Original subtitles

with stubble, Private.

When did you shave?

I shaved this morning, sir. You are supposed to clean the billets in the

morning. Company punishment.

More stubble.

When did you shave, soldier?

I shaved last night, sir.

Army regulations say you will shave every morning.

How am I feeling better today in private?

Yes, sir.

Well, troopers, looks like you messed up again, which means field exercises

again. Tonight, 1 ,800 hours.

Sound good to you?

Yes, sir!

You can thank whoever left this.

Sir!

Thomas and I just cleaned the latrine, sir. There was no cigarette butt in

there. Then maybe you're the ones that they should thank.

and lousy.

Bobby, Bobby, you okay?

Stomach cramps again, man.

Look, Bobby, if it was something you ate, you'd be over it by now. It's got

be some kind of a bug.

Maybe so.

Maybe the next one to get it will be Walters, you know?

Oh, forget it, Bobby. You're not going out in the field tonight.

You go on sick call.

And face Walters?

My man, no way.

Crawling around in the dark is a picnic compared to Walters.

Observe the wooded area in front of you.

C Company made it across that terrain and back in two hours and 17 minutes.

And that used to be the fort record.

I say used to be because you are going to make it across and back in two hours

and 10 minutes.

Got it?

Yes, sir!

Then move him out.

Yep! Hey!

Double time!

the cramps again.

Bobby,

you can't do this. Go back. Forget about walking.

Hey, hey, where do you think you're going, Thomas?

Where do you think you're going?

Thomas! He's sick, Sarge.

Sir, I can't continue the exercise.

Get back out there. Sir, I'm sick.

My insides are cramped so bad I can hardly move. I'm the one who's getting

of mama's boys like you.

Your soul may belong to God, Thomas, but your butt belongs to me. And if you

don't move it on out there, on the double and rejoin that union, I am going

teach you what pain is. Is that what you want?

No, sir. Then move out!

I'll never catch up now.

Follow that stream.

About 200 yards.

Cross it, head west, and you'll cut them off.

Now hold it!

Twenty -one minutes.

Guess we'll just have to do this more often.

You do want to break that record, don't you?

Yes, sir.

All right.

Smoke them if you got them.

Where's Thomas, sir?

Set the pansy back out.

Back out where?

He's not with us, sir.

on your feet. Fan out over the line of march and locate Private Thomas.

Everybody up! Come on! Go!

Move!

He had no business sending him back out there.

He was sick.

You arguing with me, soldier?

I'm just telling you, sir.

Shut up!

Go find your little...

I help you?

Hey, kid, this place would be off limits to you if we didn't have a dress code.

I'm talking to you.

You lost, soldier?

Bobby Thomas' appendix ruptured tonight.

I just came from the hospital. Bobby's dead, and you killed him.

That is you.

You go to hell!

That's enough, Private.

You're addressing an officer.

He's not fit to be an officer. He killed one of his own men.

Bobby Thomas died tonight because you sent him back out there even though you

knew he was sick.

Get out.

You're easier to read than Mother Goose.

Lieutenant, sit down.

You're going to pay.

At ease, Private. That's an order.

They're going to investigate, and I'm going to tell them exactly what

and they're finally going to nail you.

Private Hughes, you will consider yourself confined to quarters. Do I make

myself clear?

Yes, sir.

My God, Ray.

As he said,

there will be an investigation.

Walters, ever consider that maybe you push your luck?

Are you in deep trouble?

I went off the base for the night. I'm back now.

Lieutenant Walters was murdered last night.

Murdered? Stabbed to death in the officer's club with this.

I found it in your footlocker. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. He was alive when

left last night. You saw me.

Somebody else saw you there 20 minutes later.

After everybody but the lieutenant left.

That's a lie.

You saved it for the court, Marshal.

Place him in custody.

Don't yell, Arthur. I know I should have waited till tomorrow and come to your

office. That's right, Arthur. I don't talk business on Sunday. This is an

emergency. I don't care, Arthur.

It's about Chris.

I heard.

You've got to help him, Ben.

I have to be in Germany tomorrow to close a deal I've been working on for

years. Now, I need your help.

I spoke to Chris a little while ago, and I told him that you'd be down to talk

to him right away.

It's not right for you to come driving out here and stomping up on my porch and

telling me that you promised Chris I'd be down there to see him in a little

while. You want some of this chicken sandwich? Will you listen to me? You've

always been that way, Arthur. They have him on a murder charge. As long as I can

remember, you've come stomping up on my porch and telling me what I have to do.

