All language subtitles for The Tattered Dress 1957 TVRip XViD

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Man could relax out here.

But what's confronting

you, I hardly think so.

Which reminds me, did I come cheaper than

the legal eagle from San Francisco?

I take it you're

referring to Lester Ollings.

Mm-hmm.

I heard the Restons had him

down his hair, first choice.

They did.

But I persuaded them to retain you,

despite your higher feet.

Coming from a Baltimore corporation

lawyer, that's a compliment.

I'll pay you but one

compliment, Mr. Blaine.

If and when you win an acquittal.

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Mrs. Reston?

Mr. Blaine?

How do you do?

How's the water?

Find out for yourself.

Oh Paul, dig out a pair

of trunks for Mr. Blaine.

Looks inviting.

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Mr. Blaine?

Mr. Reston.

How are you?

I thought you'd be an older man.

I thought you'd be a

much more worried man.

When I spilled a drink on the carpet, my

butler cleans up after me.

When you spill blood, your lawyer is

expected to do the same.

Exactly.

[Music]

Did Larry Bell assault you?

I'm defending you now, Mr. Verner.

Would you care to see the dress?

Did he assault you?

Sounds like gotta talk.

It's a very acute observation.

Did he?

Yes, he did.

For the first time?

Now look here.

You be quiet until I come to you.

Mind your manners, Mr. Blaine.

Mr. Reston, I'm not impressed

by you or your bank account.

In fact, you irritate me.

Now look here, it's about time.

Oh, I like it.

That's the way I want

to see you in court.

Not as a cold fist,

but as a man, outraged.

[Music]

Mrs. Reston, are you a faithful wife?

In my fashion.

Were you having an

affair with Larry Bell?

He was a bartender.

Were you?

No.

Don't lie to me, you'll have to get

yourself another lawyer.

I saw Larry Bell just twice before.

Were you receptive to his advances?

Yes.

What happened the third time?

I was bored with him.

You resisted him?

Ignored him.

To tease him?

You sound like a prosecutor.

Another acute observation.

You're cleverer than I imagined.

Did you want Bell to attack you?

You mean subconsciously?

No, consciously.

That's absurd, isn't it?

Is it?

I don't know.

I'll have to think about it.

Mrs. Reston, as you move

about from resort to resort,

what else do you think about it?

It's all right, Mr. Blaine.

[Music]

I'll be at the Bolton Hotel.

We've arranged for you to stay here.

Oh, Mr. Blaine doesn't approve of us.

No sense adding to the

prejudice of the jurism.

I don't want to think I

belong to Desert Valley.

You're a good point.

Perhaps another time, you and your lovely

wife managed by my sweat to

escape the state penitentiary.

I'll be seeing you, Mr. Blaine.

Uh-huh.

[Music]

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Honestly, I was only doing 80.

I'll take your word for it, Mr. Blaine.

I'm Nick Hogue, Sheriff of Bolton County.

Hello.

You want to follow me?

Sure to. Traffic course?

I'd hate to see you in any of our courts.

[Music]

Thanks.

Where are we going?

God's country.

Bye.

[Music]

We got us a visitor from New York.

Hello.

How about a couple beers?

Mr. Blaine, you ever seen

anything like this before?

Very beautiful.

No swimming pools.

None of those fancy Hawaiian sports

shirts like at Desert Valley.

Yeah, it cost me a pretty penny to level

this off and take a well.

This is your place?

Mm-hmm.

The Wank of Sarah?

Yeah.

They run it for me.

Thanks.

Thank you.

[Music] Well, I'd call it a natural paradise.

I hadn't seen Hank of Sarah.

They looked to me like the loneliest and

unhappiest people I've ever seen.

Well, I got a reason to be.

You see, that son was shot

down and killed last week.

They're Larry Bells, folks.

[Music] Larry Bell could run around Europe.

Yep.

He could have been one of the greatest

half-backs of all time.

What a waste.

What a lousy waste.

I saw you play once.

Ah.

Yep.

You did?

Yeah.

Where?

College All-Star Game, 1937.

I remember you made a

diving catch for a touchdown.

That was the last game I ever played.

You were all American in, weren't you?

No, not exactly.

Those Eastern newspaper guys.

Well, that's a long time ago.

You know, some nights I get to dreaming

like I'm still playing.

I'll never forget one night by sleep, I

busted out of bed like I

was going for a long pass.

Crashed right into a window.

[Music]

What's he raised out here?

Stanley?

He raises any handy figures to beat.

Sounds like me.

Eh?

Well, it's your convenience any time.

[Music]

It's swanky, all right?

The Governor stays

here when he's in town.

Never bring Desert Valley?

No, he wants to stay Governor.

Does the Governor take orders from you?

He takes my advice.

I got to run now.

See you boys around.

Thanks.

[Phone ringing]

Hell?

Okay.

Jim?

Billy Giles.

Really? Where are you?

Vegas.

Are you not going to bed?

Dead.

That's the word for it.

The slot machines get

more laughs than I do.

When am I going to see you?

Well, drive over when you can.

It's only 150 miles.

The highway runs right

past all the crap tables.

Billy, can I have some more?

Thank you.

By the way, Jim, they're

betting six to one against you.

Well, you get ten grand down from me.

Seriously, Jim, I hate it

to see you take this one.

