Original subtitles

Thank you.

We're here.

I'm proud of you, honey.

I'm really proud of you.

I think it might be fun. There's a place down south.

Would they stay there?

Is Joey trying to kill me or what? I told him those interviews were at noon,

two. But he said that you told him. Connie, get Joey.

Take care of the wardrobe first before we even... Oh, it is.

You haven't changed.

And you, you look better than ever.

This is my baby. Mom.

My daughter, Lauren. Well, welcome to the show. Thank you.

You know, last time I heard about you, you were in New York. I have a PR firm.

It's small, but it's solid. Connie never gets anything right. I tell her no, she

tells you to. Connie is not the one who screwed things up.

This is my associate, Joey DeFalco. Joey DeFalco, nice to meet you.

How do you do? This is Janet and Lauren Masters.

Janet, she was our first winner on Reach of the Stars.

No kidding.

And Lauren is going to be a real contender this year. Hey, this is great

publicity. Daughter repeats mother's triumph.

Can't buy an angle like that, right?

No, Joey.

We'll have to drink later. Joey.

What?

Oh, Gina, hi.

Are you ready for this? Oh, as ready as I'll ever be.

Look, I've got to get signed in, okay? Okay, bye. See you later.

Janet and Lauren Masters.

Welcome.

Here.

Thank you.

Oh, okay.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the 26th annual Reach for the

Stars competition.

Tonight, our panel of five judges will decide which of these talented women

wake up tomorrow morning a star.

They will decide who will win the two -year contract with Monument Studios, a

brand -new automobile at $25 ,000 in cash.

this was made possible by our Reach for the Stars sponsor, New Image Cosmetics.

And before we go any further, I would like you to meet the president of New

Image, Mr. Roger Anderson.

Each year, Mr. Anderson chooses one of our finalists to be his New Image cover

girl, and so you can bet he will be watching very closely.

But enough talk.

Let us get on with the show.

Welcome to your turn.

You're a friend and so you've been the very best.

There's no one better.

in the heart of Texas, Abby Smith.

There's a place where lovers go To drive

their troubles away And they

call it Lonesome Town Where the broken

hearts stay May I present

Laura?

Now, ladies and gentlemen, the moment we've all been waiting for.

In this envelope are the names of these four women.

Three of them are about to be runners -up, and one is about to become a star.

Ladies and gentlemen, our third runner -up, Abby Smith.

Our second runner up, Dana William.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, here we are. One of these women is about to become

the first runner up.

The other, our winner.

Ladies and gentlemen, our first runner up.

Over here.

I got your note.

So how does it feel?

Tomorrow's star.

What do you want?

Everything.

The contract, the car, the money.

Everything.

You're crazy.

You want everyone to know that your mother was in prison?

You wouldn't. In a second.

Unless, of course, you were to disqualify yourself.

So that they declare you the winner? So they declare me the winner. You're so

smart.

So.

What's it gonna be?

The brass ring for me?

Or for Mommy, her portal face spread all over the tabloid?

Wouldn't that be awful?

I'll kill you first.

I lost an earring.

You have until midnight.

Lauren?

Just leave me alone.

Please.

Hello.

Miss your voice, the touch of your hand, just

long to know that you understand.

My buddy,

my buddy, your buddy misses.

did love that song.

Oh, Janet.

Janet, Janet, Janet.

Oh, Janet.

Oh, you look good.

You look good. Oh, everything I got's sticking out everywhere, but you look

good.

Here, sit down, sit down, sit down. Tell me about this business in the paper.

Ben, my daughter did not kill that girl.

And I don't know how to help him.

Where's your father?

He's dead.

Oh, that's right.

I'm sorry about that time you spent... In prison.

It was his doing, wasn't it?

I never dreamed that his real estate deals were crooked.

If he put a paper in front of me, I'd sign it.

Well, here was your husband.

Been a long time.

I'm going to tell you something.

I never said it before, but I'll tell you.

