Original subtitles

("Alfred Hitchcock" theme music)

- Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

I hope you will pardon me if I don't get up.

It's rather a shock to awaken and find yourself

fastened to the floor like a carpet.

I told these little people that this was no way

to treat a tourist, even if it is the off season.

But they say they don't care.

They have a new and sensational tourist attraction, me.

I'm being advertised as a lilliputian Disneyland.

Of course, there is some compensation.

I think I am probably the first member of my family

ever to be declared a national monument.

Tonight's story is called "A Tangled Web,"

a title I find embarrassingly apropos.

In it, a young girl falls in love

and follows her young man with no regard

for his past or future.

As for your future, it includes a commercial,

one which I intend to watch all the way through.

I shan't move a muscle.

(mysterious music)

(objects thudding)

- Hello?

(suspenseful music)

Who's there?

(woman screaming)

(engine roaring)

- Okay, then, go.

- [Man On Radio] The robber escaped

with several thousand dollars worth of jewels.

Mrs. Spaulding was discovered by her butler

wrapped in a blanket and locked in the closet.

She is suffering from shock and is under

the care of her physician.

The entire area has been alerted.

- Were you alerted, Marie?

- I?

I am poor.

- Oh!

I am poor, je suis poor. (laughs)

Poor, poor, poor Marie.

Where's mother?

- Your mother went to the hairdresser.

- The hairdresser?

(both laughing)

- And to a bridge game.

- The bridge game.

- And then to a fashion show.

- Ah.

- David. - Hmm?

- Have you ever seen a real robber?

- Mm-hmm.

- Oh? - Mm-hmm.

- What do they look like?

- They look like me.

- [Marie] Mm.

- Like David Chesterman.

Two eyes, a nose, two ears, two arms.

(David chuckling)

Two legs, 10 fingers, and 10 toes.

- David!

- Hello, Mother.

How was the bridge party, and the hairdresser,

the fashion show?

- I had a suspicion this was going on.

You're fired, my dear.

- Mother.

- You heard me, David.

She's fired.

She does understand that word, doesn't she?

What is it in French?

(speaking foreign language)

That's final.

- I'm going with her, Mother.

We're going to be married.

- Wonderful.

- Mother!

Mother!

(vase shattering)

Listen to me.

- I heard you, David.

You're going to marry the maid.

At least, this afternoon you're going to marry the maid.

Well I wish you luck, my dear.

Maybe you can control Mr. Temper Tantrum.

Frankly, I'm bored.

My wedding present to you will be my absence.

On second thought.

Here.

(coins clattering)

Buy yourself a toaster.

- Oh, David.

- Go, go, go on, pack your bag.

Go on!

Do you like the way I proposed?

What, don't you want to marry me?

- Yes, I want to very much.

- You don't know very much about me, Marie.

- I know that when you're near me, I'm very happy.

That's a lot to know about someone you love.

Maybe too much.

They say marriage, that's what it's for,

to find out everything.

- Would you want to marry a man, no matter what...

(David laughs)

Wait a minute.

No matter what he was really like,

just because you loved him?

- (sighs) Oui.

- Would you want to marry me, if--

- Oui.

- If I was a robber? - Oui.

- Criminal? - Oui.

- Bad man? - Oui.

- Murderer? - No.

(both laughing)

You wouldn't kill anything.

Where are we going?

- We're going to visit an old friend of mine, on business.

Mm.

(Marie laughing)

Karl?

(David whistles)

- And this is Marie.

- [David] Yes.

- I'm Karl.

He's talked about you incessantly

for the last eight months, my dear.

Oh, but David, you failed miserably

in describing how lovely she really is.

Please.

(Karl sighs)

You mustn't mind my staring at you.

I don't see the likes of you every day.

She's a great beauty, David, a Renoir.

You were right to keep us apart.

I declare a love war here and now,

I'm going to steal her from you.

What do you think of that, my pretty?

- The battle is lost before it is begun.

We are on our way to be married.

