0:00

Greetings, Adventure-cateers! We had so much

0:02

fun getting back together last year that we've decided

0:05

to do it again. The Thrilling Adventure

0:07

Hour returns live on June

0:10

24th, 2023 for two shows at the Bourbon

0:12

Room in Hollywood. Better news! The

0:15

7pm show and the 9pm show will be two

0:17

completely different scripts. Plus

0:20

we've got pre-show and post-show events planned,

0:22

so join me, Hal Lublin, as well

0:24

as Paul F. Tompkins, Paget Brewster, your

0:27

Wyrt Juice pals, and special guests for

0:29

a night of thrills that you'll find beyond

0:32

belief. Go to bourbonroomhollywood.com

0:35

to find pages for our 7pm and 9pm

0:37

shows. On those pages you'll also find

0:39

a link to buy tickets to stream the show live

0:42

or on demand. One ticket gets you

0:44

streaming access to both shows. Coming

0:46

in person? Join us before the early show

0:49

for thrilling trivia in which cast members

0:51

will go head-to-head against audience members to

0:53

prove once and for all who knows

0:55

the show the best. The answer may

0:58

or may not surprise you. And

1:00

stay after the late show for a reverse

1:02

Q&A. This was invented by the Wyrt

1:04

Juice players ourselves, we're very proud of it. It's

1:06

like a regular Q&A, but we'll be asking

1:08

the questions of each other, and maybe of

1:11

you, the audience.

1:13

Make a night of it on June 24th. Go

1:15

to bourbonroomhollywood.com for

1:17

live tickets and streaming tickets. That's

1:19

bourbonroomhollywood.com for

1:22

a thrilling night.

1:23

Clink!

1:27

It's time to send the little ones to dreamland.

1:32

And set your radio's dial

1:35

to spooky. Bolt

1:37

the doors, lock your windows,

1:40

and steal yourself a mysterious

1:42

suspense in this evening's

1:45

final feature, Beyond

1:48

Belief. Meet Frank

1:50

and Sadie Doyle. Beyond

1:57

Belief.

8:00

The case is when I'm not practicing, which is most

8:02

of the time. It's dark in there, and

8:04

I don't mean the absence of light. It's like

8:06

being buried alive. I think.

8:10

I make my mind go away.

8:12

I try to. Young

8:16

lady, you've

8:19

brought these puppets to life.

8:21

You cannot keep them in boxes.

8:24

You gave them free will. Let them use

8:26

it. Listen here. You decide

8:28

whether or not you go in your box. So

8:31

what? I just have three living dummies

8:33

running around doing whatever they want? Two

8:36

of them can't even understand anything.

8:38

First I wasn't. Now I am. Will

8:41

there be a time I won't be again? Yeah.

8:45

What's the... And

8:48

also why? See? See? One

8:52

assumes that Jack has spent more time

8:55

outside the box. That's right, pal. The

8:57

others will adjust too. You see, here's the thing.

9:00

It's like learning to drive. Haven't done

9:02

it. Your first time behind the wheel, the

9:04

pedal felt enormous under your foot. Take

9:07

your word for it. At first you were full of terror, concentrating

9:10

so hard to avoid hitting anyone with this

9:12

great hunk of metal. But after a while

9:14

it comes as natural as breathing. Which

9:17

I'm still working out the kinks there.

9:19

What Frank means is

9:21

you will all get used to

9:24

it. So you know what makes it easier?

9:27

Time. Words. Word times? A

9:29

drink! There you

9:31

go. And one for the witch. Can

9:35

they drink? Oh yes. Everything

9:38

is fully functional. Actually, watch this.

9:41

This is the only trick we do.

9:55

I'm sorry. Well,

10:01

isn't that better? I love this.

10:03

Can I have another and then another and

10:05

then another forever? Oh, I

10:07

knew I liked you! Oh! Yeah,

10:12

I'm feeling a little, I don't know. Why

10:14

is it that I want a thing, but that doesn't make

10:16

the thing just be here. Seems

10:18

unfair. How

10:21

do you

10:21

start to know if you're seeing

10:23

something or hearing it? Maybe

10:27

you should slow down.

10:30

Clara, have you finished yours already?

10:33

If my parents find out about these alive

10:35

guys, they'll burn me at the stake.

