Original subtitles

One of the delights of not being gainfully employed is that my life is

reversed. At night, when most men are sleeping, I'm usually gambling or

with beautiful women and drinking champagne.

Then in the morning, when most men are going to work, I'm going to bed.

It's a topsy -turvy kind of life, but I enjoy it. It gives me a feeling of

serenity and security.

I'm not exactly bubbling with good humor. What are you doing here, Odossi?

I've come here to warn you.

They're out to kill you.

That's nice. I thought it was my doctor trying to drum up trade.

Who's gunning for me?

Pick your pick.

Nobody has more enemies than the famous Diamond Templar.

on it, I see.

There's a contract out for you.

Somebody's willing to pay five grand over your dead.

A tight one, I'd say, was worth a great deal more.

Who's putting up the money?

I don't know.

I just heard the word going around.

I should imagine there'll be plenty of takers for 5 ,000.

You have the reputation of being a very hard man to kill. It's a reputation I'd

be very sorry to lose.

Don't imagine the professional guns will be standing in line for the job.

If they do come, I'll be waiting for them.

Thanks for the warning, Ardossi.

Oh, by the way, where can I contact the man who's putting up the money?

There's just a telephone number.

No names, nothing else, just a number.

Brother Hyde, 1537.

Brother Hyde, 1537. So long, Mr. Templer. Oh, Ardossi.

Oh, no, Mr.

Templer, no money.

I have your face.

You can send home me anything.

Well, thanks.

I'll see you around.

First Warehouse Service, Fritz speaking.

Good morning.

A mutual friend suggested I contact you.

I'm in the lead delivery business.

Well, I do have a contract to place.

That is, if the price is right and the quality of the work's good, perhaps we

could meet to discuss it.

I'd like nothing better.

Where and when?

Tonight, nine o 'clock, here at my warehouse.

12A, Mannion's Wharf.

You want me, Mac?

Yes, I have a little shipment I'd like you to pick up and deliver for me.

my address.

If you could be there at five, just between you and me, there's 40 quid in

for you.

For 40 quid, I'd pick up Yellow Fever.

I'll be there at five o 'clock.

Hey, what's all this about, then?

Concrete restored until its cost.

We haven't got any orders about it. Anyway, we're just closed.

Oh, come on.

All right, give us your note then. I don't want to come back in the morning.

Right.

You all finished?

Just about.

Come on, let's stack it then.

Can't we leave it till the morning?

Why? I've got a hard night tonight.

Are you at it again?

I'll lock up, will you?

I want to hang on for a bit.

Okay.

Good night, Mr. Fist. Good night.

You're calling a policeman. You'd better get one for me, too.

Who are you?

Let's get one thing straight.

This makes me the quiz master.

Okay?

Now, why are you willing to pay five grand to have me dead?

Templer.

Get out of here.

Now. I'm warning you.

You're warning me.

I'm holding this, remember?

You don't scare me.

You lay hands on me and they'll get you.

Who?

Who are they?

For instance, you'd better start talking.

Believe me, words sound better with a mouth in your face.

All right, I'll tell you.

Won't make any difference.

Farnburg will kill you anyway.

Farnburg?

Jack Farnburg?

I thought that'd get you.

He's in prison in the States.

He came out a month ago.

He's waited for eight years to get even with you.

And how are you tied in with him?

He's a friend of mine.

I'm just trying to help him. Oh, you want to share in a quarter of a million

dollars, is that it?

I don't know what you're talking about.

Oh, sure you do.

Farnburg knocked over an army payroll.

He was arrested, but they never found the money.

I figured he'd be back sooner or later for the loot.

Where is he now?

I don't know.

Well, try and remember.

And we'll go and see him. I don't know, I tell you.

Stop remembering.

Just get into my car. I parked it before I would let... I could stop writing.

Hey, Fritz!

Answer it.

Up here.

Well, things are going pretty good. I got an address for the Ballinger Dame.

She's got a house at 22 Crompert Street at...

What's the matter with you, Frist?

He's allergic to guns.

So you better drop yours on the floor.

Now, back up behind the desk.

You too, Frist.

You're early, Templer.

We didn't expect you until nine.

I was so excited to seeing you again, I couldn't wait.

If you're smart, you'll pull the trigger on me right now.

Because if I stay alive...

I swear they're going to be picking up little pieces of you all over this

town. I haven't changed much, have you, Jack?

You still talk like a hoodlum in a second -rate gangster movie.

Okay, smart boy, you're dealing the cards.

