All language subtitles for Perry.Mason.S09E28.The.Case.of.the.Positive.Negative.DVDRip.x264

Laura?

Laura?

Open up.

Open up.

Laura. Wake up.

Wake up.

Warren? What...?

What are you doing?

- Why?
- You know why I'm here.

Why did you do it?

Do what?

Well, what's wrong?

What are you talking about?

Who are you calling?

What for?

Why?

Perry Mason.

It did? How long ago?

Fine, general.

Where's your meeting?

That's in, uh, San
Carlos, isn't it?

Uh, outside the city?

Yes, general, I'll be
there as quickly as I can.

What do you think? - Perfect.

The other shot's just as good.

- What about this one?
- That one's no good.

Infrared bulb must have been
out of sync with the shutter.

But the other two
shots are beautiful.

Your fire-eating general
won't have time to worry

about reforming San Carlos.

He'll be too busy
worrying about his wife.

General Brandon, this is the best
news the town of San Carlos has had

in a long time.

When the people here incorporated
as a separate municipality,

they assumed that being
outside Los Angeles,

and therefore it's tax
rolls, would be a blessing.

What we failed to realize was

we were placing ourself beyond
Los Angeles' city law enforcement,

making ourselves
easy prey to racketeers.

So it's no wonder that George
Emory was able to move in

and practically take
over San Carlos.

This special enforcement commission
could very well be the answer.

Let's understand
each other, gentlemen.

I said I'd received a
request from the governor

to head this commission.

I did not say I agreed.

Neither did I say I'd refuse.

Now, my answer to the governor
depends on you, gentlemen.

And Frank Cummings
when he gets here.

You three men asked
the governor to appoint me.

Now, I will accept
on one condition,

if you, Mr. Mason,
and you, Mr. Overton,

and Mr. Cummings,

will serve with me
on the commission.

Well, general, this is
hardly the job for me.

Ha, ha. Let me tell you about a few
jobs our government has thought up for me

in my 25 years.

Yes, I know. As soldier,
diplomatic troubleshooter.

No one's earned their
retirement more than you have.

Putting the golf clubs back
in mothballs for a while,

that'll be easy, but
telling Laura, my wife...

I imagine Mrs. Brandon has been
looking forward to your retirement,

making plans.

She's a good soldier, that girl.

All these years when
I've had to be away,

one, two, three, four at a
time, she never complained.

That's why I hate to
disappoint her so now.

General, I can't speak for
Mr. Overton or for Mr. Cummings,

and as for myself, if you
can face Mrs. Brandon,

I can face serving with you.

And I can face George Emory.

But, general, I warn you...

That must be Frank.

Mr. Mason, the roof's caved in.

Here. Just as I was getting
ready to come over here,

this was shoved under my door.

"Either General Brandon
refuses the appointment

to head the
enforcement commission

or the newspapers get these
pictures in time for the morning edition."

Surely no newspaper would
print such scurrilous pictures.

At least one would.

The San Carlos Press.

George Emory owns it.

Let me see those.

My wife? My aide?

I'll bet George Emory is
responsible for this frame.

Of course. Emory must
have set the whole thing up.

But how could he know
about the governor's offer?

Only we knew.

And young Cotton.

Maybe you trusted
your aide too much.

I won't believe that.

General, what we must
do as quickly as possible,

is to prove those pictures
were falsely devised.

Prove it? How? When?

If I don't refuse
this appointment,

these pictures will be in print
the first thing in the morning.

I expected Emory to
fight with bare knuckles.

But that he'd stoop so
low as to smear my wife...

Well?

Well, what, Roger?

You two were
photographed in this position,

and you didn't even know that
photographs were being taken?

No.

You don't trust me.

Is that what you mean?

No, it's not what I mean,

but when someone shows
a man pictures like these,

I think I'm entitled
to some explanation.

You think there was something
between me and Warren?

- I didn't say that.
- But you were thinking it.

No, I wasn't.

But when I get into a fight, I
wanna know all about the situation.

And I am in a fight right
now with George Emory.

Believe me, dear, all the
years that we were separated,

I never had a single
doubt about you.

It never entered my
head to doubt you.

All right.

Once more. Warren
came into the bedroom.

He said he'd gotten
a call or a message

that I'd taken sleeping
pills, tried to kill myself.

