Original subtitles

- [Air Traffic Controller] Dallas Love field,

you're clear to enter flight pattern,

we're using runways three and four.

(multiple conversations of people)

(moving to slower symphony music)

(rotary dial phone turning)

- Hello, this is John Farrington,

I called you from Cleveland about,

yes, I just got in, is it ready?

Good, how soon?

Good, I'll wait at the airport, the Texas ranger statue?

Oh yeah, how will you know me?

I'll know you, you'll be carrying the cage.

(soft symphony playing the in the background)

(elevator doors opening)

(door opening)

(door closing)

(briefcase latches opening)

(briefcase latches closing)

(cacophony of conversations)

Miss,

- [Airport Announcer] Flight 1)8,

- Straight wire please, ten words, thank you.

- Let me see.

- It comes to exactly a dollar, twenty one cents.

- Mayor of Dallas, City Hall, I'm here, the truth is here,

Dallas is on trial, Farrington.

(suspenseful music)

- Forgive me, but I must be sure, no cat's paw for you,

no sudden chuck, no rending of flesh, just a brief touch

of my pen.

When the voice of the trumpets sounded long,

waxed louder and louder, Moses spoke

and the heavens answered, I too have come to the top

of the mountain even as Moses, speak to me, give me a sign.

(upbeat piano jazz music)

- This place looks pretty plush, did you check

the rates before you wired the reservation?

- Relax will ya, trademark's right across the expressway

there, we can sleep til ten of nine and still be

and still be to work by ( o'clock.

- I don't know,

(car door closing)

(ladies giggling)

(horn honking)

(car engine revving)

- I feel like something's just gone out of my life forever.

Hey,

(car door closing)

let me ask you something, did you see those five lovelies

that just waltzed by and got into the car and drove away?

- Yeah,

- And your Buz Murdoch?

- Yeah,

- Well the Buz Murdoch that I know would never have let

an opportunity like that slip by, he'd have thrown himself

in front of the car.

Do you realize what a rare thing it was

and how it could have been?

Like catching Halley's comet by the tail

or finding a whole field of four leaf clovers,

Buzz, never in our long, gray lives

will we have a chance like...

I see it but I don't really believe it.

- Well, it's a three day convention as least

that's what the Times Herald says, but I guess

it's a little too noisy, maybe we should find a room

somewhere else, huh? No.

(background conversations)

- Executive Secretaries of Dallas and Fort Worth unite.

- Thanks, yeah chief, yeah I was just about ready

for my big introduction when they told me

you're on the phone.

No, no, that's okay, you know how I hate to make speeches.

Trouble?

Farrington, isn't that the Cleveland case where,

now Dallas huh?

Well how long ago did Mayor Kabel get the wire?

U huh, I'm make my apologies and come right in.

No, no, frankly I don't, I don't have the slightest

idea how we'll catch him, that's if you want it straight up.

How do you catch a puff of smoke?

Nobody's ever seen him, nobody alive, okay, right now.

(background conversations)

(suspenseful music)

(lions roaring)

(tigers growling)

- Everywhere emptiness, where will I find the one?

- [Buz] How about that?

Ready for working on an impressive five minutes

ahead of time.

Ten minutes ago I was still dreaming, organization.

- I'm still dreaming Miss Executive Secretary of Dallas

on one knee, Miss Executive Secretary of Fort Worth

on the other knee and me in the middle dictating.

- Look if this system of living close to work

so we can sleep late is going to work, you've got

to get some sleep, you know, I didn't hear

you come in last night.

- [Martin] Every time I came in you weren't there.

- [Buz] I wasn't.

- Select Imports Mr Levi's expecting us,

Stiles and Murdoch.

- Oh yeah, here are your employee cards.

- Thanks.

- We've got like five minutes boss lady,

how 'bout some coffee?

- Our sidewalk cafe is straight back.

- One important thing to remember is that all of our

customers are professional buyers, they know

what they like so we don't make any sales pitch.

We'll let them select their article, you present

the piece to them, tell them it's characteristics,

and that's that.

You'll find that every piece has a suggested retail price.

(vase crashing on the floor)

- I'm story just take it out of my salary.

- Oh yeah, what'll you live on the rest of this month?

- Is it that expensive?

- Todd, quote him the price.

- List or wholesale?

