The Great Impostor

Recess!

Here goes! Catch!

That's it!

Block him!

Marie...

Better take the children inside.

But why? Recess isn't over.

Please, do as I tell you.

Come on, children, let's go in now.

I have a feeling, gentlemen,

I can be of some help.

Are you Martin Goddard?

- Yes, I am. - And your real name

is ferdinand Waldo demara Jr.”

Yes, it is.

Alias Dr. Mornay,

alias brother Joseph Jerome...

That... that's enough.

That's quite a list you've got.

It's very impressive.

Uh, I don't think those will be necessary.

Anything you want in there?

Yes, but nothing I can take with me.

You know what day this is?

Saint Valentine's day.

Do you think the people on the island

would spend one dollar

to decorate the school, huh?

Ah.

Shall we go?

Come on demara, let's get below.

It's cold out here.

You know something? I think you're afraid

I can see the headlines now!

"Full fathom five,

the phony faker lies."

I would never do that, you know why?

It would make me look ridiculous.

I'd never like that.

Inside, Fred.

Fred?

Yeah.

Watch your step.

Watch it.

Inside.

Oh, that's very, very nice.

Yes, my compliments to the captain.

This will do fine.

Mind sitting down?

Not at all.

Oh, please, now. I...

That really isn't necessary.

I mean, where could I go if I wanted to?

Do you have the key?

Well, in case it sinks,

I won't... forget it.

Thank you.

My best.

This is the nuttiest arrest I've ever made.

How do you account for the guy?

Ah.

Mr. Demara!

- Late, Mr. Demara? - Yes, father, but...

The sixth grade is receiving

their diphtheria shots this morning.

Weren't you told to be a half hour earlier today?

Yes, father, but I have an excuse.

I know. I know.

Ample, as usual, I'm sure.

- I really do! - Is this it?

Hmm?

All this candy?

I bought a box for everyone in the class.

- It's a celebration! - Fred...

Oh, I can tell you. You'll be the first to know, anyhow.

Pa's getting his movie houses back!

The whole chain! All four of them!

You see, the man who took them over...

Well, they need pa.

They want him back now

to manage the whole thing!

Isn't that great?

Are you sure about this, Fred?

Well, they called him on the phone last night!

He's in their office, right now,

in conference.

Uh, may I go now, father?

They need me in there.

Yes, yes. You may do.

Hello, doctor.

Good morning, sister.

Owl!

Here, Elsie. This should help.

Oh, I should have come earlier.

I bet nobody would have cried then.

Hey rog, pass them down.

Oh, you can go ahead now, doctor.

They won't feel it now.

Well, thank you.

I decided to read up on these shots, last night,

before I got mine.

Oh, ow!

Here, John.

Dr. P.P.E. Roux was the first man

to discover anti-toxin

for diphtheria.

Did you know that?

He was a great biologist, Dr. Roux.

Not as great as pasteur,

or Dr. Elrich.

- Did you know that? - Uh, just a moment.

I'll take you next, Mr. Demara.

Roll up your sleeve.

They actually had an anti-toxin

20 years before.

Did you know that?

But they didn't use it right away,

isn't that crazy?

They just didn't know what to do with it.

Well, don't you worry, Fred.

I know exactly what to do with it!

Owl!

Hil

where's pa?

Did you buy 22 boxes of candy

from Mrs. Pakula today?

Yes.

And charged them?

And told Mrs. Pakula

that we were going to reopen

all our old charge accounts

at all the stores soon?

Yes, ma.

Where's pa?

Freddie, come back here.

Where did you get those shoes?

Did you charge those, too?

How much? Who's going to pay for them?

They're paid for, Mary.

I bought them for him last week.

Well, he hated those work shoes so.

What's wrong?

Everything went all right, didn't it?

Tell him.

You've filled his head with dreams

and foolishness.

Now tell him the truth for once.

Mrs. Demara, please.

Tell him.

They offered...

All they offered me, son, was a job.

Not the chain.

A job as a projectionist.

You didn't take it, did you?

I had to, son.

Can't you see that?

Pa?

Pa, it doesn't matter.

We'll go back.

Someday we'll go back to our home.

Pa, we will, won't we?

Answer him.

Please, tell him the truth!

No, son.

We're never going back.

Fred...

You know the...

The most difficult part of growing up

is learning to be realistic.

To understand that we just don't always get

what we want out of life.

Whether we like it or not,

sometimes we have to settle for less.

And that's just what your father's had to do.

Why?

Why what, son?

Why does my father have to settle for less?

Why does anybody have to?

Well, because it's a fact, son.

It's a hard fact of life.

I'm one of those people like your father

who had to settle for less.

That's right. When I was just about your age,

I wanted to be a trappist monk.

I don't know why I wanted it.

I think I told myself there is the toughest,

the strictest order in the church.

Try that.

I entered a trappist monastery,

and I lasted two years,

but I just didn't have what it takes.

So I ended up doing what I'm doing today,

being a parish priest.

It's god's work

and it's good work,

but it's not being a trappist.

Certainly isn't what I dreamed of.

But if you wanted it bad enough,

you could've stayed.

You should've stayed.