Warren could be that naive?

You don't believe me.

I do.

But whether I
believe you or not,

Emory still has these
pictures to use against me.

And I've let you down.

I didn't say that.

You didn't have to.

Oh, where are you going?

I'm going to Los Angeles to see
the man responsible for these.

Warren?

Oh, thank goodness
I caught you in.

This is Laura.

Well, so much for all our hopes
of getting rid of George Emory.

Men of Brandon's stature
and reputation are rare.

Without him, I'm
afraid we're licked.

We should have stopped him
before he ever went out that door.

Suppose it was your
wife in those pictures.

All right. So, what do we do?

Just give up?

Leave San Carlos in the
hands of Emory's thugs?

No one's suggesting that.

In a way, we're responsible
for what's happened.

Men like George Emory exist

only because there
aren't enough good men

willing to get
involved in public life.

That's true.

So when a man
with a sense of duty

as strong as General
Brandon's does appear,

we put an intolerable
load on his shoulders.

And now we've asked him
to take on one more burden.

And if he does, he's liable to see his
whole private life completely destroyed.

We have only one chance,

and that's to prove that
Emory set this thing up.

What's the matter
with you, Warren?

- I told you I'd meet you outside.
- Open the door.

- Look, kid, we...
- I said, open it.

I don't wanna stand here
and be seen with you.

I've heard of some low tricks.

But how anyone could set up
his own nephew for a frame...

You've gotta come with
me and admit what you did.

Look, what's it with you, kid?

Are you gonna deny you took
those pictures for your boss?

What pictures?

Of me and Mrs. Brandon
in that motel room.

You were with the general's
wife in a motel room?

Of course, you don't
know a thing about it, huh?

Look, all I know is, I
moved heaven and earth

to get my nephew a place with
the finest guy that ever lived.

And how do you pay me back?

By fooling around with his wife.

I wasn't fooling around.
I was framed, set up.

By the man you work
for, George Emory.

Emory?

I get it now.

Emory's afraid of Brandon.

It's just the kind of thing that
he would do to protect himself.

Look, Warren, I didn't
take those pictures.

You know I'd never do
anything to hurt General Brandon.

Well, what a mess.

I've worked for Emory, sure.

I was out of the service. I...

Emory made it sound great.

Even clean.

I was an easy touch.

I had you to get through school, I
had to pay for that fancy degree.

I looked the other way
when I shouldn't have.

But I never expected my old CO
would show up here to fight Emory,

and that Emory would
use you against him.

Then if you didn't
take the pictures,

you don't have the negatives.

No, of course not.

Then we only have until
press time to get them back.

After that, it won't
make any difference.

Where are you going?

There's something I have to do.

Now, Warren, you're in enough
trouble already. Don't make it worse.

Don't you threaten me.

I didn't take those pictures and
I didn't hire anyone else to do it.

There's one little
thing you're forgetting.

Well, the white knight.

Sir Galahad in person.

Where's your horse?

I wanna talk to you, Emory.

I just talked to your
boy, Warren Cotton,

and I don't like having
guns pulled on me.

Warren was here?

You expect me to believe that you
didn't send him here to threaten me?

I do my own threatening, Emory.

Look, it's after midnight
and I was going to bed.

You'll listen to me first.

In here.

If you came because
of those photographs,

you're barking up the wrong guy.

I had nothing to
do with taking them.

You seem to know
they were taken.

I told you. Your flunky came
busting in here with a gun.

He was gonna blow my head off
if I didn't give him the negatives.

Maybe the kid is smart, general,

but he's a lousy recruit for
your army of redemption.

Old as I am, I took
that gun away from him

in about two seconds.

And now I'm telling
you once and for all,

I don't have your negatives and I
don't know anything about them.

If I have to use force to make
you give them to me, I will.

I'm pretty good with
ducks and rabbits, general,

but I never bagged me a
genuine Army officer before.

That's my pistol.

I'm surprised at you, general.

Didn't you ever learn not to leave
guns and wives lying around loose?

So help me, Emory, I'll
kill you for saying that.

Not tonight, general.

It's very late
and I'm very tired.

This is General Brandon.

Mason.

Yes, he's here with me now.

Laura? Oh, she just stepped out.

