"[WHIRRING SOUND]" "Oh!" "Oh." "Oh, Fred." "Fred, what are you doing on your feet?" "You should be off your ankle." "You're gonna have a history test on Monday." "I brought your schoolbooks so that...." "Constable, Mr. Danielson." "Fred, what are you doing?" "Fred!" "[WHIRRING]" "[SHRIEKING]" "[INSECTS BUZZING]" "[ANNOUNCER READS ON-SCREEN TEXT]" "ANNOUNCER:" "Starring Roy Thinnes as architect David Vincent." "NARRATOR:" "The invaders." "Alien beings from a dying planet." "Their destination: the Earth." "Their purpose: to make it their world." "David Vincent has seen them." "For him, it began one lost night on a lonely country road, looking for a shortcut that he never found." "It began with a closed, deserted diner, and a man too long without sleep to continue his journey." "It began with the landing of a craft from another galaxy." "Now David Vincent knows that the invaders are here." "That they have taken human form." "Somehow he must convince a disbelieving world that the nightmare has already begun." "NARRATOR 1:" "The guest stars in tonight's story:" "Kathleen Widdoes," "Robert Emhart," "Jeanette Nolan," "James Callahan." "[ANNOUNCER READS ON-SCREEN TEXT]" "NARRATOR 2:" "Thirty miles from the geographical centre of America, at its very heart, is the town of Grady." "Population: 5,312." "Principal industry: farming." "Grady, Kansas, the American gothic, rigid, proud of its tradition." "Protective of its own." "Resentful of any threat from the world outside." "[DOOR OPENS]" " She's moved." " Could you tell me where?" "We don't know where." "MAN:" "You looking for Ellen?" " That's right." "What about?" "It's about this story on the locusts." "I wanna ask her some questions." "Look, fellow, she was scared, said a lot of wild things, things she just imagined." "Things she just imagined." "But she's all right now." "She's herself again." "MAN:" "Questions would just upset her." "If she doesn't wanna talk to me, she'll say so." "Forget it, fellow." "Now, you just catch a bus and get out of town." "I'd appreciate it." " I'll think about it." "MAN:" "You do that." "Ugh!" "Honestly, one of these days, we'll all be eaten alive." "[KNOCKING]" "MAN:" "Yes?" "DAVID:" "Mr. Ames?" "AMES:" "Come in." "I'll be right there now." "Just wait a moment." "Mr. Ames?" "You're one of those newspaper fellows from the city." "No, sir." "I'm David Vincent." "I'm here looking for Ellen Woods." "I wanna ask her some questions." "I know you're the principal of the school where she teaches." "I wonder if you know where she is." "Is she here?" "I can't tell you where she is, Mr. Vincent." "Well, why not?" "I've talked to five people in this town." "It seems everyone's trying to keep me from talking to her." "Perhaps if I told you something, you'd understand." "I might." "Ellen has always been a nervous, and, well, sensitive girl." "About a year ago, just before she was to be married, there was a terrible accident." "Both of her parents were killed." "Now, for weeks, she just refused to believe that they were dead." "Now, she was in a sanitarium in the city for a few months." "AMES:" "Well, since she's been home, she's been getting along just fine." "That is, until this business of the locusts." "She's getting married in a few weeks." "I'm afraid a lot of questions will just upset her again." "I won't be upset, Mr. Ames." "Really." " Ellen, you shouldn't be up." " I'm all right, really." "Now, Ellen, there is no need to tire yourself." " Now, please go back to your room." " I'm fine." "I'm fine." "What would you like to know?" "I'd like to clear this up once and for all." "Miss Woods, David Vincent." "Uh, it's about that newspaper article I read." "Now, you say you saw a metallic box, and that box brought the locusts." "The box I imagined I saw." "When those newspapermen found me," "I was still hysterical from the locust attack." "There was no box." "I don't care what I told them." "There was no box." "It was" "It was" " It was all in my mind." "Well, even so, would you mind telling me what it looked like?" "Mr. Vincent, look, she just told you she imagined it." "Miss Woods." "I, uh..." "I forget." "Do you also forget the Danielsons were there?" "The constable?" "The Danielsons both denied having been in their barn that afternoon." "AMES:" "The constable was in his office." "One of his deputies, Henry Braden, swore to that." "Mr. Ames, I think they're lying." "I didn't see anything in that barn." "What frightened you so much that you ran to the next farm?" "Nothing." "Nothing frightened me." " Did they try to hurt you?" " I think you should stop now." "Miss Woods, you said you saw a metallic box that brought the locusts." " Did