Original subtitles

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

And why did it take you so long to get here?

I've been sitting here for ten minutes.

I don't know why everything is so heavily guarded.

Even if I could get through this screen, I couldn't escape without breaking your

picture tube.

All this is to illustrate to you that while the television viewer's lot may be

difficult, the performer's is even worse.

Only one half -hour visit a week, and in between, nothing but work.

Then, of course, my associates aren't the best.

Singers, comedians, news analysts and the like.

But perhaps we should have our play before I reduce all of you to tears.

40 minutes.

39 minutes.

Hang on, boy. You'll get that stay.

Right, Jorgensen?

Yeah. Yeah, you get it.

Look at me. I got mine.

It'll come through like Holt said.

Sure, just like I said.

That phone will ring any minute.

37 minutes.

You listen to me, kid. Now you'll get that stay.

It's happened before and less than a minute ago.

Hey, Professor.

Professor, you tell him. You tell him he'll get that day.

I wouldn't count on it, Devaka.

Chances are he won't get us.

Don't listen to him.

Don't worry, amigo. I can hear that phone ring now.

Devaka is wrong.

Crazy wrong.

What do you mean?

I know, I know, get stank.

I mean, the chances are too great against it, that's all.

It's the wrong way to... Quiet, Watson, keep quiet!

You think you know it all, but you don't!

Please start our walk now.

No, wait.

Wait, please.

Don't take me. We wouldn't want to keep our delivery waiting on you. Don't take

me. A little longer.

A little longer, please.

Just a little longer.

Just a few minutes.

The Lord is my shepherd.

I shall not walk.

Make a thing of my power and don't catch me.

He just needs to be served with two words.

He restoreth my soul.

He leadeth me in the path of Christ.

Save a place for me, amigo.

I'll see you soon.

Spit in their dirty eyes, debacle. You tell them.

So long, debacle.

There's always hope, boy, even to the last second.

is lying to himself about getting a stay that broke him.

Oh, nuts.

On top of that, you didn't even tell him goodbye.

What would be the use in that?

rituals, don't you, Father?

There are many rituals in the church. I mean outside the church. I'm speaking of

the ritual of sacrifice.

My being here now is part of that ritual.

You're a very intelligent man, Professor, but I don't quite... You

understand what I mean. Let me explain, Father.

In here, you don't just die suddenly in the gas chamber.

No, there's a long, carefully worked out plan. First, to grind the man down

until he sees it to be human.

We are here, and we must all have hope.

That's an interesting point, Father, but I disagree.

Because in here, there's no way out, and there's no hope of a way out either.

Is that what you believe?

Well, if you'll forgive me for being dogmatic, Father, it's what I know.

I've watched these others waiting, agonizing, hoping until they've accepted

their role of scapegoats.

What will you do? I won't be their scapegoat because I won't accept the

I'll live without hope.

And I'll fight them as I have a right to.

I'll hate them for what they do to my dignity as a man.

And I won't take part in their game of writs and reprieves and stays.

So when I die, it'll be as a man.

Not a sheep or a fat butcher like Pops Rafferty leads to slaughter.

I heard what you said.

What do you got against Pops, anyway?

I don't think you'd like it if I told you.

Pops is the only right guy that ever worked this role, Professor.

Good old Pops.

A smiler with a knife.

You got him all wrong.

He's the only screw that's ever given us an even break.

He even puts a shot in that last cup of coffee.

I'm sure that's very commendable.

It looks to me as though he enjoys his work too much.

Somebody's got to work the row.

We're lucky to have Pops.

This is a free country. I'm sure Pops wasn't drafted for his job.

Let me ask you a question, Hennessy.

Sure, shoot, man.

What kind of man is it that makes a career out of leading us to the gas

Don't do it to me.

Don't do it to me.

Don't do it to me.

Don't do it to me.

Don't do it to me.

Don't do it to me.

Are you talking to me, Professor?

Huh?

What's all that jazz about them not doing it to you, man?

Did I say that?

You sure did.

