Original subtitles

(car honks)

- Still can't believe it.

- You'll never know unless you ring the doorbell.

- I guess I better get the car out of the alley.

Coming?

Look, what if it's true?

What do I say to her after all this time?

- Well, if it's true,

you won't have to think what to say.

And if it's not true, well, you'll handle that too.

Besides, I think I better stick with the ship.

The local sharks look a little hungry.

I've seen characters like those strip a car

in three minutes, flat.

- Maybe I better not go in until we find out what they want.

- Well, they don't know what they want just yet.

They'll probably kill some time

and take a look at the cool crate.

Pick a fight, maybe.

It depends on what kind of action

they're getting on the block,

and whether they think I'm a pushover or not.

In any case, those guys don't think fast.

Not in broad daylight.

And not without a council meeting,

so take your time.

(door buzzer)

(door buzzer)

- Excuse me, I must have the wrong address.

- The correct address.

You're Mr. Stiles.

The letter reached you, thank God.

- Look, a woman inside.

How do I know she's my Aunt Kitty?

- Why don't you just come in?

- Are you the man she married?

- I'm a doctor.

When she wrote, she said it was urgent,

but she neglected to say how urgent.

She's dying.

- I've been lying here,

trying not to die until you came.

(clock chimes)

That clock.

You remember that, don't you, Tod?

It was your father's.

It used to stand in the reception hall.

Remember?

Next to the marble vase with ferns in it?

Under the skylight?

- I'm sorry, I didn't know you were still alive.

- In the bureau.

Over there.

The top drawer.

The picture.

I was never much of a beauty, but I was young.

Your father took it.

- Our first summer at Montauk.

- Your first.

My last.

- Yeah, I know.

- When you're 19,

life is something in three quarter time.

You're never wrong.

I went away.

With a man.

I couldn't write.

You're the only person in the whole world

who can do this for me.

And you must, you must promise me before I die.

Promise me, Tod.

You must.

- Do what?

- Find Carol for me.

Find her.

Bring her back to me.

(screams)

- Doctor!

- Tod.

You're the only one who can do this for me.

Promise me.

- I'll try, Aunt Kitty.

Who's Carol?

- It'll rest for at least three hours.

Another sedative to dull the pain.

You prefer another doctor?

- I asked you a question, who's Carol?

- I think I'm a good doctor.

I asked myself, am I interested in health,

or in fighting disease?

Is it the person I care about, or the contest?

I say to you, with me, it's the person.

Carol is her daughter.

- But why me?

After 20 years, why's she asking me to find her daughter

I didn't even know she had?

Why not the police, or the bureau of missing persons,

or a neighbor, anybody?

Why me?

- This is the most personal thing in her life.

The only thing she's got left.

She only stayed alive waiting for you,

and what she's asked you to do.

- Do you know where I can find her?

- There's a man named Briggs.

On Rowan Avenue.

Carol was interested in him.

(clock chimes)

Try and be back by tomorrow night.

I can't promise to keep her around alive beyond that,

no matter how hard she tries to wait for you.

(sharks laugh and make engine noises)

- Better look out for those turns.

- You live around here?

Do you know a girl named Carol Chamberlain?

- Do we know her?

(laughter)

- Manuel, doesn't he bother you?

He sits in your car, doesn't he bother you?

- Doesn't bother me, I'm a man that doesn't bother easy.

- Maybe you don't know much.

Now, a pig, nothing bothers a pig.

Because he don't know much.

But a man, he gets bothered.

- Not me.

- And now what do you say?

- I'm bothered.

- You know, I think you're too pretty.

Maybe you need a scar like Cazador, huh?

- You Cazador?

- Every man should have a scar.

- Well, I got one that makes that look like nothing.

Police booth.

- Hey!

- You like that?

Alright, you tell those two slobs, take those jackets off.

Go on, tell them, tell them!

(yells)

(yells)

Tod, there's some gas in the trunk, get it.

Alright, throw those jackets over there.

Go on, move.

Get up, come on, get up.

Alright, soak them and burn them, Tod.

Now, down the street.

Move out!

(yells)

Start the car.

(car engine starts)

Now next time you pull a knife on somebody, remember!

(door buzzer)

- What's the most ice cream you ever ate?

- I don't know.

A pint.

- When I was six, Aunt Kitty treated me to all I could eat.

One quart, one pint.

And she held my head while I got sick.

(door buzzer)

Is Davey Briggs home?