it?" " I tell you, I" "You're holding something back." "Did it?" "No, I just imagined it." "How could it?" " You said it could, once." " I was wrong." "Now, why are you lying?" "Who are you afraid of?" "She's had enough." "Now, get out of here." "Will you please go?" " Yes, sir?" " Coffee, please." " Anything else?" " No, thank you." "Well, maybe you could help me out." "I'm looking for the people who own that farm where the girl was caught in that locust attack." " The Morgans?" "Yes." "Do you know them?" "Well, I did." "They moved." "They sold their farm and moved away just yesterday." "Can't say that I blame them." "You friends of theirs?" "No, just interested in the farm." "Who bought it?" "Ira Danielson." "He has the farm next door." "[DOOR OPENS]" "WOMAN:" "Hello, Ed." "[WOMAN SCREAMS]" "Hold him." "[GRUNTING]" "You get the message?" "Stay away from her." "[GROANS]" " He's out cold." " It was your brother, Ed." "They went out the back door." "Shall I go after him?" "Why?" "You wanna get your brother in trouble?" "This one had it coming anyway." "Grab his arms." "We're taking him in." "All right, outside." "We're giving you a break, Vincent." "We're driving you over to the next town, to Myers Corner, where you're catching a bus out." "What about the guys who beat me up?" "You do anything about them?" "That's my job." "Stop sticking your nose in other people's business." "All right, Braden, let's go." "[KNOCKING]" "Ed?" " Oh, Ed." "ED:" "It's okay." "It's okay." "That Vincent guy won't bother you anymore, honey." "Ed..." "He believed me, Ed." "How can he believe when I don't?" "I've tried so hard not to believe." "Tried so hard not--?" "Ellen." "Come on, honey, Just tell me the truth." "Don't be scared." "You can tell me anything." "What'd you see in Ira Danielson's barn?" " Oh, Ed." " Just tell me." "Ed, can't we just forget about all this?" "All I wanna do is to move into the house" "Ellen, nothing you do or say'll ever change the way I feel about you." "Don't be afraid to tell me." "As God is my witness, Ed." "I saw Ira Danielson in that barn." "And his son, Fred, and Constable Gabbard." "And there was a metallic box with dials and things." "It made a loud whining noise." "And..." " And...?" " And..." "I believe what Mr. Vincent said, that it brought the locusts." "Oh, Ed." "Ed, I'm so sorry." "I know it sounds crazy, but it's what I saw." "That's all right." "You have nothing to be sorry about." "Ellen, I love you." "I've loved you ever since we were kids." "And I'll stay with you until you forget all about these locusts and this nightmare, the whole thing." "I can wait." "I don't care." "I can wait forever." "You come first." "This looks good." "Pull over." "Put me through to Danielson." "[GRUNTS]" "[INSECTS BUZZING]" "I don't understand it." "All the years I've lived here, I've never seen anything like this." " I don't understand it." "ELLEN:" "Mr. Ames!" "Mr. Ames, the locusts, they've come back." "I know." "We've got to get there." "You'll see for yourself." "The box." "Ellen, you just said you imagined all that." "We've got to get to the Danielsons' while the locusts are still here." "Ellen, I forbid you to go out there." "Now, go back to your room." "You're hurting my wrist." "Ellen, I didn't mean to hurt you, but I cannot let you go out into that." "Now, come on, my dear." "Go on up to your room." "Now, come on." "Ellen." "Come back here." "Don't go out there." "Ellen." "AMES:" "Ellen, come back here." "You were right, Oliver." "The poor thing." "[INSECTS BUZZING]" "ELLEN:" "Mr. Vincent!" "Mr. Vincent." " We've gotta" " We have to go." " Come on." "Never mind." "[SHRIEKING]" "All right." "Take it easy." "Take it easy." "Stand still." "I'll get them off you." "All right, I'll get them off my back." " It's all right." "Are you all right?" "Yes." "Yes, wait." "It's all right." "Calm down." " Come on." " Wait for me." "What is this, Mr. Vincent?" "I don't know." "I'm not sure." "I'm not sure of anything but those locusts." " They're all after us." " That's impossible." "[BUZZING]" "Let's go." "Where are we going?" "I'm going to call the state police." "Do you trust Ames?" "Yes." "Yes, I think so." "You drive to his house, call Ed, tell him to stay with you till I get some help." "You're in danger here." "I don't understand." "Why would anyone want to hurt me?" "If they wanted to kill me, they could've done it after I saw that box." "That would've aroused too much curiosity." "Now they have no choice." "You've seen too much." "I'll make my call from that lunchroom there." "Remember, call Ed, tell him what happened." "Wait for me at Ames' house." " Got a telephone?" " Yeah, right