Original subtitles

Good morning.

Morning, sir.

How much do you charge for cards in the window?

Depends what you want to advertise, sir.

Do I look like a model?

Twenty pence a week, sir.

Twenty pence for a week? That seems very reasonable. Can I have one in, please?

Can you put one in for me?

Here we are.

Colin means memonist.

Nemanist. Nem.

Nemanist, P .A. will help you develop a perfect memory.

That's right.

Unusual sort of work, sir. It is, yes.

Years ago, there used to be a music hall chap. He called himself... The memory

man. I saw him at the Old Empire, 1947, in a bill with Nosmo King, Fred Emney,

Nellie Wallace, the Chinky Doo Chinese acrobats, and the Great Fedora.

My goodness, sir, you should be on one of those TV quiz shows. I was once.

Only once, I'm afraid.

I couldn't remember the date of the battle.

Never forget another fight.

Never forget another night.

In just four short weeks, Colin Meehan's demoness, D .A., will help you develop

a perfect memory.

Mary!

Hello, love. I didn't expect you.

How'd you get away?

Come on, that's right.

Fire at the office, what?

I've got it in the bottle of scotch.

Why, you're a mind reader. We can celebrate my new advertising campaign.

Shop windows.

Shop windows?

I've been cycling all around the town putting my card in tobacconists' and

newsagents' windows.

Cheapest form of publicity there is.

Cheers. Cheers.

Only 20 pence per week.

I don't know why I didn't think of it ages ago.

I've worked it out that at that cost... Colin. The cost per student, what?

Has anyone actually signed up your new course yet?

Um, no. Not actually signed. No. But I've only just launched the campaign.

Believe me, by next week, that classroom will be full of students.

Will it? Of course it will. We've just got to give it a little time, haven't

I, uh... I think you'd better have another scotch.

I wouldn't say no.

Oh.

You've got a hole in your cardigan. Oh, dear, dear. And you've lost a brain.

When will you learn to look after yourself? I've got you to do that,

Um, Colin, I think you'd better sit down.

Sit down? Why?

I've got something I must tell you.

Oh? What?

It's not going to be easy for me.

What's the matter?

Well, uh...

Do you remember that friend of mine, Archie Goodchild?

You met him about the time we first met in the bar at the Grand Hotel.

Archie Goodchild?

Oh, I got him.

Navy blue, pinstripe suit, cufflinks and a smoker's cough.

I thought he wore a toupee, but you insisted that he didn't.

He worked for a construction company called Willis and Maybor. You'd been a

secretary at one time, right?

Yes. Well, what about him?

He's building oil rigs now.

He's the managing director.

It's a bully for him.

He wants me to be his personal assistant.

Well, that's terrific, isn't it?

It's in Scotland.

In Scotland?

Aberdeen, actually.

Aberdeen?

That is 126 miles north of Edinburgh.

It's 492 miles from London.

Scotland's third largest city.

Population, 211 ,237. With you in good chance, that'll make it 212 ,239.

It's a hell of a good job, love.

Nice chap, is he, this Archibald? Yes, very nice.

And kind.

Kind, yes.

What age is he? Oh, he's in his forties, isn't he? Late forties.

Married?

Divorced. Ah.

Well, I suppose I can't stand in your way if that's what you really want. I

mean, I haven't much to offer you, have I?

Polly, it's not quite like that.

I mean, it's just not on between us, is it? No, but if I was a managing director

like Mr Goodchild, it might be, I suppose.

I mean, he's no younger than me, so it's not the age that matters.

It's money, isn't it?

I think I'd better go before he starts saying things he'll be sorry for.

Colin, I think you're the best friend I've ever had.

I took your course because I couldn't remember my own name or my boss's

telephone number. And now, well, I'll always

remember us.

It's been two years of real happiness.

Mary?

Yes?

Well, suppose I stuck oil in the back garden or something.

Then give me a ring.

I'll send you my new address.

Bye.

Mary?

Mians, actually. My name is King. Do you think I could have a word with you? I'm

just going out... It was about the ad.

Ad? Oh, you've seen the ad?

Oh, please, come in.

Thank you very much.

Right,

well, um... Oh, please, come upstairs.

Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead.

Oh, please, make yourself at home.

What can I do for you, Mr...

King. King? Yeah.

Funny. I must have mixed you up with somebody else.

Sorry. It's just I've got into the habit of putting names to faces.

Now, how can I help you? Well, I saw the ad, you know, the one about the memory

course, and it said on that that you were a... Oh,

a mnemonist.

Yeah, I was just going to say that.

It stems from the Greek, you know, mnemonic, an aid to memory recall.

Yeah, of course, yeah.

Do you want to enrol?

