Original subtitles

The scenes you are watching

are from the highly-rated action-adventure shows Mustang,

Chopper Squad and Highway Guys.

But now, in the "life imitates art"

and "truth is stranger than fiction" categories,

the producer of these exciting shows, Paul J. Bartel,

stands trial for the murder of the man

whose network they're on.

This man, Greg Titleman, network programming chief,

who was found stabbed in the back

at this exclusive Bedford hotel.

Hello, everybody. I'm Terry McNeil.

And I'm Doug August,

welcoming you to Hollywood Today,

where this evening's entire hour will be devoted

to an event that has shaken the Hollywood community

like no other before it.

Greg wasn't the cold-hearted, impersonal executive

everyone thought him to be.

You know, the kind who did everything on the phone.

To the contrary, he thrived on the personal touch.

For instance, when he canceled my first series,

he personally told his assistant to call me.

An actress remembers that kind of thoughtfulness, believe me.

Before Greg took over the network a few years ago,

things were getting so confused that, uh, executives

were going around stabbing each other in the front.

Well, he changed that all around, didn't he?

And now, after weeks of evidence and argument,

the case of the People versus Greg's accused murderer,

Paul J. Bartel, has gone to the jury.

Why don't we tell our viewers how and where it all began?

Greg Titleman came into Los Angeles

the first weekend in April for some meetings

at a Los Angeles hotel.

And that's when Paul J. Bartel had a meeting with him?

Yeah, just around 2 in the afternoon,

Paul J. Bartel came to the hotel.

Greg?

Greg?

Greg?

Greg?

Hello, operator. Uh, yes.

I want you to connect me with the police.

Well, you say you came to the hotel

for a meeting with the deceased at 2:00.

Mm-hm. It's just somewhere around there.

I might've been a little early.

And then?

I saw him, uh, Greg,

on the floor with a knife wound in his back.

And why are you so sure it was a knife wound?

How do you know it wasn't a bullet wound?

Lieutenant, I've been producing TV cop shows for years.

I can tell the difference

between a knife and a gunshot wound. This was a...

A-a gaping puncture... All right, all right, all right.

All right, yeah.

All right, so you say you were going to have a meeting

with Mr. Titleman.

What about?

Business.

Two of you were friends?

Absolutely. We've known each other for years.

Hey, lieutenant.

Excuse me.

Mr. Bartel, I'm gonna have to ask you to come with us.

Why? What's goin' on?

It seems that one of my officers found what appears to be

the missing murder weapon.

So?

Well, it seems it was found

in the glove compartment of your car.

So now we have a murder and a prime suspect.

And now let's take a look at Benjamin Matlock,

the attorney who handled the case for the defense.

Terry?

For the last 30 years, Ben Matlock has lived

and practiced law in Atlanta, Georgia,

where he's well-known for both his high prices

and the high percentage of clients

he successfully defends.

Ben Matlock's office.

♪ Your mouth is like A fireplace ♪

♪ With all the ashes out ♪

♪ Well, with all the ashes out Boys ♪

Just a minute.

♪ Your mouth is like A fireplace ♪

Ben?

♪ Well, whoa, mule, whoa ♪

Ben?

♪ Whoa, mule, I say ♪ Ben!

What?

It's Paul J. Bartel.

Who's that?

Big TV producer.

Produces Chopper Squad, Highway Guys, Mustang.

Oh.

Lot of good-looking women in Mustang.

Wanna take it?

Hello?

Yes, sir.

Oh, why, thank you.

Well, uh, th-that... That's interesting.

Yes.

Well?

How about getting us a couple of airplane tickets to Hollywood?

♪ Well, whoa, mule, whoa Whoa, mule, I say ♪

♪ Grab your hat, Miss Lucy Jane And hold on through the shame ♪

McNEIL: And so Ben Matlock and his associate, Michelle Thomas,

jetted out to Los Angeles to meet with Paul J. Bartel.

Stop me if I'm wrong,

but isn't your making money

dependent on people like, uh, Greg Titleman buying your shows?

