Alfred Hitchcock Presents s01e06 Episode Script

Hold on.
Wait a minute.
I think you've got much too much fill light.
Look, this is supposed to be a night scene, yet it 's full of daylight.
Quiet back there- I beg your pardon.
Oh, good evening.
We wanted to take you behind the scenes for a moment to show you how we make our films.
The friendly cooperation of many, many people is needed to bring you these stories.
Prop man, make-up man, electricians, cameraman.
All part of a team.
I'm very proud of them.
And they in turn You know, I sometimes consider getting out of this business.
Now, about tonight's show.
Our story is entitled The title's unimportant.
Tonight's story concerns well, well, small matter.
I'm sure you'll I'm sure you will enjoy our story.
But first, if you've been watching this program, I'm certain you all know when we have "but first.
" Here it is.
Please.
Sorry, miss.
But we don't serve unescorted ladies at the bar.
I want to talk to Mr.
Henry.
It's important.
Please.
Okay.
Hello, baby.
Say, that's not very friendly.
Don't you go thinking I'm a wolf, no siree.
I know you.
Yes, sir.
That pretty little face is very familiar.
Is it Betty? No, no.
Mary? Just leave me alone, will you? Now, wait a minute, honest, I know you, but I just can't place you.
We got a rule here.
No ladies without an escort.
I run a high class place.
I've got to talk to you.
Make it fast.
I'm a busy man.
Could we? Has he been here yet, Lou? Has who been here? You know who I mean.
Dan.
You'll see him soon enough.
If I know Danny, he'll be looking you up pretty quick.
Do you think he'll give me a chance to explain? Danny's spent five years in stir.
He's had a lot of time to think.
He don't need explanations.
His mind's made up.
But he was in prison when it happened.
Danny's got friends.
They told him about it.
I'm surprised to see you still in town, kid.
That's not very smart.
Wouldn't help me if I ran, he'd just follow me, that's all.
My only chance is to talk to him, to try and make him understand what happened.
What's to understand? Danny takes the rap to save his kid brother.
And while he's locked up, you talk the kid into pulling another job.
Ritchie wanted to pull that job, I helped him, but he wanted to.
And who squealed to the cops when the caper backfired? Who put the blame on Ritchie? Who told the cops where Ritchie's hideout was? I broke down when they questioned me, that's all.
It could happen to anybody.
I didn't know Ritchie'd try and shoot his way out.
I didn't know they'd have to kill him.
They didn't kill him, baby.
You did.
Lou, get to Dan for me, talk to him, will you? I got work to do.
Tim, I've got to talk to you.
Of course, Lois, of course.
What about tomorrow? In the morning.
Now.
Well, I'm afraid that's impossible.
I have an important- Now, Tim.
Expecting a guest? Yes, I am.
Is she pretty? No.
Lois, It's a man.
I'm having him coming over here for a business meeting.
You always jump to conclusions, don't you, Lois? Why haven't you called me, Tim? I've been very busy.
For two months? Why haven't you answered my calls? Now, baby I didn't come here for that.
I haven't come to see you before because I hoped you'd come to see me.
But I'm too scared to care about that now.
Scared? Tim, Dan Varrel was released from prison.
He's back in town.
Oh.
I see.
Do you? Do you know what it means, Tim? Ritchie Varrel was everything to Dan.
Dan even went to prison to save him.
And now that Ritchie's dead- Don't you think you're being a little too dramatic about this thing, darling? Dramatic? Can't you guess what Dan will do to me? Tim, I'm so scared.
Easy, now.
Look, I have a fine idea.
Suppose you leave town.
I'll give you the money, and you can go back to that little town you came from.
Springfield.
It happens to be Cambridge.
Yes, of course.
Look, you go back there and I can keep sending- Will you come with me? Now, Lois, I can't do that.
I know.
You're busy.
Maybe I can join you later.
Sure, maybe in a couple of days- Maybe.
You don't mean it, Tim.
You just say it to get rid of me.
Darling, please don't be like this.
Just the thing to give a man at a business meeting.
I only said that because you always get so jealous.
You make such scenes.
Tim, why do you suppose I talked Ritchie into pulling that robbery? So I could get half the money, so I could dress well to please you.
You always liked me when you thought I had money, didn't you? Lois, please.
Don't you see, Tim? I did it all for you, and you don't care.
But I do.
It's like I told you.
I've been busy lately.
A couple of big deals.