- I'm Davey Briggs.

- [Tod] I'm looking for Carol Chamberlain.

- Carol isn't here.

- How do I know that?

I'm Carol's cousin.

- Come in.

I haven't seen Carol for almost six months now.

- Was this the way you spotted her?

- I didn't have that then,

or, believe me, I would have spotted her

even in the middle of Cassiopeia Sigmas.

But the unromantic facts are, she found me.

- Okay, where is she?

- I wish I knew.

Lately, I've had the feeling

that something was wrong with her.

If I could get around, I'd be out looking for her myself.

- You said before, she found you.

- What does that mean?

- Well, he said that she picked him up.

- A man like me.

A hermit with a pair of useless legs.

How could I attract any girl, much less someone like Carol?

She came to visit me every day for 10 weeks.

The most wonderful, happiest weeks of my life.

I used to sit there at that window by the hour,

just watch traffic, wait for the mailman,

or the boy from the market with my grocery order.

Just sit there and wait for it to get dark.

Carol used to catch the bus from Gardena.

Right down there, on East City Place.

One night, she waved to me.

I waved back.

The next night, she came up the hill.

I couldn't believe it.

There was a knock on the door.

I opened it.

My name's Carol Chamberlain, she said.

I've been admiring your view.

You must have the loveliest view in Southern California.

May I look?

Please?

She looked.

You should have seen her face.

It was as though the lights on the gas tank

on Boil Heights were the moons of Saturn.

Then she noticed my books,

the books on trigonometry and astronomy and all the rest.

You look at the stars, she asked.

I try, I said.

But with the naked eye you can only see about 3,000

at any one time.

Why don't you get a telescope, she asked.

Well, on my disability allowance,

you're lucky to pay the rent eat meat twice a week.

She bought me this.

I tried not to accept it,

but Carol has a way of giving that makes you want to accept.

You know, I've never seen anybody look more alive

than when she sees happiness in another person's eyes.

Before I knew Carol, I was imprisoned by myself.

Like someone locked in a room full of mirrors.

Each one reflecting only himself.

Carol changed those mirrors into windows,

through which I could see

the beauty and suffering of others.

You're fortunate to have a girl like Carol for a cousin.

- How come, if you were so worried about her,

you never called where she worked?

In Gardena?

- I can't afford a phone.

- Now, you said there was a postman.

Can you afford a stamp?

- I did write.

But there was never an answer.

- Where?

- Let me see.

She used to mention a place called Potter's on Ventura.

- This Potter's, what did she do there?

- I don't know.

She never said, and I never asked.

- Thanks.

(upbeat jazz music)

(cheering and whistles)

- Bar or table?

- We're looking for someone.

A girl named Carol.

- It's a big, wide world.

- Carol Chamberlain.

- She doesn't work here.

- But you recognize the name.

- She left, a couple of months ago.

- Madeline, Betty, Jaynie, Maria,

are all just dying to have a nice drink

with a couple nice boys like you two.

Just take your pick.

- Didn't she say where she was going?

- We've got a real nice table for you,

right up there by the stage.

You'll just love Betty and Maria.

- Look, I don't want a table.

Do you have any idea where I can find her?

- Who are you guys?

- I'm looking for Carol Chamberlain.

She's a cousin of mine, okay?

- Sure, sure, cousin.

So don't tell me.

I can smell vice squad all over you guys.

Well let me tell you, this is Potter's.

And at Potter's, all you get is a drink.

Carol we ain't got on the premises.

So you're going to stand there and block traffic,

or you're going to sit down?

- Look, all my friend wants is a little inside information.

Like, where's a certain girl that used to work here.

- This is a very respectful club.

We don't give out not addresses.

So, come one, make up your minds.

Either come in and have a drink, or out.

- Well, maybe you can think of a third alternative.

- I don't understand that kind of fancy talk.

Alice, what's he trying to say?

- He wants to talk to you in the alley.

- Oh.

Fella, now you're talking my kind of language.

Be right back.

Alice, honey, don't steal nothing while I'm gone.

Come on.

- Why?

It doesn't make any sense.

- Whether I take him or he takes me,

maybe he'll soften and tell me where Carol is.

- [Hank] Hey, you coming?

- [Tod] Yeah!

- [Hank] How about you?

- Well, I can take it or leave it,

but this is his fight, not mine.

- And his idea too, check?

- What do you want, a written release?

- Well, nowadays a man's got to be careful

about assault and battery,

and guys who whistle for the cops.

