Not Rated | 30min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, TV Series | Episode aired 7 February 1961
In Mexico, an escaped convict hides out in a monastery. Unfortunately, it is on the night when the ghost of an Aztec warrior is said to roam the halls. When a murder is discovered later that night, he must prove that he not only didn't commit the murder, but that it was in fact committed by the ghostly warrior.
Director: John Newland
Writers: James Crenshaw, Merwin Gerard, Lawrence B. Marcus
Stars: David J. Stewart, Rodolfo Acosta, Jay Novello
In Mexico, an escaped convict hides out in a monastery. Unfortunately, it is on the night when the ghost of an Aztec warrior is said to roam the halls. When a murder is discovered later that night, he must prove that he not only didn't commit the murder, but that it was in fact committed by the ghostly warrior.
Director: John Newland
Writers: James Crenshaw, Merwin Gerard, Lawrence B. Marcus
Stars: David J. Stewart, Rodolfo Acosta, Jay Novello
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00Come, you'll witness things strange, unexpected, mysterious, but not to be denied.
00:12Join me now and take one step beyond.
00:31These columns, centuries old, are almost as ancient as Mexico City itself.
00:38Our search for the true story of a ghost has brought us here to the great capital of Mexico,
00:43and this historic monastery, now a school.
00:47What's more, there is a man, yet alive, who lived a century in one night within these
00:53very walls.
00:55You will meet him as soon as you have seen his terrifying experience.
01:00Abuelita, it's getting late, vámonos!
01:07Your grandpa will be here in un momentito, there is plenty of time, he's just seeing
01:15that the other gates are locked.
01:20What happens if we have to stay here all night?
01:24Don't you say such a thing!
01:25Anda, go help your abuelo, anda, anda, listo, listo, niño!
01:26Help!
01:27Auxilio!
01:28Abuelita!
01:29Abuelita!
01:30Auxilio!
01:31Abuelita!
01:32Abuelita!
01:33Abuelita!
01:34Abuelita!
01:35Abuelita!
01:36Abuelita!
01:37Abuelita!
01:38Abuelita!
01:39Abuelita!
01:40Abuelita!
01:41Abuelita!
01:42Abuelita!
01:43Abuelita!
01:44Abuelita!
01:45Abuelita!
01:46Abuelita!
01:47Abuelita!
01:48Abuelita!
01:49Abuelita!
01:50Abuelita!
01:51Abuelita!
01:52Abuelita!
01:53Abuelita!
01:54Abuelita!
01:55Abuelita!
01:56Abuelita!
01:57Abuelita!
01:58Abuelita!
01:59Abuelita!
02:00Abuelita!
02:01Abuelita!
02:02Abuelita!
02:03No...
02:05I fainted, eh?
02:09Jorge frightened you more than you frightened him.
02:12Where am I now?
02:16In the convent.
02:18I must go.
02:21No, no, no, Señor, no.
02:22A hospital is what you need.
02:24MarÃa.
02:25Go for the authority.
02:26No!
02:27But you should be taken care of, Señor.
02:29Por favor.
02:31Just give me a moment and I'll be able to leave on my own.
02:36I'm afraid.
02:38Calla, calla.
02:39Take the child and go.
02:41¿Y tú?
02:42I will join you at Emilio's muy pronto.
02:45No, I won't go without you.
02:47He should be in the hospital.
02:49But he does not want a hospital.
02:51If you'll give me just a few moments rest.
02:55Abuelita, tengo miedo.
02:58Afraid?
03:01Of me, niño?
03:03No, no, no, señor. Not of you.
03:06Take the child to the wagon and wait for me.
03:10Not too long.
03:20If not me, who is the child afraid of?
03:26I'll go find some food for you in the kitchen.
03:34Carlos, it's eight o'clock.
03:36He tried to get up and almost fainted again.
03:39Shouldn't we call the authority?
03:42Yes.
03:46You are about to become a very popular man, señor.
03:50¿Por what reason, amigo?
03:52You will get your name in all the newspapers.
03:56You will make a lot of pesos.
03:58¿Why?