Make that fifteen grand, Billy.

That should remind me of

a story, but it doesn't.

Okay, Jim, if you feel

lonesome, give me a buzz.

All right. So long, Billy.

How's he doing?

He just didn't have it anymore.

What a shame.

How can he make an audience laugh?

They look at him and remember how he

emptied a revolver into

his wife and her lover.

That was ten years

ago, and he was acquitted.

Quite a feat, too.

I don't think you

convinced anybody but the jury.

Well, when it comes to picking juries...

I know.

But this time you'll be forced to pick from Sheriff Hoke's private pork barrel.

Don't print this, but Mr. Hoke is the

answer to my prayers.

Hoke?

Don't tell me he's your

gimmick in winning his case.

He is my only hope.

And I get him on the witness stand now.

Cut him down to size.

Strip him with his convictions.

And I finish with him, and they'll arrest him for indecent exposure. [music]

Hello.

This makes the second time

today I've been picked up.

I call the hotel.

What's on your mind?

You.

I hear you separated from your wife.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I hear you separated from your wife.

How does that concern you?

You interest me.

That's the reason my wife left me. I

interest other women.

Can you forget for a

while that I'm your client?

Whatever you say

won't be held against you.

[music]

And where, Sheriff, did

you see them together?

At the waterhole tavern

where Larry was standing bar.

Was Mr. Reston there also?

If he was, I didn't see him.

What did you see?

Mrs. Reston sitting at the bar alone

acting chummy with Larry.

In your conversations with Larry Bell,

did he ever mention Mrs. Reston by name?

He always called her that

rich babe from Baltimore.

Did you recall his exact words concerning

his relations with Mrs. Reston?

Yes.

He said, "I'm making time with her."

Thank you, Sheriff. I now turn you over

to the New York lawyer.

Your witness.

Your Honor, during the

past week in this court,

the prosecution has persisted in

referring to me as the New York lawyer.

It appears there's

another defendant in the case,

and charges that he

is from New York City.

To that count, I plead guilty as charged.

Now, Sheriff Hoke,

based on your experiences,

what does the

expression "making time" mean?

Well, it means that Larry Bell was having

relations with Mrs. Reston.

Had you always found

Larry Bell to be truthful?

Yes, I have.

You were like father and son.

We were very close.

Like father and son?

Yes.

Was Larry Bell always in the habit of

discussing his personal affairs with you?

Well, like I said, we were very close.

Are you married, Sheriff?

I was divorced a couple of years ago.

That was your only marriage?

No, I was my second.

How did your first marriage end?

Divorce.

Well, tell me this, Sheriff.

Were you in the habit of discussing your

personal affairs with Larry Bell?

Objection.

Sustained.

The expression "making time," is that

something Larry Bell may

have borrowed from you?

No.

Well, did you ever use

the expression "objection"?

Sustained.

Larry Bell was a

noted athlete, wasn't he?

One of the finest.

Do you know what the

expression "score" means?

Objection.

Sustained.

Can you describe Larry Bell's demeanor

when he told you he was making time with

the babe from Baltimore?

I don't think I understand the question.

Was he smiling?

Yes, I believe he was.

Was it a coxure smile or a smirk?

Objection.

Sustained.

Can you describe the smile?

Well, I'd say it was more of a grin.

The kind of grin you associate with a man

who succeeds with a woman.

Objection.

Sustained.

Now, Sheriff Hoke, is it a fact that the

State University Alumni

Association a few years ago

voted you the outstanding football player

in the history of the school?

Oh, boy.

Well, yes, that's a fact.

Did you graduate from State University?

Yes, I did.

Is it a fact that Larry Bell was a star

halfback for Bolton High School?

Yes, sir.

Can you tell me if many colleges offered

him athletic scholarships?

Oh, yes, there are a great many.

How many would you say?

At least 50.

And which college did he choose?

State University.

Because you advised him to do so?

Yes.

Because he was your protege and you

wanted him to follow in your footsteps?

Yes.

Did Larry Bell graduate

from State University?

No, he didn't.

What prevented him from graduating?

He flunked out.

I assume you were using that expression

in the scholastic sense.

Yes, Larry failed in too many

courses and so he was expelled.

For academic failure?

That's right.

Do you recall the

particular courses he failed?

As a matter of fact, I do, yes.

He was European history, English

literature, and sociology.

Isn't it a fact that Larry Bell was being

tutored in those very courses

by an instructor who was on the payroll

of the State

University Athletic Department?

Yes, but that's common practice.

Has State University

de-emphasized football?

No, we haven't.

And a victory on the grid iron is as

important today as it was

in your time, is it not?

Probably so.

Wasn't Larry Bell a sophomore sensation

for State University?

By that I mean, wasn't he more than any

other man on the team responsible

for a highly successful football season?

Probably.

Sheriff, did you make any attempt to keep

the University authorities

from expelling Larry Bell?

Yes, I did.

Did you make a

special trip to the campus?

I did.

And yet you failed. Why?

Well, like I told you,

Larry failed in three subjects.

He just couldn't

knuckle down to studying.

Do you recall an incident

occurring at State University

in the same month of that year?

An incident?

Well, perhaps I used the wrong word.

I'm referring to a collegiate prank

commonly known as panty raid.

Well, that was happening in lots of

colleges all over the country.

