1
Then in my boyhood,
in the dawn of a most stormy life
was drawn from every depth of good and ill
the mystery which binds me still
from the torrent or the fountain
from the red cliff of the mountain
from the sun that round me rolled
in its autumn tint of gold
from the lightning in the sky
as it passed me flying by
from the thunder and the storm
and the cloud that took the form
when the rest of heaven was blue
of a demon in my view.
Of a demon in my view.
Why do you always
open the second bottle
before the first one's empty?
Well, my father drank this champagne
and I used to be him for some.
But would he give me any?
Not even a taste.
So we sure fooled him.
Who?
Mother and I.
You did?
Oh, Dad never knew
it, but Mother used to
slip me his champagne
bottles when there was about
that much left in 'em.
And you drank it?
Yeah.
And shared
it with all of my pets.
If old Dad had found out, he would have
disinherited me on the spot.
A toast.
Here's to this house and all that's in it.
Mom said I'd have it,
but Dad was agin' it.
His will was longest,
but Mom's was strongest.
So thanks to her we're happy in it.
You shouldn't joke
about your dead parents.
You're right.
They thought the world of me, didn't they?
Sure they did.
Let's drink to you.
Here's to the virginal moon goddess
who so captivated my soul
one year ago tonight.
Happy anniversary.
You're so good with words.
Thank you.
Mm, wait a minute.
I've got something for you.
Now, hold out your arm, close your eyes.
This belonged to my mother.
Her favorite, she wanted you to have it.
There, now.
Oh, it's a charm!
Oh, it's just perfect, Lou!
What I wanted exactly.
Hey, easy.
Sorry, darling.
Oh, but just wait till you
see what I've brought for you.
You won't believe it.
There, make room on the table for a big...
Well, you'll see.
Don't open it.
It's Pandora's box come
to punish and torment us
with all the evils of humanity.
Don't scare me like that.
Besides, Pandora brought
only good things to people
the way I remember the story.
Hey.
Which will you be, you black creature?
A demon or an angel?
Come on.
See?
He loves you already.
Like all your pets do.
Hey, fella.
What's your name?
I didn't ask.
I wanted you to name him.
Well, let's see now.
Um...
A long time ago, people used to think
that witches turned
themselves into black cats.
I know.
Maybe this one's a witch.
Let's name him after a witch.
Oh, no, I wasn't really serious.
Um, let's call him Pluto.
Ruler of the deep, dark
regions down below.
Hades, king of the dead.
Couldn't we just call him Tom or Tim?
I thought
you weren't superstitious.
Oh, don't worry.
Pluto was also god of the harvest,
giver of all wealth and riches.
Oh, that's better.
Hi, Pluto.
Well, this calls for a celebration.
Come on, Pluto.
I want you to meet the rest of the family.
Lou?
Goodnight.
Oh, goodnight, Diana.
Don't be afraid of Pluto.
He's one of us now.
Here, boy, I want you to be friends.
Go on.
He doesn't care what you was.
Come on, boy.
Come on, Herman.
Look at Pluto.
Hey.
Come on, boy.
Come on, boy, you want some champagne?
All right, you don't get any.
Hello, Peter.
Hey.
This is Pluto.
He's our new friend.
There you go.
You want some champagne?
There you are.
There, have some champagne.
Come on, boy, have some...
Hey, have some champagne.
Hello, Bernie.
Come meet Pluto.
Come on.
Uh-uh, Pluto, now you be a good boy.
Uh-uh-uh, he's gonna be your friend.
Take it easy.
Hey, you want some champagne?
I'll pour you some champagne.
There you are.
I hope you enjoy it.
Ooh, you're getting
hungry, aren't you, Pluto?
At the beach, on your boat,
anywhere at all.
Gonna make me cry
Love's gone away
Gonna be a sad day
For you
Gonna understand
And who's
Gonna take your hand
Not I not I
No not I
No not I
For my love's gone awry
Yes my love's gone awry
Gone awry
Diana.
What's the matter?
Is something wrong?
No, nothing's wrong.
I just couldn't sleep.
Hey.
That's not water.