03:59I am Dr. Pino Alto.
04:03¿Who?
04:09Such is fame, eh?
04:11I'm sorry, señor.
04:13But we live a simple life here.
04:17I was very close.
04:20I was very close to the president.
04:23The one, the one they killed?
04:25The one they killed.
04:28But to have been a friend of his, is that a crime?
04:33The new government believes I was too much a friend.
04:38They put me in prison.
04:40I escaped for a while.
04:43Carlos, por amor de Dios, vámonos, vámonos de aquÃ.
04:47Maria, the gentleman is going to spend the night here.
04:50¿Qué?
04:51He will stay with him.
04:53Pero estás loco, Carlos, tú estás loco.
04:55He's going to be all right.
04:57No, it's dark already.
04:59Go to Emilio's.
05:00You don't think I believe in those stupid stories?
05:03But can't he go to the hospital?
05:06Oh, señor, I believe in him.
05:09See, my husband, he is not well.
05:13You see his arm?
05:15He has paralysis.
05:18Oh, please, señor, he cannot stay in this place tonight.
05:22But why?
05:23Do not ask her why.
05:25She will fill your head with foolishness.
05:27Ay, why are women such superstitious fools?
05:31She will tell you that the convent is haunted,
05:34that this is the night that the ghost wanders around.
05:38A ghost?
05:40Yes, everybody will tell you this is so.
05:42All women will tell you.
05:44Now go, go, go and take the child with you.
05:47I order this.
05:49Oh, bien, vámonos, vámonos, vámonos de aquÃ.
05:54She actually believes it.
05:56She was terrified.
05:58A ghost.
06:00Oh, my, my.
06:04And coming back right on schedule.
06:08Like in all the terrifying children's stories, eh?
06:14No, señor.
06:17It's not a children's story.
06:30Señor.
06:33It's not the result of a children's story.
06:46How did this get here?
06:49At this time, last year, a soldier was quartered here.
06:54He was alone in here.
06:56He screamed, we came.
06:59He said a terrific force had pushed him up against the wall.
07:04They were found.
07:07Yes.
07:10It must be some trick.
07:14But who would play such a trick?
07:18This is the hand of a giant.
07:20Yes.
07:25You do not believe this.
07:30I don't know.
07:33I'm not sure.
07:38This was once an Aztec shrine.
07:43Two days a year.
07:45Terrible grave days in their calendar.
07:49Slaves were put to death here.
07:52It is said this is one such day.
07:57An old man can be as silly as an old woman, eh, señor?
08:01But you think this is all foolishness.
08:05Yet everyone in this neighborhood believes in this ghost, this specter.
08:11It is said that he was an Indian warrior whom the Aztec king sacrificed in the fullness of his youth and power.
08:18It is said that he was seven feet tall.
08:24If that is his hand, then he must have been.
08:29Si.
08:32You are amused at me, eh, señor?
08:36I'm afraid I was born a skeptic, mi buen amigo.
08:40Look about this, my dear benefactor.
08:44It is time now for his appearance.
08:47But where is he, this Aztec giant who chants and thrusts his hands against walls?
08:53Where is he?
09:01A man from the market outside the convento came to the prison.
09:07He said there is a man lurking about suspiciously, hiding.
09:13Somehow, he looks like the pictures of this Dr. Atul I saw in the papers.
09:26The man must have been blind.
09:29How could this be my late prisoner?
09:32How could this be Dr. Atul?
09:35Dr. Atul is a man of magnificent appearance.
09:39His face is always clean shaven.
09:42He is a great artist.
09:45A profound philosopher.
09:48A confidante of presidents.
09:51Poor stinking wretch.
09:54How can you be Dr. Atul?
09:59How? How? How?
10:03It hurts.
10:05My head has been hurting for five days.
10:08Who helped you escape?
10:11No one.
10:13We shall see about no one.
10:18Out that gate and into the car on the curb.
10:22What are you going to do with him?
10:24Feed him to the pigeons on the square.
10:27Why?
10:29Who are you?
10:31He is only the porter here.
10:33He did not know who I was.
10:35Let him talk for himself.
