Original subtitles

Good evening.

How do you do? And welcome to the Alfred Hitchcock Hour.

Strange how old -fashioned ways are sometimes best.

In a plastic age with its many new and different fabrics, I have suddenly

realized the amazing properties of a material as old as civilization.

Rawhide. Here are two of our new rawhide bathing suits.

They are identical.

This one is still wet.

This... is the way it looks after you have been lying in the sun.

Obviously, this is the answer to man's most urgent problem.

How to reduce without exercising.

Of course, this material has other more important uses.

As a gift to a friend.

Perhaps I can explain by telling you I have just presented the sponsor with a

vest. It's quite modern.

There are no unsightly buttons.

After he puts it on, it's stitched together up the back.

After all, I don't want him to change his mind when it begins to dry and be

to take it off.

And now a word from the man with the incredible shrinking vest.

You pass anybody along this road in, say, the last 10 or 15 minutes?

No.

Oh, yes, I did. A woman, but that'd be maybe 20 minutes, half an hour ago.

You live in this neighborhood?

No, just happen to be taking a walk.

Would you mind getting in the car?

Now, look, officer, I don't follow you. I mean, I don't get the point.

Oh, you will, sir.

Would you please get in the car?

I thought you might like to talk with this fellow, Sergeant.

We picked him up down the street.

Oh? He doesn't live in this neighborhood.

He said he was just out for a walk.

It seems they've never heard of such a thing before, Sergeant.

Is there any law against taking a walk?

No, sir, no law against it.

What happened to your clothes?

You were saying?

I was about to say that I simply fell while I was walking. I tripped over

something in the dark.

You're new in Lewisburg, aren't you, Mr... Clemens.

Howard Clemens. See?

Look. Here's the driver's license and the social security card, employee

identification. I work for Futurama Plastics. I was just transferred here.

Excuse me a minute.

Doctor.

There's no reason to be frightened now, Isabel.

I just want to see if you can identify this man. Clemens?

Yes.

I'm certain this is the man.

Huh?

What does she mean, what man?

I passed her on the street, I told you, but I was never within six feet of her.

Well, make her look at me.

This is such a serious charge, I would like you to consider it once more.

Are you sure this is the man?

Yes.

I was...

calling on the parents of one of my students, and I was searching for the

address in the dark when he... Don't ask me to repeat what

happened. I screamed and fought him off, and I somehow found my way

to the nearest house, and this lady called the police.

Sergeant, this isn't possible.

I passed her on the street, but that's absolutely all.

I got one look at her.

Hey, now, you're all crazy. I had nothing to do with this.

I've only lived here a couple of months. I came from the Chicago office of

Futurama.

Now, wait a minute. I'm not some bum you found sleeping in an alley. Suppose we

save the details until we get back to the station house.

Station house? Why should I go to the station house? I'm taking you in for

further questioning on possible charges of attempted assault with criminal

intent.

Are you telling me this woman has got a case?

Now, what kind of law do you practice, Mr. Selby?

Well, now, wait a minute. You think it was easy for me to scrape out that

retainer I paid you? Look, I want something for my money. I want help.

I'm trying to help you, believe me.

Well, you could have stopped them from ever bringing the case to trial. I mean,

what kind of evidence have they got? They've got the testimony of one

woman. Well, that hysterical woman, as you call her, doesn't always give that

impression.

She's well known in Lewisburg.

She runs one of the finest private girls' schools in New Hampshire.

My own daughter went there.

But it's still my word against Terence, now isn't it?

Well, isn't it?

Well, yes.

Then what difference does it make?

No difference.

In the eyes of the law.

However, in the eyes of a jury.

Ah, so my word isn't as good. I mean, I'm a stranger in town and she is the

pillar of the community, right?

It's not as cut and dried as that.

I mean... Well, let's look at the circumstances.

You go for a three -mile walk on a cold night.

Something people just don't do. Correction, please. Some people. All

Some people.