- He's a nice guy, wholesale.

- I haven't the courage to say the numbers Mr. Levi.

- It's not that tragic, we're insured.

- Well, in that case, I'll get a broom.

- I'll get in for you.

- Oh my pleasure.

(eerie music)

- Aren't you surprised to see me?

- Should I be?

- You usually are.

- I know who you are.

- I'm glad.

- You're from the insurance company, talk about

quick service, huh?

Look I'm in a rush huh?

- Don't be, every moment we have is precious, value them,

hold to them as long as you can, I'll try to help you.

- Sure.

Now easy there, sixteen dollars in my back pocket.

- I don't want your money.

- But what do you want?

- I want you to come with me.

- Well, who are you?

- I'm you, I'm your conscience.

You drive, get in.

(car door opening)

close the door, put both hands on the wheel.

I don't want to kill you I want to save you my friend

now once again, close the door,

(car door slams shut)

put both hands on the wheel.

- Why, I've never seen you before in my life

and you've never seen me, or have you?

- We shared the same cradle you and I,

we were nurtured by the same mother,

reflection in our mirror it was I who stare

back at you all these years.

You and I sharing, you and I your conscience.

What is you name?

- Ask our mother.

- You consider me,

- Somewhere I read that you're not supposed to answer

that question if you think the person who's asking it is,

but I'll answer it anyway, what you need is a crash program

with a psychiatrist.

- But I free remorse, the insane do not.

I have compassion, the insane do not,

and I have purpose.

And when I kill I kill exquisitely, painlessly,

I plead with you brother, listen to me carefully,

follow my instructions without question,

I do not want to kill you.

Start the engine please.

(car engine starting)

drive where I tell you, park where I tell you.

- Then what?

- [Caine] Then we wait.

- For what?

- We wait for a decision.

- Will you tell me what you're talking about?

- The decision, whether you were to live or whether

like the others you are to be sacrificed.

- Harry?

- [Harry] Hello Harry.

- Todd Stiles.

- [Harry] Okay.

- Mr. Levi needs these things right away.

- All right.

- Not back yet huh?

- Does he drink?

Hope you don't knock it.

My first day on the job and I broke a $500 jug,

I'd sure take a couple of drinks.

- Not Buz.

- Well has he ever broken a vase before?

- No.

- So there you go.

- Thanks.

(bell on door jingles)

- Todd have you checked at the front reception desk?

- No I thought he'd be in the back somewhere.

- Well I've already checked with the boys on the truck ramp

and they haven't seen him either.

- Okay thanks.

- Sure.

- Hi, remember me?

- Select Imports.

- There was a fellow with me, with dark hair, Murdoch.

- Oh yes.

- Have you see him?

- Yes, he left, I checked him out at 2:30.

- Well did he say where he was going or anything?

- No, he was with a buyer.

- Oh, blonde or brunette?

- A man, it was John Farrington, Republic Furniture,

Cleveland, Ohio.

- Thanks.

(ominous music)

(brakes screeching)

- Don't, I beg of you don't.

- Listen will you get that gun away from my ear?

You said drive okay I'm driving, if I had wanted to

I could have hit the backend of that truck

and splattered you all over the back seat.

- But you didn't, you know why?

You're not prepared to die, I am.

Turn in over there.

Turn off the engine.

(engine shuts off)

I'm going to hand you a briefcase, I want you to open it.

There are certain objects inside you mustn't touch them,

only one item, a scrapbook I urge you to read it carefully.

(briefcase latches open)

Once in Chicago the police almost caught me,

they used tear gas, I'm better prepared now.

Take out the notebook.

Close the case please.

(briefcase closes)

I save those clippings for only one reason,

to convince those who need convincing that I am sincere

and dedicated.

Perhaps you noticed how beautifully they died?

Without pain, all except Adler in Los Angeles,

he sat in the car too just ahead of me, like you're sitting

but he started blowing the horn and screaming,

it pains me to remember but I had to shoot him.

Why couldn't he understand, why couldn't he help?

Can you understand how sick it made me

to do what I had to do to Adler?

When he was brother too.

Don't you see how wasteful it was, he destroyed

the concept I chose for him, he betrayed the opportunity

to serve, he aborted the whole trial.

Murdoch, make your life and mine or our deaths,

whatever it may be, mean something.