There is no point in
you going there now.

I've already seen Emory.

And you saw George Emory?

I'm not sure that was wise.

He denied all knowledge
of the photographs.

I'm afraid we're licked, Mason.

It's after 1.

I can't throw my
wife to the wolves,

enforcement commission or
no enforcement commission.

I can't honestly
say I blame you.

Ask him about the leak.

General, did you find
out how Emory knew

about the governor's
decision to appoint you?

No, I didn't.

But Warren said he didn't
mention it to Emory or anyone else,

and I believe him.

Laura. Where have you been?

Out. Just out.

If you believe Warren,
general, I have to accept that.

I see.

Well, please don't make any
statement until you hear from me again.

Yes, everything we can.

Good night.

The leak wasn't through Warren.

Then who? There was only
your three-man committee,

the general himself
and Warren Cotton.

What about Mrs. Brandon?

The general told me earlier

that she didn't know
about the appointment.

He was somewhat
hesitant about telling her.

I can understand that.

Well, Emory just didn't
divine it out of thin air.

To take photographs,
write that note in time

to stop the general from
accepting, he had to know.

The only lead we have, if it is a
lead, is the tie-in you discovered

between Warren Cotton's
uncle and George Emory.

And Uncle Bill is a
professional photographer,

runs a photo shop and could've
taken those pictures, don't forget that.

Well, let's go.

- Where?
- To the photo shop.

Sorry, Della, but you
better stand by for calls.

- But, Perry...
- And, Paul,

I want you to check
the other papers.

Find out if anyone
besides Emory's paper

has been approached
with the photographs.

Our chances of
stopping those pictures

from being printed are
ticking away minute by minute.

Hello, this is General Brandon. I'd
like to speak with the governor, please.

I believe he's
expecting a call from me.

Yes, thank you, I'll hold on.

Uh, no, thank you.
I'll call back later.

- Yes?
- Major General Roger Brandon?

- Yes.
- San Carlos Police, general.

This is Lieutenant Drumm of
the Los Angeles Department.

What can I do for
you, lieutenant?

General, I'm placing you under
arrest on suspicion of murder.

- What murder?
- George Emory.

George Emory has been murdered?

General Brandon, I'm required
to inform you of your rights.

You don't have to answer
questions, but anything you say now

may be later used as
evidence against you.

You have a right
to call your attorney.

Get on the telephone, dear.

Try and reach Perry Mason.

All right?

I think somebody slugged me.

It looks as if you've
been burglarized.

Oh, I don't keep enough cash
in the register to feed a midget.

- Then what were they after?
- I don't know.

If you hadn't broke in here,
the smoke would have killed me.

- Thanks, mister.
- Mason.

I'm Bill Cotton.

Mason?

Perry Mason?

General Brandon's brain trust.

- I'd like to talk with you.
- Don't talk to me, talk to Warren.

Don't you, uh, wanna
help your nephew?

How can I help him if
I don't know anything?

Whoever did this to you
thought you knew something.

Perhaps the location
of certain negatives.

I don't have the negatives. I
didn't develop those pictures.

- Like I told Warren, I...
- Warren was here?

Yeah, he thinks I
took the pictures too.

I wouldn't do anything
to hurt General Brandon.

- You can believe that.
- I can, but I don't.

We know you're involved
with George Emory and...

Yeah.

Who?

Just a minute. It's for you.

Hello?

Yes, Della.

- Murdered?
- It apparently happened sometime

between 1 and 2 in
the study of his home.

George Emory has been killed.

The police have picked
up General Brandon.

- Go ahead, Della.
- The general's wife called

right after Steve Drumm
took him to headquarters.

Now, shall I call her and tell her
that you'll be in touch with the general?

Yes, but first, I'll
stop at Emory's place.

Right.

The general didn't do it.

How do you know that?

Well, I know the
general. That's enough.

Oh, wait a minute.

You were right. I
worked for Emory.

This place is a pigeon
drop for Emory's payoffs.

There's one thing here now,

but maybe that's the reason
somebody wanted to burn the store down.

Earlier tonight, Emory asked
me to keep this privately.

I learned a long time
ago not to open his stuff.

Well, he can't object now.

What'd he want that thing for?

It looks like it's an out

from the same setup
as these two shots.