But it did happen at State University.

Yes, yes it did.

On April 12, 1955?

Well, I'd have to

take your word for that.

Did Larry Bell ever

mention anything about it to you?

No, he didn't.

Knowing Larry Bell, do you think he

participated in this so-called prank?

I don't know.

You don't know Larry Bell?

I don't know whether he

had anything to do with it.

Is the term "penty raid"

perfectly clear to you?

Certainly.

The boys write us some

sororries and girl dormitories

and made off with some

feminine undergarments.

Where were those guns?

Dresser drawers are on

the clothes lines, I guess.

Are you on the mailing list of the State

University Tiger student newspaper?

I am.

Do you recall an item in

the issue of April 15, 1955

in the gossip column Campus Capers?

I only read the sports pages.

Then you must have

missed the following item.

The Ivy Line has it from eyewitnesses

that one not-so-Sophomore sophomore

pilfered his trophy from a very petite

and perturbed frosh co-ed.

No, I never read that item.

Do you recall the date Larry Bell was

expelled from State University?

April 1955.

April 18?

I believe so.

Is it a fact, Sheriff Hoke, that the

final examinations

for the spring semester

are held during the last

week of the month of May?

It is.

Then Larry Bell was expelled at least

five weeks prior to those

examinations, was he not?

Something like that.

Sheriff...

Isn't it possible that you were

innocently misled into believing that

Larry Bell was

expelled from State University

merely because of academic failure?

Thank you, Sheriff.

Can you give it again?

Thank you.

Can you ask what the money is for?

Just a small advance on my fee.

You sounded most

urgent over the telephone.

Can't tell you any more

if it might incriminate me.

Good night.

I'll pick you up at the courthouse at 11.

Slight correction.

I'll see you in court Monday morning.

Off the top.

Two to the dealer.

Opener, Betts, 50.

Speechless.

No.

50 and 200.

Say the 250.

Raise it five over.

Too much for me.

You drew two.

Oh, Carl.

Three to the full.

Straight's no good.

Too bad. Nice hand.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, have

you arrived at a verdict?

We have, Your Honor.

I'll find you.

Guilty or not guilty?

Not guilty.

Thought is adjourned.

Mr. Lane, congratulations.

Here, you did it again, boys.

Thanks, good morning.

Hi.

Hi, darling.

Hi, baby. How are you?

Good to see you.

Who's here?

If I offered to prosecute

her a drink, would he object?

What are you gentlemen drinking?

We can't stay long.

Thanks, anyway.

I can't say I know how you feel.

Hard as I try, I just

can't seem to lose a case.

What's this?

subpoena.

subpoena?

Grand jury.

Is this on the level?

It is.

What's the charge?

Bribing a member of the jury.

Namely, Mrs. Carol Morrow.

(all chattering)

This charge.

Mr. Lane, have you saved your minds?

Ralph, you don't...

(dramatic music)

(door opens)

Hello, Betty.

Diane, come in.

Gee, but I'm sure glad to see you.

Where's Jim?

I don't know.

I was in the bedroom

calling down for some breakfast,

then I came in here in Jim's garden.

How about some coffee?

Thank you.

I came in from Vegas last night as soon

as I heard about the

grand jury and dining gym.

What's the story, Billy?

Simple, hair-raising.

Jim was taken for five grand in a poker

game out in some desert shack.

Then a dame turned up with the money.

A dame on the jury, Carol Morrow.

And she's saying that Jim

gave her the money as a bribe.

How are the boys?

Is Timmy taller than me yet?

They didn't feel so big yesterday.

(dramatic music)

(door opens)

(door closes)

(dramatic music)

(dramatic music)

Cut yourself?

I admit it.

Would you arrest me

for attempted suicide?

You could tell me if

it's stealing your Jeep.

No, no, it's yours any time you want it.

You know where I've been, don't you?

Staley's shack, I guess.

Should I have found them at home?

There's no telling about Staley.

No poker table, no chips.

Oh? You sure you found the right shack?

My only mistake was going

there in the first place.

Now where will I find Staley?

He comes and goes.

And where does he go to?

You know something?

I never got around to asking him.

A drink?

No, thanks.

You won't help me, then?

Yeah, I'll do all I can.

What about the other players?

Who were they?

My only introductions

weren't exactly formal,

but you mean to tell me you don't know

the crowd that plays poker with Staley?

I'll grind around some of

them up as soon as I can.

Sheriff, are you out to get me?

I wish you wouldn't think that.

Well, I hit you pretty

hard in the courtroom.

You never raised your voice once.

Is Mrs. Morrow a friend of yours?

Every voter's a friend of mine.

Even if a voter commits perjury?

You know something, Mr. Blaine?

I'd like to believe you,

but it's not easy

considering the evidence.

Say, where have you been?

Out in the desert looking for mirages.

Two car mirages?

No Staley, no poker

table, no chips, no nothing.

A frame house, huh?

That's not too funny.

Hope's building a beautiful frame.

And you'll have ten years to admire it,

at the state's expense.

You selling me short?

Me selling you short?

My memory's not that bad.

Every morning when I wake up,

I look to make sure there

are no bars on the windows.

If I were you, I'd go into a

little Irish jig right now.

You would, huh?

A very attractive lady

just checked in down the hall.

I'll try to find time.

It's Diane.