You're not planning to bust out, are you, Professor?

No.

There's no way out of here, Hennessy.

There's no chance of a way either.

Well, you'll get that stay for sure.

Well, just to live a little while longer isn't the most important thing.

What's more important, man?

The way we live and die, in that way we're not so different from the ones on

outside.

Well, they all have death coming too, but it's a long way off.

At least it seems to be.

At least they're spared the knowledge of when it will happen.

And where and how.

They can even pretend it won't happen at all.

But we can't do that.

Why can't we?

Because we shouldn't play it their way.

We shouldn't pretend like that.

It's just going along with the torture, and that's what breaks us down.

I think you've got a head full of holes, man.

Hey, give me a light, please.

You ready for a new pet, Lafferty?

Just keep limbering up, Herbie.

Oh, I'm in pretty good condition.

I've got 15 hours left. I'm not apt to get out of condition now. Oh, you

shouldn't think about that. Just keep in shape.

Think about that stay.

No, he don't want no stay, Pops.

Yeah, I see. You shouldn't talk like that.

You worry about us too much, Lafferty. Don't you think it's a waste of energy

considering what's going to happen?

I'll be able to walk all the way, and my respiratory system's quite sound.

Shut up!

Come on now, you.

Just shut up.

All right, jump to it, Morrison.

Get the lead out.

I want to see a little sweat.

Why bother?

Because I want some life on those legs, Morrison.

You want us to carry you down the road tomorrow?

You won't have to.

None of your lip.

Kirby.

You wouldn't want to spend these last hours in solitary, would you?

Yeah, sure, Marston.

Maybe I'd like to walk out of the hole tomorrow.

I'd rather not.

Morning, Goliath.

Fine day, Father.

Hello, Professor.

Hello, Father.

Well, I think I've cultivated the body beautifully for today.

How are you?

Nothing new here.

Father, I'd rather you didn't think me irreligious.

No, I don't believe that you're an irreligious man.

But I would like you to explain more about yourself.

Me?

Why, I... I'm here under a social code of retribution, Father.

Professor, do you believe that murder is morally wrong? If society considered

murder morally wrong, you and I wouldn't be here. There couldn't be a death row.

Now you tell me, how does one distinguish between murder committed by

individual and murder committed by the state?

We will all be forgiven.

be our only chance.

What do you want?

Your lawyer's here, Herbie.

This may be your last chance, and I got a feeling that this is a stay for sure.

He don't want no stay. He wants a pardon.

You gotta see him this time, Herbie.

All right, I want to say goodbye to Bird.

Maybe your mouthpiece got good news for you. You gotta have faith, Herbie. You

never know.

Pop, how many of us have you given a final send -off, huh?

We don't like to think about that, Herbie.

Yeah,

all right.

Okay.

Sit down, Mr. Berg.

They're on their way down. Morrison ought to be here any minute.

Thank you, warden.

I appreciate your help.

You wouldn't see me before.

You know, Bert, your client's a strange man, but he's been a quiet prisoner.

He's always been a quiet man, but he's not strange.

He's just... Well, he's just Herbert Morrison, bachelor, professor of English

literature in a small freshwater college.

He's a murderer, Mr. Bert. He killed a young girl, one of his students. That's

why he's here.

He's not a murderer, Warden.

He's just a man who was caught up in a legal nightmare.

Alienated from everything familiar.

Isolated from humanity.

Dropped into an incomprehensible concrete mixer of jurisprudence.

And started down the belt to the murder factory.

Every murderer protests his innocence.

allowed to shake hands.

I don't get it, Herbert.

I don't understand why you wouldn't see me. Now we've only a few hours left.

I just came to say goodbye, Maury, and tell you I appreciate everything you've

tried to do for me.

I haven't done anything yet.

You wouldn't even let me try.

I could have gotten rich.

Stays. They're both the state and federal courts. Why? I don't want to

their game, Maury.

That's all part of their ritual. I didn't volunteer, and I'm still not

I'm going to get you that stay yet.

