All language subtitles for Shadow of a Woman 1946

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Ready?

Ready, sir.

Center in.

OK, you can go in now.

Thank you, Matron.

We won't need you.

You feel able to make a

statement now, Mrs. Ryder?

Yes.

You'll have to speak so

this stenographer can hear you.

Will you go right ahead, please?

We already have your name and address.

Will you tell us what

your maiden name was?

Brooke Gifford.

My father was Charles Gifford.

We've been residents of

Burlingame for many years.

Now start with your first

meeting with your husband.

I met him in Monterey four weeks ago.

Our family physician, Dr. Norris,

had sent me there to

avoid a nervous breakdown.

I'd just lost my parents,

and having been with them

through their long illnesses, I--

well, I was in a bad way

both mentally and physically.

Perhaps you're wondering

how I happened to marry Dr.

Ryder on such a short acquaintance.

But he wasn't like most men.

He was solicitous and charming.

I never asked

questions who or what he was.

We swam together, and we

took long walks, and he--

well, within less than a week, we were

married and honeymooning.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Happy darling.

Very happy, Eric.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[APPLAUSE]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

To the happiest couple in the world.

But darling, we can't drink to ourselves.

Why not?

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Tell your fortune, madame.

Sit down, please.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

You have just come from Nevada.

I didn't know it looked that new.

Where you were married

by justice of the peace,

whose name was--

Never mind his name.

We've forgotten it already.

Where did I meet my wife?

You met here on the beach on Monday.

And on Saturday, you were married.

That was her fault.

Why, Eric, of all things to say,

I wanted to marry you on Tuesday.

I see for you much happiness, but not--

perhaps not immediately.

That's a fine thing

to say here, try mine.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

I'm sorry, sir.

I can tell you nothing.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Well, I'm glad I'm not superstitious.

Why?

She might have frightened me.

Shall we dance, Mrs. Ryder?

It'll be a pleasure, Dr. Ryder.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

I was so happy I had to tell someone the

news of my marriage.

So that afternoon, I

was writing to Dr. Norris

that there was no longer any

danger of my being an old maid.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[DOG BARKING]

Hello there.

Where'd you come from?

[DOG BARKING]

Shh.

Wake him.

Do you want to play?

Now watch.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Eric!

Eric!

Eric!

Eric! Eric! Eric! Eric! Eric! Eric! No, no, group.

There's nothing to worry about.

There's no damage to our hair.

Someone pushed that rock!

Oh, that's ridiculous.

I saw the tree move!

Wait, but now you're below.

Wait, but now you're below.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Did you find anything?

No, no trace of anything.

After the shock of that rock falling,

I had a premonition

that something was wrong.

What's the matter,

darling? Did I frighten you?

Yes, you startled me.

You walked so quietly.

I guess it's a habit, from

being around to sick so much.

Well, aren't you going to kiss me?

How did you guess?

Well, I guess I'm going to need some of

this after what happened on the beach.

Eric, are you sure

someone didn't push that rock?

Of course I am. Who in the world would

have any murderous designs on me?

Look at that ocean. I think I will have

another swim before dinner.

Darling, this place is getting on my

nerves. Let's leave.

Leave the finest hotel on

the coast with the best beach?

I don't ever want to

see that beach again.

Every time I think of that rock...

That's exactly why I want to stay.

It's like climbing back on a horse after

you have been thrown off.

Who is Dr. Norris?

You've heard me speak of him.

He and Mrs. Norris are my

neighbors in Berlin game.

Dr. Norris took care

of my mother and father.

What's the matter?

I don't like MDs, that's all.

Why, darling, you're a doctor yourself.

I'm not an MD. As a matter of fact, I'm

trying to teach people how

to avoid MDs by right living.

Fresh air, plenty of

exercise, proper diet.

I don't cut up my patients and poison

them with drugs and tell them that they

will get well when I

know that they won't.

Oh, I'm sorry, darling. Forget it.

I guess I'm prejudiced. I've seen them

make so many blunders.

Doubtless, you're Dr.

Norris is a fine chap.

I'll mail this for you.

Is someone you know?

That's the dog I saw on the beach before

the rock almost struck you.

Oh, dear, you have been closer to a

nervous breakdown than I've realized.

I've been very selfish.

I should have planned

for a quiet honeymoon.

Suppose we leave here and I will take...

But Eric...

I have a little place at Bendlow, one.

It's high in the pines

and you will love it.

Pack your things and

we'll leave right away.

Send your bags down to the re-entrance

and I will meet you there with the car.

Whatever it was he'd seen from the window

made him change his mind quickly.

I wish that cheap quack I'd go to sleep

on one of these curves.

It saves somebody that

trouble of killing him.

He wouldn't want anything to happen to

the babe, would you?

Peaches like that

don't grow on every tree.

You're going to have that peach.

Thank you.

Why all the hay? Am I going too far still? I'm going too far still. I'm going too far. I'm going too far. I'm going too far. Why all the hay?

Am I going too far still?

Oh no.

Flying too low.

Look out, Eric!

Who are those men following us?

The men with the dog. They

were in front of the hotel.

Where they?

Who are they, Eric?

I haven't the faintest idea.

We've lost them now so I

guess it doesn't matter.

But maybe it does matter.

Darling, your nerves are in a sting.

Relax. Listen to some music.

Well, this is it. It's all

yours. What do you think?

I'm going to love it here.

It will cure whatever hails you.

Fill your lungs.

Nothing hails me, darling.

Fill them anyway.

Now see here, Dr. Ryder.

Breathing exercises may be

all right for your patients.

But I've done very

well without them so far.

And I don't.

Hello, Freeman. How are you?

