Original subtitles

INA.

Oh, that's extension 23.

Line the gauge. Will you hold? Putting you through to the managing director's

office now.

Hello, Mr. White's office.

Oh, are you in? No calls.

Shall I get them to call back later?

About three o 'clock.

Get them up here.

I bet they're waiting.

You've all heard, I assume?

All right.

How much has it cost us?

Well, the sales and advertising campaigns were both well underway.

0 .2? 0 .25?

Alec? Well, don't hold me to it, but I'd say not less than one.

Add on the research and development costs and it's two.

Two million pounds!

16 million Deutschmarks, nearly $5 million.

That's how much it cost this company.

How? I want answers, and I want them fast.

The business world's a jungle, Mr. Rule.

And I amaze one of its lions, manufacturing everything from soap

-glass paint.

Three months ago, we were about to launch a new product.

A hair lacquer.

Estimated world sales in the first year, 100 million units.

100? Wasn't a guess.

Market research indicated 2 % of the potential market. Each individual buy on

average three items in the year.

That's a lot of cans.

Yes, and you may be interested in the gross sales to date.

Zero.

There must be a reason. The reason you're here, Mr. Rule.

Two weeks before the launch date, our main competitor, Universal, brought out

this.

An almost identical package, 10 % more product per item, and under our price by

8%. Uh -huh, so more and cheaper.

We had no choice.

Rather than taking a beating, we cancelled.

Hmm. It could only have happened one way.

Universal must have obtained details of our market research, sales forecast,

production costs, and most important, the launch date and price.

Industrial espionage. Had to be.

You say this was, what, three months ago?

Yes.

I .M .A. are planning to launch a new product.

A detergent.

I want you to make sure the same thing doesn't happen again. Are you

Could be interesting, yes.

You'll need an office.

Yes.

And a secretary.

No, no need for that. I have a girl in mind.

Well, if it's an inside job, it means it probably comes from cops.

Right, check the chief executives.

Find out everything you can about them. Especially the dirt.

Mm -hmm.

Hey, Harry, was that Ludovic Jones?

Yeah, his friends call him Ludo.

He's the best electronics man in town. Have him meet me at IMA. Will do.

Shall we go?

Ready when you are.

Ciao, Paul.

Ciao. You know, I think you ought to have a different name.

Yes, the Contessa di Confini doesn't exactly have the right secretary.

Oh, really? I don't think so.

Give me something a little more feminine, like Thelma Scratch.

For Gloria Huckhalter. Oh, my. You dare.

You dare.

Hmm.

Rather impressive.

Mm -hmm.

Drink? Thank you.

Wilson. Hello. Cameron. Pleasure. Lee. How do you do? Be seated.

Well,

now you've all been introduced, I can tell you that Mr. Ruhl will be joining

And I would ask you to give him your fullest cooperation.

In what capacity will Mr. Ruhl be with us?

As a consultant.

Would you like to add anything, Mr. Ruhl?

I'd say that covers.

Well, now, point one.

Who? Mr.

Jones, sir.

Send him in.

Send him in, Mr. Grant, please.

He says he'll see you if you'd like to go down the corridor. It's the first

on the right.

And don't forget to knock.

I'll tell you what.

If I do have to strip out the walls in here, I have them painted green.

Cool, pale green.

Ciao. I'd say a couple of weeks, possibly three.

Gentlemen, this is an associate of mine, Ludo Jones.

Any idea what all this is about?

rules. A private investigator.

He's here to catch the thief.

Thief?

Yes. The one that sold out to Universal.

There's no possible doubt.

You seem surprised.

This illusion would be nearer.

To quote the vernacular, you're really bad, ma 'am.

I'll move my junk in there tomorrow and clean the place up.

You may get a green horse yet.

What? It's a psychological fact. Green for peace and tranquility.

Think green, friends.

Ciao.

He doesn't exactly inspire me with confidence.

Oh, he's good.

He'd better be.

It's Jones, all right.

With another man.

His name is Harry Rule.

The jamming?

Rejectable. This piece will help.

It's the block opposite.

Top floor.

You've narrowed down to the apartment.

I'll check.

Meeting.

Is this stuff going to stay here all day?

You know...

Under that crusty exterior, there has to be a warm, vibrant woman.

I can tell by your eyes.

Excuse me.

Harry, fourth window along from the top right -hand corner of the block.

Okay, got it, Harry.

Good morning.

Did we have to meet here?

Oh, I prefer open spaces for private conversations.

IMA have brought in a new man on the security side.

Harry Rule.

He has a reputation for getting results.

He's, uh... He's competent.

I'm not interested in the details of your work.

I'm not even very interested in you, Scudder.

Mutual dislike is often not a bad basis for a business relationship.

IMA plan to launch a new detergent.

Common knowledge.

When you're retooling three factories and have 500 people in a research

laboratory, it's difficult to keep it secret.

Do I take it you're no longer interested?

I'll deliver the whole package, including launch date, And price, as

I don't want to see you again, Scudder.