Now, I'm working on other cases right now.

Postpone them. Anytime you want something or you're in some kind of

expect everybody to drop everything.

The Army will appoint him a lawyer.

Chris has got an attitude problem.

I was hoping the Army was going to knock that out of him. I don't remember Chris

having an attitude problem. I remember you always had an attitude problem.

I don't think he's got a prayer without someone like you. Arthur, please.

The Army doesn't like civilians messing in their stuff.

Look, Ben, why don't we just cut through all this?

I know that your standard rich client fee is $100 ,000.

I am going to write a check for $150 ,000.

$200 ,000.

$250 ,000.

I'll go down and see Chris.

Make out the check for $100 ,000.

How much it's going to cost you when it's all over depends on how mad I get

you.

Tell me about the night of the murder.

When they pronounced Bobby Thomas dead, it was a young man that Lieutenant

killed on maneuvers.

Well, I was so angry, I went down to the officer's club and I tried to get into

a fight with him.

Who else was there?

Lieutenant was there with Colonel McRae, Captain Campbell, Major Hamilton,

and Lieutenant Lynch.

They were playing poker.

Did you see anybody else?

No, just the bartender. It was late.

Then you left?

Yeah. Where'd you go when you left?

I drove around for a couple hours.

I finally wound up at Nancy's.

It's this girl I know in town. I spent the rest of the night there.

So there's no way you can prove where you were at the time of the murder?

No. Oh.

This bayonet they found in your footlocker, any idea who put it there?

No. The fellow who says he saw you come back to the club.

Any idea why he'd lie?

No idea.

Not much to go on, is there?

Why'd you come down here?

Chris, I take cases for three reasons.

Sometimes I'll take a case for money, and I don't think that's wrong. It

bother me. That's the way I make my living.

Sometimes I take one because clearly an injustice is being done. Sometimes I'll

take one because it interests me.

But somewhere in my mind, I must believe the person I represent is innocent.

What about me?

I think an injustice is being done and the case interests me. That answer any

your questions?

Yeah.

Let's say we get together and do this.

Yeah.

Okay. I better go or I'll be late for my appointment with the base commander.

Sergeant. Mr. Matlock.

What do you think my chances are?

Oh, there's always a fighting chance.

The truth has a way of coming out.

See if I can get you out of here.

Pardon, sir.

Excuse me, son.

Yes, sir.

I seem to be lost.

How can I help you, sir?

I'm looking for General Connor's office.

Headquarters is two blocks up the road. Second building to the right, sir.

Thank you.

Anytime, sir.

Mr. Hughes and I go back to OCS.

He left the Army after about three years.

I decided to stay.

You kept in touch all this time.

Mr. Matlock, this is awkward for me. I hope you understand my position.

Not exactly.

Well, an investigating officer, whom I've already appointed, will be

an Article 32 investigation.

That's a hearing where testimony and evidence are presented to the officer,

then he, in turn, presents his hearings to me.

Well, it's then up to me to determine whether or not a court -martial is

warranted. Well, I'm concerned about Chris.

How can I get him out of the stockade?

Well, that's not so simple.

Would you ask Major Orlando to step in here, please?

He's our staff judge advocate. You'll have to discuss Private Hugh's release

with him.

I'd be delighted.

Don't be too sure.

Yeah.

Major Orlando, Benjamin Matlock.

Mr. Matlock is Private Hughes' attorney.

He'd like him released from the stockade.

That is not possible, sir.

I'm not asking that he be freed, just released from the stockade and placed

under some kind of house arrest.

The evidence against Private Hughes is overwhelming.

You think he's guilty?

What I meant to say is that, well, Private Hughes has already gone AWOL

What's to prevent him from doing it again?

With a base full of soldiers, surely somebody can keep an eye on him.

Release Private Hughes from the stockade and confine him to quarters.

Yes, sir.

Anything else?

I'd like to take a look at the thing of the crime, if there's not too much

trouble. I'll have the Provo Marshal meet you at the Officer's Club ASAP.

Fine. And then I'd like to go through all that overwhelming evidence.

Anytime.

Morning. What can I get for you?

How about a cup of coffee?

A little information.

What kind of information?

Well, this is my first day on the post.

I didn't enlist. I'm a civilian.

Makes two of us.

Everywhere I go, these young fellows salute and call me sir.

I might get liked if I knew why.

They get a lot of visitors around here, VIP types.

The boys see somebody like you, you know, white hair and everything.

They think you're some kind of big shot, like a congressman. Maybe even a

senator. I figured it was my suit.