But it's underexposed, I don't
think you could make a print from it.

Why did he want me to keep it?
Why didn't he just throw it away?

I don't know.

But until we have an answer,
would you mind if I keep it?

Be my guest.

Oh, and look, Mr. Mason,

if there's anything I can
do to help General Brandon,

now, anything at all,

just yell for me, okay?

Hello, Perry. It didn't
take you long to get here.

- Thanks for letting me in, Steve.
- Unusual circumstances.

George Emory was the
big wheel in San Carlos,

but he was killed right here
in the Los Angeles city limits.

You didn't waste much time picking
up General Brandon for the killing.

Brandon had already admitted
that he was here with George Emory

at the approximate time of
the murder, between 1 and 1:30.

Has he said anything
else without counsel?

You mean, did I break him down?

No, Perry, I didn't.

I showed him this in
Emory's own handwriting.

What was he gonna do,
deny that he was here?

This calendar pad proves only that
Emory could write the general's name.

And the general's wife's name.

Well, I imagine you'll be able to
put together a theory of some sort.

It's no theory.

The general's a
straightforward man.

He volunteered the information
about the frame Emory pulled.

Before or after you
advised him of his rights?

After, Perry, after.

And since Emory's murder effectively
kept the pictures out of his newspaper,

and this place has
evidently been ransacked

in search of the negatives,

I think we got a
case, a good case.

And you know it.

Twenty years of
being the perfect wife,

of being left alone half the time
but keeping that stiff upper lip.

And it's all forgotten just because
some tinhorn political animal

produces some photographs.

I'm sick and tired of it.

And I'm not going to listen
to any more accusations.

No one's accusing you
of a thing, Mrs. Brandon.

The general didn't believe it.

He has complete faith in you.

Of course he does.

That's why he kept
throwing questions at me

as if I were the defendant
at a court martial.

That's why he went rushing
out of here to see Emory

when I begged him not to.

Mrs. Brandon, how well
did you know George Emory?

What?

I didn't know him at all.

Where were you earlier
tonight when I called the general

before Emory's
body was discovered?

I took a walk.

And don't ask me where
and don't ask me why.

I just walked, walked
around in circles.

You were nowhere in the
vicinity of Emory's home?

I said, I walked.

I could hardly have
walked into Los Angeles.

Mrs. Brandon, did you
talk to George Emory tonight

or at another time?

He'd written your
name on his calendar.

That might mean nothing.

Yes.

I talked to him.

You see,

I was afraid of what might happen
when Roger confronted Emory.

I begged Emory to tell him
the truth about the photographs.

It shows how clearly I
was thinking at the time.

What was Emory's answer?

Well, he said he hadn't
seen my husband,

he wouldn't let
him in if he came,

and he didn't have
any photographs taken.

Anything else?

Well, there was a pause.

I heard someone, a man, I
think, in the background talking.

Very loud.

And then I heard
Emory talking too.

Can you remember
exactly what he said?

- The other person?
- Yes.

I couldn't make it out.

He was yelling, that's all.

What about Emory?

I'm not sure.

I picked up a few words, then
he put his hand over the phone.

I think I heard something
like, "I've taken my last offer."

Or he could have said "order."

Then Emory was back
on the phone and he said:

"Good night, Mrs.
Brandon," and hung up.

I'll be talking to the
general in the morning.

I'll arrange for you to see him.

By then, Emory's murder
and your husband's arrest

will be on every front
page in the country.

Now, don't give any interviews.

Don't discuss the case
with anyone, all right?

Mr. Mason,

I'm sorry if I...

Well, he makes me mad
as the devil sometimes.

But I love that old
ramrod Roger Brandon.

And I'm glad that
you are on our side.

Good night, Mrs. Brandon.

Laura.

Good night, Laura.

Yes, those are the exact words
I used to Lieutenant Drumm.

Do you have any idea how your
gun came to be at Emory's place?

Emory had it before I got there.

You saw it?

When Warren Cotton
heard about the pictures,

he took the gun and went to
Emory's to try to get the negatives back

and undo the damage
he'd already caused.

But Emory took the
gun away from him.

But that was before I arrived.

Warren told you this?

No, George Emory did,
but Warren confirmed it later.

Warren's word wouldn't
be enough in court.

