Original subtitles

Good morning.

What's going on?

Oh, finally.

I've been waiting since 8 .30.

Where's Mr. Matlock?

Um, who are you?

I'm Ned Collins with the Atlanta Digest magazine.

Mr. Matlock didn't tell you about our interview?

No, he never mentioned it.

That's strange.

An interview with Atlanta Digest is the kind of thing Ben would grumble about

but secretly enjoy.

How did you get in here?

Security guard.

Nice guy.

Let me stand out in the rain for a good 20 minutes.

Don't.

Are you all right, Mr. Collins?

Yeah, fine.

I guess it's the rain that gets on my nerves.

I didn't mean to bark at you like that. I understand.

I guess it's one of those days.

Yeah.

Well, I need coffee.

You want some?

Yeah, about a quart.

So you expect Mr. Matlock any minute?

Well, ordinarily, Ben's the first one in.

He gets up at five.

He says early morning's his thinking time.

I don't even know my own name at that hour.

But this morning, Ben had to stop off at the courthouse.

Courthouse?

When will he be here?

Not long.

Then he's worth waiting for, Mr. Collins. Ben is the best storyteller.

Yes, so I've heard.

Of course, he's been known to embellish, just a little.

I've heard that, too.

You can't do that.

Like hell I can't. Ben doesn't allow anyone to smoke in this office, not even

clients who are paying him a fortune.

Now, if you light that, you'll be out on your ear without an interview.

I wouldn't want that.

Oh, that startled me.

It was so loud.

I like rain, but thunder?

I don't know.

Oh, boy, this is a mess.

Like I said, it's just one of those days.

Yeah.

I've got to get some carpet cleaner.

Where are you going?

The janitorial closet has some cleaning supplies. The security guard has the

key. Wait.

Oh, the power's going out.

Yeah, it seems that way.

Look, I have an idea.

You work side by side with Matlock, who knows him better.

Till he arrives, why don't I just interview you?

No, no, no. Well, he can hardly sit here himself and talk about how great he is.

But he does, all the time.

And he is.

Well, Ben's not only the best lawyer I've ever worked with, or the best

in Atlanta, but the best, period.

To, uh, you know, to watch him work, put all the pieces together, he's amazing.

And in the courtroom, no one is better.

I remember this one case when even I wasn't prepared for what he did.

Members of the jury, I know we'd all like to get out of here and go someplace

where the air conditioning actually works, so I'm going to be brief.

Now, I've got to be fair and recognize, as do you, that the prosecution...

has collected a lot of circumstantial evidence.

But the problem is, it is all circumstantial.

Now, they've accused this man of murder, but no one saw the crime occur.

Nobody has ever been found.

No one knows how the victim died or if he died at all. In fact, they have never

proved a crime was actually committed.

And now, I'm going to count to ten.

And when I'm done, this supposed victim is going to walk through that door over

there.

Seven, eight, nine, ten.

So you see, members of the jury, in fairness, you must

return a verdict of not guilty.

Each and every one of you was staring at that door because you had a reasonable

doubt that a crime was even committed.

And you must let this man go free.

He was staring at that door as hard as you were.

And so were they.

Dramatic, huh?

Very. Sounds like he'll do anything to win.

Ben knows just how to appeal to a jury.

He's a brilliant lawyer.

And teacher.

And friend.

A good friend.

One time, my best friend from college, Andrea Morrow, was accused of murder.

And it turned into the strangest, most unique case.

The killer was blind and very, very clever.

Electricity's gone out.

I wouldn't know.

It's a circuit breaker. What are you doing here, anyway?

Just taking care of some old business all alone in the dark.

You should be ashamed for even thinking such a thing.

Clay Graham was my best friend.

I wouldn't have killed him even if I could.

Quite obviously.

I can't.

I understand that you were quite a marksman before you lost your sight.

Mr. Matlock, I ask you, truthfully,

Are these the eyes of a killer?

Well, the evidence against Andrea was compelling, and as I'd feared, the

prosecution put me on the stand.

Sure, I did.

Well, I was afraid my testimony would convict my friend. What did the

say, Ms. Thomas?

I don't recall her exact words.

Well, then would you paraphrase it for us, please?

She said no.

He'd hit her for the last time, and she wasn't going to let him do it again, no

matter what it takes.

Thank you.

No further questions, Your Honor.

Cross, Mr. Matlock.

I'd like to examine the phrase, no matter what it takes.

Seems to me that's a phrase that most of us use almost every day. I'll do such

and such, no matter what it takes.

When I was...