But nobody else was seen in the vicinity where Isabel Smith was attacked.

Then your clothes were in a mess. Now, come on. I mean, if you want a

explanation, of course. You fell.

And then there was that art collection in your apartment.

The nudes.

Oh. Please, now, those pictures are prints of established classics.

Degas, Matisse, Picasso, they're available in most department stores.

on, I mean, that's about as racy as two pounds a hamburger.

But most of all, there's Isabel Smith herself.

Isabel Smith says you're the man.

Now, she's known to be an honest woman.

Why should she say it if it weren't true?

That's the part I can't figure out.

All right, Mr. Selby, why did she do it?

That's an interesting question, Mr. Clemens.

A very interesting psychological question.

I've known Isabel Smith for a long time.

And frankly, well, she's not a woman who's gotten much out of life.

I think she was already a spinster even before she was old enough to marry.

Yeah, she's no beauty. I mean...

How people could even think I'd risk getting sent to jail because of her.

Now, I'm not saying that Isabel Smith is aware of this herself.

But somewhere, deep down in her subconscious, she may still be waiting

lock and bar to come out of the West.

That's ridiculous.

Oh, no, no.

No, I'm serious.

You know what I really think?

I think it's possible some man did accost her that night.

Unfortunately, he got away.

And that left you.

But why me?

Why did she have to pick on me?

Wish fulfillment, maybe?

She saw your face and she remembered it.

In other words, Mr. Clemens, she wanted it to happen.

And she picked you.

Howard Clemens, will you rise and face the court?

Howard Clemens, having been found guilty of attempted criminal assault, It is my

duty to sentence you to a term of not less than one and not more than five

years' imprisonment in the state penitentiary.

Come in, Clement.

That's all right. Sit down.

We're not so formal here when you're leaving.

I see you're from Lewisburg.

Think you'd be going back there?

Yes, I'm going back.

I see.

Well, just what plans have you made?

Oh, I've made plans.

For a job?

That's right, a job.

Who knows?

I might even find a nice girl in Lewisburg and settle down.

Oh, that's the best thing you could do. Take it from me.

A little family responsibility really makes a man toe the line.

Well, that's neither here nor there.

You've earned $105 for your wages in the machine shop.

Give this to the clerk at the gate.

I've got a lot more than that coming.

Well, how's that?

Well, I gave a pretty good job to work in that machine shop, Warden. I figure I

lost about $13 ,000 in salary alone. Now, is the state going to make that up

me? The state doesn't owe you a thing, Clemens.

We gave you something for your time, a lesson.

I sincerely hope you never forget.

You know, you may be right at that, Ward.

I did learn some lessons here.

I learned a great deal.

5 ,000, 9 ,000, 9 ,000, 50 ,000, 15 ,000.

I could get a bus ticket to Lewisburg.

One way.

Excuse me.

Officer!

This man is annoying me. What's that, ma 'am? No, please, Miss Smith. Why must

you keep on persecuting me? Haven't you done enough already?

He tried to attack me once before. I want you to arrest him.

Would you mind repeating that, ma 'am?

Officer, I hope you realize I am not making this charge irresponsibly.

Oh, that may well be, ma 'am. But I was standing right here. Now, I saw what

happened.

Now, what kind of charge are you prepared to make?

No charge.

That was $4 .70 with tax and five.

I hope you enjoyed, sir. Come in again.

May I help you, Miss Smith?

No, thank you.

Well, yes, you could.

I'm looking for some music for a ballet recital we're giving at the school.

Well, I might recommend some... No, that's not the truth.

The truth is I feel guilty about yesterday.

I know I made a mistake about yesterday.

I'm glad you told me.

I didn't mean to be rude. I hope you understand that.

Well, I know that it wasn't easy for you to come here and say this.

Well, I'm very grateful.

I'd almost completely forgotten about that other time.

I suppose I...

Never expected to see you in Lewisburg again.

