 Good evening what who are you I beg your pardon I said who are you what are you doing here my name is Gabriel I am Butler to the Holloway Gabriel but you you can't be well you're you're dead midnight the witching hour when the night is darkest our fears the strongest and our strength that it's lowest ever midnight when the graves gave open and death strikes how you learn the answer in just a minute in the house that time forgot murder at midnight tales of mystery and terror by radius masters of the macabre our story by Sigmund Miller is the house that time forgot early evening on a desolate part of the Virginia coast along a road near the beach comes a car with two people in it I guess we've done enough looking for today even really beautiful country around here dear wild and lovely darling if we can't find a house perhaps we should buy some land and build we better start back to town it's getting dark and I think we're in for a storm look Fred look at that house we're coming to oh isn't it a beauty oh yeah nobody that owns that one would want to sell it drive slowly dear I'd like to take a good look at it all right there's a for sale sign yeah this house for sale see mr. Cecil Smith Westfield Virginia well that's interesting let's drive in there into the grounds I'll we can come back tomorrow it's really starting to blow take a minute I've just got to have a close look all right but we're gonna get caught in the rain back in to save time we'll watch the fenders on that side all right dear I'll watch come ahead my clear okay you're all right fine oh there's a light in one of the gable windows I guess somebody's home grounds look a little neglected though grounds who cares about that go ahead and knock okay I wish they'd hurry we're gonna get caught in a storm don't worry about it they don't seem to answer do they try knocking again so I must be somebody home we saw a light in the window maybe they can't hear us let's try calling them oh hello there hello that's very strange yeah I hear something listen it's a clock striking let's let's try the door it's not locked what do you think well let's go in it's a big place but lovely wait a minute anybody home if there is they can't hear us or don't want to come on we'll come back tomorrow place needs fixing up but it's worth fixing shall we take it we'll see very interested in buying the Holloway house yes mr. smear it's just the kind of house we've been looking for it's a fine place all right even got a private inlet to more a large-sized boat it's got everything except except what's it well it's only fair that I tell you all it's defects what defects mrs. Smith you see mr. Jordan it's kind of hard to put your finger on it there's something very queer about the house you mean it's haunted well I don't know exactly mr. Jordan no one has seen a goose there yet well we we don't mind ghosts do we know no we don't believe it well I didn't say it was haunted but well people say that the house is alive that that it has a life and a wheel of its own a life well I don't know what you mean well I've had four caretakers in the Holloway house since I took possession of it and none of them stayed more than a few days well why did they quit I don't know they didn't see any ghosts or apparitions but they all felt the same way that that the house was alive every one of them well there must have been something that scared them away well I'd better tell you the whole story yes we'd like to hear the house originally belonged to Richard Holloway seven years ago in 1939 Richard and his wife Diana went on a short queue cruise in their yacht the Viking second that's an interesting name they never came back oh they had two friends visiting them will refuse to go with them the strangest part about it is that these friends warned them that they'd never return live from the cruise all the way he's left it oh well well how did they know these friends at the Holloway's wouldn't come back I don't know nobody knows well did you talk to these friends no I never saw them I only know about it through John Gabriel he was the Holloway's butler been dead for two years now as a matter of fact even Gabriel didn't know these friends he'd never seen them before it's a mystery that I've thought about for years I'm afraid it's gonna be a mystery forever very interesting but we'd still like to buy the house Mr. Smith there was a light shining in one of the windows when we were there yesterday we also heard a clock shining that's funny no one's been inside that house in over a year oh Eva perhaps we ought to think this over nonsense darling you're not gonna let some old wives tail bother you are you no no but how could a clock still be going if no one's been in that house for a year well there's a life boy not far from the house you might have mistaken it for the clock now you see everything has a logical explanation yeah what about the light in the window well it was probably a reflection from the sun or something we'd like to take the house Mr. Smith well if you wanted I'd be glad to sell it to you I just thought it fair to tell you all about it so if anything happens you can't blame me here we are darling our house I hope we'll like it of course we will let's go in do you have the key dear yes but we don't need it the door was open remember yes that's right it's locked again oh mr. Smith must have locked it everything clean dusted why it's spotless oh now mr. Smith really is a deer looks lived in doesn't I told you we'd like it I suppose you also put flowers around it does smell