there in the washroom." "Operator, I want the state police." "It's an emergency." "Hello, I wanna speak to whoever's on duty." "This is an emergency." "Yes, my name is David Vincent." "I'm calling from a coffee shop called the Lunch Counter." "It's in the town of Grady." "Now, listen to me, please." "Well, Mr. Vincent." "That isn't really in our jurisdiction." "We'll see what we can do." "I'll have somebody out there in a few minutes." " All right." "Thank you very much." " All right." "Hello, this is Jim Walton." "Fine, just fine." "Listen, we just got a call from somebody in Grady." "A David Vincent." "Yeah." "He says he's in some kind of trouble out at the Lunch Counter." "CONSTABLE:" "Sure." "Okay." "I'll go over and pick him up." "Thanks." "Pick who up?" "Not my brother again?" "No, just Braden." "He got a flat tyre." "I'll drop him off at his place on my way home." " Lock up when you're through there." " Sure." "Ellen, thank heaven you're safe." "We were gonna look for you in Miss Havergill's car." "I tried to stop you, dear." "Whatever possessed you?" "I'm sorry I hurt you, but I'd have used any kind of force to" "What are you doing?" " He's not there." " Who's not there?" "Ed." "I want Ed to stay with me until the police get here." "Police?" "What for?" "What happened out there, Ellen?" "AMES:" "What did you see?" " Ellen." " I don't know." "Something." "I don't know." "I can't remember." "I can't remember anything." "Please find Ed." "I want Ed to take me back to that sanitarium." "Do you understand?" "I want Ed." "Yes, it's all right, dear." "Now, just be calm." "Now, everything's going to be all right." "Please." "Can't one of you stay?" "ELLEN:" "'We could have some tea." "Don't you be afraid." "I'm going to say right by your side every minute." "Sit down." "Well, how's the shoulder?" " Fine." "Can I have some coffee?" " Yeah." "Can you tell me something?" "There's a farm next to the Danielsons' place." "They have a double silo." "Oh, yeah, sure." "That used to belong to a fellow named Kirby." "He sold out too, right after the first locust attack, oh, a couple months ago." "Then he got disgusted with the boys from the Agriculture Department when they couldn't come up with an answer." " Who bought it?" " Oh, the constable, Ned Gabbard." "He's got some men working it for him." " Local people?" "No." "He brought some of his family in from out of town." "Couple of months after he got here." "I don't know any of them too well." "They don't seem to be mixers, you know what I mean?" " Yeah." "Thanks." " Yeah, sure." "[TIRES SQUEAL]" "What is it, Ned?" "What's going on?" "Was there a fellow in here using the phone?" "Stranger, dark suit?" "Yeah." "He just went back in there." "[DOOR CLOSES]" " Where's Ellen?" " She's upstairs." " Miss Havergill is with her." "Ed, no." " I've gotta see her." " Ed, listen to me." " I wanna be with her." "Do you want to lose her for good?" "I've called the doctors in the city." "They don't want you to see her." "I'm sorry, Ed, but it's their orders." "Oliver, that isn't fair." " How could they be so cruel?" " What do they know?" "They were supposed to help her before." "I've made arrangements with a new hospital, Ed." "Better doctors." "What new hospital?" "I don't care what anyone says." "Ellen isn't going anywhere." "But they're doctors, Ed." "The Forsythe Clinic." "Believe me, they know what they're talking about." "She wants to go, Ed." "And if the doctors say you shouldn't see her..." "They insist she be spared any emotional strain, Ed, of any kind." "AMES:" "They're afraid of what might happen during a goodbye with you." "I'm driving her to the city." "The doctors insist upon her getting there as quickly as possible." " When is Ed coming?" " He should be here soon, Ellen." "I want Ed to take me to the city, no one else." "Yes, dear, yes." "Just try to get a rest now." "It's going to be a long drive." "Miss Havergill." "When Ed comes, you'll send him up right away, won't you?" "There's something I must tell him." "Of course." "Just don't you worry about a thing." "Ed?" "Ed?" "[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]" "ELLEN:" "Why?" "Why wouldn't you let him see me?" "We told you, dear." "Doctors' orders." "He respects that." "Because he loves you." " We'd better leave now." " No, no." " Why can't Ed take me to the city?" " Please, Ellen." " Don't be more difficult" " Let me go." "Let me go." " Here." "You must be calm." " Please, Ellen." "No, please, help me." " He's trying to kill me." " Nobody's trying to hurt you." " We're trying to help you." " No, he is." "Get Ed for me." "Get Ed." "You poor child." "You poor twisted child." " Help