The Twilight Zone (TV Series)

Perchance to Dream (1959)

Richard Conte: Edward Hall

Photos 

Quotes 

• Edward Hall : You mind if I walk around a bit? It's the only way I can stay awake.

  Dr. Rathmann : Stand on your head, if you think it'll help.

  [Hall laughs] 

  Dr. Rathmann : What's funny?

  Edward Hall : You are. Are you sure you're a psychiatrist?

  Dr. Rathmann : Why do you ask?

  Edward Hall : I don't know. I guess I expected something different.

  Dr. Rathmann : Like an old man with a white beard and a German accent?

  Edward Hall : Maybe.

  Dr. Rathmann : I know. It's what everybody expects, and they're always disappointed.

• [Hall gets up from the couch] 

  Dr. Rathmann : I thought you said you were tired?

  Edward Hall : I am. I'm the tiredest man in the world. You wanna know how many hours I've been awake? Eighty-seven hours. Almost four days and nights.

  Dr. Rathmann : And you can't go to sleep, is that it?

  Edward Hall : No, Doctor, not can't, I mustn't. I mustn't go to sleep because if I do I'll never wake up.

• Edward Hall : [opens the window]  Can I open this?

  [looks down] 

  Edward Hall : Quite a drop.

  Dr. Rathmann : Mr. Hall, I'll ah... I'll have to close the window.

  [closes it] 

  Edward Hall : I only wanted some air.

  Dr. Rathmann : Well I'll ah... I'll turn the conditioner up. It works best with the windows closed.

  Edward Hall : Did you think I'd jump?

  Dr. Rathmann : You might have.

  Edward Hall : Not a chance. I want to live. That's my problem.

• Edward Hall : [stares at picture on the wall]  Did you ever look at this picture, I mean really look at it?

  Dr. Rathmann : I think so, why?

  Edward Hall : Has it ever moved?

  Dr. Rathmann : No, not to my knowledge, anyway.

  Edward Hall : I can make it move.

  Dr. Rathmann : Can you?

  Edward Hall : Yes. But not really. When I was a kid, we had a picture like this in our house. Not the same thing, exactly, but pretty close. A boat. My mother used to tell me to look at it. She said if I looked at it long enough, it would move. All I had to do was keep looking at it. I didn't believe her, but the idea fascinated me. One night I spent a whole hour just staring at that silly boat.

  Dr. Rathmann : And did it move?

  Edward Hall : [slow response]  Yes.

  Dr. Rathmann : Now you understand there's nothing strange about that, it was an optical illusion.

  Edward Hall : Yeah, I know. Except that after awhile I couldn't control it. Every time I looked at that boat, the sails would fill and it would begin to dip. I just couldn't stop it.

  Dr. Rathmann : Imagination is strong in a growing boy.

  Edward Hall : Yeah, I realize that. I realized it even then. But the point is I got just as scared as if it were really happening. The mind is everything. If you think you've got a pain in your arm and there's no physical reason for it, it hurts just the same, doesn't it?

  Dr. Rathmann : Granted.

• Dr. Rathmann : All right, Mr. Hall, suppose you tell me all about it. Everything. Start anywhere.

  Edward Hall : Okay, but I'm warning you. You're gonna think I lost my marbles.

  Dr. Rathmann : No, marbles can be found, Mr. Hall. Go on.