All language subtitles for Ellery Queen - 2.The Adventure of Auld Lang Syne

In a few minutes,
this man is going to be murdered.

Who killed him?

Was it his son?

One of us?

That's absurd.

The faithful secretary?

I'll see you dead.

Her fiancé?

Sure I made a run for it.

The cheating business partner?

Well, I'm going to the bar
to get a stiff drink.

The needy nephew?

Uncle Marcus, are you telling us
that you've had Lady Frawley tailed?

The gold digger?

That's utterly ludicrous.

It wasn't Guy Lombardo.

Match wits with Ellery Queen

and see if you can guess
who done it

[ Slow music playing ]

Don't worry about Ellery, Inspector.

I'm sure he's on his way.

Yeah, like I was sure
that he'd made these reservations.

I had to tip the head waiter
10 bucks for this table.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you very much.

Well, I see by the clock that in just
two hours, or 120 little minutes,

we'll be saying good-bye
to old 1946 and welcoming in

the bouncing baby that's 1947.

Now, for your dancing
and listening pleasure,

the Royal Canadians
play "Everybody Loves My Baby."

You want me to call him?
Make you feel better.

Oh, I feel fine.

Don't you see what
a wonderful time I'm having?

Well, let me just call him.
It’ll make us both feel better.

I'll be right back.

How about cutting
a rug with the chief, honey?

Oh, I'd love to.

She's a terrific little dancer,
Inspector.

Yeah.

My pleasure, Mrs. Velie.

I haven't danced like this in years!

Neither have I, dear lady.

When Henry's ship went down,
I was destroyed, totally destroyed.

Ah.

A huge estate in Essex,
a townhouse in London.

Oh, that sounds dreadful.

Hey, honey,
how about taking a picture

of the merrymakers here, huh?

Certainly, sir.

Just the two of us.

All right.

Fine. Would you move in there
just a little bit?

Fine.

Now, let's smile, okay?

All right.

There we go.

Be ready in about an hour, sir.

All right, thank you.

Thank you.

Well, happy New Year, everybody.

Oh, it's so wonderful,
us all being together like this.

I say out with the old
and in with the new.

If I were you, Lady Frawley,
I wouldn't be so eager

to be rid of 1946 -- any of you.

Why, Mr. Halliday,
whatever do you mean?

In the first place, my dear,

I mean you can ditch
the tea and crumpets.

I don't believe they sound
like the Duchess of Windsor

in Soho Square.

What?

Mr. Halliday, I assure you --

May I assure you, Lady Frawley,

that I know all there is to know
about you.

Apart from being the widow
of Lord Henry Frawley,

you spent the war as the sweetheart
of Bomber Squadron "B,"

beloved by officer
and enlisted men alike.

This is absolute nonsense.

Dad, if this is some kind of joke,
it's in very poor taste.

It's a joke, all right,
but the joke's on you, son.

This little gold digger
has her sights set on my bankroll.

Uncle Marcus, are you telling us
that you've had Lady Frawley tailed?

You've got it, Paul --

Lady Frawley, you, my son...

my not-so-faithful secretary,
Emma Zelman,

her furtive little fiancé, and last...

Mr. Halliday!

...my light-fingered new business
partner, Mr. Donald Becker.

I knew there was a reason
for this gathering,

but it certainly was not because
of your festive spirit, Marcus.

Quite right, Donald.

Think of it as your last meal,
if you like --

good food, good wine,
good music --

a perfect backdrop
for my little announcement.

I've kept a careful accounting
on you all.

I'm saddled with a lazy
and ungrateful son,

a divorced and shopworn
social climber,

a deceitful nephew who steals
petty cash from his account --

really, Paul, if you must steal, you
should show some imagination --

a newly acquired business partner

busy collecting down payments
on backyard swimming pools

and just as busy neglecting
to tell me about them,

and, of course, Miss Emma Zelman,
my loyal secretary for 15 years

who suddenly deserts me
for this over-age Caspar Milquetoast.

In response to this display
of honesty and loyalty,

I have arranged with my attorney

as my one and only
New Year's resolution

to eliminate each
and every one of you from my will.

So, as my son so aptly puts it,
a happy New Year to you all.

Well, I never!

Oh, but you have, my dear -- often.

Dad, that's not fair.

You're wrong, Mr. Halliday.

Oh, now, stop it, all of you.

Can't you see what he's doing?

He wants you to beg and squirm.

He has no intention
of cutting out any of us.

Don't I?

NEPHEW: No, you don't, dear uncle.

