Four O'Clock - Recap

In his rundown apartment, Oliver Crangle calls an employer and informs him that one of his workers is a Communist. He calls a school superintendent and tells him one of the teachers is morally objectionable. He boasts to his parrot, Pete, that he's made eleven calls that morning. Looking out the window, he talks about all the people carrying evil with them. He announces that he will be going forward with his plan to destroy all evil at four o'clock that day, even though he isn't sure yet exactly what will happen or how it will occur.



Crangle's landlady Mrs. Williams comes in to drop off a package and asks him what he's doing. He angrily orders her to leave and notes she'll thank him in the future if she's still around. She asks him what he does and he says that he investigates people, and has a preliminary file on her. He says that at four o'clock he will expose evil, pushing it out into the light. Mrs. Williams hurriedly leaves and a Mrs. Lucas comes to visit Crangle. He recognizes the name of her husband and invites her in. Mrs. Lucas asks why Crangle is ruining her husband and he says that he has nothing personal against him. However, Mr. Lucas permitted the death of a woman in the ER. Mrs. Lucas says that he got there too late to save the woman but Crangle refuses to hear any defense. She wonders how he can prosecute anyone without medical knowledge, but he insists that Mr. Lucas evil and refuses to countenance it. Crangle asks if Mr. Lucas has been fired yet and Mrs. Lucas informs him that he hasn't, but the pressure is wearing on him. She wonders why he prosecutes people and he talks about all the "ants" on the streets. He decides to make every evil man 2' tall. Realizing Crangle is insane, Mrs. Lucas quickly runs out.



At 3:25, Crangle is considering the Gettysburg Address and its statement of equality when Hall, an FBI agent, arrives in response to his call. He explains that all the evil people have formed a conspiracy but he's trying to notify anyone he can that at four o'clock all the evil people will shrink. Crangle boasts of how he makes anonymous calls to prosecute the evil people and has had other plans in the past, where he uses his willpower to make airplanes malfunction or wheels change to a square shape. Hall asks him if he's had psychiatric help and believes he needs help. Crangle wants the FBI to arrest all the evil people once they're revealed. Hall just shrugs and leaves as Crangle rants at him and his superiors, warning they'll shrink as well. Crangle makes sure his clock is wound and locks the door.



It's four o'clock, and Crangle looks out his window, waiting for everyone to shrink. He tells his parrot that they will be able to celebrate... and discovers that he's shrunk to 2' tall. Crangle drops to the ground, sobbing.



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