Unless you have something for me.

Goodbye, Mr. Engleton.

Scudder.

Industrial spy.

Profession. Who's the other man?

Charles Engleton, chairman of Universal.

Know thine enemy.

That should be enough.

There it is.

Incredible.

Scarcely bigger than a button.

One in here and two in the boardroom.

Very sophisticated.

Can be activated by remote control virtually undetectable.

and capable of transmitting every word.

When were they planted?

There's no way of telling.

They could have been put in when the block was built.

The listing post is an apartment over there.

Add to that a radio mic and a camera capable of photographing the time on

watch.

You're all set.

Except for one factor.

The inside man.

A spy in our midst.

Ah, Miss Glass.

Ah, Mr. Lee.

Your Lord and Master not around, then?

Uh, he's with Mr. Wyatt.

Ah, I see.

Mind if I ask you a straight question?

As long as it isn't loaded.

Will you come out to dinner with me tonight?

Could I speak to Mr. Brightwell, please?

There's no one here.

They've all gone out.

I wonder, could you help me?

You'll have to ring back tomorrow.

That's all right. Good night.

Working for a private investigator must be a very interesting job.

It has its moments.

More coffee?

Thank you. My pleasure.

Tell me, how long have you worked with Rule?

Mr. Rule?

Oh, for almost a year now, I suppose.

A very astute man.

Do you think so?

He then spent the next hour pumping me about you.

Of course, you spilled all the beans. Oh, naturally.

Conclusions? Oh, he's bright.

Carries his ambition like a torch.

Doesn't care how he claws his way up to the top. Yes, I'd say he was a possible.

I checked Weston out. He's been with IMA for 25 years. A loyal and trusted

servant. Pillar of society, but he wants to retire.

So selling a few industrial secrets might provide a nice nest egg for his

age. And that leaves Cameron.

I'm told that we're now secure.

That's right, Cameron.

Not that I understand much about bugging devices. It's way over my head.

It's really a question of their electronics against ours.

Sort of battle of the transistors. For very high stakes.

Money.

Oh, don't give me that innocent look.

I spend all that I earn. And more.

A fact that you're aware of. Because I checked that you checked.

Be seated.

Gentlemen, I have decided that we will meet on Monday.

Will everyone be ready?

As they'll ever be.

Mr. Rule.

All right, then on Monday, each of you will come prepared with your various

facts and figures.

I'm well aware that a lot of this data is public knowledge.

But the vital decisions, the launch date, and the price will be set in this

room.

I'm going to have both of the top floors sealed off.

No one is to go up or down.

Now, you will give your attention to this.

It destroys papers, drawing, jotting.

You'd... We've got men on all the elevators.

Once the meeting starts, no one will be allowed past the 10th floor.

Good.

Well, I think we've thought of everything.

The unknown factor is Scudder. He's the one who'll be looking for the chink in

our armor.

Yes, Scudder.

Clever, resourceful, and doesn't give up easily.

You can rely on that.

Yes? It works even though she's put the phone down. Sure.

The marvels of modern science.

Well, the brains will be gathering just about now. Yeah.

Is there anything coming through yet?

Clean.

I think that's absolutely all.

Right, let's get on with it.

Alec, let's hear you first.

I think that's absolutely all.

I'm sorry. This section of the building is not taking calls.

That was it. They can't be far. Right. Let's go.

Something wrong. It's not working.

Let's get out of here.

Got something of yours. Thought you might like it back.

So we can start the TV campaign early March.

All right, let's finalize the launch date.

March the 1st.

Well, gentlemen, I think it's been a successful meeting.

John, there's still the question of the price.

Ah, yes, the price.

I think we can go on these figures.

20 pence.

That's the figure, gentlemen, 20 pence.

Morning. You wanted to see me? Yeah.

Well, the information.

Launch date and price as promised.

This time I thought it might be worth, say... I don't haggle with people like

you.

Sir Angleton.

I thought you'd be celebrating.

This had better be important, Scudder.

What?

You invited me here, right? What are you talking about?

I got your note. Believe me.

I'm Harry Rule.

Recognize?

It was taken three months ago.

Sit down. Sit down.

Relax.

Industrial espionage is not a crime.

I read by the trade papers that your company plans to launch a new detergent

next week.

What are you driving at?

They beat IMA to it again, man.

How much has it cost you so far?

I'm not sitting here answering.

Two million? Two and a half?

Cancel. What?

You must be insane.

Cancel. Why should Mr. Angleton do that?

Because IMA goes on the first.

You think you know their selling price?

I'm leaving.

Well, you don't know it.

Because it's not 20 pence.

It's 15.

15 pence.

Shattering, isn't it?

You see, we allowed you to steal those secrets because they are the wrong

secrets. And the wrong figures.

They're plants.

So you have a choice.

You can go ahead and take a beating.

Or... You can cancel.

I think the word you're searching for is petard.

The wit.

You have just been hoisted.

I imagine you gentlemen have a great deal to talk about.

In the avenues and alleyways.