- Oh, how unfair, how unjust life is.

This is a time of rejoicing.

There, you see?

I live in the back room.

Ah, happiness.

There was a time when I too believed in it.

When I too believed that love was the answer to everything.

- Karl's been married four times.

- Yes, heaven help me.

So you see, my dear, I know what I'm talking about,

and you can take it from me that love does not exist.

No matter what you believe, there is simply no such thing.

Ah.

(singing "The Wedding March")

To the bride and groom.

May you not murder each other before the year is out.

(both laughing)

- I'll drink to that.

But first.

- Ah, David wants something.

Never comes to see me unless he wants something.

- Mother gave us 60 cents for a toaster.

- Oh.

How much do you need?

- 500.

- What security?

- This.

- Oh.

- We can't get married, Karl, unless you say yes.

- I hold your destiny in my hands.

- Yes or no?

- Oh, how could I say no?

If you lose her, I lose her too.

I don't usually keep that much cash,

but I've got an extraordinary new client,

who insists on paying cash for everything.

She lives on Beacon Hill.

1743 Beacon Hill.

One, two, three, four, five.

- We have a long way to go, so let's go.

- Ah, she's perfect, David, absolutely perfect.

She didn't say a word.

How clever you've become in your old age,

to marry someone who can't talk.

- Goodbye.

- [Karl] Ah, it does speak.

Au revoir.

You come and see me again.

Let yourselves out.

(door closes)

(cheerful music)

(woman laughing)

(Marie laughing)

- David, don't.

Don't.

- Take it!

Take it.

It's only a joke, I'll pay him later.

Come on.

- Oh, you're bad.

- Are you happy with your honeymoon, Mrs. Chesterman?

- Am I?

I'm so happy, Mr. Chesterman.

- Excuse me, but your pictures are ready.

- [Both] Ah!

(Marie laughing)

- Oh!

This is our wedding picture for our grandchildren.

- No more rides.

- Let's go ride the roller coaster.

- No, (mumbling).

- Oh!

Oh, my dress!

- What's the matter, you drunk or something?

- You ruined my dress.

- Here, try to clean it up with this.

- The lady said she was sorry.

- What lady?

(woman screaming)

(shelf crashing)

(people shouting)

(glass shattering)

- David, no!

Don't!

Don't!

- Watch out, that's acid!

- David!

- Grab him, grab him, police!

Police!

- You should take up darts as a serious sport, David.

I work off all my hostilities.

No, seriously though, you should do something.

You might kill someone someday.

- David only kills with kisses.

- Ah, the most painful kind of death.

- Show him the present we bought him.

The official wedding photograph.

- Oh. (chuckles)

I shall treasure it forever.

- [Marie] You see how serious David looks?

All frowning, bad, he's mean.

- The camera never lies.

I'm going to bed.

- Good night, Karl.

- Good night.

(mysterious music)

(Marie and David laughing)

(suspenseful music)

(ominous music)

- Wig making began in France in the 14th century.

The first wig was worn by Louis the 13th

to cover his baldness. (laughs)

That's very coarse hair.

Oh, yes.

There's a difference.

(horn honking)

(Marie gasps)

- Santa Claus.

Would you like a ride in my new sleigh?

No questions.

Por vous.

Here.

Now go inside, put them on, go on.

Go on, go.

Four, five.

And voila.

- And what did Teddy think they were worth?

How much did he give you?

- I'll never tell.

- You're too happy, David.

You have too much of everything, too easy.

(David sighs)

- Home again, home again, jiggidy jog.

- David, I can't face your mother.

- You won't have to, unless you go to Rome.

She's flown the coop.

(door rattling)

Oh, great.

(door rattling)

She's not taking any chances.

(Marie gasping) (David shushing)

(glass scraping)

(tapping on glass)

(gentle music)

Easy.

(both laughing)

(switch clicking)

(David laughing)

- Oh.

- She's a thorough one, she's turned off the electricity.

Gotta hand it to her, good and cheap.

