Original subtitles

It's been a long day, hasn't it?

You've been dishwasher and housemaid, chauffeur and gardener, haven't you?

And in a few moments, your own buccaneer will be coming home.

What you need is just a touch of Bennett magic.

Try Bennett's new magical Romantique at drugstores and beauty salons everywhere.

Romantique. We'll help you capture your buccaneer.

Oh, so it's you, huh?

Well, now, that's a 14 -carat surprise.

This is me, Grace.

I want to know what's holding up the door.

Is that so?

Well, I guess I'm just going to have to fill you in on a few little facts, baby.

Well, better late than never, my friend.

Madam, I'm one of the better buckets. Yeah, I know, and I'm Little Egypt. Come

on in.

Ma 'am, I wonder if you'd mind answering a few questions for us.

Cut out the dumb act, baby, and give me the doll. Lady, I gave you everything

I'm supposed to give you.

You've got my money. Now give it to me. I don't have anything.

You're a thief and you've got it now. I know you've got it.

All right.

Okay, you just cool it, mister.

Cool it.

I'm making a phone call.

Lady, I'm getting out of here. Oh, no, you're not.

Operator, quick.

Get me the police.

Hey, what... Inside.

Now stand over there with the others. No talking.

You're positive about the money, Mrs. Webb?

That nap woman paid me her rent a couple of hours ago. She had a roll of bills.

Must have been four or five hundred dollars.

They're clean. Nothing that could have been a murder weapon.

The murder weapon was under the body. A four -inch steel hook.

Where's Lieutenant Drum?

Over there.

Thank you, officer.

Lieutenant Drum? Hello, Lieutenant Drum.

Oh, I'm Keene, Harlan Keene.

I'm the producer of the Bennett Buccaneer Show.

They said you wanted to see me. I understand you hired these men. Do you

list of names, please?

Oh, yes, of course.

There were six in all.

Lieutenant, I really ought to call my office. This is a very sensitive matter.

With the wrong kind of publicity.

Lieutenant, would you mind not saying anything to the newspapers until I have

time to prepare a release?

I'll make it worth your while. There's only a television show, Mr. Keene. It's

murder. You sit over there and I'll call you when I need you.

Look, Guy. Look, I'm an actor. I'm in between jobs.

The employment office put me on to this because it's like no work, no check. You

follow? I took it, but I don't know nothing else. Nothing.

I haven't joined the others in no talking. Mrs. Webb.

All right, Tony.

All right, first man, Charles Stroud. Step forward.

Too tall.

Stand aside.

Second man, Michael Woods.

Well, he's about the right size.

Maybe a little chunky.

Do you have any money on him?

Five dollars and eighty cents.

Where's your hook?

Step back.

Next man, Tony Polk.

Well, he stands sort of like him.

Did he have any money on him?

$300 .41.

Hey.

He told me he was broke.

Gave me a hard luck story. That's why I gave him the job.

Where did you get the money, Mr. Polk?

I borrowed it.

Where's your hook?

I dropped it.

Where?

I don't know.

That's him.

She scratched his face.

Steve, I've been a parole officer for what?

15 years now? Yep.

So take it from me, nothing surprises me anymore.

I see a no -good bum straighten out and become a mensch. A man.

I see a nice kid from a good family go from petty theft to grand larceny. Does

it upset me? Do I worry about it?

It's just part of the job.

I know, Abe. You're a tough operator. Strictly business, never get emotionally

involved.

In fact, you didn't finance this sandwich and this cup of coffee because

want to talk about Tony Polk. No. This is just a social call, huh?

So an actor I'm not.

Steve, about this boy Tony.

All right, he's no angel. He won't win any medals for tact.

He's got a record.

But a killer?

Did that boy kill the woman?

I don't believe it.

Why, Abe? Because he's married and has a baby coming?

That doesn't change the facts.

He ran when a police officer tried to pick him up.

He had over $300 on him that he said he borrowed from an unknown friend.

He left the murder weapon in the dead woman's apartment.

It was identified by an eyewitness as the killer.

Every piece fits neatly in place, huh?

You're going to stop looking?

Abe, of course not.

There'll be a complete investigation.

But I can't invent another suspect because you decide to ignore the facts.

Abe, he's an ex -con.

He walked into that apartment, saw a lot of money lying around. He killed a

drunken woman when she started screaming.