I was crazy over you.

Well, you never said anything.

Oh, I know. I was afraid you were too pretty. Everybody was crazy over you.

I wish you'd said something.

I almost did one time.

Remember that time a bunch of us went up to Elk in Virginia?

The Bluegrass Festival?

I do, and we ended up alone in your car, and you got lost. Yeah, and we spent

the night in the farmhouse.

And that sweet farm lady, she gave us some milk gravy and biscuits, and she

us off to bed.

She knew we weren't married.

You slept in a feather bed.

And you slept in the barn with a mule named Henry.

If I hadn't been in the barn with that mule,

I feel secure I would have said something.

Oh, sure. Or if the mule had been in the feather bed and I'd been in the barn

with you.

Ben.

Oh, I'm sorry. Oh, come on in.

Michelle Thomas, my associate.

This is Janet Masters.

How do you do?

Janet's daughter's been charged with murder and we're going to represent her.

Yes, I told Morgan that I'd kill her.

But she threatened my mother.

And this other contestant?

Dana Williams.

She heard you, huh? Yes.

Now Mom's prison record's all over the news.

Well, after your fight with Morgan, you went back to the party.

That's right. Told your mother?

That's right.

And you didn't tell anybody else? You just went straight up to Morgan's room?

I went up there to tell her that the title was hers.

And she was dead when I got there.

I just panicked.

The trial will be set in this

courtroom the 23rd at 9 a .m.

Concerning the matter of the bail for the defendant, Lauren Masters, does the

prosecution have any recommendation?

Your Honor, the defendant has no family or professional ties to this community.

Therefore, flight to avoid prosecution is a very real possibility.

We recommend that bail be set at $100 ,000.

Oh, Your Honor, my client has no prior record, no convictions, no arrest, not

even a traffic ticket.

Her youth alone dictates that bail should be no less than $100 ,000.

She's 20 years old.

That is hardly mature.

Your Honor, she needs adult supervision. And she hasn't. Her mother's right

here. Her mother is also a stranger to this community. Well, not to me. I've

known Janet Masters for years. I'll vouch for her.

You will? Of course I will.

Mr. Matlock, Mr. March.

Thank you for your attention.

The deal is set at $50 ,000.

Thank you, Your Honor.

You ready for lunch?

Well, yeah.

Ben, can we chat outside?

Yeah.

So I'll see you later?

If I'm still here.

This won't take long, Dana.

Come on in here and tell me about this.

There's no one here but us.

No, you told the police.

I didn't want to tell them, but they questioned me. That night after you left

Morgan's dressing room, did you tell anyone what you'd overheard?

Yeah, I shouldn't have.

But I went back to the party and I told Don Mosier and he was standing with Joey

DeFalco and Mr. Anderson.

And you told them about the blackmail attempt and that Morgan had gone back up

to her room alone?

I was just so upset, I blurted everything out.

Second runner -up, huh?

Yeah. That's my best yet.

But now with the first runner -up dead and the winner on trial for the crime,

you could wind up with that Hollywood contract, couldn't you?

No, I didn't kill Morgan.

But there were rumors about her.

What kind of rumors?

Well, like she'd do anything to win, including, well, you know, with the

She slept with the judges?

Mm -hmm.

And she was sleeping with some VIP at the finals.

At least that's what the rumors were. I didn't see anyone, and neither did

anyone else.

So maybe the rumors were just rumors.

Not exactly a natural beauty, was she?

Oh, hi, Julie.

I thought you'd get here a lot sooner.

Must have been a long lunch.

Julie, let me explain.

Janet and I are just two old friends.

What were you years ago?

Well, just two very young friends.

Oh, and you've been thinking about her all these years.

Oh, no, no, no. It's just... It's just what?

Well, just... Not just you.

I know what you mean.

Imagine... Well, say, Clay Farenthold just suddenly walked back into my life.

Clay Farenthold?