How has the weather been up here?

It's been very pleasant. Up until now.

Eric, who was that?

Oh, Freeman. Here's a

summer place over here.

His wife was a patient of mine.

Seems a bit grouchy.

Well, he has been brooding for the last

six months ever since she died.

It's affected his mind.

One would think he was blaming you.

Why do you say that, darling?

He seemed to resent you.

Well, as a matter of

fact, he does blame me.

His wife wouldn't stay on her

diet, so I dropped the case.

Later, he had her

operated on and she died.

Rook, will you take these?

Aren't you sorry for him?

Yes, of course I am.

But he shouldn't have

encouraged her to disobey my orders.

Poor man.

His wife would listen to

you. She might still be alive.

Yes, she would be.

What an attractive house.

I hope you would like

it. Our room is in here.

I'll bring in the rest of the

things and then build a fire.

I know you could play.

You can't expect to know everything about

me in one short week.

Brooke, is there anything to matter?

No. Nothing.

How would you like to

go out on the porch?

The moon has just

come up and it's lovely.

All right.

You'd better put your coat on. It's a

little chilly outside.

Darling,

this is an ideal place

for a honeymoon, isn't it?

You should have come up here right away

instead of going back to Monterey.

If you ever mentioned

you had a cabin here, I...

It's a cozy little place, isn't it?

Yes, it's cozy.

But I could think of more appropriate

places for a honeymoon.

More appropriate than this?

Oh, darling, that's nonsense.

[bell rings]

Why don't you like it here, darling?

Well, I'm not approved, but...

But I'd feel better if I knew that I was

the first woman you'd ever brought here.

Oh, that's what's been bothering you.

I don't know how you'll

find out, but it's true.

I did let my wife use the

cabin after our divorce.

Your wife?

I didn't know.

But you saw it on our

marriage application.

I thought it was very tactful of you not

to make a point of it.

I didn't read the application.

I'm terribly sorry. I thought you knew.

But it doesn't make any

difference to us, darling, does it?

No. Of course not.

You'd rather not tell me about it.

[door opens]

I'd like to forget that I have a meter.

A father was a patient of

mine, a fine old gentleman.

But Louise...

Tell me, darling, you haven't

got a lot of money, have you?

No. Only the house and

burning game and a very small duty.

I'm very glad of that.

At least, you know, then I

didn't marry you for your money.

As far as Louise is concerned, I would

rather not talk about her.

Get out!

What gives, Doc? You trying out your

physical therapy and a new patient?

Hmm. You sure picked yourself

a lovely one this time, Doc.

What are you doing here?

Just a social call. Nice

little hideaway you have here.

We had a tough time finding it.

Get them, Denny.

Got it?

Take another one, chump.

I'll need another one.

I should break your neck, Michaela.

Didn't your mom ever tell you there's no

time like the present?

Get off my property. Come inside.

Okay, Doc.

See you in court.

Eric, somebody tried to shoot you.

Nonsense. Nobody was shooting at me.

These natives around here are always

hunting deer at night.

And it's out of season, too.

Why are you drawing the shades?

Broke.

You will have another nervous break.

I always draw the shades.

Eric, who was that man?

Oh, that's Michaela.

He's my ex-wife's lawyer.

When I asked you before, you said...

I hoped I could avoid him.

I didn't want him spoiling our honeymoon.

He thought I was somebody

you picked up on the beach.

Who cares what he thinks?

Well, I do.

After all, I'm your wife, Eric.

You could have told him that.

It all happened so fast, and it's none of

his business anyway.

Why did he take that picture?

I don't know. He thinks it

may be useful to him somehow.

What did he mean

about seeing you in court?

Brooke, I didn't want

to talk about it now.

But I might as well tell you.

I'm in the midst of a legal fight.

When I divorced Louise, the court awarded

me custody of our son.

Your son?

Yes, and now she wants to have him back.

But I didn't know you had a son.

Would you like to see his picture?

His name is Philip.

He's only five years old and very smart.

When I divorced, Louise didn't

want to be bothered with him.

What's made a change of mind now?

Michaela.

He thinks he can build up a case against

me and make some money for himself.

They both know how very

fond I'm of the child.

Of course, at the last minute, he will

offer to call it off for a price.

It's really blackmail.

Would Philip's mother be a party to it?

She would do anything to help me.

That's like buying your own son.

I think things are coming to a head,

and we better return to San

Francisco tomorrow afternoon.

I will have to see my lawyer right away.

Must we leave so soon?

Who will be back?

And there will be other honeymoons.

Brooke, you will stand by me, won't you?

You will help me keep my son.

Of course I will.

You're disappointed, aren't you?

Your honeymoon cut

short, virtually ruined.

It's not that.

But isn't there any

way we can live alone?

Later, perhaps.

But this has been my home for some time.

It was built by one of

the Comstock millionaires.

Of course, it's rather big

and somewhat on the gloomy side,

but my sister runs it very well.

The time she's grim and

her son isn't too pleasant,

but I think we will get along.

Of course.

Only I had hoped that we'd have a home

that was really ours.

But it is ours.

Yours and mine.

Yes, but I hardly expected a

sister, a nephew and a son.

However, if you want

it that way, darling.

I don't want it that way, but at present

I can't see anything else to do.

All right, Eric.

He hadn't exaggerated.

The house was more than gloomy,

except there on the edge of a steep hill.

Here we are, Broke.

I don't have my keys.

Cheer up, darling.

I'm cheerful.

Emma isn't really as bad

as I'd made her out to be.

Hello, Emma.

Just a minute, dear.

I'm superstitious about thresholds.

All right.

There you are.

How is that?