For better or worse, we are all
you have left in this world.

Without us, who would you torture
with your petty little games?

That's right.

I can see that none of you
are poker players.

It's time you had a lesson
in distinguishing

between a bluff and a royal flush.

My lawyer is giving a party
at his home this evening.

Unfortunately for him,
he'll have to go to the office

to cut you all out of my will
before this year is over.

Well, I don't know about the rest
of you, but we're leaving.

Howard, get your coat.

Well, I'm not going to let
your dreadful father

spoil my New Year's Eve.

Darling, let's dance.

Yes.

Well, I'm going to the bar
to get a stiff drink.

I may need quite a few
this evening.

You go ahead.

I, uh, saw somebody
across the room.

If I'm going to be unemployed,
I'd better start scouting around.

[ Telephone ringing ]

Oh, Inspector,
you're just such a marvelous dancer.

Are you enjoying yourself?

Mrs. Velie, this is fast becoming

one of the most unforgettable
New Year's Eves I've ever spent.

Aww!

Isn't she something, Inspector?

Madge is really light on her feet.

On hers, yeah.

Sir?

Oh, I said, "Where's Ellery?"

No answer --
I guess he's on his way.

How many times
you let the phone ring?

Ten.

You should have made it 20.

Richard!

Oh, hi, Commissioner.

Oh, no, no, sit down.

Evening, Sergeant.

This must be --

Mrs. Velie.

You know the commissioner, honey.

It's a great pleasure to meet you.

Isn't this a wonderful party?

It certainly is for me.

His Honor is coming down later,
you know,

and we've got some of the boys
from Albany,

from the governor's office.

It's the place to be, Richard.

Anybody who's anybody
is here tonight.

Hey, Fred!
How are you?

Excuse me.

If I don't see you again,
happy New Year to all of you.

"Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby."

Huh?

The band, Inspector -- they're playing
that wonderful old song.

Shall we?

Velie, wh-why don't you and
the missus take a turn on the floor?

I'll try to call Ellery again.

Holy cow!

What happened?

Inspector Queen,
New York City Police Department.

I want the head of security
in here immediately.

Yes, sir.

Hello?

Hello?

Hello? Hello?

Hello? Hello?

Hello?

Hello? Who is this, please?

Who is this?
Wh-Who is this?

Look -- is my mother-in-law
all right?

This is Inspector Queen,
New York City Police Department.

I knew it.

Ethel!

It's the police!

Would you identify yourself, please?

Joseph Kemmelman.

Listen -- what happened
to Mrs. Anderson?

There's no Mrs. Anderson here.

You were being called
by a Mr. Marcus Halliday.

I never heard of him.

What is your address,
Mr. Kemmelman?

346 West 77th Street.

I want you to stay there.

A prowl car
will pick you up in 15 minutes.

Look -- wait a minute.

This is police business,
Mr. Kemmelman -- 15 minutes.

Say, what's going on in --?

Mr. Halliday.

You know him?

Of course I know him.

He's a very wealthy man.

I'm Avery Dickson,
the hotel manager, Inspector.

This is Rawson,
my chief of security.

I want this floor sealed off.

I can't do that.

Mr. Dickson,
we have a murder here.

If the killer gets away,

it's going to be twice as bad
for you and the hotel.

Now, I want the elevators closed.

I want the stairways blocked off.

I want a guard in this room --
nobody in.

Check all the restrooms.

Rawson.

Right.

Why couldn't he have gone
to the Plaza?

Excuse me. Listen --

Oh, Inspector, you're just in time!

Yes, look -- I'm -- I'm --
I'm sorry, Mrs. Velie,

but something's come up --
police business.

Ohh.

I'll wait at the table.

What is it, Inspector?

We got a murder on our hands.

Murder?

Yeah, in the alcove
by the restrooms.

A man was knifed --
bad stab wound in the throat.

Security's got all the exits covered.

The killer can't get away.

What do you want me to do?

Four things.

Right.

Get every available unit
to this hotel.

I don't care that it is
New Year's Eve.

We got a lot of brass here.
We got to catch this guy.

Right.

Two -- pick up a guy
named Joseph Kemmelman,

346 West 77th Street.

Bring him here immediately.

I'll explain later.

Right.

And third -- get Ellery down here.

I don't care where he is,
what he's doing.

Get him here.

Check. And four?

Take off that silly hat.

VELIE: [ Knocking at the door ]
Maestro?

Maestro!

Yeah?

[ Yawning ]
Wait a minute.

Oh, hi, Velie.

