Original subtitles

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you didn't mind that interruption.

This trip was my sponsor's suggestion.

He wanted to show off his diving prowess.

You see, he's the gentleman who just went over the side.

Now he's jerking on the line. I intend to ignore him. His messages are always

the same.

Always just like this one coming up.

The coffee's getting cold, dear.

Marjorie. Yes, dear. I want a divorce.

Divorce? That's what I said. I want a divorce.

Why?

No special reason.

Well, there must be a reason, dear.

Well, just let's say I want to be free.

You have the gallery and this lovely house and you come and go as you... Jim,

it's not another woman. Oh, no, it's nothing like that. It's just a... Well,

bored, I guess. There's nothing to look forward to.

I mean, you've got to admit we don't mean very much to each other anymore.

I wouldn't say that.

Well, I say it. There's nothing left of our marriage and you know it.

What you need is a good holiday.

I don't need a good holiday or any other kind of holiday. I just want to be

free.

Jim, I don't understand you. Is it something I've done?

No, no, it's nothing you've done. It's just a... Well, I just can't stand this

sort of existence any longer. We're just moldering away to nothing. Well, I

don't want it like this for the rest of my life.

What do you want me to do about it?

Nothing. I'm going away.

Going away?

Yes.

Where are you going?

Well, I don't know.

Well, you just can't take off into the blue.

Oh, yes, I can.

You can?

Yes.

Well, Jim,

whatever you do, I'll never divorce you. I don't believe in it.

As far as I'm concerned, we're married and that's that.

Well, we'll see about that.

I'm going now.

Very well.

Then I'll pack for you. No, don't bother. Just have Nancy send my things

the gallery.

Oh, come on, let yourself go.

The music is just great.

You know, and the band just feels great on your toes.

No.

No,

this is right.

What do you mean, what isn't right?

You've got your shoes on. Oh,

and now isn't that better?

Yes, much better.

I wish this didn't have to end.

Oh, so do I.

But this is your wife.

Yes, I know.

Why is she so difficult?

Let's not talk about her.

Let's talk about us.

But how can we, Estelle? I mean, if we're ever going to be together,

has got to be done about Marjorie.

Well, something will be done.

What?

I don't know.

But you'll think of something. You bet I will.

We're going back to L .A. tomorrow, and I'm going to see Johnson, my lawyer, and

get something started.

afraid, Mr. Howgill, that lacking an agreement between the parties involved,

there's just no way of being free of your wife.

You mean that there's nothing you can do for me? I could take action if she

provided the grounds, you know, mental or physical cruelty, perhaps.

But you've indicated there's nothing in that area.

No, no, no, no.

Marjorie, it's not like that. And you are the one who deserted.

Now, you're quite sure that she won't take action?

Oh, yeah, I'm quite positive, Mr. Johnson.

Marjorie says she'd never give me a divorce.

You know, there's really nothing unusual about your case, Mr. Cargill.

May I be personal for a moment?

When a man, married as long as you have been, reaches your age, he sometimes

becomes restless.

Cases like yours can be resolved through reconciliation.

Oh, no, no, no, Mr. Johnson. Look, I assure you that I'm quite serious.

I have no intention of ever going back to Marjorie.

I see.

You mentioned having been away for a couple of months. Had the thought

to you that women, not accustomed to living alone, sometimes seek the

companionship of others?

Oh, yes, yes. Well, Marjorie has a lot of friends, you know.

That wasn't what I meant. I had reference to the companionship of the

sex.

Oh, Mr. Johnson, not Marjorie.

I'd bet on that.

Maybe so, but it does seem my only promising possibility.

Yes, I'm sure, but you obviously don't know Marjorie, Mr. Johnson. Well, it is

an avenue that will bear looking into at any rate.

I'm going to send a man around to see you. His name is Bates.

Where are you staying?

Well, I'm staying at the gallery for the moment. This man, Bates...

Is he a detective?

Yes, he is, and you'll find him most discreet and quite capable.

And if there is any activity in the field to which I had reference, he'll be

one to uncover it.

Well, frankly, I think this is a waste of time, Mr. Johnson, but, well, I

suppose if it's the only thing to do, we've got to do it, haven't we?

Oh, good morning. Can I help you, sir? You're Mr. Howgill?

Yes, I am.

Bates. Bates.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, Bates.

Won't you sit down, please, Mr. Bates?

From what Mr. Johnson had to say about your case, I can see no great

difficulties. He said you seemed a little reluctant to employ our firm.

Let me assure you that Mrs. Howgill will never know she's being watched.

Now, look, Bates, I didn't say that I... I'm a private investigator.

Investigator, Mr. Howgill, not private eye.

