All language subtitles for Alfred.Hitchcock.Presents.S01E14.A.Bullet.for.Baldwin.1080p.PCOK.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-Hurtom_track3_[eng]

* [Charles Gounod's
"Funeral March
of a Marionette"] *

Good evening.

I hope you'll excuse me if
I appear a trifle excited...

but I've just
come into possession
of a cure for insomnia.

It comes in capsule form.

For best results,
they must be taken internally.

Here is the handy applicator.

It is an amazingly
simple device.

An idiot can operate it
and indeed many do.

These objects play
an important part
in tonight's tale.

It is called...

"A Bullet for Baldwin."

*[music playing]

[rain pattering]

[inhales]

(Baldwin)
Hmm?

Mr. Baldwin.

Stepp, you still here?

Where's that paper listing
Bonanza's Lead Mountain
holdings?

Well, I'm sure
it's right there, sir.
It must be here.

I'm sure
it couldn't possibly--
Yes, here it is.

Here it is.
Good.

I'm glad
you didn't lose this one, too.

Mr. Baldwin, won't....

Can't you possibly
reconsider my--

We've been over that, Stepp.
I'm sorry, it's final.

But, Mr. Baldwin...

don't my 21 years
of loyal service
count for anything?

Loyalty is no substitute
for accuracy and efficiency.

Your mistakes
are becoming too frequent.

And the paper
you lost yesterday
was a serious matter.

But I found it.
It was only a slip in filing,
only misplaced.

I've no time to discuss it
any further, Stepp.

We leave for Denver Monday
for the final meeting
on the Bonanza issue...

and I'm not inclined
to spend Saturday night
arguing with you anymore.

You're fired.
Yes, sir.

[sobbing]

[sniffs]

[breathing heavily]

(Baldwin)
Stepp!

Good evening, Mr. Stepp.

You working kind of late
for Saturday, ain't you?

Yes, a little.

Mr. Baldwin is still there.
He doesn't want
to be disturbed.

It'll be all right
to clean the office on Monday.

All right, Mr. Stepp,
I will.

Don't open your umbrella
on the inside, sir.

Don't you know
that's bad luck?

No, I didn't know that.

[phone ringing]

Central, will you try
4-1-6-J again, please?

It's all right.

Why, Mr. Stepp,
whatever happened?

You weren't home last night,
were you?

No, I was riding on the ferry.
And--

On the ferry?
Have they....

Has anyone been here
looking for me?
No, not a soul.

When they come,
I'll be in my room.

You look so tired, Mr. Stepp.
You should have
some warm food.

All that rain last night,
you'll catch
your death of cold.

I'm afraid
that won't be necessary.

[knocking on door]

Mr. Stepp.

Mr. Stepp.

[knocking continues]

Mr. Stepp.

[knocking continues]

(landlady)
Mr. Stepp, are you there?
Who.... What is it?

You're wanted
on the telephone.
Telephone?

Why would they telephone?
Why not....

[breathing heavily]

What time is it?
It's 10:30.

What day is it?
It's Monday.

It's your office, Mr. Stepp.
It's Mr. Baldwin's secretary.

Are you coming?
Yes, I'm coming.

[grunting]

Hello.
(Miss Wilson)
Mr. Stepp? Is that you?

Yes, this is Mr. Stepp.

This is Miss Wilson.
What happened, Mr. Stepp?

Are you all right?
Did you oversleep?

No.
No.

I mean....

Well, you see, Mr. Baldwin....

I thought....

Honestly,
you better get down here
as quickly as you can.

Mr. Baldwin has already
asked for you twice.

He....

You say he's asked for me?

Yes,
and he's very much on edge...

you know,
over this Bonanza deal.

I'll tell him
your alarm didn't ring...

but if you don't
get down here quickly,
I don't know what will happen.

Mr. Stepp, are you there?

Are you coming?

Can you get here right away?

I.... I'll come.

Yes, sir.

I told them
your alarm didn't ring.
It's all right. Don't worry.

You mean,
Mr. Baldwin is all right?

Yes. He's rather chipper,
as a matter of fact.

Mr. King's in there
with him now.

[men chattering]

Good morning, Stepp.
Good morning, Mr. King.

Can I see you in my office,
please?

Well, I thought
maybe Mr. Baldwin
might want this file.

In a moment, perhaps.
I'd like to see you first.

Yes, sir.

I'm afraid you picked
rather a bad morning
to be late, Stepp.

However, I expect
there's still enough time.

Although you'll have to
take the papers to the train.

We won't be coming back
here after lunch.

Now, I want
a complete Bonanza file,
you understand?

We'll be gone several days.

I want a list of
all their holdings
in different locations.

Title searches,
balance sheets, audits...

early correspondence
on our proposed contract.

In fact, all correspondence.

In short,
anything that might be--

Mr. King.
Yes.

There's something
very wrong around here.