I was getting ready
to bust the door down.

Do you know what time it is?

Uh --

It's a quarter to 11:00.

Oh, I thought it was about 7:30 or so.

I was proofreading some pages.

I guess I fell asleep.

Never mind the pages, Maestro.

Your dad wants you down
the hotel on the double.

I'll bet he does, yeah.

Forget the pages, Maestro.

There's been a murder.

A murder?

Right in the middle of the party --

some rich old geezer
named Halliday.

Marcus Halliday.

That's the guy.

All right, I'll get dressed,
and I'll meet you at the hotel.

Right.

That's the Hotel Astor, Maestro.

Oh, right, right, the Astor, yeah.

Broadway and 44th Street!

I know, yes.

Right.

There's pages missing.

I know it's New Year's Eve,
but I need a fingerprint man

and a photographer,
and I want them quick --

Yeah, hold it. Yeah?

We've got everything
sewed up tight?

Nobody's been up or down
the stairs or the elevator

except for your people
since the murder.

Restrooms?

Empty, and the windows
are sealed tight.

Even if they weren't,
it's 26 stories straight down.

What about effects?

Nothing in his pockets except
some loose change, a money clip,

and some cigarettes.

Harry?

Really?

Don't let me down now.

- Inspector...
- Okay, 15 minutes.

...is it really necessary to post
armed guards at my elevators?

Yes.

McCoy?

Yes, sir?

Go get the doctor.
Bring him in here.

I want to talk to him.

What's going on?

They told me outside that something
had happened to Marcus.

Yeah, he was stabbed to death.

What?

How? Why?

Is your name Becker,
Donald Becker?

Yes.

Mr. Becker, my apologies.

The head waiter gave me a list
of all the members of your party.

If you would,
just wait in the room over there.

The others are already there.

You're not saying that someone
in the Halliday group...

I don't know what I'm saying,
Mr. Dickson, at least not yet.

But it stands to reason
that the people

who came in with him
are legitimate suspects.

For example, this is the murder
weapon -- a steak knife.

One of ours.

Correct.

We've checked Mr. Halliday's table.

One of the steak knives is missing.

Taxi!

Taxi!

Right. Taxi?

Taxi!

Taxi!

Taxi?

[ Tires screeching ]

Thanks very much.

I — —

I----

Well, it certainly wasn't me, darling.

I was with Lewis.

We were dancing.

And with 100 witnesses
to prove it, right?

Mm-hmm.

Well, if you ask me,
she was watching the door,

and you stuck the knife in him.

Now, wait a minute --

Or maybe it was
the other way around.

If you ask me, our little friend
from Bomber Squadron "B"

is the one with the backbone.

Get your hands off her.

Stop it, all of you.

They'll hear us.

And where were you,
Miss Goody Two-Shoes?

We were getting my coat.

I didn't ask you, pip-squeak.

McCoy, send the print man
up to this room

as soon as he finishes
in the phone booth.

Yes, sir.

Inspector, I don't know
if this means anything.

One of my boys found it
in the alcove.

Shirt stud, eh?

Mm-hmm.

Oh, Inspector,
what a dreadful night --

that poor, dear, sweet old man.

I can hardly believe
this terrible thing has happened.

There, there, dear.

We all know
how much you loved him.

Oh.

Inspector, we all loved him.

Poor Uncle Marcus.

Who could have done
this awful thing?

How's it going, Inspector?

Why don't we cut all the banana oil?

I've found a waiter
who will swear that the victim

was about to make a phone call,
disinheriting the lot of you.

Oh, now, what's this?

Ah.

I believe this is yours, Mr. Halliday.

Oh.

It certainly does.

Thank you, Inspector.

You can save your thanks.

This stud was found
in the phone alcove just a few feet

from where your father
was murdered.

- That's impossible.
- That's an important piece --

- How do you explain that?
- What's it mean?

Now, hold on.

I never said the stud was mine.

I -- I could have lost
a stud anywhere.

Seems to be a perfect match.

Well, there must be
a hundred men in there

with studs exactly like these.

Wait a minute, Lewis.
I remember.

That stud was missing
when we first arrived here.

I almost said something about it.

Ah, the lady comes to the rescue!

And what's that supposed to mean?

It's supposed to mean
that you'd lie like a trooper

to protect your meal ticket.

Now, hold it, everyone.

And you'd just love
to see Lewis framed.

Excuse me, please.

Don't accuse me, honey.

Stop it, all of you.

Inspector, there is a very simple
way to determine the truth.