10:41Did you feel that?
10:43A cold wind.
10:45A cold wind on a windless night.
11:11Oh!
11:42Ah!
11:47Caramba!
11:54Sit down. Sit down, Doctor.
11:58Dr. Atul.
12:00You are an exceedingly intelligent man.
12:04But there comes a time when even an intelligent man has to cease being ridiculous.
12:10Porter.
12:12Regains consciousness, he will tell you.
12:14That a ghost killed Captain Alvarez.
12:16Fire!
12:18Fire!
12:20Fire!
12:22Fire!
12:24Yes, he will tell you.
12:25That a ghost killed Captain Alvarez.
12:27I did not say a ghost, you said it.
12:29I said he was killed by someone or something unseen.
12:31I have said this ten thousand times since they have brought me here.
12:39You are a man whose luck has really run down.
12:47The new regime would not have treated you so badly.
12:51You have good friends with the new Presidente.
12:53Even now they point out that you were merely trying to bring peace between the factions.
12:58So I was.
13:00But...
13:03When you kill a public official, that is a different matter.
13:07I did not kill him.
13:09The Porter will tell you.
13:14The Porter will not tell me.
13:19He cannot.
13:21He died ten minutes ago.
13:23So that...
13:31He would have told you the truth.
13:36How safe you are in saying that now.
13:39I did not kill him.
13:49How strong you become when you get angry.
13:59Would you like to hear the surgeon's report?
14:03Fracture of left mandible.
14:06Fracture of maxilla.
14:08Fracture of temporal bones, gross abrasions on left side of neck.
14:12Multiple fractures of clavicle.
14:15How could I have done that?
14:21The Captain lies dead.
14:24In the basement morgue.
14:26Have you seen the body?
14:27Isn't the report enough?
14:28It's too much!
14:29That's the point.
14:30If you will go and see the body, you will see that I could not have done it.
14:39Will you see the body with me?
14:41Yes.
14:43Very well.
14:44Let's go!
14:48Let's go!
14:56Captain Alvarez-Guido...
14:58...claimed the body early this morning.
15:01Where was it taken?
15:03Apparently, the Captain was not a religious man.
15:07Still, the body could not have been buried so quickly.
15:10Still, the body could not have been buried so quickly.
15:13No, it was not buried.
15:15Where can we see the body?
15:17You cannot.
15:19The Captain was cremated about four hours ago.
15:32You are quite correct, sir.
15:35My luck has run down.
15:39Perhaps not.
15:41Salve.
15:45I must admit, Dr. Atoll...
15:48...I was deeply impressed.
15:51I was angry before because I...
15:54...I thought it was another fraud, you know...
15:57...an insult to my intelligence.
16:01Now I think that you actually believe the story.
16:06I do.
16:11Isn't the mind absolutely remarkable?
16:15And yet...
16:17...it is so understandable.
16:21A man like you would...
16:23...find violence utterly repugnant.
16:26Naturally.
16:28Your whole...
16:30...your whole personality would reject it.
16:33The reporter and the other obviously told you...
16:36...about this specter, this phantom.
16:40Did you not find it utterly ridiculous at the time?
16:48At the time?
16:52But it was planted in your mind.
16:55And look how your mind has used it.
16:58While you have managed to absolutely blot out the whole truth with this phantom.
17:02The whole truth with this fable.
17:05Of course.
17:07Of course, Doctor.
17:09You killed Captain Alvarez.
17:11No.
17:13No.
17:14Oh, come, come now, Doctor.
17:17Surely you do not believe in phantoms any more than I do.
17:20But I saw...
17:22...something.
17:23Of course you did.
17:26Of course you saw something.
17:29Your mind created something to shield you from this act of violence.
17:33Which is so against your nature.
17:36You have heard of such things.
17:38But this was different.
17:40Every time it happens...
17:42...the person always says...
17:44...yes, but this was different.
17:47Come, come now, my friend.
17:50It is not so bad.
17:52I'm sure our office would consider a plea of...
17:56...temporary derangement.
17:58Frankly speaking...