This is where you belong, as the lady of the house.

- Your eyes shine in the dark, David.

I think you are part cat.

Yes?

- Tiger.

A leopard, ready to pounce.

(both laughing)

- I'm going to have to get a wonderful cage to put you in.

- Nobody is going to put me in a cage.

- David, you're hurting me.

Where are you going?

- I have to meet someone on business.

I'll be back, you go to bed.

We'll sleep in the master bedroom.

- David.

David.

(door closes)

(doorbell chimes)

(door opens, closes)

Bonsoir, Karl.

- [Karl] Ah, bonsoir, my dear.

- David has gone out again tonight.

I didn't want to be alone.

It's so dark in here, Karl.

- We are creatures of the dark, my dear.

There's nothing wrong between you and David, is there?

- No.

Not really.

- What does that mean?

- Ah, you know, Karl.

You know how he is.

Some days, I never see him, and then the next day,

he is lying in bed all day, reading the papers,

staring at me.

I don't know.

Then he makes me to dress up, and we go to parties.

Or he's happy or he's mad.

I don't know.

- Oh, David is someone who swings

between two extreme states of mind.

Exhilaration and apathy.

Most of us are like that up to a point,

it's perfectly all right.

If you don't swing too far.

You wish you could change him?

- Karl, where does David get all the money to buy me things?

You know, where, Karl?

- [Karl] Leave him, Marie.

- [Marie] Leave him?

- Someday he's going to get into very serious trouble.

He's going to hurt you.

I'll never forgive him if he hurts you.

- Can't be in love without to get hurt.

That's how you know it's the real thing.

- A little fool.

- There's something I don't know about David?

- Come, Marie, you must have a suspicion.

David is an accomplished professional thief,

one of the best, he's been one for years.

- A thief?

- He even has a record, 12 months in prison.

That's his dream about being buried alive.

- Buried alive.

- Everything lights up, becomes clear, doesn't it?

So many puzzles so suddenly solved.

Leave him, Marie.

Take a long walk and think about it, carefully.

(somber music)

(door opens and closes)

(door opens and closes)

- [David] Where have you been?

- I can't see, David.

I went to visit Karl.

I'm leaving you, David.

- Before you do, hand me those scissors, will you?

- You're bleeding.

- Mm-hmm.

I can manage.

Just hand me the scissors.

The scissors!

Hold the light, hold the light.

- Yes, yes, yes, yes.

- Now, why suddenly have you decided to leave me?

- Karl told me.

Oh, David.

You were shot?

- Yes, and it hurts.

What did Karl tell you?

- That you're a thief, a professional thief.

- Ah.

Good old Karl.

He didn't mention his part in the operation, of course.

He's not guilty of anything.

He can't help it if in passing, he mentions

that a certain rich lady has a certain diamond

and lives on Beacon Hill.

He doesn't commit any robberies.

Guilty only of an occasional indiscretion.

- David.

Why didn't you tell me?

- I didn't want to lose you, Marie.

- I'll pack my things.

- Okay.

(David grunts)

- [Marie] David.

- No, don't touch me!

Marie, get away, get away.

You're leaving, I have to learn

to do things for myself, beginning now.

It's partly your fault, you know.

- Does it hurt you?

- Oh, just a little bit, just a little.

First I just stole for the thrill of it,

but when you get married, you have responsibilities.

A wife to support.

I'm glad, you know.

I'm glad Karl told.

- Where's the gauze?

- It's back here.

- I almost had it tonight.

Somebody in the house had a gun.

- Oh.

- Yes, I ran, and bang.

I didn't think I was going to get out of there.

It's amazing what you can do when you're trapped.

Shh.

It's gonna be all right.

- You promise me that you'll give it up.

- I need you, Marie.

I've tried before to give it up.

It's kind of a sickness with me.

But I'll try again, I really will.

If you'll stay with me.

- I'll stay.

- And help me.

Will you?

- Yes.

- You love me?

- I love you.