Uh, in network TV, there are just three shops to sell to.

Uh, Greg runs... Uh, ran the number one shop.

If there were a falling-out

and Greg Titleman had canceled, say, Mustang,

well, then millions of dollars

would have been at stake, wouldn't it?

Yeah, but as you can see, I have lots of other shows.

But it's common knowledge that none of them have

lost as much money as Mustang

and that Greg Titleman was ready to cancel it.

Mustang is a very expensive show,

with a star who gets six figures an episode

and insists it be shot in Hawaii.

Um, the way I understand it,

if, uh, Greg Titleman had kept Mustang on for another year,

then your losses would've turned into profits.

Mm-hm. We would've had enough episodes

to make a favorable syndication deal work.

Greg was my friend.

I didn't kill him.

Why didn't you call the police from his room

when you first discovered his body?

Ah, I've produced enough TV shows to know

you're not supposed to touch anything, including the phone.

Hm.

What about the knife?

I never saw the knife.

The prosecution is gonna contend

that the reason you didn't use the phone in his room

is because you wanted to hide the knife in your car first.

You don't seriously believe that, do you?

No, that'd be pretty dumb, but they will contend that.

You wait and see.

Well, is there anything else you need to know?

Not right now.

I was always intimidated by Greg Titleman.

Uh, he never smiled

and I always called him Mr. Titleman.

Anyway, there was this meeting in his office one day

and I was so scared I wouldn't go in

without my agent and my lawyer.

Anyway, when we got inside, he saw how intimidated I was,

and he said, "Son, as long as you're a member of my network,

I want you to think of me as your second father."

Well, from that day on, actually, uh,

I had trouble distinguishing between him and my real father.

Do you mean you went to him with your problems?

Oh, well, unfortunately, he died

before I got a chance to do that.

What I mean is, uh, now when I go talk to my real father,

I can't go without my agent and my lawyer.

How powerful was Greg Titleman?

Well, I don't know exactly, but there's this rumor

that just after his death,

Highway to Heaven was picked up for two more seasons.

And the network announced that they were gonna do

a miniseries of the Creation with the original cast.

It was just a joke.

Sort of.

Okay. So Ben Matlock figured he had to find the person

who placed the knife in Paul J. Bartel's car.

That was the idea, yes.

So how did he proceed?

Well, the first thing he needed to know

was who knew Greg was in town.

So, as they say in show biz,

he made the rounds.

Jerry, don't try to position me.

I'll see to it that none of your clients do this show.

I promise you.

Yes? MATLOCK: E-excuse me.

I'm looking for a Mr. David Martin?

That's me, but if you're from Lorimar,

we've already called your girl to cancel.

No, we're not from Lorimar. We're from Atlanta.

Uh, we're lawyers. I'm Ben Matlock.

This is my associate, Michelle Thomas.

We represent Paul J. Bartel.

Oh, yes. Yes, I heard you took the case, right.

Uh, how do you do?

Uh, this is my associate, Linda Lewis.

Hello. How do you do?

Hi. Hi.

Oh, well, I see you're packing.

Where are you goin'?

New York.

Oh, that's right.

You're taking over for the deceased.

Greg was a very dear friend of mine.

What was he, a...?

What, some kind of a...? A mentor?

Oh, much more. I owe... I owe everything to him.

So you'd be more than willing

to bring his murderer to justice.

Of course I would.

David, you do have

that 12:30 at the Polo Lounge.

Oh, right. Uh,

well... MATLOCK: Uh... Uh, thi...

This will only take a moment.

Uh, I'm just trying to find out who knew that Greg Titleman

would be coming into Los Angeles that weekend.

Uh, Mr. Bartel seems to think that you would know.

Why don't, uh...? Why don't you have a seat here,

Mr., uh, Matlock and Miss...?

Thomas. Thomas, right.

Um, you don't mind if, uh, Linda sits in?

Oh, of course not. Sure.

