Original subtitles

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

Welcome to Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

After many years on television,

I’ve just learned that we open our show incorrectly.

These days good form demands that you begin

with a provocative and exciting scene,

designed to enchant and entice the viewer.

This scene is called the teaser.

Always eager to embrace new ideas after others have thought of them,

we present tonight’s teaser.

The time, 1878.

The place, Tombstone, Arizona.

What’s a pretty school teacher like you doing in a place like this?

[action scene music starts]

[gunshot]

-[gunshot] -[glass breaks]

[click]

[glass shattering]

[action scene music ends]

After seeing that, I’m sure

you won’t want to miss our story,

which takes place entirely in New York City

in the year 1916.

[choir singing Christmas carols]

Where’s the boss?

Mr. Fine is taking his bath.

His what?

Youse heard me.

Tell the boss Healy, the black-jack dealer can’t come in tonight.

He cut his fingers and won’t be able to handle the cards.

Was that Otto?

Oh, yes, it was, Mr. Fine.

He says to tell you

that Healy can’t be in tonight.

He cut his fingers,

says he won’t be able to deal.

Was it a bad cut?

Otto didn’t say, Mr. Fine.

Well, that’s not much of a problem.

I can always borrow a dealer from Mazzotti.

That’s too bad about Healy.

I hope it’s not serious.

Oh, by the way, John.

Do you recall Sweet Remorse?

That was that filly that we saw

running last summer at Aqueduct.

Oh, yes, Mr. Fine, I do.

She had great spirit all of the way.

Well, she ran yesterday at New Orleans,

and I...

happen to remember to put down a bet for you.

You don’t mean to say she won?

Oh, she won easily.

Won by three lengths.

You’ll find an envelope in the top drawer.

[chuckles] Mr. Fine, what can I say?

You don’t say anything, John.

-[people talking] -Good evening, sir.

Good evening, Mr. Fine.

[croupier] Coming out.

Two aces, bet, you lose.

Five hundred says I’m right this time.

Well, it’s your money, Mr. Combs, and...

we always welcome this kind of action.

Well, if you always welcome it, why bother talking about it?

[croupier] Nine. Nine is your number.

Going for nine, sir.

Just thought I might suggest

that perhaps it’s a little early in the evening

for you to be crowding your luck,

particularly the way things have been going recently.

I thank you for your concern,

but my money’s as good as anyone else’s, isn’t it?

[dice rolling]

[croupier] An easy ten. Your point to nine, sir.

Yes, it is. It’s every bit as good.

And you seem to have more of it.

Cover his bets, Tom.

Give the young man all the action he wants.

Yes, sir, Mr. Fine.

Seven, you lose.

Coming out now. Next shooting, next roller. Coming out.

[Combs] Another 500 says the dice are wrong.

[croupier calling numbers]

Thank you, Frank.

Think I’ll need this one.

[croupier calling numbers]

This kid shoots craps like he’s the First National Bank, don’t he, Mr. Fine?

That’s the trouble, Frank.

He’s too rich and he’s too excitable.

I wish he’d take his business someplace else.

This lad’s old man,

is this the same Avery Haggard Combs

with the railroads and the steamship line?

That’s right.

And if the father knew the way the boy

was throwing the money around,

not only here, but at Dunphy’s and Mazzotti’s...

I guarantee you there’d be a grand jury investigation.

[croupier calling numbers]

Don’t you ever get any rest?

The wicked never rest.

No, John, I’m serious.

You never get to bed before me,

and you’re always up ahead of me.

Don’t you find it dull?

Dull?

Yes, I mean, pressing my pants

and taking care of my shirts and...

arranging your time every day

to suit my convenience?

Don’t you ever get sick of it?

Oh, no, Mr. Fine,

that’s part of the job.

You didn’t pick me off of no pick bed o’ roses when you hired me.

They say that no man’s a hero to his valet,

but, believe me, I can understand that.

You see us pretty much the way we are,

with the ribbon off the package.

Tired...

uncertain...

let’s face it, John,

much of the time, afraid.

"The family of the late James Francis Finnerty

gratefully acknowledges your kind expression of sympathy on--"

That was for a hundred dollars worth of flowers.

I suppose people thought it was strange

I didn’t go to the wake or the funeral.

Did you think it was funny?

Oh, no, Mr. Fine.

Well, that’s because you know the truth about me, John.

You know I have trouble facing a healthy flower,

much less go to a funeral.

John?

John, I’m so afraid of death that...

my heart turns over like a clump of sod

whenever I see a team of horses dragging a hearse.

Oh, that’s nothing, Mr. Fine.

It’s just one of them things.

Different people scared of different things.

With me, is lobsters.