You mustn't confuse the genuine article with what passes for him on television.

Neither I nor any of my men ever become involved personally with any of our

clients.

What's more, we don't even carry guns.

Well, let's get down to business. Now, to begin with, there must be eight -hour

shifts. Union rules, Mr. Howgill.

And Bates Associates is prepared to work with three shifts around the clock.

Now, I suggest... Now, wait a minute, Bates.

Is something wrong, Mr. Howgill? Yeah, something certainly is wrong. Now, look,

I wasn't too sold on the idea of spying on my wife in the first place, but I

mean to camp on a doorstep 24 hours a day. Well, it seems to me it's overdoing

it a little. Please, sir, we don't camp, as you put it. We merely blend with the

scenery. We're not amateurs.

Of course you're not an amateur's face. I fully realize that, but I... Do you

think we're going to need all that watching?

8 a .m. to 4 p .m., 4 p .m. to midnight, midnight to 8 a .m. Which ones do you

prefer? Well, we...

The 4 p .m. to midnight ought to be enough.

Mr. Howgill, how will we know where your wife is if we start at 4 in the

afternoon? All right, then make it two watches, then.

Which one shall we leave out?

Midnight to 8 a .m.

Mr. Howgill, that watch has proved to be the most rewarding of all.

I said leave it out, Bates.

Very well.

Now we can get started if you'll just give me your wife's description or

address.

It was yesterday that it happened. I had the 4 p .m. to midnight watch myself,

you see.

Look, I don't care who had the watch, Bates. Just get to the point. All right.

Ah, here we are.

At 8 .05 p .m., the subject left the house in the company of a man who called

for her in his car.

They seemed on good terms with each other.

And then... You can stop right there, Bates, and explain that point.

Since you ask, she kissed him when she got into the convertible. She what?

Kissed him in the convertible?

A black convertible with a white top.

Rather fancy, if I may say so. But to go on.

Yeah, yeah, go on, Bates.

They drove to the Sky House, where they held hands and had three martinis.

Three?

Marjorie? Marjorie had three martinis? Three martinis.

They left the Sky House at 10 .07, went to the Club Royale on the Strip for

supper and dancing, returning to the house at 11 .51 p .m.

Well, and then, Bates?

And then... It was midnight, Mr. Howgill. The male escort was still in

when I was forced to abandon the watch.

You mean to tell me, Bates, you abandoned the watch when the guy was

the premises?

Please, sir, you could hardly expect me to work into the third watch when it

hadn't been agreed upon.

But I dare say it would have worked out to your advantage had I been able to do

so.

Yes, well, do it then, Bates. I want to know everything, the whole story.

The third watch, then?

Yes, Bates, the third watch.

Soda or water?

Please, dear.

Now, what kind of an answer is that? I said soda or water.

Oh, I'm so sorry, Estelle.

Soda, please.

Here, this will make you feel good. Oh, yeah, yeah. Thank you, doll.

Are you perfectly comfortable?

Oh, yes, yes, I'm quite comfortable, thank you. Well, may I join you?

Oh, please do.

Oh, there, that's better.

Oh,

what's the matter?

No, nothing.

Why? Well, tonight you're just being sort of different.

Distant.

Are you?

Are you thinking about someone else?

Oh, don't be foolish, Estelle.

You know perfectly well there isn't anybody else.

Yes, there is.

There's Marjorie. Oh, yes, I know. We both know about that. And, well, nothing

we can do about her at the moment.

Do you know how many times you've looked at your watch tonight?

Do you? Well, I'm sorry, Estelle. It's business.

I was going to tell you, but... But what?

What did you mean to tell me?

Well, you see, I got a business appointment at the gallery tonight.

At this hour?

Yeah, yeah, I was going to tell you, but, well, I thought you might

misunderstand.

You see, in this kind of business, there are no regular working hours.

I'll be back.

Wait for me now.

I live here, remember?

Mr. Howgill!

Mr. Howgill!

Oh, it's you, Bates. You shouldn't be seen here.

How long has this been going on? The last car drove up about half an hour

The black convertible, the one in front.

That's Mr. Brandon's.

Brandon's?

Niles Brandon, the actor.

Wasn't too long, was it? No.

No.

Would you mind turning that thing off?

Well, I thought you liked that record.

If you want my frank opinion, I think it's insipid.

Sipid?

I'll tell you what I think is insipid. You are saying one thing and doing

another. There was no business at the gallery.

I called and there wasn't any answer.

You had no right to go checking up on me. I mean, even Marjorie wouldn't do a

thing like that. Well, I am not Marjorie, and that is just the sort of

do.

All right, Estelle, all right. I went for a ride. I wanted to think.