Uh, my relationship with Greg was very close,

so naturally I knew that he was coming into town.

Did you know why?

Well, he had three meetings that I was aware of.

One with, uh, Paul Bartel about Mustang,

and one with Larry Davis.

Studio head.

Oh.

And what would that have been about?

Well, I'm afraid I don't know exactly.

And who was the third?

Lane Lockletter.

Oh. The actor.

Used to be Denning for the Defense.

The lawyer who never lost a case?

Yeah, that's the one.

I'm sure he was trying to convince Greg

to give him a new show.

That's what Lane's meetings

were usually about.

Well, did you see Greg Titleman?

No, no. He would often, uh, fly in, have his meetings,

and then, uh, call me from New York

to, uh, fill me in later.

I had no reason to take a meeting with Greg

at that particular time.

So, aside from you

and those three, did anyone else know he was here?

Well, I assume his wife knew and his secretary,

but Greg was a very secretive man,

so I doubt that anybody else knew.

Well, I guess that's a start.

McNEIL: Ben Matlock started finding things out

right away.

Like what, Terry?

Well, like out here in Hollywood,

you don't go to lunch, you do it.

And when you're doing it, you don't just eat,

you also talk business.

And that's not having a meeting, that's taking one.

And the first one he took

was with Lane Lockletter, who's an actor.

Let me tell you, Ben,

I had a deep, abiding affection and admiration

for Greg Titleman.

A brilliant programmer, but he was only a kid.

He didn't remember that Lane Lockletter

was the first star to come over to the network.

Well, that was 25 years ago.

Ben, I put 'em on the map.

Denning for the Defense was in the top ten

for six consecutive years.

It not only anchored Friday nights,

it single-handedly changed the dating habits of America.

And, uh,

Greg Titleman wouldn't give you a show.

All he ever offered me was guest shots

on other people's shows.

And that's why you wanted to have a meeting with him

when he came out to Los Angeles?

Ben.

I have an idea for a series that'll do a 45 share.

A spinoff of Denning,

where I marry a younger girl lawyer

and then the two of us team up to defend innocent people.

Oh, we'll call it Mr. and Mrs. Defender.

Huh? What do you think?

Well, uh, I don't know.

Uh, what time was your meeting with Greg Titleman?

Four o'clock. You don't like my idea?

Well, uh...

Uh, so you...? You never saw him? Did you talk with him?

Yeah.

We confirmed in the morning.

Ben, let me stop you.

I see very clearly what you're doing.

I did it myself every Friday night

for six years.

You're establishing if I had a motive,

which, yes, I do.

And, yes, I knew what bungalow he was in.

But if I may do a critique of your work,

Ben, i-i-it's...

It's not a question of right or wrong.

It's a question of... Of style.

Style.

A courtroom is a theater and you gotta lighten it up.

I'm sorry.

Like I did in Denning for the Defense.

You oughta try to be more like Denning.

Well... Oh, I'll get that.

No. No, no. It's... I'll take it.

Well, thank you.

Um..

You know, there's a rumor

that the real reason

that you were desperate for a new show

is that your last wife

took you to the cleaners.

But that's a lie.

And there's another rumor

that there was a long history of bad blood

between you and Greg Titleman, and with...

With him gone,

there are other people at the network

who'd be more inclined to put you on the schedule.

Uh, I... I enjoyed meeting you,

and I enjoyed hearing about Denning.

Thanks. And I used to enjoy Denning.

Thank you very much. I enjoyed our meal.

I hope you did.

Thank you, sir.

Denning would have left a much bigger tip.

McNEIL: And while Ben Matlock was learning how to spend

like a Hollywood lawyer,

Michelle had returned to the scene of the crime.

You see, the thing about Greg is

that he had a point of view about pilots.

He understood the kind of character

that America wants to watch.

That's why David wants me to check over here

and see if his notes are still there.

Oh. MAN: Hello, Miss Lewis.

Hi, Bill.

Well, everyone seems to know you.