What happens now?

Well, for a start, how about telling me where that quarter of a million dollars

is? Listen, Templer, that dough is mine.

I paid for it in time.

You should know that better than anybody. You helped put me inside.

My pleasure.

Well, I'm here to collect now.

You, the cops, nobody's going to stop me.

It's a pretty selfish attitude.

Incidentally, you did a lousy job trying to run me down this morning.

That was this bum's stupid idea.

He figured if we could throw a scare into you, you'd buy our dusty story and

come here.

Yes, and I only bought half of it.

And while we're on the subject of buying, let's get back to the

that missing payroll.

Why don't you drop dead?

Oh!

I'll get some more shells.

That's as far as you go, Buster.

Get in.

You all right?

Sure. What the devil are you doing here?

I specialize in nick of time rescues.

I've been following Farnburg. I saw your car in the alley. Heard the shots.

Thought you might want to leave in a hurry.

I think I'm to the U .S. Cavalry.

Now, where can the Major John Dunstan Taxi Service take you?

Home.

Home it is.

Dunstan, it's great to see you again.

Still in AFO security?

Yeah, Simon, I'm getting too old to make a change.

Besides, I'll be eligible for a pension in about eight years.

Oh, what brings you back to London?

Well, I've been right behind Farnburg ever since he got out of the pen.

Uh -huh.

Hoping he'll lead you to that missing payroll?

That's right.

But I don't think he knows where the money is. Otherwise, he'd just grab it

beat it, wouldn't he?

Yeah, I'll fix that. I remember there was a lapse of about two hours between

time Farnburg was picked up and the time of the heist. That's right. And during

those two hours, he could have passed the money to somebody else.

Any ideas?

No. But I don't think he can find the guy.

Where does Frist fit into this?

Well, he was living in the States for a while and needed a stretch for forgery.

He wound up in the same cell with Farnburg. I guess they teamed up.

I'm glad Farnburg didn't come all the way from the States just to kill me.

Don't get too complacent about it. He's got a big grudge against you, buddy boy.

By the way, does his name Ballinger mean anything to you?

Ballinger?

No, why?

Farnburg mentioned when he came into first office tonight.

He's quite excited about it.

I'd better get some more ice.

Good evening, sir. Mr.

Templer? Yes.

It's been reported that your car was seen parked for the best part of the day

the evening outside Frist's warehouse.

You haven't come all the way this time of the evening to give me a parking

ticket, surely? No, sir. Mr.

Teal sent me. He'd like to see you.

Oh? What about?

About Mr. Frist, sir.

You see, he's been murdered.

Well, Claude, it's my considered opinion.

But you're right.

He is dead.

Don't get smart.

I have enough evidence to book you right away. Just tell me all about it. Well,

maybe I can help.

How? This is tied up with the Farnburg case.

Farnburg? Farnburg was a flight sergeant on one of our bases over here.

He robbed the paymaster's office of a quarter of a million bucks.

Simon was visiting the base at the time, and he helped me with the arrest.

The money was never recovered.

Well, temporarily, I'm not surprised.

In short, Farnburg has come back for the money.

And me.

Yes, and the U .S. Air Force would like to get the money back, too, and that's

where I come in.

Then why did Farnburg kill Frist? I don't think he did.

You don't?

No, Frist was an asset.

Excuse me. Of course.

I should imagine he was probably financing Farnburg. He had no reason to

him. Then who did?

I don't know.

But I can give you a couple of things to work on.

For instance, this skylight, what about it?

When I was here earlier, it was closed. Now it's open. From the angle of the

wound, Frisk could have been shot from there.

Here's another thing. What are they?

They're the complete works of a lady called Eileen Wilton. They're all crime

stories and all brand new.

Hardly the sort of thing you'd expect to find in an office of this sort.

Happy reading.

You'll find the rest of them in the bookcase, I excuse you.

Where are you going now?

Home.

Good night.

You can't go yet. You haven't told me a thing.

Major Dunstan will give you a blow -by -blow rundown on the story so far. Oh,

sure, but where do we go from here?

Well, I suggest you try and locate Farnburg.

And you?

Tomorrow I shall go and see the lady Farnburg mentioned at 22 Crumpet Street.

She's not here.

Who isn't? Mrs. Ballinger.

When will she be back? Well, how should I know?

Been away three months already, you know.

In Spain.

You're a housekeeper?

Oh, no, nothing like that.

I come in a few times a week and I feed the fish and dust around a bit.

Oh, thank you. It looks as though I'm wasting my time.