Oh, I don't know what's wrong with me.

I shouldn't have said those things.

I'm sorry.

Just isn't the same since we came back from Acapulco. Just not the same.

I'm sorry, Stella. What did you say?

Oh, never mind.

You don't even know that I'm here.

Oh, of course I know you're here.

Well, you give very little evidence of it.

Once more, I've come to the conclusion that you don't even want a divorce.

I think you'd like to be rid of me and go back to her.

Oh, Stella, that's not true. Not true at all.

Isn't it? No.

Hello?

It's for you.

Yes?

What?

It's the only car left.

What?

No, no, no. You don't need to do anything more, Bates. No, you've done

enough already. Yes?

Yeah, I'll handle it from here on.

No, no. Of course I wouldn't do anything like that.

Yes, I said I'll handle it from here on.

Yeah.

Goodbye.

And just what are you going to handle? Or maybe I should say, who are you going

to handle?

Marjorie or me?

Oh, come, come, step.

Evidently, it hasn't occurred to you that I might be very interested in the

status of your marriage.

Oh, but I wouldn't. No, no, you're too interested in looking at your watch and

keeping phony business appointments.

Well, for your information, Mr. Howgill, I have finally had it. I am calling it

quits. Oh, no, you can't. No, no, I refuse to play nursemaid to that

psyche of yours any longer.

Goodbye, Mr. Hawkins.

Goodbye.

Goodbye. Goodbye, Estelle.

Well, I just thought I'd drop by.

Oh.

Well, I'm glad you did.

You're glad?

Yes.

Why should you be glad?

Why? Yes.

I suppose it's because it's been so long since I've seen you.

Oh, yes, yes. It certainly has been a long time since you've seen me, but I

expect you've been keeping yourself...

Fully occupied lately, eh?

Well, I've managed to keep busy, yes.

How, Marjorie?

How? Yes.

Oh, I've been to the Bridge Club and I visited my cousin in San Francisco. I

a few plays and I developed a few new hobbies.

Oh, really?

But you wouldn't be interested in those.

On the contrary, I would be most interested in those.

What sort of hobbies, Marjorie?

Well, mosaics, for one thing.

Mosaics?

Oh, nothing else?

Jim, why are you so curious?

Oh, Marjorie, don't you know?

Should I know?

Oh, come, Marjorie. Now, look, you haven't just been playing around with

mosaics. I mean, you've acquired some new and interesting friends now, haven't

you? Well, how did you know about them?

Them?

Well, I mean, I've talked a lot about you. Did someone happen to mention it to

you? Oh, so you admit it, eh? You admit you've been getting around a bit lately.

Well, you've been having a very gay time, eh?

Well, of course.

Good heavens, I might have known.

Well,

it's nothing the same as being with you.

Well,

Jim, I... Oh,

Marjorie, it's...

So nice to be home again.

Why don't you stay, darling?

Believe me, I'll never leave you alone again.

How, Gil?

I thought you were in New York.

Darling, that film's for you. I fully expected to be gone today, but it's just

been one conference after another.

Oh, yes, of course.

Darling, did you find my cigarette lighter?

Oh, yes, yes. I just have it right here in the drawer. Oh, good.

Naz would never forgive me if I'd lost it.

Now, where is that? I've just... Oh, here it is.

Oh, Jim.

This is my husband.

Jim, I'd like to have you meet Miss Perry.

Ah. How do you do, Miss Perry? How do you do?

Here you are, dear. Thank you. Miss Perry sublet the house for the past

while I was away in San Francisco. Oh, Miss Perry sublet the house the whole

time you were in San Francisco.

Well, I do hope the house wasn't left in too much of a mess. I had the cleaners

in before... Oh, not at all, dear. Everything looked beautiful. Thank you.

do know that your neighbors will be relieved you're back.

Why should they be, Miss Perry?

Well, I had a couple of rather noisy parties, especially the last one.

Well, I really must fly now.

Yes, goodbye, dear.

Goodbye, Mr. Hargill.

Goodbye, Miss Perry.

You mean, Marjorie, that she sublet the house and all the

time you were away?

Yes, darling, I told you. While I was in San Francisco to Cousin Bridget.

Wasn't it lucky that I could supply it for the whole month?

Yes. Yes, darling.

Very lucky.

Those of you who admire our dear sponsor as much as I will be glad to know he's

approaching a record for staying underwater without air.

He left this note to be opened.

in the event he didn't return.

Let's have a look at it.

That sneaky sponsor of ours came up on the other side of the boat. He holds me

responsible for the defective equipment.

Next week, I shall be back with another story.

Actually, I suspect I'll be here all week.

Until then...

Good night.