I've seen what it does to a man to prolong the inevitable that way.

I don't want it.

Just sign this.

I've got the warden's permission.

Sign it here, now.

Oh, you idiot. You don't know what's going on. I've got Lou Dutton on this

now.

Who's Lou Dutton? I'll tell you who Lou Dutton is. He's the best private

detective in the country. He never accepts a case unless he can deliver.

But he needs a little more time.

Forget it, Lorian. Forget Lou Dutton.

I told you I'm not playing that game.

I want a pardon.

I want a full pardon or nothing.

I can get you to stay.

Then Lou will have time to uncover that paid -off perjured witness.

For a famous defense attorney or a miserable liar.

Will you just sign this?

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry I have to spoil your perfect record of acquittals.

I took this case because I'm a defense lawyer.

Moral judgments are of no concern to me. They can't be.

A case to me is strictly a legal problem.

Now, will you please sign this?

Morrie, will you understand? There's no way out of this place.

And hopes and dreams just make it worse.

There's only your fine legs are dead.

Herbie, you're not giving up without a fight.

No, I'm fighting.

I'm fighting all the way.

But when I die, it'll be on my own terms.

As a man.

All right, Professor.

All right, Socrates.

I brought you some dress -up clothes, Herbie.

Oh, I know it's very important to be well -dressed for our ongoing.

Surprises me as you didn't come in and measure me for them personally, Pop.

Now, now, Herbie, you'll get that stay.

Sure you will, Professor.

You'll get that stay.

You get it yet, Prof?

Sure you will. Sure you will. Sure.

What do you want to eat, Herbie?

Swiss cheese on rye and black coffee.

Well, now you know you can... I know I can get Bombay duck.

I just want Swiss cheese on rye and black coffee.

He thinks he's tough, Pops.

Too good to order a real meal and pass it on to the boys.

When that time comes, they can order their own.

Herbie, I'll slip a shot in that coffee.

No shot, just straight black coffee.

Come on, Lafferty.

Anything I can do?

No, thank you, Father.

I wish I could make things easier for you.

No, you can't.

There's not a thing you can do for me.

You might try for a few thousand others, it'll be a lot.

I wish I could make it easier.

You remember this, Father?

And I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth.

I shall come to pass that everyone that findeth me shall slay me.

The Lord didn't want Cain slain.

He arranged for Cain's passage into the land of Nod.

They were kinder in those days.

Even though the human scapegoat was still demanded, there was still

sometimes.

You quote very old, very primitive laws.

The human conscience can be reduced to something purely primitive, Father.

And there's a point where the only way a man can defend his pride or what he has

left of it

is to fight like an animal for his life.

But to fight like a beast in the jungle is to fight without hope.

The right you are.

Every man here wears a suit of armor to protect himself.

Each man wears his own kind.

I hope yours is the right kind for you.

Reese will be here right away. I'll be... How come you didn't make

him with your own fat hands, Pops?

What are you always bugging him for? All he's trying to do is give you a break.

Well, don't you know who he is, Hennessy?

That's the Judas coat that leads the sheep to slaughter.

The sadist with the sunshine smile.

The ghoul, the necrophile.

the Dead, Tennessee.

Do I need some help?

No.

The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not walk.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.

He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul.

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no

evil, for thou art with me.

Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

Thou anointest my head with oil.

My cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Back to his cell.

When you attacked Pops, I was on my way down to tell you that I just talked to

your attorney by telephone.

They uncovered that witness.

And he's fingered the guy who really killed the girl.

You know what this is, Morrison.

This is a stay.

There would have been a pardon coming to you. That means you could have walked

out of here clean.

I'll bet Pops Lafferty is smiling wherever he is because you're back.

really back for killing him.

Do you know what it's like in here after you bumped a guard, Morrison? Do you

really have any idea?

Well, you will know.

You'll find out.

theory which would account for the immense popularity of revenge.

Revenge is sweet without being fattening.

I see the guard is signaling that our time is up. I hope you will visit me

next time. Until then, good night.