Alfred Hitchcock Presents s01e30 Episode Script
Never Again
Good evening.
Thank you for waiting.
I was tied up in a story conference.
The writers seem to have escaped with the secretary, too.
I wonder if they left the story behind.
Oh yes, here it is.
It's called Never Again.
May I show it to you? No.
I don't want to wake up.
Please don't make me wake up.
This is a bed, I know it's a bed.
My bed.
It must be my bed.
Why does it move? And rock? I wish it would stop! No, I'm not in bed.
I'm on the Staten Island Ferry.
Foggy, the water's choppy.
We're lost.
Isn't that wonderful? Lost.
Karen, stop being so silly.
You're not lost not half way to Staten Island, half way anywhere.
You're all the way hung over the worst hangover ever.
It's just how bad this one is! Jeff is so right.
I promised Jeff, "Never again.
"As long as I live "I'll never so much as look at the labels on a bottle.
" Never.
I hurt my hand.
How did I hurt my hand? Hospital.
Am I that sick? Nurse Jeff, don't be angry with me again.
Please don't be angry with me again.
How did I get here? Remember.
Remember.
I must remember.
The glass.
There was the cocktail glass.
Yes.
Yes.
I remember.
You probably think I'm silly, don't you, Margaret, carrying this glass around? Honey, what you do outside of office hours is your own business.
You know, I didn't say anything to you while- Don't pretend you didn't want to.
Well, it's all over now.
Yes, I haven't had a drink in four weeks two days and six hours.
And it's still just a piece of glass.
Nothing more, nothing less.
You're looking like yourself again, Karen.
You've been an awful good friend my only friend outside of Jeff.
See? It's useful after all.
What are you wearing tonight? I hadn't thought.
What about the white job with the sequins? Karen! I'm sorry.
I know you think it's a pity to keep anything so lovely in such a filthy and torn condition.
That's the way I want it, Margaret, just like you see it now.
What time are you expecting Jeff? What time is it now? It's almost 6:00.
Oh, golly, he'll be here at 6:30.
Do you mind, Margaret? I just left.
Jeff didn't come by at 6.
:30.
It was 7.
:00.
The clock on the mantel was just striking.
Hey, what'll your neighbors think? They look forward to it as much as I do.
Seeing us reminds them there are more important things than getting dinner ready on time.
You're thinking bad thoughts.
I wasn't thinking, I was just looking.
It's just an ashtray.
Your glass.
No, thank you.
Please, it's important to me.
I'd rather not, Karen.
But don't you see, it's a kind of proof that it won't bother me to see you drink it.
Please.
It's nice and dry.
I've been thinking I ought to find something to keep me busy but after office hours.
Not that I mind Mr.
Clemmon's dictation from 9:00 to 5:00, but I ought to find something to fill in the gap while you're working or away on trips or out holding clients' hands, don't you think? Did you ever know me to hold a client's hand? Renee Marlow is a client.
She's more than that.
She's actually very important to the agency.
She's the brightest woman in advertising we have around.
Besides she's an old friend.
Renee likes you.
Isn't that nice? I know Renee better than you do.
I can imagine what she must have said about me to you.
Now that's not fair, and you know it.
We don't share things anymore.
Sure we do, honey, more than ever actually.
Yes, your things.
Not mine.
What I do isn't very interesting.
Mr.
Clemmons complaining about his taxes.
You don't find that interesting, do you? I didn't say that.
But you meant it.
I didn't even think it.
Then why did I? I don't know.
Jeff, whatever is the matter with me? Honey, you've had a tough thing to get over.
I am over it, I know I am but there's something else, much worse.
I don't seem to be anybody, I'm nothing anymore.
You're my girl.
Isn't that somebody? Yes, when I'm with you it is.
We got to get you out more mix with people more.
Tonight for instance.
Tonight? You have a party? More advertising people? Honey, they're the only people I know.
You know how they keep us isolated, on oxygen.
I don't understand that talk, smart talk.
Honey, that is not smart talk.
That's artificial chit-chat, and it's nothing to be afraid of.
Really, Jeff? Really? Yes, really.
Okay, I'll get my coat.
Edith, I've been looking for you.
How are you, Dick? Excuse me, will you? Hello.
I'm so glad you both could come.
Thank you.
A lovely dress.
The extra man.
And his extra lovely girl.
Thank you, Renee.
Thank you for getting Jeff here on time.
I couldn't keep him away.
I hated asking him to another party but there don't seem to be enough hours in the day.