There is, Stepp. What is it?
I don't understand.

Well, eh.

Mr. Baldwin discharged me
Saturday night...

and I....

And I shot him, Mr. King.
I killed him.

Sit down, Stepp.

Now then,
you say you shot Mr. Baldwin?
Yes, sir.

And I killed him,
Mr. King. Dead.

[sobbing]

It's all right.

Here...

drink this.

I wasn't surprised
when he discharged me.

I knew he was angry
about that paper I lost.

I.... I wanted to kill myself.

I tried to get him
to reconsider but he wouldn't.

And then, somehow,
I shot him instead.

Easy now.

We've all been
under a strain recently...

and a tired tense mind
can work tricks on a man.

Sometimes,
in periods of stress...

it's difficult to separate
the real from the imaginary.

Now, you've suffered
an hallucination...

but you mustn't
let it bother you.

But Mr. King, I don't see
how I possibly could have--

Now, I wouldn't say anything
to Mr. Baldwin, if I were you.

It's possible
he might not understand.

But just for
your own reassurance,
come here.

Yes, what is it, Walter?
Good morning Stepp.

Stepp says
he'll have everything ready
and assembled for us...

in time for the train.

In fact, he says
he'll even work through
his lunch hour if necessary.

Isn't that right, Stepp?
Yes.

Yes, sir.

May I come in?
Good morning, Walter.

Good morning.
Good morning.

Can we have lunch, Nathaniel?

I came a little early because
I wanted to show you...

a perfectly gorgeous
new automobile
I saw on the way.

Now, my dear,
I'm not adjusted
to those things yet.

I'm not sure they're safe,
but we'll certainly
have lunch together.

I won't see you again
until the end of the week,
you know.

Walter,
I'll see you at the train.

Now, you'll attend to
any further details
of preparation, of course.

Yes, indeed.

(Baldwin)
Come, my dear.

Well, there you are.

Now stop worrying about this.

And I promise
not to say a word
to Mr. Baldwin.

We'll just assume
it never happened. Right?
Yes, sir.

Good.

Another thing.

I feel perhaps that
we're responsible for this.

Perhaps we've given you
too much to do...

which might have contributed
to this hallucination.

So tomorrow I want you
to hire yourself an assistant.

Tell Mr. Edwards
that I authorized it...

also that you're to have
a $5 raise.

I.... Thank you.
Thank you Mr. King.

You don't know how I....
Well, my sister,
she'll be so--

That's all right.

And you'll put the papers
in our drawing room
on the train?

It leaves at 3:00.
Yes, sir, I certainly will.

You can depend on it,
Mr. King.
All right.

Thank you.

Gentlemen,
that just about
covers everything.

And now anyone
who cares to is welcome
to join us in a toast...

to Bonanza Mining Common.

And those not interested
in Bonanza Common...

but simply in a drink
of good whiskey...

well, you're welcome, too.

[knocking on door]

Excuse me,
help yourselves.

This is
the background material
you asked for, Mr. King.

Thank you, Stepp.

Now, this will furnish
any data you may need...

but I think
the important thing
is simply the fact...

that this new issue will be
offered to the public...

through this firm
on Monday.

Any predictions
on its acceptance,
Mr. Baldwin?

Well, I'm not as free with
predictions as I once was.

Got caught wrong too often,
you know.

Mr. Baldwin,
you aren't planning
to retire, are you?

Oh, no.

I'm going to retire
temporarily, though,
this afternoon.

Going up to our cabin
with Mrs. Baldwin.
Just the two of us.

No telephone.
Well, have a good rest, sir.

I have to be
getting along now.
Well, thanks for coming over.

Thank you.
I'll be leaving, too.

Thanks again for coming.
Good day.

Good day.
Thanks for coming around.

Goodbye,
we appreciate it.

[sighing]

Well, that's it.
We've done it.

I can't tell you
how grateful I am,
Mr. Davidson.

And I can assure you
that Mr. Baldwin
is equally so.

Well, sir,
I enjoyed the role.

And I don't think
anyone suspected,
even for an instant, do you?

Why, I'm sure of it.

After all, when you did
that imitation last year of
Mr. Baldwin at the smoker...

in Los Angeles,
I was impressed then
by your amazing resemblance.

Well, you know, it's lucky
we both wear beards.

Probably don't look
too much alike underneath...

but, well, you know,
you can shape a beard
anyway you please.

Yes, but this time you used
certain little mannerisms...

and gestures, inflections,
that nearly fooled me,
I tell you.

Well, sir, I like to think
I'm a good actor.

And, well, you know,
after the smoker
I had an hour...

to study Mr. Baldwin
more closely...

and, well,
I just added a few touches.

Well,
it was wonderful anyway.

Well, here's the $2,000
as agreed...

and we're forever
in your debt.

Why, if word of
Mr. Baldwin's stroke
had got out...

it would have
wrecked the Bonanza deal.