Oh, I do breakfast meetings here three or four times a week.

Oh.

There's the bungalow right there.

Mm-hm. Do they have weddings here very often?

Oh, you have to book them six or eight months in advance.

Oh.

You go on ahead. I have to go into the hotel.

Thanks for the lift.

Mr. Wolfson, are you in charge of wedding receptions?

Yes. And when is the happy day for you?

Oh, nothing immediate. Heh.

Well, that's good, because we have nothing available

in the near future, anyway.

Well, actually, I'm talking about the past.

Like if a wedding took place here

the day Greg Titleman was murdered.

Well, yes, there was one, but, uh, who are you?

Oh.

Michelle Thomas, Attorney, Matlock and Associates.

We're working on the case.

I was wondering if the wedding was filmed,

and if it was, who filmed it.

It was the, uh, Stillman wedding,

but nobody films weddings anymore.

It was taped.

Oh. Yeah.

McNEIL: Maybe they don't film weddings, but Ben Matlock learned

a whole lot of filming still goes on in this town,

because they had him waiting over 35 minutes

to see the studio head, Larry Davis.

Uh, Mr. Matlock?

Yeah. Uh, sorry to keep you waiting.

Mr. Davis? No. Mr. Davis is busy.

I'm Jordan Sanders, uh, head of development.

I handle all pitches. Uh, who did you say your agent was?

I'm not in the television business.

I'm a lawyer.

Oh. Heh. Nowadays, Mr. Matlock, in this business,

being an attorney means running this business.

No, no, no, no, no, no. I represent Paul Bartel.

Oh.

I'm embarrassed.

I have to see Mr. Davis.

I assure you I can speak for Mr. Davis.

My job is to know all of his moves

even before he makes 'em.

There are no secrets between us.

Okay.

Where was he at the time of the murder?

Oh, I can't tell you that.

Now, look.

I know this is a matter of utmost importance,

but it's a little embarrassing.

I'll have to ask you to keep it confidential.

I can't promise that.

That afternoon, Mr. Davis was with a young woman, an actress.

Her name?

I have to know her name.

Kate Sawyer.

She did that comedy series about an American-born girl

who was a domestic in Japan.

Um, it didn't last very long.

Look, she's doing features now.

She was the one that Mr. Davis spent that afternoon with.

So he never saw Mr. Titleman.

No. He was very specific about that.

Okay.

Hello?

Hello?

Hello?

What do you want?

I'm Michelle Thomas. I called a little while ago.

I was told I could come

and pick up the tape of the Stillman wedding.

Was it you I spoke to?

Yeah, but someone just picked it up.

What? No. That's impossible. Who?

I don't know. Some woman. She just went out the back door.

Stop!

Stop!

Greg Titleman? Don't look at me. I didn't do it.

I was in New York.

What was he like?

Well, you see, I didn't see him that often.

Bill doesn't like us talking to the executives.

He says it can destroy your mind.

You see, 'cause first, he'll promise you spinoffs,

then guest shots, then you're hooked.

The next thing you know, you're doing promotional spots

for the network for free.

Okay. So Linda Lewis was trying to get away

with the tape of the wedding.

Right, but Michelle stopped her.

What are you doing? I'm sorry.

How did you know to come here?

I know the people at the Bedford Hotel.

I remember. You do lunch there three or four times a week,

and they told you I was coming here

to get the tape of the wedding.

That's right.

Why don't you want me to see it?

It's not that I don't want you to see it.

Well, it sure seems like it, considering you stole it.

It's just that I wanted to see it first.

We'll both see it.

Try to understand, Michelle.

I started out at the network as a page when I was 18.

I have inched my way up, and now I'm a director of development.

This job is very important to me.

If my suspicions are correct,

it was your boss, the man taking Greg Titleman's job,

who told you to steal that tape.

I think I've said enough.

Well, not quite.

You haven't said why David Martin wanted

to see that tape.

And I'm not going to.

Miss Lewis,

my client is in a lot of trouble.