Mr. Matlock? Yes, sir. Major Jeffrey Hamilton, Provost Marshal.

Now, if you'll follow me, sir, I'll show you the scene of the crime. Yes, sir.

Excuse my ignorance, Major, but what's a Provost Marshal?

Head MP.

Oh, kind of like Chief Police.

I see.

I understand you were here the night of the murder.

That's right.

Playing poker.

Time of gang breakup?

About 10 .45 or so.

Well, why didn't Lieutenant Walters leave with the rest of you?

He stayed behind to...

Run some totals.

He kept a book on what everyone owed.

Oh, I'd like to see that.

See what? The book.

Is it with the rest of the evidence or what?

Actually, it was never found.

You mean the killer took it?

Well, why would Chris Hughes be concerned with the accounts of a

poker game?

I have no idea.

Why don't you ask him?

How do you suppose he knew Lieutenant Walters was in here by himself?

Maybe he waited for him outside and just got lucky.

Maybe.

But then we know there were several people who knew positively that

Walters was in here alone, don't we?

One, two, three, four people.

Are you suggesting that one of us killed him?

No, no, no, no.

You were obviously friends playing cards like that.

I'd like my investigator to look around in here.

Our forensics people have already gone over this room with a fine -tooth comb.

We'll send you a copy of the report. Now, if there's nothing... It's

for the defense to have the opportunity to examine the scene of the crime.

Just did.

I just did.

Where did you go after the poker game?

Back to my office.

Till midnight, catching up on some paperwork.

This is Sergeant Owens, who said he saw Chris come back to the club that night.

Where would I find him?

He works in post supply.

Where is he?

Go out the front door, turn left, three blocks.

Left, he'll be right in front of you.

Sergeant Owens? Yes, sir.

My name's Ben Matlock. I'm an attorney. I'd like to ask you some questions.

About what?

About what you saw the night Lieutenant Walters was murdered.

Well, I'm sorry, sir, but I got a lot of work to do. Couldn't you work and talk

at the same time?

Sergeant?

Hey, Sergeant!

Oh, way, absolutely not. Not in a million years out of the question.

Tyler, let me put it this way.

You have to.

Ben, I was in the Army once. Once is enough. What do you mean, I have to?

Hughes and General Connors had to go all the way to the Pentagon to get you in

Chris's platoon.

And as of now, you are in the Army, back on active duty. Ben, how could you

do this to me? I couldn't do it to her.

Chris said he was with a girl named Nancy Lamont when he went to AWOL. Find

Consider it done.

Go back, Tyler.

Tyler, everybody on that post treats me like I've got the plague. Either that or

I'm a member of the first family.

Now, you're going undercover is the only way we're going to be able to

investigate this thing.

But as a private, Ben, I was an officer. Do you realize what you're asking of

me?

How soon can you be packed?

You the new man?

Looks that way.

Name?

Hudson. Tyler.

Rank?

Private. Private? I thought you were a general the way you're lounging around

here. I'm Sergeant Wilson.

You get your butt into fatigues. I'm gonna make you my special project,

Hey,

you didn't tell me you were that lawyer Ben Matlock.

Yeah. My name is Danny Miller. What can I get for you?

A root beer?

Yeah. Yeah, Danny.

You know, my grandfather was a bartender in the days of Buffalo Indians.

At a trading post, actually.

They didn't have newspaper, but my grandfather knew everything.

Anybody want to know anything?

Ask my grandfather.

Some things never change.

You can quote me on that. Maybe I will.

What do you know about...

Poker gang in the back room.

I'll tell you what I don't know.

My five men who couldn't stand each other's guts. That's just what I'm

poker so often.

Could you just be more specific?

Here you go.

It's diet.

Not that you need it, but it's all I've got. Oh, thanks.

So...

What can I do for you?

Well, Chris says he was here the night Lieutenant Walters was murdered. What

time did he arrive?

Sometime after midnight.

I just got enough work at the bar.

And how was he when he got here? Was he nervous or upset?

Chris didn't kill Lieutenant Walters. He couldn't do something like that.

He tried to attack Lieutenant Walters with a bayonet.

Did you know that?

No, I didn't, but I can tell you this. Lieutenant Walters was a creep.

Walters used to hang out at your bar?

Only on Saturday nights.

He'd meet these two guys and they'd leave right away.

What guys?

Two civilians.

Looked like a couple of hoods.

And it was the same two guys every Saturday night?

Yeah.

Maybe that means something.