Thank you, sir.

This is Emma, my sister.

This is Broke, my wife.

Hello, Emma.

How do you do?

How's Philip?

His... his stomach

trouble came back again.

There shouldn't be anything wrong.

Unless you've been

feeding him solids again.

I've kept them on

liquids just as you ordered.

Has he been doing his exercises?

Well, then he will be all right.

Nature will take care of him.

I will be with you in a minute.

Welcome home, Uncle Eric.

Hello, Carl.

What's the matter? You look upset.

Something you ate disagree with you?

Nothing I eat disagrees with me.

I will show you to your room.

Carl, this is Eric's wife.

His wife?

How do you do?

I've heard so much about you both,

and this lovely old house.

I'm surprised.

I didn't know Eric ever

talk much about his home.

Well, I'm... I'm glad to be here,

and I'm sure we'll be very happy.

This way.

(Door opens)

It's not very modern.

It's a nice room. I like it.

Well...

I hope you'll be happy.

(Door opens)

I wondered right then how

long I could remain in a house

where I wasn't welcome.

(Door opens)

He's a lovely child, Eric.

But he doesn't look very well.

He will be all right.

Emma probably relaxed his diet.

I can see why his mother wants him.

She's not going to have him.

You will stand by me, Brooke, won't you?

I'll do anything I can to help.

You have already... by marrying me.

Don't you see?

A judge is much more apt to grant

permanent custody of a child

to a happily married couple

than to a single man.

I can hardly wait to see Michaela's face

when we walk into court.

He thinks you are not married.

Does it matter so much

what Michaela thinks?

Of course it does.

He's taking his whole case on my morals.

He will testify that he found us at a

hideout at Ben Lohmann

and then he will produce

the picture he took of us.

Oh, I see.

And then we'll prove we're married.

Exactly.

And the case will be thrown out of court.

But if Michaela learns of

our marriage before the trial,

he will have time to

change his plan of attack.

Brooke, we must keep it a secret.

I hope you understand that.

Yes, I understand.

It's a very clever plan, Eric.

When did you think of it?

Why, just now.

Brooke, you don't think

for a minute that I...

You know that I love you more than

anything else in the world.

Very touching.

I just brought your bags upstairs.

Thank you, Carl.

Dinner will soon be ready and Mother

wonders what the bride would like to eat.

Whatever the cook's prepared.

Mother is the cook tonight.

You see, servants don't

stay with us very long.

Neither does anybody else.

They don't like me.

I wouldn't worry too much about them.

Eric, couldn't we live in my house?

It's a pleasant burning

game. Just the three of us.

But my dear, you forget my

practice is in San Francisco.

I hadn't thought of that.

We'll try it here. For a

little while, at least.

All right.

Well, I guess I'll change for dinner.

- Got it, Jenny? - Yep.

- Good. - It's wet.

Excuse me.

I was just telling Mrs. Rider about the

doc's face when you took this.

He turned a bright tomato red right

through his sunburn.

- Is that all? -

Yeah, thanks a lot, Jenny.

- Good to see you. - Yeah.

Louise, we've got your

ex-husband right where we want him.

When you take this photograph into court,

the judge will award you

the child without argument.

Good work, David.

Do you think I dare go and see Philip tonight?

Why not? While Doc Rider is busy with his

blonde, it'll be a perfect time.

Come on, I'll drag you.

- More carrots? - No, thank you.

- I want to save a

little room. - For what?

Why, for whatever else we're having.

This is all we are having.

We sensibly hear broke.

We're a one thing at a time family.

According to Uncle Eric's schedule,

tonight we have vegetables.

Tomorrow night, raw fruit.

The next night, fish. Not

fish and chips, just fish.

He demuses Carl to poke

fun at my dietary rules.

Wait till Uncle Eric shows you his charts

of what your stomach will look like if

you continue to eat food

that tastes good to you.

Please, Carl.

Oh, I'll get it.

Uncle Eric must conserve his strength for

the great work he's doing for humanity.

You must excuse Carl. His leg bothers him

a great deal, Auntie.

If you would, let us

have a sergeant set it.

Instead of fooling with it yourself.

My dear Emma, no surgeon

could have done more than I did.

Sweet Genevieve wants to

speak to you on the phone.

- Who? - Miss Calvin.

Don't over-patient of mine.

Pardon me.

Before Uncle Eric went on his vacation, he and Miss Calvin...

- How? - How?

Pleasant little

household we have here, isn't it?

We could make it

pleasant, if we really tried.

I am sorry, Brooke. Who's

sick, the old lady or Genevieve?

Your first night home,

and I must go out on a case.

- Is your patient very ill? - Apparently,

Mrs. Calvin has taken

a turn for the worse.

I must go and see her immediately. Don't

wait up for me. Good night.

Excuse me.

Poor girl. What a life she'll lead.

She has only herself to blame. She

married him with her eyes open.

I doubt that. But I

think we're opening them.

Darling, would you mind

very much if I went with you?

But you're tired. And I'm sure it

wouldn't interest you.

But Eric, it would.

Very well.

Brooke, you possibly

will hear stories about me.

But I'm a faker. I want you

to know that they're not true.

And I will prove it to

you. Get your things.

All right.

- Thanks, David. - No charge, Louise.

Give my love to your little boy.

David, look.

Uh-oh. He's home. He's

brought the girl with him.

How do you like that for a nerve?

Well, you can't risk going in now. No

telling when he'll come back.

I'll have to phone Emma. She can tell me

when I can see Philip

without running into Eric.

You know, if you work on her, she might help us.

Emma would never testify against Eric.

She's frightened to death of him.

Well, tell her we'll

make it worth her while.