Diane?

4-0-8.

[knocking]

Why didn't you let me know?

I was waiting for your call.

I wasn't thinking.

I haven't been thinking

straight since they subpoenaed me.

How are the kids?

Upset.

Why didn't you bring them?

It's not exactly a holiday.

I didn't bribe Mrs. Morrow.

How did she get the money?

Not from me.

I lost the $5,000 in a

poker game to some card sharps.

And the man who got me into

the game collected the money

and turned it over to Mrs. Morrow.

Who is this man?

Nick Hoke, sheriff of Bolton County.

Friend of the late Larry Bell,

forward the rest of his

victim of a cross-examination

by the incomparable James Gordon Blaine.

Darby, I've hurt you,

but I've never lied to you.

I believe you, Jim, and I want to help.

You moved Billy out of my suite.

Not with Jim?

No.

I've never stopped loving you,

needing you and the boys.

That's why I'm here, for dear's sake.

Not mine, for yours.

Objection sustained.

Thanks for being here.

Well, you're telling me better get in

line, or come next November,

you'll be running for the woods to set it

for the state senate.

Right.

Mm-hmm. I'll talk to you later.

Hey, what do you think you're doing?

I do not.

Never mind. Just put it down.

Mr. Blaine is here.

All right. Looks scared.

Come right in.

Well, Mr. Blaine, you

recognize either one of them?

Oh, sure not.

I'm sure.

All right, boys, I'm sorry.

Welcome to Bolton, Mrs. Blaine.

Thank you.

You too, Mr. Gals.

Nice town you've got here.

The last time I came through it was so

quiet you could hear the pinball machine.

That's pretty funny.

Say, I'll keep looking around.

I'll have those poker

players on the turn up.

Thanks.

Lester Rawlings is vacationing in Desert

Valley, staying at the sun club.

Why the social note?

Merely remembering a

maximum of our children.

A lawyer who defends

himself as a fool for a client.

That should be good

for a laugh somewhere.

Forget it. I'm the exception to the rule.

Let's face it, Jim.

You too can be a fool.

I'm defending myself.

Correction. You're also

defending Timmy and Johnny.

Hello.)

Hello.

Mr. and Mrs. Reston, my

wife Diane and Billy Gals.

How do you do?

How do you do?

Hi.

Join us for a drink?

Well, thank you. No,

you're just going inside.

When did you arrive?

This morning.

Oh.

You have a very remarkable husband.

Yes, very remarkable.

What's your complaint?

I just don't like the mess you made.

The mess I made?

I didn't ask you to bribe Mrs. Morrow.

That was your own stupid idea.

If I ever hear you say that again, sir,

help me. I'll kill you.

You mean you didn't give her the money?

No, Mrs. Reston. I didn't.

My only mistake was in

defending you and your idiot husband.

And in parting, may I

say you deserve each other?

Some of the piano players said, "Well,

hum a few bars and I'll fake it."

That's rather amusing, don't you think?

Uh-oh. Business calls.

Pardon me, girls.

See you, Major.

Jim Blaine.

I'm Lester Rawlings.

We met a few years ago at Tuchhore's

restaurant, I believe.

Of course. My wife,

Diane, and Billy Giles.

Hello. Would you permit

me to buy you all a drink?

Well, thanks, Bob.

I could use one. Thank you.

Well, good. Good.

Every time I get a chance to escape from

the city, I come down here.

It's a great place to relax.

You hear that, Jim? You're supposed to

relax. It's a local law.

Here I took the rest

and case away from you.

I was more of a hot

potato than a case, wasn't it?

I wish I'd have said...

What's your opinion?

Opinion of what?

The indictment against me.

Am I to answer that as an

acquaintance or as your lawyer?

Why, the business pitch you want to

deduct the drinks from your taxes.

We're interested in the

legal opinion, Mr. Rawlings.

I prefer to hear Jim speak for himself.

Is this your way of

getting the rest and fee?

Oh, no, no. I am not asking for a cent.

What's in it for you, then?

Trying to prove you're a

better lawyer than I am?

Well, for your sake.

I hope I am.

Mr. Rawlings, can you give us an idea of

what your defense

tactics are going to be?

Well, my first tactic is

not to reveal my tactics.

Considering the local

prejudice against Jim Blaine,

are you planning to move

the trial to Capital City?

The only thing I plan

to move is the jury.

Well, that covers everything, I believe.

One more question, please.

Yes, Mr. Adams.

Will the defense be a joint effort?

I believe that Jim Blaine is the greatest

trial lawyer since the

late Clarence Darrow.

But in this case, Mr. Blaine is going to

be the defendant, that and nothing more.

Is that so, Jim?

You heard the man.

I just can't picture

you as a defendant, Jim.

My idea of a defendant is

somewhere like Benson Powell.

Yes, well, thank you, gentlemen. Thank

you, and good night.

Would you excuse us, Mr. Garrels?

I would like to confer with my client.

Oh, Billy can stay.

Oh, it's okay. I got to

see a man about a horse.

We'll see you later.

There's one point we

haven't discussed as yet.

The possibility of defeat.

You say possibility or probability?

Please, Jim.

Forgive me for injecting this depressing

and pessimistic note,

but we must prepare

for all eventualities.

Why, my tailor fit me

for sackcloth and ashes.

