Original subtitles

Good evening.

I’m examining this pearl.

You should have seen the oyster.

I already have a customer for this.

He’s a very wealthy but suspicious gentleman,

who plans to give it to his lady friend as a pendant.

I’m sure you agree that this is the kind of gift

which inspires fidelity.

That is why I told him I don’t think it’s necessary to attach it to her ankle.

This is peculiar.

There’s a very sinister gentleman in your future.

I think he’s trying to tell you something.

Huh. Good morning. May I help you?

Why, yes. Are you the manager?

I’m the owner, sir. Laurent Dubois.

How do you do, Mr. Dubois?

I’d like to see something really special today.

For a very special occasion.

Oh, of course, Mr...

Wilkens. Hubert Wilkens.

How do you do, Mr. Wilkens?

Now, if I could have some ideas as to the type of jewelry

and maybe the price range?

Oh, well, we-we don’t have to worry about that.

You see, uh...

it’s for our wedding anniversary.

Oh, well then...

if I may suggest a beautiful

diamond necklace.

Now, this is a particularly fine one here.

Oh. No, I don’t think it ought to be diamonds.

My wife has a lot of diamond pieces already.

Of course, it is not the gem alone that matters.

Mr. Wilkens, it is the design, the workmanship of the piece.

For example, see here this bracelet.

This is diamonds, yes, but rubies.

Eh, I don’t think so.

I know. I know. I have some gems but haven’t been placed in settings as yet.

Some of them were left with me on consignment. Would you like to see those?

-Well, now you’re talking. -Please, be seated.

Thank you.

Here we are, Mr. Wilkens.

Excuse me.

Now... see here.

Look at this one. This is a star sapphire from Rathnapura in Ceylon.

Isn’t this beautiful?

Oh, it’s not bad.

And this pigeon’s blood ruby, Mr. Wilkens,

now, have you seen anything like this before?

Well, it’s all right.

Or...

this pearl here.

Now, look at the color of this pearl.

A black pearl of this size, you know, is very rare.

This is a black Pinctada.

Found only in the Gulf of Mexico.

And this happens to be a very fine specimen.

Now, isn’t that something?

Yes, and it would be so simple to have it mounted in a beautiful setting.

Like a ring or a pendant.

All right, all right, Mr. Dubois. I’ll take it.

Yes, but we haven’t discussed the price yet, Mr. Wilkens.

Well, how much, how much?

Well, as I said, this pearl was left with me on consignment, you see and...

All right, all right, Mr. Dubois. How much?

$5,000.

Without the setting, of course.

I know this is a large amount of money, Mr. Wilkens and I

wouldn’t expect you to be carrying that much cash.

What’s the matter? Is my check no good?

Oh, no, no, no. It’s not that.

All right. I understand, Mr. Dubois.

I’m a businessman myself.

Now, you just take my check over to the Third National Bank

and get your cash.

Then you deliver the pearl tonight to my hotel suite.

I’m staying at the Dover.

Well, that will be fine, Mr. Wilkens. Thank you.

Just make sure you get it there tonight.

I want it in time for our anniversary.

Mr. Wilkens, I will deliver the pearl myself, sir.

Thank you.

-Good day, sir. -Good day.

-Conroy. -Yes, sir?

-Got an errand for you. -Yes, sir.

You know that fellow McCabe the one who left the pearl with us in consignment?

-You mean that sailor person? -Yes, that’s right.

He lives in a boat at Pier 16.

I want you to take him a check this afternoon.

Uh, personally?

Couldn’t you mail it, sir?

No. Because I want to have a signature on the bill of sale today.

As a matter of fact, I can make it out now.

For $4,000, less one-third commission.

Figure it out and I’ll make out the check.

$4,000? I thought we had it priced at five.

Conroy, what did I promise you when I first hired you?

You, uh, you said you would teach me the jewelry business, Mr. Dubois.

You just had your first lesson.

Mr. McCabe?

Mr. McCabe!

What’s all that hollering?

It’s, uh, it’s me, Mr. McCabe.

Conroy, from, uh, Dubois Jewelers.

Yeah. What do you want, sonny?

Uh, may I come on board, Mr. McCabe?

I’ve, uh, I’ve got some business with you.

Come ahead.

May I come in?

You’re in, aren’t you?

What’d you do, sonny? Bring your homework from school?

Mr. McCabe,

I came here on a matter of business.

Regarding that pearl, uh, you left to be sold.

How about a little drink first?

No. No, thank you.

Uh, would you mind if I sat down?

Mr. Dubois,

asked me to, uh, bring you this bill of sale for the pearl.

And his, uh, and his check.

You sold the pearl, did you?

I bet you got a good price for it too.

That sure was a beauty.

Well, what do I get?

Here’s the bill of sale.

Now, uh, you’ll just sign right here on the bottom line.

Now, wait a minute, sonny.

What did that skinflint boss of yours sell it for?

The price was $4,000.

Less the store’s commission of thirty-three and a third percent.

-Now, that makes your total price-- -What did you say?

