after girls. - Well, what's wrong with that?
Yeah. It's natural to feel lonesome in a strange place.
You have a girl at home, haven't you?
Yes, I have.
Would you like her to go out with strangers when you're 3,000 miles away?
5,000 miles.
Most of our girls have their men in the services.
The older people didn't like the idea of them going out with every soldier that came along.
- I suppose they couldn't do anything about it. - It was difficult.
Nobody wanted to stop the soldiers having a good time.
So you stopped the girls from having one.
[Colpeper] Exactly.
Did I ever tell you about old Dad Butler...
who killed the fly on his baby's head with a sledgehammer?
[All Laughing]
Mr. Colpeper, didn't it ever occur to you to ask the girls to your lectures?
- No. - Pity.
Well, the fly's dead, the baby's alive and kicking.
- No harm's been done. - Oh, hasn't it?
What beats me is that a man in your position, a magistrate...
somebody whose job it is to judge other people -
I wonder what sort of sentence you'd pass...
if the Glue Man was brought before you and your friends on the bench?
It would depend upon the findings of the court.
I would try to find out the truth.
I never pass sentence without doing that.
I should try to discover the motives of the accused.
- [Train Whistle Toots] - I should question every witness personally.
[Train Whistle Toots]
- But you know that every witness would be against him. - Are you against him?
Fee Baker said that there are a lot of people in the village who are not against him.
Are you against him?
He meant well.
Would you believe a burglar who said he meant well?
If it was his first offense...
and he could prove that he broke into the house in order to save the baby from burning to death.
- What baby? - Old Dad Butler's baby.
In any case, Sergeant Gibbs...
if harm has been done I shall have to pay for it.
And in order to make you pay, somebody must denounce you.
I want to make that quite clear.
There are higher courts than the local bench of magistrates.
[Bob] Pilgrims for Canterbury, all out and get your blessings.
Rum sort of pilgrimage for you.
A pilgrimage can be either to receive a blessing or to do penance.
- I don't need either. - Perhaps you are an instrument.
Do I get a flaming sword?
Nothing would surprise me.
I'll believe that when I see a halo round my head.
[Steam Hissing]
- Taking a pilgrim's view, Sergeant Johnson? - Yes, sir.
Well, if ever you have a son who comes to England -
- And here's hoping he comes in mufti, not like his father. - And his grandfather.
And his grandfather. Make him promise he'll become a pilgrim too.
At the moment, sir, I'm having a little trouble with my future son's mother.
But your advice is sound.
I overheard you say last night that you liked me in spite of yourself.
- That's true enough. - And I like you too.
You're not nearly as tough as you try to make out. Do you know the way?
Yes, thanks. I'm taking Bob to the cathedral.
He's got a date there with his buddy.
Then it's good-bye.
- Good luck. - Thank you.
- Why "good luck" to you especially? - Yes. Why you?
- Military secret. - What's cooking? Tell a fella.
- We're off today. - No? Where to?
- Oh, don't worry. I'll be seeing you. - It's a date.
And the more of us the merrier.
I'm looking for the police station.
Thank you.
- Okay, Sergeant, watch out for convoys. - Very good, sir.
- Christchurch gate in 10 minutes. Carry on. - Very good, sir.
- Inspector? - Yes.
- Superintendent Hall wants to see me. - He's not in.
- When will he be? - Well, it's hard to say. He's got a job on.
Special service in the cathedral and they're marching through the city.
- I think I'm one of them. - Well, you ought to know.
Suit yourself. But he won't be back till the soldiers are gone.
Trouble is, when the soldiers are gone, I'll be gone too.
Well, you might find him round the cathedral. Come on, Sergeant.
[Boys Choir Singing Hymn]
[Bells Pealing]
[Bell Tolling]
Good morning, Dr. Kelsey.
Early, as usual.
Oh, excuse me, sir. Have you seen Superintendent Hall anywhere?
Superin -This is Canterbury Cathedral, not the police station.
I'm sorry, sir. I was told he might be here. He wants to see me urgently.
Urgently?
Hmm.
[Continues]
[Ends]
Excuse me, sir. I think you dropped this.
Hmm. Too much urgency.
Do you mind my looking at the organ for a moment, sir?
No, go ahead.
Are you the organist, sir?
Do I look like the charwoman?
- This is some organ. - [Scoffs]
What do you know about it?
- I'm an organist. - Oh?
Or at least I was before the war.
Oh, well, once an organist, always an organist.
Unless, of course, you only play the mouth organ. [Chuckling]
- Where did you study? - Royal Academy of Music.
- Under whom? - Perrault. Do you know him, sir?
Oh, we've cut each other for 27 years.
But he's a fine teacher. None better.
Yes, we thought so.
- Are you playing this morning, sir? - Later.
There's a special service for a battalion of soldiers.
It's my battalion.
Are you going too?
Yes, sir.
Where did you play last?
- Are you deaf? - I played in a cinema.
Cinema!
Oh, when I was a young man your age, after I got my degree, I played in a circus.
[Chuckles] The harmonium.
Piano wasn't loud enough, especially for the elephants.
How much do they pay you in a cinema?
- Thirty a week. - Mmm.
They only paid me 22.
Ah, but 22 shillings then was more than 30 today.
Perhaps 22 shillings then could buy as much as £30 today.
Oh? Oh, no, no, no, no. I don't think so.
- Well, do you want to play it? - [Boys Choir Resumes]
I'd like to.
- Not afraid of it? - No, I don't think I'm afraid.
Then have a go.
If you're one of them, it's only right that you should play for them.
[Continues]
Now, show what you can do.