Better let Billy Giles

handle the humor department, Jim.

You and I have some very

sober decisions to reach.

Such as?

Oh, for one.

The advisability of making a deal.

What the hell are you talking about?

Should your case appear to be lost,

I would like to be able to

approach the prosecution.

We plead guilty?

I'm merely trying to

cover all of the angles.

The purpose being to keep you

out of the state penitentiary.

Mr. Rawlings, do you believe

my husband bribed Mrs. Morrow?

Let's not go into that.

Please answer my question.

Perhaps you'd better answer your wife.

Set her straight.

You're the one that

needs to be set straight.

You're through before you begin.

You'd better get out of

here before I break your jaw.

(door opens)

Do you want a drink?

No, thank you.

I'm going to bed.

Look, was I out of line?

No.

No.

You referred to me as your husband.

Did I?

Please stay. I need you.

You're some ill-legally man and wife.

Did that stop you with Charlene Reston?

Jim.

Yeah?

Easy on the bottle, please.

Your defense is in your own hands now.

(door opens)

Mrs. Morrow?

Yes. What is it?

I'd like to speak to

you. I'm Mrs. Blaine.

May I come in?

Go away. Go away.

Please, please, I must talk to you.

Leave me alone.

Please, no!

(dramatic music)

Quit it.

- Hi, sir. - Quit it!

(crying)

Oh, please, Nick, don't

make me go through with it.

There's no other way.

I'm frightened. I'm frightened.

I keep telling you, it's all worked out.

What'll happen to me when

he gets me on the stand?

Oh, please, Nick.

That's why we're in this, because what

Blaine did to me on the stand.

Get this through your head.

It's not that New York

lawyer you have to be afraid of.

Yes.

It's me.

(dramatic music)

- Well, good luck, Jim. - Thanks.

You got those descriptions with you?

Yeah. All I need is a

Sherlock Holmes hat.

Don't worry, Jim. If any of those card

sharks are in Vegas, I'll fish them out.

All right. So long,

take care of yourself.

Bye, Billy.

I'll be seeing you.

Well, look, the coach comes across the

locker room, takes one look at my shoes,

and flings them against the wall.

These ain't Hope's shoes, you said.

I expect we could pass this secondary.

What are you supposed to happen?

I get...

Hmm?

(crowd chattering)

(chatter)

All right, all right.

Break it up. Come on, move.

Frontal.

Sorry.

And this $5,000,

introduced into evidence,

is what Mr. Blaine gave you.

Yes.

Thank you, Mrs. Morrow.

You may cross the examine.

Mrs. Morrow, how long

have you been a widow?

Six years.

Now, you said that on

the night in question,

I forced you to stop

your car on a dark highway.

You said that I got into

your car and gave you $5,000

to make certain you would

vote to equip my clients.

Is that your testimony?

Yes, it is.

Oh, in as much as I seem

to be a victim of amnesia,

would it be possible for

you to tell me in detail

what was said and by whom

as well as you can recall?

I'll try.

Thank you.

Now, who spoke first?

You did.

You said, "Good evening, Mrs. Morrow.

I hope I didn't alarm you."

And then what was said?

Well, I said nothing.

You got in the car, sat

down, and offered me a cigarette.

Do you recall the brand?

No, I don't.

Well, then who spoke?

Well, you did.

You said, "You're a widow, aren't you?"

And I said, "Yes, I am."

And then you said, "Your husband was a

war hero, I understand."

And what did you say?

I didn't say anything. I choked up.

And what did I say?

You said nothing.

You took out an

envelope and handed it to me.

Then you said, "Put this in your purse."

And did you put it in your purse?

No, I didn't.

I said, "What is it?"

And how did I answer you?

Some insurance I'm

buying, that's what you said.

And what did you say to that sales pitch?

I don't know. I said something silly

like, "I don't sell insurance."

Mrs. Morrow, what are you

trying to sell this court?

Nothing. Nothing but the truth.

Is truth for sale?

Objection.

Sustained.

Mrs. Morrow, have you

ever run afoul of the law?

No.

Have you ever had any

difficulty with your taxes?

No.

Have you ever been involved in a lawsuit?

No.

Have you ever committed

any traffic violations?

No.

You're a law-abiding citizen.

I do the best I can.

Are you in debt?

No.

Are you addicted to drugs?

No.

Drinking?

No.

To gambling?

No.

Are you being blackmailed by anybody?

No.

Are you pressed for money?

No.

You own a beauty parlor?

Yes.

You're the sole owner?

Yes.

You own yourself as a

decent, law-abiding citizen.

You own your own business.

You're a woman of property and propriety.

Do you want the court and this jury to

believe that a person of your character

and your standing in the community would

accept a bribe of $5,000 from anyone, let

alone a New York lawyer?

Please answer my question.

I didn't know what I was doing.

You didn't know what you were doing.

I didn't know what to do.

Did you ask anyone what you should do?

No, I was afraid to.

Well, who
were you afraid of?

Me?

Yes.

Did I threaten you

with physical violence?

No.

Did I threaten you at all?

No.

Are you afraid right this minute?

Yes.

Of me?

Yes.

Because I might show the court that

you're perjuring yourself?

I'm telling the truth.

So help you, God?

Yes.

Does the tone of my voice disturb you?

Yes.

Do you dislike me?