$2,666.

Sonny, didn’t they teach you at school that black pearls cost more money than that?

-Please, Mr. McCabe! -[yelling]

Please! I’m only Mr. Dubois’ assistant. Mr. Dubois made the sale.

Well, you take that bill of sale back to Mr. Dubois and tell him to...

Then I take it you don’t want to make the deal?

You say you got the check with you?

That’s right.

Well...

I am running low on money and...

that pearl’s been on the market a good two months.

It, uh, it really isn’t a bad price, Mr. McCabe, considering.

All right, let me have that bill of sale.

Is the man here, poopsy?

Yes, sugar cup. He’s here.

Come on. Come on.

Lolly, don’t you want to see the pearl?

No.

Oh.

Oh, Mr. Dubois,

this is Mrs. Wilkens.

Lolly, he came all the way over here

just to bring you this beautiful black pearl.

Mr. Dubois,

tell her where it comes from.

Yes.

Uh, well, this is a black Pinctada, Mrs. Wilkens,

and it is found only in the Gulf of Mexico.

I don’t like Mexico.

The hotel there wasn’t even air conditioned.

Honey bunch, just look at it.

Did you ever see such a gorgeous pearl?

Well, I guess it’s all right if I only had one ear.

I beg your pardon.

Mr. Dubois...

I’m-I’m afraid that’s the trouble,

You see, I told Lolly

that I got her one pearl.

And I guess she just doesn’t know what to do with one pearl.

Oh, I see.

Yes. Uh...

Mrs. Wilkens...

Mrs...

Allow me. Mrs. Wilkens, may I suggest, that a ring...

-A ring? -Oh, please. [mumbles]

A ring!

She doesn’t like rings.

Oh, that’s all you ever bring me. Rings!

I’ve got rings for every finger.

Rings for every day of the week.

Rings for every month of the year.

Where am I going to put another ring? In my nose?

Oh, now you’re getting yourself all upset.

Now, we won’t say another word about rings.

Not another word!

Oh, I want earrings!

You know I like earrings!

-I know. -Poopsy.

You used to say I had such pretty ears. Didn’t you?

Oh, yes.

Oh, you certainly have.

Here.

You dry your pretty eyes.

She’s such a sensitive girl.

Yes, I can see that.

Yes.

Mr. Dubois...

There’s only one way to solve this problem.

Yes?

I’ll have to get another black pearl.

A matched one, of course, and I can have

a pair of earrings made up.

-Another black pearl? -Yes.

But Mr. Wilkens, I’m afraid that you don’t appreciate how rare a black pearl is.

-I mean-- -I know, I know it’ll cost a lot but...

that’s all right.

You just spend whatever you have to spend.

But he’ll have it in time for our anniversary, won’t he?

Well, it just isn’t possible. I mean, it’s so short a time.

Oh, I know you can do it, Mr. Dubois.

But it might cost you a lot of money, Mr. Wilkens.

Much more than you paid for the first one.

-A matched pair, you know, is-- -It doesn’t matter.

You get me the pearl!

Let me worry about the money.

I want her to be happy.

That’s all I care about.

Well, I-I’ll do my very best, Mr. Wilkens.

Good.

Goodnight, Mrs. Wilkens.

Hmm, goodnight.

Goodnight, Mr. Wilkens.

[sweetly] Goodnight.

[normal voice] Goodnight.

[Mr. Dubois] McCabe.

McCabe.

Dubois. What do you want?

Well, I-I have to talk to you.

Shove off.

I’ve got a proposition for you.

Big proposition.

Don’t try to sweet talk me, Dubois.

I know you cheated on that pearl.

I’m sorry you were disappointed in the price, Captain.

So I thought I’d make it up to you.

Make it up to me? How?

By offering you a new deal, Captain.

Much more profitable deal.

You told me once that, uh,

you had found several black pearls on that expedition of yours.

Well, now, if you happen to have

a matched pearl for the first one,

I’d-I’d be willing to buy it myself, you know.

No commission. Just a straight sale between friends.

You want to buy a pearl from me, huh?

Yes.

And I’d give you twice the money you got for the first one.

All right.

Suppose I do have another black pearl.

Yes?

Only suppose I set my own price like, uh...

$7,000.

Net.

Really, McCabe. Let’s be sensible.

But do you have such a pearl?

You mean, um,

a black pearl like, um,

like, uh, like this?

Yes, yes. Something like this, yes.

You know, Captain, you shouldn’t keep such valuable gems around lose like that.

I mean, you should put them in the bank where they would be safe, you know.

Eh, you may be right.

I’d hate to lose a beauty like this to,

to any kind of thief.

Pretty, isn’t it?

Yes, yes, it’s not bad, yes.

Of course, it’s not a perfect match to the other one.

I don’t know.

Looks like a pretty perfect match to me.

Fine, then. That’ll do fine.

Fine.

So, $7,000 you say, huh?

Well, you want to do business with me or not, Captain?

You give me the pearl, I’ll give you the check.