Yes, that's what I told the other man.

He was from the phone company, too.

But I'm not from the phone company.

No, nor was he, if you ask me.

Asking me all those questions.

What was he like?

American or something like that. Very suspicious.

Tempted to tell the police I was.

Well, I've got my shopping to do.

Can't stand here all day talking to you.

Mrs. Ballinger?

Please don't be nervous.

I'm not here to harm you. I'm here to help you. I think your life may be in

great danger.

What are you talking about?

Who are you? Get out of here!

My name's Simon Templer.

Well? There's a man named Jack Farnberg in London looking for you. Does the name

mean anything to you?

Yes, with a Jack Farnberg in the Air Force with my husband when he was

in Suffolk.

Where's your husband now?

He was killed in an air crash eight years ago.

I'm sorry.

So am I.

Now, what's all this about?

Mrs. Ballinger, this sounds mysterious.

Whether you like it or not, you're mixed up in something particularly

unpleasant.

I'd like you to meet and talk to a Major Dunstan. He's in U .S. Air Force

Security.

You're right, Mr. Templer. This does sound most mysterious.

Here's my card.

Will you come to my place tonight at eight?

I'll have Major Dunstan there and you can meet and talk to him.

Will you come?

Please?

All right.

By the way, I notice you're a great fan of Eileen Wilton detective stories.

I should be.

I wrote them.

Wilton is my maiden name.

Simon, don't you think it's about time we got down to business?

I wish you would. I'm really very anxious to know what this is about.

All right, but I'm afraid you won't like it.

We've been doing some checking into your husband's service record.

But why?

He's been dead for eight years.

This is Ballinger.

How much money did your husband leave you?

It is none of your business.

Please.

Well, if you must know, very little.

About $500.

There was some insurance, of course, but Kurt wasn't a rich man.

He may have been richer than you think.

By a quarter of a million dollars.

A quarter?

Oh, that's absurd.

He only had his Air Force pay.

And we lived up to every penny of that.

In fact, if it hadn't been for my writing, I doubt if we should have made

meet. giving him a reasonable motive for robbery.

Robbery? Two days before your husband was killed, there was a robbery on the

base. Yes, I remember that quite clearly, but Kurt had nothing to do with

You see, at the time of the robbery, he'd already taken off on a flight.

According to our records, your husband's flight took off seven minutes after the

theft.

Now, with split -second timing, it's quite possible that Farmberg may have

handed your husband the money.

No, that's not true. You just want to find a scapegoat. You want to find the

money. All right, then where is it?

If you think Kurt took it, what did he do with it?

We don't know.

We thought you might help. Help destroy my husband's memory? Is that what you

want? I want the truth.

You've got the truth right there on your blasted records.

Two days after all this happened, my husband was killed trying to stop his

from crashing into a town.

My husband was killed, you understand?

Now look somewhere else for your thief and leave us alone.

Mrs. Balinger, I'm sorry you had to find out this way.

It's a little late to start being sorry.

But don't worry, as far as I'm concerned, it's forgotten.

It's all over.

Simon, what are you doing?

Working out a timetable.

Does it fit?

Just about.

Barberg must have passed the money to Balinger minutes before take -off.

So by the time we made the arrest, he could have been halfway up the coast of

Norway.

Right. He got back the following morning.

Do you remember who was checked?

Well, there were 5 ,000 guys on that base.

But then Ballinger being on a flight, I don't suppose he was even suspect.

Yes, but he would have been confined to base, though, wouldn't he?

Everybody was.

Well, that takes care of the Saturday.

Then on the Sunday, he took off again with the same crew.

Yeah, and on the way back, he crashed right outside of Oxford, and he was dead

by the time they got him to the hospital.

So the vital time would be the weekend they were confined to base.

Well, it wouldn't have been too hard to break camp.

I wonder whether his wife would know.

The way she feels, I don't think she'd tell us if she did.

That's worth a try.

Get away.

Is that Ballinger's flight log?

No, it was destroyed in the crash.

It's funny.

She left here over an hour ago.

Maybe she's just not answering.

Maybe she can't.

Now, look, lady.

That dough is somewhere here. Now, you tell me where it is, or I'm going to

to hurt you real bad. I didn't know anything about any money. I don't even

what you're talking about. Don't give me that stuff.

Your husband and me were partners.

He told you what we were doing.

No, I swear he didn't.

That money is here, and I'm not leaving without it.

There's nothing here. I've told you, there's nothing.

All right.