Shortly before Marcus Halliday
went to the phone booth,

Lewis and Lady Frawley
had their photograph taken

by the cigarette girl.

What?

McCoy, get someone up here
from the photo lab!

Yes, sir.

Uh-huh, there -- look, Inspector.

My stud was missing
before my father's death.

We ought to sue you
for false arrest.

No one is arrested.

Oh, don't give me that.

Come on, Daisy.
It's all right.

Oh, it's not all right.

I've been watching blokes
like this operate all my life.

They don't care
who they push around,

as long as somebody
ends up in the clink.

Well, this time, Mr. Inspector,
you lose.

This photo proves
that Lewis is innocent.

So, why don't you just buzz off,
little man.

- Come on, darling.
- Yeah.

No, dear lady, it only proves
he didn't lose this particular stud.

Hey!

Is that your cab?

What's that mean?

Hey!

Is that your taxicab out there?

He's deaf, too.

Excuse me.

Yeah?

Is that your cab
parked out by the curb?

- Right.
- Then you must be the cab driver.

Terrific.
You must be a detective.

Hey, Myrtle,
how about that hamburger?

Look -- I need a ride
to Times Square.

Hey, would you mind?

My coat, huh?

I'm sorry, buddy.
I'm off duty.

Well, I was gonna drive myself,
but I mailed my keys.

I was mailing a letter
at the corner mailbox,

and my mind must have been
confused because I put the letter

in my pocket
and I mailed my keys.

You know what I mean?

No, I don't.

I have to be at the Astor.

Thanks, honey.

Look, Mac -- I'm having my supper.

Somebody was murdered
at the Astor.

Mm. No kidding.

What are you gonna do,
take pictures?

Look -- my father
is an inspector of police.

He -- Wait a minute.

How about a $2 --
How about a $3 tip?

$3? Why didn't you say so?

- Let's go.
- Okay.

[ Music playing ]

Richard, consider my position.

People are becoming very nervous.

Try to understand mine,
Commissioner.

What? You've got your suspects.

It must be one of them.

It probably is one of them --
maybe not.

Until I can narrow it down,
nobody leaves.

Well, I don't think
you're being very polite,

considering the people
you've trapped up here.

But it's your case.
You handle it any way you see fit.

Here he is, Inspector --
Joseph Kemmelman.

Oh, thank you for coming,
Mr. Kemmelman.

I'm terribly confused.

What is this all about?

Would you step over here, please?

Do you recognize any
of the occupants of this room?

Well, it's hard to say,
the way they're dressed.

Huh? Dressed?

Oh, I rarely see people dressed
in party clothes.

I'm an undertaker.

Well, try.

Well... n-no.

No, sir. I'm sure.

I've never seen any of these people
before in my life.

This is Ben Grauer, at 11:00,

speaking to you from the marquee
of the Hotel Astor,

overlooking Times Square.

It's starting to fill up here,
and what a crowd it is --

thousands of happy faces
ready to welcome in the New Year.

The weather is brisk.

There's a hint of snow in the air,

but it isn't discouraging anyone --
no, indeed.

The problems of 1946
are all but forgotten

in the revelry building up
right below us --

a sea of faces looking up
towards the Times Tower,

even though midnight's
still an hour away.

Traffic's beginning to slow a little,
although the streets are still open--

[ Driver turns radio off ]

Come on! Come on!

Excuse me, maybe you'd
like to try another street.

Yeah, sure, buddy,
the Saw Mill River Parkway is open.

You want to go to Albany?

Hey, let's go, up there!

Looks like a stalled car
in the middle of that intersection.

Will you get that heap
out of the way!

Sorry, pal, it's just gonna be slow.

Oh, it's not your fault.

On the next block,
maybe I'll cut over to First Avenue,

get you up to 44th.

Whatever you say.

Just so you don't think
I'm jacking up the meter.

Heck of a New Year's Eve
for you, huh?

Most guys on a night like this --

they'd be out
with some classy dame,

dancing at the El Morocco.

Dame!

What?

Pull over.

What a second.

Pull over quick --
that flower shop.

What are you, crazy?
Pull over where?

Here.

Wait right here.

I'll be right back.

Anybody home?

Anybody home?

Show them a five-spot!

What are you, crazy?

Can't you see we're closed?

You want flowers?

Go pick daisies in Central Park.

I just want a corsage.

Okay, but I'm warning you --
I'm out of almost everything.

All I know is I'm laying down
on the couch, and the missus --

now, that's Ethel, my wife --

she's fixing me an eggnog.

Just you and your wife
in the apartment.