Is she wealthy? Goodbye, Tim.
Don't you want the money? What's the use? Why run when you haven't anywhere to go? Hello? It's not locked.
Welcome back to town, Dan.
A guy could get burned that way.
You're full of jokes, huh? No, Dan.
No more jokes.
You're not even scared.
You should be.
How do you think Ritchie felt with a cop's bullet in him? You ever wonder about that? I've wondered.
You're going to find out.
Look, Dan, get it over with.
Don't make any speeches.
Go on, beg.
Get on your knees and beg.
I don't mind what's going to happen.
I've got nothing to live for.
Don't give me this routine, "You've got nothing to live for.
" Less than two hours ago you were pleading with Lou Henry to talk to me.
I know.
Lou convinced me that no one was going to help me.
And then I saw Tim.
All right.
So you saw Tim, so what? So I've lost him, too.
How long have you lived in this dump? About three months.
Answer me another question.
When you told the cops where Ritchie was hiding did you think of his wife? Did you think of his kid? You knew Joan.
You've seen their kid.
Answer me.
I only thought about Tim.
Look, Dan, earlier I thought I could talk to you, make excuses.
But it's no good.
Ritchie's dead and you want to kill the person who's responsible.
That's me, any way you look at it.
For the last year, all I could dream about was getting out and finding you.
But I never figured it'd be this way.
This is like doing you a favor.
I guess maybe it is.
If I weren't sure you wouldn't do it for me I'd probably go find a nice, high bridge somewhere.
I don't like it.
If you were scared if you pleaded with me, it'd be easy.
This way What did you do before you got mixed up with that crowd downtown? I used to design dresses.
You make any money at it? A little.
I was pretty good.
Maybe I was wrong.
Maybe you did feel bad about the way Ritchie got it.
I've got some dough.
For the next few years, while I'm on parole I got to find a way of going legit.
I want to go into a business, an honest business.
So it'll look good for me when the cops check on me.
So? So, maybe you can help me.
See, all of my friends are mixed up in the rackets, one way or another.
But you're out of it.
Maybe you can help me.
I don't understand.
Maybe you will one day.
If I put up the dough, if I back it you think you could run a dress shop and make it pay? What? You heard me.
I need a legitimate business and you can give it to me.
I put up the money, you run the shop and we'll be partners.
What do you say? I don't know what to say.
Just say it's a deal.
I'll drop by in the morning and we'll work out the details.
Sleep tight.
Fine.
Let's display this one in the window for the opening, Edward.
And, yes, this and the other one I told you about.
Yes, Mary.
That's fine, dear.
Miss Lois, I need more space for the sewing machines.
In the room I have I will not be able to put all the people to make alterations.
Look, Hilda, I told you we'll give you more room later on.
Now, please, don't bother me again with that.
Please.
Hello.
Dan.
You've finally come to see what I'm doing with your money.
Our money.
What do you think of it? Beats me.
Just as long as you're satisfied with it.
I am, Dan.
I am.
I'm just still in a daze.
You've been working hard.
I've never felt better in my life.
Fine.
That means you'll do a good job.
That's all I care about.
I just hope the opening's a success, that's all.
Why wouldn't it be? It would help if we could advertise a little.
Why can't we? Money.
It's practically all gone.
All you gave me.
What'll it take? $5000.
$3000 might do.
$5000.
I'll get it.
Oh, Dan.
How can I ever thank you? I just want you to be happy.
I will be.
If people come to the opening.
People will come to the opening.
Lois, I like it.
Lou Henry around? Mr.
Henry.
You been pretty scarce for a while, Dan.
Yeah, I've been catching up with my reading.
I've been hearing some funny stories, Danny.
Yeah.
About you and that Williams dame.
We're in business together, Lou.
That's what I hear.
Danny, you know whatever you do, I say, okay, Danny's a smart boy.
But you're making a lot of enemies.
Like whom, for instance? Like all of your kid brother's old pals.
They all said "Wait till Dan gets out of stir, he'll even the score for Ritchie.
" Then you get out and go in business with the dame.
So a couple of two bit punks don't approve.
Big deal.
Making me feel real sad.
Lou, I want a loan.
Sure, Danny.
How much? $5000.
For that business of yours? What do you care what it's for? You know you'll get it back.
Just curious, Danny, just curious, that's all.
Anything you do, I say okay.
I'll get the dough for you.
Give me a whiskey.
Hey there, Shorty.