Not even enough minutes.
Did you get those proofs? Yes, I did, darling.
They're in the study.
I won't keep him but a minute.
Make it a minute and a half.
Jeff- The place is crawling with characters, darling, but just smile sweetly and any one of them will tell you what his analyst had for dinner.
And don't take sides with anybody about anything.
I see you've a mixed crowd here tonight.
Yes, ex-husbands and ex-wives.
The scars may still be fresh, darling, so tread carefully.
You won't, will you, darling? You know I won't.
No, thank you.
You Scotch or bourbon? No, thanks.
That's right, you're martini.
No, I don't drink.
Sweetie, don't be disagreeable.
Jeff, I don't drink because I like it.
It's when I'm not with you.
Then I can't bear it.
That's the way it was at the party.
You disappeared with Renee and 20 minutes later, you still hadn't come back.
Thank you, Bob.
And then I said, "But-but, you're turning my hair charcoal-gray?" You never can tell- The man didn't know anything.
He must've, after all.
Yes.
He wouldn't have known the difference between red or yellow.
So this writer said to me, he said, "Both networks are fighting for my script.
" I looked him right in the eye.
I said, "Now wait a minute, Dave, don't kid me.
" Have a drink.
No, thanks, I have one.
What? You haven't had a drop of it.
They don't evaporate.
You're supposed to drink them.
Why, it's just a little old' single.
And warmer than Granny's old' hot water bag.
Here, you take one of mine.
No, really.
I It's a double.
No, really, I can't.
Karen! What have you got there? I think they call it a double martini.
I thought this was going to be a dry summer.
I don't intend to drink it! What do you intend to do with it, dry clean? This! It's nothing, darling, really.
Thank you, Jack.
Jeff, I'm so ashamed.
I don't know what made me do it.
I'm sure all those people at the party thought I'd been drinking but I hadn't.
I know I didn't take a drink.
But why am I here? Why is my hand bandaged? Jeff, do you know how unbearable it is not to be able to remember what you did last night, what you said? Yes, it's coming back.
I ran out.
There was a taxi outside Renee's apartment.
I got in, I went home.
Karen.
Karen.
Karen! Jeff, can you ever forgive me? Next time I'll give you something to be jealous about.
There's not a drop in the place, that was the last.
I made it for you.
Karen, I'm not angry.
I'm just worried.
I get scared.
I think I'm losing you.
When we're alone, when no one else is around then it's all right but when there are other people.
You mean women? Clever women.
I can't help it.
I don't think anyone likes me.
Including me? No.
When I see you across the room with a girl when I see you dancing with her something inside of me jumps and I think I'll just have to have a drink or I'll do something terrible.
Karen, you've got to stop thinking like that.
All a man wants is someone who's simple and honest and who loves him.
Don't you know that? By golly, if you carry on like this now, how're you gonna act when we're married? Married? You never said that to me, ever.
You never even asked me.
I thought women were supposed to be intuitive.
And after what I did to you tonight at the party? I happen to love you.
Oh, Jeff.
Now how soon can you fix your face? You just fixed it.
You know, I don't suppose it's very romantic of me to bring it up at a time like this but you realize we haven't had any dinner yet? I'll only take a second.
Darling.
Yes? Those people at the party.
You work with a lot of them, don't you? Most of them, one way or another, yes.
What I did, I guess they'll talk about it, won't they? I guess so, but something else'll happen in a day or two.
They'll forget all about it.
Jeff.
Yeah? Help me with these.
I want to go back to the party.
What? They won't know what to think, will they? They won't know exactly what to say, will they, Jeff? Who cares what they think.
Okay, we'll go back and show them.
Come on.
Now it's gonna be fine.
I love you.
I'm glad you came back.
Renee, I'd like to apologize - Forgotten.
Now come on.
Can I get you a drink, Jeff? No, thanks, Renee, I'll pass.
Jeff boy, excuse please.
Men only.
Back in a minute.
Would you like a ginger ale, dear? Yes, thanks.
A ginger ale for Miss Stewart please.
Renee darling, we're leaving.
I'm sorry, would you excuse me? Hello, again.
Hello.
No, thanks.
Where you been? I went out for a while.
Me too.
Like a light.
But I'm good as new.
Would you care to join me? No, of course not.
That's a silly question.
Of course not what? Of course you wouldn't want to join me.
You sound like the party wallflower.
Right and wrong.
Right, I am.
Wrong, a wallflower is a girl.
That's a feminine gender.
I don't know what the masculine is for wallflower, do you? I know another good word.