I know what it is.
It's the thing that keeps you away from me
night after night, week after week.
Diana, I have to write.
To make money to run
this house and you know
I write best at night.
Well, it's not really the money.
I get a feeling of power.
I get so caught up in the
story when I'm writing
that I can't stop until I'm exhausted.
Maybe my charms
will break the spell of
that bewitching story.
Or maybe I'll just turn myself into a cat.
Meow.
Meow.
Meow.
Bo Diddley Bo Diddley have you heard
Hey Bo Diddley
My pretty baby said she was a bird
Hey Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley Bo Diddley diamond ring
Hey Bo Diddley
And if that diamond ring don't shine
Hey Bo Diddley
I'm gonna take it to a private eye
Hey Bo Diddley
And if I find that I can't see
Hey Bo Diddley
You better not take that ring from me
Hey Bo Diddley
Hey Bo Diddley
Hey Bo Diddley
Hey Bo Diddley dee
Hey Bo Diddley
Come on
Bo Diddley Bo Diddley play hep cat
Hey Bo Diddley
Yeah my pretty baby made a Sunday hat
Hey Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley Bo Diddley what do you know
Hey Bo Diddley I'm
going around the world
And back to Kokomo
Hey Bo Diddley
Hey Bo Diddley
Hey Bo Diddley
Hey Bo Diddley
Hey Bo Diddley
Come on now
Arrested on the
charges of unemployment
He was sitting in the witness stand
Well the Judge's wife called
up the District Attorney
Said free that brown eyed man
You want your job you better
free that brown eyed man
Well I flied across
the desert in a TWA
I saw a woman walking cross the sand
She been a-walking 30 miles
on the route to Bombay
To meet a brown eyed handsome man
I want to travel with the
brown eyed handsome man
Way back in history 3000 years
I said ever since the world began
Well man a whole lotta
good women shed some tears
Over brown eyed handsome man
I wanna go with the
brown eyed handsome man
Alright
Well the Milo Venus
was a beautiful lass
She had the world in
the palm of her hand
Yeah yeah
But she lost both her
arms in a wrestling match
To meet a brown eyed handsome
man Oh yes he was
He was a brown eyed handsome man
There was two three to count nobody on
He hit a high fly into the stand
He was rounded third
he was heading for home
It was a brown eyed handsome
man That won the game
It was a brown eyed handsome man
Well the Milo Venus
was a beautiful lass
She had the world in
the palm of her hand
But she lost both her
arms in a wrestling match
To meet a brown eyed handsome man
Oh yes he was
He was a brown eyed handsome man
He was a brown eyed handsome man
Oh yeah yeah
Oh brown eyed handsome man
Yeah yeah
A brown eyed handsome man
Yeah yeah
A brown eyed handsome man
Lillian.
You eat with me.
I've known Lou since he was a boy.
Since the day they adopted him
and brought him to this house.
His real parents died when
he was three, you know.
And they were nothing but trash.
Oh, Lillian, they
couldn't have been that bad.
Anyway, his stepfather and mother
are the only ones he remembers.
He ought to remember them.
And with respect, too.
They treated him like
he was their own son.
But look at him now, drunk all the time
and never coming home.
He even treats his pets mean.
All except Pluto.
If his father were alive,
he'd make him toe the line.
He'd put a stop to all this.
He'd even give him a good whipping.
Whipping?
Did his father beat him?
Well, a few times.
Like when Lou got kicked out of school,
for gambling, no less.
Gambling?
Didn't his father give him enough money?
Oh, not as much money
as Lou thought he needed.
Lillian, maybe you're right.
I mean, about what you saw in the numbers.
Lou has changed since Pluto came.
It's you that I'm worried about.
Oh, Lillian, Lou wouldn't
do anything to hurt
Pluto or me.
Well, you never know.
His friends used to make fun of him
because he was so tenderhearted.
And now he's mean as the devil himself.
Oh, you stupid fool!
What'd you lock the door for?
I'm sorry, Lou.
Shh.
You'll wake up Lillian.
What do I care about Lillian?
Let go of me!
Please, don't be so rough, Lou.