That's right.

Well, New Year's Eve is always bad
for me and Ethel, Inspector.

Who wants to invite
an undertaker to a party?

Well, everybody's
having a good time.

In comes me and Ethel.

They look around.

"Uh-oh, there he is --
Joe Kemmelman," right?

Then they start in with the jokes.

"Where'd you dig him up?”

That kind of stuff.

So, we just stay home now.

And the phone rang around 10:15?

Right.

So, I says, "Hello?"

On the other end of the line,
I hear this guy wheezing, wheezing.

What did he say?

No, no, he didn't say anything.

He was just wheezing and gasping.

Well, what can you tell
from gasping?

I thought maybe it was
my wife's mother.

She always calls on New Year's Eve.

So, right away I figure,

"Uh-oh, the old lady has had
a heart attack or something.”

So, I send Ethel down the hall
to use a neighbor's phone

because I figure, you know,
maybe the phone company

can cut in, trace the open line.

And that's when you cut on the line
at the other end.

You never heard
this man's name before

or had any dealings with him?

No, I'm positive.

Inspector, two of them
want to talk to you out here.

Send them in.

Inspector, I have
come to the conclusion

that someone around here
should tell the truth.

Won't you sit down, Miss...?

Zelman, Emma Zelman.

And this is my beau, Howard Pratt.

Yes, |-I didn't know the man.
I just met him tonight.

- Inspector...
- Huh?

The print man got the phone book --
some nice clear prints.

You want him to start
taking prints of your suspects?

Get him right on it.

All right, tell us about it,
Miss Zelman.

You got a break. They hauled
that clunker out of the intersection.

- Hotel Astor, coming up.
- Now, wait just a second.

I've been waiting more
than a second, Mac.

The meter's already reading $2.20.

124 West End Avenue.

Hey, come on.

I thought you were in such a hurry
to go see this murder.

Look -- if I don't get
to 124 West End Avenue,

there's liable
to be two murders tonight.

- You stood her up.
- Afraid so.

West End Avenue, coming up.

- $13 million.
- You sure?

Lewis was set to inherit
the bulk of his father's estate.

The figure is correct.

As Mr. Halliday's secretary
for 15 years,

I pride myself on my accuracy.

And Halliday was on his way
to call his lawyer to change his will?

Yes.

That's when I decided
we were leaving.

I certainly didn't want any part of...

Look, Inspector --I...

I'm feeling kind of sick.

I think I...

Okay if I use the men's room there?

All right, but make it quick.

You were saying about the will?

Mr. Halliday brought us together
to repay us for our sins,

real or imagined.

But what makes you so sure
that it was Lewis Halliday

who killed his father?

You were all beneficiaries.

But Lewis was to inherit
the bulk of the estate.

Then, of course...

What do you think she's telling him?

Maybe she's discussing
your creative bookkeeping, Paul.

Now, don't pull that on me, Becker.

Your trouser cuffs aren't exactly
clean, either, you know.

I'm not in the will.

Well, maybe not,

but the old man
was about to pull the plug

on your swimming pool company.

What's that supposed to mean?!

- Well, you know exactly --
- No, I don't know what that means!

Guys, come on!
Hey, stop it, both of you!

Get off of me!
I want my attorney!

I want my attorney, too!

We're not gonna get anywhere
fighting among ourselves.

Calm down.

Oh?

Three days ago,

Lewis came storming out
of Mr. Halliday's office

almost in tears,

and he screamed back --
he screamed!

INSPECTOR:
Yes?

"I'll see you dead
before I let her go.”

McCoy, get Lewis Halliday in here.

McCoy?
Where is he?

McCoy, what in the world?

- Take it easy, Inspector.
- Sorry, sir.

He was laying for me.

- I didn't have a chance.
- Don't be a fool, Pratt.

The elevators are sealed off.
You can't escape.

I will, with you in front of me.

I've got the cop's gun right on you,
Queen, so don't do anything dumb.

Once we get outside, I'll let you go.

Until then, no false moves.
Understood?

Okay, Inspector, open the door.

Excuse me, Inspector.
They told me...

Good work, Velie.
All right, on your feet.

- You've got some explaining to do.
- What? Uh, who?

Uh -- Uh, thank you, Inspector.

Sure I made a run for it,
but I didn't kill the old man.

Emma will tell you that.
We were together.

Of course, you
and your beloved fiancée.

- She'd say anything.
- That's enough.

Now, why did you run for it, Pratt?

You'll find out anyway,
so -- so what's the difference?