His life is at stake,

and if you continue to stonewall for the network,

this pretty little career of yours

is going right out the window.

I promise you that.

Now, why did he wanna see that tape?

David thought that Larry Davis might be on the tape.

He's one of our biggest suppliers of shows,

and he's a close friend of David's.

David wanted me to see if there was anything on the tape

that might have incriminated Mr. Davis.

Did he say why he thought something might be on the tape?

Yes.

He said that Greg and Larry Davis

had a big falling-out.

Over what?

That he didn't know.

Hello? Ben Matlock.

I'd like to speak with Mr. Davis.

I don't care how busy he is.

You tell him I've got to see him right away,

and for his own good, he'd better get unbusy.

I'm on hold.

I hate that. Hello?

That's fine. I'll be right there.

Uh, Ben Matlock. Mr. Davis is expecting me.

Oh, I'm so sorry, Mr. Matlock.

Uh, Mr. Davis got called away unexpectedly.

He... He said he didn't know where to reach you.

I don't believe this.

Well, I-I believe Mr. Sanders is still here. I'll buzz him.

Mr. Matlock. So good to see you again.

You're not gonna think so in a minute.

Well, aren't we upset. May I ask about what?

I'm tired of getting the runaround.

Mr. Davis was supposed to see me.

Yeah, something important came up.

The only thing that's important so far as I'm concerned

is that Greg Titleman was killed

and my client is on trial for his murder.

Why don't we discuss this in my office, Mr. Matlock?

Now, I know that Larry Davis and Greg Titleman

had a bad falling-out,

and I know that David Martin is trying to protect Larry Davis,

and I know for sure that Larry Davis

is trying to avoid me.

Now, either... Either he talks to me now

like a regular human being,

or I'm gonna put every process server

in the whole damn state on him and drag his can into court

where he has to answer my questions in public

and the reporters can print it in big letters

so the studio people can read it.

You got that?

McNEIL: Ben found out that sometimes

in this town, it pays to overact,

because no more than an hour later...

Mr. Matlock.

Yes, sir. Larry Davis.

And I'm terribly sorry about before,

but it was totally unavoidable.

I have a $25 million production with an actress

who wouldn't come out of her trailer.

Something had to be done.

Excuse me.

Yeah?

No, it's still in galleys.

Make an offer on an option,

but don't budge on the turnaround.

So, what'd you do?

About what?

The actress.

The actress.

The one who wouldn't come out of her trailer.

You know, the $25 million...

Production. Right. I got her a dermatologist.

She didn't wanna admit it,

but the reason she didn't wanna be filmed was she had a blemish.

She had a what?

A $25 million blemish.

Oh.

Oh, well. I'm glad we finally got together.

Um, could I ask you a couple of questions?

Why don't we order first?

You ready, Mr. Davis?

Yes, indeed, Peter.

A Cobb salad, no egg.

And sir?

I'll have that, but with egg.

Very good.

So no eggs?

Cholesterol. Don't eat it for 100 years.

You'll live longer.

It's a thought. Heh-heh. It's a thought.

Uh, could I ask you a personal question?

No problem. Ask.

I heard that you had a falling-out

with Greg Titleman before he... Michael,

good to see you.

Larry, I thought you'd like to know.

Steve made the deal. We're all very happy.

We would be too, if you hadn't robbed us blind.

Me? I'd never do that to you.

Uh, a-about th-this rumor

that you had had a falling-out with Greg Titleman...

Excuse me.

Sorry to interrupt, Larry, but we have a major disaster.

Dimino has caused us to go so far over schedule

that we either replace him or pull the plug.

Uh, wait... Wait a minute.

Sorry, Mr. Matlock. Call my secretary.

We'll set up a meeting.

Now... Oh, Ben.

We've been through all the Stillman wedding tape,

and Larry Davis isn't on it.

Are you sure? I was certain he was the one.

It's all right. I think we got something even better.

Yeah?

David Martin wasn't trying to protect Larry Davis.