And the only confirming
witness is dead.

Mason, from what
Lieutenant Drumm said

about the time of death,

Emory must have been
killed right after I left.

And I just remembered,
when I got to the house,

I heard the voice of
another man inside.

He and Emory were arguing,

but when Emory let me in,
there was no sign of that man.

In fact, Emory said he
was ready to go to bed,

but that couldn't
have been true.

Mr. Mason, when I left, that
man was still in the house

and Emory was still alive.

And what's your appraisal of
the case against the general?

Very strong.

Maybe a chain of
circumstantial coincidences,

but the general did admit to
the police that he was there.

And he certainly had motive.

If things weren't
tough enough before,

now the general has got
us mixed up in a murder.

Aren't you forgetting, Frank,
that he'd be free and clear,

enjoying his retirement, if it
weren't for the three of us?

The least we can do
now is to support him.

Perry, I'll contribute any amount
of money to help the general.

Thank you.

But what the general needs
at the moment is our good faith.

Even if it means putting the
old Overton name on the line.

Well, I, uh, think that
goes without saying.

Does it?

We're agreed on that.

If we did anything
else, how would it look?

Frank and I will be standing by

just in case there's
anything we can do.

If there is, you can
be sure I'll call on you.

They look like honorary pallbearers
trying to make a good impression.

They'll never succeed.

Stanley Overton is so zealous
in guarding his family name,

he has difficulty in remembering
it's the general who's in trouble.

What did you think
of Frank Cummings?

Well, he was the first person that
called for an enforcement commission

to try to get rid
of George Emory.

And wasn't he the one who first
suggested approaching the general?

Then why was he so reluctant
to stand by the general now?

We ran down the lot number
on the edge of the negative.

- And?
- Well, it might mean nothing at all.

Files with the same batch
with the same number.

But this entire lot was
sold to a distributor

who supplies a
chain of drugstores.

You know who owns the drugstores
and the distribution company?

- Frank Cummings?
- Frank Cummings.

So we know this little piece of
film was sold in one of his stores.

But we don't know to whom.

Well, we know that
for some reason

this negative was
valuable to George Emory,

and he gave it to Bill
Cotton to keep for him.

Of course it may
not mean anything.

Paul, remember the
reason that Cummings gave

for fighting the Emory machine?

He said that all the
San Carlos merchants

were forced to pay off in
order to stay in business.

Yeah, all but Cummings.

I recall his telling us he'd
refused to knuckle under.

Yeah, but he did business
in San Carlos for years.

How did he manage that?
He amassed a fortune.

Unless Frank Cummings was
also paying off to George Emory.

All right, I'm here.

Now, why have you been
bugging me? What's so important?

General Brandon. He's important.

Of course he's
important, but why...

What happened
between you and Emory

when you went there
with the general's gun?

I told you. And I told
General Brandon's lawyer.

I threatened Emory with the gun,

told him I wanted
him to kill the pictures

and give me the negatives.

And he said he had
nothing to do with the frame

and he knew from nothing
about the negatives.

That's right.

You know, I thought
maybe you had grown up,

but you meekly let him
take that gun out of your hand

and you walked out of there
with your tail between your legs.

- I know how it sounds.
- Oh, do you?

Then you'll know why I
don't buy it. None of it.

Now, you listen to me.

If you pulled the trigger of that
gun and killed George Emory,

I want you to say so. In court.

You'd do almost anything
for General Brandon.

If I have to, yes.

Even kill George Emory yourself.

Now, you watch it, kid.

Don't try putting
this on my back.

You could have pulled
the trigger too, you know?

You could have gone there.

The gun he took from
me was in the study,

and you had more
reason than I had,

not just for the general,

but the fact he was
double-crossing you

by framing me.

Your Honor, I believe this
country owes a tremendous debt

to General Roger Brandon.

He has served our nation for a
lifetime with valor and with honor.

Unfortunately, we are not able
to repay any part of that debt

in this courtroom today.

Because here, we are concerned
with cold-blooded murder.

And here, we are obliged to
prove the truth about that murder.

And the truth is, that
General Brandon,

just as he fought the
enemies of our country

with violence and abandon,

so he demonstrated the
same characteristic violence

when he came face-to-face
with his own personal enemy,

the deceased, George Emory.