of flowers roses but let's look around bright-looking kitchen isn't it fair yeah and this wonderful big refrigerator and it's full of food no that mr. Smith why he thought of everything bedroom is even bigger than I thought look at the beds right someone slept in that man mr. Smith sent to clean the house must have slept in it yes and he apparently slept in both bed this library look at that paneling yeah it's a very lovely room everything is charming but but what look at the fireplace what's wrong with the fireplaces that is just some half burnt logs in it yes just some half burnt logs still smoldering well it was the cleaning man I don't think there was a cleaning man now don't be absurd Fred the clock we heard the first time we were here Eva I just can't shake off the feeling that someone is still living here you're being ridiculous maybe I am but I feel like an intruder darling it's that story mr. Smith told us about the hollow ways and their mysterious friends it's got you all keyed up yeah well I'm going to call mr. Smith and find out about that cleaning man you think he sent here the operator oh operator give me Westfield 403 you're really being a first-part friend yeah we'll see out that oh hello mr. Smith this is Fred Jordan oh everything seems fine thanks for having the house cleaned up didn't you send a cleaning man to straighten up the house might interest you to know we found the house in a spotless condition cleaned and ready for occupancy thank you mr. Smith I'll be in touch with you later we'd better go back to the house please don't be upset there must be some logical explanation maybe maybe somebody took advantage of a boarded up house and was living in it rent free I'd like to correct your dear someone is still living in it besides ourselves sometimes Fred you get very ridiculous maybe let's go back inside look what is a fire burning in the fireplace now what's wrong with that I haven't touched this fireplace since we got here you didn't look table is set for tea did you do this no I didn't tea pot is hot somebody somebody must be hiding if they are I'll find them come on I just sell her to attic and there's no one here someone is living here and we can't see it doesn't make sense there's somebody here right now right in this room it sounds crazy but I know it Fred the clock what about it it it just struck midnight and it's it's only 10 o'clock a house that is deserted except for invisible tenants and a clock that is running backwards has it just struck 12 for murder at midnight and now back to murder at midnight and the house that time for God red week up get up what what is it dear what's matter look out there out the window why get up and take a look at what boat out there in the inlet it must have put in while we were sleeping can't you read the name dear it's the Viking second the Viking set wasn't that the Holloway's yet the one that never came back that's what mr. Smith said either mr. Smith is a fantastic liar or something very fantastic is happening to us perhaps the Holloway's have finally come back after seven years doesn't make sense none of it that's putting it mildly telling we we ought to take a close look at the boat don't sound very enthusiastic about it yes I suppose we ought to whoever is on it might be able to tell us something somebody must have come off the boat they couldn't have dear at least they didn't come up to the house well let's let's go up and see all right going on deck there anyone here no answer maybe they're down below they must be I'd rather not go down there we've got to find out let's let's both go down together all right you keep right behind me don't worry dear I will here's the state room there's nobody here either anybody here no one at least but the beds are still warm but I just left the state room a little while ago it seems so let's get out of here Eva gotta cure your feeling down my spot it is chilly lights are on in the living room did you put them on just one of the lamps a floor well all the ceiling lights are lit the doors locked we didn't even close it when we went out no I remember we left it open good evening who are you I beg your pardon I said who are you I'm John Gabriel butler to the Holloway's Gabriel that's right man whom do you wish to see we don't want to see anyone we live here I'm afraid you're mistaken sir the Holloway's live here I've been living here for years but this is our house we bought it and the Holloway's are dead dead yes I'm afraid someone has misinformed you listen this is like a nightmare look here Gabriel or whoever you really are we bought this house from Cecil Smith a real estate agent in Westfield he's not the kind of a man who plays practical jokes no he's not he's a very sober man indeed he told us you were dead too as you can see madam I'm very much alive this is crazy we'd better talk to the people who call themselves the Holloway's perhaps you should there'll be in any minute please come in won't you you excuse me if I close the windows we're going to have a storm perfectly all right would you care for some tea look here Gabriel we've been waiting an hour for mr. Holloway and his wife they haven't shown up and I don't think they will not just what is your game would you care for some tea mrs. Jordan no thank you did you hear what I said yes sir I did as soon as mr. and mrs. Holloway arrived I'm sure you'll be convinced of your error they should be here any minutes since they plan to leave tonight on a cruise this is mad fantastic ah they've come just missed the storm Gabriel