I wanted to come back. There are things about this town I like.

Took courage.

No, I don't think so.

I was counting on the fact that people have short memories.

Also that good music's more important than bad gossip.

You know, I think this town's always needed a good music store.

Yes, you know, that is true.

I've sometimes had to go all the way to Capital City to get a halfway decent

record.

Oh, well, it will do. Fine, thank you.

My, it's pretty.

What is this?

The damnation of Faust. The new album I bought.

Faust? But you've already got a record of that.

I remember. I saw it last week.

Oh. Well, yes, but this one is supposed to be a better version.

Sounds exactly the same to me.

You know, you may be right.

It's the school's money I'm spending after all, isn't it?

Perhaps I should get something different.

Don't you think so, Martha?

Just as you think, Miss Smith.

Yes, well, I think I'll just run right down and return it.

Here we are.

One fresh copy of Swan Lake.

Oh, thank you.

Sorry to put you to so much trouble.

Oh, it's no trouble at all.

Speaking of Tchaikovsky, there's a concert tonight at Pilgrim Hall. Liszt

Debussy, too, I believe.

Yes, that's right. Debussy's La Mer.

Sounds interesting.

Yes.

I happen to have two tickets.

Now, look, I know how strange it might seem to some people if you went to that

concert with me.

You mean you... Now, please, don't answer in a hurry. If things...

We stay in a hurry. Sometimes we're sorry later.

Maybe some narrow -minded people wouldn't expect to see us together, but

care about people like that.

All I care about is what you think.

No, I couldn't. I really couldn't.

The last time you were in here, you talked about courage.

Well, it's not that.

I have a meeting I have to attend tonight. It's a charity meeting that I

every month.

Of course.

Well, perhaps I could get out of it just this one time.

May I use your phone?

By all means. It's right over there.

Oh, Mrs.

John Needham, please.

Yes.

I don't see why I can't miss one meeting in seven years.

You only live once.

You don't mind.

Would you mind if we didn't go anywhere tonight?

There's something I have to talk to you about.

It's very important.

Would you come inside?

This isn't easy for me, Howard.

Oh, it can't be all that serious.

Or is it?

To me, it is.

Lieutenant Huntley came to see me this afternoon.

Oh?

Did he want to know if I'd been annoying you again?

He heard that I had been seeing you when he asked if it were true.

I said yes, it was, that I'd seen you several times.

Uh -huh.

And how did he take it?

He seemed worried.

Of course, it's none of his business.

But he's more than just a policeman to me. You know, he was a friend of my

father's. My father liked him.

He's always taken an interest in me.

Apparently, he's sort of interested in me, too.

Howard, I told you once that I'd put that time out of my mind.

That isn't so.

I've thought about that night often.

About that night and what happened afterwards.

Shh, shh. We weren't going to talk about that, remember?

I want to talk about it, please.

Lately, all I can think about is, could I have been wrong?

Completely wrong.

I feel now that if you told me the answer, it would be the truth.

I'd see it in your eyes. I'd know it was true.

Do you want the answer, Isabel?

I don't know, Howard.

I'm afraid of the answer.

Either way, I'm afraid of it.

If I said I wasn't guilty, if I told you that it wasn't me that

night... Then you'd hate me for what I did to you.

You'd hate me.

And I couldn't have done that.

You dope.

Don't you know I could never hit you?

A few of our viewers wrote in... telling us that they feel the station break is

the high point of the evening.

We shall now hear from one of those viewers.

Lieutenant Huntley, ma 'am.

Lieutenant Huntley, ma 'am. Oh, oh, thank you.

Oh, John.

Sorry, I didn't hear you.

Hello, Isabel.

Nice to see you. Please, uh, sit down.

Would you like some coffee?

Oh, no, thanks.

I hope this isn't official business.

No, no, not at all. It's just that what I have to say to you is easier standing

up. Oh, all right.