Granted, that
George Emory was a...

The head of a corrupt
political machine

that was feeding off a small
community called San Carlos.

Granted that General Brandon,
by appointment of the governor,

had agreed once more to
take up arms against an enemy.

He was not empowered
personally to mete out justice.

That remains the
province of the law.

According to the law,
George Emory was murdered.

And so, Your Honor,
the state will prove,

according to the law,

that General Roger Brandon
is guilty of that murder.

I show you this weapon,
Lieutenant Drumm,

marked People's Exhibit 1.

I ask if you recognize it.

Yes, Mr. Burger, this
is the gun that we found

beside the body of the deceased.

Did you subsequently have it
subjected to any tests or examinations?

Yes, sir, I was present when
we tested it for fingerprints.

Let's see.

Ballistic tests were made.
A bullet fired from this gun

was checked by
comparison microscope

with the bullet taken from
the body of the decedent.

And what were the
results of these two tests?

Fingerprints of the
defendant, General Brandon,

were found on the slide.

Striations on the
bullet fired by Ballistics,

matched perfectly those
found on the fatal bullet.

In other words, Mr. Burger,

that is identified as
the murder weapon.

And did you check its
registration, lieutenant?

Yes, sir, I did.

It was registered
to General Brandon.

All right, lieutenant.

Now, would you relate for us,
please, the events that took place

when you made the
arrest in this case?

I went to the Royal Beach Motel

accompanied by
the San Carlos Police

and informed General
Brandon of his rights,

told him that he didn't
have to make any statement,

but he ignored that.

You mean, the general
did make a statement?

He admitted that he
was with George Emory

at approximately the
time of the murder.

Cross-examine.

Lieutenant Drumm,
defense is satisfied

that the general's pistol
was the death weapon

and that his fingerprints
were on the gun.

Wouldn't it appear more incriminating
if the weapon had been wiped clean?

And wouldn't the fact that
it was not tend to indicate

that someone besides
General Brandon

carried the weapon into
George Emory's study?

Not to me. Unfortunately,
the only other person

who could testify, other than
General Brandon, is dead.

Exactly.

So that if the weapon
were there in Emory's study,

it could have been used
by any of his enemies,

and he had many, to kill
him. Is that not correct?

Objection. JUDGE: Sustained.

Withdraw the question.

I'm, uh, through with
the witness, Your Honor.

Just one moment, please.

Lieutenant Drumm,

is there any evidence
at all that someone else,

someone other than
General Brandon,

carried that gun into
the study that night?

No, sir, none
that we could find.

And even in assuming that
someone else carried it in there,

would that assumption, in any
way, contradict the evidence

that it was General
Brandon who picked it up

and used it to kill his enemy?

I don't see how, Mr. Burger.

That's all.

Yes, I received a call
from General Brandon

earlier in the evening,

asking me to come to a secret
meeting in his San Carlos office.

Would you tell the court,
please, why you were late

arriving at that
meeting, Mr. Cummings?

Well, something had happened.

An envelope had been
shoved under my door.

What did the envelope contain?

Some photographs.

Are these the
photographs, Mr. Cummings,

marked People's Exhibit 2 and 3?

Are these the photographs
you found in that envelope?

Yes, sir, they are.

And can you tell us
now if the two people

shown in these photographs
are known to you.

Oh, there's Laura Brandon,
the wife of General Brandon,

and Warren Cotton, General
Brandon's civilian aide.

And will you please tell us now
what else you found in the envelope

that indicated the intended
purpose of these photographs.

Well, there was a note in there.

It said that unless General Brandon
refused the governor's appointment

to head the
enforcement commission,

that these photographs
of his wife and Warren

would be turned over
to the newspapers.

In other words, they were
to be used as blackmail.

Yes, sir.

I took the photographs and
the note over to the meeting

and showed them
to General Brandon.

What was the general's reaction?

He was furious.

I don't think I've ever
seen a man so angry.

I think if George
Emory had been there,

the general would have
strangled him with his bare hands.

Objection. JUDGE: Sustained.

Clerk will strike the witness'
last remarks from the record.

Did the general make
any remark at that time?

Well, he said that he
didn't think any man

could be so low as to strike at
another man through his wife.

And after he had made that
comment, what did he do?