(all laughing)

(singing in foreign language)

(speaking foreign language)

- Happy birthday, David.

- Happy birthday, darling.

- Ah.

- I knitted it myself.

They said "David who?"

(all laughing)

(singing in foreign language)

- [Karl] I wish it were my birthday.

(all laughing)

- Oh, poor Karl.

- Poor Karl will cut the cake.

- Oh no, it's David birthday.

The one whose birthday it is is supposed to cut.

Ah, you spoiled it.

- I'm very sorry.

Here, David, you finish cutting it.

(clears throat)

- It's a different David, with a job and a little apartment,

and a birthday cake with candles,

and a little wife who knits.

(Marie laughs)

You're so respectable, it makes me sick.

- Ah, and you are responsible.

Telling her the truth lifted me

right out of my life of crime.

- Yes, and we thank you, Karl.

Oh, you should see him getting up in the morning,

and going to work.

And I pack him a little lunch and I send him off. (laughs)

He's a good boy.

- I can't even steal a look at another girl.

- No, no.

Oh, Karl, we are happier now than we have ever been before.

You see, it proves you are wrong, huh?

Love does exist, yes?

Admit it, Karl.

Come on, admit it.

- Give him some more champagne, he'll admit it.

- Yes, I admit it.

Love does exist.

- Hurray!

- I'll make some coffee.

- How's your arm, David?

- It's fine.

It healed fast.

Karl, you couldn't lend me some money, could you?

About $200?

- I thought you were working.

- I lost that job four days ago.

I got in a fight with the foreman,

now I get up every day and pretend that I'm going to work,

just so she won't find out, but I don't think

I'm going to be able to pay for this...

- Coffee?

- Yeah.

- Coffee? - Mm.

- What do you say, Karl?

- One of my richest customers died today.

Mrs. William Atwell.

Leaving the strangest request in her will,

that she be buried in one of my wigs,

and also that she be buried in all of her jewelry.

Silly old fool, all those pearls and diamonds and emeralds

swallowed up in the earth, lost forever, buried.

She's lying in state at the Evans mortuary, in East Pala.

- Cream or sugar, Karl?

- Mm-mm.

No, when the last drop of champagne is gone,

it's time for poor old Karl to go.

Thank you, my dear.

Corner of Dickens and Wilshire.

(somber music)

(both stammering)

(door slams)

- Where are you going?

(tense music)

(engine roaring)

- [Man] Who's there?

(suspenseful music)

- That was short.

Time passes quickly when you're having a good time.

The next sounds you hear will be that

of our stations breaking.

Welcome back to "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour."

But I wish you had brought along a pair of scissors.

The entertainment I can furnish is extremely limited,

so I shall turn you over to my sponsor.

I'm sure he will think of something to do.

(ominous music)

- [Reporter] The Evans mortuary at Dickens and Wilshire

was the scene early this morning

of a brutal murder and robbery.

Herbert Stone, caretaker of the mortuary for 15 years,

was found by the morning mortician

on the floor of the east parlor, beaten to death.

Stone was on special duty guarding the body

of Mrs. William Atwell, which was lying in the parlor.

A knitted scarf with the initials D.C.

was found beside the body.

Mrs. Atwell had requested that she be buried

with several thousand dollars worth of her jewelry.

(television clicks)

- D.C..

Your scarf.

- Go on.

- No.

- Ask it.

Ask it!

- Did you do it, David?

- No.

No.

- No.

- He was there with a flashlight, but I turned and ran.

He grabbed the scarf, and all right, I stole the jewelry,

but I did not beat that man to death.

- I believe you, David.

- Oh, I've lied to you before, Marie.

- No, no.

I know you didn't.

- Thank you for your vote of confidence.

- So what are you going to do?

- Well, the first thing we are going to do

is to get out of here.

And then we are going to leave you at Karl's

for a couple of days.

First we have to put those jewels in some safe place,

till all this cools down.

Now Marie, I have to be alone,

I have to be able to move fast, you...

I didn't do it.

