Original subtitles

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Good evening, and please watch the birdie.

Actually, we couldn't afford a birdie for you to watch.

That is why I'm here.

My camera is a new one,

and I'm quite proud of it.

Oh, this?

This is an attachment of my own.

I find it invaluable for making the subject sit still.

It's really quite effective.

My prints turn out perfectly.

It's just the people who need retouching.

Now, I see it is time for a word from someone

who has continually refused my invitation

to sit for a portrait.

But perhaps a candid shot.

*

I can hardly expect you to be serious.

You underestimate me.

Yes, but darling, you'll just throw him over

in a couple of weeks, so why tire yourself?

You're not very amusing, Howard.

Because I'm not trying to be.

I won't give you up, Terry, it's that simple.

I need you too much, I want you too much.

I'm not gonna give you up for any--

(gun firing)

*

Cut.

All right, that was great.

Everyone, let's pack, that's it for tonight.

Very nice, Mr. Mathews, very nice.

Shh.

(indistinct chattering)

Leave that.

I'll do it, thank you.

Mr. Mathews asked me--

Never mind what Mr. Mathews asked you.

You're here to take care of his wardrobe for the film,

not his packing, that's my province.

It's quite the wrong way to pack shirts.

I'm sorry, but I was only carrying out the orders

from Mr. Mathews.

He should leave those things to me.

*

(door closing)

*

(door opening)

*

I'm almost finished packing.

You're gonna have a glorious weekend, Mr. Mathews.

I'm sure of it.

I must say, I thought the scene went rather well.

The scene was detestable, Miss Hall.

That I ever consented to play a role

in which I become a corpse

in the first reel of the picture

is even more detestable.

And that I allow myself to work

in support of Myra Robbins.

That's the final proof of my humiliation.

You used to like Miss Robbins.

Oh, yes, when she was young and beautiful.

Of course, I liked her.

But all that's wearing rather thin.

Don't you think you should take your sedative instead?

You know, I used to picture you and Miss Robbins

as people out of some fairy story come to life.

I saw your films any number of times,

and followed your career slavishly.

And still do.

You know, Miss Hall,

you ought to find yourself a man.

You're drying up.

Pretty soon you'll have fewer chances

than you've had in the past.

You needn't be cruel.

Oh, stop being a sentimentalist.

I'm not being cruel, Miss Hall,

I'm being honest.

Yeah, perhaps honesty is often ugly and bitter,

but it's got to be faced, as I face it.

Do you think I enjoy facing the truth about myself?

Do you think I like looking in this mirror

and seeing not a man, but his wreckage?

Still I face it, I look at it.

Even though once I was a star,

and the whole world was in love with me.

The whole world is still in love with you.

Don't be absurd, Miss Hall!

What evidence can you offer?

Those morbid valentines you call "fan letters,"

written by yourself, or by those misfits

you pay a dollar for writing?

Oh, Mr. Mathews.

Yes, I know your little secret.

I've known it for a long time now.

But the truth must be faced, Miss Hall.

And this is the truth.

Once I was a prince.

I was a king,

and I had a palace on a hill

that royalty would come and marvel at.

But now, who am I, Miss Hall?

What am I?

What have I?

I'm a beggar who must be grateful for a week's work.

And my palace has dwindled to a crumbling ruin

controlled by the Cahuenga Realty Corporation.

Oh, no, no, I have one more thing, Miss Hall.

I have you.

You, who packs my belongings,

sees me off on weekends.

You, who stands by and tells me

a scene's going rather well,

when I know quite well it's going very badly.

And who dreams impossible dreams

that even the angels must laugh at.

What kind of dreams?

The kind schoolgirls dream,

of marrying and moving into worlds beyond them.

Get away from me, Miss Hall.

Find yourself somebody else.

And if I said there couldn't be anyone else, what then?

Then I'd pity you because it's hopeless.

I don't mean to be harsh, Miss Hall.

I don't want to be.

But you have a life of your own.

You mustn't live through mine.

You're an intelligent, sensitive woman.

And intelligence and sensitivity

are rare qualities.

Don't waste them.

If I seem angry with you,

it's probably because I've seen so much waste.

I can't bear to see any more.

Understand that, Miss Hall.

Please try.

You must!

What do you want?

Oh, I'm so sorry, Mr. Mathews.