me." "Please, help me." "Help me." " Please get the medicine." " No." "No." "Help." "Help me." "No." " We don't want her to hurt herself." "No, please get Ed for me, please." "Take it easy." " Deep breaths." " That's a good girl." " What are you doing here?" " I need your help." " Get out." " Now, listen, just for a minute." "Ellen's in danger." "I called the state police, but something went wrong." " Answer this." "Did you talk to Ellen?" " Ames wouldn't let me." "He's taking her to the city, to a mental hospital." " Why wouldn't he let you talk to her?" " Doctors' orders." "Will you leave us alone?" "Get out of here." "Ellen's going to be killed." "I know it's hard to believe, but Ellen's going to be killed." "We've got to stop it." "She's gonna be killed, Ed." "I'm calling the constable." "You're the one that" "You'll regret calling the constable, Ed." "Gabbard took a shot at me." " Why?" "Why would he--?" " For the reason Ellen's in trouble." "She's seen too much." "If you wanna make a phone call, call that hospital Ames says he's taking her to." "The last thing in the world they want is to get her to the doctor." "Go ahead, call the hospital." "Go on." "Operator." "Uh..." "Give me information on Wichita." "Yes, I'll wait." "Information?" "Um..." "Could you give me the number of the Forsythe Clinic?" "Ed, you seen that Vincent fella?" "The guy I kicked out of town." "Yes." "Yes, thank you." "Well, how about it, Ed?" "Did you see him?" "No, Mr. Gabbard." "I haven't." "He probably moved on." "Well, I got a tip he's still in town." "If you see him, let me know." "Yes, I'll do that." "He's gone." " What'd the operator say?" " There's no such hospital." " Well, come on, let's go." " I don't understand." " Why would anybody wanna--?" " There's no time." "ED:" "Why would anyone wanna kill--?" "Did you call Danielson?" "Is everything ready?" "Yes." " Ed." " Where's Ellen?" " I thought the constable" " Where's Ellen?" "Oliver just took her, with Miss Havergill." "ED:" "How long ago?" "WOMAN 1:" "Just now, a minute ago." "Oh, Ed, she kept saying such wild, crazy things." "WOMAN 1:" "Said Oliver was trying to kill her." "WOMAN 2:" "Oliver had to quiet her with some medicine." "But what is it, Ed?" "What's wrong?" "My brother Carl lives out of town, by the highway." "He'll stop them." "Carl." "Carl, this is Ed." "Listen, there's something you've gotta do for me." "Now, Ames has taken Ellen in Miss Havergill's car." "I want you to go out on that highway and stop them." "Carl, no questions." "Just do what I ask." "Ellen's life may depend on it." "I don't care how you do it, but do it." "Come on, Ames' car is outside." "Everything you've told me" "I'm not saying I believe you, I'm not saying I don't, but why Grady?" "I can only guess." "Grady's about three miles from dead centre of America." "I think they're gonna try and send signal vibrations from that silo." "Vibrations to reach every point of America simultaneously." "Now, if that happens, insects will attack from every point." "For every square mile of the Earth's surface, there must be millions of insects." "Now, that's quite an ally." "Ed, in that silo, I saw butterflies eat flesh." "Butterflies." "They got the owners of the surrounding farms to sell out." "Danielson and Gabbard bought them." "Now those silos are surrounded by private property owned by them." " Did you see him?" " They never came this way." "They must've turned off on Iverson Road." "What's going on?" "Iverson Road." "That's past Danielson's place." " Get to a phone and call the FBI." " What?" "Carl, give me your gun." " What's going on?" " Call the FBI." "We'll be at Danielson's place." "Hurry up." "[SHRIEKING]" "[TIRES SCREECH]" "[CONSTABLE SCREAMS]" "[INSECTS BUZZING]" "It's okay." "[BEEPING]" "[MACHINE WHIRRING]" "[EXPLOSION]" "What did you find out?" "They've all left town." "Havergill, Ames, half a dozen families." "We can't prove anything, can we?" "Well, why not?" "I want you both to talk to the FBI." "Please, Mr. Vincent," "I have Ed now." "All I want is to be left in peace with him." "ELLEN:" "I" "I can't live through another nightmare of people listening to a story they don't believe." "People looking at me as if I were crazy." "Do you understand that?" "No, I don't understand it." "Not after all that's happened." "I'm sorry, Mr. Vincent." "We're just not going to talk." "Ever." "I'm sorry." "That's it." "All right." "Good luck to both of you." "NARRATOR 2:" "Grady, Kansas proud of its tradition, protective of its own, resentful of any threat from the world outside." "David Vincent has faced the Invader here." "And for a little while, that threat has been pushed aside."