10:38

Well, surely that's an exaggeration.

10:41

That's what they do

10:43

to ventriloquists. You

10:47

didn't help me turn them back in a wood and you help

10:49

people. Isn't that what you do? That's

10:52

why you wanted our help? Well,

10:54

my friend told me you were the spell

10:56

book ones. Am I supposed to be responsible

10:58

for these three? I'm only 17. I'm

11:02

not their mother any more than the

11:04

hex I put on the tree as their

11:06

father.

11:07

Yeah, no, you don't feel like a mom.

11:09

You feel like more like a cool

11:11

babysitter who sometimes puts me in a box?

11:16

To me, you're like what it must be like to have a distant

11:18

cousin.

11:19

I know five people so far

11:22

and you are one of them. You're

11:32

all really coming along very quickly. Don't

11:35

worry about it, Clara. Once these two are

11:37

up to it, we'll strike out on our own. You

11:40

won't have to worry about us. Well, that's the spirit.

11:42

What do you say to that, Clara? Can't

11:47

handle a little liquor. She's 17.

11:51

And still cannot handle her liquor. You

11:55

three are doing great. You'll go far. I

11:57

know what. Come back here

11:59

now. Next Christmas, we'll have a

12:01

drink and catch up and find out how

12:04

far you've come. Yeah? It's

12:06

an unusual structure, but I'll

12:09

allow it until next year.

12:11

To the next year! Ah,

12:24

another fine fire. Toasty

12:26

toasting toasted. Oh, come

12:29

in! There

12:31

he is! Frank Doyle!

12:33

Did you miss me, pal? Ha! Every time

12:35

I needed to reach a bottle on a very low shelf.

12:39

Please come in, everyone. Frank

12:41

will fix drinks. So how have you all

12:44

been? Ah, such a nutritive

12:46

year. I've joined a powerful

12:48

collective of poets.

12:52

I'm making more of a difference with

12:54

my poetry than I ever could with my parents'

12:57

magic apples. And

12:59

Jack, how's showbiz? My

13:02

act is... not for

13:04

everyone.

13:04

Everyone is overrated.

13:08

You should see him. Jack's a real dummies dummy.

13:11

His act is conceptually brilliant.

13:13

You have to say that. I don't!

13:16

The critics are gushing.

13:18

One critic said I

13:20

was promising. Anyway, Elle's

13:22

jokes are the spine of the whole thing. Come

13:25

on, Jack. No, they're

13:27

beloved by 30 people at a time, but if

13:29

I can't fill rooms, I'll fill

13:31

mines. Freshen me up here. Oh, you bet.

13:34

You're not performing

13:36

yourself, Eleanor. I

13:38

never felt natural on stage.

13:40

It always felt like an act.

13:43

It's all an act. Well, I help out behind

13:45

the scenes. Pitch a joke or two here and

13:47

there. Jack doesn't really need

13:49

me.

13:50

You make me better. On

13:53

stage and off. Do

13:56

tell. We're

14:00

in love, engaged. Hey,

14:02

that's great! To love!

14:10

You're so lucky to have each other. It's a tough and lonely

14:12

business out there. Well don't tell me you're struggling

14:14

at a two-girdess. Ah, you know, I play

14:17

the big rooms at the big casinos in the big

14:19

cities, sell out the venues and boy oh

14:21

boy are the fans laughing, but it's

14:23

nothing like what Jack's doing. I'm not

14:26

filling mines, just rooms.

14:27

Hey, don't sell it short. You're so

14:30

funny. Eh, a little broad for my tastes.

14:32

But not for everyone else's. Not

14:35

for mine.

14:36

Oh, high praise Elle, you're the funniest

14:38

of us all. I keep telling her that, Elle,

14:41

you were made for the stage. More like

14:43

I was made of the stage. See?

14:46

I'm gonna use that. You

14:49

weren't though, made of the stage.

14:51

Applewood, it's completely different. No, I know. It

14:54

raises more questions than it answers. Okay,

14:57

Jack Cedar.

14:59

That's different. Just,

15:02

I think it'll go over. Well if that's the criteria...

15:04

For me, it is. Tell

15:07

them about the movie, Girdess. There's

15:09

a movie?