I thought this was Myra Robbins' room.

Who is that woman?

Her name is Mrs. Dolan, Grace Dolan.

She works in Wardrobe.

Apparently, she had a terrible time last year.

Oh?

She was devoted to her daughter,

who was quite pretty, I've heard,

and she suddenly died.

There are all sorts of stories about what happened.

I'm not in the least interested in studio gossip.

How long will it take you

to get that through your head?

Your vacation will do you a world of good, Mr. Mathews.

The change will work wonders, I'm sure of it.

Oh, are you, Miss Hall?

Yes, you can sit in the sun in Mexico

and rest and relax,

and in a week you'll be a different person.

You're so certain of things, Miss Hall,

sometimes you amaze me.

I try to be helpful, Mr. Mathews.

Are you sure you don't want me

to go to the airport with you?

I'm positive.

You usually like me to.

I know the way, Miss Hall.

And what will you do with the car?

There's a perfectly good garage

across from the airport.

I thought I'd drive it back to the house

after your plane leaves.

It won't be necessary.

Now don't look so sad, Miss Hall.

I'm giving you a vacation too,

so take advantage of it.

Are you sure there's nothing else?

Sure.

*

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Mr. Mathews?

(door closing)

*

Thanks for leaving the door open.

*

You're learning.

*

I'm glad you dug my message at the studio.

You needn't have been so obvious.

I just didn't want you to forget we had a date.

I wouldn't have forgotten, Mrs. Dolan,

you can be sure of that.

You can't be sure of nothing, Mr. Mathews.

Can't you say hello?

It would kill you?

I see little point in observing the amenities.

Not at this late date.

Ooh, very touchy today.

Can't you ever buy any new records?

Something a little more up-to-date maybe?

If you don't mind, Mrs. Dolan,

I like this one.

You are such a creep.

Always dreaming about the past.

Don't dismiss the past so easily, Mrs. Dolan.

I find the past has perfections

the present has yet to equal.

Sure, sure, I know, no taxes, no television.

No graying hairs.

No sagging chins.

Well, the past may have been great for some of us.

For others, like me, it wasn't so hot,

and I'd just as soon forget it.

Hey, what is this?

What's what?

You promised to put my Janice's picture here.

I gave you a picture of her

to put with the rest of your girlfriends,

and you promised, now what did you do with it, huh?

Shut that drawer!

Hey, wait a minute.

I said shut that drawer!

Now, hold on, hold on.

Hold on, mister, don't you raise your voice

to me like that.

I'm not one of your slaves,

like your Miss What's-Her-Name?

Get away, Mrs. Dolan.

What is this?

Oh, nothing,

it wouldn't interest you.

Give it to me.

Everything interests me.

What is it?

It's a medicine, if you must know.

A sedative to help me sleep.

Guilty conscience?

Look, just give it to me.

You should have a guilty conscience, Mr. Mathews.

Oh, let's not get into that.

Well, my little Janice would be here today

if it weren't for you.

Mrs. Dolan, we are none of us beyond reproach!

Now what does that mean?

Whatever you want it to.

Hey, what are you insinuating, anyway?

Don't you know?

That I threw my Janice at you?

Didn't you?

I thought you'd be good to my little girl.

Good and kind...

And help her along on her way to a dazzling career?

She could have been a star, my little girl, a star.

But I should have known better than to think

you could ever help her.

Yes, you should have.

That didn't give you a right

to treat her the way you did.

Mrs. Dolan, as I said before,

we are none of us beyond reproach.

Oh, sure, that's a fine way to dismiss a murder.

For the last time, Mrs. Dolan,

I did not murder your daughter.

Well, what did you do then, if not that?

My Janice would be alive today

if you'd married her, wouldn't she?

She might've been happy, she might've had a kid,

and don't you ever forget it!

Your weekly visits prevent

my ever forgetting it, Mrs. Dolan.

I think we'd better end this discussion.

Yeah, that's the attitude.

Just give me my check, Mr. Mathews,

and let me get out of here.

You've ruined my weekend already.

There isn't going to be a check this week,

or any week from now on.

What do you mean?

I mean exactly what I say.

There isn't going to be a check,

because there can't be a check,

because I'm broke.

You expect me to believe that?

Look, I'll show you my checkbook,

my savings account,

bank statements, look them over.