oh hello I don't believe I know you this is mr. and mrs. Jordan mr. and mrs. Holloway I'm glad to meet you mrs. Jordan mr. Jordan thank you are you Richard Holloway yes I can't believe it it's all terribly confusing mr. Holloway these people claim that this is their house what that they bought it from Cecil Smith they also claim that you mrs. Holloway and myself are dead somebody's playing some kind of a joke on I'd say it was a very unpleasant joke dick we've been living here for years and years mr. and mrs. Jordan oh before I forget Gabriel get our suitcases aboard the yard will you we'll be leaving in a few minutes yes sir right away do you suppose that maybe we're dreaming this we are we're dreaming it together I'm sorry I don't know how this happened to you perhaps you better stay here for the night there's plenty of room and we'd be delighted to have you would you mind if I call mr. Smith oh please do the phones right there on the table I know thanks operator operator let me have Westfield 403 hello mr. Smith this is mr. Jordan Fred Jordan remember you sold me the Holloway house yes you must be mistaken I never sold it that property is not for sale are you talking about listen mr. Smith you know very well who I am you won't get away with this I'll have you brought into court now I never heard of you in my life you must be crazy goodbye hello hello he hung up what did he say he said he never sold the house he'd never even heard of me he must have been taken in by someone who posed as mr. Smith that's really a shame you have to be very careful we'd be glad to have you stay here till you find other quarters well I as a matter of fact you can stay for a few days until we get back we're taking a trip on our boat perhaps you'll be able to get it all straightened out in the morning I just don't understand it the mr. Smith we had dealings with wasn't a crook I know he wasn't that was my feeling too but I you're not going out to see in this kind of weather we don't mind a little rain my husband's a very good sailor Mrs. Jordan he can handle the Viking second in any kind weather sounds like a gale coming up we like them exciting well it's dangerous to set out in this weather they're very dangerous oh now don't worry about us we don't drown easily darling we better get started oh yes yes I'm also are the suitcases aboard yes Gabriel took something's wrong with your grandfather clock it only struck eight times yes it's correct my watch says eight o'clock too well how can that be it's after midnight you really are mixed up mr. Jordan it's only eight o'clock well my watch says 130 well so does mine I'm afraid ours is right Mrs. Jordan it's very old but very accurate of course there's a legend about it the story is that it will sometimes go backwards in time has has that ever happened no no it's only a story it's never gone anything but forward like any other clock but it's a nice story isn't it yes yes delightful might even be true Mrs. Halloway yes what is today's date what I believe it's September 10th what what year 1939 of course 1939 yes yes of course that Mrs. Halloway I'd I'd like to ask you and mr. Halloway something yes please please don't go out on this trip you're planning why not because if you do I don't think you'll ever come back what a terrible thing to say please Mrs. Halloway please I don't know what's wrong with you too you came in here with a strange story about owning my house and now you tell us we're never going to come back she's right you won't come back you'll pardon me for saying so mr. Jordan but I think you're both crazy I don't care what you think but please don't go why Mrs. Jordan I have a hunch about it we don't believe in hunches it's more than a hunch mr. Halloway I know you're not coming back if you'll excuse us I think we'd better get started come along darling I'm ready I put everything on board is there anything else yes just take care of our guests see that they're comfortable goodbye Gabriel goodbye and pleasant voyage make yourself at home and we'll be back despite your hunches if you wish you could occupy the master bedroom I'll go up and make it ready for was there anything else you wished mr. Jordan ma'am no Gabriel just go to bed we'll we'll sit here for a while it's rather late sir nearly midnight by your clock Gabriel but it's it seems to have stopped so it has it needs rewinding it's going now yes seems to be ticking rather first something's wrong it never did that before something's happening as soon as I find the switch I don't know maybe the storm lightning where's Gabriel Gabriel never mind you can't catch a fight the switch here it is oh all all that dust like the first time we saw the house there there is no Gabriel we're back in 1946 and that means he's dead you mean the clock did go backwards something else you understand too now don't you we were the friends that mr. Smith told us about the mysterious friends that urged the Holloway's not to go on that trip what clock is stopped it needs rewind no no don't touch it we we won't wind that clock again ever a house without tenants except for the dead and the clock that runs backward in time if it was your clock would you wind it or are you afraid it would keep you up nights while you waited for it to strike 12 for murder never to be with us again when death comes out of the past out of time gone by and the clocks strike 12 for murder the Jordan's husband and wife were played by Vinton Hayworth and Elsie Hitts with music by Bert Berman murder at midnight was directed by Anton M. Leader