Mm -hmm. He's the guy I dated for a while, right after my divorce.

The Clay Farenthold that was tied in for the Dallas Cowboys? Yes, that's the

one. Anyway, imagine he just suddenly looked me up right out of the blue. You

used to date a pro football player?

Mm -hmm.

So, what if he took me for long lunches?

How long did you date him?

This isn't going very well, is it?

Sure it is. I got your point.

Well, there didn't seem to be any forced entry. I noticed that.

Oh,

that's Michelle.

I told her where I'd be.

Hello?

Oh, yeah.

Okay, okay. Yeah.

How often do you hear from this, uh, Fahrenheit fellow?

Sunday.

I think it'll work out.

Well, I'm just not feeling good about this. Image Cosmetics has never been in

such a company like this.

Oh.

Oh, hi.

Uh, I'm Ben Matlock.

Lauren Masters' lawyer.

Mr. Anderson?

No, Mr. Anderson. I'm sorry, Mr. Anderson.

That's all right. What can I do for you, Mr. Matlock? Well, I understand that

you're thinking of taking the Reach for the Stars title away from Lauren.

That's none of your business, Mr. Matlock. Well, it is. See, you take that

away from her, it's the same as saying she's guilty. The news media would have

her convicted before she ever goes to court.

That's unfortunate, but I can't permit scandal to tarnish the reputation of New

Image Cosmetics. Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no. How about this?

How about this? You stand by Lauren.

You say, this is America.

A person is innocent until proven guilty.

New Image would come out smelling like a rose.

I don't think that's a very good idea. America would flock to New Image. Mr.

Matlock. Your profits would soar.

What do you think?

I like it. I do.

But you can... Get the falco on it.

Thank you.

Well, so these are the... Good -looking women there. These are the finalists.

Each year, I pick one of them to be my new image cosmetics cover girl.

I'd already decided who the winner would be, and the next thing I knew, she was

murdered.

Oh, you had chosen Morgan Gerard.

Did you tell anybody?

I never got the chance.

You know, there's a rumor that Morgan was, how do you say, seeing somebody.

During the contest, somebody involved in the contest.

Mr. Matlock, that would have been against the rules.

You say Morgan Gerard wouldn't break the rules?

I never break the rules.

Oh, oh.

Well, thanks for your help.

And, oh, does a new image make a half shave? I'd like to kind of get on board.

Mr. Matlock, I just wanted to apologize for coming on so strong.

Oh, you had a point.

Not valid, but point.

I wouldn't do anything to hurt Janet Masters. She's an old friend.

And God knows she's been through enough already.

She has, hasn't she?

I'm a friend, too.

An old friend.

Oh, yeah.

I've known her since before she went to prison.

You know about that?

Oh, I've known her for 26 years. Of course I knew about that.

I understand you were with her the night of the party. What time did she leave?

Oh, 11 .15, 11 .30.

Oh, dear. Dinner attempt.

Old time?

Yeah. You, the music, even the pretzels. Nothing's changed.

Well, Ray Jr.'s on piano. Go get them, Ray!

I got them.

Look at these.

Oh, you saved all these pictures. Look at all of us.

Those were great times for me.

Was my hair ever that brown?

Sure was.

Damn that mule, right?

How's it going, Ben? Have you found out anything?

Well, I talked with Don Mosier.

You know... Well, of course you know.

He said you left the party about 11 .30.

Yes, I did.

My daughter had just told me she was being blackmailed. I didn't feel like

sticking around and making small talk.

Where'd you go?

I went for a walk. I needed some air.

A girl was killed between 11 .30 and 12.

I... I sure hope somebody saw you.

Oh, I... I don't believe this.

Do you really think that I murdered Morgan Gerard and let Lauren take the

Oh, no!

Oh, no, no!

Do you think that I would just... sit here and talk over old times with you

while Lauren went to prison? Oh, no, no, Janet.

You've got some company.