If you want to make it tough on yourself, I can figure a couple of ways

you talk.

We're going to look pretty silly busting in if he's not there.

I'll take that chance.

How much further?

A couple of blocks.

We're going from the back, just in case.

I'm asking you real nice one more time.

Where is it? I don't know.

I'll make a deal with you.

If you keep 20 ,000 bucks, the rest is mine.

I don't want any part of it.

If it was here, you could take it, all of it.

All right, I'm through asking.

We'll play it my way now.

Oh, shit!

Get out of here, quick!

Here.

Drink this.

I'm all right now.

Mr. Templer, Kahnberg said he and my husband were partners.

Is that true?

Everything points to it.

I love my husband.

I'll do anything I can to protect his memory, but I must know the truth.

Could help a lot.

We must recover that money before Farnburg does.

Or before anybody else gets hurt.

What do you want me to do?

First, I'd like to locate all the men in your husband's air crew.

I've lost touch with most of them. They've nearly all left the service and

back to the States.

All of it except Chuck Powers.

Where's he?

He's in a veteran's hospital.

He was married to an English girl, you see, so he stayed.

He's been a more or less permanent invalid since the crash.

I'd like to talk to him.

I'm sure it could be arranged.

Would you like me to come with you?

Yes. How about first thing tomorrow morning?

Fine.

Well?

He had our dossier waiting in the car.

I think you'd better spend tonight in a hotel.

What?

Do you think he'll try to come back?

Your husband was alone in the plane when he crashed?

Yes, except for Chuck.

The others bailed out, but his parachute was damaged in the fire.

Do you know him well?

He was best man at our wedding.

Hello, Chuck.

It's nice to see you again.

Yeah.

Nice to see you.

You remember Mrs. Ballinger, don't you?

Ballinger?

Well...

Aren't you a Kurt Ballinger?

Eileen.

You must be Eileen.

Yes.

I haven't been to see you for a long time, Chuck. I'm sorry.

This is Mr.

Templer. He wants to talk to you about something.

Hi, Chuck.

I'd like to ask you about some things that happened a long time ago.

Memory's not so good anymore.

Then you can try me.

It's, uh... About the last but one flight you made with Kurt Ballinger.

Last but one? Yes, it was a routine flight.

It was August.

We'd been up the Scandinavian coast, then back down the Russian border.

Oh, yeah, sure. We did that route all the time.

Yes, but when you got back to the place, the whole place was in an uproar.

The paymaster's office had been robbed.

I don't recall.

It's hard.

It's hard.

Please try to remember, Chuck. It's very important.

Did anything happen on the flight?

Anything out of routine?

No, no. It was always the same routine.

Just routine.

Thousands of miles of sky and cloud.

Just routine.

I think we'd better go to Oxford.

Maybe the doctor who pulled them out of the crash will come up with something.

We had a leak in a fuel line.

We had to sit down in Holland.

Where in Holland, Chuck?

Amsterdam.

Yeah, we were there for about four hours.

It's a pretty town.

You went into town?

Was Kurt with you?

No, no, he wasn't with us. He had to see some friends.

Kurt was stationed in Holland before he came back to England.

Well, Amsterdam's about the best place in the world to convert a quarter of a

million dollars into diamonds.

Diamonds? Cash is bulky.

Diamonds take up no space at all.

But where could they be?

Chuck, how long was Kurt away from you?

You're low, Kurt.

You're too low. My God, we've hit the cables.

My God, we're burning.

Get up.

Get up.

It's all right, Mr. Powers. It's all right. Leave her, Kurt.

We've got to get out. We've got to jump.

They're all gone.

They've all gone on.

I can't make it. I can't get out. I'm burning.

I'm burning. Help me.

I'm burning.

Help me.

Yes, Mrs. Ballinger.

I got Paz and your husband out of the wreckage.

The plane crashed in my field.

Out there.

Was Kurt dead when you... No, he... He died in my arms about five minutes after

the crash.

Dr. Jerome, did he say anything?

Well, he seemed to be trying to tell me something.

It was terribly difficult for him to talk.

He kept on mumbling some man's name. What name?

Sounded like Richard Reason.

Richard Reason.

Mean anything?

No, nothing.

Thank you, Doctor. It was good of you to see us. Mr. Temple, why all this

interest after eight years?

This is twice in one day.

Twice? Yes, the American gentleman this morning.

Here they come.

What are you going to do?

I don't know.

I'm sure this Richard Reason bit means something to that broad.

I want to know what.

Thunberg seems to be keeping one step ahead of us.