[chuckles]

What’s the matter?

You must want that pearl awful bad, huh, Dubois?

Well, you’re not getting it.

Not for 7,000, not for 50,000.

-Really, McCabe-- -The only thing you’re getting off this boat

is your own ugly hide!

-Now get off before I throw you off! -7,000...

Get off my boat before I throw you off!

Off!

[telephone rings]

Hello, Laurent Dubois.

Yes, Mr. Leggett, how are you?

Fine.

Yes, that’s right, about 18 or 20 carats, yes.

You don’t have it, huh?

You can’t.

All right, thank you, Mr. Leggett.

Yes, thank you.

Well, there goes my last hope.

I thought Leggett would be sure to come through.

If Mr. Wilkens was willing to go as high as 20,000 for the pearl,

perhaps we could, uh, offer McCabe more money, say, uh,

say 10,000.

10,000? Are you out of your mind, Conroy?

You know that pearl isn’t worth 10,000.

But if Mr. Wilkens was willing to pay 20,

well you-you’d still have 100 percent profit, Mr. Dubois.

100%?

Yes, that’s not bad.

100%.

All right, get me a bottle of whiskey, Conroy.

I just thought we would have a friendly drink together, Captain.

I brought the bottle so we could celebrate.

Celebrate what?

Give me one reason why I should have a drink with you.

A business deal, Captain.

Here.

What’s your proposition, Dubois?

I bet you, you face danger many times.

Diving for those pearls, ten fathoms below the surface.

Now get to the point, what do want from me?

You know what I want, Captain.

I want the pearl.

And I’m willing to give you a price

that even you can’t resist.

Is that so?

That so.

$10,000, Captain.

Now even you know that the pearl isn’t worth 10,000,

but that’s what I’m willing to offer.

-10,000, huh? -Uh-huh.

That’s how much I value your goodwill, Captain.

Is it a deal?

-That sure is a lot of money. -Uh-huh.

Oh, allow me.

Captain McCabe!

Ca-Captain McCabe!

Nothing sweetens the smoke like a $10,000 check.

All right, McCabe.

What do you want?

I came here to do business with you and I’m not going away empty-handed.

So you name your price.

What’s that, sport?

All right.

$13,000, McCabe.

That’s a lot of money.

Not enough.

All right.

14,000.

You can’t turn down an offer like that.

Yes I can and that’s exactly what I’m doing.

McCabe!

McCabe.

$15,000.

Well...

-I’m not one to hold a grudge. -Good.

-Of course, I don’t have the pearls here anymore. -You don’t?

No, I took your advice and put them all in a safe deposit box

at the Third National Bank.

Oh.

Oh, that’s all right. We’ll go to the bank right away.

You give me the pearl, I’ll give you the check. Does that suit you?

Well, that...

That suits me fine.

Wait a minute, aren’t you forgetting something first?

You strike a hard bargain, McCabe.

Here you are, sport. It’s all yours.

Thank you.

I think I better take it to my client right away.

Goodbye, Captain.

[woman] Come in!

This is Laurent Dubois, Mrs. Wilkens.

-Where’s Mrs. Wilkens? -Huh?

Mr. and Mrs. Wilkens, this is their suite, no?

Ain’t nobody here now, mister.

What do you mean ain’t nobody?

That’s ridiculous.

Mrs. Wilkens?

They told me they’d be here on...

But they-- they’ve got to be here!

They can’t do that to me.

Hello, darling.

-Daddy? -Yes, dear?

That Mr. Dubois,

he wasn’t a very nice man, was he?

No.

No, I wouldn’t say he was.

But perhaps he’s been taught a lesson.

Mmm, feels better now.

That was the worst part of this job, that beard.

Oh, and living on that filthy boat.

Well, you played your part to perfection, Randolph.

Mmm, yes, darling, you were wonderful.

Well, thank you. You were pretty wonderful yourself.

Oh, and so was your father.

Daddy’s always marvelous.

Well, thank you, daughter.

Oh, say...

let’s take a look at the balance sheet, huh?

Oh, this is beautiful.

I paid $5,000 for the pearl,

Dubois gave you 2,600,

then he paid $15,000.

Making a profit for us of 12,600.

Not bad, huh, sweetheart?

Poor Mr. Dubois.

He’s probably tearing his hair out right now.

Wait, till he finds out he had to pay $15,000 to buy the same pearl twice.

[laughing]

Well, head you course due south, sport.

There’s bigger and better suckers on the horizon.

Goodness, what cynicism.

Those of you who like to see evil doers punished,

will be overjoyed to know

that is exactly what happened in the next reel.

However, to make the rest of you happy,

we shall spare you the pain of actually seeing it

and shall show a commercial instead, after which, I shall hustle back.

In closing,

I would like to explain something

to Ms. Ethel T., of Pasadena, California.

She doesn’t care for our cynicism,

and has asked

why don’t we present more sweet little stories.

We would like to, Ms. T.,

but they’re much too fattening.

So, until next week, at this time,

goodnight.