Let us serve, don't you want to serve?

- Why me?

- Why does an artist paint an apple instead of an orange,

why does one man adore one woman and detest another?

All morning I drove and I walked and I searched the city

from end to end looking for someone worthy of the sacrifice,

I found you.

- I should be frightened, I should be shaking in my boots,

what's the matter with me?

I can't make myself believe it's me, or that a guy

that looks like you just an average kind of run-of-the mill

guy could kill six people.

- I didn't kill them, New York did, Chicago, San Francisco,

Los Angeles, Cleveland did.

- Sure they did.

- What else can I do?

Unfortunately people can only be purged by tragedy,

frightened into decency.

Can you blame me because society requires shock treatment?

Mark your watch Murdoch, 24 hours, it's all I ask of them.

Twenty four hours of purity of heart, so that we may live.

- Hi Mr. Stiles,

- Any messages for three thirty two?

- Let me check and see.

- Mr. Murdoch get in?

- Haven't seen him sir.

- Arlene, Janie, Peggy.

(footsteps across the cement)

(background conversations)

(plates clanging)

(rotary phone dialing zero)

Would you give me the police please?

No, there's nothing wrong, I just want to talk to them

about something.

Sergeant my name is Stiles, Todd Stiles,

- S.T.I.L.E.S.,

When was the last time you saw him?

- About two o'clock yesterday afternoon

and the girl at the reception desk said he left

about two thirty with a buyer from Cleveland,

a man named Farrington.

- Base Sheriff, I've got something on that Farrington case.

- Trot him in fast.

- Right, this way Mr. Stiles.

(knocking on door)

- Wanna do every test in the book,

call me the second you do, okay.

- Mr. Stiles sheriff,

- Strode.

- [Todd] How do ya do?

- Lieutenant Lea.

- Stiles came in on a routine missing person's complaint,

friend of his named Murdoch, Buz Murdoch last seen

leaving the Trademart two thirty, with a John Farrington

from Cleveland, Ohio.

- Thanks.

Sit down stiles.

- That's all right, what's going on?

- This friend of yours Murdoch, good friend?

- Yeah, he's a good friend, why?

- This man Farrington, did you see him?

- No.

- How do you know he left with Farrington?

- [Todd] The receptionist at the Trademart

saw them leave together.

- Get her.

- [Todd] Look who is this guy Farrington

and what's happened?

- Farrington's dead, only not the one who took your friend,

that one only calls himself Farrington.

The real John Farrington was killed in Cleveland

last week, murdered.

- What's he want with Buz?

- He's a mental case, he hasn't known any of his victims.

Once he kills he takes on their identity until

the next victim in the next city.

Now he's picked on Dallas, we just received

a second communication from him about, oh about an hour ago.

I think I better tell you, he signed it Murdoch.

He gives us the same ultimatum that he gave New York,

Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco, L.A. and Cleveland.

- What ultimatum?

- Through all communication media, radio, newspaper,

tv, we're to inform the people of Dallas that

for the next 24 hours they're to follow the Ten Commandments

all ten or he kills Murdoch.

Like he said in his note, "the people of Dallas are the jury

"and the infant and I, we are the judge."

- Roll up the window.

Here, minerals and vitamins, better take them,

obviously we can't stop at a restaurant

and we will need our strength, won't we?

- You know I grew with a kid, horse rustler,

became famous, he holds the all time record in New York.

The youngest to cat to fry in Sing Sing, that's a dubious

honor I grant you but well, it was his claim to fame,

what's your's, me and the six others like me?

- I bring you truth just as you bring meaning to me,

give me identity.

If you live if the people of this community

want you to live, you will be worthy of God's goodness,

and if you die, you'll have His forgiveness.

Either way yours is the triumph.

- You keep talking about the community and if the people

want me to live, why don't you let them choose?

You afraid?

- I have given them instructions, all I ask is 24 hours,

one day of goodness, is that asking too much?

- You sit there with a gun in one hand and a scrapbook

full of dead people in the other and you get sore

over a couple of kids.

- From you Murdoch I would expect more, far more

perception than that.

Drop the scales from your eyes, consider

the present society of the world.