- Look, why don't you just tell us

where we can find Carol Chamberlain,

and that way nobody need get any lumps.

- I ain't hit nobody since last Thursday.

Man, I'm long overdue.

This punk of high ain't even gonna work up a sweat.

How about you come in and fill?

Fill a lax, huh?

- Well, my money's still on him.

Come on, come on, come on, what are you trying to do?

Can't you see he's out cold?

- Yeah.

I don't know what's happening to me.

All I feel is anger.

Some terrible kind of anger.

- 20 years caught up with you, huh Tod?

Don you understand, you can't let that kind of stuff

eat you up inside, you gotta learn to live with it.

Come on, let's get your face cleaned up.

- No.

Not until he tells me where Carol is.

- 3219 Ben Loehman Place.

Apartment 23.

It's my place.

Wait for me.

- She just got out of a cab.

(knock on door)

- Hank sends his regards.

Any time you want a job at the club,

throwing people out, you got it.

Coffee.

- We sort of just made ourselves to home.

- Well, that smells good.

I'll have some.

Well, when you find her, let me know, okay?

- You mean you don't know where she is?

- Where's anybody?

- Hey, I think I'll keep you around.

You've got a way with a coffee bean.

- Then why did you give us your key

and tell us to wait here?

- You're her cousin.

I don't know where she's got to,

and I don't have that much closet space, so...

You take these along with you.

And when you see Carol,

tell her I only wore the satin a couple of times,

but I had it cleaned, and it's as good as new.

How about putting a hit on this?

You want to find her, why don't you ask her mother?

She lives over on Elmo.

- She doesn't know either.

- Well, beats me.

One night she's at work, next night, no show.

That was, well, like I told you, a couple of months ago.

Not a word since.

I got some more of her things.

Whenever she worked late, she used to stay with me.

- Did she leave a telephone book,

anything with some names and numbers in it?

- Carol?

Carol didn't have to call anybody, they'd call her.

- Well, there must have been somebody special.

I could talk to him, maybe he could tell me.

- Why are you so determined to find her?

Somebody leave her some money or something?

- It's a family situation.

- Ah.

Well, rotsa ruck.

My money's on Carol.

She could be anywhere; Rio, Mexico City.

I wouldn't put it past her.

I sure hope so.

She's got it coming.

She deserves to find a live one.

Always wasting her time on misfits and underdogs.

Like she was sick or something, you know?

I mean, two guys come into the place,

and one's a real good-looking John,

money written all over him.

And the other's some kind of freak

with a wild look in his eye and lint in his pockets.

She goes for the freak every time.

Maybe she's finally got smart and latched onto a live one.

Sure hope so.

Hey, underneath the sink there's a bottle,

and it's not full of detergent.

How about breaking it out, you and me,

while your friend goes flying down to Rio

to find my pal Carol?

- Can I take a rain check?

- Not in dry season.

And this has been a dry season.

- Some of the guys, some of the guys

with the wild look in their eye

and the lint in their pocket, name me a few.

- You're not kidding, are you?

- No, I'm not kidding.

- You think maybe something might have happened to her?

- A girl is missing for two months.

Nobody seems to know.

What do you think?

- I don't know what to think.

Well, let's see.

Men she knew.

I mean, cared something about.

There's Jamie Thomas, he drives a cab.

- Where?

- Santa Monica.

And Billy Fielding, he works in a restaurant downtown,

Pershing Square Restaurant.

And Carol was always talking about some young man

in her neighborhood, Juan Domingo.

Some kind of artist.

I know she was posing for him.

- Posing?

- That's the kicker: only her face.

- You can stay if you want to.

- I want to, but I won't.

That's life.

- You are Juan Domingo?

- Yes.

- We've been chasing all over the place, looking for you.

- My mother could have told you, I --

- Yeah, that you're at art school,

But nobody knew where you were painting.

Palos Verdes, Malibu, Pershing Square.

I'm looking for Carol Chamberlain.

Somebody told me you could help me find her.

- Are you from the police?

- No.

- I have nothing to hide, even if you are from the police.

I told them everything.

Still, they don't believe me.

They think I'm, they simply think I'm inventing it all

out of revenge.

What they did to my paintings.

Who are you, really?

- Carol's cousin.

- Then I'm sorry, truly sorry.

You see?

She has become the sum of everything I paint.

A single point of beauty in all I see.

No matter where I go, I do not need any other model,

or any other inspiration.