I

am

just so sorry about blowing up at you last night. I'm sorry. I had no reason.

You had every right to ask me those questions. I really had no reason. Let

tell you something.

I've been at this so long.

that I wake myself up at night sometimes saying, where were you at the time of

the murder? Can you corroborate that? Was there a witness? Do you have an

Do you ever answer yourself?

Sometimes. Let's go have some coffee.

I'm telling you, I got an angle. I can double your bookings.

Hey, listen, I gotta go. No, no, no. You think about it, okay?

What can I do for you, sweetheart?

Uh, Michelle Thomas.

Michelle. That's good. Have a seat.

So what are you into, Michelle?

Singing? Acting?

Loddling? What?

Uh, answers.

Mm -hmm.

I'm an attorney for Lauren Masters.

Attorney?

What a waste of what you got.

Um, what is all this? I thought you were working for Don Mosier.

No, Mosier's a dinosaur. Since I set up my agency, I'm gone.

Well, I bet you met a lot of potential clients setting up Reach for the Stars

for him.

That was the idea.

Were you going to sign Morgan Gerard?

Maybe. Is that why you were sleeping with her?

Who told you that?

See, you forgot to be nice to the little people.

Or at least to make sure that when you pay someone off not to talk, the check

doesn't bounce.

Whoever the creep is, is lying.

Well, that's why we have courts.

To figure out who's lying and who isn't.

See you there.

Ben, I want you to know I've asked to be reassigned from the case.

Reassigned? Why?

I just think this is one of those times when our professional rivalry might

damage our personal relationship.

Oh, well.

It's my call.

Well, who's replacing me? Dave Hawkins.

Dave Hawkins?

You're having Hangman Hawkins replace you?

You think he's tougher than I am?

Oh. Bet.

You called him.

Hangman Hawkins. Well, yeah.

Do you ever call me names like that? I call you lots of names. I've never heard

you. Behind your back. Well, I've never heard you. I'm not going to go right up

to Dave Hawkins. What say, Hangman? How's the trick? Just fine, Beth.

See you inside.

Prosecution calls Mrs. Janet Masters to the stand.

21 years ago, you were convicted of fraud.

You served eight months in prison.

Is that correct?

Well, you see, my husband... Yes or no?

Yes. Now you own and run a public relations firm in New York City.

According to this profit and loss report, you made a very nice profit last

didn't you?

Yes, we did. Before the murder of Morgan Gerard and the subsequent publicity,

how many of your clients knew that you'd been in prison?

None. How many know now?

I have no idea. How many clients have you lost because of the disclosure of

prison record?

I object. None of this has anything whatsoever to do with the innocence or

of my client.

It goes to motive, Your Honor.

This witness is the defendant's mother.

What affects her affects the defendant.

Overruled. How many clients have you lost, Mrs. Masters?

I'm not sure.

Four, five, six.

Your Honor.

Witness will answer the question.

Eight. Eight?

You're not going to be in the black this year, are you, Mrs. Masters?

No. And that's why you kept your prison record a secret.

Because you knew your clients would leave you, didn't you?

Yes or no, Mrs. Masters?

Yes. And Lauren knew this too, didn't she?

But she didn't. Yes or no?

Yes. Which is why she went up to Morgan Gerard's room that night and murdered

her. Objection!

Objection! She did no such thing!

I withdraw, Your Honor.

Nothing further, Your Honor.

Oh, Janet feels terrible about her testimony. Oh, she did the best she

That hangman Hawkins is really good.

Yeah, well...

Anyway, here's the credit check on Joey DeFalco.

He owes everybody.

Clothing stores, landlord, phone company.

He used to drive a red Corvette.

Repossessed.

You suppose he was using Morgan Gerard to stay afloat?

I'm sure he'd use anybody.

How do you think Morgan knew about Janet's prison record? I mean, very few

people. I don't know.

She couldn't have just...

stumbled onto it. Somebody had to have told her he found some kind of...