He was protecting himself. He lied. Look.

He was at the wedding.

That's David Martin?

Mm-hm. The miserable little...

Hello?

Just a minute.

It's for you. Jordan Sanders.

Hello?

David Martin did what?

Are you sure?

That's interesting.

Mr. Martin, what was your position

at the network when Greg Titleman died?

Senior vice president of series, movies and specials.

So you were pretty far up the executive ladder, right?

I was second only to the president of the network.

And you were likely heir to his job.

I've already been promoted to that job, which you know.

Yes, I do.

Your Honor, I don't see

where this line of questioning is leading.

Mr. Martin is not on trial.

Your Honor, I'm just trying to show that this witness

had a strong motive himself

and that his credibility is questionable at best.

Wait a damn second!

You and everybody else here knows how I felt about Greg.

The witness will refrain from outbursts in my courtroom.

I'm sorry, Your Honor, but Greg Titleman

was like a brother to me.

No single person in this town

was more responsible for my success.

I loved that man.

I certainly wouldn't harm him.

Mr. Martin, you are here

to answer questions and not offer speeches.

Proceed, Mr. Matlock.

Thank you.

Mr. Martin, I appreciate

your strong feelings for Greg Titleman, but I...

I must ask these questions.

Now, as a vice president,

you were a select member of a small group

who decided what shows went on the air, weren't you?

Objection. I fail to see the relevancy.

Uh, Your Honor,

uh, this will become imminently clear

if the court will bear with me.

Overruled for now.

You may answer.

Okay.

At all of the networks,

there is a group of men and women who can say no,

but only two or three who have the power to say yes.

I was one of them.

And millions of dollars are at stake

on those yeses, right? Yes.

But that one was for free.

You know, you're a comic.

And careers hang in the balance on these, uh...

These scheduling decisions, don't they?

You could say that.

And I understand that...

That some shows stay on the air five or six years

and become worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Yes, that's true.

So I guess the people who have shows to sell

try to exert a certain influence on the people

who buy the shows and put them on the air.

I suppose. I've heard rumors of such things happening,

but I've never actually seen it myself.

You've never been offered a-a vacation or given a gift

when you knew that the purpose was to influence your opinion?

Nothing that I consider

out of the ordinary course of business, no.

Oh, so y-you would consider

a $100,000 loan to be in the course of ordinary business.

Wait a minute. What are you talkin' about?

I'm talking about a loan you got from Larry Davis.

Larry Davis is a friend of mine.

A loan on which you have not made one single payment.

Let me take that back.

You actually paid it back in full

because you lobbied vigorously for two of Larry Davis' shows.

I did no such thing!

Oh?

But after you got the 100,000,

isn't it true that two of Larry Davis' shows

went on the network schedule?

One thing had nothing to do with the other.

They were both good shows.

And isn't it true that Greg Titleman

found out you were on the take?

I'm warning you.

And I'm reminding you this is a courtroom.

You're not in a network office threatening some agent

over the telephone.

And may I remind you, Mr. Matlock,

no matter how it's done in Atlanta,

I am the one

who issues the orders in this court.

I'm sorry, Your Honor. It got away from me.

Isn't that the way it happened?

Greg Titleman found out you were on the take,

and he said to you he had no choice but to let you go.

No.

And because Greg Titleman was a very secretive man,

he told no one what you had done,

and you knew that, and you went to his hotel to plead with him.

I wasn't there.

Your Honor,

I would like to refresh this witness' recollection

with a demonstration

that the court and counsel discussed this morning.

Proceed.

Ahem. This tape...

has been identified as Defense Exhibit G,

and it has been stipulated to depict the Stillman wedding

at the Bedford Hotel on the day of the murder.

Now, this...

This spot in the tape right there,

this picture, has been blown up

so as we can more clearly see it.

And whom do we see, Mr. Martin?

Well, this tape does refresh your memory

about seeing Mr. Titleman at his hotel, doesn't it?

All right, it's true.