Play something, anything. Only don't swing it.
[Bach: "Toccata And Fugue In D Minor"]
[Organ Continues]
[Continues]
And my dad's pa built the first Baptist church in Johnson County.
Oregon red cedar.
Cedar shingles.
1887.
Well, that was a good job too.
Excuse me. Would you mind telling me, is this old Canterbury Lane?
No, this is Rose Lane. Canterbury Lane is further up.
I haven't been here since 1940. The Rose Hotel used to be here.
Just where we're standing. This is the parade, and that is St. George's Street.
- Oh, yes, I see. Thank you. - It is an awful mess.
I don't blame you for not knowing where you are.
But you get a very good view of the cathedral now.
Excuse me.
- Is this Rose Lane Garage? - Yeah.
- You don't want to take her out, miss, do you? - No, I -
I just want to look at her.
She's a good friend of mine.
- Caravan? - Yes.
Strewth! [Spits]
We ain't touched her since the blitz.
What happened to the tires?
Requisitioned. You know the regulations.
Mr. Portal couldn't let you know 'cause he had no address for you. He got the receipt.
He'll be glad you're here. I'll go and tell him.
What a shame.
[Sobbing]
I knew I should find you here.
I know how you're feeling.
You don't.
Everybody has disappointments in life.
Life is full of disappointments.
The moths are eating everything.
I don't want to hurt your feelings...
but there's something impermanent about a caravan.
Everything on wheels must be on the move sooner or later.
Oh, hello, Mr. Portal. How are you?
How do you do, Miss Alison? How do you do?
- Do you know Mr. Colpeper? - Oh, yes, I know Mr. Colpeper.
I knew his father. How do you do, Mr. Tom?
How are you, Mr. Portal?
Miss Alison, why didn't you leave us your address?
Two weeks ago Mr. Geoffrey's father came here. He came here all the way from Otford.
He didn't want the caravan?
He can't have it! It was Mr. Geoffrey's wish that I should have it!
Well, you were a witness. You were there when he said it!
No, no, no. It's quite all right, Miss Alison. He doesn't want the caravan.
He wants to get in touch with you.
I told him that we'd received a letter from you and that you were coming here.
He's waited for you. He's staying at the Falstaff.
For over two weeks now he's waited for you here in Canterbury.
- Why? - 'Cause he has news, Miss Alison.
Official news about Mr. Geoffrey.
He's in Gibraltar.
Miss Alison!
I must open the windows.
The caravan's full of moths!
They're ruining everything.
I haven't seen so many moths in all my life!
Mr. Colpeper! Oh, where's Mr. Colpeper?
He's gone, Miss Alison.
[Band: March]
[Continues]
Hey!
Why, you homesick, sad-sack G. I!
Hey, what in Canterbury have you been doing with your three days' leave?
Learning, Sergeant. Learning.
Since when did you ever learn anything except from the Indians? Hey, can I shoot inside?
- We'll ask the verger. - The what?
The verger. He's the number one man around here.
Oh. Hey, you don't know what you missed in London.
- Nightclubs like New York. - You've never been in New York.
Ah, and girls and telephone numbers. Wait. I've got a million of them.
- Do you know about the old road? - That's a new one on me.
- Where is it? Piccadilly? - "Piccadilly." It's a road, a real one.
Okay, what about it?
It's the Pilgrims' Road.
Gee, even you know about the Canterbury pilgrims.
Yeah, no, I seem to remember flunking them. Where does it go to, this old road?
You're standing on it.
It goes right here, to Canterbury Cathedral.
Come on in. You're a pilgrim yourself, but you don't know it.
- Hey, let's have some tea first, huh? - That stuff?
- Sure, it's a habit, like marijuana. - I'll take marijuana.
You'll drink tea and like it.
I'll drink it, but I won't like it.
There you are, you Canterbury pilgrim. You can sit right there and watch the world go by, like in the movies.
Hey, babe.
- What's cooking? - I beg your pardon?
- What have you got to eat in the kitchen? - Scones and rock buns.
All right, bring us an order of each and some tea.
And when you're spooning out the tea don't forget - one for him, one for me -
- And one for the pot. - One for the pot.
Looks like she made the original pilgrimage.
Now look, let me get this straight. You came here by road, not by train.
I came by train, but the pilgrims used the old road.
Uh-huh. Why?
For blessings, you character. For blessings.
- Okay, where's yours? - Uh-uh.
It don't work nowadays. That was 600 years ago.
You see? It's just like I've been saying. Here you are, 600 years too late.
You passed up 72 sleepless hours in London, and you ain't even got a blessing.
Yes, sir, you're completely and positively-
It don't work nowadays, huh?
Hey, do I look like a heavenly messenger to you?
- You look like Mickey Roczinsky to me. - Oh, yeah?
Well, I, Mickey Roczinsky, have a blessing for you.
- Oh, no. I've been carrying these for two days. - Give me those letters!
The whole lot came in the mail the afternoon you left, from your girl.
- Hey, what stamps are these? - Australian.
- Australian? - Yeah, she certainly gets around.
These were mailed in Sydney, Australia.
She's joined the Wacs.
[Band: March Continues]
[Ends]
[Organ]
It's your Superintendent Hall. Want him?
[Continues]
[Ends]
[Man] Hymn 293.
293.
"Onward, Christian soldiers...
marching as to war."
[Hymn]
[Congregation] Onward, Christian soldiers
Marching as to war
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before
Christ, the royal Master
Leads against the foe
Forward into battle
See his banners go
Onward, Christian soldiers
Marching as to war
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before
[Bells Pealing]