- No, then you shouldn't run, David.

You should--

- What, turn myself in?

- But you're innocent.

- Yes, well tell that to the police,

they'll be out for blood and they won't be

too particular whose blood it is.

(suspenseful music)

- Too coy.

Too coarse.

No.

No.

No, I told you before, Monsieur Karl,

I'm frightfully difficult to please.

But once I'm pleased, I'm terribly satisfied.

Definitely black.

Black's my color, you know.

May I touch your hair, my dear?

That is no wig, is it?

- No.

- Wouldn't be interested in selling it to me, would you?

- [Karl] No, she's not interested, Mrs. Flingston.

- $200?

- David needs money.

I will.

- Marvelous.

Monsieur Karl, you always know exactly what I want.

One of your most splendid creations by the end of the week?

- You know, the first time I met David,

he'd been in prison for a year, he'd just been released.

He was sent to prison for the brutal, but not fatal,

beating of an old woman.

Discovered him stealing her silver.

Turned on her in a fury and struck her,

again and again and again, beating her into unconsciousness.

- Stop it, Karl.

- Oh no, be honest, Marie.

You're afraid he did it, and you feel guilty

for suspecting it.

- No, I know David stole the jewels,

but he didn't kill that man.

You believe him, don't you?

- Oh, of course I believe him.

You still love him very much, don't you?

Even knowing that he's a thief, a criminal.

Perhaps even a murderer.

- Yes.

- You love him even now, don't you?

(Marie sighs)

Tell me what it feels like, this feeling of

immortal, eternal love.

- Oh, you know what love feels like, Karl.

- No.

I know what the opposite of love feels like,

and I know what it feels like to be jealous of love.

But what the real call of love is like, I don't know.

- [Marie] Karl.

- [Karl] It's nothing.

- David!

- What happened to you?

- Oh, it'll be fine when I've finished styling it.

- Oh, you really cut yourself bad.

- Oh yes, I did, didn't I?

- [Marie] Ta da.

- Beautiful.

Beautiful.

Karl?

Karl, are you finished with her?

- [Karl] Oh yes, she's all yours.

- And this is all yours.

- You don't want me to come to Mexico too, do you?

I'm a good, fast driver.

- No, we need you right where you are.

If anything goes wrong, I'll send her right back.

Let's go.

- But what about the jewels?

- I talked to Teddy a couple of hours ago.

He said he'd handle things as always,

and I'll get more out of him this time.

- David, that's dangerous.

Teddy's careless, don't go.

- Who's Teddy?

- [Karl] Don't let him go, Marie.

- Are going to give me some money, Karl?

- I'd love to, David, but you know.

- We can't get far on $200.

Teddy is a nice old man.

You give him this, he gives you this.

Au revoir, Karl.

- Good luck.

(door closes)

(ominous music)

(rotary phone dialing)

- [Operator] Operator.

- Give me the police.

(ominous music)

- Hi.

- Hi.

- Doesn't look too good, does it?

- Is he good, the lawyer?

- Oh, he may be good, but I don't think

he believes much in me either.

There's just too many fingers pointing right at me,

my record, I can't deny I didn't steal the jewels.

My scar.

- But you didn't do it, David.

(rattling wires)

- No.

You keep telling them that.

Scream it in their faces, make them sick of it.

I'm innocent.

I'm guilty of everything else, but I did not kill that man.

- No.

(David sighs)

- Are you all right?

- No.

I can't eat, I can't sleep, and I'm catching a cold.

- You look cute.

- I love you.

I love you.

- Karl, how's Karl?

- Oh, he is being marvelous.

He's working so hard to pay for the lawyer.

No word from your mother.

He bought me this hat.

- He's in love with you.

- I know.

- But don't you go falling in love with him.

- I try not to.

I try.

- Maybe you should take another sleeping pill.

- No.

No, the two you gave me earlier will do the job.

- But one more won't hurt.

Marie, you have to sleep.

That's a good girl.

- You called the lawyer?

- Yes.

