Do Not Fold, Spindle or Mutilate
Do Not Fold, Spindle or Mutilate is an American television film made for the 90minute series ABC Movie of the Week which broadcast it on November 9, 1971. Directed by Ted Post, it stars Helen Hayes, Myrna Loy, Mildred Natwick, Sylvia Sidney, John Beradino and Vince Edwards, with the screenplay adapted by John D. F. Black from a novel of the same name by Doris Miles Disney. Both the novel and film are noteworthy as a preWorld Wide Web foray into the idea of virtual reality.
Composing a letter on his portable typewriter, the man provides an introduction, giving his name, exact address and phone number, which makes his words seem, in the opinion of the ladies, like those of an accountant. In the meantime, he walks down the street, thinking it would be a break if Rebecca has a little bread, thats a big plus, yeah, to have a chick with money, makes everything so easy... Entering a flower shop, he is asked by the Europeanaccented florist Leonidas Ossetynski, how goes with the book writing, Mal?, answering, great, great, Ive got two publishers fighting over me. When the florist says, then I guess you wont sell the movie rights to that guy from studio, he replies, oh, not yet. Inquiring of the florist, whatve you got thats cheap?, he buys two bunches of spring flowers and leaves.Returning home, he takes a bubble bath, dreaming of his date, here she comes down the street, fiveseven, blonde, blue eyes, twentythree, great figure, heh, Id know her anywhere. Hi, Rebecca, these are for you. Im Mal Weston. An hour or so later, sitting in his car across from the house, he sees two of the ladies go in, but no sight of a young woman. Going back to his place, he is enraged over wasting time and money on the flowers and smashes them against a lamp. Then, using a pay phone, he pretends to be a physician on an emergency call and gets the phone number corresponding to the ladies address. Calling their house, he makes a date at the Pasadena cocktail lounge, The Velvet Trap, at 530, even though the ladies try to put him off by pretending to be engaged. ........
Source: Wikipedia