If she's anything like her brother,

she'll do almost anything for money.

Well, I'll try. - Good evening. - Dr.

Ryder, I'm so glad you're here.

I'll call Miss Calvin.

Now, remember, darling, no one must know

that we are married.

I will introduce you as my nurse.

- Why, there we go. - Miss

Calvin? Miss Gifford, my nurse.

How do you do, Miss Calvin?

- Miss Gifford and I will take over. -

But I've always helped before.

We can manage very well,

thank you. Miss Gifford.

You look tired. You need some rest.

(SIGHS)

Oh, Cain. It won't go away.

Look at me.

Quiet.

It will go as it came. You must believe

that. It will go away.

But never mind how violent pain may be,

it is never violent and long.

Its pauses become positive pleasures.

This pain and relief from pain, like

darkness and light, succeed each other.

Yes, sir.

Go away.

The mind has a

pleasant haze closing over it.

And the mysterious spirit

goes to take its airy rounds.

Quiet.

Quiet.

Quiet.

Well, here was a woman

suffering intense pain.

She hadn't slept for nights.

Suddenly the pain is gone and she's

sleeping comfortably.

He did it without medicine.

I saw it with my own eyes.

Have I proved my case?

It seems like a miracle.

Are you proud of the

men they call it quack?

Yes. Very proud.

You might at least wait

until you're out of my house.

Come, Miss Gifford.

My mother went so ill, Dr. Wright, I tell

you never to come back.

I'm not coming back.

You're going to hear what I have to say.

I've heard enough. You'll have to get

another doctor to

take care of your mother.

And just to make it clear to you, Miss

Cowan, I'm Eric's wife.

I'm sorry you felt it

necessary to tell her.

Well, in fairness to

her and to me, I had to.

Never mind, Sarah.

I'm sorry.

Miss Cowan seemed awfully upset.

Is she in love with you?

She shouldn't be.

I never gave her the

least bit of encouragement.

I only tried to be civilly decent to her.

I'm sorry for her.

I can imagine how I'd feel if someone

were to take you away from me.

The fog is lifted.

Look, come and look at the view.

It's fascinating, Eric.

Isn't it?

If you've been wondering why I bought

this old house, now you know.

It isn't only the view.

There's something about

these fine old Nob Hill homes.

I have a tendency to fall to pieces.

I hope not a fatal tendency.

I don't believe it's that dangerous.

But I'm sorry it frightened you.

I will have it fixed.

Thank you, Emma.

Eric would have brought it himself, only he had to leave early.

He didn't want to leave. He didn't want to leave. I'm sorry. I was a bride myself once.

Well, hello, fella.

Hello, why are you doing?

I'm having my breakfast.

Come on, I'll climb up on the bed.

That's a boy.

It looks good.

It is good.

Wasn't Dad ever nice

to bring it up to me?

I guess so.

Well, I suppose you

had breakfast hours ago.

What'd you have?

Orange juice.

And what else?

Nothing.

What'd you have for dinner last night?

Orange juice.

My father will be cross.

We won't tell a soul.

We'll keep it a secret.

Go on, eat it.

Mmm, that's good. Go ahead, Phillip. Eat some more. Come in.

Good morning, Carl.

Good morning.

Wipe the jam off your face, Phillip.

Well, Brooke, with 20 years to go, you're

certainly starting early.

Starting what?

Getting on the good side of our

million-dollar baby.

You mean to say Uncle

Eric hasn't told you?

I guess there's a lot of

things he hasn't told you.

I don't know what you're talking about.

When Louise's father died two years ago,

he left an estate of

better than a million dollars.

Well?

To Louise and Uncle Eric, he

left exactly one dollar each.

I guess that shows

what he thought of them.

The estate goes to...

Phillip, stop drooling.

Well, I don't see how

any of this concerns me.

It doesn't now.

Even Uncle Eric, as smart as he is, can't

lay a hand on any of that million.

It was left in trust.

Phillip doesn't get a dime

of it until he's 25 years old.

So you see, Aunt Brooke,

you can take your time.

You've got 20 years to butter up the kid.

I don't like that kind of talk, Carl.

Do you think I married Eric because he...

Why did you marry him?

Because I fell in love with him.

Isn't that reason enough?

Brooke, ten is one for you.

Well, you can take it right here.

Hello?

Yes, this is Mrs. Ryder.

Mrs. Genevieve Kalvin, Mrs. Ryder.

Mother's so much worse

today. I don't know what to do.

Well, maybe you'd

better get somebody else.

My husband has withdrawn from the case.

I can recommend a good doctor.

An old friend in a very fine position.

Yes?

Dr. Nelson Norris.

Yes?

Yes. Thank you so much.

I'll call him right away.

May I have some more?

You can have as much

as you want, Phillip.

I have to go to

Burlingame for a little while.

What's a Burlingame?

Well, it's a place

where I have a little house.

And if I don't clean it once in a while,

it'll look like a pigpen.

But I'll be back and

play with you very soon.

I'm glad.

Well, what's Gifford?

How nice to see you back.

Dr. Norris. You're looking fine.

I feel fine, Doctor.

Come on in. Thank you.

Mother and I were

wondering why you haven't written,

but I suppose you were

too busy having a good time.

But I did write.

And forgot to mail it.

Well, maybe... I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Well, maybe... maybe it was forgotten.

I can understand that perfectly.

I do the same thing all the time.

Oh, uh, by the way, Brooke,

I operated on your

friend's mother two hours ago.

My friend? Oh, you mean Mrs. Calvin?

Yes.

Well, how is she?

She died on the operating table.

She died?

I'm awfully sorry, Brooke.