His name and reputation
mean so much.

How is Mr. Baldwin,
by the way?

Have you talked to his wife
today?

Yes, he's about the same.
Resting easy,
but still a pretty sick man.

She took him up
to the cabin last night...

so now everything is prepared
for your return
to Los Angeles.

By tomorrow
you can stop being Baldwin
and go back to Davidson.

Yeah.

You know,
I'd like to go
up to the cabin myself...

to thank Mr. Baldwin
and wish him well in person.

Well, I'm afraid
that wouldn't be practical.

Why? He's there, of course?

Of course.

And alive?

What do you mean?

I mean I don't care to be
an accessory
after the fact to a murder...

for $2,000.

Mr. Davidson, do you realize
what you're implying?

[chuckling]
Yeah, I realize perfectly.

I suspected all along,
but today clinched it.

No one would take a sick man
up to a lonely cabin.

Baldwin didn't suffer a stroke
last Saturday.

He suffered a murder because
you and his wife were--

No, it wasn't that.
I'd never do
a thing like that, never.

Even though
his wife and I are....

It was Stepp.
Stepp?

The file clerk?
Yes.

I came in right after
the shot was fired.

At first I didn't realize
what had happened.

By the time I did, I realized
the consequences, too.

Complete ruin.

So I hid there until he left,
trying to think of some way
to save things.

Then I remembered you
and that smoker.

Telephoned you in Los Angeles.
After that...

it was started,
I had to keep going.

Yeah.

You took his body out of here
and up to the cabin
that same night?

Yes.

Mr. Davidson...

you said you didn't want to be
an accessory for $2,000.

I must say I can't blame you.

But I'm sure we can come to
more agreeable terms.

Yeah, we can come to terms
all right.

I'll just be a silent partner
in the firm...

once I'm sure
nothing can go wrong.

How can it?

Baldwin, you will be seen
driving out of town...

late this afternoon
with Mrs. Baldwin.

By the time
you get across the bay,
it'll be dark.

You can leave her
and she can drive on
up to the cabin alone.

There, all she has to do
is throw a lighted match
in the doorway...

drive on back
down the mountain,
telephone their doctor...

to say that
Nathaniel's had a stroke.

By the time she and the doctor
get back to the cabin,
everything...

all the evidence,
will be in ashes.

What about Stepp?

Well,
he's the only possible leak.

I'll take care of that
tonight.

Partner, I think
we're going to be all right.

[rain pattering]

(King)
Yes, come in.

Stepp, come in. Sorry,
I forgot you were waiting.

Sit down.
Thank you.

The reason
I asked you to wait, Stepp...

was because I thought
it might be...

well, a little less
uncomfortable for you
with the other employees gone.

You see, I'm afraid
it's necessary to tell you...

that we won't be able to
keep you.

Now, this business of
hiring yourself an assistant
while we were gone...

and telling Edwards
I had authorized it...

and a salary raise
for yourself besides...

now, really, Stepp.

But, Mr. King,
you did tell me to do it.
You did. Don't you remember?

Why, yes.
You really do believe that,
don't you?

I'm sorry, Stepp,
but that settles it.

But Mr. King,
I couldn't be wrong.

Don't you remember
when you told me to hire--

I'm sorry, Stepp.
There's nothing
to be done about it.

I'll tell you what I am going
to do for you, though.

You'll receive
two weeks extra pay.

Now, I think you need a rest
and a change of scenery.

So we're going to buy you
a ticket to St. Louis.

Now, you go back there
and visit your sister
for a while, rest a bit.

You'll be as fit as ever.

We'll give you
a good recommendation and--

No.

No, I don't want
to go back to St. Louis.

I want to stay here
and work for Baldwin and King.

I'm used to it, and....

I'm sorry, Stepp,
but there's nothing more
to be done about it.

I know you're upset now...

but when you think about it,
you'll realize
it's the thing to do.

Your ticket will be
waiting for you
at the railroad...

whenever you wish to claim it.

You sound
just like Mr. Baldwin.

That's all, Stepp.
Good night.

Stepp!

[fires]

Good evening, Mr. Stepp.
Here you are
working late again.

Yes, a little.

Mr. Baldwin or anyone
up there tonight?

Can I go right in?
Yes, it's all right.

You won't find anyone there.

That was amusing, wasn't it?

But, please,
don't get the idea
it was mere entertainment.

All our stories attempt
to point a little moral,
such as...

"Crime does not pay."

"A customer is always right."

"Early to bed, early to rise."

"Slow and sure win the race."

"Virtue is rewarded,"
or punished,
depending on the story...

I'm not sure what
"A Bullet for Baldwin" proved.

But you may have
your choice of morals
I mentioned.

One of them is bound to fit.

Next time we shall be back
with another story.

Join us then.

* [Charles Gounod's
"Funeral March
of a Marionette"] *