He grabbed the
photographs and the note

and stormed out of the room.

Do you know where he
was going, Mr. Cummings?

To see George Emory, I suppose.

Objection.

Calling for a conclusion
from the witness.

I withdraw the
question, Your Honor.

I'm finished with this witness.

Mr. Mason. MASON: Your Honor,

we would prefer to delay a
cross-examination of this witness

until we've had an opportunity
to lay out our defense.

Witness is excused, subject
to recall by the defense.

Your Honor, for purposes
of this preliminary hearing,

that's all the evidence
we wish to present.

We have demonstrated
that General Brandon,

a professional man of violence,

reacted violently to an attempt
to smear his wife's name.

We have demonstrated further
that he went, by his own admission,

to the home of the
man he held responsible,

and there, confronting
his enemy, George Emory,

we firmly believe he then
pulled the trigger on his own gun

and shot his enemy to death.

We have shown that he had motive,
opportunity and the murder weapon.

And we, thus, must ask

that General Brandon be bound
over for trial in superior court

for the murder of George Emory.

Then, you served in two
wars with General Brandon.

Yes, sir.

Until a land mine
blew up my photo jeep,

took away part of my leg.

And it was General
Brandon who saved your life.

Yes, sir.

He's about the finest
man I ever knew.

Objection. JUDGE: Sustained.

Witness will confine
himself to direct answers.

Now, Bill, I wonder if
you'd describe for us

your association
with George Emory.

He set me up in
business, the photo shop,

so he could use
the place as a drop.

Pigeon drop?

See, Emory thought that, uh,
his pigeons could make the payoff

through the store
without attracting attention.

What they'd do is they'd bring
in envelopes with the store name,

pretending they had
pictures to be developed.

But in reality...?

All there was in the
envelopes was cash,

payoff money for George Emory.

And who were these pigeons?

Everybody who did
anything at all in San Carlos.

Well, anybody that
wanted a zoning change,

or building permit,

okay to run a crap table,
butter-and-eggs game.

Bill, I want you to look
around this courtroom.

Do you, uh, recognize
any of those pigeons?

I know one.

That man sitting there
next to Mr. Overton.

You must be mistaken, Bill.

The gentleman you've pointed
out is Mr. Frank Cummings,

the leader of the fight
against the Emory machine.

Look, he was there
regular as clockwork.

He was in my store every
week with films to be developed.

Your Honor, I would like to recall
Mr. Frank Cummings to the stand.

You've heard yourself accused
of trafficking with the enemy,

doing business
with George Emory,

while pretending to lead a movement
to oust him from control of San Carlos.

Well, Mr. Cummings?

It's true.

I did pay off to George Emory.

But I was not pretending
to lead a reform movement.

I broke off with
Emory months ago.

He was bleeding me
and everybody else white.

And I haven't paid
him one red cent since.

And I haven't been
near that photo shop.

We have only your word for that.

You've also given us your word
that the envelope with the photos

was shoved under your door,

and that you don't
know their origin.

Now, did you, by any
chance, take them?

Of course I didn't.
That's preposterous.

Or pay to have them taken?

I show you

Defense Exhibit B,

a film negative traced
to George Emory

and entrusted to the care
of Bill Cotton by Mr. Emory.

Now, the edge number
of this cut film negative

identifies it as coming
from one of your drugstores.

What does that prove?

By itself, very little.

But added to the fact
that only four persons,

the general, myself, Stanley
Overton, and you, Mr. Cummings,

knew about the committee meeting
and the governor's appointment,

that only four of us knew
about the motel room

maintained by the
general and Mrs. Brandon.

Only four of us knew Warren Cotton
had a personal key to that room.

Only four of us could have
arranged to have taken those pictures.

But only one,

only one paid off
to George Emory.

You, Mr. Cummings.

Well, what of it?

I've already admitted that.

Get Stanley Overton
up here on the stand.

He'll vouch for me.

I told him everything

when I first suggested to him
that we appeal to the governor

to set up this
enforcement commission.

He'll tell you that it was my
idea to bring you into this.

And he'll tell you
that it was my idea

to get General Brandon
to head this commission.

Get up here, Stanley.
Get up here and tell them.

Mr. Overton, I would like to
ask you a hypothetical question.