15:10

It doesn't start till after

15:12

the holidays and it could all go away, we know that from

15:14

experience. Do we? Do we? You

15:18

didn't tell them about the other one? There

15:20

was

15:20

another one? What a year you

15:22

had. Yes.

15:26

All we did was stop a mummy

15:29

army from destroying the eastern

15:31

seaboard. Oh, and we trick-a-trickster

15:34

God into retirement. Then we helped some ghosts

15:37

find their way, but we're always doing that. Oh,

15:39

Sadie invented a new drink. Oh, and Frank invented

15:42

a new way to drink it. Same old,

15:43

same old. Why

15:47

didn't you tell me about the movie, the other

15:49

one? It never felt like the right time

15:52

and then it went away. Easy come, easy go,

15:54

you know. I wish I did. You don't.

15:57

I promise.

15:58

It is a tough, lonely...

15:59

family, business, makes me

16:02

appreciate this. Family, friends,

16:05

my business manager. That's L,

16:07

they talk all the time. More

16:09

than we talk to each other, I bet. No, it's

16:11

nothing. Curtis didn't know

16:13

who to trust. I read his offers

16:15

and did a little research at the library.

16:18

I do a lot of reading, that's all. Mostly

16:20

contract law. You've

16:23

all come so far.

16:26

You remember when we met, you

16:28

couldn't discern one sense from

16:31

another. Now you're casually

16:33

reading contract law. I'm

16:37

so proud of all of you. Oh,

16:39

that reminds me, we'd love to

16:42

have Curtis perform at our poetry

16:44

benefit. So proud of most

16:47

of you. Yeah.

16:50

Um, tell you

16:52

what, send me the dates and

16:55

I'll check my schedule. I

16:58

could do it.

16:59

Oh, I love that? I

17:03

mean, I'm not really, it's not my

17:05

decision. You know, it's a lot of

17:07

politics at play in the collection.

17:09

No, sure, sure, sure, sure, sure, sure, I get it. Yeah,

17:12

let me know how that goes. Top me off here, Frank. Are

17:15

you sure? I'll tell you what it is, is. Here

17:18

we go. Here

17:20

we go. I just had a run

17:22

of bum mouth men. Ventriloquist.

17:25

They know. I assume.

17:28

Here, Jack, gin and tonic, heavy

17:30

on the tonic. We have

17:33

mixers? For

17:42

just such an occasion. We

17:45

also have cheese and crackers. Help

17:48

yourselves, everyone. Cheese and crackers?

17:51

Who are we?

17:51

We are excellent hosts. I

17:58

sometimes forget. Now,

18:01

see, a good mouth man is hard to find.

18:04

That's true, I lucked out. I had one

18:06

guy real strong, but he missed

18:08

a gig because of some girl.

18:09

This is from his act. The girl was his

18:12

daughter and he had to run home because something

18:15

babysitter caught fire. Um... Babysitters

18:20

are fire hazards. This guy gets

18:22

it? I do, you

18:25

pretend it's true even though it's a joke. For

18:27

real though, had a promising mouth man,

18:29

kept making it his own. It's like, stop

18:32

making setups into punchlines. You're

18:34

the guy that gives me the ball and I put

18:37

it in the hoop. Just give me the ball,

18:39

guy. There's no three pointers

18:41

in here. What are you doing?

18:43

That must be so frustrating. It's

18:45

like my axe smart. And

18:48

that's not just me saying that. Right

18:51

now it is. Yeah, no, it's

18:54

other people. Eleanor, that

18:57

critic. But I need

18:59

someone who can keep up with an act that is

19:01

this smart. Someone with a little gas in the

19:03

tank. Someone who can catch the fastballs

19:06

without his palm getting sore. You

19:08

see where I'm going with this. Jack,

19:10

don't. I need someone who gets it.

19:14

Someone like you, Frank. Me?

19:16

Oh no. Jack, Jack, it's not his calling.

19:19

If he doesn't want to be in the ventriloquist

19:21

act, why in the world does he dress like that?

19:25

This is how a proper person dresses. You

19:28

can't fool me. When we do banter, Frank, that's

19:31

the only time I

19:33

feel alive.

19:33

In the good way. And I know

19:35

it's the same for you. It's not.