I see.

John, you’re all right.

-[knock] -Thank you, anyhow.

I’d never break in on you like this, Mr. Fine,

but I thought you ought to know about young Combs.

What is it, Hubert?

He just blew his brains out.

In the subway, about a block and a half from here.

I’d like to tell you something, Meyer.

And the offer holds for your two bright friends here.

I’ll eat this cue ball like a hard-boiled egg...

if there’s been two games of pool played here in the last five years.

It’s nice to have you all together

with Christmas only four days away.

Sort of a pity we couldn’t have had the Dutchman here

to play Saint Nicholas.

[Lieutenant] How about that, Mazzotti?

I’ll tell him what he missed, lieutenant.

I’m sure he’ll feel real bad.

You can also tell him for me that these "private clubs"

you fellows have been running

for "restricted membership"

will soon be a thing of the past.

You told us that two years ago, lieutenant.

Well, this isn’t two years ago.

It’s now.

Young Combs was seen coming out of here

not more than five minutes

before he walked into the subway

and put a gun to his head.

He wasn’t here for "the pool

and the light conversation," as you put it.

Any more than he’s been going to your place, Mazzotti...

or to your joint, Dunphy...

for "the watercress sandwiches and the parcheesi."

Now, what have you got against parcheesi, lieutenant?

It’s played in all the better homes.

Shut up.

Young Combs’ bank account shows that he went

through a quarter of a million dollars in eleven months.

-What about it, lieutenant? -This about it.

You three have been pluckin’ the wrong bird.

Old man Combs has a million dollars

for every skull you ever cracked, Mazzotti,

and I can tell you that’s been a lot.

He’ll see the three of you in jail

if he has to turn this city upside down.

Well, now I’ve seen everything.

A butler, no less.

The last time I saw this pigeon,

he was flying east on 43rd Street

with somebody’s watch and chain.

You care for cream and sugar with youse coffee, lieutenant?

Oh, yeah. Yeah, three lumps.

Just a little cream...

and stir it very carefully.

And when you’re finished with it,

you can pour it in your ear.

[door opens and closes]

-[dice rolling] -[croupier calling numbers]

Good evening, Mr. Darrow.

Mr. Drury, try and leave enough for the rent.

Thank you, Mr. Dunphy.

-Where’s Mazzotti? -Who knows?

Mazzotti’s a big boy, now. If he felt like coming here,

I guess he’d have found his way.

Well, I’ll say this much for you, Meyer.

You get a much classier trade than either Mazzotti or me.

Yeah, I can see why you wanna keep the place open.

Like over there, for instance.

Drury, the lumber king.

Darrow, the Wall Street man.

They wouldn’t even come into my joint.

But, well, then again I guess I just ain’t got

that, uh, elegant touch like you. Huh, Meyer?

Did you ever think of what it might be like

if you got raided, Meyer?

What the newspapers could do with names like these?

[no audible dialogue]

You-- You know everybody here, don’t you?

It’s my business to know them.

At least I thought I knew them all.

Hubert.

The young fellow at the bar with the package, who is he?

How did he get in?

He said his name was Johnson.

He’s got a courtesy card from Murphy’s place.

It’s initialed and filled out by Murphy in the usual way.

All right, then. Except that...

this isn’t exactly a usual time.

Otto?

The young fellow at the bar,

did you ever see him when you were working at Murphy’s?

Yeah, I seen him, yeah.

Pretty sure I seen him before.

All right, then. Forget it.

Oh, but Hubert,

in the future, whenever there’s any doubt, you’ll check with me first.

Yes, sir.

Another, sir?

No, thanks. It’s just about time to go.

[croupier] Clean out the main shooter. Nine is the winning number.

Mr. Faraday.

That fellow with the package,

I’ve seen him before, but I don’t think it was at Murphy’s.

Winner, nine, pay the line.

Stop him. Get him!

Otto.

Go after him. Whoever it is, take care of him.

I want that film destroyed.

[Otto] Hey, you!

[gunshots]

Well, I--

I suppose when you really think about it, it’s--

well, it’s just one of those things.

You take the bad breaks with the good, right, Joe?

Now, look.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean to deny

that this doesn’t point out something

that all three of us have known for a great many years,

that if you’re gonna do a job like this right, you have to do it yourself.

And I certainly don’t mean to deny that it’s a bad situation. It is.

It’s very bad, but it can’t be changed.

Otto lost his head.

He found out the fellow was from a detective agency,

and he lost his head. He was never very bright.

But I didn’t say "Kill the man."

Why, you were there, Joe.

You heard what I said.

I said I wanted the film destroyed, and that’s all I said.

You were dandy, Meyer.

You handled it fine.