Yes.

Do you hate me?

Yes.

Because I'm a New York lawyer?

Yes.

Because I defended the restants?

Yes.

You wanted to send the

restants to prison, didn't you?

Yes.

You want to see me go

to prison, don't you?

Yes.

You're lying now because you hate me.

Isn't that so?

I'm not lying.

You do hate me, don't you?

Yes, I hate you.

And your hate for me is so strong that

you do anything to destroy me.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes, I hate you.

Every time I think of your dirty, filthy

money, every time I feel

the things of my conscience,

I want to see you

suffer as much as suffers.

So you've done this thing to me.

I did. I did.

Fool.

Poor fool.

[music]

Very nice, Dave.

[music]

I had better luck at Staley Shack.

Didn't I bump into

you there some time ago?

What did you say?

Staley's Place in Desert Valley.

Never worked there.

Never even heard of the place.

Let me.

Must have been two other guys.

That's a good name for this game.

Blackjack.

Better luck next time.

You were so great, you had me believing.

Nick, I'm worried.

Come over to the house, please.

Don't wait up, darling.

Nick, please.

Why are the phones ringing?

We can't afford to take any chances now.

Good night, baby.

Hello.

Nick, Cal Morris.

Where you calling from?

Vegas.

Listen, Billy Giles just spotted me.

I told you to lay low.

But Nick, I had to work.

I was short.

You lame brain.

What did you tell him?

I played dumb.

At least I did, Nick.

But he's on his way to

Bolton with a picture of me.

A picture?

Did you autograph it for him?

Giles got it from the manager.

Listen, it's a picture of

the casino in nine minutes.

But good.

Get out of Vegas, Cal.

Get lost somewhere, and

don't let me find you.

Good sell me the Thousand Islands

whenever he talks to me.

That man could sell me Niagara Falls.

Could sell me the National Forest.

Remarkable, isn't he?

Billy Giles, boy detective.

[music playing]

Isn't he crazy?

[music playing]

[gunshots]

[applause]

[music playing]

[knocking]

She was convincing.

May I come in?

Sure.

What glad tidings do you bring?

It's bad news.

What happened?

Mrs. Morrow confessed

she was lying on the stand?

It's about Billy Giles.

He's dead.

Dead?

Oh, no.

What had happened?

Highway accident, about 10

miles out of Desert Valley.

He missed a curve.

His car plunged down a

ravine and burned up.

I think he was killed instantly.

Anyway, they've got

him in the hospital more.

I got bad news for you.

I'm going to get you on the stand.

I expected as much.

I'm awfully sorry about Billy Giles.

He was one of my favorites from way back.

Would you like to go to

the hospital with me, Jim?

Thanks, sir.

I'll go over later.

[door opens]

You know what Billy

said to me after his trial?

I guess I never told you this.

He said, "Where do I go now, Jim?"

I said, "I knew where you

pleased. You're a free man."

He said, "Am I?

Doesn't God know what you and I know?"

I tried to tell him how

important laughter was,

how much of it he had to give.

He said, "How do I open my act now?"

Funny thing happened to me on

the way to the electric chair.

[music] [music]

[music]

[music]

Aaron, this way.

Well, how are you feeling today?

All right.

Good.

Recognize them?

Oh.

Come here.

Stay got your hands.

They look like they've been in the brawl.

Not with me they haven't.

You sure now?

I'm sure.

All right.

Get out of town, Prado.

They kind of figured I had them.

Maybe if you could give me a better

description of them.

Come to think of it,

they both look like you.

Oh.

You can save that phony

laugh with a witness stand.

When I get through with you, I wish I'd

gone to work on you with a baseball bat.

Exactly my sentiments.

Pardon me, please.

Excuse me.

Bratz.

Raise your right hand.

You swear the testimony about to give

this court is the truth, the whole truth,

and nothing but the

truth, so help you God.

I do.

State your name.

Nick Hope.

Be seated.

Sheriff Hope, do you recall

the verdict in the Reston case?

How could I forget that?

Did you agree with the verdict?

No.

Was the verdict a disappointment to you?

Yes.

A bitter disappointment?

Yes.

One of the most bitter

disappointments in your life?

Yes.

You resented the Restons, didn't you?

Yes, I did.

Because they were rich

society people from Desert Valley?

Because they murdered Larry Bell.

You believe this with all your heart?

I do.

You believe that in their

case, justice was thwarted?

Yes, I do.

Do you realize that you

lost the case for the state?

No, I don't.

Other people realize it, don't they?

I wouldn't know about that.

Or didn't Mr. Mitchell, the prosecutor,

tell newspapermen that it was my

cross-examination of

you that defeated him?

I don't know what he told them.

He was in all the

newspapers. Don't you read the papers?

I don't believe everything I read.

What do you believe?

That you're a sharp lawyer.

Let me return the compliment.

You're the sharpest

sheriff I've ever encountered.

Are you a vengeful person, sheriff?

I'm human.

Human enough to understand that I've

severely damaged your

stature and reputation?

I can't answer that

till the next election.

You intend to run for a

re-election to your office?

Yes, I do.

Would you say it would be helpful to your

cause if I were convicted?

Probably.

Then you're interested in having the jury

return a verdict of guilty.

Oh, that isn't my job.

I didn't ask about your job. I asked

about your interest.