How are you? I hear you're selling petticoats now, Dan.
You hear a lot of funny stories, don't you? You should've been at Ritchie's funeral.
Real sad.
Ritchie's wife was all broken up.
Get lost, Shorty.
I was there.
All Ritchie's pals were there.
Only Lois Williams wasn't there.
I said get lost.
I was a pal of Ritchie's.
I figured you were even a better pal.
His own brother.
I figured when you got out, you'd even the score.
He always looked up to you.
Said what a great guy you were.
In my book you're a louse.
Taking up with the dame that got him killed.
Why, you're a no good, dirty Go wash your face.
Dan, where have you been hiding? No place.
Oh, it's wonderful.
Everybody's wonderful.
How can I ever thank you? I just want you to be happy, that's all.
Doing my best.
How about you? Are you happy? Just being near you.
Seeing the way you are now.
That's good enough for me.
Dan, you know how grateful I am to you for everything.
Lois, I don't want gratitude.
I find it tough to say how I feel.
It used to be easy for me to talk.
I'd just lie.
Get anything I wanted that way.
Get out of any difficult situation just by telling a few lies.
I can't seem to do that anymore.
Especially to you.
I wouldn't want you to.
The terrible thing about being truthful is that I have to hurt you, Dan.
You're the one person, above all others, that I don't want to hurt.
There's only one guy for me.
Still suffering from the same old torture, aren't you? I'm sorry.
I wish I could forget him, wish it were different.
But I can't forget him.
He lives over at the Carlton Arms, I hear.
I think I'll have a talk with him.
Dan, you're not - Don't you worry.
I'll fix everything.
I'll do everything you'd want me to.
Room 412, please.
Hello, Grady, this is Dan Varrel.
Oh? I'm downstairs in the lobby, I'm coming up.
Dan, it's 3:00 a.
m.
I won't take much of your time.
Hello, Dan.
Come in.
Have a cigarette? Sit down, Dan.
Sit down.
No, you sit.
I want to talk.
Lois Williams is quite a girl.
Yeah, she sure is.
Look, Dan, if it's about your brother, I didn't know anything about that.
I didn't even know him.
Relax.
Lois tells me that she was pretty much in love with you.
How'd you feel about her? I liked her.
I liked her very much.
She still loves you.
Oh.
You know how it is.
Look, Grady.
Let's talk straight.
Lois and I have been partners.
You're the only man she can feel anything for.
So I'm pulling out of the partnership tomorrow.
Means Lois will be alone.
I don't know what I can do about it.
Understand, I'd like to help.
Yeah.
And you will.
I'd like to see Lois married.
A woman with a $50,000 business needs a little help.
Yeah.
Why don't you call her? You think so? Right now.
Skyler 48599.
Sure.
If you think so.
Skyler 48599.
I won't know what to say.
It's been so long.
Say you want to marry her.
Lois? Hello, baby.
So you recognize the old voice, eh? Dan Varrel was just here, suggested that I call you.
That's right.
We're taking a holiday with full pay.
You all have the day off.
Lois, that's really sweet of you.
Go on, what are you waiting for? Go have fun.
The shop is closed.
Congratulations, Miss Williams.
Thank you.
Well, I'm so glad for you, dear.
Thank you.
All of you, have a good time.
Thank you, dear.
What's going on? I've just declared a national holiday.
Dan, bands should be playing, flags should be waving.
Everyone should have a holiday.
Life is so wonderful, Dan.
You're feeling good? You don't know how good! Tim was here this morning.
He asked me to marry him.
He said you wanted it that way, too.
I want you to be happy.
Oh, I am happy, Dan.
I just don't know how to thank you.
You've been so wonderful to me.
Forget it.
They say people are nice because it makes them feel good.
I feel good, Lois.
Real good.
After Tim asked me to marry him, I couldn't help thinking back.
That night in my hotel room.
Remember? When you'd just got out of jail? I remember.
I had nothing to live for.
I didn't care.
I almost wanted you to kill me.
I know.
And I said I wouldn't.
Because it would be like doing you a favor.
Tell me, Lois are you really happy now? Happier than you've ever been? Oh, yes.
I'm the happiest woman in the whole world.
Dan, I owe you more than I ever- Yeah.
Everything to live for just like Ritchie.
Isn't it lovely? All my fellow workers.
Prop-men, electricians and so on bought this and presented it to me.
Next week we shall be back with another story.
Join us then.
That is, if you have nothing better to do.