Are we still individuals or are we prisoners

of bureaucracy, insects in vast grinding systems

carrying ant like, apparently, rational actions

with no human idea of the ends they serve,

how is this no longer a guilty culture in which

control of wrong doing is self-imposed by conscience.

Instead we have a shame culture, one in which acts

are judged good or evil solely on the basis if one

is caught or not, in which the worst punishment

is public humiliation not private guilt.

Ours is a world Murdoch in which conscious morality

is treated with derision and reason with scorn.

This is an age which no longer waits patiently

through this lifetime for the rewards in the next

but instead mills anxiously about over-indulging

driven to cheat, driven to crime.

So I have killed six men, well let me tell you

that each time I died with them,

each time I killed myself too.

So what is that, that insignificant sacrifice

against the gigantic moral collapse of the world.

Don't you see, six or six thousand, I shall go on

killing until they see that it must stop,

until they cleanse themselves.

Until they cure this sickness in their souls

and beg me to stop, beg me, beg me to stop.

- Now when you say he was about my size?

- Yes he was about your size.

- All right now I have some pictures in this book

that I want you ta take a look at.

Notice the build on this man, anything like that?

- It's more like this one.

- All right, how about eyeglasses?

- [Policeman] Here's the Murdoch shot sheriff.

- Okay, keep on it now.

- [Sketch Artist] Of the faces, oval, round

Square or triangular, do you see anything?

- Stiles,

- [Sketch Artist] Look anything at all like,

- Good likeness?

- Yeah.

- All right, Bates, full distribution, early squads,

eleven thirty detail, all radio district patrols,

- [Sketch Artist] These are cropped there,

- [Woman at Reception Desk] Long hair.

- [Strode] In the next half hour

we'll supplement them with composite picture.

Marv, hit anything yet?

- [Policeman] Dispatch has had the description of pair

for the last half hour,

- [Strode] No show yet, look in each of the previous cases,

victims have been found in the immediate area, bus station,

train station, airport suggesting that he commits

the acts of crime near an escape hatch.

- [Sketch Artist] Now then, let's turn back.

- [Strode] Time the victim was found,

he's long gone to the next city.

- [Sketch Artist] Facial expressions?

- All right, all right, what are you doin' about Buz,

what are you doing to keep him alive?

- We're trying Stiles, look, we've asked the Times Herald,

the news, all broadcasting stations not to print

or broadcast any news that might set this guy off,

not even a hint that anybody's breaking a commandment.

We've tried to pick up all the previous editions

off the streets, we hope we can buy us some time.

- That's great, that's just dandy.

- Look Stiles, we can't even figure out how he kills 'em,

- You mean you can't figure out how he kills,

that doesn't make any sense.

- That's right, it doesn't, we find a corpse

but no cause of death.

- What about autopsies surely,

- They've done autopsies, on every victim, each tissue,

each cell and by the top pathologists in this country.

And nobody can figure out how these murders were done

except for the man he shot in L.A.

Look Stiles, I don't know, it's as though this crazy man

is actually able to call down the wrath of heaven.

- [Radio Announcer] Also in Dallas today were members

of the Society of Preservation and Encouragement

of Barbershop quartet singing, save on a haircut anybody?

The weather bureau predicts 48 degrees in downtown

Dallas by 7:00 am with the promise of sunny skies

and light prevailing winds from the north east.

Sam McGraw reporting from the KRLD newsroom,

next new 30 minutes away, now back to the

Clockwatch show.

- Turn it off.

(music starts playing on the radio)

(music stops playing)

- Sounds like a rip roaring night in Dallas, doesn't it?

What do call it, a gigantic moral collapse?

- Quiet, I'm thinking.

- Well then stop thinking we're all headhunters.

You heard the man big sports news, city budget,

Lion club's meeting down by the ol' Millstream,

barbershop quartet, why don't you stop thinking about

the evil things and start thinking about the good things

for a change?

The real miracle, not how low we've sunk,

but how high we've climbed in spite of everything.

- Maybe it's working,

maybe they're finally listening?

Murdoch, pull over there.

Murdoch, do you know what this means?

What if they're really going to do it?

What if they care enough about you, about one human being

another stranger, enough to live in virtue for 24 hours,

care enough to save you.

Murdoch do you know what this could mean?

Do you understand that never in the history of the whole

world has anything like this ever happened before?

Oh yes men have died to save other men but who lives

to save them?