It's not easy to get along with. Well,

there he is now. That's Colonel McBride.

Just run, Mr. Matlock. You're at any place but here.

Danny, take a lock.

Carl McRae, Benjamin Matlock. Glad you could make it on such short notice.

I never turn down a free lunch.

Gentlemen?

I wanted to ask you...

about the poker games you used to play with Lieutenant Walters. Just an

little game of five -card draw. Jacks are better.

Five -dollar ante.

Do you win?

Sometimes.

Did you like playing with Lieutenant Walters?

Sure.

Even though he made a practice of insulting you?

Walters kidded me sometimes.

That's all.

Was he kidding when he said things like, You were old, over the hill, couldn't

cut it anymore, couldn't walk and chew gum at the same time, had this empty

space between your ears.

What are you driving at?

I just wonder why you'd let a junior officer treat you that way.

He had a big mouth.

But he was okay underneath.

Where'd you go after the poker game the night Lieutenant Walthamson was killed?

Back to the supply depot. I had some work to finish up.

Anybody else there?

After I relieved Sergeant Owens, no.

Is that the same Sergeant Owens who said he saw Private Hughes come out of the

officer's club?

He's my duty sergeant.

Well, that's an interesting coincidence.

If Sergeant Owens hadn't happened to be passing by the club that night, there'd

be no way to tie Chris Hughes to the scene of the murder.

Are you gentlemen ready to order yet?

I've already eaten, but I won't take care of the cart.

Enjoy your free lunch.

Afternoon, sir.

Afternoon, sir.

Afternoon, sir.

I apologize.

Do you mind if I look around? You see two stars on my shoulder?

No. Well, you got to outrank a brigadier general to say no to you around here,

so why don't you just be my guest?

Thanks.

Which one of these is Chris Shusbaum?

This footlocker's always online.

That's right.

Mind if I... I knew

I'd

find you around here someplace.

We can bust this case against Chris Hughes wide open if we can only find out

where this Sergeant Owens really was at the time of the murder.

I'm not listening.

He works at the supply depot run by Colonel McRae. Talk to his co -workers.

Maybe one of them knows where he was that night.

Baby, do you see what I'm doing here?

Now, when am I supposed to do this talking? I ask you, when?

Tyler, I know how unpleasant this is.

And I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you're doing.

And somehow, I'll make it up to you. I don't know how yet, but I will.

I swear.

Who are you looking at?

You're going to be mad.

Grab me.

Well, you missed it. I told you, I knew you.

Terrific. You look great in my clothes.

Thanks. A little snug.

Well, you would have stuck out like a sore thumb if you'd worn that dress of

yours in here.

I know.

So... See that guy at the bar?

His name is Jim Lynch.

He's a lieutenant.

Comes in here a lot.

Every time those two guys I told you about showed up, he'd leave with them

like Lieutenant Walters did.

He's one of the men Walters played poker with.

Looks kind of lonely to me.

Is the seat taken?

No, it's all yours.

Thank you.

Have some pretzels.

Oh, uh, actually, I'd like one of those.

Uh, Lee, look, could we have a beer for the lady, please?

You're a regular.

I come in here once in a while.

Often enough to know a new face when I see one.

Oh, I'm, uh, visiting an old friend from school.

Are you?

Thanks. What's your excuse?

The army.

Oh, the army.

Seen the world?

Just Fort Simpson.

And Grenada. You've seen actual combat.

Yes, yes, I have actually seen combat.

Being all you can be?

Yes.

I'm very sorry. You'll have to excuse me. I have to.

I have to go now. But I'll see you around.

They were gone about half an hour, and then Jim Lynch came back alone.

What did you do?

I spent another hour talking with him.

Well, I told him I was in town visiting a girlfriend who works at the bar, not

Nancy. Oh.

These two fellows that left with Jim Lynch, what do you know about?

Well, they're not big socializers, but they sure are big spenders. Good.

Good. He did good.

You better go home now. No, you go home. I'm staying.

No, you better go home. We don't know what we're getting into here, Charlene.

Well, don't you think we better find out?

Dad, I might be able to get something more out of this lieutenant.

Maybe if I talk with him, he'll let something slip.

Nancy will put me up.

Besides, her clothes even fit.

That Article 32 investigation starts tomorrow.

I want you to be rested, confident, cooperative.

You didn't do it.

That's the way I want you to look.

Are you making any progress?

Some.

Like what?

You have to be patient.

In other words, nothing.

That's just great.

You're in a difficult position.

There are a lot of unknowns.

But you have to know that I have been here before.