19:39

I love you too, darling. You're

19:42

the one who's going to be in the

19:44

ventriloquist act. You're the one who's going to be in the

19:47

ventriloquist act. You're the one who's going

19:50

to be in the ventriloquist act. Darling. Did

19:56

you hear what you needed to, Jack?

19:58

Because I did.

19:59

I

20:01

haven't made you feel alive, because

20:03

all I do is live for your victories and

20:05

die for your defeats and for you it's

20:08

all defeat. I

20:10

thought I could love you enough

20:13

for the both of us while you needed me

20:15

too. But

20:17

you weren't even here. You

20:21

know how it is. You know how he

20:23

is, Elle. All Jack loves is Jack.

20:27

You kept saying it. I never

20:29

let myself believe it. Until...

20:32

Let's get out of here. Oh,

20:34

hey, before you go, here's that contract.

20:36

The dates are in there. He's not doing

20:40

your show. And

20:44

fine. You know what? I

20:47

don't need you. You think I can't

20:49

be the dummy and the mouth man? Well,

20:52

I'll show you. I will show

20:55

all of you. I

20:57

am going to be a star. This

21:09

is a fine Christmas tradition. Oh,

21:12

hey. What are you guys doing for the rest of the night?

21:15

You want me to conjure you up some poetry?

21:21

Cheers. We'll see

21:23

you next Christmas Eve. Toasty.

21:37

Toasting. Toasted. Merry

21:41

Christmas Eve, darling. Drinks! Sorry

21:45

for business clothes. I came from work. Well,

21:48

that's a rather formal dress

21:50

for poetry. Oh, well, I

21:52

work for my parents now. You

21:54

know, I never saw myself in corporate witchcraft,

21:56

but there's a lot of creativity,

21:59

or so I told myself. in product

22:01

design. Well, I'm sure there must

22:03

be. Yeah, I mean pairing the right spells

22:06

with the right apples.

22:09

Imagine. If you use a granny

22:11

smith for a love

22:14

spell. Yes, imagine.

22:20

And what about you two? We saw your movie.

22:23

Looked like you were having fun up there. I

22:27

wasn't not up there or down here.

22:30

It took Elle finding her true calling to inspire

22:32

me to look for mine.

22:34

I'm writing legal thrillers. I

22:39

have a busty ill and a pen name and everything.

22:42

And I work in a hospital now. It's so

22:45

fulfilling. I keep the patient spirits

22:47

up. Laughter is the best medicine.

22:50

Except when medicine is the best medicine. And

22:53

I help with that too. I can administer

22:56

an IV if no one's looking. I'll

23:00

drink to

23:01

anything.

23:05

Also, sometimes when the doctors are

23:07

scratching their heads I get to diagnose

23:09

people. Solved a few medical mysteries.

23:12

I saved tens of lives. They

23:15

call me an MD. Medical dummy.

23:19

Is there anything he can't

23:21

do? Jack,

23:24

you came.

23:25

Where have you been? We've been so worried about

23:28

you. Sure you have. Jack,

23:30

where have you been? You haven't returned my calls.

23:34

I thought we decided we weren't going to talk again. Oh,

23:36

no. You decided it for us.

23:39

Did you think I wouldn't be here? That

23:41

I wouldn't show my face? I mean, I made

23:43

some choices I'm not proud of. But

23:45

I'm not ashamed. You think I am? Oh,

23:48

I think you should be. I'm not the one who

23:50

got together with my best friend as

23:52

soon as the engagement was off her

23:54

wooden finger.

23:56

Best friend? Me? You hate me. Like

23:58

a brother. Gertis

24:02

and I aren't together, Jack. We're just

24:04

there for each other in a way you

24:07

never were for anyone. Alright,

24:10

I feel caught up. Yes,

24:14

me too. Thank you all for coming.

24:17

See you next year. If we don't

24:19

have something else, remember? We

24:21

might have made those plans. Yes, we'll

24:24

let you know if we're available

24:27

next year. If you don't hear from us by

24:30

October, it's because we have these other

24:32

plans.

24:33

Yes. If everybody's going to keep

24:35

yelling and keep not bringing more gin,

24:37

then I'm going to have to ask you all

24:39

to leave. You can't kick us

24:41

out yet. I have brought something.