Only Carol.

- Look, Juan, I'm running out of time.

Where is she?

- How can you be her cousin and ask that?

How can you not know?

- Not know what?

- No one will ever see Carol again, except as I paint her.

Except as I remind the world how beautiful she was.

This is why I do not believe you are her cousin,

or else you would know.

Carol is dead.

- She can't be.

Her mother asked me to find her.

- Who are you?

Why do you lie?

I myself told Mrs. Chamberlain what happened.

I, myself.

- [Tod] Get out of the way.

- She's under sedation.

You can't go in there now,

she won't be out of it for half an hour.

- What kind of a woman is she?

She set us out looking for Carol,

and all the time she knew she was dead.

- You weren't looking for just a girl

when she sent you out searching for Carol.

You were looking for the truth.

I'm not so sure you found it.

The facts, maybe, but not the truth.

- We found the truth, alright.

We have a half hour, so how about it, we go get Cazador?

- [Buz] We go get Cazador.

- A half hour, doctor.

(dog barking)

- Cazador!

Cazador!

Cazador!

Cazador!

We're going to wipe this yard up with you, Cazador.

You're going to dance for me the way you made Carol dance.

- We'll see.

We'll see who's going to dance, okay?

- Back to back.

Keep circling.

- I'm Carol Chamberlain's cousin.

I want you to get the full picture.

I want you to remember every bit of it.

Juan Domingo told me the story.

About the paintings he worked on for four years.

26 paintings, he said they were beautiful.

I don't know, I didn't see them, but Carol did.

And she thought they were.

How about that?

Out of this stinking neighborhood,

he created something beautiful.

- We'll get this guy first.

The one who likes to burn jackets.

We'll fix him fine, huh?

The other guy, the talker, we can save him for last.

- About the paintings, Cazador.

They meant a scholarship for Domingo,

and a ticket out of here,

and you couldn't stand that, could you?

- I wanted to have some fun.

Went to Domingo's to get the pictures, so?

- And he was painting Carol when you got there.

Then you got your brainstorm, didn't you, Cazador?

- Good idea, huh?

Well, why shouldn't she dance for us?

She danced for a club, why not for us?

- She danced.

She made a deal.

You were supposed to lay off the paintings,

but you wretch don't know what it is to keep a deal, do you?

- Then you tore up all those pictures, didn't you?

Four years of hard work.

- What about Carol?

She thought you were human beings, not animals,

what about her, Cazador?

- Cops say they know it was an accident.

She was crazy.

She runs, she tries to pick up a knife, she falls.

She's crazy.

- Now you're going to dance.

You're going to dance for me.

Alright, dance.

Dance!

Dance!

Dance!

Alright, dance!

Faster!

- Stiles!

Stiles!

Your aunt is calling for you.

Hurry.

- That was a cruel thing, Aunt Kitty.

It was a cruel thing you asked me to do.

You knew she was dead.

- If I told you yesterday,

when you came 20 years a stranger,

what would you have known about my life, or Carol's?

Just words.

What would they have told you?

Now you know.

You've seen, felt, in one day, in one night,

what all her days and nights were like.

One long journey into despair and death.

Because of me.

- That isn't what I saw.

I saw she made things shiny, the worst things.

I saw she left behind good feelings and inspiration.

- She deserves so much.

So much more than I could give her.

You ask why I sent for you?

To confess.

- Confess?

- To say to you, the son of my brother,

what I should have said to him years ago.

I'm sorry I ran away.

I'm sorry I didn't listen to you.

Oh, my brother.

Darling, darling brother.

I was too proud, too stubborn,

to admit I was wrong.

So, I sank lower and lower,

dragging Carol with me.

All the time, she could have been with you, darling.

In a decent environment.

And you, you could have grown up together.

Helped each other.

She could have been as fine a girl

as you are a man.

- Aunt Kitty, listen to me.

If I live a hundred years, I'll never be half the man

to match the woman Carol was.

She was special.

You hear me, Aunt Kitty?

She was something special.

Besides, who am I to hear a confession?

I'm not fit to hear anybody's confession.

- You are the son of my brother.

The man of the family.

That's why I ask you, Tod,

share this misery with me.

Take it from me.

Make it part of your life.

Only...

change it for the good.

If you do,

Carol and I will never leave you.

We'll stay with you always.

(engine starts)

- [Announcer] This has been a Screen Gems film presentation

from Columbia Pictures.

Herbert B. Leonard, executive producer.