You know what he needs?

A chance to live that night over again.

Steve, I know what he needs.

And with a little luck and a lot of nerve, I'm going to get it for him.

Perry! Did you kill that woman?

No. I hit her, but not hard enough to hurt her. And not with a hook.

Why did you hit her?

Look, I'd been to maybe six or eight other places with the free samples.

one of the people were surprised to see me and thanked me, and that was that.

But this dame was a nut.

The TV set was on to the Buccaneers show when she opened the door, and she acted

like she was expecting me.

She grabbed my samples, she went tearing through them, cussing and screaming at

me. She scratched my face, all the time yelling about her money.

Like I took a dime from her.

Where did you get the money?

Look, I served my time because I ran bets for a bookie, not for robbery.

You've been out of work for two months.

You told the man who hired you that you were broke.

Now, where did you get that money?

I borrowed it.

Where did you get the money? I got it from the bookie I used to work for.

I'm consorting with felons. It's a violation of parole for both of us.

But if I rat on the guy, the cops are going to be all over him. Now, he was

decent to me. I don't want to get him in trouble.

Get him in trouble?

No one could be in more trouble than you are.

It doesn't make any difference.

He never admit that he gave me the money or that he even saw me.

As soon as he reads in the papers that I've been arrested, he'd probably take

off. This was the first time you'd gone out on a promotion. Who told you what to

say? A keen fellow, the producer. He gave us a spiel and then he handed out

list. And the name of Grace Knapp was on your list?

Well, it was on the one I ended up with. See, there was this guy, I think his

name's Mike.

And he wanted to swap lists with me. He said he knew somebody had a place on my

list and wanted to surprise him. So we traded.

That's when I got the nap woman's apartment.

Tony, why did you run from the police?

You got a record. You're used to getting bounced any time anything goes wrong

within five miles of you.

Lose your temper, hit some crazy dame.

Cops come at you with sirens and a spotlight.

I ran.

Mr. Mason.

My wife, Beth, this is killing her.

See, she worked for Abe Hyman in his office. Well, Abe and Kate are getting

married.

Ever since I walked out of prison, I've been straight. I paid up.

I've been paying ever since. Now Beth's got to pay.

My baby, my baby isn't even born yet. My baby's got to pay.

I swear to you, I'm not guilty.

Beth's all alone. I mean, she's still a kid.

I'm sorry, I know it's late, but is Mr. Mason still there?

This is Beth Pope.

This is Tony Pope.

Hello?

The line's dead.

You let out a scream and I'll bring you.

Who are you?

Never mind. Just give me the dough.

Dough? Yes, big guys. The $25 ,000.

Pick it up, sister. I mean, right now.

You must be crazy.

I don't know anything about $25 ,000.

I don't want to hurt you.

I don't want to. I don't have any money.

Baby, if you're faking... Look, I haven't got all night, you know.

Hey.

I didn't mean to shake you up.

It's my dough.

I want it.

I can't find it.

Now, for the last time, where's the 25 G's?

And I mean...

We'll have a fingerprint detail here in a few minutes. Don't touch anything.

Thank you.

This money he wanted, did he talk about any particular sum?

He said he wanted $25 ,000.

Well, he could have made a mistake.

This could be the wrong apartment.

No. I had the feeling he knew who I was.

Did he mention Tony by name?

No, I don't think so.

I think we spotted him out there, but we lost him. He's still in the area

somewhere.

Don't worry, ma 'am. We'll stick close.

Perry, she can't stay here alone.

I'll take her home with me.

All right, check the rear door, the passageway, and we'll be through.

I think we're... Hello, Perry. Paul.

Thanks for accommodating us, Steve.

That's the least I could do, Perry. Your client certainly accommodated us.

Fingerprints on the inside of the door. Steve, he didn't deny being here. Paul,

he denied using the hook on her, and his fingerprints were all over it.

Lieutenant. Found this on the desk in the bedroom.

Do you have any information on Grace Knapp, where she came from, what she was

doing here?

Your client took off with her purse, driver's license, identification.

We're checking her laundry marks, luggage. We ought to hear something

Perry, take a look at that, if that isn't a piece of dramatic irony.

She writes a fan letter, and some guy dressed in a buccaneer outfit comes in

kills her.

That is a heck of a coincidence.