24:43

Besides vitriol

24:45

and anger. That's right. So

24:48

you brought a third thing. Yep. The

24:51

third thing being a host

24:54

gift.

24:57

An apple. That's right, an apple.

25:00

You left one of your spell books at

25:02

my place, Clara, and I concocted

25:04

a little spell. But

25:06

how? I mean, you're not a witch. I'm made

25:09

of magic. I can

25:11

do some. This apple is a compulsion

25:13

spell. I won't get back

25:15

together with you. No, that's not... I'm

25:22

going to make Frank my mouth man. Absolutely

25:26

not. Frank

25:28

is my mouth man. Let's

25:40

hear the little fellow out. No,

25:43

he used a sweet Fuji. That's

25:46

a powerful apple. The spell

25:48

is already working. Well, it is not.

25:50

I'm just hungry for apples and

25:53

possibly if it's on the table some ventriloquism.

25:56

Grab your tux, Frank. Let's

25:58

hit the road.

25:59

All right, Tails, stop at all of the above.

26:02

Franklin, Brayburn, Honeycrisp,

26:05

Doyle, you're not going anywhere. Too

26:09

bad there's no counterspell. Of

26:12

course there is. Compassion.

26:16

Jack, don't you realize that you'll

26:18

never be happy until you like

26:21

yourself? What?

26:24

I'm the only one I like. That

26:27

might be what you tell yourself, but do you

26:30

believe it? You drive

26:32

everyone away. All we do is try to

26:34

help you, but you push us out.

26:36

I'm excited for us to work together completely

26:38

against my will. You

26:42

came by it honestly, Jack.

26:45

You were pushed into show business the moment

26:47

you were given consciousness. Nothing

26:49

will ever be good enough for someone who isn't

26:52

good enough for himself.

26:54

I am good enough for

26:56

myself. People like what I do. Even if

26:58

I haven't made it big.

27:00

That's precisely what I mean. Instead

27:03

of being angry about not getting

27:05

what you think you deserve,

27:08

why not try appreciating what

27:10

you have? But

27:13

other than my act, what do I have

27:15

if it's not the best? What

27:18

else is there? Jack, we like

27:20

you whether your act is a success or not, and

27:22

that's only mostly the Apple talking.

27:26

Jack,

27:28

when we were together, nothing

27:30

felt better than making you

27:32

laugh. Yours

27:34

was the laugh I wanted most in the world, Jack.

27:37

You used to be so loud, like a whip. It'd

27:41

snap out of you as if you didn't know it was

27:43

coming. And you were so generous

27:45

with it. If only you could find

27:47

the laugh to give yourself.

27:50

And nobody else's laugh could do it. You

27:53

turned sour, hard, bitter.

27:55

A real jerk. Such a jerk. The

27:58

worst. A hateful toad. We

28:00

hated you. We hate you. But

28:02

there's still love, probably.

28:06

Maybe. So

28:08

this is it? The possibility

28:10

of love? From the two people

28:13

who threw me away because I threw theirs away?

28:16

This is living,

28:19

darling. There's

28:22

always time to be better as long

28:24

as you're drawing breath. Think

28:26

of how much has changed in the past year.

28:29

You could be a new man by next Christmas. Speaking

28:33

of new people by next Christmas...

28:38

I'm pregnant.

28:40

But...but...but

28:42

that... That's

28:44

wonderful. You see there,

28:46

Jack. Something new to

28:48

care about and love.

28:51

Oh my gosh, is it mine?

28:53

Of course you dummy. Do

29:04

you think it'll be a regular human

29:07

baby or a wooden little

29:09

guy? I'll love

29:11

it no matter what. I mean, I will. I don't want to speak for

29:13

anyone else. No, I will too.

29:19

Well, we can't wait to meet him. Next

29:22

year,

29:24

after you've all gotten to be nicer

29:26

to each other, don't come back.

29:30

This apple's wearing off. Everybody out. Not

29:34

you, Sadie. Never ever you.

29:37

I'm here now and forevermore,

29:39

darling. It

29:53

seems Frank can say to his puppet,

29:56

Christmas peril...

30:05

has turned into a great puppet caper

30:08

in the end. Join

30:10

the doyls next time when they once

30:13

again walk beyond belief in

30:15

a spooky tale titled A

30:17

Passing Banshee.

30:30

you