Antithesis.
Means the opposite.
That's my sister.
She's the antithesis.
Antithesis of wallflower, that is.
Life of the party.
I'm her kid brother, I drink.
She hates me for it.
Great.
So I drink even more.
Would you like to drink with me? No, thanks, I'm all right.
You see that guy she's holding on to? She's crazy about him.
Flipped.
Talks about him all the time.
You know why? 'Cause he's gonna marry some girl not in the business.
He's madly in love with her.
Karen something or other.
Hey, but you know? She's a drunk, my sister says.
And you know they never get over it.
Sis is counting on that, I guess.
She's part Indian.
Collects scalps.
Male.
But she never fails.
It isn't polite to take martinis away from the needy.
Your need isn't as great as mine.
At least we have something in common.
A need.
A need for another drink.
Yeah, let's.
Double martini, please.
Me too.
Say, do you like the bars better on Lexington, Madison, or 3rd? I'm a 3rd Avenue man myself.
How about you? I'm impartial.
I'll tell you what, we could start out on Lex, and then go uptown and then downtown, and then end up at a little bar I know on 3rd.
You know, this is gonna be the start of a beautiful friendship.
Come on.
Let's go.
Come on, let's dance.
No, I got to play a record.
Hold it, you dance with me.
Leave me alone! Hey, come on.
Come on, let's play a record.
Come on.
I want a drink.
Leave it! You've had enough, ma'am.
Leave it.
That's my own special bottle! I'll take care of it.
Karen! Karen, put it down.
Sure.
Chugalug.
Come on, Karen, let's go home.
Let us take you home, dear.
You think I'm a fool? You think I don't know? No, Karen.
Poor Jeff.
Come on, let's take you home.
Come on, that's a girl.
Leave me alone.
I want to go home.
I'm all right now.
I must have been pretty bad, or Jeff would never have brought me here.
Which hospital is this? This isn't exactly a hospital.
It's the city jail.
Why am I here? You killed a man last night.
Killed? I killed a man? Jeff Simmons.
His throat was cut with a brandy glass.
Ladies and gentlemen, may I just for this once depart from our customary epilogue.
Tonight we have brought you a drama based on one of Adela Rogers St.
John's most powerful stories with the hope that somewhere, somehow, it will help someone.
Thank you for waiting.
I was tied up in a story conference.
The writers seem to have escaped with the secretary, too.
I wonder if they left the story behind.
Oh yes, here it is.
It's called Never Again.
May I show it to you? No.
I don't want to wake up.
Please don't make me wake up.
This is a bed, I know it's a bed.
My bed.
It must be my bed.
Why does it move? And rock? I wish it would stop! No, I'm not in bed.
I'm on the Staten Island Ferry.
Foggy, the water's choppy.
We're lost.
Isn't that wonderful? Lost.
Karen, stop being so silly.
You're not lost not half way to Staten Island, half way anywhere.
You're all the way hung over the worst hangover ever.
It's just how bad this one is! Jeff is so right.
I promised Jeff, "Never again.
"As long as I live "I'll never so much as look at the labels on a bottle.
" Never.
I hurt my hand.
How did I hurt my hand? Hospital.
Am I that sick? Nurse Jeff, don't be angry with me again.
Please don't be angry with me again.
How did I get here? Remember.
Remember.
I must remember.
The glass.
There was the cocktail glass.
Yes.
Yes.
I remember.
You probably think I'm silly, don't you, Margaret, carrying this glass around? Honey, what you do outside of office hours is your own business.
You know, I didn't say anything to you while- Don't pretend you didn't want to.
Well, it's all over now.
Yes, I haven't had a drink in four weeks two days and six hours.
And it's still just a piece of glass.
Nothing more, nothing less.
You're looking like yourself again, Karen.
You've been an awful good friend my only friend outside of Jeff.
See? It's useful after all.
What are you wearing tonight? I hadn't thought.
What about the white job with the sequins? Karen! I'm sorry.
I know you think it's a pity to keep anything so lovely in such a filthy and torn condition.
That's the way I want it, Margaret, just like you see it now.
What time are you expecting Jeff? What time is it now? It's almost 6:00.
Oh, golly, he'll be here at 6:30.
Do you mind, Margaret? I just left.
Jeff didn't come by at 6.
:30.
It was 7.
:00.
The clock on the mantel was just striking.
Hey, what'll your neighbors think? They look forward to it as much as I do.
Seeing us reminds them there are more important things than getting dinner ready on time.