I was drafted in 1918, the first war.

I was just a kid.

I couldn't take it,
so -- so I went over the hill,

moved to New York,
changed my name --

EMMA:
Oh, Howard!

I never wanted you to know,
sweetheart, but...

But as soon as they took my prints,
you would have found out.

Did Marcus Halliday find out?
Is that what he threatened you with?

- No!
- Howard, it's all right.

Well, Inspector,
I think that should settle it for you.

It doesn't settle anything,
Lady Frawley.

- Where's Ellery?
- I don't know, Inspector.

He should have been here
a long time ago.

New Year's Eve.

I'll be right back.

Take your time.
It's still 1946.

Kitty?

Kitty, it's Ellery!

Ki--

Ellery who?

I guess you're wondering what
I'm doing here this time of night.

Not really.

How about a little peace offering?

Oh, Ellery, they're lovely.
They go so well with my robe.

Well, they're all
the florist had left.

Okay if I came in?

How about staying right out there,
stranger?

Do you know
that it's New Year's Eve,

that night
when every girl in New York

is out on the town but me?

Oh, I had a date with this absolutely
charming young man,

a writer type --
a bit eccentric, they said,

but what do they know?

We could still make it
by midnight, Kitty.

Shall I go like this?

No.

How long would it take you
to get ready?

Why? Are you on
some sort of timetable?

Well, actually, my dad wants me
down there right away.

- Oh, your dad.
- Yeah.

Does he have the car tonight?

No, I've -- I have a cab downstairs.

Don't tell me, Ellery.
Let me guess.

There's been a murder,
and Dad wants you to help solve it.

- How did you know that?
- How?

Oh, well, there has been a murder?

Well, what's a little murder
here or there on New Year's Eve?

I tell you what, Ellery --
why don't you just run along

and figure out who did it,

and you give me a call
next year sometime, okay?

- Late next year.
- Ki--

Kitty?

Kitty!

I'm standing right here
until you open that door!

- Ki--
- Ellery.

- Yeah?
- You forgot your flowers.

Tossed you out, huh?

Well, listen --

tomorrow you'll send her
a dozen pair of nylons.

- She'll forget all about it.
- I'm not so sure.

The Astor?

Yeah.

The Ast--
Hey, I got to get to the Astor!

Well, he attacked me.

That's proof
of the man's violent temper.

And you think Mr. Becker
knifed Mr. Halliday?

No doubt in my mind whatsoever.

Now, six months ago,

Becker talked my uncle
into putting up $100,000

to start a swimming pool company.

Backyard pools, not just for the rich,
for everyone.

Mm-hmm.
Everyone with a backyard.

Yeah.

Now, Becker's a crook.

He always has been,
one shady deal after another.

Wasn't there some problem
with your accounts at the office?

Now, who told you that?

Well, it's easy enough
to verify, Mr. Quincy.

Well, verify what you want.

May I use the phone?
I'd like to call my attorney.

In a little while.

Wait in there, please.

- Any luck, Inspector?
- It's narrowing down.

- To who, sir?
- Everyone in that room.

Where's Ellery?

Crummy retreads!

You know how many miles
I got on this old girl?

80,000 if I got one.
So, what do they do?

They put on a set
of lousy retreads.

- Maybe we could change it.
- Synthetic rubber. Ugh.

If we'd had tires like that
on our trucks at Normandy,

the Nazis would have won the war.

You want to pull that thing
to the curb, Mac?

DRIVER: Hey, officer,
you want to shoot this thing

and put it out of its misery?

Officer, I've got to get
to the Hotel Astor.

Could you give us a lift?

What do I look like,
a limousine service?

Well, my father's expecting me.
You see, there's been a murder.

Say, is your father
Inspector Queen?

That's right.
Yes, he is.

Got a bulletin out on you.
Hop in.

- Come on.
- No, no. You go on, pal.

I got to stay here
and watch the old girl.

I can't just leave her
laying around here by herself.

I'll call in. They'll get a truck.
Don't worry about it.

Hold this.

Here.

- Thanks for everything.
- No, it's a pleasure.

- Hope you make out with that dame.
- Yeah, me too.

- Happy New Year to you.
- Same to you!

I don't care. I want
the medical examiner here now!

Richard, we need to talk privately.

This is J.J. Tucker
of Governor Dewey's office.

- How do you do?
- So nice to meet you, Inspector.

We've got a little problem, Richard.

I hope I'm not imposing, Queen,

but the wife and I are due
at the Latin Quarter in a few minutes.