Is it also a coincidence that my client's wife was attacked last night?

Coincidence or not, ours is a clear -cut case. That's a job for the robbery

tale.

Well, thanks, Steve. We'll keep in touch.

Harry?

I thought you wanted to look around.

I have.

Paul?

Thanks, Steve.

What turns you on?

A pattern, Paul.

The letter? That fits.

Not yet, but it's a piece.

Tony said the TV was on with the Buccaneer show.

Tony arrives as a Buccaneer.

Grace Knapp writes a fan letter to the Buccaneer.

Dear Buccaneer, I can't wait for your show.

You're in my mind constantly, and I think of you as my own Buccaneer, who

someday I will meet.

Hello, Beth.

How are you feeling?

Much better, thanks.

I'm afraid Del is feeding me too well.

Do you want to find the letters from Grace and Aunt Beautiful?

No, and we've gone through hundreds of these.

But we do have this. Here, read these.

Dear Buccaneer, you remind me of Marvin Elders who used to sit across from me in

plain geometry at Waterton High.

I've been telling my wife that you look just like my sergeant and that maybe

since you're in show business, you've changed your name.

It's been 20 years.

But if you're not Sergeant Marvelders, you look enough like him to be his

brother. And this tops it.

Dear Buccaneer, I don't know if you remember me, but I could swear I

you when we worked in the sawmill.

I forget the last name, but my chum was named Marvin, or Mervin, and we were

awfully close back in Waterton.

I've looked through 1950 through 1957.

Want to see more?

No, I've seen enough.

Gee, thanks, mister.

Thank you.

Where can I make a collect call around here?

Collect? Uh -huh.

Right there.

Hello.

Oh, yes, put him on.

Hello, Paul.

Any luck?

Number one, the Bennett Buccaneer, Martin Eldridge, was Marvin Eldridge

he left the radio station here five years ago. Steve Drum just informed me

they've finally placed Grace Knapp.

She's from Waterton.

Another one of those coincidences.

I know that, too.

But here's the topper.

The Buccaneer not only had another name while he was in Waterton... That's

great, Paul.

See you tonight.

Was there something in particular, Mr. Mason?

Did you tell the police you were married to Grace Knapp?

How did you find that out?

She was blackmailing you, wasn't she?

You can't imagine the shock.

Hearing from her after five years.

She agreed to a divorce when I left, if I gave her everything.

Well, I gave her everything, and she conveniently forgot about the Mexican

divorce.

I assume that... Oh, Mr. Mason, Grace was... Her

death doesn't change the fact.

Grace was a tramp.

She found out where you were and threatened to expose you as a bigamist.

Yes. Ruined my career, the show, everything.

Mr. Mason, is there any way I can persuade you not to say anything?

Just until I can find a way to tell Ann.

Your wife doesn't know?

No. No, I didn't want to tell her about Grace and me.

I didn't see any reason to.

Think of the position it would have put her in.

Our marriage declared illegal.

Publicly. Who else knows about it?

Harlan.

Mr. Keene.

Well, he knows Grace was blackmailing me, but he doesn't know why.

How did he find out about the blackmail?

I went to him for money.

You paid her off?

Mr. Mason, they told me you'd arrived.

I'm Harlan Keene.

Martin, I think you'd better go out.

Ann thinks you should reshoot the last take.

Well, my star.

Can I pick him or can I?

I sell everybody on an unknown.

Build it into a big name.

And all of a sudden he's being blackmailed and the woman's murdered.

And you gave him the money to pay the lady off.

I gave him a loan and a sermon.

I told him I wouldn't try to satisfy a blackmailer with money.

With what would you satisfy a blackmailer, Mr. Keene?

I see what you mean, Mr. Keene. No, no, no, no, not me.

After all, I did give him the money, didn't I?

How will it affect your show when it becomes general knowledge that your star

a bigamist?

So that's what she had on him.

That boozy hellion. One look at her, you could see she was a nothing.

You knew her then?

No, Mr. Mason.

I didn't know her. I saw her.

I talked Martin into going over there with me, not knowing what hole she had

him.

And I had a look at her.

Then Martin changed his mind and wouldn't let me go in and talk to her.

Thank you, Mr. Keene.

Oh, Mr. Mason.

Uh, just what does it take to keep you quiet and till this murder thing's out

the way?

Well, not too much, Mr. Keene.

