Original subtitles

*

*

One, two,

three, four.

One, two,

three, four.

Now raise your hands above your head.

Higher.

Higher.

I wish to take this opportunity to welcome you latecomers

to Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Someone suggested I go to a slim and trim class.

And I decided to go even further

and start one of my own.

Here to encourage you beginners

is an illustration of what hard work

and determination can do.

One, two,

three, four.

One, two,

three, four.

This is Mr. Webster,

who I'm certain is the envy of all of you.

When Mr. Webster first came to me,

he weighed nearly 300 pounds.

He was sluggish and rundown,

and was the object of ridicule because of his obesity.

Furthermore, his wife had threatened to walk out on him.

Now, all that has changed for the better.

He has his old energy back,

he's quite popular socially,

and his wife has left him.

He also has a pleasant job,

modeling in the anatomy department

of one of our largest universities.

And in evenings, is end man in a minstrel show.

And now, ladies and gentlemen,

a special low-calorie story.

However, first, for those of you who aren't dieting,

we have this bit of treacle.

*

Taxi, please.

Could you get me a taxi, please?

I'm in an awful hurry.

(whistle blowing)

(screaming)

They've seen me now.

They'll be coming soon.

I mustn't lose my nerve.

No matter what they do or say,

I mustn't let them stop me.

(knocking)

Open it.

Is that the man you brought up?

Yeah, but he had glasses on.

I brought him up about 10 minutes ago.

Go down to the desk, get his registration card.

Call the security officer.

Tell him to shut the main entrance and clear this floor.

Yes, sir.

Desk, give me security.

What's the meaning of this?

What are you trying to pull?

Leave me alone.

You come in here at once!

Come out and get me.

Don't do this.

Think what it will mean to your family,

to your wife!

I don't have a wife.

Get inside.

Get in, or I'll jump right now!

All right!

A wife.

No, I don't have a wife.

Not anymore.

Not since last night.

Or was it two months ago

that she stopped being my wife?

I've been wanting to tell you.

I've been trying to get up my courage for weeks.

I don't want to hurt you, Carl,

but I can't go on living like this.

So, that's it.

Who is he?

His name is Steve.

The man you had dinner with Wednesday night?

I saw you.

You've known.

I've seen you together before.

Will you divorce me, or shall I file?

Divorce?

People change, Carl.

It just happened.

Please let me go.

For this?

For some crazy infatuation?

No!

Steve and I are in love.

Then test it.

Stop seeing him.

Give it six months.

I'm sorry, Carl.

Is he married?

Yes.

Usually are.

There's nothing between them anymore.

His wife's giving him a divorce?

Yes.

He wouldn't lie to me.

No?

Wait until he gets tired of you.

He'll start telling you how hopeless it all is.

How he has to be strong for your sake and give you up.

No.

We want to do things the right way, Carl,

but if we can't, we're going to run away.

He agreed to that?

Yes, he did.

There's nothing more to say.

I'm tired, and I'm going to bed.

Karen, you'll never leave me.

I belong with Steve.

I'll love him as long as I live.

(sirens blaring)

(indistinct talking)

All right.

Come on, let's move.

Come on.

Come on, sisters, move along.

If he jumps, somebody's gonna get hurt.

Come on, let's go.

Take it easy.

Move back.

Yes, please.

And call us collect if you hear anything.

Well, you certainly took your time, Officer.

I had to ring in for help.

It's kind of crowded down there.

Is this man a regular guest?

No, I never saw him before.

His name is C.J. Adams from Trenton, New Jersey.

I was just appointed manager here less than a month ago,

and now I get this.

Why did he have to come here?

Why didn't he pick on some hotel near Penn Station?

Well, let's ask him when we get him in, huh?

He says he has no family, but I called the Trenton police.

They're looking up everybody by the name of Adams

to see if they can find a relative

or somebody who might know him.

Well, don't count on it.

The name's probably a phony.

He's got a new suitcase with a blank name tag.

No identification in the jacket.

He's even ripped out the label.

Do me a favor, will you?

Call Bellevue and ask them to send over a psychiatrist.

Hiya, fella.

Got quite a view, huh?

There's a better one from the top of the Empire State.