I'm certain that name must be important.

I've never heard it before.

Could be there was a third man involved.

We'll get Dunstan to check the personnel list. What time are we supposed to meet

him? 1 .30.

You know, there's one big gap in the timetable still.

What did your husband do that weekend he was confined to the base?

He wasn't confined.

He was permitted to leave the base because he came home.

To London?

Yes.

And he must have broken camp.

Nobody was allowed out that weekend.

Well, then it's possible he came home just to hide the diamond.

That's likely.

It's all beginning to fall into place, isn't it?

Yes, but we still don't know who Richard Reason is, do we?

I'm hoping Dunstan will be able to solve that one for us.

Nope. No Richard Reason on the base.

That has to mean something.

Let's go over it again.

Mrs. Ballinger, I don't like doing this.

Major Dunstan, my husband is under suspicion.

There's really no need for you to try to be tactful.

All right, then.

Suppose Farnburg passed the money to Ballinger seconds before takeoff.

Then over Holland he fakes engine trouble and touches down.

But even supposing that that's true, you don't just walk into a shop and buy a

quarter of a million dollars worth of diamonds, do you?

Yes, but your husband was stationed in Amsterdam. He had contacts.

Presumably, this was all planned in advance.

He came back, broke bounds, came to London and hid the stones.

On the next flight, he was killed.

That's why I think the names are important.

Coffee, madam?

Oh, no, thank you.

Gentlemen? No, thanks. Just the buildings.

Which reason?

I've got an idea.

Tell me something about the actual robbery.

Oh, it was very clever.

We got a report that the armored car was being robbed. And during the panic and

while the guards were closing in, Farnburg was calmly helping himself to a

quarter of a million dollars out of the paymaster's office.

Simon, I know now.

Riches and treason. That's what Kurt was saying. Not Richard Reeson. Riches and

treason. Go on.

When I married Kurt, I was writing a novel called Riches and Treason about an

armored car robbery.

It was set in France, but my characters did exactly the same thing.

That's got to be it.

That's why Farnburg and Fritz had all your stories.

Kurt must have told him the beginning.

But not the end.

Well, he couldn't. I never finished it. I couldn't find an ending.

I still have the manuscript.

Let's get it.

All right, I'll ask for you in the car. I just want to powder my nose.

Here, I'll take that.

and I'll get the car.

What do you do that for, Don?

I'm in real trouble finding the girl.

It is natural, baby. I'm going to come right back here and kill you. It is

I swear it.

Okay. Now, where is the manuscript?

It's in the bottom drawer of my desk.

Mrs. Ballinger, it better be.

I've waited eight years for this, and nothing's going to stop me now.

Come on, open up. Open up!

We've got a lot of reading to do, baby.

And you're going to explain all the hard words to me.

Don't go, baby.

3 .30.

Well, that's been a long wait, but your hunch was right.

Why don't we just go in and grab him?

You don't think he's going to tell us where she is, do you?

We can stay behind him even if it means another day and night.

Here he comes.

He's in there far enough away.

He's getting that light.

Doesn't let him get farther in front.

Nothing this side.

Here.

Sorry to keep you waiting, baby.

Now we'll have that reading lesson.

Come on, we're getting out of here.

Thank you.

Try sliding it back. I can't. I can't.

There's a train coming.

Help me!

Please!

Well,

here's one ending I tried. The substitute of the gold bars for the

lift shaft.

I'll remember that the next time I have some hot gold.

Well, here's something.

It's pretty wild, though.

They took the gold to the zoo, dropped it in the tanks at the aquarium.

Did I write that?

Anyway, it's diamonds we're looking for, not...

Right

here. After all these years.

Okay, buddy boy.

I'll take those now.

I wondered when you'd come into the open, Don.

Just give me the stones.

You didn't have to shoot Frist.

Yes, I did. I met him in the States, and he knew I wasn't with Air Force

security anymore.

And then you gunned down Ardothy when there was no need?

Just cutting down the opposition.

Give me the stones.

What does it matter?

Civilian life too tough for you?

Something like that.

I spent my whole life in the service.

I didn't think the pension was big enough.

Now, give me.

Oh, buddy boy, you better make your play.

When they do a ballistics check on the bullet that killed our dossie, it's

to match the one that called first.

Simon, I don't want to kill you.

Now, give me the stones.

Now, turn around.

Goodbye, Don.

And what do you plan to do with those?

Oh, I thought I'd return them to the U .S. Air Force.

That's a fishy story.