Greg found out that Larry was

paying me off and he said he was firing me,

and I did go to the hotel and I did plead with him,

but when I left, he was alive.

We have only your word for that.

No.

No, you have more than just my word on it.

When I left the Bedford Hotel,

I went directly to my attorney's home.

And he... He's sitting right over there.

Howard? Howard, stand up.

Howard Burke. Ask him. He'll tell you.

He called Greg at the Bedford Hotel

after I arrived at his house.

And he talked with Mr. Titleman?

Yes. Yes, he did. He...

He asked Greg if he would allow me to resign

and not go public with what I'd done,

and Greg said yes.

And he was still alive?

Oh, very much so.

Well, s-swear him in.

Swear him in. He'll... He'll verify it.

No, I don't think that'll be necessary.

No further questions.

Well, Terry, Ben must've been very upset

when David Martin's alibi checked out,

and he knew he couldn't prove David had killed Greg Titleman.

Well, not just upset, worried.

Everything pointed back to his client again.

Things were looking very dark.

Oh, Ben, I'm glad you came by. - Yeah.

This is Mrs. Ida Stillman, the mother of the groom.

Hello, Ms. Stillman. How do you do?

We've been going over the videotape of the wedding

to see if she can find someone

she doesn't recognize besides David Martin.

Uh-huh. Anybody who didn't belong.

Yeah, well, did you find anything yet?

Not yet. Not yet.

Ben? Hm?

I rechecked Lane Lockletter's alibi.

It's solid.

One of the coaches of the Pepperdine track team

was out there doing laps with him that day.

Oh. Kind of a shame, isn't it?

Been simple if it was him.

So,

Ms. Stillman, did your boy find himself a nice girl?

Oh, yes.

He couldn't have done better if I'd chosen her myself.

Good, good.

I think it's nice when the in-laws get along.

Oh, yes. MATLOCK: I always got along

with my mother-in-law.

We used to do things together,

go to ball games, hunt.

She was a great shot.

Wait a minute. Stop it right there.

What is it?

No. Who is it?

Can you back that up?

Hold it. Look right there.

All right.

Uh, Mr. Davis,

you are the top man at Westland Studios.

When I last checked. Ha-ha.

You know, uneasy lies the crown.

Now, it's... It's common knowledge

that, uh, you were friends with Greg Titleman for years,

e-even going back to the days when you were an actor.

Please, please. I'll have to touch up my 8-by-10 glossies.

Yes, I knew Greg,

and we did business together for years.

And you knew that he had come into town

for meetings that weekend.

I was one of them, yes.

But you never saw him.

That's right.

You never even got over to his hotel.

That's correct.

According to, uh, your assistant,

Mr. Jordan Sanders,

you spent most of that day with a, uh...

A young actress, a Kate Sawyer.

Why drag her into it?

I didn't do the dragging.

Just answer the question.

Yes, I was with that young lady.

Can, uh...?

Can anyone confirm that you were with her

at the time of the murder?

Miss Sawyer herself, but she's out of the country right now.

What if someone called her on the telephone

at location in East Africa,

and she said that she was not with you

the day of the murder?

Well, if she did, she'd be lying.

I was with her.

She wasn't even in Los Angeles that weekend.

She was in Acapulco with another fella.

Mr. Matlock, I think Lane Lockletter

has been giving you lessons.

If that were the truth,

you'd have Kate Sawyer here in court,

and I don't see her today,

so you can try and trick me all you want,

but I know I'm telling the truth.

Yeah.

Well, you're right.

Uh, I did try to trick you,

and if that were true

and she were here today,

I would have her in the courtroom.

That is Kate Sawyer, isn't it?

Now, I won't tell you

it didn't take some doing, but that is Kate Sawyer.

Shall I put her on the stand? All right.

So I wasn't with her that day, but that doesn't prove anything.

No, but it's a start. Thank you.

You remember the other day

when we ordered lunch? - Yes.

We didn't get a chance to eat.

I had to leave.

Yeah, you had multimillion-dollar problems.