Well, I think that justice will be done.

What is justice in this case?

That's for the jury to decide.

Well, what have you decided?

It's not my decision to make.

You do make

decisions, however, don't you?

Well, I have to, yes.

Weren't you forced to make

a fateful decision about me?

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

I'm talking about conspiracy. Do you

understand the meaning of the word?

Of course I do.

Would you admit if the court decides in

my favor that I was a

victim of conspiracy?

I'll abide by the jury's verdict.

Oh, wouldn't a verdict of not guilty mean

that the jury believes I

was a victim of conspiracy?

I guess so.

Assuming that such is their verdict,

that would mean that some person or

persons unknown did willfully plot to

ruin my reputation and throw me into

prison, would it not?

Could be.

This would also involve Mrs. Carol

Morrow, would it not?

Mine.

And if the jury feels that I have told

the truth, then it must assume that Mrs.

Morrow was lying. Isn't that right?

I guess so.

Would it not also be possible that Rod

Staley and his poker companions could be

involved in the same conspiracy?

Oh, I couldn't say about that.

Remember now, hypothetically at least, I

have been acquitted.

Then if I did lose the money in a poker

game and the same money turned up in Mrs.

Morrow's possession, does it not stand to

reason that someone other than I gave the

money to Mrs. Morrow?

I don't follow you.

Shall I repeat the question for you?

If it's important enough for you.

Isn't your name and

reputation important to you?

I'm not on trial, A.R.

Will you admit that I am?

Yes.

Will you also admit this, that it was you

who told me about the

poker games at Staley's house?

Yes.

And wasn't it you who specifically

invited me to participate in a poker game

at Staley's house on

the night of February 24?

Yes.

And didn't you tell me I could use your

jeep to get to Staley's house?

Yes.

Why were you doing these things?

I was just trying to oblige you.

Why would you want to oblige me?

Well, I try to oblige all of my friends.

Do you mean to tell this court that you

regarded me as your friend?

Well...

Yes.

Now, Mr. Hulk, how

could I ever be your friend?

I'm a New York lawyer.

The last time I had you on

the stand, I made a fool of you.

I've got you on the stand this moment

trying to make a liar, a perjurer, and a

conspirator out of you.

And you persist in

regarding me as a friend.

Can you tell the court any incident,

moment, time, or place, when or where I

showed any sign of friendship for you?

Your Honor, may I remind Mr. Blaine that

he is conducting a direct examination,

and that he is attempting

to impeach his own witness.

That's all right.

I'll answer the question.

Objection withdrawn.

Well, it was the first day we met.

We were driving across the desert in my

Jeep and talking about

Larry Bell and football,

and you said something

that kind of surprised me.

You mentioned that you'd seen me play

once, and you even

remembered the game and the date,

and the past that I

caught to make a touchdown.

And you remember that I was an

All-American, but

something that I missed out on.

But the way you said

it, it made me feel good.

It made me feel real friendly toward you.

Well, I know I felt that way, because

after that, I told you something,

something real

personal, something that I...

I'd never tell

anybody who wasn't a friend.

Jim, can't you get a

postponement of the trial?

Why, it's about over.

Wouldn't it be a good idea to bring in

another lawyer, or the summation?

Somebody blamed and struck out his name.

It's time for decisions, not so pity.

There'll be a new defense

attorney in court tomorrow.

Who will he be?

The man you deserve, he never got it.

The man you deserve, he never got it.

Can you sleep?

No.

I can't even sit still.

You need a drink.

No, thanks.

So I will be coming up sooner.

There will be no sleep in court.

Got a lot to think about, strange new shorts.

I'm not going to be here. I got a lot to think

about, strange new shorts.

Do you want one of my sleeping pills?

Everybody rise.

Superior Court of the County

of Bolton is now in session.

The Hon. David L.

Johnson, Judge Presiding.

Be seated.

Counsel for the defense may begin his closing argument. Gentlemen of the jury,

you have heard the

prosecution refer to me

as the criminal lawyer.

You have heard the

prosecution refer to me

as the criminal lawyer.

You have heard the prosecution refer to

me as the criminal lawyer.

My only complaint is he seemed to stress

the word criminal

rather than the word lawyer.

Let me tell you how I

became a criminal lawyer.

First of all, my ambition was to be a

corporation lawyer, to

have an office in Wall Street,

a home in an exclusive suburb, and all

the wealth and prestige that I could win.

After passing my bar examinations, I

knocked on the door of

every reputable law firm in

New York.

But no luck.

Why?

Because I was a night school lawyer.

I stood no chance against the men from

the Ivy League law schools.

To eat, I became a process server.

I drove a taxi.

I delivered Christmas mail.

Until one day someone

remembered I was a lawyer.

That someone was a ward leader.

It seems a boy was being tried for

burglary, a hopeless case.

And I was paid $25 to

go through the motions.

Well the boy was acquitted.

And after a few more cases like that, the

underworld discovered me.

Soon I was the mouthpiece for racketeers,

murderers, dope peddlers, and panderers.

My fame increased.

My cases were news.

Now I was a big criminal lawyer.

My fees were exorbitant.

Now my clients came from

big money and high society.

I asked only three questions.

Could the client pay my fee?

Would the case be front page news?

And could I win the case?

And I won my cases.

