Magnificent Obsession

Bob! Bob, take it easy!

Easy? Where does that get you?

- On dry land, I hope. -

He's doing 150 or better.

He's comin' in, believe it or not.

Help Miss Daniels off.

- I'm making another run. - Bob, it's not safe out there.

- That's why you're just going to watch. - It's startin' to kick up out there, Mr. Merrick.

You keep this engine tuned. That's all I want from you.

What's the matter with him? Hasn't he got any brains?

He doesn't have to. He's got four million bucks.

He must be doin' better than 180 now.

- - I knew that would happen!

-150 miles an hour! - Miss Daniels, phone Emergency right away!

- Yes! - Come on, Joe. Hurry up!

He's startin' to breathe, Bill.

I'll switch over to inhalator.

- That was a close one. - Bob Merrick just lives right.

- Is that the ambulance? - Yeah.

Well, there's nothin' more we can do here now.

All right, everybody.

There's nothin' to see. You can take off now.

181. Come in, 181. 181, come in.

Go ahead.

Return the resuscitator to Dr. Phillipe's home as soon as possible. Emergency!

181. Understood. Emergency. They want the resuscitator right away, Bill.

- All right. - Completing assignment now.

Victim being picked up by Brightwood Hospital ambulance.

- Return the resuscitator - - Yes, yes. I know.

Returning the resuscitator to Dr. Phillips.

- Did they say why they wanted it? - Nope.

Just to rush it back to Dr. Phillipe's house.

Hurry. Dr. Phillips - an accident.

We got it back as fast as we could. What's the trouble, Miss Ashford?

- Take it inside for Dr. Phillips, Bill. - All right, Miss Ashford.

- Did you see Mrs. Phillipe's car anywhere? - No, we didn't, Miss Ashford.

Oh. Oh, I hope they get back in time.

181 reporting. We're at Dr. Phillipe's house.

Do you suppose it'll be too chilly to eat out on the terrace?

We could fix the tables with hurricane lamps.

Oh, Helen, you're putting on an awful lot of swank for practically no reason.

You bought out half the town.

Well, isn't a wedding anniversary enough reason to have a party?

- You wait till you get married. - Oh, but a six-months anniversary.

Well, I've never been married six months before, and I want to tell the world that I love it.

Well, don't you think you ought to have given Dad some hint what he was in for?

I should say not.

Why, he had nine different reasons at the hospital why he couldn't come home for dinner.

Wayne Phillips can invent an emergency operation at the drop of a hat

if he knows he's gonna be the guest of honor at a dinner party.

- - Now what's the matter?

Oh, I was just thinking of the toast I'd give you two.

"To Wayne Phillips, a great surgeon, a fine man, and my wonderful father.

And to you, love and affection to my mother."

"Mother"? Oh, Joyce, you wouldn't.

Well, you are my mother. You married my father.

You're certainly the only mother I've ever known, and I'm all in favor of the whole arrangement.

I sure feel sorry for them.

Oh, Joyce. It's so pleasant.

We can have dinner outside without any trouble at all.

Helen.

Why, Nancy. What are you doing over here?

- Oh, Helen. Helen. - What's the matter?

- It's Wayne. - What?

He's had an accident. Dr. Dodge is with him.

- Well, where is he? - Here. Oh, Helen.

Helen.

Wayne had an attack, and -

- No. - Dad!

Oh, no,

Those poor girls.

He was such a wonderful man.

He did so much for people.

Why, Dr. Dodge? Why?

How many times I've been asked that question.

I've never learned the answer.

Nancy, if you'd go in with her.

Joyce, I know there's nothing I can say.

What happened, Derwin?

Nancy and I had come over from the hospital to go sailing with him this afternoon.

He must have had the occlusion just a few minutes before we got here.

We saw him down at the pier, all slumped over.

- The resuscitator didn't help at all? - No. It wasn't here.

- It wasn't here? - No.

But Dad's kept the resuscitator here for years because he had a coronary.

You knew that. Why, in heaven's name - Where was it?

Bob Merrick had capsized his boat at the other end of the lake.

The police came over for it just before this -

Bob Merrick.

Oh, you don't know him. I do.

He's a stupid, spoiled darn fool.

And now to think Bob Merrick's alive because of Dad's resuscitator...

and Dad isn't.

I could kill him!

Helen.

Helen.

I loved him so much, Derwin, with all my heart...

and we only had these few short months together.

Frankly, I haven't any idea how you're supposed to do it.

Just take the barge out there and get her up.

Don't bother me with excuses. Get it done.

What about Campbell? When does he get in from Detroit?