You know, I was a good friend of your father's, Isabel, and I want to be your

friend, too.

When I tell you this... I can't jump ahead of you, John.

You've come to deliver a sermon on the subject of Howard Clemens.

No, not a sermon.

I have no prepared text.

I have nothing but a feeling.

Yes. To you, he's just an ex -convict, a criminal.

Don't you see how funny that is?

I'm the one who called him a criminal, not you. I don't believe you even

he was guilty.

It isn't important what we thought then, either one of us.

What is important is now, right now, and what he is thinking.

He's thinking...

About me.

Is there anything wrong with that?

I suppose you think that's crazy.

Isabel Smith, who would ever think a man would look at her twice. I never said

anything like that.

You know, you don't remember.

But I do.

I remember listening to you and Daddy discussing me in this very room.

I remember Daddy referred to me as his ugly duckling.

I suppose he thought I'd grow up and change and become pretty overnight.

But I didn't. You didn't know I was listening, did you?

But I had good big ears. Your father was thinking of your happiness. Well,

you're both wrong.

I found a way to be happy.

Isabel, listen to me. Don't you want to hear Isabel Smith's formula for being

happy?

Don't ask too many questions.

Don't put everything under a microscope.

Take what you can get.

That's what I want to know. What are you getting?

What's your theory?

That he's after my money?

Don't you know the school's been in the red for the past four years?

If it weren't for the assistance we get from the town board, we would have

closed our doors long ago.

No, John, that's no good.

Howard's more solvent than I am.

He's planning to open a second store in Springdale.

I know it's not money, Isabel.

Then what does he want from me?

I'm afraid... There are a lot of mushrooms.

Well, this is a nice surprise, Lieutenant.

I was just leaving.

Well, maybe you'd like to stay for dinner.

I was about to show Isabel why all the great chefs are men.

Would you look at this?

If you can wait till I can get it chilled, you can help us celebrate.

Celebrate what?

What, didn't Isabel tell you the big news?

We're being married at the end of the week.

Married? Yes, that's right, marriage.

Old and honorable institution.

Congratulations to both of you.

We'd invite you to the wedding, but it won't be much of an affair.

But I tell you what, we'll save you some of the wedding cake.

I really did, Lou.

If you marry that guy.

I still can't accept it.

Where'd they go?

They're honeymooning on the coast. A place called Creedence Cove, about 30

from here.

That's one for the books, all right. And the psychiatry journals.

Why'd he do it, Lieutenant? There's got to be a reason. Well, it isn't the

money, apparently.

Isabel doesn't have any. The school actually loses money.

She says that Clemens is richer than she is.

I didn't know the record business was that good.

I wouldn't have thought so myself.

He was only a clerk for Futurama Plastics. He couldn't have made much

Maybe he inherited some.

For a guy with inherited money, he lived in a pretty cheap apartment when he

first moved to Lewisburg.

He sure didn't earn that capital in jail.

They don't pay that much for making those license plates.

No. When Clemens first came to see me, he said he had money saved.

Get me Dan Gordon in the Lewisburg Bank.

What are you thinking of?

Nothing. I just want to look this gift horse in the mouth.

Hello, Dan.

John Huntley.

You have a depositor by the name of Howard Clemens.

I think your bank arranged financing for a record shop he owns.

So I understand.

Look, Dan, I'd like a rundown on his personal account.

No, no, nothing official, but it is important.

All right, fine.

I'll be waiting for your call.

You know what Isabel said to me?

She said the only way to be happy is to stop asking questions.

But I have to ask them, Lou.

I have to.

And this thing went out. It was the longest ball I've ever seen in my life.

Lou, would you come in here a minute, please?

I just got a call from Dan Gordon at the bank. It seems that Clemens made his

first deposit on June 9th for the tune of $13 ,000 exactly.

And the money wasn't transferred from another bank.

It was in cash, in large bills.

But that still doesn't mean he's done it all.

