Airdate: March 29, 1969
Writer: Paul Wayne
Director: George Tyne
Guest Cast: Harry Nilsson as Tim Seagirt
Edwin Max as Steve Locke
Rating: 4.5 bells
Synopsis:
Captain Gregg composes a poem for Carolyn in the attic, with Scruffy as practice audience. When he tries to read it to Carolyn later, however, they are repeatedly interrupted. First Scruffy, in one of his erratic moments, attacks the Captain. Then Carolyn, noticing that Captain Gregg is repeatedly clearing his throat and not realizing the reason, quizzes him about his health. Then Martha interrupts with grocery ads, and then Carolyn wants to show him an article she wrote . . . He finally departs in frustration.
That night, after the house is quiet, Carolyn goes out into the lovely evening, complete with full moon, for some fresh air. Meanwhile, down on the beach below the house, a singer, Tim Seagirt, and his manager, Steve Locke, are debating styles of music. Tim prefers his own folksy style while Steve wants him to perform a newer, popular, harder sound.
Captain Gregg joins Carolyn on the porch with plans to present his poem, but is again thwarted by the sudden blast of loud music from the beach. The beautiful weather suddenly erupts into a severe thunderstorm. Steve and Tim try to flee, but their van gets stuck in the sand. They seek refuge in Gull Cottage, again interrupting the Captain's attempt to read his poem to Carolyn.
Carolyn invites the sodden castaways in to dry off and wait out the storm. Martha serves hot chocolate and asks Tim to perform for them. Claymore arrives to complain about the van on the beach, riding his seesaw of attitudes to accommodate Captain Gregg's appearance and then to back up the Captain's desire to have them leave. Carolyn takes Claymore in to meet them.
Tim accompanies himself on guitar, singing a ballad of lost love, while Steve tries to reach help for the stranded van. Captain Gregg, observing, sees how Carolyn enjoys the performance. Tim reveals that he adapted the song from an old English poem, which inspires the Captain to have Tim set his poem to music. When the visitors are preparing to depart, the storm suddenly returns. Claymore takes Steve into town, but Tim stays in the guest room.
Captain Gregg plants his poem in Tim's bed, but Tim overlooks it twice and then discards it. So the Captain "influences" him, instructing him to set the poem to music and perform it, adding that Carolyn will finally hear it. Tim is composing the next morning when Claymore arrives, full of plans to take over as manger of Tim's career. He, too, favors the hard-rock style of music.
When Tim introduces the new song to his small audience, explaining that it tells of a love that can't be, the Captain appears and tells Carolyn that the words are his, written for her. Tim begins the song in "managerial" hard-rock style. Appalled, Captain Gregg resurrects his storm in response. After windows have been secured, Tim performs the song his way. When Carolyn compliments the Captain on his poem, Captain Gregg brushes it off as nothing special, but Carolyn knows better.
Favorite quotes:
Captain: Scruffy! Come back. What makes you a judge of poetry? Doggerel perhaps, but not poetry. Come Back. Now, sit there -- spellbound!
Claymore: There is a vehicle parked on the beach.
Carolyn: Yes. It belongs to some people inside. You may consider them my guests.
Claymore: According to your lease the beach frontage of Gull Cottage is- (sees Captain
Gregg and reacts) -available to any friends of yours, Mrs. Muir!
Captain: I want those people out of here.
Claymore: Except when trespassing, which they are!
Tim: Well, we'll be on our way.
Captain: In the rain?
Carolyn: In the rain?
Tim: It's stopped raining.
Carolyn: Oh?
Captain: Have another look.
Tim: I'd better have another look.
Captain: The weather up here is predictably unpredictable . . .
Tim: Hey, it is raining now. But you-uh-said it was before it started.
Carolyn: Oh. Well, the weather up here is predictably unpredictable.
Tim: The story tells of a love that just can't be. It has a haunting lyric.
Captain: Naturally.
And of course, we must include the poem itself:
If only I could touch your hand,
The shore bird's call, the sea breeze,
The sprucewood mast that rises tall --
I'd happily forget them all,
If only I could touch your hand.
If I could link your arm in mine,
The tropic sun, the emerald surf,
The fleecy clouds like sugar spun --
I'd happily forget each one,
If I could link your arm in mine.
Of all the things that cannot be,
There's one alone means most to me --
It's not the lure of distant shores.
It's that my lips cannot touch yours.
My lips cannot touch yours.
(Note: When the Captain is practicing on Scruffy, he says, "The sea breeze smell" and "The sprucewood mast that rises tall." When Tim is wailing the first version, he links his second and third lines with "and". ". . . the ocean breeze and the mast that rises tall . . .")
Favorite moments:
The moonlight scene, of course! Does anyone else think she went out there in hopes he would show up?
Both Captain Gregg's and Carolyn's reactions to the "managerial" version of his poem.
Notes:
This was a fine way to end the first season. Unfortunately, all the powers-that-were changed for second season. If not for the professionalism and class of our actors extending waaaaay beyond the call of duty, everything special and unique about the show would have been lost.
Contributed by Rhonda Nichols