I saw her only last night,

and she was resting easily.

I did everything I could do for her.

I can't believe this.

Her daughter called me

in a little too late.

She was being treated by

this fellow, Eric Ryder,

who's the biggest quack in San Francisco.

Are you serious? Do you know him?

Yes. Yes, I know him.

And for heaven's sake, don't have

anything to do with him.

These quacks have a

little superficial knowledge.

They're always very glib and persuasive

and helpless people like

Mrs. Calvin have to pay for it.

This man was entirely

responsible for her death.

I did everything I could possibly do,

but she was too weak, too far gone.

Oh, that's dreadful.

If you know anyone in his

hands, for heaven's sakes,

warn them against him.

This man is a menace to the community.

Well, I must be off.

Well, Brooke, it's

wonderful having you back.

If you haven't seen Mother yet,

be sure and drop over, won't you?

- Goodbye. - Goodbye, Dr. Norris.

I refuse to believe this terrible

indictment of my husband,

but a voice deep inside of me kept

saying, "It's true."

Hello, Eric.

Hello, Brooke.

How are things in Verlingame?

I'm hopefully glad you got here.

I was afraid I would have

to leave without seeing you.

You're going out before dinner?

I will pick up a bite somewhere I have a

lot of calls to make.

Did you get your house straightened up?

I saw Dr. Norris.

And how is the old gentleman?

He told me Mrs. Calvin died this morning. He said he was going to die. How stupid butchers using any excuse to

cut up their poor victims.

Dr. Norris is not a stupid butcher, Eric.

He's considered a very competent surgeon.

By whom?

By your mother and father?

They both relied on

him and you lost them.

Now it's Mrs. Calvin.

Well?

She was perfectly all right last night when I was true from the case.

I'm sorry, Eric. I'm sorry. She was perfectly all right last night

when I was true from the case.

You saw that yourself.

Dr. Norris told me--

But my dear, those M.D.'s will tell you

anything to cover up their blunders.

Don't let them poison you against me.

Because if you lose face in me--

Right then I realized

that I no longer loved him.

I couldn't.

I'm sorry I have to rush up like this.

And one thing more, Brooke.

I would like you to

stay around here tomorrow.

I'd planned on going

to Burning Game again.

Oh, that can wait.

You see, the trial is set

for the day after tomorrow

and I would like to send my

lawyer around and coach you.

Coach me?

Why, Eric, I can only tell the truth.

Well, I wouldn't want you to do anything

else, but it is the way you tell it.

But not to volunteer.

For instance, why did you feed Philip?

He was hungry.

That is one thing you

must not tell the court.

Mccalla will stoop to anything to make me

out of dishonest practitioner.

And if I have got to go into

the medical aspects of the case

to prove the effectiveness of

the special treatment and diet,

you can see for yourself how a stupid

judge might draw the wrong inference.

For instance?

That I'm not competent to rear the boy.

You must understand how important it is

to me to keep possession of my son,

to make him strong and well.

Brooke, I've got to win

this case, and I will win it.

No matter how many of my former patients

Mccalla puts on the stand to lie for him.

Like Freeman?

Yes. That man tried to kill me.

He's back in town and if he hears about

the trial, he will...

Oh, that was Freeman who tried to shoot

you that night at Ben Lohman.

You knew it and yet all the time you...

But don't you understand?

I didn't want you to worry.

By passing it off as the accidental shot

of a hunter, I hope to...

(BUZZER)

(DOOR OPENS)

(PANTING)

My mother's dead and it's your fault.

Your mother's death isn't

my mistake and you know it.

And it won't be my

mistake when I go to court.

We'll see if the judge

will let him keep his son.

I'll go to the newspapers.

I'll tell him everything.

Genevieve. You are tired and unnerved.

I will take her home.

(DOOR OPENS)

(DOG BARKING)

(DOOR OPENS)

(DOOR OPENS)

I want you to know that I'm sincerely

sorry about your mother.

You must be comforted by the thought that

she's no longer in pain.

I'm leaving a few tablets here.

I'm going to give you one now and have

Sarah give you

another one about midnight.

Sarah's off tonight.

Well, in that case, don't bother unless

you happen to be awake.

Here. Drink this.

I'm not leaving.

In a little while.

Eric, I'm sorry. I made those threats.

Well, that's all right now. Drink this.

Eric, why did you marry that

girl you don't love, do you?

By now, Dr. Norris, you are wondering why I didn't tell you this when I saw you.

But after what you said about Dr. Ryder,

I was too embarrassed to

admit he was my husband.

On the face of it, Dr. Ryder is openly

starving his little son.

On the other hand, all my instincts...

Dinner and Brooke.

Coming, Carl. Thank you, Emma.

Emma, if you don't mind,

let's buy some fresh coffee.

This has been in the house so long,

it's...it's turned bitter.

Getting sleepy?

No.

Excuse me, please.

Thanks. I'll be all right.

Has an Uncle Eric warned you that coffee is bad for you?

She didn't drink much.

Must have been more

powerful than I thought.

I knew they had drugged me, but why?

What were they planning

to do while I was helpless?

I had to stay awake somehow.

I was not afraid to be a little bit more. I was afraid to be a little bit more. I was afraid to be a little bit more. I was afraid to be a little bit more.

Suddenly I felt I was being

watched. I had to pretend.

This is Louise Ryder's apartment, please.

Hello? Everything is all right.

No, no, she's asleep.

Not for hours.

Who knows? Maybe never.

Come.

(dramatic music)

Coffee was what I

needed, strong black coffee.

I couldn't help smiling.

They used coffee to put me to sleep.

Now I was going to

use it to keep me awake.

