The Tingler

I am William Castle, the director of the motion picture you're about to see.

I feel obligated to warn you...

that some of the sensations, some of the physical reactions...

which the actors on the screen will feel...

will also be experienced for the first time in motion picture history...

by certain members of this audience.

I say "certain members" because some people are more sensitive...

to these mysterious electronic impulses than others.

These unfortunate, sensitive people...

will at times feel a strange, tingling sensation.

Others will feel it less strongly.

But don't be alarmed. You could protect yourself.

At any time you are conscious of a tingling sensation...

you may obtain immediate relief by screaming.

Don't be embarrassed about opening your mouth and letting rip with all you got.

Because the person in the seat right next to you...

will probably be screaming too.

And remember this:

A scream at the right time may save your life.

- Who are you? - I'm nobody.

- Unless you got business... - I won't bother you.

You got to have a pass to come in here.

Will this do?

I'm sorry. I didn't know it was a relative.

- It's my wife's brother. - Try not to faint.

I won't faint.

- I understand going to friend's funeral. - We weren't "friends," exactly.

I had a pass to the execution, and I mean...

- Does it always kill them in the chair? - I've never heard of it failing.

Well, in the chair, does it hurt them?

Not if it's done properly. At least, I don't think so.

Even a slight shock hurts.

Try putting an electrode soaked in saline solution on your head...

another strapped to your leg, then slamming 2,000 volts between them.

If it hurts, let me know.

Well, if it works, then why this?

I've never found it to be necessary.

But it happens to be the law.

An autopsy must be performed immediately after the execution.

Interesting.

This man's vertebrae are cracked. They're nearly splintered in two.

Two thousand volts!

Electricity had nothing to do with this.

I've seen this phenomenon many times in people who were badly frightened...

just before they died.

There's a force in us that science knows nothing about. The force of fear.

That it's strong enough to shatter the spinal column, we know.

But what it is...

what causes it to appear and disappear, we don't know.

Some day I hope to find out.

Maybe it's what makes your spine tingle when you're scared.

Exactly.

Tingle?

It can do a great deal more than that.

It's odd. I've been experimenting with this force for years.

Never had a name for it until now.

Now I think I'll call it "The Tingler."

- You do all the autopsies out here? - Most of them, and for the county too.

It ties in with my experimental work in fear.

Many people die in fear. I wonder how many die of fear.

You mean, being scared to death?

Not on the death certificate.

Fear causes tremendous tensions in the body.

If you can't relieve them, why can't they become strong enough to kill you?

Never thought of it that way.

I've thought of little else for some years now.

That man's vertebrae are cracked.

Sensation of fear alone can't have done that.

Something real and powerful broke those bones.

And on the death certificate...

I'll write down that death was caused by heart failure...

due to electrically induced shock.

I guess he deserved it, killing those two women in cold blood like that.

What?

He killed two women. Right down the street from where I live.

Looked for a while, though. They couldn't find a clue, but they did.

I seldom know who they are or what they did.

I suppose because I don't want to know.

Science is sometimes frighteningly impersonal.

Being my wife's brother...

Well, you ready?

You wouldn't be able to give me a ride into town, Doc?

I'm sure I'd be glad to, Mr...?

My name's Oliver Higgins.

Everybody calls me just Ollie.

Where do you live?

There aren't many theaters like this left.

You'd be surprised how many come to see these old pictures.

- Not just to make fun, either. - Yours?

It belongs to my wife.

We run it together, though.

- Would you like a beer or coffee, Doc? - Coffee'd be fine.

Good, I live right up there. I'll check with the wife first.

I'm going upstairs and make some coffee.

I'll open up later.

Well, shall we go, Doc?

It's kind of old-fashioned, but she likes it this way.

- You like cream and sugar? - No. Black, please.

Just the two of you run the whole show?

You'd be surprised how much work it takes.

Just the cleaning up alone.

Mopping, sweeping, vacuuming the seats and the runners.

Once a week, we go over everything. We even do the ceiling.

We even do behind the screens and under the seats.

- I tell you, it takes a lot of work. - It sounds like it.

You know, you ought to come sometime, Doc.

Some of the silents are just as good as the movies they make nowadays.

Even with the sound and the color, and the screens a block wide.

I'd like to see some of the old Charlie Chaplin films again.

We show them once a year. I'll let you know.

That's my wife.

Never mind. She'll come in here.

She has to wash her hands first.

Martha?

This is Doctor Warren Chapin.

She says she just finished washing her hands.

She's deaf and dumb. She can read lips if you talk straight to her.

How do you do, Mrs. Higgins?

She says to excuse her, but she never shakes hands.

People's hands have germs, she says.

Tell her she's so right.

She can't make a sound or hear a sound.

No vocal cords?

None.

She's a bug in this washing up.

Our bill for towels is five bucks a week.

There you are, Doc.

Thank you.

I'm sorry.

That was a clumsy thing to do.

- It's my fault. - No, it's nothing but a small cut.

Go down and get the bag out of my car.

She always does this. One drop of blood and out she goes.

It affects some people like that.

Did you notice how rigid she became?

She always does.

It's interesting.

Because she has no vocal cords, she can't release fear vocally.

So they continue to mount, until she can't endure it.

So she faints?

It isn't a faint as we know it. It's more of a psychosomatic escape.

I never thought of that.

You go downstairs and open up. I'll come downstairs in a minute.

It's time to open up the box office.

We'd better go down first. She won't leave anybody alone with that safe.

Thanks for asking me up, Ollie. I'm sorry I caused you all that trouble.

That's all right, no harm done.

Thanks for the ride home. I'm sorry about...

Goodbye, Mrs. Higgins. I'm sorry I caused all that trouble.

She says goodbye, and she hopes your cut isn't serious.

No. No, it isn't.

Goodbye. Bye, Mrs. Higgins.

Goodbye, Doc. Good luck with your experiment.

Thanks.

Hi, Lucy. Where's my devoted wife?

Where's David?

Tell me something, Warren.

What happened to those rules I learned about what every young girl should do?

Like, keep your date waiting for at least ten minutes.

And never let him know that she wonders if he's ever going to show at all.

It's all my fault.

I sometimes...

like right now, wish he didn't work for you at all.

- That he was... - A what? A Persian rug merchant?

That's much worse.

Just an ordinary eight-to-fiver with a yen for picket fences.

And waste one of the best minds in pathology?

Not really.

I love David just the way he is.

I don't even want to change him.

Golly, is that abnormal?

Refreshing.

Isabel went out about an hour ago.

What are we going to do about her?

- She's simply ruining her life. - It's not her fault.

A husband who spends all his time in the laboratory.

And hates cocktails and parties, and falls asleep at the opera.

She's out almost every night now.

And with men who aren't very nice.

I'm ashamed of my sister.

Lucy, as soon as David and I finish this experiment...

I'll have more time for her. He'll have more for you.

I'd wait for Dave forever if I have to.

But why do I have to, Warren?

Does being someone's guardian give you the right to rule them?

You've had another battle with Isabel?

No. The same one.

I'm too young. David's too poor.

If I do anything she doesn't approve of...

she won't give me my share of the money.

I'll talk to her.

What good will that do?

Who knows?

- Have you had any dinner? - Not yet.

- I'll fix you something. - No, look. I'm not really hungry.

Warren, you've got to eat.

Cut my head off.

Boil me in oil.

Young man?

What do you mean, keeping this beautiful girl waiting?