Mr. Mathews, do you know what I've got in this bag?

I'm afraid I do.

I got letters, Mr. Mathews.

Letters you were dumb enough to write to my little girl.

Every crummy newspaper and scandal magazine

will pay me pretty good to get their hands on these.

Do you know that, Mr. Mathews?

I'm aware of it.

Your career doesn't mean very much now,

but it'll mean even less with these out in the open.

I know.

Well, I'm glad you do.

Because that means

you're gonna write me out a check

whether there's any money to cover it or not.

And since this is Friday,

and I won't cash the check till Monday,

you'll find some way,

if you have to beg, borrow or steal,

to see that it is covered when I do cash it.

Do I make myself plain, Mr. Mathews?

You make yourself very plain.

Good.

Because that means

that you'll walk over

to your desk now, and write me out a check,

and we'll have no more hanky-panky.

Okay, Mr. Mathews?

Okay?

You actors are all the same.

You rant and you rave and you put up a big bluff,

but when the chips are down, you're all the same.

Chicken, honey.

Chicken.

-Here you are. -Attaboy.

Now, see that it don't bounce on Monday.

Oh, Mrs. Dolan.

Don't go.

-Stay a moment. -What is this?

Well, unless you have someplace special to go?

You know I don't.

Then at least stay for a drink.

I don't get it.

Let me put it this way.

By this set of unfortunate circumstances,

we are bound together, right?

Right.

Well, since we are bound together,

I do think we should try not to be enemies,

or even bad friends.

What's the point, sonny?

Well, the point's simply this,

I'd like to commemorate our new friendship.

I'd like to toast it.

Okay, what have you got?

Oh, vodka, scotch, gin.

Crème de menthe, green?

I think that can be arranged.

Crème de menthe, green.

On the rocks.

Very good, Mrs. Dolan.

Say, um, why don't you call me Grace?

As long we're not gonna be bad friends,

why, you call me Grace

and I'll call you Oliver.

As you wish.

Hey, why don't you browse through my records?

You might find something a little more modern.

Okay, Oliver.

(laughing)

*

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(clanking)

*

Now, what did you turn the lights on for?

Don't be such a square.

Leave me alone.

There's a guy prowling around.

Let's go home.

Oh, don't pay any attention to him.

I want to go home!

You're getting to be such a moldy fig.

(engine roaring)

*

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(groaning)

*

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(bubbling)

*

I was wondering when you'd be getting back.

What are you doing here?

I could ask you the same question.

I was under the impression

that you were flying to Mexico.

I changed my mind at the last minute.

So I see.

I fancied you might

when you refused to let me go with you to the airport.

I'm very sensitive to your moods, Mr. Mathews.

You see, I know.

Miss Hall, I haven't the slightest idea

what you're talking about.

Certainly you do.

I'm referring to Mrs. Dolan, her daughter, and yourself.

I've always known.

You're not as careful at covering up your tracks

as you should be.

I also know about tonight.

I followed you to Mulholland Drive

when you left the house.

Please don't bother to wash that glass.

It's deplorable, I admit,

but I couldn't control my curiosity,

any more than I could control

picking this up as a souvenir.

What do you want?

Can't you guess?

I'm afraid I can't, Miss Hall.

Well, I'm not going to turn you over

to the authorities,

if that's what's worrying you.

Not unless it's necessary.

Nor do I want money.

What is it then?

I want you to make what you called "an impossible dream,"

possible after all.

*

I can hardly expect you to be serious.

You underestimate me.

Yes, but, darling, you'll just throw him over

in a couple of weeks, so why tire yourself?

You're not very amusing, Howard.

I'm not trying to be.

I won't give you up, Terry, it's that simple.

I need you too much, I want you too much.

I'm not gonna give you up for any--

(gun firing)

*

*

And they lived happily ever after.

You see, Oliver also had an impossible dream,

and it also came true.

His dream was that he and Miss Hall

would be caught and convicted

and sentenced to separate penal institutions.

And now, before I return,

I want you to meet a gentleman

who, though never dreamed,

has become quite impossible.

Thank you, sir,

for that unsolicited testimonial.

I also wish to thank

Alfred Hitchcock Productions,

makers of fine suspense stories,

for relinquishing a minute of their time.

Next week, we shall all be back.

Until then, good night.