He thinks it's better that you don't try

to see David tomorrow.

That your being in the courtroom

would only upset him and make him nervous.

You see, he's very worried about you.

- He's so pale.

It's been so hard on him.

Karl, when you testify tomorrow,

you will convince them that he's innocent.

- I'll do my best.

- Yes, the third pill really worked.

I'm so tired.

(gavel banging)

(people chattering)

- [Lawyer] Have you ever seen this scarf, Mr. Gault?

- Yes.

It belongs to David Chesterman.

I was at his apartment when his wife

gave it to him as a birthday present.

(somber music)

I was drunk.

I happened to mention that Mrs. Atwell,

who was a customer of mine, had requested

that she be buried with all her jewelry.

(ominous music)

His eyes brightened when I said it.

The day after the murder, they came to my shop

to borrow money.

Mrs. Chesterman knew nothing about it.

He got me a loan, and I'll never forget

his face when he said it.

He told me he had killed the caretaker.

(people shouting)

(gavel banging)

- [Judge] Order, order in the court.

(suspenseful music)

(door opens)

- Oh, you brought flowers.

David has been found innocent?

- Soon all this will be over, and you'll be well,

and then we can go away together and forget it all.

- Forget?

- I have bad news.

David is guilty.

I tried to wake you this morning,

I came to bring you back to the courthouse.

The judge is sentencing him this afternoon.

- [Marie] Today?

- Oh, you should have seen him, my dear.

Such a show of temper.

Furious with the jury that convicted him.

He waived all rights to the penalty phase

and threw himself on the mercy of the court.

But there's no mercy for a murderer.

- [Marie] He's not a killer.

- The law has decided that he is.

There's nothing that can be done to save him now.

No, don't, don't pull away from me.

I have a present for you.

- You hate David.

- Yes, I hate David!

I hate your love for each other.

So ardent, so exclusive, so just for David.

- You would let David die?

- [Karl] I planned it, my dear, for us.

- David didn't murder that man.

- [Karl] Well who did, me?

- Maybe.

- Ah, my poor little angel.

My poor little...

(door slams)

No, no.

You mustn't be frightened of me.

(suspenseful music)

(Karl shouts)

- Taxi!

- Marie.

- Taxi!

Ah!

Municipal courthouse, hurry, please.

- [Driver] Oh, miss!

Your change.

- Is this the Chesterman trial?

- You're too late, it's all over.

Sentenced him to death 15 minutes ago.

- Where did they take him?

- Chesterman?

Well, he's probably still in the building somewhere.

Aren't you Mrs. Chesterman?

- David!

David!

(camera clicks)

David!

- Hey!

Come back in here, hey!

(horns honking)

- Please, find David for me.

Please.

He's innocent.

Believe me.

- That's Chesterman's wife.

(horn honking)

- Yeah!

- [Man] I'll jump.

I'll jump.

- Marie?

- David.

Oh, David.

- Come inside, Marie.

- No, not until they listen to me, David.

You're innocent.

You're innocent.

No.

- Give me your hand, Marie. - No.

Not until they know the truth.

- Marie.

Marie.

It's no use.

Don't make it any harder on me.

I didn't mean to kill the caretaker.

- No.

- But I couldn't stop.

Please, Marie.

The only happiness I've ever had in my life

has been our love.

Now you must forgive me my lie, Marie.

Now, listen to me.

You must forgive me that, and live for the both of us.

(somber music)

I didn't mean to kill him.

(Marie moans)

Please forgive me.

(Marie crying)

- Yes, my darling. - Please, please.

- Yes, my darling.

(people chattering)

- We are coming to the end of the second half

of "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour."

In fact, we're coming to the end of Alfred Hitchcock.

Two rival groups of little people were fighting over me,

but they have now hit upon a happy compromise.

The pendulum drops a few inches each day,

so by next week, I imagine I shall be able to host

two half-hour shows simultaneously.

Until then, good night.

(mischievous music)

(mischievous music)

(dramatic music)