Only the assurance that it's in the best interest of both my client and justice.

I got in about an hour ago and... the office had something for me.

They've been trying to subpoena the buccaneer who traded lists with Tony,

Woods, but we haven't been able to find him.

We must find him.

Maybe the newspaper's gonna help us. I've already planted a story, and I have

some other plans.

From his landlady, we got a list of his friends, and Woods does have some

legitimate claim to being an actor. He's done six or seven bits on the Bennett

Buccaneer Show, so we're working on that aspect, too.

There you are.

Now, would you like a menu, or are you just visiting?

Bring him the best steak in the house. Now, don't overdo it.

If I know Paul, his expense account will reflect the arduousness of his labors.

Now, you've seen this. You'll want to buy me steak for a month from the

Times News.

Grace was as much a bigamist as Martin Eldridge. The husband has a record from

bunco to mail fraud.

That's him.

I know it's him.

Why are you afraid of Harlan Keane?

Anne, I owe him a lot. You owe him nothing.

He's done pretty well for himself.

All he ever thinks about is the show.

Well, I'm thinking about you.

About us.

Darling, please, let's stop where we're headed.

There'll be another show, another place. Darling, I have a contract with Harlan.

I can't walk out. You have a contract with me. A marriage contract.

Darling, I've had it with the buccaneer, with Harlan Keene, with those silly

women with the pressures every week.

Now all this publicity.

We'll talk this all out.

I promise.

Hammer boy, now you want to keep that pretty face of yours, better hand over

money. What?

Who are you?

The kid they're holding for murder doesn't have the dough.

Grace is supposed to get 25 G's from you.

I gave Grace the money, as agreed.

I don't have the money.

You better not be lying, because I'll get back to you, buccaneer.

Honey, I'm Mike Woods. I'm here to read for a part.

Oh, yes, Mr. Woods. Go right in. Mr. Randolph is expecting you.

How do you do, Mr. Randolph? I'm Mike Woods.

I know. I've been trying to get a hold of you for days.

We're holding a part for you. Oh, I'm sorry. I was out of town. My girlfriend

told me that you asked for me. I got here as quickly as I could. I guess the

publicity didn't hurt anything, did it?

Say, by the way, I've got to square myself with the DA first. I've got to

him know I'm on hand to testify.

Sit down, Mike. Thank you.

You're going to read for us.

This is our producer, Mike Woods.

Meet Perry Mason.

Yeah, I might have known it. Great big agency like this, you don't have to call

me.

Look, I don't have to stay here, you know.

You're going to hold me here, it's just like kidnapping.

We're going to hand you a subpoena, Mr. Woods.

After that, you may depart anytime you like.

This will bring you to court.

I'd advise you to know the right answers. What answers? I'm clean.

Why did you leave town?

Oh, come on now, Mr. Mason. Let's not make a great big deal about this.

I was going to come back for the trial. I didn't bug out. The only reason I did

leave was because of this publicity.

I wanted to see my face and my name in print.

There. Young actor missing.

Defense attorney seeks material witness in murder case.

Huh?

Well, what's the matter? It worked, didn't it?

Look, an actor goes on an interview for a job.

Right? You listening?

Do you know what he hears?

Do you know what he always hears?

I'm sorry.

We're looking for a name.

For a name he's looking.

Now, what is a name? How does one get a name, huh?

From publicity, that's all.

Because talent don't mean a thing.

So when this thing come along, man, it was made order.

Mike,

the night of the murder, you talked Tony Polk into training this with you.

Yeah, I got a couple friends on his route.

I checked out the list.

You weren't known to anyone on it.

Oh, yeah, they moved just two weeks before. They didn't get a chance to let

know. Oh, you can do better than that, Mike.

You'd better get up on your lines before you get on that stand under oath.

You know, there's a very funny thing about us actors.

You take away the script, man, we are speechless.

Paul, let's thank John Randolph for the use of his office.

All right.

Perry, do you believe Woods about his leaving town?

It's a rather dubious story.

Well, at least we found him.

Now, if the police can just pick up Clayton Douglas.

Well, she was a strange one.

There three days and drinking like a fish all the time. And her TV turns up

had to bless her out about it.

Never washed a dish, I don't think.

And always on the telephone.

To top it off, she was banging that door shut or opening it for air.

Paul, I don't understand why Della isn't here.