Until the word went around, "If you're

guilty, get James Gordon Blaine."

That was my reputation.

I must confess I enjoyed it.

I enjoyed every moment in the courtroom.

It was a stage for me and I never failed

to be the principal actor in the drama.

I enjoyed the

celebration and the notoriety.

I enjoyed gambling with life and death.

This note of apology is not for my

profession, but

rather for my own behavior.

Or if you will, misbehavior.

Bear this in mind, please.

None of us is immune to

accusations and indictments.

They strike the

innocent and guilty alike.

And when it happens to you, you expect

you demand an

experienced and successful lawyer.

I could spend hours telling you innocent

men imprisoned and

executed because of clumsy

and uninspired defenses.

A good example of this is

the case now before you.

During this trial, I have proved the old

saying that the

lawyer who defends himself

has a fool for a client.

I've bungled it badly.

I've failed to establish my innocence.

And I'm sure that at this moment, the

verdict of each of you

gentlemen is guilty as charged.

Take for example my

cross-examination of Mrs. Carol Morrow.

With Mrs. Morrow, I lost my sense of

detachment and I lost my head.

I hurled questions wildly, hostilely.

For I knew that truth was on my side.

Well, you know what happened.

When I sprung the trap for Mrs. Morrow,

it wasn't she who fell into it.

It was I.

As she lay there in a dead faint, I stood

here not like a great

criminal lawyer, but

rather like the village idiot.

Or take my direct

examination of Sheriff Hoke.

This time I vowed I

wouldn't be trapped by a big lie.

And I wasn't.

Instead, I was destroyed by the truth.

Yes, the truth.

A truth crowded out of a mind possessed

with just one thought,

that I was being framed

by Nick Hoke.

And yet, these errors seem minor and

unimportant when I think of the one

glaring and shameful

error of my entire career.

My blindness to the

sanctity of the court.

And this magazine in referring to the

rest in trial called it

the case of the tattered

dress.

I think this case now before you might be

called the second case

of the tattered dress,

the tattered dress of justice.

I readily confess to

my part in that assault.

But I contend that justice has been

attacked on a far greater

scale, by mob passion, by

provincialism, by

prejudice and by conspiracy.

In our courts, we aspire to justice.

Because we are men and not

gods, we don't always achieve it.

But remember this.

There is no other system

for the governing of men.

No other except violence.

Beyond the walls of

this court lies the city.

And within the city, as in

all cities, there are alleys.

In the jungle dark of one of those alleys

a few nights ago, I was attacked.

Think of the alley,

please, and think hard.

Think of what happened

there in the darkness.

It was a trial.

I, the accused, was confronted by two men

masked in darkness, cloaked in the stolen

majesty of this court, and smeared with

the blood of outraged justice.

These nameless men arrested me.

They accused me, they indicted me, they

judged me, they sentenced

me, and they were executing

me.

An execution halted only by

the sound of running feet.

The sound of men from the 20th century

running from the quiet,

lamplish street just outside

that alley of darkness.

Because of them, I escaped with my life.

But keep this in mind.

I was not alone.

In every act of violence,

justice is also a victim.

Gentlemen of the jury, for the sake of

justice, make your choice well.

- Nick, I'm worried. I'm

worried sick. - You're looking.

Why is the jury out so long?

There's one way to get a free meal.

Nick, come over to the house, please.

Look, baby, from here on out, you'll be

lucky if I tip my hat

to you on the street.

Nick, you're joking. You're joking.

Some joke. I got caught a long pass.

Nobody between me and the gold line, and

I tripped and fell on my face.

Nick, we'll go away

someplace, any place you say.

The only one who leaves this

town is that New York lawyer.

Either in handcuffs or in a pine box.

But, Nick...

- Julian. - Not yet.

- Hi. - Hi.

You know what the boys

think about your performance?

It was no performance.

I have to level with you.

I'm not sold, it was all for real.

It's not just me.

You haven't sold the other

newspaper men, or the public.

They're even saying that the way you tripped yourself up with Mrs. Morrow and Hope,

it was all part of the act.

Act?

There was an act made God strike me dead.

I'm sorry, Jim, that's the way it is.

Jim, I know what you're thinking, and I don't want to.

I know what you're

thinking, and I don't like it.

Darling, if we have

to, we'll live this town.

Last night I thought I was home again.

No, I know I can't go home.

Not just yet.

Be seated.

Gentlemen of the jury,

have you arrived at a verdict?

We have, Your Honor.

I'll find you.

Guilty or not guilty?

Not guilty.

Mr. Blaine, congratulations.

Thank you.

Any comment, Sheriff?

Comment?

Yeah, sure.

When you hear the gun,

it'll be the end of the game.

There she is.

How do you feel about this, Mr. Morrow?

Come on, give us a break.

Leave me alone!

Here comes Blaine.

How about a statement, Jim?

Are you going to press

charges against Hogan, Mrs. Morrow?

Later, ask me at the hotel.

All that place.

This way, Mr. Blaine.

Come on, let's go.

All right, now let's move

back to the room in here.

Jim, how do I begin to apologize?

I think our apologies

catch love each other.

Thanks.

Now I'd better file my story.

Or else...

I can also wire Benson Paul.

The gentleman will talk to me.

Who's Benson Paul?

A man in prison, in need of a lawyer.

Let's go home.

[music]