(dramatic music)

(door closes)

Coffee please.

- Yes ma'am.

Hiya Joe, have a hamburger.

Coming right up.

Hello.

Hangover?

- No.

And what would you be

doing out on a night like this,

Mr. McKellar?

- You've got a good

memory for faces, haven't you?

- For faces like yours, yes.

- If I thought that was a compliment.

- It wasn't.

And do you live around here?

Oh I see, still trailing Dr. Ryder.

- No, I've lost interest

in Ryder for the time being.

Had a new interest.

- Oh?

- One of Doc Ryder's girlfriends.

Charming little number with

the name of Brooke Gifford.

- That's a very weak line, Mr. McKellar.

- It isn't a line.

- Here, got a present for ya.

By the way, aren't you ever home anymore?

I watched your Berlin game

house all this afternoon.

Finally I gave up and

went over to Doc Ryder's

and the off chance I might run into you.

- What's this?

- Oh a subpoena, day after tomorrow.

Superior court number five,

custody case involving Doc Ryder's son.

- Why would I know

anything about the case?

- You missed the point.

You're my exhibit A.

You and Ryder spent the

night in a cabin at Ben Lohman

without benefit of Curgy.

- That's your case against Dr. Ryder?

- Basically yes.

Anything wrong with it?

- No.

- Look, I don't like it either.

I know it's a rotten

trick to play in a girl.

I'm sorry.

I wish there was some way without

dragging you into it.

- Forget it.

May I have some more coffee please?

- How about a sandwich with me?

- No thanks, I'm not hungry.

- Joe's hamburgers are tops.

- No thanks.

- Five?

- No.

- Look Miss Gifford,

has Ryder been filling you

full of diet theories and orange juice?

- I'm just not hungry.

- Joe, has Doc Ryder been in tonight?

- No, it's a little early for him yet.

- Got his steak on ice?

- Yeah, I'm saving an ice one for him.

The juiciest New York cut

I've seen since Pearl Harbor.

I wish I knew where he'd get some.

I can't find steaks like that.

- See Miss Gifford, a phony.

All those diet theories are sucker bait,

front for his racket.

If he doesn't pay any attention to him,

why should anybody else?

- He has lots of patience

and they keep going to him.

- Of course, people will go to anybody

who promises the word miracles.

All you have to do is

eat this, not eat that.

No operations, no

expensive laboratory tests.

Just plenty of fresh air

and carrots three times a day.

It's fine if there's

nothing wrong with you,

but if you're really sick

and that quack keeps you

from getting help from

a qualified medical man

then it's plain murder.

Break it all down and what

do you make of our Dr. Ryder?

A second rate hypnotist.

And not even that.

Did you know he used

to work with a carnival

before he went into the health racket?

Now how about a hamburger with me?

- Mr. McKellar, I've

been wondering why everybody

is so excited about Dr. Ryder's son.

- Who's excited?

Naturally the mother wants him.

What mother wouldn't

want that swell little kid?

- When she and Erica

divorce, she didn't want him.

- I don't know.

- She didn't want to

be bothered with him.

- Who told you that?

- Dr. Ryder, my husband.

- What do you mean your husband?

- We were married in

Nevada five days ago.

- If you were, I was born six days ago.

You can buy those in any dime store.

- Do you want to see

my marriage certificate?

- Sure, and I'll show

you my birth certificate.

Okay, then that night at Ben Lohman.

We were a man and wife with a benefit

of a justice of the peace.

- There goes my appetite and my case.

Sister, you sure had me fooled.

Doc Ryder can turn on

the charm when he wants to,

but marrying the guy for money.

And I wish you luck all of it bad.

- You're pretty nervy, Mr. McKellar.

After all, Louise Ryder is your client.

Do you expect me to

believe that you and she

aren't interested in the boy's estate?

Do I look gullible

enough to accept the picture

of the grieving mother

sorrowing for her little son?

Come, come, Mr. McKellar,

that's not the Louise

Ryder I've heard about.

- Skip to hamburger, Joe.

Ladies, coffee's on me.

(upbeat music)

- Give you a lift, Mrs. Ryder.

- No, thank you.

I prefer to walk.

It was disloyal to Eric

to tell of my marriage,

but I no longer cared.

I wanted to help Mr. McKellar.

I wanted him to respect me.

(upbeat music) (knocking)

- Cole?

- Yes?

- What's the idea of drugging me

so you would get into my

room and read my letters?

- We weren't in your room.

- Who told you to do it?

- I don't know what you're talking about.

- Oh yes you do, you know very well.

Answer me, was it Eric?

- No, Eric had nothing to do with it.

- Then if it wasn't Eric's idea,

he's certainly gonna hear about it.

- Please, Brooke, don't tell Eric.

- Oh, so it was you two who did it.

All right, why?

- I've been letting

Phillip's mother come here.

Just to see him and hold

him in our arms a while.

She was coming

tonight and Carl was afraid

if you were awake, you would tell Eric.

- It was my idea to

put the sleeping tablets

in your coffee.

I knew they wouldn't hurt you and,

well it wasn't such a

good idea after all.

I'm sorry.

- Do you mean to say

you two were conspiring

against your own brother?

- I once did lose a terrible injustice.

At the divorce trial, I swore to lies

because Eric threatened me.

Now I've been trying to make

up a little for what I did.

- Oh, I see.

- Eric has no right to keep Phillip

cooped up in his house,

practicing his crazy

diet notions of the child.

Why the poor little man who was

practically starving.

- Well you helped starve him.

- We can't help him.

We leave here and never come back.

Only we haven't enough money yet

to have Carl's leg taken care of.