Possibly, yes.

I understand.

He's having a little celebration with my secretary. It's her birthday, you know.

Oh, that's nice.

Would you care to glance through our brochure?

The full course is four weeks.

You do a bit of fishing, do you? Yes, very fond of fishing. Was that your

secretary, I thought?

Yes, she just popped out. Have you got a receptionist?

No, no, no.

Staff problems have been difficult, you know. All on your own, then, eh? I'm

afraid so, yes. Yeah, that's good.

Thank

you.

Now, I have forgotten.

something. Ah.

And I thought that you, being a... A nemonist. A nemonist, might be able to

me to recall it. Oh, that's what our course is designed for. No, no, I don't

want the course. I just want you to help me to remember one particular thing.

No, I don't think you quite understand my method. You see, I help to develop

people's memories through this techniques of association. No, look, I

a lot of stupid sales talk and fancy words. I mean, I've come here to buy

something, and if you don't sell it, then I've come to the wrong shop,

I? Well, let's not be too hasty. I haven't got... Time for a four -week

but I'm quite willing to pay for it in cash.

And if you can help me to remember this one particular thing, then I'd be very

happy to double it.

That seems more than fair, I must say.

Well, my fee for the full course is £100?

£100. That includes stationery and coffee.

Fine.

A receipt.

No, we don't want anything on paper, do we?

Ah.

Well, now, Mr... King.

King? Yeah.

What exactly can I do for you?

Well, two days ago, I put some personal belongings in one of the luggage lockers

at the station.

Now, these are new lockers. They've got no keys.

But what you have got is a row of buttons with numbers on them.

Now, you punch four figures, and then you get a ticket with the number of the

locker and the figures that you've punched, right?

Sort of a combination.

Then when you go back, you punch the numbers again and the locker opens.

No, I bet it was made in Japan, eh?

Well,

what exactly is the problem? Well, you see, I memorized the numbers in case I

lost the ticket, because the stuff is very important.

And then I lost the ticket, and now I can't... You can't remember the numbers.

can't remember the number of the locker or the combination. It's seven figures.

Right. Well...

Couldn't you, I mean, I don't want to forfeit my fee, but couldn't you just go

back to the station and explain what's happened? Oh, no, no, no, there's a

problem there, because they'd require some identification, and at the moment I

can't lay my hands on my documents.

And they'd want to know what was in the bag, they'd probably open the bag, and

there is some very personal things in there, very private things.

It's not drugs, is it?

Drugs?

No, that is not a very nice suggestion.

And I might add that you took the money a bit quick to think of me like a man

who's fucking.

We've all had to earn a living, you know. Then you'd better show me how you

yours.

Now, I know you don't want the full course, but we've got to start

Right. Now, it was Sigmund Freud who first drew our attention to the

that memory lapses may be rooted in the unconscious mind.

And the way to unlock that mind is through association, assimilation and

correlation. Perhaps you would like to...

Jot down those three headings while I think up a few short parts.

What? Finished?

And I've got the last one.

Charlie Krebs, a safe -breaker.

Sought by police after the theft of £160 ,000 from the safe of Mayfair's Elysee

Casino. A police spokesman said the notes would be difficult to trace as

came from the night's takings.

Krebs was released on parole from a ten -year sentence.

Darling, I think I've had a real break at last. A stroke of absolutely

disreputable luck. What time is it?

It's 7 .35.

All through putting a name to a face. Now, the face is most untrustworthy and

the name ridiculous.

Krebs. Krebs?

Yes.

You don't remember him, do you? No. But I do. And I think he's going to be the

most rewarding pupil I've ever had. Colin, I'm sorry, but I must go. Oh,

could make all the difference in two or three days. Darling, I'm sorry, but I'm

going to be late. The table's booked for 7 .30. Archie, wait. This is important.

Now, there's some wine in the fridge if you want it, but I must go. Take care of

yourself.

Bye. Bye.

Thus, as Kopinski has shown, we may deliberately suppress the memory because

is disagreeable, because it has connections with some guilt or shame,

have its origins in infantile experience.

In other words, we don't want to remember.

What are you talking about? Of course I want to remember. I said I didn't want

to, of course. All I want to do is remember seven bloody numbers. Yes,

I was about to say, perhaps we should put aside theory for the moment and move

on to a more practical approach.

All right, then.

Shall we try again?

Think, Mr King, please, think.

When I tap a number...

You call out yes or no, right?

Yes. Nine?

No. Two?

No. Four?

No.

Six? No.

There must be a yes somewhere on the board, Mr King. Please.

Please, try to find the yes.

Oh, God, I'm going to go bananas. I'm going to forget my own name in a minute.

Hi.