Well, she told me she was going over to Beth's place to get some of her things

together before Beth goes to the hospital. But that was over two hours

I'll go check. Excuse me. She expected the White House.

And now, Mrs. Webb, will you tell the court what you saw on the night of the

murder?

Let's see.

I showed you at the doors how hers was open.

She was talking real loud on the telephone, yelling.

And I started to come out to tell her to hold it down. And she just kicked the

door closed in my face.

I mean later, Mrs. Webb. Please tell us what happened later, when you heard the

disturbance and saw the buccaneer standing in the doorway.

Well, sir, she was screaming at the top of her lungs about him taking her money.

And she swiped him with those long fingernails of hers, scratched his face.

And what did he do then, after she scratched his face?

Well, that was when he hit her with that thing, that hook.

And she reeled back, fell down on the sofa, and she never made another move

after that.

Is that man you saw leaving the murder room that night in this courtroom today?

Yes, sir, he is.

Right there.

I saw him kill her all right.

Crossing sound, Mr. Mason.

Now, Mrs. Webb, were you standing in your doorway when you saw and heard all

testified to?

Yes, I was.

Was the door to the decedent's apartment wide open or just partially open?

Like I showed Mr.

Berger, it was open enough so that I could see what was going on.

Clear and plain.

You saw the defendant strike the woman with a hook.

Yes, like I said.

In which hand was he holding the hook?

The right hand.

Did he hold it over his head and strike down with it, or was it held to the

side? I think it was over his head.

But it happened kind of fast. It might have been to his side.

Mrs. Webb, it had to be to the side, since the medical examiner has testified

that the wound was horizontal from left to right.

I guess it was to the side, come to think of it.

But since the hook was held in the right hand, he would have had to backhand a

slash to make such a wound.

Yeah.

I remember now.

That's what he did.

His hand was pinned back against his chest when she was fighting him, and he

swung it out like that.

Now, Mrs. Webb, you mentioned that the decedent was talking on the telephone

shortly before her death.

Yelling, I believe you said.

Can you recall the substance of what you heard?

Something about, oh, it's you, and that's a 14 -carat surprise.

What else did you overhear, Mrs. Webb?

She said, I want to know what's holding up the dope.

Thank you, Mrs. Webb.

Now, would you step down, please, and once more take the same position at the

door that you did on the night in question?

Now, is the decedent's door open as it was the night of the murder?

A little more.

All right, now, hold the hook in your right hand, please.

Now, place it across your chest.

Now, backhand with it.

Now, back out of the door.

Close it after you and cross away.

Now, Mrs. Webb.

Are you now willing to retract your testimony?

No. Why?

It was like I said.

Mrs. Webb, you may have thought you saw all those things happen, but in reality,

you must have surmised that they happened.

It's perfectly obvious that you could not see the hook at all when it was held

in the right hand.

You couldn't even see it when I, standing behind the door, took the hook

from the buccaneer as soon as he put it in his right hand.

It's a trick.

You tricked me.

Call it what you like, Mrs. Webb.

You couldn't see this hook in this courtroom any more than you could see it

night. He hit her. She fell down.

And she never made another move after that.

How would you know, Mrs. Webb?

From the time the buccaneer apparently struck to the time the door was fully

closed was almost nine seconds.

Now, for all you know, the woman could have been up and yelling on the

the next minute.

You stated flatly that you saw Tony Polk kill Grace Knapp.

Are you willing to repeat that statement now?

Mr. Keene, you want the court to understand that you gave Martin Eldridge

,000 for him to give Grace Knapp, the decedent, and that she, in fact,

that money.

Objection. No foundation to support the fact that the decedent received such a

sum. No such sum was ever found in the apartment.

Well, of course it wasn't found, Mr. Mason.

Your Honor, we intend to show that this buccaneer element introduced into this

case, including blackmail and related matters not yet in evidence.

only tend to strengthen the state's case.

We intend to show that what happened that night in that apartment when an ex

-convict, down on his luck, was suddenly confronted with a large sum of money

guarded only by a woman obviously drunk could have happened in any apartment

under similar circumstances. Before you show anything else, it is necessary to

show that the decedent had received the money.

Objection sustained.

Very well.

Mr. Keene.

When did you give Mr. Eldridge the money?

I gave him a check.