We've been saving out of

the little Eric pays me

to have it operated on.

- Do you mean to say

Eric wouldn't give you money

for a thing like that?

- He goes crazy if we even mention it.

Because if it were fixed, it

would prove that he's a quack.

That's all he is too,

he's just a cheap faker.

- Carl, after all he's Brooke's husband.

And something can be done about that.

- Well, I'm beginning to

see how this household takes.

And all the time I thought you two

were the most

unfriendly people I'd ever met.

- I don't blame you.

- Oh Carl, I think I can help you.

There's a neighbor of mine in Burlingame

who's a very fine surgeon.

And when I see him, I'll

have him appointment made

for him to look at your leg.

- Oh thank you.

That's all right.

Oh Emma, has Eric been in this house

in the last hour or so?

- I haven't heard him.

- We never know when he's here.

He's always sneaking around.

- I was probably mistaken.

I must have moved that letter myself.

Oh good night.

- Good night Brooke.

- Oh Brooke, I hope you'll forgive us.

- Of course Emma.

Good night.

- Good night, and thank you.

(dramatic music)

- Is that you Eric?

- Yes.

- How is Miss Kel?

- She got her way.

She's all right now.

It was sweet of you to wait up for me.

Is Philip asleep?

- I think so.

(dramatic music)

- Apparently no harm

done by you feeding him,

but why did you do it?

- I told you he was hungry.

- But you shouldn't

have disobeyed my orders.

- I'm sorry, but the child is

definitely underweight Eric.

The diet you prescribe could be wrong.

I've devoted my entire life to

the study of diet and health,

and I'm a recognized authority on it.

I want to show you something.

Here, I want you to read this.

- Well I'll read it tomorrow.

I'm really very tired.

- Of course you are.

In the future, don't

worry about Philip, promise?

- Yes, Eric.

- Because I really do

know what I'm doing.

- I'm quite sure you

know what you're doing.

(knocking)

- Brooke.

The taxi driver says if you

don't hurry, you won't wait.

Oh, may I mail that for you?

- Would you?

It's to your new doctor.

I told him we'd see him in a few days.

You won't forget to mail it.

- No, I won't.

- And I'll be back soon.

- Brooke, thanks a lot for everything.

- That's all right.

Oh, if Eric comes home and

wants to know where I've gone,

tell him I've gone to Burlingame again.

(knocking)

- Here I build up my old

case on moral turpitude,

and a tight case too.

Pictures, witnesses, everything.

Then what does a big lug do?

He crosses me up by marrying the girl.

Well, then find another angle.

- Yes, but what?

- Well, I don't know yet.

- Oh, I know David, but by tomorrow we--

- I know, I know.

Excuse me.

By tomorrow morning, I have to come up

with a whole new line of attack.

New witnesses, new, yes?

- Mrs. Ryder to see you.

- Wait a minute.

I think I'd better see her alone.

Do you wanna wait in here?

Had Mrs. Ryder come in.

(door opens)

- Hello.

- Good morning.

What can I do for you today?

- Well, if it's possible,

I'd like to talk to Eric's ex-wife.

- Louise, why?

- Because I wanna see what she's like.

I wanna see for myself if all the things

I've heard about her are true.

- This seems to be my

morning for entertaining

Dr. Ryder's matrimonial

victims, past and present.

Pardon me a moment.

(door opens)

- Mrs. Ryder?

Mrs. Ryder.

- How do you do?

I know you're

wondering why I've come here,

but I wanna do everything in my power

to help you get your son back.

- You're very kind.

- Why the sudden turnabout?

- Because I'm afraid if the boy

isn't taken away from

Eric, sooner or later he'll--

- Well, what I mean is,

I think that Philip has a

right to a normal boyhood.

And living in that gloomy

house with Emma and Carl,

well, his life is so constricted.

- You started to tell us something else.

You didn't finish it.

- The idea I have is

so, well, it's so insane.

Tell us anyway, please.

I believe Eric is

deliberately starving the boy--

- Oh no.

- The man may be

heartless enough to do it,

but isn't starvation rather obvious?

Would Ryder risk a murder--

- I didn't mean that starvation

would be the cause of death.

The boy is being

weakened so much by malnutrition

that if he ever got ill,

he'd never have the

strength to pull through.

- And all the time I

thought we were fighting

is natural meanness, is selfishness.

- It's impossible to

believe that a father

could be evil enough

to murder his own son.

I must be wrong, even

though all the facts point--

- You know all the facts?

Louise, tell her.

- Eric believes that

Philip is not his son.

When our divorce was pending,

I got the foolish

idea that if Eric thought

the boy wasn't his own,

he'd give him up without a struggle.

- So Louise lied to him,

now the lies kick back in her face.

- Why, if Eric thinks

that, he must hate the child.

And yet, if you could see him petting

and drooling over his darling son,

Mr. McKeller, I think we ought to go

to the police immediately.

- We'll have that conniving quack

behind the bars within an hour.

- Louise, why don't you

go home, get some rest,

leave everything to us, hmm?

- All right, David.

I can never tell you how

deeply grateful I am to you.

I suppose you're in love with Eric.

Well, I can understand it.

I was in love with him too.

He broke my heart.

I hope you won't let him break yours.

- Goodbye, David.

- Bye, Louise. - Thank you.

- Get some rest.

Sit down.

I couldn't tell you in front of Louise,

but we can't go to the police.

- Why?

- They'd laugh at us.

We haven't a scrap of tangible evidence.

- We've got to do something about it.

- Sure, sure.

Tomorrow morning, we can go into court

and show him up for what he is,

a thoroughly dishonest scoundrel.

But where are the witnesses?