You're thinking bad thoughts.
I wasn't thinking, I was just looking.
It's just an ashtray.
Your glass.
No, thank you.
Please, it's important to me.
I'd rather not, Karen.
But don't you see, it's a kind of proof that it won't bother me to see you drink it.
Please.
It's nice and dry.
I've been thinking I ought to find something to keep me busy but after office hours.
Not that I mind Mr.
Clemmon's dictation from 9:00 to 5:00, but I ought to find something to fill in the gap while you're working or away on trips or out holding clients' hands, don't you think? Did you ever know me to hold a client's hand? Renee Marlow is a client.
She's more than that.
She's actually very important to the agency.
She's the brightest woman in advertising we have around.
Besides she's an old friend.
Renee likes you.
Isn't that nice? I know Renee better than you do.
I can imagine what she must have said about me to you.
Now that's not fair, and you know it.
We don't share things anymore.
Sure we do, honey, more than ever actually.
Yes, your things.
Not mine.
What I do isn't very interesting.
Mr.
Clemmons complaining about his taxes.
You don't find that interesting, do you? I didn't say that.
But you meant it.
I didn't even think it.
Then why did I? I don't know.
Jeff, whatever is the matter with me? Honey, you've had a tough thing to get over.
I am over it, I know I am but there's something else, much worse.
I don't seem to be anybody, I'm nothing anymore.
You're my girl.
Isn't that somebody? Yes, when I'm with you it is.
We got to get you out more mix with people more.
Tonight for instance.
Tonight? You have a party? More advertising people? Honey, they're the only people I know.
You know how they keep us isolated, on oxygen.
I don't understand that talk, smart talk.
Honey, that is not smart talk.
That's artificial chit-chat, and it's nothing to be afraid of.
Really, Jeff? Really? Yes, really.
Okay, I'll get my coat.
Edith, I've been looking for you.
How are you, Dick? Excuse me, will you? Hello.
I'm so glad you both could come.
Thank you.
A lovely dress.
The extra man.
And his extra lovely girl.
Thank you, Renee.
Thank you for getting Jeff here on time.
I couldn't keep him away.
I hated asking him to another party but there don't seem to be enough hours in the day.
Not even enough minutes.
Did you get those proofs? Yes, I did, darling.
They're in the study.
I won't keep him but a minute.
Make it a minute and a half.
Jeff- The place is crawling with characters, darling, but just smile sweetly and any one of them will tell you what his analyst had for dinner.
And don't take sides with anybody about anything.
I see you've a mixed crowd here tonight.
Yes, ex-husbands and ex-wives.
The scars may still be fresh, darling, so tread carefully.
You won't, will you, darling? You know I won't.
No, thank you.
You Scotch or bourbon? No, thanks.
That's right, you're martini.
No, I don't drink.
Sweetie, don't be disagreeable.
Jeff, I don't drink because I like it.
It's when I'm not with you.
Then I can't bear it.
That's the way it was at the party.
You disappeared with Renee and 20 minutes later, you still hadn't come back.
Thank you, Bob.
And then I said, "But-but, you're turning my hair charcoal-gray?" You never can tell- The man didn't know anything.
He must've, after all.
Yes.
He wouldn't have known the difference between red or yellow.
So this writer said to me, he said, "Both networks are fighting for my script.
" I looked him right in the eye.
I said, "Now wait a minute, Dave, don't kid me.
" Have a drink.
No, thanks, I have one.
What? You haven't had a drop of it.
They don't evaporate.
You're supposed to drink them.
Why, it's just a little old' single.
And warmer than Granny's old' hot water bag.
Here, you take one of mine.
No, really.
I It's a double.
No, really, I can't.
Karen! What have you got there? I think they call it a double martini.
I thought this was going to be a dry summer.
I don't intend to drink it! What do you intend to do with it, dry clean? This! It's nothing, darling, really.
Thank you, Jack.
Jeff, I'm so ashamed.
I don't know what made me do it.
I'm sure all those people at the party thought I'd been drinking but I hadn't.
I know I didn't take a drink.
But why am I here? Why is my hand bandaged? Jeff, do you know how unbearable it is not to be able to remember what you did last night, what you said? Yes, it's coming back.
I ran out.
There was a taxi outside Renee's apartment.
I got in, I went home.
Karen.
Karen.
Karen! Jeff, can you ever forgive me? Next time I'll give you something to be jealous about.
There's not a drop in the place, that was the last.
I made it for you.
Karen, I'm not angry.