You're thinking I'll kill you anyway, even if they

obey my mandate, you're thinking I can't afford

to leave a witness.

You don't really know me you judge me by ordinary standards.

Murdoch, I swear to you, I'm sick of dying,

I tremble each time I die, I want to live,

I want you to live, I want us all to live in goodness,

do you hear?

(police sirens blaring)

Don't do anything stupid, I must know, I've got to check.

There's a news stand about a block down on the right,

and don't do anything, I would have to shoot you.

(car driving away)

Son, a paper boy.

- Sorry I don't have any.

- Well I happen to know that the morning edition

has been out for over an hour.

- Truck just came and picked them up again?

- Now why would they do that?

- Beats me.

- Well I happened to be interested in that

particular edition, is there anything you can do

to help me locate one?

- For a buck you've got mine.

- Thank you son.

- [Paperboy] Thank you.

- May I ask you a personal question?

- For a buck, ask.

- Why aren't you home with your mother and father?

- What home?

- Tell me Murdoch, why is it considered a more

heinous crime to steal a man's wallet then to breach

the responsibilities of parenthood?

Stolen money's quickly spent but a neglected child,

- Story of your life?

- Drive on.

- Where?

Look where to?

- I'm sorry Murdoch, the airport.

- [Strode] Sure you won't join me?

- No thanks, I'm up to here with coffee.

If I could only figure out why?

- You'd think that make it easier?

- No.

- Well, 18 years and each case is like the first one to me.

My wife and she faints if I cut myself shaving,

she says "why don't you develop an attitude toward it.

"that way you can live with it."

I only knew one officer who ever really developed

an attitude toward it, we finally got him off the force.

(phone rings)

Strode.

Yeah, yeah, be right there.

Marvin, Bates, Lieutenant Lea found a car,

it was a rental all right, rental agent recognized

the sketch.

No, no bodies in it but it's parked at the airport.

Let's go.

(suspenseful music)

- That way.

Go ahead.

Sit down.

(briefcase latches open)

Isn't it curious how naturally the hands fall

into a position of prayer when bound by cuffs.

You wouldn't think it necessary to force people to pray,

would you?

I'm sorry Murdoch, I am genuinely sorry to have to do this.

But you will feel no pain, I promise you that.

Just one drop, one tenth of a drop of this solution

and in seconds you will have completed this earthly

phase of your existence.

(car doors opening)

(car doors closing)

In Germany after the war for a sufficient number of marks,

one could buy even as dark a secret as this,

just consider, one pen full dropped into the water supply

of a metropolis and any human being who touched that water

to his lips would die instantly.

I must confess Murdoch, as ghastly as the prospect is,

I've been thinking lately that perhaps a demonstration

on that scale is the only possible solution.

I have tried up until now I have tried to accomplish all

with the least amount of killing, but nobody will listen.

Do you suppose I shall have to destroy an entire city

in order to make them listen?

- Who made you God?

- Why not me?

- You talk about the ten commandments, thou shalt not kill,

no exceptions, you understand that, no exceptions,

not you, not me, not nobody.

So what does that make you?

A pied piper whistling people into hell.

What if men never agreed on anything?

And what makes you think that human nature

is something that's one way and no other way?

Rules carved into a stone easy to follow.

I'll tell you about the rules.

They're written on the wind, with the blood and the sweat

of people living every moment of their lives.

But God thinks, "let 'em choose" He said, He's aware,

"let 'em build," one good thing leads to a better one.

And little by little man climbs so go ahead butcher boy,

chant your unholy chants, go on screaming with your

poison bug juice and go on deluding yourself,

but you're not gonna pray and pour over me,

because on the worst day of my life,

I've never done anything, anything that even begins

to come close to how, how rotten, evil you are.

- Are these your last words?

And these are mine to you, I forgive you your sins

and your trespasses, Amen.

(gunshots)

(footsteps running across the pavement)

(gunshots)

- Stop doing that!

- Here hold onto this I don't know what's in it,

but it'll kill you quick.

- I kill and I make alive, I wound and I heal,

you Murdoch, you and I are brothers, where I failed

make them listen, make them.

- Lea, call a coroner.

This has been a Screen Gems film presentation

from Columbia Pictures.

Herbert B. Leonard, Executive Producer.