When I heard this, something clicked in my brain.

Something that happened in Capital City on June 6th, just three days before, the

holdup of a bank messenger.

So I dug out the bulletins.

I won't find much in this. There were no witnesses.

Nobody spotted the license number of the car the criminal was driving.

The only peculiar thing is what happened after the robbery.

An unmarked envelope postmarked Capital City was received by police.

containing $2 ,150.

The total amount stolen from the bank messenger was $15 ,150.

And that would leave $13 ,000.

On the nose.

But that's still not proof, Lieutenant. You can't convict anybody on evidence

like this.

But it's better than nothing.

Okay, so maybe Clements did do the job. But it still doesn't make sense. Why

would he want to marry the woman who sent him to jail?

Well, it isn't for her money, and it certainly isn't for her looks.

Howard Clemens is an attractive guy.

He could have married any number of better -looking women.

No, Lou.

I can only be one reason.

I think he intends to kill her.

And there's not a thing I can do to stop him.

You have such a nice chin, Howard.

Don't ever grow a beard, promise?

All right, I promise.

You're tickling me.

I just love to look at you.

Well, that's good because you'll be seeing me around for a long time.

It'll never be long enough.

I hate to think that tomorrow's our last day. Couldn't we stay a little bit

longer?

Well, I wish we could, but... The girls are still on vacation. School won't

begin till the end of the month. Well, it's not just your school. I've got a

business to run, too, you know.

I hate to think about going back.

Well, we better think about going back right now.

To shore, I mean.

We've used up practically all the gas in this baby.

We haven't.

Still a whole tank left.

Take a look for yourself.

Yeah, we've only got a couple of gallons left.

You really don't know very much about boats, do you?

There are two tanks in this kind of boat.

See? There's a port tank.

And a starboard tank.

When this tank is empty, you flip the switch.

And this tank takes over.

So, we've got plenty of gas.

Well, what do you know?

I had a picture of us being marooned out here.

That be so bad?

Yeah, sure.

Couldn't we drift out to sea or dive thirst or something?

No. If somebody didn't pick us up, we'd probably drift right back into shore

anyway. So that's one thing you can stop worrying about.

Okay, I'll stop worrying about that.

Nice little craft you got yourself.

Rented?

That's right.

Only I'm not the skipper.

That'd be my wife. Me, I'm just a landlubber. You got plenty of company.

Whole dang ocean's filled with Sunday sailors nowadays.

Yeah, I guess that's right.

Well, there's a heck of a lot more to it than horsing a sail or turning a wheel.

You got to know what you're about, and the next thing you know, trouble.

Oh, is that a fact?

Seen it happen plenty of times.

Uh...

What kind of trouble did you mean?

Falling overboard?

There was a couple last month that drifted around for 18 hours before the

Guard picked them up.

Brought them in looking like a pair of drowned rats.

Well, I don't suppose there are many fatal accidents, though.

No.

But there was a bad one two years ago last August. A boat like this exploded

at sea. Wham! All three people in it killed.

Why, that's terrible.

Do they know what caused it? Wasn't enough of that boat left to make a stack

firewood. But look, what's the biggest cargo a boat like this carries?

Gasoline, son. And that is what blew her up.

No official reason was given as the cause of the explosion, but Police Chief

Martin Summers theorized that a buildup of gasoline fumes in the bilge caused

the disaster.

One possibility mentioned was that the coupling on the fuel lines from the

starboard and port tanks had loosened. If the coupling had come loose even a

fraction, Chief Summers said, an explosion could have occurred when

tanks.

Hi. Hi.

Now you took a long time to get the cigarettes.

Well, I thought I'd take a little walk.

Hey, you know, honey, I've been thinking about that shop in Springdale.

And, you know, if Ferguson won't accept the $3 ,000 down payment, I'll have to

give up the whole idea.

There's plenty of time to worry about that.

No, no, there's no time at all. Ferguson's leaving for Europe next week.