Let's see, it was the 8th, a Thursday.

I had to transfer some funds, of course, to make sure the check was good.

Of course. Did you do that the same day?

Well, no, it was too late.

Actually, I took care of it the next day, just before the bank closed.

But the check was cashed?

Yes, sir.

Then Martin Eldridge could not have received the cash to meet Gray Snap's

demands until just a few hours before she herself was killed.

Thank you, Mr. Keene, very much. That's all I want to know.

One moment, Mr. Keene.

There is something I want to know.

You told Mr. Berger about the fatal door -to -door promotion, but you didn't

mention who selected the addresses to be visited.

Now, who did?

I did. Was the list available to a large number of people in your organization?

No. And the name of the decedent was not on the list, Mr. Mason.

Could anyone else have put her name on the list? No.

Martin, myself, and the buccaneers I hired were the only people who had

to the list.

But you did know where the decedent lived?

Yes. No further questions at this time.

Perry.

No answer at Beth's apartment or at Della's, and I haven't been to the

or the hospital.

It's not like Della.

She would have called.

Now, there's a two o 'clock train leaving here this afternoon, and I'm

be on it with my dough.

Now, Eldridge don't have it.

But I know he got it handed up, so that kid husband of yours grabbed it when he

killed Grace. Now, come across.

He didn't kill her. And he didn't take the money.

And I don't have it.

For the tenth time, I don't have it. I want that money. It's no use, Beth.

Give it to him.

Tell her.

Come on.

Hey, dirty little liar.

Get it and leave it alone.

It's in here.

Pretty smart, isn't it?

Where?

Under the sink.

Way under the sink.

I don't see it.

I tell you, Grace and me just said we were Mr. and Mrs. for business reasons.

She didn't want to get married again.

Not even to me.

She was a tough dame.

She's not too sharp on some things.

I was the one that recognized Eldridge, as he calls himself on TV.

She didn't see how that meant anything at all to her.

I had to line it up for her.

Then the blackmail scheme was your idea.

Don't try to hang blackmail on me.

In this state, Grace was entitled to half everything Marvin had.

You knew about his second marriage, of course.

I was...

His idea to get married again, not Grace's.

Listen, all that Jackie's knocking down, she only hit him for $25 ,000.

Mr. Douglas, why did you break into the Polk apartment on two occasions and make

threats? I should have known better.

I took Eldridge's word for it. I didn't figure he'd welch on us.

Welch? Yeah.

Where's the money that Grace got it?

And why'd she lie it into your client if it was delivered like it was supposed

to be?

Mike, you've worked several times as an actor on the Bennett Buccaneer show,

haven't you? Yeah, I worked the show.

Did you happen to become acquainted with the show's star, Mr. Eldridge?

Well, I spoke to him sometimes on the set, sure.

Then you would say that you are acquainted with Mr. Eldridge?

Well, yeah, sure.

Could it be that you became so well acquainted, you and Mr. Eldridge, that

hired you for another and more confidential kind of work?

I don't know what you mean.

Well, isn't it true that Mr. Eldridge hired you to deliver the blackmail money

that night?

Didn't he have you add the address of the murder apartment to the list you

traded to Tony Pope?

He told me he was having a fling with this girl.

He told me he wanted to trick up a surprise for her birthday.

So I put the address on my list.

Later, he gave me this package to mix in with the free samples.

I was supposed to go there and give it to her.

You were supposed to?

Why didn't you, Mike?

I don't know.

Did you decide not to go when you opened the surprise package and saw the money?

You did open it, didn't you, Mike?

And when you saw that $25 ,000, you just decided to keep it.

And you traded lists with Tony Polk.

There was no $25 ,000 in that package. There was $2 ,500.

Look, I don't know anything about any blackmail. I sure didn't figure on any

murder. Yeah, I swapped lists with him, sure, because I figured he was an ex

-con. And then Eldridge, when he found out that the money wasn't delivered, I

could tell him that some other guy went to that apartment. But that's all.

Harlan, Mr.

Keene had been telling me all along I couldn't trust her.

So I decided to give Grace just enough to make her eager for the rest.

I thought maybe I could tease her into a quiet Mexican divorce.

Then she was killed and, well, everyone seemed to think that whoever had the

money was the murderer, so I kept quiet.

I suppose there's logic of a sort to that, Mr. Eldridge.