Now, when you first met Janet Masters and were told

that she was the first Reached for the Stars contest winner 26 years

ago, what did you do?

What do you mean, what did I do?

Well, you didn't see this mother and daughter angle as something you could

exploit in the media?

I recognize that.

Yeah. Well, what'd you do about it?

Nothing. I didn't know if Lauren would win. You went ahead and prepared a press

kit, didn't you? Yes, I prepared a press kit.

And you went to where Don Mosier keeps his files on his contest winners, and

took Janet's file.

No. Are you sure? Because her file is missing, and of all 26

files, hers is the only one that's missing.

Are you sure you don't have it?

It'd be very embarrassing if the police got a warrant and found that you did.

Now, hold on. I remember now. I think I do have that file.

Yeah, that's right. I took it home so I could go over it. Yeah, sure, sure. So

what was in it?

Some old photos, Don's notes.

Were there any press clippings?

Don't remember.

If I told you that Don Mosier specifically remembers...

putting clippings about Janet's conviction in her file. Would that

memory, Annie?

Okay, so I saw that.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, who'd you tell about?

Nobody. Not even Morgan Gerard?

Why would I do that?

Well, I understand you want to be a talent agent.

Yeah, no big secret. Especially for young girls, young pretty girls.

What can I say? I like girls.

I also understand that you're pretty heavily in debt all over town.

So? So, you were counting on Morgan winning that contest, signing with you

your first big client, and getting you out of debt, right?

She was gonna sign with me. From watching rehearsals, you knew if anybody

gonna beat Morgan, it would be Lauren.

So you told Morgan about Janet's past.

So if Lauren did win, Morgan could blackmail her into losing.

And it worked.

Except Morgan double -crossed you, didn't she?

I don't know what you're talking about. Yes, you do.

She signed with TLM Talent Agency

in Los Angeles.

Didn't she?

And you found out about it at the party?

I heard about it. Yeah.

I guess it made you pretty mad.

It made me mad, yes. You know, nobody remembers seeing you at the party after

.30. Where'd you go?

That's my business.

You went up to Morgan's room, didn't you? Nope.

And you killed her? No, I did not.

Where'd you go, Mr. Falco?

Oh, hell, why not? I was in Dana Williams' room. We were engaged in, uh,

pre -contractual negotiations.

Hey, I'm sorry, baby.

Nothing further.

Hi, Julie.

I hear it didn't go very well in there.

Well, Hangman Hawkins ain't singing blue.

Come on.

Lunch is on me.

Hey.

What'll it be?

Steak? Barbecue? Or how about a nice grilled trout?

Everybody and his brother has been over this room.

Well, well, we might as well do it again. You know what song says,

better the second time around.

This is New Image Cosmetics' entire line.

Yeah.

There's three fingernails missing from this line right here.

Is that hard to put on?

Well, the hardest part is putting them on straight.

Oh.

Give me those autopsy pictures, will you?

New Image Cosmetics has sponsored the Reach for the Stars contest for how

Seven years. Seven years.

And how long have you known Joey DeFalco?

Came aboard two years ago.

You know him well?

We're not friends.

Well, why would you give him $45 ,000?

What makes you think I did that?

He told me you did. I asked him how he... got back his

repossessed sports car, and he told me that he told you that if you didn't give

him $45 ,000, then he was going to tell the police about you and Morgan Gerard.

Joey's a special kind of dude, isn't he?

It took about five minutes for him to tell me.

Joey's the one who introduced you to Morgan when she was competing in

isn't he?

Oh, yes. Is that when your affair with her started?

No. Oh, come on.

And it wasn't Joey that she was seeing on the slide during the competition here

in Atlanta.

It was you, wasn't it? No. And it was because of your affair with her that you

made her the new image cover girl, right? No, there was no personal

relationship. Oh, I know there was no personal relationship.

There was no care. There was no real love.

I imagine at times...

The relationship got, how you call, pretty intense.