Uh, pull the plug on one picture,

another picture had a pimple,

but we did order.

You ordered Cobb salad, right?

That's right.

And no egg. I'm allergic.

Is that a typical order for you?

Uh, frequently, that's what I have.

Uh, Your Honor, uh, at this time,

I'd like to enter into evidence Defense Exhibit H.

This is a computerized luncheon order

taken from Greg Titleman's room the day of the murder.

Cobb salad, no egg. What do you think?

I think, so what?

All these little things add up.

When Jordan Sanders called me...

You didn't know that, did you?

When he called me to tell me

about the loan you made to David Martin,

I missed the point. I... I...

I didn't realize right off

that he was gunning for you.

But a man as smart as Greg Titleman

had to get the point right away.

He was a lot of things to a lot of people,

but above all, he was an ethical man,

and when he found out about this money,

you knew it was all over.

He would never buy another show from you.

You'd lose your power, your authority.

That's the end of it.

You couldn't handle that, so you killed Greg Titleman.

That isn't the truth.

Your Honor, uh, at this time, I'd like the court's permission

to replay a part of Defense Exhibit G.

Objection. We've already seen that tape.

We know Davis isn't on it.

This is a new witness, I have that right,

and we may have missed something.

Overruled. I'll permit it.

Thank you.

Yeah, the tape was shot

at such an angle that the bungalows

are not in the background,

just the scenic woodsy part, as you can see.

But look, look, look right here.

There. There's a fellow

with a little Super 8 movie camera.

He shot his own version of the wedding.

He got everything in,

the kitchen, the parking lot and the bungalows.

So now, let's see what's on the film.

There you go, buddy.

There's some micro...

The screen. We got that.

Okay. Can we just, uh...?

Okay.

There.

Okay, now here it's in focus.

There's the mother and... That there...

There's my client Paul Bartel on his way

to Greg Titleman's bungalow.

And here's more pictures of the wedding.

The bride, of course, and...

A picture of the cake.

And there is Mr. Bartel

leaving after he witnessed the victim's body.

Your Honor, what does this prove?

We already know that he entered and he left.

Now, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Now, look at this, look at this, look at this. Look. See? There.

There. Look at that. That's you, Mr. Davis.

I took the liberty of having

this little piece of film blown up

so we could prove that was you.

You had already murdered Mr. Titleman

by the time my client arrived at his bungalow.

You hid, waited for him to leave,

and then you decided to take advantage of his presence

and frame him for the murder

by planting the knife in his car.

I guess you figured what the hell.

Get another competitor out of the way at the same time.

Kill two birds with one knife, so to speak.

No further questions.

So to bring us up-to-date,

concluding arguments were made this afternoon,

and now everyone's waiting for the jury.

I spoke with Ben Matlock earlier today,

and I asked him how did he feel.

He said, and I quote,

"Same as I always do when waiting for a jury of 12 people.

Nervous because you never know."

Heh-heh. Well, Terry, we can appreciate that,

having waited for overnight ratings.

Has the jury reached a verdict?

We have, Your Honor.

We find the defendant, Paul J. Bartel,

not guilty. JUDGE: Thank you,

ladies and gentlemen of the jury.

Court is adjourned.

Well, I don't know what to say.

I had a speech prepared, but I don't think

"I'd like to thank the Academy" covers it.

I'll tell you the truth. I enjoyed myself.

Well... Well, why don't we, uh,

take lunch or, you know, do a meeting, or is that...?

Or is that do a meeting and take lunch?

Either one.

Let's do both. Okay.

Okay.

And that concludes this evening's segment

of Hollywood Today.

Greg really cared

about the quality of his shows,

and he had a temper.

I remember one time he was so upset with a script,

he started pounding it on the wall, tearing it up,

yelling, "An Alien Life Form wouldn't say that."

So I calmly asked him,

"Greg, do you wanna help us rewrite this script,

"or would you rather take it back to your office

and slap it around a little?"

He didn't laugh.

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