I like this one.

Don't come any farther.

You're not really gonna jump, are you?

Yeah.

Are things that bad?

Aren't you scared?

Yeah.

Here, take a drag of this.

It'll help your nerves.

So you can grab me?

And go down with you?

I never learned to fly.

Here.

Put it down.

I'm sorry you have to jump.

I'm nothing to you.

No, but you're doing this on my beat.

I got a promotion coming up.

Sergeant.

You go and my chances go with you.

They can't blame you for what I do.

You don't know my lieutenant.

He doesn't like me.

He'd say I pushed you.

It means a lot to you, huh?

Not especially.

It does mean an awful lot to my wife, though.

I'm sorry.

Well, you've got your own problems.

(sirens blaring)

Who are they down there?

Just police emergency and a fire truck, Mr. Adams.

Well, get rid of them.

Make them go away.

Well, they wouldn't listen to me.

You sent for them.

No, I didn't send for them.

You did!

I thought you understood!

I was beginning to trust you!

You can.

You can trust me, Mr. Adams.

I gave you a cigarette, didn't I?

I'd fall a lot faster than that, wouldn't I?

Yeah.

Well, keep them away from me then!

Tell them no tricks!

One move, and I go!

Go down and tell them!

Well?

Are you going or shall I?

All right, take it easy!

I'll go.

I'll keep them away.

Just promise not to jump, huh?

What do you say?

Tell them!

He'll come in, won't he?

You think he's going to come in?

No.

I think he's gonna jump.

(chanting "jump")

*

*

Hey, listen, you guys, I'm not doing a fool job on this.

Look, I'll catch him when he jumps,

you catch him halfway down,

and you catch him when he hits.

That way, we can--no--

that way, we can catch a full spread on a magazine.

How about it, huh?

Check the next floor and the roof.

Lieutenant, I want to talk to you.

Don't move without an order.

Lieutenant, if that bunch scares him, he's gonna jump.

You heard my instructions, Barrett.

I'm not a rookie.

You know, he was beginning to listen to me,

until you came up with those sirens.

How'd you expect us to come, on tiptoe?

What room?

Seventeen-eleven.

Thank you for trying.

You were right, Officer.

Trenton Police can't find anybody

who ever heard of the man.

Lieutenant, listen to me, will you, please?

Now, he's in bad shape.

I promised to keep you away.

-If he sees you-- -Are you in charge

of this detail, Barrett?

He'll talk to me.

Ask him.

That doesn't bring him in.

It hasn't made him jump.

You'll be responsible, Lieutenant.

If anything should happen, I heard this officer warn you.

I know my responsibilities.

And I know this officer.

He wants to be a sergeant so bad, he can taste it.

He wants to make it with a grandstand play

instead of working for it.

You!

Get in here or we're going to bring you in!

You are?

You are?

Well, then do it!

Do it or get away from me!

All right!

Stop that!

Well, are you satisfied, Lieutenant?

Supposing he'd jumped?

The fire crew's down there with a net.

Yeah.

From 17 stories, Lieutenant?

Get upstairs and see what that squad is doing.

Hotels all over town.

Why did he have to pick this one?

Ever see one jump?

I've seen pictures in the papers.

I saw one once in Philly about six years ago.

The guy didn't jump, though.

A priest talked him out of it.

They're waiting,

waiting for me.

It won't be for long.

I can't last much longer.

It's too late to do anything else.

Last night settled that forever.

*

Where are you going?

With Steve.

For good.

His wife's giving him a divorce?

No.

No, you were right about her.

She never will.

But you were wrong about Steve.

We decided last night.

I'm sorry, Carl.

Sorry?

Karen--

No, it's all right.

I deserved it.

I hope it makes things easier for you.

Karen, he won't make you happy.

He's no good-- I've checked on him.

He's what I want.

I love him.

Goodbye, Carl.

*

*

He may fall, he may jump.

How do I know how long?

TV station.

Wanted to know if they'd have time to set up

a mobile unit across the street.

How does it look?

Morrison says it's bad.

Has the same spread between the windows.

He'd be bound to spot a net, above or below,

before they could rig it.

What about the roof?

Cornice juts out about four feet.