I don't need your help.
Why don't you eat something?
I don't wanna eat.
Lillian fixed you an anniversary dinner.
Anniversary?
Ours?
For our second anniversary.
Stop sniveling!
I'm sorry, Lou, I can't help it.
I can't stand your crying!
I'm sorry.
Sorry.
Stop it!
Stop it!
I'll stop you crying.
Oh!
Stop it!
Oh, you come off her, you jackass!
Oh, are you all right?
Did he hurt you?
Come on and let's get
away from this maniac.
Oh, oh.
You've seen the last of us!
Who cares?
People.
Who needs people?
Where's my real friend?
Pluto!
Pluto!
Oh.
There you are.
Come on.
Come on, boy.
Come on.
Where are you?
Come on.
Oh.
Come here, cat!
Ow!
I thought you were my friend.
You black demon!
I'll fix you.
Come on, Pluto.
Come see your dad.
I'm not gonna hurt you.
No, I wouldn't hurt you at all.
Come on to your dad now.
Come on.
So, you don't like me, huh?
Can't stand the sight of me.
Well, I'll help you.
I'll cut out your eye.
Cut out your stupid eye!
If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out.
Lou?
Pluto's hurt.
Real bad.
You saw the way he ran away from me
when I came downstairs.
Do you know what happened to him?
I don't wanna remember.
I was drunk.
I shouldn't have left
you alone last night.
It's my fault.
Your fault?
I do things I don't really want to do.
Something, some urge
seems to overwhelm me.
Lou.
Have you thought about seeing a doctor?
A doctor?
About your drinking.
Look, I can stop drinking
like that if I wanted to.
But I don't.
I like it.
You aren't going to change me.
We shouldn't have come back, Diana.
It's just gonna get worse.
Oh, you think it's funny, huh?
Here, you drink it.
Sinner man
Where you gonna run to
Say sinner man
Where you gonna run
You can run and hide
But evil's gonna catch
you 'cause you lied
Sinner man
You oughta be praying
Sinner man
You oughta be praying
The devil's gonna get you for
all the evil that you done
Say sinner man
Where you gonna run to
Sinner man
Where you gonna run
You can run and hide
But evil's gonna get
you 'cause you lied
Oh babe
Fire!
Lou.
Lou, wake up!
The house is burning!
Diana!
Where are you?
Lillian, Lillian, there you are!
Come on, Lillian.
Come on, this way.
Come on, Lillian, it's
all right.
Oh, thank God you found me.
Insurance?
On the house and things.
There was no insurance.
Your father never carried any insurance.
You administered my father's estate.
Surely you carried insurance on my house.
Your father hated insurance.
Damn his soul to hell,
he left me without a cent.
Flat broke.
Damn him!
Damn him!
Come on, Lou, let's go.
No!
The boy is out of his
mind, he needs a doctor.
I see it all now.
My father sent Pluto to burn my house.
You straighten yourself up, young man.
Don't disgrace the memory of your father.
You'll not get away with it, Father.
I am not your father.
Come on, Lou, let's go.
No!
No, not this time, Father.
None of your lies.
You did it!
Help me, someone!
Help me, help me!
You helped, liar!
Get away, get away!
Liar!
You burned my house!
Lou, stop!
You burned my house!
Lou!
Liar!
I see you've learned
something about psychiatry
in the last months.
I think your superego can keep
your aggressive tendencies
under control, channel them
into socially acceptable
behavior patterns.
What do you think?
I think...
I'd like to go home, get back to work.
I need to make some money.
I've been reading your
story about the black cat.
Oh, just something I've been writing
to keep me busy while I've been here.
Do you really think that the black cat
is a demon with supernatural powers?
No, just strange coincidence, I'm sure.
The only real demons are those within us.
And with a little
analysis and understanding,
we can cast out even those demons.
Right?
Well, you've done it for me, Doctor.
By the way, how does your
story of the black cat end?
I haven't finished it yet.
Still a few more pages to go.
I see.
Well, maybe you can write better at home.
What do you think?
I think I'd like to see my wife.
I need a drink.
Who...
Who's there?