Till you found out that she was just using you.

She didn't want you, just you.

She wanted to be the new image cover girl.

She wanted a lot of things.

And she would do anything she had to to get them.

She spent some time with Joey, do you know that?

Over the years, there were a lot of beautiful new image cover girls.

But Morgan, she was the only one, the only one that you

fell in, how you call that, that wonderful middle -aged

love with.

She's the one that made a fool out of you. No!

Objection. The counsel's badgering the witness.

He's trying to pass off his wild speculation as questions.

Mr. Matlock, I don't feel entirely comfortable about this line of

either. Your Honor, I have to level with you. I don't feel comfortable myself.

Would you mind telling us what this is?

That's an artificial fingernail kit put out by my company. Uh -huh. And how does

it work? You just...

You peel this little thing off here and then just stick it on?

Yes, there's glue on the adhesive backing for each nail.

I see.

Now, this was found in Morgan Gerard's room, so I guess we can assume

that she was wearing these false fingernails when she was killed and they

from this kit.

That make sense?

I suppose so.

Now, how many nails come?

in these kits? 20. Two complete sets. 20.

Now, there are 13 missing.

These and these, these three right here. Why would she replace just three nails?

Well, they could chip or break off or even fall off if they're not properly

applied. Well, I thought all you had to do is just stick it on like that.

Well, you have to hold it in place for at least 10 seconds to allow the glue to

bond to the nail.

Uh -huh.

Now, Let me show you this.

This is a part of People's Exhibit

15.

It's an autopsy photograph.

This is the decedent's right hand. Now, would you just take a look at that and

describe these nails to us?

Looks like some of the fingernails are uncut. Yeah.

These three right here.

The coroner told me that when they were scraping under these nails, you know,

for bits of skin, hair, these three nails right here just fell right off.

And he put them back the best he could, but why would these three just fall

right off?

Objection, Your Honor.

Overruled. Oh, I'm sorry, Your Honor. Mr. Matlock, I'll be the judge.

Overruled. Answer the question.

I... Well, they were...

Put on improperly, I suppose. Or maybe the person who put them on put them

on very hastily and didn't have time for the glue to hold.

Maybe the killer.

How would I know that? When Morgan Gerard double -crossed Joy DeFalco, then

double -crossed her by telling you that she'd been sleeping around on you. And I

imagine a fellow like you...

That'd make you pretty hot.

You went up to her room that night, didn't you? No, I didn't. Of course you

And you confronted her with what Joey had told you. You know about sleeping on

the wrong side of the bed.

And maybe she said, yes, I have.

Or maybe she said, what's it to you, old man? Or maybe she said, go to hell. How

about it? How about you going to hell? And during your lover's quarrel, you

bludgeoned her.

But she fought back. She lashed out at you, and that's how she broke those

nails, clawing at your skin. Your Honor. And you saw the nails on the floor. You

picked them up.

Put them in your pocket, quick. You knew your skin was on them, and you replaced

them with these three, didn't you? You can't prove this. Just pull down your

turtleneck sweater.

What? Pull down your sweater a little bit so we can see the gouges Morgan made

clawing at you. I don't have any gouges. Pull it down.

Just pull it just a little bit. Get out of here.

Okay.

Okay, Bill, I'll tell you.

When the judge or three or four cops want you to pull down that sweater,

going to pull down that sweater.

Reasonable doubt, Your Honor, for my client.

That's all I have to prove, Mr. Anderson.

Reasonable doubt.

We, the jury, find the defendant not guilty.

The not guilty verdict is entered into the record. This court is adjourned.

Well,

here we are. I'm so happy. Oh, my.

I'll never forget this band, never.

There's a lot of things I won't forget.

Ben, you did a great job.

Hi, Julie.

You must be very relieved.

We both are. I'm anxious to get home.

You're leaving right away? Oh, first thing in the morning, as soon as we're

back.

So, tell me.

What names do you call me behind my back?