11 or 12 years old, my mother said, next Sunday, you're going to learn to make

cornbread no matter what it takes, and I don't think she meant to kill me.

Objection, Your Honor.

Nothing further.

Objection, Your Honor.

But Ben took what I'd said and proved otherwise.

Another Ben Matlock con.

Not really.

More like another point of view.

And then in the course of my investigation, I uncovered an important

And then he went back to his studio and did some target practice. And then

later, at the victim's house...

Ben uncovered the one clue that everyone had overlooked.

Yeah.

Yeah, there's something... Something doesn't quite fall.

What? Well, the forensics people estimated from the trajectory of the

that the victim was standing on his third step when he was hit.

Right. But look at this little trail of blood from the cut on his right foot.

There's blood here on the landing, and on this first step, and none on the

second. And if their estimate is correct, there should be blood on this

but there isn't.

Oh, I'm sorry. We didn't mean to startle you. I'm Ben Matlock. This is Michelle

Thomas. We represent Andrea Morrow.

Hattie Larson, Mr.

Graham's housekeeper. I came here to clear out my things and to leave the

Ms. Larson, how often did you come in and clean for Mr. Graham?

I came in at 10, left at 5, day in and day out.

And how often did you empty the wastebasket?

Every day.

So the last time this one was emptied was the day he was murdered?

That's right.

Mr. Matlock, I was nowhere near that place. I was at my apartment that night,

all night.

Your Honor, at this time, I'd like to enter into evidence Defense Exhibit

G, this piece of paper.

It was found in a wastebasket in the kitchen of Clay Graham's home.

Now, Mr. Graham's housekeeper is certain that wastebasket was empty when

she left the house.

at 5 o 'clock, the day of the murder, which means this piece of paper had to

thrown there by the killer.

You know what's on it?

I have no idea.

Clay Graham, stepping on this piece of paper, was your cue

when and where to fire.

You had placed this...

On the third step from the top, and when you heard Clay Graham's foot

hit this paper, you shot it.

And you retrieved the piece of paper and threw it away.

How could you know it had Clay Graham's blood on it? You'd planned everything so

carefully.

I guess you thought this...

was a blank piece of drawing paper.

Nothing further.

So, Madeline got your friend off.

She was innocent.

Well, maybe that's Ben.

I'll tell him you're waiting.

Hello?

Ben. Yeah, I got soaked, too.

Ben.

Yeah. Cats and dogs.

Ben.

They're predicting another inch before nightfall?

Um, more lightning and thunder, too?

You're kidding.

Ben.

Do as I say and I won't hurt you. Don't scream, understand?

Tell him to come to the office right now. Got it? Now.

Yes, that intersection is flooded. Ben, if you could come to the office.

Okay, no, that's fine.

Goodbye.

Well? He'll be here as soon as he can.

That was the best I could do.

No, it wasn't.

All right, Miss Thomas, I want you to pick up the phone. Call Matlock and tell

him to come here now.

But I don't know where to call him. Don't lie to me.

I have been lied to and lied to. No more.

I'm not lying to you, Mr. Collins.

When Ben called, he didn't say where he was.

You said the courthouse.

Oh, yes, but the courthouse is a big place. He could have called from almost

office or from a phone booth in a corridor or...

I honestly don't know where to reach him. I honestly don't.

You're making me angry, Miss Thomas.

One word, one sound, you're dead. That wind.

It's like a hurricane out there.

Hi, Michelle.

Isn't this weather awful?

Is someone having their picture taken?

Ben Matlock for the cover of Atlanta Digest.

The cover? Oh, well, I'm impressed.

That rascal didn't tell me.

Uh, Mr. Matlock's at the courthouse this morning. You can find him there. I just

saw him there.

We're going to meet here to go over our plans for the Bar Association meeting.

Last year, we raised nearly 20... Uh, is something wrong?

I'll... I... I'll just go find...

Van at the courthouse?

Don't worry, I'll see myself out. I don't think so.

Oh.

Don't scream, understand?

Pit.

Pit!

Over here with your friend.

Come on!

Not too close.

You two are smart.

Too smart.

Now we'll all wait for Ben Matlock together.

We haven't met. I'm Julie March, and you're... The man who's going to kill

Matlock.

You sound very angry at Ben.

Angry doesn't have cover.

Maybe if you talked about it.

Do you know Ben?

No, I never had the pleasure.

Ben Matlock is the finest man I've ever known.

Look, lady, I got no bone to pick with you.

What are you, his girlfriend?

No, not exactly. I wouldn't exactly say that.

Well, what are you then?

Well, actually, our relationship is very complicated.

Right from the beginning, we had this marvelous...

rapport, and absolute respect for each other.