18:00...this Captain Alvarez was somewhat of a sadist.
18:04But a man...
18:06...of your stature...
18:09...your intellect...
18:11...would be treated gently.
18:14My head is bursting.
18:25What are you doing?
18:27Gomez wants to borrow it, just for an hour.
18:29And since I'm about to go off to the anyhow...
18:32Gomez.
18:33Senora Alvarez is paying him 300 pesos...
18:35...so he wants it to be perfect.
18:37And how much is the vulture paying you?
18:39Nothing, sir. I assure you...
18:40You assure me?
18:42Get out. Go on.
18:45300 pesos.
18:49The vulture.
18:57Well...
18:59...now, Dr. Russell...
19:01...let us seriously consider how it must have happened.
19:04I did not do it.
19:08I cannot make myself believe...
19:11...something that is not true.
19:17But it is true.
19:19No.
19:21I did not touch him.
19:23You didn't touch him.
19:26We will go to Gomez.
19:28Come, Dr. Otto.
19:30Come, you poor, innocent man.
19:33You gran intelectual.
19:36Come.
19:42Gomez.
19:43I brought this gentleman along...
19:45...to show him what you are doing for Captain Alvarez's widow.
19:48But it's not ready.
19:49There's much work yet to be done.
19:51Show us what you have.
19:52But, Colonel...
19:54Impossible.
19:57Very well.
19:59You are barred from entering any public building under my authority...
20:02...or dealing with any of my men.
20:05No, no, no. Please.
20:07Show us what you have.
20:10I suppose it must be dry by now.
20:15Though I would like to wait a few more minutes.
20:17Now, now.
20:19Gomez is also a very fine artist, Dr. Otto.
20:22He does very well making death masks...
20:25...for grieving orphans and widows.
20:32You see why I needed the photograph?
20:34Why I didn't want you to see it just yet?
20:38That's the trouble with working with plaster of Paris.
20:40It picks up everything.
20:42Even hair.
20:44But, of course, with the dead, it's more difficult.
20:47The flesh does not spring back into place.
20:50Look what the murdered hand did.
20:56Did you ever see such marks?
20:58But I assure you, it will be first-rate when I deliver it to the señora.
21:03What fingers this brute must have had.
21:06Look here.
21:07And here.
21:09This, this strangler, Colonel Ferrero.
21:12What kind of a creature was he?
21:14He must have been a giant.
21:21Ferrero.
21:44What kind of a creature was he, Ferrero?
21:50What kind of a creature was he?
21:54Well, all we can say is that the man who was there when all this happened 40 years ago is here with us now.
22:04We are indeed honored by the presence of perhaps one of Mexico's most distinguished living artists, philosophers, and critic, Dr. Adle.
22:16Dr. Adle, doctor, for the purposes of dramatization and condensation, you allow us certain liberties with your incredible story,
22:26but the psychic occurrence, that happened exactly as reenacted, isn't that so?
22:33Yes, in 1920, in the courtyard of El Convento de la Merced.
22:38El Convento de la Merced is the convent that we photographed in the first part of the picture.
22:45I saw an officer strangled to death by someone or something not visible to the eye.
22:54The officer was strangled by someone or something not to be seen by the eye.
23:03It's an incredible story, doctor.
23:05And you were saved from a murder charge by the use of a plaster of Paris cast, similar to this one, taken of the dead man, no?
23:16That's correct.
23:18For the marks on the throat could only have been made by a giant.
23:25I'm glad I am far from that.
23:28Doctor, show me exactly how you put your hand on the throat to defend yourself.
23:33My words are incredible, how small your hand is compared to this hand of the giant, huh?
23:39Doctor Adol, how close were you to whatever happened?
23:45As close as I am to you, and I see you quite clearly.
23:50Thank you, doctor.
23:53Explain it?
23:55We cannot.
23:57All we can say is that it happened, and to that man.
24:04Why was El Convento de la Merced haunted by that specter?
24:10Could it be that among all those millions sacrificed savagely throughout bloody history, something remains here on Earth?
24:22A troubled shadow to remind the living that injustice has been done?
24:30I wonder.
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