Real fine.

Now, look.

This goes for both of you.

We’re all three of us in this thing together.

Now, let’s keep that absolutely straight.

And if you wanna check the facts...

we’ll get Otto in here right now.

That won’t be too easy.

Otto died an hour ago.

Accidentally, from bullets.

The cops never got around to talking to Otto.

It was like you said...

just one of those things.

[Mazzotti] You look sick, Meyer.

Awful sick.

But you’ve got to remember one thing.

Otto made a big mistake.

There was no need for murder, as you say.

No need to give old man Combs and the grand jury

the kind of help they’ve been waiting for.

Come on.

Otto’s dead? Just like that?

You tell me that, and then you walk out?

Sorry, Meyer.

There’s a meeting at the Dutchman’s.

We don’t have any extra time.

[Meyer] A meeting? Wait a minute!

Nobody told me about any meeting.

Dutchman didn’t say anything to me about a meeting.

He didn’t?

They’re making up their minds about me.

Never been left out of a meeting before, never.

Well, maybe it don’t mean nothin’.

No, no, no.

No, maybe they’ve already made up their minds.

I-I could see it, I--

I saw something in Mazzotti’s face.

That’s why I wasn’t invited.

I’ve never been left out of a meeting, never.

It might just be a mistake.

Dutchman doesn’t make mistakes.

I have to call them.

After all, he’s heard their side of it.

There’s no reason why he shouldn’t hear mine.

You try, why not?

[operator] Number, please?

What number are you calling?

Plaza, three, six, eight. Please.

[man] Yeah?

Hello, Dutch, it’s Meyer.

Listen, Dutch, I just saw the boys.

Frank and Joe dropped in, you know?

And...

Listen, there’s been a very serious misunderstanding,

and I have to talk to you about it.

Dutch, you-you listening?

Do we have a good connection?

[hangs up]

I have to go see him.

After all, I’ve known the man

a great many years, we’ve been very close.

He’s heard their side of it.

There’s no reason why he shouldn’t hear mine.

That makes sense. Doesn’t it, John?

[John] I’ll get your coat and hat, Mr. Fine.

[gunshots]

I know it hurts, Mr. Fine,

but it’s not much more than a singe.

The overcoat helped.

Is a lucky thing he wasn’t a better shot.

Lucky?

I’d have been better off if he hadn’t missed.

John?

John, I want to beg the Dutchman on my hands and knees.

Like Little Eva...

without the pride of a cat.

It was one of the Dutchman’s boys that fired the shots.

[horse’s hoofs on the paving]

What is it?

What do you see?

Oh, it’s nothing, Mr. Fine.

Just some guy gettin’ out of a hack.

I seen him before.

He’s going into his house.

Nothing else?

No.

No, nothing else.

[hoofbeats resume]

Now the hack’s movin’ away.

Like I said, Mr. Fine,

I got your bag all packed. We can get out of here.

No, John-- John.

John, please.

I’ll never get out of here.

They’ll see to that.

Now, look.

I know a nice little place in Jersey.

A friend of mine hid out there for over a year.

What? No. Jersey, no.

John, this apartment, Jersey, it doesn’t make any difference.

I-I can’t get away from them.

But at least you might have a chance if you try to break out.

No.

I can never let them see how frightened I am.

I couldn’t stand that.

I’ll get your bag.

[door opens and closes]

[door opens]

Tried to fool myself, John.

I thought I could beat them to the punch, but...

I don’t have the courage.

John?

Don’t leave me.

Stay with me.

You’re the only friend I have.

You’re the only one.

John...

John, I...

[sobs] I don’t have it.

I don’t have the courage.

Help me.

Help--

Help me, John, please.

Please.

[sobbing] Please, help me.

[gunshot]

[operator] Number, please?

Give me the police.

[Lieutenant] Why did you kill him?

Why?

I couldn’t believe it when I heard it was you.

Why?

Why did you do it?

Meyer was the only one of that pack that ever had an ounce of decency.

He took you in,

fed you and clothed you, you punk.

He gave you a job

when you couldn’t have found a bed in a kennel.

And for that you shoot him?

You’re not like anything human.

You’re not like anything I’ve ever seen.

Didn’t you ever hear of a thing called gratitude?

This concludes our story for tonight.

We shall give you a scene from our next tale

immediately after this preview

of next week’s commercials.

I’ve been asked to announce

that next week’s commercials

will be just as witty,

just as engrossing,

just as exciting and entertaining as that last one.

And now, before I say goodnight,

here’s that scene from next week’s play.

The time, 1879.

The place, Fargo, North Dakota.

Didn’t I meet you once in Tombstone, Arizona?

[glass crashing]