I have tried every technique I know.

Well, except, of course.

Well, except what?

Well, no, I haven't done it for a long time. You haven't done what?

What?

Hypnosis.

You mean hypnosis?

Yes, but frankly, I'm not very keen on it because I may have gone rusty.

can you do it or can't you? Because if you can't, I'm going to find somebody

can because I want results.

They're going to open the locker in two days' time. All right, we could try. We

could try hypnosis. Well, come on, then. Let's try.

I can't just do it like that. I've got to refresh my memory. I've got to look

my notes and everything.

Well, tomorrow morning, then.

Yes. Nine o 'clock?

Nine. Right.

Listen, nine o 'clock sharp. Yes, John.

Subject will not remember anything he has said under hypnosis unless he has

instructed to remember.

Unless he has been instructed to remember.

You were bright and early, eh?

I did say nine o 'clock sharp, didn't I?

Are we nice and relaxed?

Well, you know, I'm going to breathe deeply. Yes.

Now, we're going to think of nice, gentle things like clouds and streams.

Keep watching the pen. Oh, yes.

And fields and trees.

And now, we're floating down a big, wide river.

And we're lying in a boat that's rocking.

We're going to start counting backwards from 100.

100.

99.

98.

97.

96.

95.

94.

93.

Mr. King.

Charlie Krebs.

Not guilty.

Charlie. Charlie.

When you nicked all that cash from the casino... Yeah. It was 162 ,000, wasn't

it? Well, give or take a pound, yeah.

Look, you were on the run, weren't you? Yeah. The police were after you. Oh,

yeah, the police. They nearly got me, you know. Yes. So?

You put the cash in that locker.

Yes. And you threw away the ticket because you knew that if they found the

ticket on you, they'd get the loot, right? I tore the ticket up and stuffed

down the trays. I thought I'd remember the number. I thought you'd remember the

number, yes.

Well, I do. You do? You do, Charlie?

Yeah. What is the number, Charlie?

154.

Would you repeat that, Charlie?

154. And the combination number?

6237. The number of the locker was 154. The combination was 6237. Ah, yes.

Now, look, one thing.

Yes, Charlie, one thing.

When you wake up, you will remember nothing. I will remember nothing.

Especially numbers.

Especially numbers.

Now, wake up, Charlie.

Charlie?

Charlie? Charlie, wake up!

Hey! Oh, Charlie.

Hello.

Colin. Mary!

Colin, love, I... I couldn't go without saying, well, you know. I've got news

for you.

You know that thing I was talking about? Well, it's come off! Well, as near as a

cat's whisker to anyone.

Look, look, so you can forget all about tweed skirts and jumpers. You're not

going anywhere near freezing Aberdeen. You can go anywhere you like in the

with me. Look, I can charter a yacht. I can go big game fishing, whatever you

like. Well, look, what about the Bahamas, eh? Yes,

now, the estimated population of the Bahamas in 1947 was 194 ,000.

Just to confirm your appointment for this evening, thank you very much.

I went clean out. Yes, I know you did. Well, did I say anything?

Look, unfortunately, nothing we could use.

What, do you mean it didn't work? No, I'm afraid, yes, I'm sorry. Look, I must

make a great disappointment to you. I've got an urgent appointment. All I can do

is to return your fee.

Well, I don't want the money.

Mr. Mearns, I want to find the numbers.

Listen, what? There's nothing at all. Yes, you may be a little confused for a

while. If so, make yourself comfortable and lie down now. I don't want a cup of

tea. What have you done?

Come on, please, try

it again.

I've got to remember.

It was a lot. It was one, five, four, combination, get it, two, three.

The 1045 first train to London will depart from platform seven.

Platform seven of the 1045 to London.

Platform seven of the 1045 to London.

Hello? Hello, would you put me through to Archie Goodchild, please?

Hello, Archie? Yes, it's Mary.

Yes.

Yes, I've packed, but, um... Archie, I've changed my mind.

Mr. Kane?

Mr. Kane?

I'm sorry, Archie. Really, I am.

I think I'm just too fond of Colin to leave him.

Yes, yes, I... I know it's silly of me, but... but there it is.

Please forgive me.

Must have set it off accidentally.

Do you think there's half a pound of explosive in that bag?

I won't keep you long, miss.

Just a couple of questions.

I don't understand why he wanted to leave luggage in a station locker.

He didn't. He collected it.

Was this man Krebs, his pupil?

Yes.

He seemed to be in a state about Krebs.

I'm not surprised.

He'd remembered something about him.

Colin never forgot a name.

I'm afraid he forgot one name, Miss.

A nickname.

Krebs is the best safe player in the business.

They call him Gunpowder Charlie.