I don't want anybody else touching those engines. Fly him up here and don't argue with me.

If I may be allowed to take your temperature, Mr. Merrick?

Nonsense. I'm not even lukewarm. All right. That's better.

And have Jerry call me as soon as he hears about the insurance. Yeah.

Am I getting out of here today?

Mr. Merrick, the very instant you're able to leave Brightwood safely,

we shall be most happy to sign your discharge.

- - But first -

This is absolutely ridiculous. I'm perfectly healthy.

A small respiratory infection, a slight concussion, but certainly no subdural clot.

A subdural clot, Doctor, is a hematoma anywhere in the cranial cavity.

Thank you. I merely wondered where you acquired that piece of information.

Let me have a line. I was in med school when my father died.

- I haven't wasted all my time, you know. - Why'd you quit?

- Just too rough for a Merrick? - I'll tell you why.

My father died at 42 - Hello, Val?

Who? No.

And suddenly it seemed a very sensible idea to enjoy life while I could.

- Let me have another line. - And my, how you've succeeded.

- Hello, Val? -

How've you been, baby?

Don't go in there, Nancy.

You even have to make a formal request to take his temperature.

When I think Dr. Phillips died so that he could live.

Yes. What a complete waste.

Have you talked to Helen today?

No, not since yesterday.

She's coming over this morning to start going through the doctor's things.

Mmm.

You can count on it, baby.

It's a date. Good-bye.

Would you do me a great big favor

and get Dr. Phillips down here to look at me so I can get out?

Here.

Look, I haven't got a temperature.

It's absolutely immaterial to me, Mr. Merrick,

but I'm going to take your temperature one way or another.

- A human being. - Under the tongue, please.

- Where have you been all week? -

What kind of an establishment is this, will you tell me?

I've been here five days, and everybody treats me like a leper.

- No visitors. - That seemed advisable.

My own doctor doesn't even come up.

No. When Dr. Allward talked to Dr. Dodge,

he agreed that the case didn't warrant his coming up.

- He's very busy in New York. - Then why don't I get Wayne Phillips?

It's his hospital, isn't it? And it's obvious I'll get the biggest bill.

Don't look shocked. I'm used to it.

I wasn't shocked, Mr. Merrick.

- I was only thinking. - You were thinking what?

I was thinking, when your father left you the Merrick Motor Company

and all those millions,

what a pity he couldn't also bequeath you a little common courtesy.

I don't know where you got those pajamas or where you keep getting these cigarettes,

but your pharyngitis is bad enough without them.

In words in one syllable, Mr. Merrick, you talk too much.

Well, now that we have that settled,

how about getting Doc Phillips down here to give me my separation papers?

Well, the reason the staff may have seemed so distant, Mr. Merrick,

is that Dr. Phillips died a few days ago.

It was rather sudden, and he was quite admired by all of us.

All you had to do was tell me.

It hasn't been easy to talk about.

When will I get out of here? I have too many things to do that can't wait.

I can't say. Perhaps in a few days.

You wanna bet?

Brightwood Hospital. He's busy. Will you wait?

- Miss Phillips, all these came this morning. - Oh, thanks.

- - Brightwood Hospital.

- Mrs. Phillips in? - Yes, she is.

They're still coming. Amazing, isn't it? Oh, I'm sorry.

- -

Yes, thank you.

All right. We'll see you. Good-bye.

That was Torn. He's in the village and coming over.

He seemed a little more urgent than he had to be.

I suspect that lawyer of mine just wanted to spend the afternoon with you.

“Dottore Vittorio Laradetti. Rome.“

I had no idea there were so many people who respected Dad so much

and who felt so much in his debt - from all over the country.

From all over the world.

Oh, listen to this, Joyce.

"Dear Mrs. Dr. Phillips,

You don't know me, but I owe everything in the world to Dr. Phillips."

- - Yes, come in.

I'm sorry to bother you, Helen, but there's another lady here to see you. A Mrs. Eden.

I tried to tell her, but she says she has to talk to you.

- Want me to talk to her? - No. Have her come in, Nancy.

- Mrs. Eden. - Thank you.

- Mrs. Phillips, Mrs. Eden. - How do you do, my dear?

- How do you do, Mrs. Eden? Won't you sit down? - Thank you.

We're going to have to be very firm about visitors, for her sake.

Oh, yes, I know.

Yesterday afternoon, there were six or eight. This morning, it's beginning again.

Apparently, Dad had helped them meet some crisis.

- Money? - No, not always. Sometimes just advice.

But, you know, Nancy, when you try to pin them down

as to how they became indebted to Dad, they stammer and dodge