They've set up a looped rope

with a pulley directly above him.

But it's no good unless he's willing to use it.

Morrison could try a lasso from 1714.

It's a bad angle, and he'd only get one chance at it.

It's your decision, Lieutenant.

*

I was down there last night, walking and thinking.

Trying to conceive a life without her.

How many hours was it?

How many blocks and endless miles to oblivion?

*

Karen?

Karen.

Karen.

Karen, wake up!

"Carl, dear, I came back because I had no place else to go.

You weren't here.

I knew you wouldn't be.

You were right about Steve, so right.

Even to the words he used about it being hopeless,

and he had to be strong for my sake.

He just wanted to be rid of me.

I know now the pain I must have caused you.

I'll never hurt you again.

Goodbye, Carl."

*

(horns honking)

Ah, he ain't gonna jump.

They ain't getting no place with him.

Look, he'll be just like the guy in Philly, I know.

Do you want to put your money where your mouth is?

For how much?

I got 10 says he goes.

You got a bet.

You think he'll jump?

At this point, I can only guess.

What's wrong with him?

An emotional disturbance of some duration,

aggravated by a severe shock precipitating him into this.

Well, you've got an opinion.

How long has he been out there?

About four hours now.

Why?

Well, a delay generally indicates indecision,

an unresolved conflict,

a manifestation of the will to live

or a desire for attention, but--

But, what?

Look, I have a feeling that the generality doesn't apply here.

I think he's already made up his mind.

To jump or to come in?

It could be either.

Then our going after him wouldn't cause anything

he wasn't going to do, anyhow?

A scare might make him fall.

Can't you help us any more than that?

Look, I can't delve into his mind without his cooperation.

He simply refuses to talk.

He spoke to me, Doc.

He was almost friendly,

until he heard those sirens.

I could try it again.

Well, it can't do any harm.

Go ahead.

How about another smoke, Mr. Adams?

No, you lied to me.

You let that lieutenant come.

I told you how he was.

If you ask me, I think he'd like to see you jump.

Just like they'd like to see it.

You want to make them happy?

Go ahead, jump.

They just can't wait for the big thrill of watching you fall.

(chanting "jump")

Yeah, that's right.

People like them, like the lieutenant,

they think you owe it to them to die.

Yeah, like vultures.

Vultures!

Lean back!

Lean back!

Come on in, Adams, come on.

Fool them.

Fool them all down there.

Yeah, fool them all.

Come on, take my hand.

Nice and easy.

I'm weak.

Dizzy.

Stop looking down.

Hug the building.

Just hold on.

Hey, just for a second.

Yeah.

Lieutenant.

Hold it, Morrison.

I think he'll listen to me now, but we got to move fast.

Tell Morrison to drop it slow and easy.

Morrison, lower the rope.

Yes.

Here.

All right now, Mr. Adams,

here's what I want you to do.

You see that rope?

Now, take it easy.

When it swings in, I want you to grab it,

slip it over your head and down under your arms.

Okay?

Go ahead, try it.

Go ahead, try it.

Ah, I can't.

I can't.

All right, hold on.

I'm coming out for you.

Okay, now put your left arm through here.

Come on, over your head,

right arm through.

We tighten up, and we're all set.

Thanks for coming out after me.

Anytime.

All right, two tugs, and we'll haul you up.

No, wait.

Do you have any idea why I chose this hotel

on your beat?

No.

But tell me when we get back inside, huh?

No!

No, here!

My name isn't Adams.

I had a wife until last night.

A girl named Karen.

Karen?

She killed herself.

Because of you, Steve.

(screaming)

*

Unfortunately for Mr. Adams,

revenge was not sweet,

for he ultimately paid for his crime.

While we were watching this sad saga,

I was doing some thinking.

This program might be improved by the use

of our special spot reducer.

I can think of three spots in particular.

Here is one of them,

after which, Mr. Webster and I shall return.

Mr. Webster seems to have disappeared again.

This is one aspect of his life that's a bit tiresome.

You see, the dogs keep carrying him off and burying him.

I've had to dig him up at least three times.

And now it's time for me to disappear,

until next week that is.

I shall be back then with another story.

Good night.