You sent just enough money, then, to test her reaction.

Now, let us consider that Grace Knapp was known for a quick and violent

And that she received no money at all that night. She was hardly the person to

hide her feelings in such a situation, was she?

Hardly. And she had been drinking.

Let me suggest, Mr. Eldridge, that after her disappointment, she contacted you

and forced you into an immediate interview in person.

No. You've already admitted that it was important, vital to you that your second

wife remain ignorant of your big mistake.

So you went to that apartment that only you, Harlan Keene, and Mike Woods knew

about. She flew into a murderous rage, and you took up the hook the defendant

had dropped, and you used it.

No, that's impossible.

Impossible? Why impossible?

Well, I told you before, I was doing a show that night.

We weren't working at the studio. We did a live location stunt out in the valley

at the opening of some shopping center.

There was legal trouble about a guest spot, and they had to cut it.

When Grace was killed, I was singing to about 1 ,500 people out there.

The live portion started at... I think it was at 8 .40.

When you drove to the shopping center for the broadcast, did you encounter

especially heavy traffic?

Well, uh... Well, I didn't notice.

I wasn't driving.

Your wife drove you? No.

I drove with one of the men on the crew.

We had to go into the studio for makeup and costume.

My wife always watches the show at home.

And we've heard testimony that Gray Snap was overheard that night having a very

heated exchange on the telephone.

Presumably delivering some sort of ultimatum.

Now, Mr. Eldridge...

With whom would she most logically have had that sort of exchange?

I... I don't know.

Most logically?

Wouldn't it have been with you?

Okay. She called me, all right.

I left my script at the house and we had to go there and pick it up.

The phone was ringing when I walked in.

Was your wife aware of the call and who it was calling?

The show was already starting. I could hear the music out in the den.

I don't think she even knew I was in the house.

What did Grace Knapp tell you?

Well, she, uh... Well, she was furious.

Unreasonable. I tried to tell her that I did send the money. Well, that there

must have been some mistake.

You mean about the delivery of the wrong gauntlet?

Yes.

I... Well, she said the buccaneer had been there.

So, after the defendant left that apartment, Grace Knapp was still alive.

Your Honor, I strongly object.

The first counsel is leading this witness into a conclusion.

Oh, I think counsel is within the limits of proper questioning, Mr. Bergen.

Just be careful, Mr. Mason. You remain within those limits.

Yes, Your Honor.

But I must confess that worse than leading the witness into stating a

conclusion, I was leading him into an outright lie.

The telephone conversation overheard by Mrs. Webb took place before the

defendant's visit to the murder apartment.

So how do you explain Grace Knapp's outrage over the defendant's failure to

deliver the money some minutes before his arrival?

All right.

I didn't know about the call.

Mrs. Eldridge, your husband testified that he received the phone call from

Knapp. Then he contradicted his testimony and denied knowledge of the

But you were there in the house.

I'm going to ask you for the truth of the matter.

Did your husband take that phone call?

I want to caution you, you're under oath.

No.

No, he didn't take any phone calls.

You took that call from the decedent and learned for the first time that your

husband was a bigamist.

Don't say anything else.

It was you who went to the decedent's apartment after the defendant left,

it? Yes, I came to give her what money and jewelry I had.

I couldn't get in touch with Martin.

And I needed time.

I came up the back as she told me.

She was a wild woman.

Drunk and obscene.

She didn't even look at what I brought.

She showed me the marriage license.

And then she came at me with that awful hook.

She grabbed me by the hair. I fought back.

I got the hook from her.

And then I hit her.

I grabbed her purse with the marriage license in it, and I ran.

And I've been running ever since.

I don't care. I'm not even going to try to be modest about it.

He's marvelous.

I agree with you, Beth.

Look at the intelligence in those eyes.

That boy's got to be at least a little bit Irish.

Irish he's not. If he were, he would have been born talking.

But handsome he is.

Well, it's obvious there aren't any impartial observers among us except me.

And as one of his three godfathers, I'll admit to the fact that he's a very

special baby.

Mr. Mason, I'd like to talk about my bill. I got it, but it's Mark paid.

Now that Abe found me the job, I can afford it. I've talked it over with Clay

and with Abe.

And we decided we didn't want our godson starting out with any liabilities.

Perry Abraham Terrence Polk starts life free and clear.

Agreed?