So, uh...

Told him to call me here tomorrow to let me know.

Tomorrow?

We were taking the boat out tomorrow. It's our last day.

Yeah, I know, but it can't be helped. This is important to me, honey.

Well, it's important to both of us.

But I tell you what, why don't you take the boat out yourself? I hate to spoil

your fun.

Alone?

I wouldn't think of it.

Well, why not? You're the sailor in the family, not me.

I hate to see you disappointed.

I wouldn't enjoy it without you.

Maybe Ferguson will call early.

I doubt it.

I doubt it. I might have to hang around the hotel all day.

Now, don't make me feel like a heel, Isabel.

It's the last chance you'll have, and they say the weather's going to be

perfect.

I won't take no for an answer.

You're so sweet to me, Howard.

No, this is room 520. You got the wrong number.

Well, Lieutenant, you're a long way off your beat. I thought I'd take a drive

down and express my sympathy.

Thank you, but you could have telephoned.

No, I couldn't.

I wanted to see your face.

What's that supposed to mean? I want to see what you look like now, Clemens. Now

that you've got what you wanted.

You think I wanted this?

Isabel dead?

I've thought so ever since I heard you were going to be married. I couldn't

prove it.

I couldn't even say it out loud.

But I smell murder on you, Clements.

I still smell it.

And what about now, Lieutenant? Do you have the proof?

You know I haven't anything.

Not even a corpse.

Yes, the sea is a pretty big graveyard. I guess you'd have trouble finding

anything there.

Now, look, would you mind leaving, Lieutenant?

I've... I've been up all night. I could use the sleep.

You think you can sleep?

I can sleep very well, Lieutenant.

Hello?

It's for you.

Hello?

Yes, Lou.

Yes, fine. I'll stay right here.

Thanks for letting me know.

Good news?

Very good news.

A fishing boat spotted the wreckage. There must have been an explosion of

kind. But Isabel was thrown clear.

She held on to some debris and floated in the water half the night.

But she's all right. She's perfectly fine.

She should be back here within the hour.

Yes, I've heard.

Yes, thank you very much.

So it didn't work, Clemens. You didn't get your revenge after all.

Get out of here, Huntley.

You just leave me alone.

You don't get many chances at murder, Clemens. A woman can have one fatal

accident, but two would be very suspicious.

We'll be watching you from now on in.

Now, what makes you think that murder is the only way to get rid of a wife,

Lieutenant? That you don't want to get rid of Isabel.

She loves you, Clemens.

She doesn't care what you are or why you married her.

She doesn't ask questions.

She just wants you around.

Well, she might have to learn to do without me.

Marriage isn't so bad, Clemens.

It's a lot better than prison.

If you had to go back.

Go back?

You see, there was this bank messenger in Capital City.

And the man who robbed him got away with more than $15 ,000 and he was never

caught.

He was a strange sort of criminal.

He seemed to think that the world owed him something.

Owed him $13 ,000 to be exact.

So he sent back the remainder and opened a bank account.

That's got nothing to do with me.

No, there was no real case against him now.

But who knows?

With a little hard work and patience.

I'm a patient man, Clemens.

You couldn't prove it?

If you want to take that chance, take it.

But remember what the penalty might be.

Another five or ten years behind bars. Five or ten years, Clements.

A cell can look pretty small in all that time.

Okay.

What do you want me to do?

Two. Why, nothing at all.

What any ordinary husband does.

Love and cherish.

Honor and obey.

Isabel deserves that much, Howard.

I can't. I can't.

It's your choice.

Howard.

Oh, Howard. I'm all right. I'm safe.

And so Isabel and Howard lived happily ever after.

Oh, Howard occasionally had unwholesome thoughts, but the knowledge of what the

consequences would be proved a purifying influence.

He is now a model husband.

A miserable husband, but a model one.

Next week we shall be back with another uplifting story, scenes of which will be

on view in a few moments.