Thought if it was all right with you,
we'd duck out quietly.

Sorry, Commissioner.
I can't allow it.

Look here, now, Richard.

Obviously Mr. Tucker had nothing
to do with Halliday's death.

There's nothing obvious about it, sir.

Halliday was an important financier
involved in many state projects.

You knew him,
didn't you, Mr. Tucker?

Oh, we may have met
once or twice, yes.

Well, that's just my point.

He may have met once or twice
with half the people in that room.

Excuse me, sir.

Richard...

J.J. is this close to the governor.

If we start releasing suspects
because of connections,

we won't have any suspects left.

I've got a murder to solve.

And I'm going to have half
of Park Avenue society on my neck

trying to get out of here.

Now, Richard,
you wrap this case up quick.

Come 12:00 midnight,

they're gonna be on my head
to get out of here,

and I'm going to let them go,
whether you like it or not.

Yes, sir!

It's all taken care of, J.J.
Come have a drink.

Thank you. Thank you.

[ Talking indistinctly ]

[ Applause ]

Well, thank you,
ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you for your kind applause.

As you can see by the clock,
in 15 minutes, we'll have a new year.

1946 is fast ebbing away.

And with that new year,

I hope you have happiness,
prosperity, and good health.

Now the band will play,
in keeping with the times,

"Just Because."

Some pretty fancy names
out there, sir.

I sure wouldn't like to be passing out
any parking tickets downstairs.

Good way to lose a badge.

Yeah, yeah, tell me all about it.

- Hey, hold it right there!
- Look -- I've got to see my father.

I'm sorry.
Nobody gets up and down here.

I'm sorry. Dad?

Where have you been?
Do you know what time it is?

Look, Dad, I got
to get back to Kitty and explain.

Not till you straighten this out.

Now, listen, son, son,
out in that ballroom,

I've got a deputy mayor,
three city councilmen,

a deputy police commissioner,
the governor's aide,

and 350 of the City's 400.

Now, in about 10 minutes, they're
all gonna start walking out on me,

and there isn't a thing
I can do about it

short of arresting the lot of them.

- Okay, Dad, what have you got?
- Sit down over here.

Now, here's the medical examiner's
preliminary report.

And in there, I've got a room
full of grade-A suspects.

I see.

"Single lateral puncture,
severance of the larynx."

Loosely translated,

that's a stab wound to the throat
that cut the vocal cords.

- You mean he couldn't talk?
- Not a word.

- He was gasping into the phone.
- Oh, happy New Year, Velie.

We still can't figure out
why he called the undertaker.

Wait a minute!
Slow down.

Not on the knife!
Sit down over there. I'll fill you in.

See, this list, Sarge?
Everybody who's out there.

Names, addresses, the works.

Let's see.

[ No audible dialogue ]

EMMA: It's all right, Howard.
That was 28 years ago.

HOWARD:
They never forget, Emma.

EMMA:
I'm going to stand by you.

HOWARD: One mistake,
and they hound you for life.

Oh, stop your whining.

If you ask me... you did it.

Why?
I hardly knew the man.

You were the one
with the motive, kiddo.

I love Lewis for himself
and not for his money.

A regular Our Gal Sunday.

Keep your opinions to yourself, Paul.

Inspector, this is an outrage.

I really feel that this
is a terrible thing...

All right, now, everybody.
Quiet down, everybody!

We'll get rid of you
as soon as possible.

Please, Inspector.
It's nearly midnight.

- I'd like to get back to my wife.
- Yeah, sure, sure.

You must be Mr. Kemmelman.

Right. Ethel.

- Hmm?
- My wife.

- She's gonna be worried.
- Oh, I see.

My dad says you
didn't even know Mr. Halliday

or any of these people,
even why he called you.

- That's right.
- I see. Thank you.

And you people were all seated
at the Halliday table

before he was stabbed
in the phone booth, is that right?

Now, wait a minute.

Now, that doesn't necessarily mean
that one of us killed him.

No, sir, it doesn't.
And your name is?

Quincy, Paul Quincy.
Now, who are you?

- My son.
- Thank you.

Ah...

- And you are?
- Don Becker.

Don Becker, Becker -- B-e-c-k-e-r?

- Yes.
- Thank you.

- Ma'am?
- Emma Zelman.

- Sir?
- Howard Pratt.

Howard Pratt.
Thank you.

And you must be...?

Daisy Frawley, soon to be
Mrs. Lewis Halliday.

That's right.
I'm Lewis Halliday.

Lady Frawley is my fiancée.

I see.