Many times.

I am doing my best.

And I will do my very best.

You have to trust me on that.

Captain Campbell, may I have a word with you? My wife is going to pick me up

just about now. This will only take a moment. I just wanted to ask you some

questions about the formal complaints that were filed against Lieutenant

while he was under your command.

Such as?

Well, on one occasion, he supposedly slapped a soldier across the face, and

on another, he made a man stand at attention in the sun for five hours till

passed out.

All those complaints were thoroughly investigated, Mr. Matlock. Why was there

investigation into Bobby Thomas' death? There will be.

It seems to me, as Lieutenant Walters' commanding officer, you should have been

questioning him that night instead of playing poker with him. As a matter of

fact, I think nothing came of those complaints because somebody was looking

for him, you know, kind of keeping him out of trouble.

You mean me?

Well, sooner or later, the complaints had to wind up. Is that what you're

insinuating?

You're right.

You're right. It doesn't make any sense.

Why cover up for Lieutenant Walters when everybody knows he and your wife were

good friends?

What are you talking about?

Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you knew.

It's all over the post.

Bill, I was waiting for you outside.

Hello, I'm Ben Matlock. I was just leaving.

Bill?

Like they say, three's a crowd.

that they saw Sergeant Owens, your alleged eyewitness, in the supply depot

not at the officer's club at the time of the murder.

I knew you could do it. What's his name? His name is Parker.

He's a sergeant. Works in the mess as a cook.

Now, he told somebody.

Who told somebody?

Now, I am telling you.

Ben, please.

When can I get out of here?

How can you be sure you saw Sergeant Owens that particular night?

Well, I was working late, and I remember that because I almost never work late.

And I remember it was a little bit after 11, because that's the time I got off.

And I remember walking past the depot and seeing Owens in there all by himself

and thinking, hey, what do you know? Somebody else is worse off than me for a

change. Sergeant Parker, you're just what the doctor ordered.

Hearing's tomorrow at 9 o 'clock. See you then.

Right.

Morning, Major Orlando.

Hello, Mr. Matlock.

Ooh, that's a heavy -looking briefcase.

I hope it's not all evidence against my client. I believe I'm being well

-prepared, even in cases as open and shut as this one.

Well, morning, Colonel.

Morning, Mr. Matlock.

Major Orlando, Colonel.

Yes?

Did you get a telegram?

No.

Yeah, well, I did.

From the old man.

Good luck. I'm with you all the way. All the way from Germany.

Well, you knew they wouldn't be here.

I guess he figured we got it up to go.

Who are you looking for?

If who I'm looking for comes through that door, a lot of your problems are

So after Colonel McRae relieved me at the supply depot, I headed back to my

to drive home.

And as I passed the officer's club, I... Heard this door slam.

That's when I saw private use come out of the building and run away.

What time was that?

2 ,300 hours, sir.

Which, as we've already heard, is approximately the time that Lieutenant

was killed.

Thank you, Sergeant Owens.

Mr. Matlock, do you wish to question the witness?

Yes, sir. Before I do, I'd like to clear up a matter concerning a witness I had

planned to call.

I'd like to request a short recess.

Very well. This hearing will reconvene at ten hundred hours.

Sergeant Parker, why aren't you at the hearing?

I changed my mind.

What the hell do you mean you changed your mind?

I feel like sticking my neck out for some boy I didn't even know, that's all.

Nobody's asking to stick your neck out. All I want you to do is tell the truth.

Yeah, well, the truth is... If Owens is lying, who's he lying for, huh?

The brass.

It's your duty to tell the truth.

Yeah, well, you're forgetting the first rule of this man's army. Don't

volunteer. I can subpoena you if I have to.

Yeah, well, why don't you just do that?

But just remember one thing.

My memory gets real bad real fast.

You know, after this court -martial, you get to pack up and go home, but me?

I'm a 20 -year man. I get to stay here and with the officers, so no thanks.

They're going to get away with actual murder.

And they're going to ruin an innocent boy's life.

Maybe you don't know Chris Hughes.

But the next time.

And if you don't testify, there will be a next time.

You know who that poor boy might just turn out to be?

You.

Now, come on, Sergeant. What do you say?

Just a minute.

Well, Mr. Matlock, are you ready to proceed?

Yes, sir. As soon as my client gets here. That could be a long time.

Excuse me, sir.

We've searched the entire post and have found no sign of Private Hughes or his

belongings. He's AWOL.

Possibly a deserter.

I've taken steps to have a warrant issued for his arrest.