You don't think for one second I'm going to reveal my strategy, do you? Give me

a break.

You know the DA's office.

I'm up against the toughest, wildest, most ruthless prosecutor they've got.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Now, Mr. Frankel, you have testified.

The trajectory of the bullet into the chair... Objection!

The chair isn't on trial here.

Let me ask that question again.

Did the chair... Objection. The chair isn't in the witness stand, though I'm

sure if it were, Mr. Matlock would be piercing in his examination.

Rephrase, Mr. Matlock.

I'd be pleased, Your Honor, if I could get a net size worth of space to get my

question out.

What the hell was that all about?

I beg your pardon?

Don't give me that innocent look.

of all the unreasonable, nettlesome objections I ever heard of. Oh, high

And before lunch? Chair on the witness stand. I suppose you thought that was

cute. Oh, come on, Ben. The jury was falling asleep. I did you a favor.

Besides, your client is so guilty, the only suspense is when you're going to

to plea bargain him.

Of course, our relationship is not all special moments, but we are always the

best of friends.

Your Honor, if I could just... No,

Counselor.

Will Counsel approach the bench?

It isn't always easy. I mean, I prosecute the people Ben defends.

So, at times, we're what you might call friendly adversaries. Your Honor, we're

just having a reasoned argument.

Mr. Matlock, that'll be enough.

Back on the record.

As far as bail is concerned, prosecution's argument is well taken.

denied. Thank you. But, Your Honor.

Matlock, that is all.

I'm sorry, but I do think that was fair.

No, it's broken. Are you coming home for dinner?

Yeah. Good.

I'll make you the best fried chicken you've ever had.

Yeah? Yeah.

Ben is the most brilliant legal mind I've ever encountered. He's a fraud and

liar. No, he isn't. I'm sorry, but you're wrong.

Truly. It's all right, Michelle.

Ben Matlock is not a fraud, and he is certainly not a liar.

In fact, there is only one time when his integrity has ever been questioned.

And Mr. Matlock said that if I would vote not guilty and get some of the

jurors to vote with me, well, I'd make it worth my while.

Worth your while.

$50 ,000.

$50 ,000?

I... I said yes.

And as soon as I said it, I felt terrible. I wanted to back out, but Mr.

wouldn't let me.

Your Honor, I object to all of this. It's scurrilous and completely without

foundation. Mr. Craven has no corroboration of any kind. Let him

piece of evidence to back up his story. Just one.

Mr. Craven?

Where'd you get that envelope?

I knew Ben Matlock would never do such a thing. But there was evidence.

Full evidence.

I've arranged for one of the best legal minds in the whole South to defend you.

Who? Me.

You?

As I've often heard you say, you've got yourself a mouthpiece.

Julie. Now, don't worry about a thing.

You're in safe hands.

Mr. Craven, is there a reason why nobody saw you talking to Mr. Matlock?

Yes. He told me... I must say, Ben was a little surprised.

And he wasn't the easiest client.

Order!

Mr. Matlock. This jackass got a hold of $50 ,000 somewhere, and somebody's

trying to railroad me in on it, and it's a damn lot.

Mr. Matlock, you will sit down immediately, or I'll cite you for

But we work together. I can't believe it, losing control like that. If I was

lawyer, I'd fire me. I would, too.

But I can't fire you.

You're the only client I have.

I think we got him.

The chair.

Remember the executive chair?

This chair will straighten this whole thing out right now.

You remember this chair?

Where Dan Keaton was sitting when you shot him?

Mr. O 'Hara?

Would you please sit in the chair?

A little low, isn't it?

It's not my chair. That's right.

This chair was set for somebody a lot taller.

Thank you, mister.

Mr. Linford, have a seat.

Looks like a perfect fit.

Has the jury reached a verdict?

We have, Your Honor.

Will the defendant please stand?

May we have the verdict?

We find the defendant, Benjamin Matlock, not guilty.

This court is adjourned.

So you see, Ben Matlock is an honest man.

You think Ben Matlock is a great guy?

And he's honest and he's loyal.

Well, maybe he is to his friends.

But what about the innocent people whose lives he's destroyed with his brilliant

legal mind?

Answer it.

If it's Matlock, tell him there's an emergency and he has to get here right

Move.

Ben, I'm glad you called.

People really have a bad connection if you think I sound like Ben.

Listen, Ben, you have to get over to the office right away. There's a client

waiting. Understand, Ben?

Something's wrong.

You'll have to see for yourself.

Hang in there. I'll be there in ten minutes.

Thanks, Ben.

Jim?