Hold this, will you? Hmm?

- Dad?
- What is it?

I've got an idea.

Yeah.

- What is it?
- Six minutes to midnight, Inspector.

- How do you want me to handle it?
- Hang in there, Velie.

Tell me.
You got something?

I think I know
who killed Marcus Halliday.

Wh-what? You...?

- One of them?
- One of them.

And it's easy enough to prove.

Are you with me?

You may even be way ahead of me.

Now, it's not that difficult

to figure out why Halliday
called Kemmelman,

a man he never met,
a man he never knew.

Remember, he had to have known
who stabbed him.

The knife was wedged
in that phone booth

so he couldn't crawl out.

And he knew he couldn't talk,

so, why call the police
when he couldn't say anything?

So, he did the next best thing.

Since he didn't have
a pencil or a paper,

he left us the only clue he could
to the murderer's identity.

You got the same answer I do?

One of us?

That's absurd!

I don't think so, Mr. Halliday.

Mr. Kemmelman,

I know that this has been
a rotten New Year's Eve for you,

being dragged down here like this.

Before the clock strikes 12:00,

I thought you might want
to wish your wife a happy New Year.

- Sure would.
- Come on, Queen. Get on with it.

What was her first name again?

- Ethel.
- Ethel?

Ethel Kemmelman?

You don't know me,
Mrs. Kemmelman,

but there's somebody here that would
like to wish you a happy New Year.

Honey?

Yeah, it's Joe.

No, no, no, no.
I'm all right.

Well, I'm coming right back
if they let me.

Sure.

Listen, I'll see you
in a little while.

Happy New Year, honey.

I love you.

Happy New Year to you, too, Joe.

- You can go if you want to.
- Yeah. Thanks a lot.

You bet.

Thank you.
Happy New Year.

Oh. Thank you.

And what was that all about?

I don't remember giving you
Kemmelman's number.

I don't think
we even had it ourselves.

Oh, I didn't have to have
his number, Dad.

All I did was duplicate
what Marcus Halliday had done

earlier this evening when he
was dying in the phone booth.

He wasn't able to leave
any other clues,

so he dialed his killer's name.

- Dialed the killer's name?
- What do you mean, his killer's name?

But how did you know what to dial?
You never saw the murderer.

I didn't have to.

You see, it takes six digits
to dial a telephone number.

That eliminates Lady Frawley,
Howard Pratt, and Lewis Halliday,

and that leaves us
with three suspects --

Paul Quincy, Emma Zelman,
and Don Becker.

Now, if you've ever looked
at the dial on a telephone,

you might have noticed
that there is no "Q,"

so, he couldn't have dialed "Quincy."

Now, Miss Zelman's name
begins with a "Z,"

but if he had started dialing "Z,"

which is the last number on the dial,

the operator
would have interrupted,

so it follows that he
had to dial Becker, B-e-c-k-e-r.

I had to confirm the spelling
of your name, Mr. Becker,

to make sure that I dialed
the number correctly.

B-e-c-k-e-r
becomes Beekman 2537.

Yeah.

- Hey!
- Velie!

[ "Auld Lang Syne" plays ]

Happy New Year, Inspector!

Oh, come on, Daisy.

- Happy New Year.
- Happy New Year to you.

- Oh.
- Happy New Year.

- Happy New Year!
- Cheers.

I, uh, I was really thinking
along the same lines.

I'm sure you were, Dad.

Hey, let's drink
a toast to the new year.

Sure, sure.

Actually, I did think
one of them was the killer,

but I never would have come up
with that telephone business,

not in a million years.

Oh, sure you would have.
Soon or later, you'd have got it.

-No, I can ---
-Here, here.

All right, you know better than I.

But that Howard Pratt --
now, that's "Howard."

That's six letters.

What made you think
that it wasn't his number

that Halliday was dialing?

That's simple enough, Dad.

"Howard" begins with H-O.

"H-O" is the Hollis exchange
in Queens County,

but Kemmelman lives
on West 77th Street in Manhattan.

[ Cork pops]

Oh. There we go.
Here we go.

- Got a glass?
- Yes, sir.

- I'll just take a little.
- Happy New Year, son.

Thank you.

Here.

Cheers, Dad.
Happy New Year to you.

Oh, yeah. Uh...

- I got to get back to work.
- Back to -- Dad, it's only midnight.

- You have to get b--
- Happy New Year.

I found these out there.

I'm sorry
about what happened tonight.

Oh...

Happy 1947, Ellery Queen.

Happy 1947, Kitty McBride.