Would it be possible for a man

to pretend to oppose
corruption and racketeering,

pretend to be
interested in reform,

when all the while he
was still cooperating closely

with the common enemy?

And by being a trusted
member of the reform camp,

be able to learn every move
planned to stamp out that corruption?

Well, yes, theoretically, I
suppose it would be possible.

But if you're suggesting
that Frank Cummings

could be capable
of such duplicity,

I just will not buy that.

Every word he told you about
our relationship is the truth.

Well, I'm glad to hear that.

It must be very gratifying
to Mr. Cummings

to have such a
staunch and loyal friend.

Now, to, uh, get back to the photographs
of Warren Cotton and Mrs. Brandon,

there's one point we've all,
defense and prosecution, overlooked.

Oh, what point is
that, Mr. Mason?

Well, it seems obvious now

that only someone who knew
about the governor's appointment

ahead of our committee meeting
could have taken these pictures in time

to send them with
that threatening note.

I believe that's patently
obvious, Mr. Mason.

Yes, Your Honor.

But George Emory did not
know about that appointment.

All along, we've assumed
that he was behind this.

But he could not
have been responsible.

But according to the testimony,
there was no one else who had reason.

Someone playing both sides of
the fence could have had reason.

Isn't that true, Mr. Overton?

Yes, I suppose so, but...
Well, I've already told you that...

Then if the clue is not
in these photographs,

perhaps there might be
something in this negative.

It's a discarded negative.

Mr. Bill Cotton, an
expert, will testify

that it would be impossible
to get a clear copy from it.

And, Your Honor, that's
why I requested permission

to arrange a brief
demonstration.

But, Mr. Mason, the court is
satisfied that the negative is worthless.

Not to George Emory, Your Honor.

It was so valuable to him, he
gave it to Bill Cotton for safekeeping.

It was so valuable that
someone other than the defendant,

for he was already in custody,

tried to kill Bill Cotton
to obtain the negative.

It was so valuable someone
tried to burn down his camera shop

to destroy the negative.

And these events took place

after that same man
murdered George Emory

in an attempt to
get this negative,

the negative I'm
about to show you.

That's completely worthless.

You can't even make
out the two people.

You can see fingerprints
in the corner there,

fingerprints that photo experts
verify could only have been made

by someone holding the wet
negative at the time it was developed,

someone who had hired the
photographer to take the shots,

not knowing that he too was
being framed by George Emory

at the very same time.

Then if those prints
can be identified...

Your Honor,

they already have been
identified by a qualified analyst.

They're yours, Mr. Overton.

You killed George Emory

when he threatened to use
that negative against you,

threatened to blacken
the fine old family name

and tell the world
what you'd done

to a brilliant, distinguished
man that trusted you.

Now, why, Mr. Overton?

Even if you were working for
or paying off to George Emory,

why would he wanna frame you?

I work for George Emory?

He was working for me.

Then you were the
real boss of San Carlos?

I don't like that word, "boss,"

but nevertheless, San
Carlos is my town. I run it.

George Emory was
nothing, a figurehead.

I set him up in business.

And then, like so many
ungrateful peasants,

he had delusions of grandeur.

He wanted to run
the show himself.

He didn't need me anymore.

So when you went to him for a
photographer to frame the general...

He paid the photographer to
frame me using the negative,

unless I let him take over.

That was his ultimatum.

Either I give in or kill him.

That didn't leave
me much choice.

It was impossible
for me to give in.

It was easy, oh,
so easy, to kill him.

"To Major General Roger Brandon

from the grateful
citizens of San Carlos."

Grateful?

Grateful for what?

What did I do, except do my
best to make a fool of myself?

One way or another,
by being willing to serve,

you solved the problem, general.

The Emory machine, or I should
say the Overton machine, is destroyed.

And Mr. Cummings told us
they've had a flock of volunteers

for the new reform movement.

That just shows you what the
example of one man can do.

I can't take credit for that.

Oh, heh, stop asking to be
convinced, Roger. Keep the clubs.

You know you're mad about them.

You'd think the woman would have
more respect for my rank, at least,

but she reads me off

as if I was a buck
private in the rear rank.

Good for you, Mrs. Brandon.

Without a woman
to keep them in line,

all men, even lawyers and
general officers, would be lost.