Yeah, babe.

Yeah, it falls along.

Yes, warm it up. I'm on my way in.

All right, bye -bye.

Come

on,

let's go. Move it.

It doesn't look too bad.

Just give me a minute. I'll be all right. He wants to kill Ben. Correction.

going to kill Ben.

Any particular reason?

He didn't say.

It's very peculiar.

First, he breaks into the office, blocks us in the closet, hits you over the

head. Then he says he wants to kill Ben, but he won't tell us why.

Don't you think we deserve an explanation?

Do you always talk so much?

Only when I'm nervous.

Baby, relax. Nothing's going to happen to you.

I can't bear men I don't know calling me baby. Shut up. I'm sorry.

Don't apologize. Just be quiet, okay?

Whatever you say.

Baby, you ought to relax.

I am fine.

You don't look so good.

You're sweating. You're on edge.

Why are you doing this to yourself?

Why don't you think about giving it up? Forget it.

You know, personally, I can understand someone wanting to kill Ben Matlock.

thought about it once or twice myself.

Tyler! Oh, really.

You see, the world sees what Ben Matlock wants it to see. The great defense

attorney. Man for the people.

Willing to fight the good fight for justice.

Someone's got to do his legwork.

Someone's got to dig out the facts.

Someone's got to do the dirt around here.

Ben. Now, this is exactly the reason why I don't like investigative work. Take a

look around here.

One, this is the kind of place where you can catch death like a cold.

I assume there's a powerful reason why we're here.

Two, you never know when one of these yahoos is going to get it in his skull

mess with you. Why are we here?

Right.

I put the word out to some people that we are looking for a very...

special songbird i got a message on my answering machine said if we came here

we'd meet somebody you think the person we're looking for could be here now

either that but he sent someone to scout us out first

you girls love

you see what i mean it never fails

I asked you a question, Leroy.

Of course, you realize that because of this scholar, we have blown our meeting.

No one's going to talk to us now.

Bet you and me get it all, son.

You know, Fred, you're right. You made your point. We're leaving.

You ain't going.

Damn, I hate this business.

I have been beat up, tied up, locked up for good old Ben.

You see, he's great at giving directions.

I'm still following her, Ben. Well, don't lose her.

Hey, do you tell Junior Child how to fry an egg?

Is she with somebody? Can you see?

Not yet.

Get closer.

I'm trying.

Can you see who it is?

I'm working on it, Ben.

Hey, I'm going to take this shirt up through the alley and try to get in

of her.

He's willing to go to any length to find the truth.

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

You the new man?

Looks that way.

Name?

Hudson Tyler.

Rank?

Private. You get your butt into fatigue.

I'm gonna make you my special project, Private.

Hear the news?

I died.

Five perfect inspections in a row.

Everybody's going in town tonight.

Not me.

You're not?

No way.

In the last 24 hours, I've cleaned two latrines, policed the parade grounds,

run an obstacle course, and painted the flagpole.

My back is killing me. What used to be simple little blisters on my hands and

feet are now bleeding sores. Now, as much as I hate this little bunk, When I

my head on this pillow, it will not move until morning.

Ted, hut!

Gentlemen, there will be no night on the town tonight. This platoon will be in

full field gear at 1800 hours, ready for a little speed march.

or someplace.

Don't talk to me.

Tyler, I know how unpleasant this is, and I can't tell you how much I

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 gonna be mad.

You're Mr. Spock.

I told you I knew you.

There's no one that's too big or too tough for Ben Matlock.

You know, he told me that you was his friend. I guess I better go straighten

out about that.

Mrs. Martinez has been in today.

Old Tyler Hudson is prepared to buy him a drink.

Thank you.

Tequila all around, courtesy of Tyler Hudson.

Harold was going to fire you, wasn't he, Jimbo?

He said that you are hopeless drunk, and he was going to make sure that you

never got another job.

Don't move, Jimbo.

Don't move.

See, I was in NAMM. I'm the real thing.

Green Beret, Black Belt, Silver Star. I was a POW and a MIA. It was so bad where

we were, we slept in body bags just in case. Don't you move, Jimbo, or I'll

you out.

But I want to know, just what did Ben Madlock do to you?

busy, Les.

Ben's not in yet?

No. I'll tell him you stopped by.

Boy, this rain's got the traffic all snarled up the floor.

You've really got to go, Les.

I know, you're really busy, but you go right ahead, don't mind me.

It'd take me a couple of minutes to pick this place.

This isn't a good time, Les.

Oh, Ben's just been complaining about this for months.

You can't do that now.

I already am.

This filter hasn't been changed in a blue moon.