You're a witch.
What'd you say?
I said you're a witch.
Just make sure you
spell it with a W, buster.
What's the difference?
I'll spell it any way I want to.
Buy me a drink, sonny-boy,
and I'll teach you
how to spell a thing or two.
I've been looking for you today.
I've been looking all over for you.
Oh yeah?
What have you been
looking for me for, honey?
My wife wants a new cat.
Cat?
Me, a cat?
Shut up!
You're evil.
What are you, some kind of a nut?
You belong to the devil.
Satan's wife!
You cast spells over
men with your evil eye.
You really are off your rocker.
Ah, go catch your broom
and straws, you witch.
Or turn yourself back into a cat.
I like you better as a cat.
Meow!
Who sent you?
My father?
No, your mother sent me.
She's afraid her little boy might
get lost in the cold, cold world.
Oh, my mother sent you.
Then you can't be bad.
If my mother sent you, you must be good.
Oh, you bet I'm good, honey.
Did you hear a cat?
No, I didn't hear a cat.
Say, are you sick or something?
There he is.
Going out the door.
Well, don't rush off, honey.
Leave me alone.
Oh, who's there?
Lou!
It's...
It's Pluto!
Oh, it's not Pluto, it's just
a cat that followed me home.
Oh, he's beautiful.
Can we keep him?
Sure, why not?
Look.
Look, Lou.
He's got a bad right eye.
Just like Pluto's.
Let me see that.
What is it, Lou, what's the matter?
That cat.
I could feel his breath on my face.
Hot and stinking.
It must have been a bad dream.
I don't see the cat.
He was here.
It's all right, Lou.
I could see him staring at my throat.
It's all right, Lou.
Go to sleep.
It's all right.
I could kill you.
Break your neck.
If only I weren't afraid of you.
Yes, I admit it.
Afraid of you.
Who are you?
Why do you torment me,
make my life unbearable?
You have made me hate
everything, everybody.
Even Diana.
Just to be rid of you.
For that I'd give my very soul.
Well?
What is it?
What do you want?
I need something from the cellar.
Would you go down there with me?
I'm afraid.
Afraid?
What's there to be afraid of?
I don't know, Lou.
Please go.
All right.
All right.
Devil!
I'll split your head open.
Don't, Lou, stop!
I'll kill you for that.
Diana?
Diana?
Diana?
Lillian.
Oh, Diana, where is she?
And what are you doing down here anyway?
How are you?
Oh, I'm all right.
Diana?
Where is she?
Um, something's happened, Lillian.
To Diana?
I knew it.
The numbers never lie.
Now, Lillian.
If you've harmed that girl
I'll see that you go to jail this time
instead of that hospital.
No.
No, no.
No one's harmed her.
She's gone.
She's left me, Lillian.
Left you?
I don't believe it.
Diana?
It's me, Lillian.
I said she's gone.
She went home to her mother's.
Her mother lives halfway
across the country.
When did she leave?
Why, uh, this morning.
She just walked right out.
Didn't take anything with her.
She wouldn't just leave.
Without even calling?
I thought she called you.
That's why I was surprised to see you.
She should have left you years ago!
You are no good.
Drinking and treating her bad!
That's all over now.
I'm a new man.
You'll never be the man your father was.
Thank God for that.
Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.
Come on, Pluto.
Here, kitty, kitty.
Damn it!
Here, Pluto.
Come on, boy.
Where are you?
You blasted cat!
He's gone.
My black demon is gone.
I'm free.
At last I'm free!
Yes?
We're police detectives.
May we come in, sir?
A warrant to search your house, sir.
Are you sure you have the right house?
Well, it's about your wife.
We have a complaint she's missing.
Well, uh...
You won't find her here.
She got angry and walked out.
Left me.
As far as I know she's at her mother's.
No, she's not at her mother's.
Would you accompany us, please?
Sure.
Why not?
Here's the basement.
This mortar is still wet.
Yes, the water never
really dries down here.
Too damp, I guess.
Yes, sir, this house is well constructed.
Sturdy.
Yes, this house should last forever.
Tear down that wall!
Get back here!