I'm just worried.
I get scared.
I think I'm losing you.
When we're alone, when no one else is around then it's all right but when there are other people.
You mean women? Clever women.
I can't help it.
I don't think anyone likes me.
Including me? No.
When I see you across the room with a girl when I see you dancing with her something inside of me jumps and I think I'll just have to have a drink or I'll do something terrible.
Karen, you've got to stop thinking like that.
All a man wants is someone who's simple and honest and who loves him.
Don't you know that? By golly, if you carry on like this now, how're you gonna act when we're married? Married? You never said that to me, ever.
You never even asked me.
I thought women were supposed to be intuitive.
And after what I did to you tonight at the party? I happen to love you.
Oh, Jeff.
Now how soon can you fix your face? You just fixed it.
You know, I don't suppose it's very romantic of me to bring it up at a time like this but you realize we haven't had any dinner yet? I'll only take a second.
Darling.
Yes? Those people at the party.
You work with a lot of them, don't you? Most of them, one way or another, yes.
What I did, I guess they'll talk about it, won't they? I guess so, but something else'll happen in a day or two.
They'll forget all about it.
Jeff.
Yeah? Help me with these.
I want to go back to the party.
What? They won't know what to think, will they? They won't know exactly what to say, will they, Jeff? Who cares what they think.
Okay, we'll go back and show them.
Come on.
Now it's gonna be fine.
I love you.
I'm glad you came back.
Renee, I'd like to apologize - Forgotten.
Now come on.
Can I get you a drink, Jeff? No, thanks, Renee, I'll pass.
Jeff boy, excuse please.
Men only.
Back in a minute.
Would you like a ginger ale, dear? Yes, thanks.
A ginger ale for Miss Stewart please.
Renee darling, we're leaving.
I'm sorry, would you excuse me? Hello, again.
Hello.
No, thanks.
Where you been? I went out for a while.
Me too.
Like a light.
But I'm good as new.
Would you care to join me? No, of course not.
That's a silly question.
Of course not what? Of course you wouldn't want to join me.
You sound like the party wallflower.
Right and wrong.
Right, I am.
Wrong, a wallflower is a girl.
That's a feminine gender.
I don't know what the masculine is for wallflower, do you? I know another good word.
Antithesis.
Means the opposite.
That's my sister.
She's the antithesis.
Antithesis of wallflower, that is.
Life of the party.
I'm her kid brother, I drink.
She hates me for it.
Great.
So I drink even more.
Would you like to drink with me? No, thanks, I'm all right.
You see that guy she's holding on to? She's crazy about him.
Flipped.
Talks about him all the time.
You know why? 'Cause he's gonna marry some girl not in the business.
He's madly in love with her.
Karen something or other.
Hey, but you know? She's a drunk, my sister says.
And you know they never get over it.
Sis is counting on that, I guess.
She's part Indian.
Collects scalps.
Male.
But she never fails.
It isn't polite to take martinis away from the needy.
Your need isn't as great as mine.
At least we have something in common.
A need.
A need for another drink.
Yeah, let's.
Double martini, please.
Me too.
Say, do you like the bars better on Lexington, Madison, or 3rd? I'm a 3rd Avenue man myself.
How about you? I'm impartial.
I'll tell you what, we could start out on Lex, and then go uptown and then downtown, and then end up at a little bar I know on 3rd.
You know, this is gonna be the start of a beautiful friendship.
Come on.
Let's go.
Come on, let's dance.
No, I got to play a record.
Hold it, you dance with me.
Leave me alone! Hey, come on.
Come on, let's play a record.
Come on.
I want a drink.
Leave it! You've had enough, ma'am.
Leave it.
That's my own special bottle! I'll take care of it.
Karen! Karen, put it down.
Sure.
Chugalug.
Come on, Karen, let's go home.
Let us take you home, dear.
You think I'm a fool? You think I don't know? No, Karen.
Poor Jeff.
Come on, let's take you home.
Come on, that's a girl.
Leave me alone.
I want to go home.
I'm all right now.
I must have been pretty bad, or Jeff would never have brought me here.
Which hospital is this? This isn't exactly a hospital.
It's the city jail.
Why am I here? You killed a man last night.
Killed? I killed a man? Jeff Simmons.
His throat was cut with a brandy glass.
Ladies and gentlemen, may I just for this once depart from our customary epilogue.
Tonight we have brought you a drama based on one of Adela Rogers St.
John's most powerful stories with the hope that somewhere, somehow, it will help someone.