You got a piece of paper or something?

I'll bring in a new fella tomorrow.

Don't mind that I said hello.

Nice to see you.

Come on, let's go.

Sit down!

Tie him up.

I don't really know how... You're smart.

Figure it out.

What is taking Matt like so long? He's at the courthouse. What's the matter,

Ned? You getting nervous?

Not particularly.

Maybe you're getting tired.

You're thinking that you're getting sloppy and might make a mistake.

Why else would you tie me up?

You know something else?

I think you've got a problem.

Oh, really? What's that?

I think you had it all figured out. You knew what you were going to do and why

you were doing it.

But now, you're not so sure.

Maybe you want a way out.

What makes you say that?

Because you won't tell us why you're here.

You'll know when I'm ready. Well, what's the big secret? Tell us. Shut up. Come

on. What happened? What was this great injustice?

What did Ben Matlock do to you? Shut up. Come on. I'm waiting. I'm going to gag

you. Then who? Who did Ben Matlock hurt? My brother. Your brother?

My brother hanged himself in jail last week.

Ned Ben's a defense attorney. He doesn't put people in jail.

He framed my brother. That's impossible.

Ned, would you tell us who you're talking about?

James Billings.

The Erskine -Tate case.

Uh -huh.

I'm going to tell you what happened.

My brother taught law. He was Professor Tate's teaching assistant.

He really cared for him.

He even gave him a party at the end of the semester.

Here's to you, sir.

And that night at the party, Professor Tate had a little too much to drink.

But he insisted on driving home. And on the way home, he ran over and killed a

man.

Professor Tate was as guilty as sin.

The police had all the evidence they needed to convict.

But Tate had something better than the facts.

Something better than the truth. He had Ben Matlock as his friend and attorney.

Ben. Ben Matlock. Professor Tate, what happened?

What happened is they've got me locked up in here like some common criminal.

Professor, if they think you committed a crime, they'll lock you up whether

you're common or not. But I haven't committed any crime.

Not really.

Professor, what are you doing here?

I don't really know. They booked me for driving under the influence of alcohol,

minor property damage.

Were you driving under the influence?

Well, I had a few glasses of champagne.

A few?

You saw the whole thing?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Standing right here, I ran over to help him, but he was dead already.

Matlock pulled out a shabby bag of tricks.

He made witnesses doubt their own stories. He made other witnesses afraid

talk.

Do I know you?

We've never met.

Could have sworn I'd seen you before, but you're not sure.

A lot of folks come in here.

That's what I thought.

Isn't it true that had you not gone in there, the gas station attendant would

have been gone and would not have seen the hit and run?

I suppose so. Isn't it true that you lied to this court because you were part

a conspiracy to frame Professor Tate? No.

Mr. Billings, isn't it true that you knew that students

Wallace and Lane had plagiarized their paper?

No. But you're something of a legal scholar.

Well, I still didn't spot it.

Instead of throwing them out of school, you forced them to go along with your

plan to drug Professor Tate and frame him for murder.

Mr. Matlock, you know as well as I do that none of this has any basis in fact.

I know this.

I know you killed an innocent man to satisfy your warped need for revenge.

Objection. Sustained. And when he was finished, he had railroaded my brother.

I went to see James a week before he took his own life.

He told me he didn't do it. He was lying.

How the hell would you know? Ned, may I go to the desk? Are you afraid to hear

the truth? I know the truth. Then you have nothing to fear.

Here.

This is a letter from your brother. We received it about six weeks after

Tate's trial.

Ned, your brother blamed Erskine Tate for the death of your father.

He hated him so much, he decided to frame him for murder.

On the night of the party, with the help of some students, James drugged the

professor.

I think it is time for... I should be done with this. Easy,

easy. The party's just begun.

It's okay. Now, let's go.

Then he put on Tate's coat and hat.

The students put Tate in the back seat of his car while your brother got in

behind the wheel.

They waited at a bus stop and then posing as Erskine Tate, your brother

intentionally ran over and killed an innocent man.

This is James's handwriting.

Ned, give me the gun.

I'm with the district attorney's office.

I can make it easier for you.

You're not a killer and you know it.

You made the right decision.

I'm sorry I'm late.

My battery went dead and I had to call road service, and on a day like today,

they take forever.

Who are you?

Ned Billings.

Ben Matlock. Oh, no clients. Not now. I have to get back to court.

I don't have time to look at evidence now.

Just tag it and bag it and put it on the desk.

Ben.

What are you doing tying to that chair?

Ben. Tyler, I have to face a jury in less than an hour. I don't have time to

fool around.