- We'll get witnesses.

There's a man named Freeman

who tried to shoot Eric at Ben Lohman.

- Freeman?

Freeman, wait a minute.

Timothy Freeman?

- Well, I don't know his first name,

but his wife died recently.

- It's the same one.

Found this morning, suicide.

Seated in his car, motor running,

believed to be grieving over his wife,

no sense in the world. - Over his wife?

- No suicide, no found.

- He can't help us.

- There's a girl named

Calvin, Genevieve Calvin.

She can tell us plenty about Eric.

- Know where she lives?

- Yes.

- Come on, we'll talk to her.

- She lies in the

parking lot around the corner.

- Thanks.

- Pardon me.

- That'll be all, thank you.

- Get everything, sure.

- Hello, Dave.

- Hello, Mike.

What goes on?

- Well, not much.

What's on your mind?

- We just dropped in to see Miss Calvin.

- Very too late.

Overdose of sleeping

tablets, a medical examiner says.

(whistles) All right, boys, right upstairs.

- It might be a coincidence,

but Eric took Miss

Calvin home last night.

- Mike.

Uh, let me make a guess.

She didn't leave a suicide note.

- Say, how did--

- Were you in the Freeman suicide?

- Hey, Lieutenant.

Come up here a minute.

- I'll be with you in a minute, Dave.

- Sure.

- I've got to get back to the office.

This opens up a whole new line of attack.

I'll send you home in a cab.

If anything comes up, be sure to call me.

(dramatic music)

- Well, what's happened?

- Eric ordered us out of the house.

- He gave us an hour to panic and out.

- Well, why, what'd you do?

- I started out to mail you a letter.

Eric stopped me in the

hall and took it away from me.

- Did he read it?

- Yes, then he lost his temper and

ordered us to leave.

- Well, where are you going?

- We don't know.

- Well, I do.

I'll give you an address.

Come in.

Maybe that's our taxi.

- Yes, tell him to wait.

We'll be right with him.

- This is the address to

the house in Burlingame,

and here's the key.

Now make yourselves comfortable,

and you can stay until you

find a place of your own.

I'll be out tomorrow after the trial.

- That's nice of you, Brooke,

but I don't like to leave you here.

- Don't worry.

I'm going to get out of

here as fast as I can.

I'm going to call Mr. McKellen.

He'll help me get Philip to his mother.

- But be careful.

I want to see you alone

in this house with Eric.

- Well, I'll hurry.

Would you send Philip up to me?

- Right.

Goodbye, Brooke.

- Goodbye.

- Hello.

May I speak to Mr. McKellen, please?

He just left?

Would it be possible to catch him?

It's very important.

Yes, I'll hold on.

The taxi's here.

- I'll be right with you, mother.

I want to phone the express company

to come and get our trunk.

- Hello?

- Brooke is using the phone.

- Hello, Daddy.

- Emma, did you order the taxi?

- Yes, Eric.

- All right, then get into it.

All right, Carl, get out.

- Hello?

Hello?

- Well, what are you waiting for?

- I'm not sure.

I'm not sure. - You're not sure? - No, I'm not. - You're not sure? - No, I'm not. - You want me a present?

- Philip, go into the living room

and wait until I call you.

Go on, Philip.

- Hello, Mr. McKellen.

Thank goodness they got you.

- Oh, yes, I was just getting into my car

when she called me.

What's wrong?

- Just about everything.

Eric found out.

- You'd better get

out of that house fast.

- I was hoping you'd come. Get me.

Emma and Carl have left.

- It'll take me 20 minutes to get there.

- Well, Brooke, going someplace?

- Eric?

- Yes?

- Eric, I've made a terrible mistake.

- Yes, you have.

- We should have waited

till we knew each other better

before getting married.

It was all my fault.

I was lonely and unhappy,

and I wasn't really my

self-worth mother and dad

being sick for so long,

and then losing them both

within the same weekend.

- Hey, lady.

That meter's still running.

- Carl, make up your mind.

- I don't think we should

leave Brooke here all alone.

And we're not going to.

- You wait.

- I shouldn't have

written that letter, Brooke.

- Why not?

You're starving Philip.

You want him to die?

- I know where that comes from.

Michaela.

You don't seriously believe that any men

would deliberately bring

about the death of his own son.

- You don't believe Philip is your son.

You'd kill him just like

you killed Genevieve Calvin.

You did murder her, didn't you?

- Don't be absurd.

You've let Michaela poison your mind

against your husband.

You shouldn't have done that, Brooke.

You shouldn't have done that.

- Nowhere to go.

Carl!

- You really expect us

to believe that story?

- But I told you the

story exactly as it happened.

- Why didn't you come to us earlier?

- Because I couldn't believe the truth.

And when I finally did realize that

everything was happening so fast, I--

- Madam, I think you'll need a lawyer.

Are you this lady's attorney?

- Why, uh...

Yes, I am.

- Could it be that your husband was

pushed off that balcony?

- No, it gave way under it.

- Somebody must have known it was weak.

If he was pushed out onto it, there

wouldn't be any way we could prove it.

- But I told you

everything that happened.

- Are you holding Mrs. Ryder?

- I don't know.

Just thinking around the thing,

considering all the angles.

But if she stays here another minute,

it'll be because she likes me.

No other reason.

All right, here we go.

- What about the boy, Carl?

- Oh, uh, we should hold him long.

I'm convinced Ryder's

death was accidental.

I don't think the city will fly any flags

of half mass for a man like him.

- Oh, uh, where will we be able to reach

you for the inquest?

- Any time you want,

Mrs. Ryder, just call me.

- Oh, she'll be close by, huh?